For Derek Isetti ’08, receiving the Faculty Mentor Award this year is a full-circle experience. 

A graduate of Pacific’s speech-language pathology (SLP) program, Isetti now chairs the department and has enjoyed teaching alongside the same professors who once inspired him. 

“My first reaction [to learning about the award] was thinking that I have incredibly large shoes to fill,” he said. “Being honored with the same award my own mentors received reaffirms for me that there is something truly special about the care that the SLP department has for our students.”

Isetti’s students might be surprised to learn, however, that his career didn’t begin in the classroom. Quite by contrast, it started onstage. 

After earning a bachelor’s degree in drama, Isetti moved to New York to pursue professional musical theater. He participated in numerous national tours and performed in the musical Cabaret on Broadway, filling in for the lead when the performer experienced vocal struggles. 

“At the time, I didn’t realize that speech-language pathologists are the ones that treat voice problems when they occur,” he said. “When I decided to pursue a degree in speech-language pathology, I thought that my prior career as a singer could inform how I treat people experiencing voice problems of their own.”

Isetti’s Stockton roots and family ties made Pacific an easy choice for graduate school (his father, two uncles and an aunt are all alumni). He earned a master’s degree at Pacific and a PhD in speech and hearing sciences from the University of Washington. He joined Pacific’s faculty in 2014.

“My professors at Pacific inspired me to come back and teach,” he said. “I vividly remember sitting in a class thinking, ‘That’s what I want to do with my life. I want to inspire people the way that these professors are inspiring me right now.’”

Isetti’s teaching focuses primarily on voice disorders. He believes his theater background helps him feel comfortable in front of the classroom, and he finds pure joy in engaging with students as his authentic self. 

He also knows the impact donations have on students. His dad, Duane Isetti ’63, ’66, was a fundraiser at Pacific for more than 15 years. Through the elder Isetti’s work, his son learned how gifts create the spaces and programs that shape student life.

Today, Derek Isetti is a donor and a champion for his own program. As an ambassador for Pacific Gives—the university’s annual day of giving—he recruited more than 100 donors to join him in each of the last two years.

“SLP offers numerous scholarships, some of which can be supported directly through Pacific Gives. My strategy involves letting folks know that every single dollar counts,” he said. 

Isetti also challenges himself to keep learning. He is currently pursuing a Master of Social Work degree, to increase his capacity to support students, faculty and staff navigating difficult life circumstances. 

As part of that program, he interned at the San Joaquin Pride Center, participating in community outreach and counseling LGBTQIA+ youth and adults. 

Reflecting on his accomplishments at Pacific and beyond, Isetti remains humble and grateful.

“I feel so fortunate to have been selected for the Faculty Mentor Award,” he said. “It’s a sign that even though department chairs are busy with hiring, accreditation, and budgeting, our students are still really at the core of why we do what we do. 

“I’ve learned from the best, and I’m grateful for each day that I can follow in their footsteps.”

Isetti will receive the Faculty Mentor Award on October 13 during Homecoming and Family Weekend. To learn more and register, visit https://www.pacific.edu/alumni/homecoming.