Spring 2022 Magazine

SPRING 2022

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Innovation Challenge

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Faith and Spiritual Development Fund

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Office of Experiential Learning partners with Bowe Elementary

15 Bloom Literary Journal shines its creativity

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2 Women’s Field Hockey Team Blazes a Path for Success

Elms College Magazine

“Coming together is a beginning, staying together is progress, and working together is a success.”

— Henry Ford

Dear Friends, Over these last couple of years, both as individuals and as a community, we all have shown our resilience and ability to adapt and change in response to the challenges of the pandemic. We have proven through our ElmsSafe Plan that working together toward the same goal is the path to a successful future.

In March, we lifted the mask mandate and full smiles were visible once more. With the warmer weather and the first day of spring came a feeling of lighter air and a sense of normalcy began to embrace us once again. However, going back to “normal” is not a solution. To fall back on past habits is not the way to progress and strive for excellence. In the tradition of the Sisters of St. Joseph, Elms College challenges students to embrace change without compromising principles, to respond creatively to the demands of their chosen careers, and to advocate for people in need.

At this time in our lives, we hope that Covid-19 will continue to subside and the disparities that have made themselves apparent will continue to be addressed in society. But many of us are asking ourselves if this should be a new beginning or rebirth for the future. After over two years of a pandemic and the catastrophic war in Ukraine, is the world in a position to work together for a more unified community that is focused on the common good?

Uniting dear neighbors is the tradition of the Sisters of St. Joseph. A united community is the ideal for which Elms College strives in the pursuit of our primary goal: to better the lives of our students by equipping them for the world; giving them the skills they need for the workplace and for contributing to their community. The board, administration, faculty, and staff of the College have redoubled our efforts in recent months to ensure a more unified and cohesive campus community through concrete and ongoing actions.

In this spring issue you will find some of many initiatives in place to prepare our students—our future—to meet the challenges they may face in their careers and life and effect change in the world. For instance, the First-Year Seminar’s Innovation Challenge shows first-year students how to think critically and work as a team to propose a solution to a real-world problem. The student-produced publication of Bloom, a compilation of creative writing, photography, and artwork submitted by students, faculty, staff, and alumni, provides students an opportunity for creative expression and collaboration. Events such as the Black Experience Summit invite the public to join our community of scholars and learners for thoughtful dialogue, greater insight, and broader understanding. The newly signed Memorandum of Understanding agreement between Elms College and Yarmouk University in Irbid, Jordan, which allows qualified students at Yarmouk to complete their master’s degree in biotechnology via Elms’ online learning platform, expands our global learning community. Finally, our participation in the Massachusetts Future of Work Commission provides Elms College an opportunity to shape public policy, particularly those affecting education and training.

Elms has a vibrant and caring community that reaches far beyond the students. Everyone has a contribution to make. It may be mentoring, lending a helping hand, or simply giving time to listen. I wish to thank you all for the contributions that you make every day to the future of Elms and the future of the next generation of servant leaders.

We walk together full of opportunities and promises.

Best wishes for a peaceful and blessed summer,

Harry E. Dumay, Ph.D., MBA President

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TABLE OF

CONTENTS ELMS COLLEGE MAGAZINE Megan Eischen Director of Marketing William Russo-Appel Communications & Public Relations Manager Donna S. Kowalewski Multimedia Writer Katherine Cardinale, Cardinale Design Creative Director Don Forest, Cardinale Design Art Director Contributing Writers/Editors William Russo-Appel Donna S. Kowalewski Elizabeth Gourde Kristin E. Kirwan Principal Photography Silver Photography William Russo-Appel Cardinale Design

Elms College 291 Springfield Street Chicopee, MA 01013 We are a Catholic liberal arts college founded by the Sisters of St. Joseph of Springfield, Massachusetts.

The editors invite your comments and questions at 413-265-2588 or marketing@elms.edu.

Members of the immigration immersion mission trip to El Paso attended a prayer service at Mount Cristo Rey in New Mexico and reflected on the issue of migration. Left to right are: Andrew Mercado ‘16, Nicole Fregeau ‘18, Kellie Serrao ‘23, Margaret Mathon ‘23, Klara Schommer ‘22, Emily Cheevers ‘24, and Reyna Bautista ‘23.

FEATURES

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Drive to Success

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It’s Not Just for Shark Tank Anymore

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Extending Family and Faith to Elms College

Elms College Women’s Athletics’ stellar achievements this year are exemplified by the Field Hockey team and its goalkeeper, Nora Newman.

The Innovation Challenge as part of the First-Year Seminar is more than an elevator pitch. It positions first-year students to succeed in college, their careers, and life.

The Deacon Joseph Garde and Reverend Mark Stelzer Faith and Spiritual Development Fund supports the St. Augustine Center for Ethics, Religion and Culture.

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Partnering for the Future

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Creativity in Full BLOOM

A partnership between the Office of Experiential Learning and Bowe Elementary in Chicopee benefits younger students, Elms’ students, and the community..

The Division of Humanities and Fine Arts celebrates creative minds with the publication of Bloom, the Elms College Literary Journal.

GRIT, DETERMINATION, AND SPIRIT

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Elms College Magazine

Drive to Success As Elms College students returned to campus this year, the Blazers were charged and ready to storm through the competition. The field hockey team paved the way in the fall when they made the playoffs in their inaugural year in the Great Northeast Athletic Conference (GNAC). They reached the semifinals of the conference tournament. Their coach, Rachel E. Lapar attributes this season’s success to the team’s dynamic teamwork. She feels that the grit, determination, and spirit of the seniors and other returning players made a great impression on the rest of the girls. She explained, “this year’s team went the furthest in the playoffs since 2017.”

During that year, the team won the Northeast Collegiate Conference tournament. Coach Lapar added that there was a dramatic increase in the level of competition between the two conferences. This is likely because GNAC consists of more competitive schools that have greater resources and larger student populations.

Preparation to meet the demands of the GNAC started early in the season. Coach Lapar sat down with each player and established a series of goals. The individual goals that Lapar created with the girls covered what she described as the five skill sets necessary for a good field hockey player; physical, mental, tactical, technical, and leadership. One particular senior, Nora Newman, happens to know a whole lot about goals—she was named to the National Field Hockey Coaches Association All-Region 2nd Team and the GNAC Goalkeeper of the Year. Lapar describes her as energetic, passionate, and positive, which is just the kind of attitude necessary to hold a team together.

Newman wanted a high number of saves, low goals-againstaverage, and to excel on the GNAC leaderboard. She learned early on in the season that certain goals, particularly her number of saves, were out of her control—she could not control how many times other teams attempted to score.

Setting goals that relied upon factors out of her range of control was defeating. This called for a reevaluation.

At the beginning of the season, Lapar and her girls read The Energy Bus:10 Rules to Fuel Your Life, Work, and Team with Positive Energy (2007) by Jon Gordon. The book equates energy to a bus and encourages its readers to be selective about who they allow on their energy bus. You can choose to admit uplifting individuals to come along for your journey, but you can also decide to decline “energy vampires” who drain your good spirits. We cannot control every factor of our days, but there is power in knowing what we can control. Newman reassessed how she measured success; how many saves she makes depends upon how often others shoot against her, but her save percentage is up to her.

It can be difficult to think rationally, especially when a matter is personal, but Newman finds comfort in the intimate nature of her athletics. “It’s a family affair,” she stated. Her parents, two brothers, and sister all take an interest back home in Woburn, Massachusetts, and are supportive of Alaska, her collegiate career.

She and her dad even St. Mary’s, birthplace of Deborah Alstrom Vo ‘89 began a middle school field hockey program in Woburn, which her siblings also participated in. This family mentality

Coach Rachel E. Lapar with Goalkeeper Nora Newman ‘22.

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is something she takes with her as a part of the team, and she was proud to share that this year’s team “absolutely felt like family.” She attributes a lot of this past season’s success to communication, both on and off the field. The girls bonded through the sport and addressed petty qualms immediately to ensure that they had each other’s trust.

Nora explained that mutual rapport also allowed her to do more than just goalkeep from her position. From her place in the goalpost, she can see the entire field. When she shouted a directive, it was passed from teammate to teammate “like a game of telephone.”

In addition to athletics and coaching, Nora is also a full-time nursing student, works at the Holyoke Medical Center, and she was an EMT throughout the entire field hockey season.

“I enjoy everything that I’m doing,” Newman claimed, “and that is how I make balance.” She is living proof that you can make it work when it doesn’t feel like work. However, she excels in what she does because she has learned that skills in one field translate into another; her family-centric mentality helps her communicate on the field, and in her workspace.

She recently began a new job, and she views her coworkers as teammates, which helps her to recall that she is never alone in her efforts. Nora smiled as she said, “I don’t know these people right now, but I know that we can work together.”

We often view athletics as a one-way street on the road to success, yet Nora has made critical connections between the skills she learned this year from Coach Lapar and the field hockey team and the other avenues in her life. By accepting that she can only control internal factors, she realized the full potential of the skills that field hockey has given her.

This allowed Newman to achieve the goals that she set for herself and the recognition she deserved. Coach Lapar said it perfectly, “I would argue that her most valuable award was the Energy Bus award, which her teammates awarded her at the conclusion of the season. She became a master of her own journey so that she could best “enjoy the ride.” s The seniors and returning members of the field hockey team played an integral part in the team’s success. From left to right are: Elizabeth Collins ‘22, nursing major; Erin Thibodeau ‘22, nursing major; Nora Newman ‘22, nursing major; Snejana Lashtur ‘22, accounting major; Ellie Serra ‘22, biology major/bioethics minor; and Carissa Ramirez ‘21, social work graduate.

Women Blazers Rock the GNAC Last fall, Elms College became the newest member of the Great Northeast Athletic Conference (GNAC)* and in the inaugural season the female Blazers have been on fire! The following women Blazers’ teams have rocketed into the postseason playoffs: • Women’s Basketball, advanced to the conference quarterfinals • Women’s Field Hockey, advanced to the conference semifinals • Women’s Soccer, advanced to the conference first round • Women’s Volleyball, advanced to the conference quarterfinals *Prior to the fall of 2021, Elms College was a member of the New England Collegiate Conference and the Blazers swimming and diving teams were associate members of the GNAC. Now, all 15 varsity sports are competing in the GNAC.

Goalkeeper Nora Newman '22 in action.

INNOVATION CHALLENGE

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Elms College Magazine

It’s Not Just for Shark Tank Anymore The first year of college can be a challenge for most students. In addition to the rigors of their academic studies, new students need to become acclimated to the new environment, new friends, new class structure. The College of Our Lady of Elms, like many colleges, answers these challenges with the First-Year Seminar. The seminar is designed with small classes so instructors can better know the students. Courses, activities, and a shared Common Read book are specially selected, connected by a theme taken from Catholic Social Teaching to help students navigate all the new experiences of becoming college students and adults. This year’s seminar theme was a “Call to Family, Community, and Participation”.

But Elms knows it is not enough to have a first-year Common Read or engaging events. The college must give students the tools to not only succeed but excel. To accomplished this, students need to meet challenges in innovative ways. That is why all first-year students take part in the Innovative Challenge, a unique feature of Elms’ undergraduate experience.

This last fall 185 first-year students participated in the Challenge. Designed to develop a handson experience that enhances critical thinking, teamwork, problem-solving, field-research skills, as well as many other soft skills that are sought after in the real-world workplace, this challenge delivers much more to the students. Each team developed a design in order to enhance their community awareness.

The Challenge also pushes the students to work as a team to analyze, observe, and test their product within an aggressive schedule. Beginning Friday afternoon and ending Sunday evening, these students work together to collaborate, brainstorm, and conceptualize a unique idea.

“This challenging task is also a lot of fun,” Amanda Garcia, Associate Professor of Accounting & Finance explains, “because last year we held the Innovation Challenge online, this year was the first time all first-year students have been able to participate live.”

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The Innovation Challenge is an immersive learning experience that not only teaches how to solve problems and think critically, but how to learn from your teammates and others. Innovation also comes from the ability to listen and learn from a diverse and inclusive community that all have added skills and knowledge.

Business professionals from the community collaborate with the students as mentors. The role of the Innovation Challenge mentor is to help students think critically and provide feedback on ideas by asking questions related to feasibility, business issues, general business-related topics. Innovation cannot happen without making a change and these professionals stretch the students’ concepts.

Sometimes they learn that the idea you start with may not be the solution you end with.

Next, the students put on their creative hats and learn how to present their ideas visually and write their pitch for the judges. The judges who are community leaders and alumni, give the added skill set to positively process feedback and constructive criticism.

Past judges have included Ryan Stelzer, co-founder of Strategy of Mind; Al Kasper, president/CEO at Savage Sports Corp.; and John Vieau, mayor of Chicopee. This year, Ryan Stelzer and Al Kasper returned to join Elms President Harry Dumay on the final judge panel.

The winning idea this year was called RoomMe. The team included Caroline Pare - Communication Sciences & Disorders major, Abigail Lafleur - Psychology major, Linda Ramcke - Biology major, ArihJey Villon-Nahue - Criminal Justice major, and Dylan Holubowich - English major.

The students designed RoomMe as a website for colleges to use so that they can determine better matches for potential roommates from their incoming residence students. They developed this website idea to address issues within the college community when roommates affect the academic or social acceptance of one another.

With all the social and community challenges, it is exciting to see what great problem-solving innovation will be created next fall.

Above: Graphics from first place team’s winning presentation.

First place team from left to right: Linda Ramcke, ArihJey Villon-Nahue, Dylan Holubowich, Abigail Lafleur, and Caroline Pare.

FAMILY TIES

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Elms College Magazine

Extending Family and Faith to Elms College

Paul Stelzer, Chair of the Board of Trustees, (3rd from the right), stands with three generations of his family. Left to right are: Paul’s mother-in-law, Barbara Brennan Garde ’79; his father-in-law, Deacon Joseph Garde; his wife Donna; Elms President Harry Dumay; Paul; his son Ryan; and his brother, Father Mark.

With a deep affection for western Massachusetts and many family ties to Elms College, Donna and Paul Stelzer, current Chair of the Board of Trustees, knew they wanted to do something meaningful for the Building Bridges Campaign.

They have established The Deacon Joseph Garde and Reverend Mark Stelzer Faith and Spiritual Development Fund at the St. Augustine Center for Ethics, Religion and Culture (CERC). The real story, the Stelzers say, is about the two remarkable men honored by this fund and the unique intersection between the CERC and their families.

“When you have both of these incredible men, two close family members, my brother Mark and my father-in-law Joe, who have dedicated their lives to faith formation, spiritual development, and ethical learning and who are living this every day in the prisons, their parishes, and hospitals, and of course, Mark, in the classrooms, it’s pretty special, pretty amazing,” Stelzer explained.

“The more we thought about it, the more it seemed like the stars were lining up; connecting us to this fund,” he said.

What exactly are these stars, Stelzer is speaking of? He and his wife feel there are many connections between Elms and the CERC with their family. To start, Deacon Joseph Garde is Donna Stelzer’s father, a youthful 92 years old, who became a lay deacon after retiring from a lengthy career with the

telephone company. He took many of his classes at Elms when the Diaconate program was taught at the college. Deacon Garde served all across the diocese, eventually becoming the Assistant Director of the Diaconate program. He helped recruit, interview, teach, and mentor, in addition to his role serving the people of his primary parish, St. Catherine of Siena, and the other parishes he was assigned to over the years. He is also married to an alumna of the college, Barbara Brennan Garde ’79, who graduated with a degree in social work. The youngest Stelzer brother, Thomas, is on staff at Pope Francis High School and taught side-by-side with the Sisters of St. Joseph (SSJ), the founders of the college, for many years at Cathedral High School and Holyoke Catholic High School. He also took many of his graduate courses at Elms.

The connections continue with the relationship between Joe and one of his best friends, Fr. Hugh Crean, and the Elms.

“Fr. Crean, who we all (Stelzer’s family) knew and loved, was very close to my father-in-law, and of course, we have the Reverend Hugh Crean Lecture Series at the CERC,” Paul Stelzer explained. But this connection to the CERC and Reverend Crean also continues with Stelzer, himself, and his very good friends, Jack and Colette Dill, who are among the founding supporters of the CERC. “That connection is important to me

E l m s C o l l e g e W o r k i n g To g e t h e r

because of my friendship with Jack and his wife, Colette, but also because they were the ones that set up the legacy and remembrance of Fr. Hugh Crean and kind of pushed the lecture series,” Stelzer said. Like Stelzer, we can begin to see how all of these connections, or stars as he likes to call them, seem to be leading directly to the birth of this fund. Now let’s add Fr. Mark Stelzer, Paul’s brother, to this celestial map.

Stelzer affectionately refers to his brother as “the superstar”.

His respect and regard for his brother and his life’s work are palpable. “He will be a priest 40 years next May. He’s coming up on his 39th anniversary and his legacy in the diocese and at the Elms is just profound. His work as a priest, as a professor, in the prisons, in the hospitals, and now with the GuestHouse– he is very proud of being on that board–is tremendous. He is a lecturer and expert in addiction recovery for clergy. It’s his ministry for sure,” Stelzer shared. According to its website, the GuestHouse is a national organization based in Michigan that specializes in addiction treatment for Catholic clergy and men and women religious by providing the principles of Catholic social justice and respecting the dignity of all through the teachings of the Catholic Church. Fr. Mark Stelzer sits on the organization’s board and also functions as the main speaker, traveling the country speaking on issues of addiction in religious life. He teaches a class on addiction and recovery at Elms College as well. “They (priests/deacons) all find their niches. On campus my brother is known as College Chaplain, as a professor, or for saying Masses; then going back to his own parish (St. Mary’s in Hampden), but all of these men have other work they do too,” Stelzer said.

“When you look at the body of work these two men have done, one for 40 years and one for 31 years, and then the connection with Joe to Fr. Crean and the CERC, it just all became so clear to Donna and me. The lights just came on.

Then another connection lined up, our son,” Stelzer said.

The Stelzers’ son, Ryan, serves on the advisory board for the CERC. He is also an adjunct professor at Elms teaching in the MBA program and the Business Program. Ryan Stelzer holds a Master’s degree in Social and Political Ethics from the University of Chicago Divinity School. His undergraduate work was at Cambridge University and Boston University in philosophy and religion. He teaches leadership and ethical leadership at the college and has his own company that provides leadership consulting centered around those issues.

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“Elms College is so grateful to Paul and Donna Stelzer for honoring Deacon Joseph Garde and Fr. Mark Stelzer by establishing this fund aimed at encouraging the spiritual development of our students,” said Elms President Harry Dumay.

In Stelzer’s view, “the single most important thing Elms College does is graduate its students with an ethical mindset that they will carry into whatever career they pursue.” He explained that the goal of the CERC, which is the same goal he and his wife had when establishing this fund, is to elevate ethical learning and to incorporate ethics throughout the curriculum that continues to reflect the Catholic identity of the college and the charism of the SSJ. The Stelzers hope that this fund can aid the CERC in helping Elms students measure their ethical life, whether it be from a theological base or a secular background, by providing programming and experiential learning opportunities that ultimately will help students to choose value-based career paths and provide guidance as to how they can align themselves with or how they can evaluate ethical companies to work for. “A lot of schools can teach ethics or ethical behavior but at Elms, we have the luxury, the wonderful gift, of being able to tie that teaching into faith formation, into a faith-based examination of how students develop themselves as people who lead a meaningful, ethical life.” The Stelzers both look forward to seeing more of this programming developed at the CERC with the input of three generations of their family and the many talented faculty at Elms.

3rd Annual Rev. Hugh Crean Distinguished Lecture in Catholic Thought Attorney Mary Ann Glendon, the Learned Hand Professor of Law, Emerita, at Harvard University, and a former U.S. Ambassador to the Holy See was this year’s lecturer. Her remarks titled “Reflections on ‘The Hour of the Laity’” included her experience working with the three most recent popes: St. John Paul II, Benedict XVI, and Francis.

“So, with the addition of our son, the connection for us is pretty amazing because now you have three generations working on this faith and spiritual development, and ethical learning and leadership; three generations tied together in the CERC,” Stelzer marveled.

“All of a sudden, all of these stars connected for us. We could see all of the connections, we could see it being meaningful, and we could see it encouraging others to help the center.

Donna and I created this fund to honor these two great men, but there’s also a bigger hope here. That it encourages others to get involved,” Stelzer shared enthusiastically. He urges others to give to Elms “because you can make a difference at this particular school, immediately, not in five or ten years. You can make an immediate difference in a student’s life, in a program’s life, or in student success, and in this case, at the CERC,” he emphasized.

At the Rev. Hugh Crean Distinguished lecture in March, left to right are: Colette Dill, B. John (Jack) Dill, Maggie Dumay, Elms President Harry E. Dumay, keynote speaker Atty. Mary Ann Glendon, and Bishop of the Springfield Catholic Diocese, William Byrne.

IN THE NEWS

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Elms College Magazine

Harry E. Dumay, Ph.D., MBA, president of Elms College signs the Memorandum of Understanding with Yarmouk University.

Attending the MOU signing are, left to right: Harry E. Dumay, Ph.D., MBA, president of Elms College; Sudad Saman, Ph.D., assistant professor of biology at Elms; on screen via Zoom in Jordan, Almuthanna Khalaf Ahmad Alkaraki, Ph.D., head of the Biological Sciences Department at Yarmouk University; Khalid Al-Batayneh, Ph.D., dean of the College of Sciences at Yarmouk; Janet Williams, Ph.D., professor of Biology at Elms, and Walter Breau, Ph.D., vice president of Academic Affairs at Elms.

“This partnership between Yarmouk University and Elms College is important not only because of the wonderful opportunities it gives our students in the area of biotechnology but also because of the possibility it offers to collaborate and share our knowledge and cultures,” said Harry E. Dumay, Ph.D., MBA, president of Elms College.

MOU Established with Yarmouk University - In March, Elms College and Yarmouk University in Irbid, Jordan signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) allowing qualified students at Yarmouk to complete their master’s degree in biotechnology via Elms’ online learning platform. “The initial plan with the MOU is for Yarmouk University biotechnology students to study online with us,” says Walter Breau, vice president of academic affairs at Elms College. “As the relationship grows, we aim to have Elms students complete a short-term study or a semester in Jordan. Right now, Elms students can take up to six credits online at Yarmouk that can be transferred into the program.”

Massachusetts Future of Work Commission Elms College President, Harry E. Dumay, Ph.D., MBA, was a member of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts’ Special Commission on the Future of Work. The governor-appointed commission only met five times and on October 26, 2021, Elms College hosted one of the meetings on campus. “I was honored to participate on this Commission and help produce a comprehensive study relative to the impact of automation, artificial intelligence, global trade, and more on the workforce, businesses, and economy of Massachusetts,” said Dr. Dumay.

Elms College President, Harry E. Dumay, Ph.D., MBA, at the Massachusetts Special Commission on the Future of Work meeting that was held on the Elms campus.

Dean Scoble Retires - After 18 years leading the School of Nursing, Dean Kathleen Scoble announced her retirement last fall. During her tenure, Scoble had an extraordinary impact on the nursing program at the college. When she joined Elms in 2003, the Division of Nursing consisted of one baccalaureate program with 100 students. In the 2020-2021 academic year, there were nearly 500 nursing students enrolled in the 12 programs that now comprise the School of Nursing. “Another example of Kathleen’s legacy is the fact that the School of Nursing is now consistently ranked among the Top 10 Nursing Schools in the state. Having a top-ranked program is something everyone at Elms can be proud of and we can thank Kathleen for making that happen,” said Elms College President Harry E. Dumay, Ph.D., MBA.

Kathleen Scoble, Ed.D., M.Ed., M.A., RN, dean emerita of the School of Nursing.

In recognition of her stewardship of the School of Nursing, Scoble was named Dean Emerita of the School of Nursing, becoming the first Elms College Dean to receive this distinguished title. The college also created the Kathleen B. Scoble Leadership in Nursing Award that will be presented each year to the nursing student who best exemplifies the ideals of servant leadership, as demonstrated

by Scoble, through academic excellence and the individual’s impact on the School of Nursing, Elms College and the greater community.

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NEW BOARD MEMBERS

The Board of Trustees at Elms College has appointed Diane Brunelle, MSN ‘84, Dennis Duquette, and Mark O’Connell to serve on the board.

Diane Brunelle, MSN ‘84, is president of the Elms College Alumni Association and has been a member of the association since 2012. Brunelle is a retired nurse executive who has over 30 years of experience serving in leadership positions at acute health care facilities in both Massachusetts and Vermont, including Shriners Hospital for Children, Baystate Health, Holyoke Medical Center, and Brattleboro Memorial Hospital.

She has served on numerous boards throughout her career and was the recipient of the Distinguished Alumni Award from Elms in 2013.

Brunelle earned her BSN from Elms College and was a member of the college’s first RN to BSN class. She also received her master’s degree in nursing administration from the University of Massachusetts and is a graduate of the Wharton Nursing Leaders Program through the Wharton School and Leonard David School of Health Economics at the University of Pennsylvania.

Dennis Duquette is head of community responsibility for MassMutual in Springfield and president and CEO of the MassMutual Foundation. He and his team are responsible for setting corporate community relations strategy development, driving community investments, philanthropy, and community impact program management for the firm nationally. Duquette has worked in financial services for 40 years; he began his career at MassMutual just out of college and then worked for Fidelity Investments in Boston for 27 years. He returned to MassMutual in his current role in 2016. He earned a bachelor of arts degree from Boston College, graduating cum laude with a double major of communications and English. He earned a master of science degree in administrative studies, also from Boston College, and later earned a master of arts degree in public policy and administration from Northwestern University. He currently serves on the Board of Directors at the Jump$tart Coalition in Washington, DC as well as the Community and Government Relations Committee for the Springfield Museums.

Mark A. O’Connell is a principal in Wolf & Company’s Assurance Group and is the firm’s president and chief executive officer, where he’s responsible for leading Wolf’s overall strategic direction. He has over 40 years of experience providing audit and financial reporting services to both privately held and publicly traded financial institutions, as well as holding companies (including community banks and mortgage banking institutions) across New England. O’Connell earned his bachelor’s degree in business administration from Western New England University and is a former Board member and Board president of the Children’s Study Home in Springfield.

THE ELMS EXPERIENCE

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Elms College Magazine

Mission Trips Return After Two-Year Hiatus Mission trips play a central role in the Elms College experience, particularly because they are a tangible connection between real-world opportunities and the College’s mission. During the March spring break this year, a number of students and staff participated in mission trips to El Paso, Texas, and Trenton, New Jersey for the first time in two years.

Left to right are: Andrew Mercado ‘16, Klara Schommer ‘22, Margaret Mathon ‘23, Emily Cheevers ‘24, Nicole Fregeau ‘18, Reyna Bautista ‘23, and Kellie Serrao ‘23.

From left to right are: Andrea Bertheaud, Eileen Kirk, Autumn Deblois ‘23, Madison McGinnis ‘23, Alexandra Carmon ‘23, and Casey Gagnon ‘23.

El Paso, Texas travelers partnered with The Encuentro Project, an organization dedicated to helping participants learn new perspectives about forced migration, asylum-seeking by vulnerable people, and compassion for migrants and refugees, all in the spirit of Catholic Social Teaching principles. During the week, the group learned about immigration issues from people working and living in El Paso, met with community organizers and border patrol agents, spoke with migrants, and volunteered in area shelters.

Trenton, New Jersey participants partnered with the Center for FaithJustice in Lawrenceville, New Jersey. The Center recognizes that “God calls us, as individuals and communities, to work on behalf of the vulnerable.” Daily work included beautifying a labyrinth, readying a garden plot for children in transitional housing, volunteering in a school dedicated to helping K-12 students find their voice in the arts, and working in an urban organic garden in the city of Philadelphia.

“After witnessing the happiness radiating off of the children at the arts school, there is no denying that all children are different and need access to a community they can thrive in.”

Casey Gagnon ‘23, Communication Sciences & Disorders major

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A Sister to All On a sunny day in October of 2021, Mary T. Quinn, SSJ, ‘71, received the Distinguished Alumni Award from the College of Our Lady of Elms in recognition of her work assisting women as they re-enter the community after leaving incarceration at the Western Massachusetts Regional Women’s Correctional Center in Chicopee. This award was just a small recognition of Sr. Mary’s many accomplishments.

On November 14, 2021, just over a month after her visit to Elms College, Sr. Mary T. Quinn passed away at 73.

“Her laugh was infectious,” Sr. Joan Ryzewicz, President of the Congregation, recalled. “If you heard laughter around you, you knew Mary would be at the center of it.

She was filled with life.”

Sr. Mary entered the sisterhood at the Sisters of St. Joseph of Springfield from St. Joseph Parish in Pawtucket, Rhode Island in 1966. She graduated in 1971 with a bachelor of arts degree in English and went on to pursue a master of arts degree in counseling and psychology from Assumption College in Worcester. Later, she earned both a master of divinity and a doctor of ministry degree from Boston University School of Theology.

those who are incarcerated and leading programs that helped break the cycle of recidivism.”

Everyone was equal and a sister to Sr. Mary. She didn’t just look and listen to someone when she met them, she saw and heard them. “In Mary’s eyes and heart, everyone was as important as the other. The women in Hampden County jail were as important to her as administrative staff. She treated everyone as special,” Sr. Patty McDonnell said. “Mary’s deep faith in her God was evident to all who knew her. She radiated God’s goodness and compassion.” Sr. Patty McDonnell went on to explain the love and kindness of Sr. Mary best by quoting one of Sr. Mary’s favorite passages, “And what does the Lord require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God.” (Micah 6:8) Sr. Joan recalled the time that she and Sr. Mary were in a performance of The Little Prince. At one point, the little prince explains to the castaway that real seeing is not even a physical activity but a matter of the heart.

“Sr. Mary had a heart of hospitality. She was so real and authentic,” Sr. Joan observed. “You could say that she was grounded to God with no thought of herself.”

Sr. Patty explains Sr. Mary’s legacy best. “Mary, we will never forget you…whenever we hear laughter, we will think of you. May each of us go forth with Mary’s spirit of laughter and compassion.”

Sr. Mary’s contributions to the western Massachusetts community were numerous and diverse. In addition to holding many teaching positions as well as serving two six-year terms on the Elms College Board of Trustees, earning the title Trustee Emerita, she was president of the Sisters of St. Joseph in Springfield from 2005–2011 and also served as president of the Honorary Deputy Sheriff’s Association.

On October 2, 2016, the same day as her Golden Jubilee to celebrate entering religious life as a Sister of Saint Joseph, Sr. Mary also won the St. Thomas More Award from the St. Thomas More Society of the Diocese of Springfield, Massachusetts. “Sister Mary was awarded the St. Thomas More Medal for many reasons, including her long tenure in Catholic schools, her work as a staff therapist, and her service on the Leadership Team of the Sisters of Saint Joseph,” Michael G. McDonough, Esq., Director of the St. Thomas More Society and Partner at the Springfield law firm Egan, Flanagan and Cohen stated.

But it wasn’t Sr. Mary’s notable awards that made Mary someone to remember, it was her humble humanity. In 1999, Sr. Mary served as Coordinator of Restorative Justice Programs for the Hampden County Sheriff’s Department. Later she worked as a staff therapist in the After Incarceration Support Services Program operated by Behavioral Health Services, and in 2012, Sister Mary returned to the Hampden County Sheriff’s Department as Program Coordinator for Out of County Reentry Services. Michael McDonough commented, “Sister Mary provided immeasurable value to the judicial system by serving

Above: Mary T. Quinn, SSJ, ‘71, at her Class Reunion in October 2021.

Right: Mary T. Quinn, SSJ, ‘71, receiving her Distinguished Alumni Award from Elms College President, Harry E. Dumay, Ph.D., MBA.

BOWE PARTNERSHIP

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Elms College Magazine

Fawz Ahmad, Education ESL major, ‘24, instructs second grade students.

Experiential Learning - Bowe Partnership

Partnering for the Future Does the journey to a career path or the working world begin at graduation? Does it begin when a student begins college or even high school? If we look at the larger picture, we notice that the journey starts from the time a child enters elementary school. And while the journey for every student is a complex one that is a combination of instructional strategies and teachers, it has been proven that the advantages of teaching methods such as students learning from hands-on experiences and the positive academic outcomes when they have mentors and also become mentors are substantial.

Therefore it is no small accomplishment that this year Elms College’s Office of Experiential Learning teamed up with Bowe Elementary to bring six students from Elms into the classroom to work with Bowe students. And the incredible benefits of this partnership have surpassed expectations. The children at Bowe relate to the Elms student tutors, the teachers benefit because the Elms tutors are a much-needed resource, and the Elms students learn from hands-on experience that gives them real-world opportunities to add to their resume and skills they can use as they become part of the community.

It is this student-to-student interaction that makes this partnership special. There are incredible benefits of students working within the educational system to help teach the younger generation. The principal of Bowe Elementary, David

E l m s C o l l e g e W o r k i n g To g e t h e r

Drugan, knows how important this synergy is. “Our students like the Elms tutors and are revitalized because the Elms students bring a new type of energy into the classroom. The students are excited when they know their Elms tutors are coming in,” Principal Drugan said.

“Also, when they go home, parents or guardians want to hear about their day, and when the student comes home and tells them about the Elms tutors with a smile on their face, then the parents or guardians are happy.”

Bowe Elementary has 450 students ages 5 to 11. It is a neighborhood school. Family members meet the children and walk them home. “Having the student excited about the Elms tutors is a bonus not only for Bowe but the community,” Drugan continued, “Elms students serve as role models and have a positive influence on the Bowe students. Their mentorship inspires and instills a desire for higher education in the children at Bowe at a young age.”

Drugan explained that Bowe is a melting pot.

The families at Bowe are often immigrants or refugees, and English language learners. The Elms tutors are relatable to the young students at Bowe because Elms students share their diverse backgrounds. The Bowe students see themselves reflected in the Elms tutors. In fact, several Elms tutors were English language learners themselves which gives them a unique perspective when helping their students develop their reading, writing, and spoken English skills.

The partnership with Bowe Elementary was made possible because of a special government program, the America Reads/America Counts Program. Alan Bloomgarden, Director of Experiential Learning, explained that this program made the partnership with Bowe possible because it is funded through federal work-study, making it possible to place Elms students into elementary schools. The students assist teachers to support the children in the subject areas of reading and mathematics, as well as their overall educational development.

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Their placement at Bowe was considered according to student languages, interests, and availability.

Although the program is not exclusively for education majors—one of the tutors specializes in computer science—for sophomore Fawz Ahmad, a secondary education major, this was the perfect opportunity. Known as Ms. Fawz to her Bowe students, she helps with second and fifth-grade classes. Her assistance is a perfect example of the benefits the Elms tutors bring to the younger students. She is helping a second-grader from Afghanistan learn English.

Fawz moved to the US from Syria at age 13 and although she and the young girl do not speak the same native language, Fawz knows what it is like not to understand English. “I remember what it was like to have to learn a new language when I first attended classes in the United States,” Fawz said, “ So I know how to teach her English. It is important for her, the school, and the community.”

Fawz realizes the importance because she is part of the community. Her home is just a few blocks away from Bowe and Elms. She is the first in her family to attend a four-year institution and is not only a role model for her students but also her brother, who is a student at Bowe as well.

When asked about the impact of experiential learning, Fawz replied, “You step out of your own classroom. It teaches you about the challenges that can arise. There are new situations and experiences each day. Also, the diversity of students expands your knowledge of the world.”

There are 70 teachers at Bowe and they give the Elms tutors an authentic view of teaching and the world. The students at Bowe are the center focus for the tutors and working with the children brings a sense of fulfillment that the tutors cherish.

“Every day is valuable to each tutor whether their major is in education or not because the children are accepting and always willing to be your friend,” Fawz said. “You forget about your own problems because you are there just for them. You focus on them alone.”

“The Office of Experiential Learning is committed to giving equitable and inclusive opportunities to all students,” Bloomgarden explained. This federal program allows students, who otherwise couldn’t afford to give their time to community service, to help at the elementary school. The school is within walking distance of the college which helps residential students or those who do not have easy access to transportation.

Additionally, the work-study funding allows students who need a wage to participate during Bowe school hours when participating Elms students are not in classes.

Because this was the first year of the partnership, there was a good deal of work the Office of Experiential Learning had to complete on the front end with many departments to complete the necessary administrative paperwork. But more importantly, the interest and needs of both Elms students and the Bowe Elementary School were taken into consideration.

Left to right: Teacher, Mr. Harry Brandt, second-grade students, Fawz Ahmad, Education ESL major, ‘24.

EVENTS

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Elms College Magazine

5th Annual Black Experience Summit - Organized by the Elms College President’s Office and the Office of Diversity and Inclusion, the theme to this year’s summit was Stories of Our Becoming: The Shoulders on Which We Stand. The engaging virtual event featured two keynote speeches. The opening keynote address, “Freefalling and Finding Self: Meditations on Blackness and Rasanblaj,” was given and performed by Gina Athena Ulysse, a Haitian-American feminist and artist-anthropologist and professor of Feminist Studies at UC Santa Cruz.

The closing keynote address, “Witness and Withnessing: the Archive of Black Freedom Struggles,” was given by Treva B. Lindsey, Ph.D., a black feminist historian and co-founder of the Black Feminist Night School at Zora’s House in Columbus, OH. She is also an associate professor at The Ohio State University.

The summit also included two interactive panel discussions. The Art of Storytelling panel examined why the stories about black history are so central to black experiences. The second panel, Lifting as We Climb, was moderated by Elms President, Harry E. Dumay, Ph.D., MBA, and involved a discussion on the career paths of three presidents from colleges and universities in New England.

“I want to send a special thank you to everyone who participated in this year’s Blazer Blitz campaign. We are proud to include you among our family of benefactors who share your enthusiasm and commitment to our students and the college, and look forward to our continued connection in the year ahead!” said Bernadette Nowakowski, VP of Institutional Advancement.

OVER

Thank you to everyone who donated to this year’s Blazer Blitz! Through your continued generosity, your contributions helped raise over $22,000 in support of our students and will have an immediate impact on our community to ensure a positive, lasting impact in their lives.

$20,000

Your contributions support our students and our community to ensure a positive, lasting impact in their lives.

APR

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MAY

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ANNUAL CAPE COD LUNCHEON with President Harry E. Dumay, Ph.D., MBA

Thursday, August 11, 2022 12 noon - 2:30 p.m.

The Popponesset Inn Mashpee, Massachusetts

The graduating class of 2022 shined at their commencement ceremony.

Visit facebook.com/ElmsCollege/photos_albums to enjoy the photos of the celebration!

LIFELONG LEARNERS WEBINARS Just because you graduated, doesn’t mean you stopped learning. As an Elms College alumna/us, you have exclusive access to a variety of personal and professional development webinars.

alumlc.org/elms

E l m s C o l l e g e W o r k i n g To g e t h e r

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Elms Hosts National Book Award Winner - It’s not very often that a National Book Award winner comes to campus but on March 31, that is exactly what happened when 2021 National Book Award winner, Martín Espada, read poetry from his award-winning book, Floaters, and other selections. After the reading, Espada signed copies of Floaters in the Berchmans Hall rotunda.

Espada has published more than twenty books as a poet, editor, essayist and translator including Vivas to Those Who Have Failed (2016), The Trouble Ball (2011), The Republic of Poetry (2006) and Alabanza (2003).

Among his accomplishments, Espada has received the Ruth Lilly Poetry Prize, the Shelley Memorial Award, the Robert Creeley Award, an Academy of American Poets Fellowship, the PEN/Revson Fellowship, a Letras Boricuas Fellowship and a Guggenheim Fellowship.

A former tenant lawyer in Greater Boston, Espada is a professor of English at the University of Massachusetts-Amherst.

In March, 2021 National Book Award winner, Martín Espada read poetry from his award-winning book, Floaters, as well as other poetry selections.

Creativity in Full BLOOM This spring, as Professor Dan Chelotti and his students worked on the latest edition of BLOOM, the College of Our Lady of the Elms’ literary magazine produced by the Division of Humanities and Fine Arts which celebrates creativity and the arts, we reflect on the events that gave BLOOM its rebirth a year ago in the midst of one of academia’s most trying times.

During the spring semester of 2021, seeing students trying to navigate the confusion of college in the face of COVID-19, Professor Chelotti decided that it was time for a renaissance. A renaissance is a rebirth and revitalization, and it most often emerges from adversarial events or a time of strife.

Creativity seems to grow like mold—it thrives in dark places.

Professor Chelotti kicked off his Writing for Publication course by assigning his mixed cohort of undergraduate and graduate students an anthology titled Together in a Sudden Strangeness: America’s Poets Respond to the Pandemic (2020), edited by Alice Quinn. This collection contained the voices of 107 poets struggling to make sense of the coronavirus’ hold on our nation.

Once we had read the book, reacted to it, and even met with Jericho Brown, a poet whose work was contained in the anthology, it was time to grow the seed that had been planted. Professor Chelotti told the class about BLOOM, which has been cultivating creativity on our campus for years. Each edition of BLOOM contains work from undergraduate students, graduate students, faculty, staff, alumni, etc. So long as you have been impacted by Elms College, you are welcome to leave your impact in BLOOM.

Around mid-February, a call to action was sent out and all of the aforementioned parties responded. A loose prompt encouraged writers, photographers, and other artists to create a response to the pandemic, but all creative expression was welcome. Submissions flooded in until mid-March. Throughout the semester, the class collaborated to select and organize the contents of BLOOM. Students in the class were also encouraged to submit their work.

During the last meeting on May 3rd, all of the Elms-affiliated authors of BLOOM (2021) were celebrated at a virtual showcase of the literary magazine. Friends, family, faculty, and fellow authors listened eagerly as the artists presented their published work.

It was a warm reception and a rewarding close to a challenging semester.

However, the most wonderful part about shaping BLOOM is discovering the hidden creativity in people. You may not know that your favorite philosophy professor has the facilities to write a witty sketch based in a yogurt shop, or that the meek student from your accounting class is truly a brilliant photographer, and that they are only quiet because they observe the world all day long. Creative minds are everywhere, begging for an outlet, and BLOOM provides just that, even when art seems the most impossible.

Interested in sharing your creative endeavors? Please contact Professor Dan Chelotti at chelottid@elms.edu.

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IN MEMORIAM

Elms College Magazine

IN MEMORIAM Alumni M. Virginia Campbell Fox ‘38 Rita WIlliamson Lennerton ‘42 Elizabeth McKenna Babine ‘47 Jeanne McDermott Ryan ‘47 Ann Heaphy Congdon ‘48 Patricia Kelley Ellis ‘48 Barbara Huller ‘48, S.P Ann Marshall ‘48, RSM Norma Savoit Ianello ‘49 Joan Roy Footit ‘50 Ann Roy Cavanaugh ‘51 Margaret Bowen Diggins ‘51, (Former Trustee) Teresa Corley Giardina ‘51 Jean Tanner Habig ‘51 Clairanne Lucas Hurst ‘52 Ruth (Crowley) Conway ‘53 Mary (Reddy) Kolifrath ‘55 Francine Grumm Toupin ‘55 Eileen Kelly Guarco ‘56 Susan Footit Szetela ‘56 Lorraine Kelly Young ‘56 (Former Trustee) Jane Healy ‘53 ‘57 Jacquelyn Lyons Keating ‘57 Barbara Burke Richardson ‘57 Theresa Moran ‘58, SSJ Ellen Reardon Regan ‘58 Nancy Towne Lauer ‘59 Mary Talmadge Shumway ‘59 Cecelia Joy Alexander ‘60 Ann McQuaid Fitzmaurice ‘60 Sylvia Blouin Glynn ‘60 Elizabeth Anderson Grimaldi ‘60 Jill Sheehy Martinelli ‘60 Maureen Bercury Quinlan ‘60 Mary Brennan Young ‘60 Rebecca Butler Dawkins ‘61 Nancy Eberhardt ‘62 Nancy Smith O’Brien ‘62 Barbara Burke Ross ‘64 Carolyn Pryor Slonina ‘65 Maryann Delprete Sullivan ‘65 Maureen Reardon Boulanger ‘66 Lucinda Rodrigues Gallela ‘66 Patricia Dwyer Ewenson ‘66 Arlene Richards Kowal ‘67 Eileen Joseph Christopher ‘68, SSJ Christine Tietgens Delisle ‘69 Judith Krawczyk Kenney ‘69 Marjorie Vangsness Knapp ‘69 Kathleen Konkol DeLorey ‘70 Mary Lou Gillon ‘70, SSJ Nina Santucci Pozgar ‘70 Diane LaPorte Gosselin ‘71 Kathleen Renaud ‘71

Mary Quinn ‘71, SSJ (Former Trustee) Denise Seguin Lyonnais ‘72 Lois Connors ‘75 Maureen Lancaster Romanoski ‘75 Lynne Kruszyna Quintin ‘77 Argira Manferdini ‘82 Barbara Rock Hendrickson ‘92 Deborah Renkowicz Palmeri ‘94 Kelly O’Connell ‘95 Eileen Kudish Burke ‘96 Judith Connolly Smith ‘96 Stephanie Glogowski Pouliot ‘05 Michael Biegner ‘12 Brianne Boisselle ‘18 Jessica Judah ‘18 Father of Dr. Harry Dumay, Ph.D Mary Ryan O’Rielly ‘79 Mary Nesi Grande ‘80 Sandra Belanger ‘81 Tammy King Foucher ‘82 Deborah Ianello O’Brien ‘84 Joan Ryan Lamar ‘85 Fay Boissonneault Roux ‘92 Jennifer Czarnecki Consedine ‘97 Mother of Julie Ferrero Nichols ‘62 Katherine Balakier ‘63 Atty. Colleen Danehy Lindroos ‘75 Margaret Conway ‘80 Sandra Belanger ‘81 Tammy King Foucher ‘82 Mary Footit Gentile ‘83 Deborah Ianello O’Brien ‘84 Anita Frattarola Farley ‘85 Shawn- Maire Mayrand- Chung ‘85 Ann Young Zarider ‘85 Rosemarie Conway Grinstead ‘86 Sheila McShea Plifka ‘88 Nancy Gleason ‘89 Theresa Frattarola Hreschuk ‘91 Kathleen Daly ‘05 Elizabeth Hanks ‘08 Linda Balakier (Friend of the College) George Balakier (Friend of the College) Dennis Duquette (Trustee) Maria Lopes (Staff)

Husband of Mary Reddy Kolifrath ‘55 Mary Hayes Morrissey ‘60 Carolyn Curran Nolan ‘64 Maureen Cahill Borski ‘65 Anne Marie Spagnola Welch ‘65 Julia Cameron Powers ‘68 Dr. Margaret Yanginski Frieswyk ‘69 Estelle Tapor Czarnecki ‘72 Mother-in-law of Lynne Gamble (Staff) Barbara Ryan Footit ‘90 Patricia Hannan Wysocki ‘03 Daughter of Margaret Bonoit Beturne ‘99 Son of Nicole Chartier Boutillier ‘05 William Howe ‘01 Sister of Theresa Campbell ‘43 Mary Peck ‘65 Johnella Butler ‘68 (Former Trustee) Theresa Cabana Stec ‘78 Christopher Soderberg ‘19 Brother of Ann Kotfila ‘65 Barbara Britton Moran ‘67 Paula Robillard ‘67, SSJ Elizabeth Britton ‘81 Katie Longely (Staff) Grandmother of Michael Ryan ‘11 Joseph Gamble ‘15 Brother-in-law of Claire (Cartier) Daigneault ‘52 Jeanne Dubuque (Staff) Sister-in-law of Cmdr. Patricia Chmiel ‘73 Cousin of Martha Murtaugh ‘68 Regina Hitchery ‘71 Uncle of Alison Gleason ‘75 Anne Kelleher ‘83 Kathleen Moran ‘94 Brigid Roffe ‘96

Aunt of Anne Kelleher ‘83 Mary Gentile ‘83 Friends of the College Kent Alexander (Former Faculty/ Staff) Cecilia Balakier Joan Bajgier (Former Staff) Theodore Czarnecki George Deering (Former Faculty) Dan Dillon John Hamel (Former Staff) Carolyn Fitzgerald (Former Faculty) David Frain Michael Frain Gail Frantz (Former Staff) Rabbi Jerome Gurland Eileen Curran Mahar (Wife of Former Trustee) Johanna McKenna (Former Faculty) Patricia McMonagle (Former Staff) Mary McShea (Former Trustee) Frank Nesi Mary O’Connor Joseph Partyka Carmel Quinn Norman Racine Atty. Charles V. Ryan Jr. (Former Trustee) Philip Ryan Olive Santavenere (Former Faculty) William Wagner (Former Trustee) Andrew Yee This list includes updates reported by family members, newspapers, and other sources from April 19, 2021, through April 20, 2022

Elms College Annual Report

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Join the Living Legacy Society

LIVING LEGACY

If you would like more information about joining the Living Legacy Society, contact Bernadette Nowakowski ’89, ’08, vice president of institutional advancement, at 413-265-2214 or nowakowskib@elms.edu.

For Kathleen Riordan, Ed.D., ’67, her experiences at the College of Our Lady of the Elms have come full circle.

Kathleen was actively involved when she attended Elms and senior year, she was the president of the Student Government Association. Because of this, she would meet regularly with Monsignor Thomas Devine, the fourth president of the College and they would talk about the needs and possible solutions for the campus.

“During our conversations, I learned an important lesson from him regarding leadership —to always look at the bigger picture,” Kathleen recalled, “Whenever an issue came up, I might have only looked at it from the student side, but the Monsignor had a sense of the bigger picture and looked at every issue from multiple perspectives.”

She didn’t know it at the time, but this lesson would connect with her when she was a member of the college’s Board of Trustees from 2008 to 2018. “As an alumna and a Trustee, I developed a greater understanding of the college’s goals and what would need to happen in order for advancements to be made. I learned that the administration and the trustees have to look at everything, especially how each decision impacts every other decision. Once I realized this, I knew how much Monsignor Devine had taught me,” said Kathleen.

Being part of the Elms community for most of her life, Kathleen knows firsthand the legacy of Elms—empowering its graduates to effect positive change in the larger community and contribute to society. Therefore, she established the William C. and Kathleen M. Riordan Endowed Scholarship, which is awarded each year to a deserving student who is a member of her parish, Sacred Heart in Springfield, or a graduate of Springfield Public Schools. The scholarship is in recognition of her parents who instilled in her the value of education even though they didn’t have the opportunity to attend college themselves.

“As a first-generation student, Elms has been very good to me in terms of my personal growth and professional advancement so I wanted to give back and assist high school students in the area. Establishing the scholarship was the best way to do that.”

It could be said that Kathleen saw the big picture from every angle firsthand: as a student, alumna, trustee, and legacy donor. By creating the scholarship, she helps students attend Elms, and in turn, the students realize their full potential to impact society, which then benefits Elms by having valued graduates in the community and possible alumni gifts to support future students. For Kathleen, the circle is not only complete but unending.

“At each stage of life, there are things that capture your interest and motivation; finding what those things are and prioritizing and supporting them is important. For me, I wanted to make a sustaining gift because it is a priority for me to give both to the college and to prospective students.”

— Kathleen Riordan

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482 degrees awarded last academic year

1 Grad Certificate

4 Doctor 156 Bachelor of Science

2 Pre-Bachelor

24 Post-Bachelor

3 Associate

94 Master

198 Bachelor of Arts

*Statistics pulled from the 2021 academic year, which covers July 1, 2020 through June 30, 2021.