FILOMENA PASCARELLA CESAREO

Assumption’s First Lady

For the last 15 years, Filomena Pascarella Cesareo, Esq., JD, was a supportive fixture on the Assumption campus and in the Worcester community. From sporting events and theatre performances to Chorale and other musical concerts (including every AU Band concert), Filomena enjoyed embedding herself in the Assumption community.

“It is the community that makes Assumption so special,” she shared. “I will miss the people I have come to know during my time here.”

While her husband elevated the academic profile of the institution, Filomena nurtured relationships with parents and students. In 2016, she founded the Assumption Parent and Family Association, where she and her fellow board members welcomed families at open houses and accepted student and move-in days. From 2014 to 2018, she hosted teas at her home for female students and friends of the University, where the women shared stories of the impact of their Assumption experiences. An accomplished trumpet player, she even played alongside students in the University Band for two years prior to the pandemic.

Accompanying SOPHIA students to the Rome Campus is among her fondest memories. “It was wonderful to get to know many students on a personal level during the 10 days we spent together in Rome,” she said. “We laughed and learned together as we were immersed in the culture and enjoyed enriching conversation during meals. I’m still in touch with many of them today.”

For more than 10 years, Filomena has been a member of the Financial Literacy Committee of the Women’s Initiative of the United Way, helping to organize the Dollar Scholar conferences and developing the curriculum; served on the boards of Pernet Family Health Service and the Catholic School Board for the Diocese of Worcester; and volunteered at St. Bernadette’s School and St. John’s High School. In 2008, she helped found the Worcester Children’s Choir, which is still in residence at Assumption.

Filomena, who has practiced law with a firm in Cleveland for the last 20 years, continues to work remotely part time since Francesco's retirement. Though the Cesareos will relocate to the Philadelphia area, Assumption will never be far from Filomena’s thoughts.

“I will miss serving at midnight breakfast, attending Mass at the Chapel, alumni events, watching the students perform both on stage and on the field, and walking on the beautiful campus and talking to students,” she said. “I will also miss attending commencement and feeling so proud of the many students I knew receiving their diplomas.”

Assumption College officially becomes Assumption University after reorganizing into five schools: the Grenon School of Business, D’Amour College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, School of Graduate Studies, Froelich School of Nursing, and School of Health Professions

WHAT WILL YOU MISS THE MOST ABOUT ASSUMPTION AND/OR WORKING IN HIGHER EDUCATION?

I will especially miss the interaction with students. My entire career in higher education has been student-centered. Getting to know students on a personal level, interacting with them in various ways – whether walking around campus, during my annual visits to the residence halls, or attending events – has defined my presidency. These interactions were what energized my work as a president. They were reminders of why we were here and who we were serving, and that our goal and responsibility were to ensure the student experience was the best it could be and impact their lives.

I think the most endearing thing for me is the fact that the students address me as “Pres Chez.” For me, that reflects the genuine relationship that I have had with students for these 15 years.

HOW DO YOU HOPE YOU ARE REMEMBERED?

I hope that I will be remembered as someone who poured his heart and soul into making the institution a better place by building upon the strengths of the past and bringing the institution to the next level of growth. As someone who always made decisions with the good of the institution and the students in mind, even if they weren’t always accepted by everyone. As someone who led with integrity and did not compromise my values or the mission but stayed firmly rooted in them for the good of the institution.

And finally, that anything I have done concretely, from the buildings to innovative programs to fundraising, was geared toward improving the student experience and supporting the faculty to do what they do best, which is educate our students in a way that enables them to not only become competent in their fields but also to be transformed – mind, heart, and soul – so that they become the persons God intends them to be, or as St. Augustine states, “to become what they are not yet.”

YOU TOOK ON SIGNIFICANT ROLES IN THE WORCESTER COMMUNITY, BOTH AS A LEADER AND A UNIVERSITY PARTNER. WHY WAS THIS IMPORTANT?

It’s important for an academic institution to see itself as part of the community. We have a responsibility to contribute our resources – not just financial, but our human capital, whether through faculty and staff expertise or through volunteerism. It was important that we were players in the community, that we contributed to the renaissance of Worcester and initiatives that impacted the lives of citizens, especially those in need. Whether that was partnering with The Hanover Theatre for the Performing Arts, Worcester Railers, or Worcester Red Sox and nonprofit agencies, supporting the cultural revitalization of the community benefited everyone, including our students, and opened doors for them through internships, jobs, and volunteer and networking opportunities.

Worcester Business Journal

Dr. Cesareo is named to the Worcester Business Journal’s Hall of Fame in recognition of his contributions to Assumption and the city of Worcester.

Health Sciences Center Dedication

Assumption officially dedicates the Richard J. and Sophia Catrambone Health Sciences Center, which was completed in November 2020.

Light the Way Light the Way capital campaign ends, raising more than $50 million, 45 percent over the $35 million goal.