Mount Made
forward.
MEET THE GRADUATES OF THE
University of Mount Saint Vincent
More than 17,000 students have graduated from the Mount.
Much like you, they came here full of promise and hope—finding their best path forward at the Right Place on the River. They prepared to launch their career, not just find a job.
Our alumnae/i go on to study at the finest graduate and professional schools in the nation. They become leaders and innovators in the global community—doctors, teachers, lawyers, writers, nurses, accountants, artists, social workers—the list goes on.
Our alums are proud to be Mount Made .
Here are just a few...
Saturdays are for the Alums
KELLY MARTIN WALSH ’10
COMMUNICATION
SVP, Head of Talent Relations & Communications
Barstool Sports
MA | Fairleigh Dickinson University
When Kelly Martin Walsh ’10 has a goal, she’ll stop at nothing until she achieves it.
And that mindset is exactly how she got to be Senior Vice President and Head of Talent Relations and Communications at Barstool Sports—one of the youngest SVPs in company history.
Kelly’s playing a significant role in changing the face of modern media. At Barstool, hosts and contributors of shows and podcasts aren’t afraid to make their opinions known, while still sticking to the facts and letting their audiences know what’s happening in the world. As a senior vice president, Kelly’s responsible for managing almost every single talent that represents one of Barstool’s many platforms—something that takes organization, skill, and guts.
But before she started to climb the ranks at Barstool—one of the nation’s premier sports and entertainment digital media companies—she launched her career at Mount Saint Vincent.
The Mount was the perfect place—the Right Place on the River—for Kelly to study and as she described it: “the stars aligned.”
“My mom is a nurse practitioner and the Mount is very credible in her field,” mentioned Kelly. “The Mount is wellknown for its nursing program, and my mom even taught there for many years! She knew that I wanted to work in journalism, so she suggested I check out Mount Saint Vincent.”
And with a campus in NYC (that’s located just minutes to Manhattan!), Kelly knew she’d be able to utilize all the resources available in the communication field.
“The Mount taught me how to communicate—and I don’t mean that just because I was a communication major,” joked Kelly. “Gaining that confidence has greatly helped me in my career, and I’m thankful I had such dedicated professors and mentors to guide me along the way.”
Getting to where she is today certainly took patience, drive, and dedication, but Kelly has the Mount to thank for preparing her to enter the workforce and become one of the nation’s top media professionals.
“Every day at Barstool is everchanging,” said Kelly. “I don’t think there’s ever been any day that’s the same. I spend most of my time pitching our shows to reps, networks, talent bookers—really anyone who might be interested in picking up one of Barstool’s programs. And then it’s the vice versa too—those agencies will pitch their talent and shows to me, and I’ll decide whether or not it’s something or someone our Barstool shows might be interested in.”
As for her next goal? We’re not sure— but we know Kelly’s got some ideas in mind (maybe even teaching some communication classes as an adjunct faculty member *cough cough… looking at you, UMSV Communication Department*). But there’s one thing we’re certain about: Kelly will stop at nothing until she reaches the top.
KAITLIN
MCGEOWN
VINCH ’19
ACCOUNTING
Senior Tax Analyst,
Pharm Sector
Johnson & Johnson
CHRISTMAN PERERA ’14
BUSINESS
Senior Sales Representative & Certified Field Trainer, Sage Stryker
KELVIN GENTLES ’05
BUSINESS
MALLORIE BOCACHICA ’10
MATH, PSYCHOLOGY, AND TEACHER EDUCATION
Principal
Leadership Prep Canarsie
Elementary Academy
MS | City College
Executive Director of Parish Development
Catholic Charities of the Archdiocese of New York
Veteran
U.S. Army Reserve
“New York City is the business capital of the world. I appreciated the countless opportunities for quality internships I had at the Mount.”
DIVINE TABIOS ’04
COMMUNICATION
Senior Regional
Director of Development, Major Gifts
Faculty of Arts and Sciences at Harvard University
“The Mount connected me to the world of fundraising and philanthropy. I was introduced to the CEO of a fundraising/consulting firm at the Scholarship Tribute Dinner and I spent almost a decade with that company before moving into development opportunities in higher education. I owe the Mount my career!”
JENNIFER BLATUS
MCPARTLAND ’11
COMMUNICATION AND HISTORY
Vice President
Rubenstein
REMA SAYED ’14
BIOLOGY
Global Marketing Senior Manager, Marstacimab Pfizer
MA | Columbia University, Teachers College
MATTHEW
KLINGBEIL ’11
COMMUNICATION
Senior Product Marketing Manager
Rhombus
PhD Candidate | Georgia State University
MA | Hofstra University
EUGENE TOUSSAINT ’10
HISTORY AND PSYCHOLOGY
Staff Attorney Legal Aid Society
CEO
Attorneys with Swag
JD | St. John’s University School of Law
Attorney With Swag
Eugene Toussaint ’10 has swag—Attorneys with Swag, that is.
As a lawyer, Eugene’s goal is to not only advocate for his clients, but to also educate and empower the general public on an understanding of the law.
But before diving into his work with Attorneys with Swag, Eugene got his start as a staff attorney in criminal defense practice with the Legal Aid Society, one of the largest and most influential social justice law firms in New York City. The mission of the Legal Aid Society is built upon one simple, but powerful belief: that no New Yorker should be denied the right to equal justice.
A Bronx native, Eugene paid witness to injustices in his own community—and that’s one of the driving forces behind his desire to launch his career as a public defender.
Working in public defense means no two days are ever the same. The fastpaced nature of the courthouse makes his job exciting, and the daily unknown is something that keeps Eugene on his toes.
“A typical day for me involves making appearances in court, meeting with clients, preparing cases, and processing arraignments.”
Eugene’s always aspired to become a lawyer, and he’s proud to be living out that dream every day. But if it weren’t for the support he received from various teachers, mentors, and advisors along the way—especially at the Mount—he would never have imagined graduating from St. John’s University School of Law in 2014.
“I always knew I wanted to be an attorney—even as a child,” chuckled Eugene. “I loved arguing. I loved debating. I loved talking! Pursuing a career as a lawyer seemed like a perfect fit for me, and I worked hard in both high school and college to get myself to where I am today.”
After spending five years as a public defender, Eugene had a bit of an epiphany moment. After meeting with client after client and seeing some of the same offenders walk through the court system, he realized that there were a lot of things he wished he had known about the law—but didn’t (and he even went to law school!). So, if Eugene was unaware of some of these fundamental facts of the law, how could he expect the everyday citizen to be informed of them?
Eugene made it a goal to begin to educate the public on an understanding of the law. He partnered with a group of fellow attorneys to launch Attorneys with Swag.
The goal of the organization is to make legal concepts entertaining so they can be more easily digestible and understood by a general audience—not just those who attended law school. Attorneys with Swag accomplishes this mission in two ways: through their YouTube show, Attorneys with Swag, and through their original music.
“Founding Attorneys with Swag was an opportunity for me to make a change in my community,” expressed Eugene. “I’m proud to be doing my part by turning entertainment into education.”
Even years after his graduation from the Mount, Eugene’s values are still rooted in the qualities of goodness, discipline, and knowledge instilled in him during his days as a Dolphin. And he continues to make an impact today—both on the courtroom floor and in his community.
MICHELLE ROSS ’14
COMMUNICATION
Reporter
Fox 5 New York
RODCLIFFE WINT ’15
BIOLOGY
Associate Dentist
Alameda Health System
DDS | University of Maryland School of Dentistry
NIKKI CHARLESTIN ’16
BUSINESS
Resident Director
University of Maryland
MS | University of Wisconsin La Crosse
AMY STANFORD ’10
ENGLISH
Account Manager
Saylor Creative Agency
“Scholarships had a massive impact on my experience as a student at Mount Saint Vincent. As a first-generation college student, I was able to achieve above and beyond what I ever imagined.”
JAMES VAZQUEZ ’06, ’11 MBA
BUSINESS
Vice President, Treasury Solutions Officer Bank of America
MBA | Mount Saint Vincent
“The leadership courses I engaged in at the Mount helped me hone several skills I use in my role today. This has helped me improve throughout my career and supported me in my transition to senior leadership roles.”
CHRISTOPHER SUMMO ’15
COMMUNICATION
Senior Sales Executive Instacart
JULIA CARIASLINARES ’07
COMMUNICATION
Founding Partner and CEO
Freedom Studios, Inc.
KELLY GIBISON ’18
BIOLOGY
Clinical Dietician
Unidine
MS | Thomas Jefferson University
MA | Hofstra University
MAIRE FOX ’12
HISTORY
Adjunct Professor
University of Mount Saint Vincent
PhD Candidate |
St. John’s University
Years of Research Not in Vein
Maire Fox ’12 is very meticulous about her work. Between writing her doctoral dissertation, preparing coursework for the college classes she teaches, and coordinating museum exhibits across the pond in Ireland—she’s got her hands full with plenty of projects to keep her busy. Yet, she knows that there’s a place for everything, and everything has its place.
We’d even go so far as to say she’s organ-ized, if you will…
And that’s because Maire’s spent the past ten years or so deep-diving into the history of 19th century Irish pathoanatomy, autopsy, and dissection.
After a long discussion with one of her mentors, Maire realized that she wasn’t very passionate about psychology or elementary education—what she first majored in at the Mount. In the back of her mind always loomed this interest in medicine and the history surrounding it.
She convinced her advisor to sign off on a paper switching her major to history and she completed the entire major program in her senior year at the Mount—taking upwards of 20 credits each semester and even flying across the globe on a study abroad trip to Italy.
“I won the history department medal at commencement that year— which I think only goes to prove my dedication to the history field and my passion for the research I performed.”
She recalled the countless trips to her local library she would take with her father growing up—perusing the pages of books new and old and getting lost in the stacks. That craving for information followed her as she navigated her college experience, and Maire was able to finally turn her hobby for history into a career.
Always thirsting for more knowledge, Maire’s current studies brought her to St. John’s University in 2017, where she’s now pursuing a PhD in history— focusing on the history of medicine with a concentration in 19th century Irish pathoanatomy.
And not only is this a Mount Made alumnae/i feature on Maire and her accomplishments after walking across the commencement stage, it’s also a faculty feature!
Since 2017, Maire has taught a section of the course “Disease, Doctors, and Healthcare: The Evolution of Modern Healthcare” right here at her alma mater. Maire also serves as an adjunct professor at several other local colleges—but even she says coming back to teach at the Mount’s Riverdale campus is one of the favorite parts of her job.
Maire herself admits that none of her success would have been possible without the support she received from the Mount community—both a decade ago and today.
“The environment of the Mount is truly unique,” reflected Maire. “I know that I learn (and teach!) better in a more intimate setting with smaller class sizes. Nobody ever gave up on me—even after I decided to change my major during my senior year. I can assure you that, while you’re at the Mount, nobody will give up on you either.”
CARLY JENKINSON ’16
PSYCHOLOGY
Behavioral Health Technician
Bartlett Regional Hospital
NICHOLAS MALIZIA ’17
BIOLOGY
Physician Assistant Hospital for Special Surgery
MS | Pace University
TIM BECK ’18
SOCIOLOGY
Police Officer New York Police Department
RENEE
RIVAS ’08
ENGLISH
Senior Counsel
Travelers
JD | New York Law School
“The goodness, discipline, and knowledge the Mount instilled in me over my four years as a student have helped me flourish in my career by using those values in my everyday work as I strive to make New York City a safer place.”
KATHY BENITEZ ’16
PSYCHOLOGY
Bilingual School Psychologist
NYC Department of Education
MED | Long Island University
“The Mount helped me develop leadership and interpersonal skills that have played an essential role in where I am in my career today. I am forever grateful to have been a part of such a tight-knit campus that emphasized the importance of being a member of a community.”
JOSEPH SALDORIGA ’13
BUSINESS
Director of Admission
BASIS Independent Schools
STACEY CABEZAS DEJESUS ’13
COMMUNICATION
Assistant Director of Foster Parents & OCFS
Lutheran Social Services of New York
DARWIN DAVIS ’17
PSYCHOLOGY
Occupational Therapist/CHT
NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital
MS | Columbia University
MICHELLE DELA PAZ ’16
BUSINESS
Administrative Officer
U.S. Naval Research
Laboratory, Plasma
Physics Division
LAWRENCE CAPUTO ’12
COMMUNICATION
Production Manager New York Islanders and New Jersey Devils
STEPHANIE RODWAY ’17
BIOLOGY
Physical Therapist
Tufts Medical Center
DPT | New York Medical College
MATTHEW BABCOCK ’22
ACCOUNTING
Audit Associate
KPMG
“The faculty members at the Mount are all so diligently dedicated to each students’ success. Small class sizes allow professors to really get to know their students and help them explore their passions both within the classroom and outside of it.”