CLASS NOTES

1990

1973

George Harrington retired after 40 years as an

Danielle (Ferraioli) Turco released her first book, Keto for Autoimmune Health, this year. As a 23-year lupus warrior, she wanted to share the lifestyle she believes put her lupus into remission along with over 100 recipes to get you going! Danielle continues to motivate and inspire others on her Instagram @ketolupie.

1992

Donna (Douglas) Cunningham serves as a special education aide at James Vernon School in Oyster Bay, NY. She is also a Eucharistic Minister at Our Lady of Peace Church in Lynbrook, as well as a Girl Scout Co-Leader in Lynbrook and a Lifetime Member.

Valérie Déus is the Short Film Programmer for the Provincetown International Film Festival.

1974

Stephen Buzzeo is happy to report he’s living the life in the city by the Bay and says, “Go Warriors!”

John Lehane is an active duty Colonel in the U.S. Marine Corps, currently serving with the U.S. SEVENTH Fleet aboard the USS Blue Ridge (LCC-19), homeported in Yokosuka, Japan.

John McAteer has moved overseas to Ireland with his wife, Liz, and daughters, Lucienne (15) and Tristan (12). He has established a private telehealth practice in Ireland, and is also licensed to work with expats there who need support in their transitions. John says, “I am consistently grateful to Kellenberg and the community that helped instill the values in me that I am bringing to my family. Pray for us!”

Anne Marie (McBrien) Raneri has four wonderful children with her husband of 26 years, Stephen. She is a middle school nurse for students with developmental disabilities in Glen Cove, NY.

Anne Marie’s love of theater started at KMHS and has continued in community theater and television. Most recently she can be seen as May Potter in Season 2 of Welcome to Hope on Pureflix, which is a faith-based network owned by Sony. Anne Marie also volunteers with the Make-AWish Foundation and mentors young mothers at the Regina Residence with Catholic Charities. She recently founded the Facebook group “Catholic Moms of Long Island” and invites her classmates to join.

Nathacha Vilceus and Ronald Myrthil welcomed a beautiful baby boy, Atticus Ronald Gerard Myrthil, in September 2020.

Larry Villegas is currently celebrating the joy of being a grandpa to his grandson, Mateo Elijah.

Stephanie Williams has been married to her wonderful husband, Clarence, for eight years. She is currently a special education teacher in the Roosevelt Public School District. Stephanie says, “I am truly grateful for the valuable life lessons that I learned at Kellenberg.”

Steve ’93 and Amanda (Riordan) ’95 Carew recently established a foundation honoring the memory of their son, James, who sadly passed away in 2019 at the age of eight. The James Carew Foundation continues James’ mission of love by raising funds to support literacy and inclusion programs for children of all abilities. To learn more or support the foundation, please visit jamescarewfoundation.org or on Instagram @ jamescarewfoundation.

1993

John Marsala had a kidney transplant in January 2022 at Columbia University Hospital. His wife, Maureen, was the donor. They want to thank all friends and family who helped in the recovery process.

1994

Christopher Clines serves as a special education kindergarten teacher in the South Huntington Union Free School District. He and his family reside in North Bellmore, NY.

1997

Audra Balewski-Parisi has been married to her husband, Michael, for over seven years. They have two daughters: Nicole (5) and Mia (3). Audra holds a master’s degree and is an NYC DOE elementary school teacher. Her husband owns and runs routes for Wise Chips. Sadly, Audra lost her mother two years ago. She sends her Kellenberg family thoughts and prayers.

Patrice Bernadel reassessed his goals during the pandemic and reignited his passion for real estate. With some courage and Firebird spirit, he took a leap of faith and became a real estate agent. Patrice enjoys helping his clients build their legacy and appreciates all the new opportunities he is being exposed to along the way.

Brother George Camacho, O.F.M., who serves as the Director of the Damietta Cross-Cultural Center at Siena College, was on hand to welcome Brendan Leahy ’22 and Mike Doht ’22 to campus ahead of their freshman year.

Tanya (Santiago) and Terrance Jennings were thrilled to welcome their son, Tristan Michael, in 2021. He’s adored by his big sister, Teagan.

1998

Cynthia O’Rourke graduated from CUNY with a master’s degree in labor studies in 2018. This past summer, she became the business agent of IATSE Local 161 representing over 1500 script supervisors, production coordinators, and production accountants working in the motion picture industry.

2002

Ben Cathers and his wife, Amanda, welcomed their daughter, Josephine Mary, in October 2022. Ben reports that baby Josie is adjusting nicely to Manhattan living, having been to Central Park, ridden the subway, taken a ferry, and gone out for brunch in the first two weeks of life. Ben, Amanda, Josie, and their rescue dog, Cyrus, reside in the Upper East Side of Manhattan.

Jamie Lynn Dlugolonski-Malone is a kennel manager at North Shore Animal League America, the world’s largest no kill animal shelter. As a kennel manager, her responsibilities include the oversight, care, and well-being of 300-500 canines and felines, as well as working in tandem with several departments and over 100 employees. Jamie is married to Kevin Malone, who works for a software company. They reside on Long Island and have seven rescue animals: Kairi, Sora, Rikku, Namaari, Namkoma, Bagheera, and Ginger.

Meredith (DePalma) Heine, a member of Kellenberg Memorial’s Alumni Board, and her husband, Christopher Heine ’01, welcomed their fourth child, Everett Christopher, in October 2022. Big sisters Scarlet (9), Guinevere (7), and Fiona (5) are thrilled with the new addition to the family!

2003

Anne Marie (Pedi) Buonaiuto is looking forward to seeing her 2003 classmates at their 20 year reunion on June 10th!

Thomas Kassebaum recently began a new position as vice president of design and construction for Mount Sinai Health System.

Kerri Ann Rall works at Yale New Haven Hospital as a physician assistant in hematopoietic stem cell transplant and chimeric antigen cellular therapy. She recently graduated from the College of Saint Mary with a doctoral degree in leadership and education.

Alex Ticas and his wife, Katharine, have two boys: Alex (6) and Louie (4). Alex serves as Head of Emerging Business and Channel Partnerships at Lyft.

2004

Matt Kirk, a faculty member at Kellenberg Memorial, and his wife, Ashley, welcomed their first child, Brody Michael, to the world in July 2022. Their yellow lab, Cali, is enjoying her new role as “big sister.”

2005

Jon Gravina has two beautiful daughters, Anastasia Elizabeth (1) and big sister Olivia Marie (6), who both celebrated birthdays in November. Last year, Jon served as best man at the wedding of fellow Firebirds Timothy Bates and Michaela Carroll ’07.

2005 (continued)

Conor O’Brien, a faculty member at Kellenberg Memorial, and his wife, Jaclyn, welcomed their third child, Quinn Janet, in January 2023. Big siblings Ryleigh (1) and Carter (4) are thrilled with the new addition to the family!

2006

Katie Ryan is celebrating ten years working as a producer for the TODAY Show, a job for which she has won three Emmy Awards.

Julia Schuble tied the knot with Nicholas Raatz on October 22, 2022, at St. Mary of the Mills Catholic Church in Laurel, MD. She was given away by her brother, Paul, and joined by lifelong friends and fellow Firebirds Shannon Sass, Emmanuel Estrella ’04, and Luke Salamon ’04. Julie and Nick are happy to be new homeowners, and each started a new job this year. Julia now works as a treaty analyst for the U.S. Department of State and her husband is a park ranger.

2007

Jillian (Troiano) Leshner and her husband, Sam, welcomed their first child, Leona Anne, in July 2022. Jillian is currently working as a dietitian recruiter for Compass Group.

2008

Cristin Franzitta recently celebrated her one-year anniversary working as a forensic advisory manager with KPMG. She and her fiancé, Giovanni, will be getting married in June 2023, at Curé of Ars Church in Merrick, NY. Marcela (Fernandez) Fiore ’09 and Arielle (Sabella) Cirillo ’08 will serve as matrons of honor.

Melissa Zdanko founded Stella Shots Media, LLC, a wedding photography company, in San Antonio, TX, in 2018. The company, which services Texas and New York, transitioned to a fulltime business in June 2022, and is also available for domestic and international travel.

2009

Raven (Innis) Crespo was married in March 2020. She and her husband recently purchased their first home.

2010

Tracy Gore married Kevin Knudsen in Annapolis, MD, on July 23, 2022.

2011

Juliana (Restivo) Haney married her husband, Brandon, on July 16, 2022, at St. Raphael’s Parish in East Meadow, NY. Juliana is a first-year PhD student in clinical psychology at West Virginia University. Her research and clinical work focus on anxiety, OCD, and trauma during pregnancy/postpartum, as well as cross-cultural mental health. She recently joined Cameron Pugach at his poster presentation at the Association of Cognitive and Behavioral Therapy Convention. Cameron is a fifth-year PhD student in clinical psychology at the University of North Carolina at Greensboro. His research examines cognitive and emotional factors implicated in risk and maintenance of trauma-related psychopathology (e.g., post-traumatic stress disorder).

Christine Heaney became engaged to her fiancé, Gerard Sager, in Italy in August 2022.

Meghan (Von Elm) Mullen married her husband, Tom, on May 20, 2022. Her fellow classmates Jeni Zaso and Elizabeth Sarian were in her bridal party, and Mr. James O’Brien (“DJ OB”) played the music at the reception.

2012

Kiran Swamy now works as an official for Peace Corps Headquarters in Washington DC after having completed his two-year Peace Corps service in Ukraine from 2018 to March 2020. As the Country Desk Officer for Paraguay, Peru, and Solomon Islands, he has been supporting the re-entry of volunteers after the global COVID-19 evacuation, as well as the bilateral country agreement negotiations between the government of Solomon Islands and the Peace Corps.

2013

Kelly (Hill) and Michael Faller ’12 were married in July 2022. They met at Kellenberg Memorial and have been together for over ten years. They are thrilled to have just purchased their first home together!

Samantha Fanning recently began a new job as a middle school ELA teacher at St. Aidan School in Williston Park, NY. She says, “I am so happy with this position, the school, and the students. I love my job!”

Kathleen (Quinn)

Goehl married her husband, Brendan, in June 2022.

Deanna (Curatolo)

LaJara is happily married with three children.

2013 (continued)

Marc Lee married Rachel Carlowicz on November 5, 2022, in Oceanside, NY. In attendance were a number of Kellenberg alumni who are included in the accompanying picture: Maura Goodwin ’11, Ava Mack, Courtney Gillis, Danielle Giglione, Mackenzie Lowry, Melissa (Walsh) Capanelli, Albert Donor, Sean Goodwin, Cara Lee ’15, and Andrew Gillen ’16, as well as Brother Joseph C. Fox Latin School alumni: Patricia Dominguez, Matthew Gillen, Alex Fasano, John Nardi, and John Paul O’Loughlin

Shannon (Enderle) Pontrelli, who serves as an administrative coordinator at Molloy University, is looking forward to attending the class of 2013’s 10 year reunion on June 10th. She says, “I am extremely grateful for my time at Kellenberg and to have made lifelong friends. Forever a Firebird!”

Colleen (Thornton) Vacchio, a faculty member at Kellenberg Memorial, and her husband, Lawrence, celebrated the baptism of their son, Kilian Richard, by Fr. Thomas Cardone, S.M. on October 15, 2022. The accompanying photo includes many Firebird alumni who were in attendance.

2015

Christina (Candemeres) Lucito graduated from Molloy College in 2019 with a bachelor’s degree in nursing. She and her husband, Anthony, married in October 2021 and are both critical care nurses. They were thrilled to welcome their first child, a boy, in January 2023!

2016

Deirdre Lewin, a global markets analyst at Goldman Sachs, and Will Golder, who serves as a track and field coach for Bethlehem Central High School, (both proud Firebird track alums!) were happy to see each other while supporting current Firebird runners at the Stanner Games on January 15th at the Nike Track & Field Center at the Armory.

Thomas Lonegan graduated Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University in Daytona Beach, FL, with a Bachelor of Science degree in spaceflight operations in May 2021. He has been employed full-time by SES in Manassas, VA, since October 2021. SES is a European satellite telecommunications network provider supplying video and data connectivity worldwide to broadcasters, content and internet service providers, mobile and fixed network operators, governments, and institutions. Thomas has commanded a variety of satellites (SES17, SES22, O3b Classic) in multiple orbits (GEO, MEO) and is currently coordinating space and ground segments to successfully execute mission operations on a repetitive basis. He looks forward to completing his Master of Science degree in space operations in the future.

2016 (continued)

Christian Pettinato is currently deployed with the U.S. Army to Camp Arifjan, Kuwait. He serves as an Operations Officer where he works as an advisor to the commander. Christian will be in the Middle East until mid-July.

2017

Sean Crosby, who has been Irish dance training from the age of three, has traversed the world as a troupe member for the show, Riverdance. He was proud to be chosen to be part of this year’s Riverdance 25th Anniversary Show and performed at the World Expo in Dubai, UAE. He continues to perform across the U.S. and will be back with Riverdance for the 2023 USA tour. Sean holds a Bachelor of Science degree in molecular biology as well as a master’s degree in management, both from Fairfield University.

Sandra Rutkowski graduated from Geisinger Commonwealth School of Medicine with a master’s degree in biomedical sciences in September 2022. She is starting medical school in January at St. George’s University School of Medicine. Sandra says, “I could not be more excited to answer my calling to help others, and to use the dedication and hard work I learned at Kellenberg Memorial to finally pursue a career I once only dreamt of!”

JR Virga will graduate from the University of West Virginia in the spring with a Master of Science degree in civil engineering. As part of his thesis project, he built a 70-foot-long, fully functional pedestrian bridge.

2018

Ismenia Ginebra recently started a new remote position as a behavioral specialist and administrative assistant at the New England Center for OCD and Anxiety (NECOA). She provides acceptance and commitment therapy-based exposure therapy coaching sessions and completes various administrative tasks which will help her step into her future role as clinic coordinator of the NECOA New York office. She is also a volunteer research assistant at the Mother-Infant Communication Lab. As a coder, she is trained in frame-by-frame analysis of film of mother-infant interaction and analyzes infant touch in these interactions.

2019

D’Yonce Williamson graduated a year early from North Carolina A&T State University with a Bachelor of Science degree in finance and accounting. She is currently attending Georgetown University McDonough School of Business for a Master of Science degree in finance. D’Yonce also serves as a royalty analyst at Rubies II, the world’s largest costume manufacturing company.

2021

Evan Carroll visited campus in October 2022 to speak to current Firebirds about his experiences at Hofstra University as a bioengineering major.

Michaela Markey is currently studying English and early childhood special education at Molloy University. She also serves as a group leader for SCOPE Childcare. Michaela says, “Kellenberg taught me so much and helped me grow and learn in my faith. I also found my passion for teaching there through participating in the PREP program.”

2022

Brienne Lange was elevated to Master Server and presented with a certificate of appreciation for her many years of serving at the Lord’s altar at Curé Of Ars Church in Merrick, NY, on August 8th. Brienne, who is pictured with the coordinator for altar server ministry Dr. James McBrien ’89, will resume serving Mass when she’s home on breaks from the University of Buffalo.

Michael Doht, a freshman at Siena College, earned the rank of Eagle Scout on January 6th. For his Eagle Project, Michael created rolling bookshelves to aid the less mobile residents at the North Amityville Senior Center. Michael is pictured following his Eagle ceremony with fellow members of the Firebird family below.

FIREBIRD DANCE ALUMNAE were thrilled to connect with each other while representing their respective college dance teams at the UDA Camp at the University of Scranton in August.