Mount Saint Mary College Magazine - Summer 2021 by Mount Saint Mary College

NEWBURGH, NEW YORK

SUMMER 2021

The adventure begins Front cover and this page: Incoming freshmen got their first taste of life at the Mount during Summer Orientation 2021. Over the course of three days, the Class of 2025 began their journey as Mount students.

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Community Wellness Center on the way

From left to right, Susan LaRocco, Dean of the School of Nursing; Fr. Gregoire Fluet, college chaplain; Dr. Jason N. Adsit, president; Michael Horodyski, Board of Trustees chair; George Abaunza, Vice President for Academic Affairs; and Chris Berté, Associate Professor of Nursing and Graduate Program Coordinator.

Guzman Hall renovations are scheduled to begin this fall to create multi-purpose spaces as part of the Mount’s new community wellness center.

Inside 4 Let’s hear it for humanities 6 News and Notes 12 Students aid nonprofit 14 Mount grads who stayed 16 Commencement at last 30 Dr. Cotter retires after 57 years 32 Golf, tennis, and a virtual gala 34 Alumni spotlight & notes 40 Looking back Volume 43, No. 1 EDITORIAL TEAM Dean DiMarzo MBA ’13 Lee Ferris Matt Frey ’05 MSEd ’10 Lauren Giacalone Noelle Martin Sten Miller Perkins Emily Ricci ’15 CONTRIBUTORS Michael Doughty Michelle Iacuessa ’94 Email: magazine@msmc.edu

MOUNT SAINT MARY COLLEGE MAGAZINE | SUMMER 2021

Letter from the President To the Mount Saint Mary College Community, Overcoming the challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic has been difficult. But as we return to normalcy, we find ourselves looking back with a sense of pride, community, and accomplishment. From moving classes online quickly and efficiently to keeping our community safe, the students and employees of the college have faced these historic times with grace, grit, and determination.

Congratulations to the Class of 2021, who persevered through it all. We are so glad we could give you the in-person Commencement ceremonies you all deserved. And to the Class of 2020, it was wonderful to have you back to campus for your own ceremony. I’m so impressed with the progress you’ve all made in just one year. The pandemic didn’t stop our students from engaging in a bevy of service projects, like aiding area families with their taxes, collecting thousands of dollars in food for the local community, and donating hundreds of school supplies to local students in need – all of which you can read about right here in the pages of this magazine.

In honor of our Dominican tradition of service, we are excited to reveal plans for our new Community Engagement and Wellness Center on campus. The center will house free healthcare programs, workshops, and more for our local community. I hope you’ll enjoy your first look at these plans. We are delighted to continue the Mount’s commitment to community service and, with New York looking more and more like it did before the pandemic, we hope to see you on campus soon at one of our upcoming community events.

Dr. Jason N. Adsit President of Mount Saint Mary College

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NEW PROGRAMS

Humanities@Work – Interdisciplinary track Students study a variety of humanities subjects as they progress through six theme areas intended to sharpen essential skills. This unique program offers a reduced tuition of $6,500 a year; a deeply-immersive internship experience in their senior year; and, for full engagement in the program, students will live on campus. Exercise Science – Natural Sciences major This major immerses students in the workings of the body, its needs under physical and emotional stress, and how these factors affect life. Coursework includes training in exercise physiology, kinesiology, biomechanics, nutrition, and injury prevention.

Paths to success T

Sports Management – Business major This program provides a focus on both business and the sports industry, while stressing the importance of ethical awareness for future leaders within the Sports Management field. The curriculum offers training in business management and administration by providing specialized instruction in Management, Marketing, Finance, Economics, Business Law, and Accounting.

Humanities and STEM are two sides of the same coin he humanities are sometimes mistakenly thought to be less reliable majors than those in the Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) fields. There is a misconception that English, Philosophy, History, Art – subjects that study the depths of the human experience – do not lead to jobs after graduation. At the Mount, we disagree. Take 2019 graduate Victoria Kuhr as an example. After graduating with a bachelor’s degree in English, Kuhr now works as an Associate Data Analyst at Estée Lauder Companies where she oversees the initial review of in-house study documentation, among other duties directly related to the skills she gained from earning a humanities degree. “My humanities degree gave me a unique background. I gained critical thinking skills, attention to detail, working on tight deadlines and multiple projects at once,” explained Kuhr. Now there’s a new interdisciplinary program, Humanities@Work, where students can study a range of humanities subjects. Humanities@Work instills essential skills – effective communication, emotional and moral intelligence, global con-

MOUNT SAINT MARY COLLEGE MAGAZINE | SUMMER 2021

sciousness, and more – preparing students not only for the workforce but also the world itself. Due to the breadth of knowledge Kuhr gained in undergrad, she explained that she wasn’t sure what career her degree would lead her to. However, she chose to study English because she enjoyed reading, writing, and relating the information she learned. Humanities@Work will open the doors of opportunity for Mount students like Kuhr by preparing them to take on an entire field of careers after earning a customized degree. Kuhr explained that studying the humanities gives students the flexibility to explore various perspectives: “A humanities degree is whatever you want to make of it,” she added. This robust program includes: reduced tuition of $6,500 a year, for all four years; wellrounded academic structure where students progress through six theme areas intended to sharpen essential skills; and the unique opportunity for students to participate in an internship each year, with a deeply-immersive internship experience in their senior year. Learn more: msmc.edu/humanities@work

Pre-Health Professions – Touro College and LECOM The Mount has teamed up with the Touro College and Lake Erie College of Medicine (LECOM) to provide multiple pathway programs in the fields of Dentistry, Medicine, Physical Therapy, Veterinary Medicine, and more. Students have the opportunity to earn their bachelor’s degrees in Biology at the Mount and then more easily transition into their doctoral degree.

Illustration by Sten Miller Perkins

Psychiatric Nursing Master’s and Post-Master’s certificate track The new Psychiatric Nurse Practitioner track focuses on care for clients of all ages and backgrounds with mental health issues and psychiatric disorders, with particular attention on the assessment, diagnosis, treatment, and management of psychiatric clients across the lifespan, as well as mental health promotion and psychiatric disease prevention. Human Computer Interaction (HCI) – Information Technology concentration The HCI concentration allows students to study the effects of technology on human life from a holistic perspective. Combining courses in Information Technology, Psychology, and Mathematics provides them the opportunity to view technology from an analytical stance and improve the user’s experience. Cybersecurity – Information Technology certificates Students not seeking a four-year Cybersecurity or IT degree are eligible for all three certificate options: Cybersecurity, Ethical Hacking, and Digital Forensics. The Cybersecurity certificate provides both the theoretical background and hands-on experience to understand the principles of cybersecurity, cybersecurity risk and management, cryptography, and network security; the Ethical Hacking certificate teaches ethical hacking, including understanding of modern operating systems and network vulnerabilities, exploits, and defenses; and the Digital Forensics certificate delves into the foundational cybersecurity concepts, laws, and policies.

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News &Notes

I really enjoy helping people get the best “return possible for them. ”

Breea Williams, Accounting major

Fr. Gregoire Fluet

Campus Ministry donates $3,000 worth of food Through the St. Valentine Food Drive, students, faculty, and staff donated $3,242 worth of food to help feed local people in need. The virtual drive yielded more than 600 food items, which were sent to the St. Mary Friary and then distributed throughout Newburgh. The initiative was spearheaded by the college’s Campus Ministry and marks the first time the college has hosted a food drive in the month of February. According to Fr. Gregoire Fluet, director of Campus Ministry and Mount chaplain, the drive raised more than the college’s pre-pandemic Thanksgiving effort in 2019. “This collection allowed us to once again fulfill our mission at Mount Saint Mary College of outreach and service,” said Fr. Fluet. “We were grateful to reach out to the larger community and help those who are in need.” Fr. Fluet thanked the college’s Office of Residence Life, the Student Government Association, and everyone else who pitched in for their efforts and their generosity.

Breea Williams, an Accounting major, worked at the Newburgh Free Library as a Tax-Aide preparer.

Making taxes less taxing for local families

or the 11th year in a row, Accounting students and alumni provided free tax preparation for middle- and low-income families through the Tax-Aide program. Tax-Aide is a tax assistance program offered annually by the AARP Tax-Aide Foundation, the Mid-Hudson CA$H Coalition, and the United Way of the Dutchess-Orange Region. This year, new precautions were put in place to protect the community from the threat of COVID-19, including low contact preparation and digital only service. “Without the help of Mount Saint Mary College and these students, we would not have the vibrant, expanding program that we have,” explained Dave Weaving, the Orange County CA$H Coalition coordinator. “Our experienced volunteers are always thrilled to work with students.” Accounting major Breea Williams, who is on the college’s 5-year MBA track, prepared returns for area residents at the Newburgh Free Library. Williams and her peers trained for at least 40 hours through work with AARP certified instructors, then passed an IRS certification exam. “I really enjoy helping people get the best return possible for them,” said Williams. “Participating in Tax-Aide really opened my eyes to the outside world. This is giving me the experience I’ll need to be better in my field.” In addition to the current students giving their time and talents to the project, several Mount graduates continue to volunteer with TaxAide, including Justin Perez ’16, Crystal Graham ’19, and Elisa Morey ’15, who is a Tax-Aide site leader.

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Giving thanks to pandemic superstars

he School of Nursing presented a dedication banner to the Health Services office in recognition of the outstanding work they have done to prevent, detect, and stop the spread of COVID-19 on campus. The banner reads, “United in caring, courage, and compassion. The School of Nursing thanks the Health Services team for going above and beyond for our students amid the COVID-19 pandemic.” The recognition was a surprise to the Health Services team, who were very appreciative of the School of Nursing’s support. “The entire Health Services team has put in an extraordinary number of hours this year to keep our campus as safe and healthy as possible during the pandemic,” said Doreen Bischof, FNP-BC, ’17, director of Health Services. “When Susan LaRocco [Nursing dean]

The School of Nursing surprised Health Services staff with a banner.

and Kathleen Pecoraro [instructor of Nursing], on behalf of the School of Nursing, surprised us at our office and presented us with our banner, it brought me to tears. It’s difficult to put into words how much this meant to our team and

how proud we are to display the banner outside our office. A huge thank you to the School of Nursing for taking the time to recognize the work we do – it means so much coming from our Nursing colleagues!”

Nursing grads leap into action When Anthony Garzone II and his fiancée Heather Park, both December 2020 Nursing graduates, saw a stranger in medical distress, they didn’t hesitate to help. Just days after graduating, Garzone, Park, and their five children were doing some last-minute Christmas shopping at a local chain store. A few minutes into their trip, another shopper suddenly collapsed to the floor. Garzone immediately checked for a pulse. There wasn’t one. Garzone initiated CPR, and Park quickly jumped in to help. By chance, another trained nurse was in the store at the same time and started taking turns with Garzone and Park doing chest compressions. Finally, the man’s pulse returned, if only faintly. By that point, the para-

medics had arrived and took over. The family never found out what happened to the man they aided that day. But personal closure isn’t what’s important, Garone noted: it’s doing the right thing. “If he did die there that day and no one helped him, his family would have no idea what happened to him,” Garzone said. “It’s about human life. That’s someone’s dad or son.” Garzone is the first member of his family to earn a baccalaureate degree. But Garzone and Park found more than just a good education at the Mount: they also found each other. They met when they were assigned as lab partners in Microbiology lab, and about halfway through their academic journey, Garzone proposed to Park in the doorway of the lab where they first met.

Anthony Garzone II proposed to Heather Park outside the classroom where they met as lab partners.

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Professor reveals Vietnamese coal miners history Many decades ago, the coal mines of Vietnam were home to a unique history that survives today as a collection of anonymous poems. In her presentation “Learning History through Oral Tradition: The Stories of Vietnamese Coal Miners,” Thuy Linh Nguyen, associate professor of History, noted that Vietnam became one of the world’s leading coal exporters during the French colonial period (1858-1954). Life was not easy for these miners, who had little time for anything but their work. Thankfully, their stories were not lost to time: They recorded their tales in the Vietnamese poetic form Lục Bát, using their own coded language to avoid the detection of the French management. These poems described the miners’ living and working conditions at colonial coal mines, their bondage, their humor, and resilience, as well as the dark sides of debt spiral, opium addiction, gambling, racism, and capitalist exploitation. These short poems “were very easy to memorize and circulate,” Nguyen explained, helping these stories to survive for generations. “This oral tradition elevates the voices of the workers while highlighting the importance of using mixed sources in writing the history of marginalized and underrepresented groups in history,” Nguyen said. The talk was part of the Mount’s Investigating Research on Campus (iROC) series, which provides a forum for faculty, staff, and students to showcase their research endeavors with the college and local communities. See iROC presentation videos at www.msmc.edu/WatchiROC

Susan LaRocco, dean of the School of Nursing (left), and Kathleen Pecoraro, instructor of Nursing (right), sealed a Mount Saint Mary College School of Nursing time capsule on Tuesday, May 11, 2021.

School of Nursing seals pandemic-era time capsule

he School of Nursing documented the trials and triumphs of students, faculty, staff, and alumni over the course of the pandemic and sealed it in a time capsule on Tuesday, May 11, 2021, to be opened by the college’s dean of Nursing in 25 years. The time capsule contains current photos, publications, and letters to the future leaders and students of the Mount. It also has other historical items, such as a Mount-branded cloth mask. It was sealed with a padlock and, until the capsule’s reopening in 2046, it will remain on display on the college’s campus. The project was made possible by a three-person team: Susan LaRocco, dean of the School of Nursing; Kathleen Pecoraro, instructor of Nursing; and Erica Torres, administrative assistant for the School of Nursing. “A time capsule is belief in our future,” said LaRocco. “We believe the Mount will be here, the School of Nursing will be here, our profession will be right here on our campus and we will have a whole new batch of nurses. Think about it: the students who will be here in 25 years haven’t even been born yet.” Pecoraro added, “I hope that when they open this [time capsule], COVID-19 is a thing of the distant past, and that everyone is healthy. I hope we’ve learned a lot both medically and socially from COVID.”

MOUNT SAINT MARY COLLEGE MAGAZINE | SUMMER 2021

Bringing service home

Above, an architectural rendering of a possible design for the planned community wellness center in Guzman Hall.

Mount to construct community wellness center on campus

ith dedication to service and community as a guide, the Mount will begin converting Guzman Hall into the Community Engagement and Wellness Center in the fall of 2021. The center will provide medical and educational services for low income individuals and families, including the uninsured. It will offer workshops, family counseling services, fitness checks, immunizations, professional development events, and more for local residents. Once completed, the college expects the center to serve more than 4,000 residents per year. In addition to providing opportunities for area educators and professionals to volunteer their services, the center will also house the college’s Desmond programing for adult enrichment. In the first 12 months of the project, the Mount will complete the necessary renovations; collaborate with community partners like Montefiore St. Luke’s Cornwall Hospital, the City of Newburgh, and Newburgh Ministry to identify critical areas of need; and develop a full programming map for the center. The center is estimated to be completed in the late spring or early summer of 2022. Helping the college along in this journey is a $1 million Higher Education Capital (HECap) matching grant awarded by New York State. Under this program, the state will contribute one dollar of support for every three dollars spent by the Mount, for a total of $1 million in grant aid.

The HECap grant came just weeks after the college secured a $425,000 grant towards the wellness center from the Mother Cabrini Health Foundation. The Mother Cabrini Health Foundation is a private, nonprofit organization with the mission to improve the health and well-being of vulnerable New Yorkers, bolster the health outcomes of targeted communities, eliminate barriers to care, and bridge gaps in health services. “Mount Saint Mary College is truly grateful to New York State and the Mother Cabrini Health Foundation for helping us to create the Community Engagement and Wellness Center,” said Dr. Jason N. Adsit, president of the Mount. “We’re excited to be giving the local community access to the care and education programs they need, while honoring our founding Dominican Sisters and their legacy of service.” The Mount will move into the future by embracing and amplifying the concept that is at its core: service matters. Compassionate care at the center will be modeled by faculty and students. The college’s School of Nursing will play a large role in carrying out the center’s mission of aiding Newburgh residents who have little or no access to basic healthcare services. As the center develops, faculty and hundreds of students in the college’s Business, Education, Social Sciences, and many other disciplines will also lend their skills to the program. www.msmc.edu

DeBellis honored for excellence in Nursing In less than a month, Lynette DeBellis, instructor of Nursing, earned three prestigious awards for her dedication to the community and her students. First, she was named a Top 20 Nurse in the region at the 2021 Excellence in Nursing Awards, hosted by Hudson Valley Magazine. The award honors the professional achievements of recipients, especially in the face of the COVID-19 pandemic. Less than a week later, DeBellis earned the annual DAISY Foundation Nurse Faculty Award. Then, at the Nursing Commencement Ceremony in May, she was presented with the Student Government Association (SGA) Excellence in Teaching Award for 2021, which honors a professor who the students believe goes above and beyond. DeBellis, a 1985 graduate of the Mount, has been a registered nurse for 35 years. At the Mount, she has brought her passion for service and excellence to the next generation of nurses. Recently, DeBellis and her dedicated students made history in the fight against COVID-19. Under her guidance, about 50 students administered some of the first-ever COVID-19 vaccines to the doctors, nurses, and other essential staff at four area hospitals: Vassar Brothers Medical Center, Northern Dutchess Hospital, Putnam Hospital, and Montefiore St. Luke’s Cornwall. With only about 48 hours’ notice, DeBellis took on the responsibility of overseeing dozens of students. But she knew she had to be part of this humanitarian effort. Not only did it have a major impact on the community, but also on her students: The work strengthened their nursing skills at a time when clinical placements in hospitals had become very limited.

Alba is a Mover and Shaker Susana Briscoe-Alba, dean of Admissions, will receive a Forty Under 40 Mover and Shaker Award from the Dutchess County Regional Chamber of Commerce in the fall of 2021. Each year, the chamber bestows the honor upon 40 individuals under the age of 40 who have shown a strong commitment to the Hudson Valley. “I’m passionate about respecting and serving others,” said Briscoe-Alba. Nominations are judged based on professional and community achievements. Briscoe-Alba earned a bachelor’s and a master’s degree from Dominican College and joined the Mount’s Admissions team in October 2015.

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Barbara Whitney Petruzzelli, assistant vice president for Academic Affairs.

Petruzzelli named assistant VP for Academic Affairs

Meredith Schwarze, above, and Kira Tutko, below.

Alumnae recognized for excellence in education

wo alumnae recently received the Hudson Valley Magazine Teacher Appreciation Award: Kira Tutko ’13 MSEd ‘15 and Meredith Schwarze MSEd ’15. They were nominated for excellence in shaping education during an unprecedented time. To make her students feel more comfortable, Tutko created Bitmojis (personalized, expressive cartoon avatars) for her school’s faculty and staff to help welcome the entire school into the fully virtual environment. A K-4 Literacy teacher in the Kingston, N.Y. school district, Tutko attributes much of her success to Ludmilla Smirnova, professor of Education, whom she called a “tech guru.” Smirnova gave Tutko many resources that she brings into her classroom today. Now in her seventh year of teaching Kindergarten in the Arlington Central School District, Schwarze noted how hard all teachers are working to come up with new approaches to engage and care for their students. Schwarze attributes some of her inspiration to her mentors in the Division of Education, including David Gallagher, Rebecca Norman, Janine Bixler, and Nancy Benfer.

Brown appointed new athletic director

rew Brown became the Mount’s new athletic director in July, bringing more than 25 years of athletic administration experience. He was the associate athletic director for External Affairs at Pace in 2015 and in that position oversaw the Setters’ annual fundraising efforts, special events, sponsorships, community relations, and branding. “From the start, I have felt that the family environment and the mission rooted in service and leadership at the Mount was something very special and it will be a privilege to be a part of it,” said Brown. The Mount “has such a great history and tradition of athletics achievement in competition, in the classroom, in the community, and in preparing students for life after college. I look forward to working together with our talented coaches and staff.” Brown also served as the vice president for External Affairs at the Eastern College Athletic Conference (ECAC) Office from 2013-15 and then as the senior vice president/chief of staff. He graduated with a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology from Saint Peter’s University in 1995, earned a Master of Science in Education from Mercy in 2011, and is currently a candidate for a Ph.D. in Sports Administration Leadership. Brown and his wife Paula reside in Yorktown Heights and have two children: Katelyn and John.

Barbara Whitney Petruzzelli, former director of the Kaplan Family Library and Learning Center, was recently named assistant vice president for Academic Affairs (AVPAA). “It’s a great honor for me,” said Petruzzelli. “In my 15 years at the Mount, I’ve been inspired by the dedication of our faculty and staff to ensure that our students receive an outstanding education and take part in college experiences that enrich their lives. I hope my work…will help move the Mount forward in service to our students and our community.” Petruzzelli assists George Abaunza, vice president for Academic Affairs, in providing guidance and leadership to the Mount’s academic community. She oversees the college’s Career Center, Digital Learning and Instructional Design Services, the First Year Experience (FYE) program, the Higher Education Opportunity Program (HEOP), and the Writing Center. In addition, she provides direction for First Year Writing, the Honors Program, the Summer Undergraduate Research Experience (SURE), and faculty development. www.msmc.edu

Some of the “strategies are already being pursued by the foundation.

”

Professor Moira Tolan

After Patrick Force suffered a spinal cord injury (SCI), he and his wife, Caitlin, began to develop resources for others with SCIs.

A creative collaboration

Harnessing student innovation to support emerging nonprofit

raduate students equally impressed and inspired their audience when they recently presented detailed business proposals as their MBA capstone project for an emerging, local nonprofit: The Force Recovery Foundation. Moira Tolan, professor of Business, and Lawrence Force, professor of Psychology and director of the Mount’s Center on Aging and Disability Policy, partnered to provide Tolan’s MBA students with a unique and multifaceted capstone project experience, rooted in the Mount’s mission to provide service-based learning. Force’s son, Patrick, suffered a spinal cord injury (SCI) in 2019. The Force family, led by Patrick and his wife Caitlin, decided to create resources that promoted physical, emotional, and psychological healing for those with SCIs, founding the nonprofit organization Force Recovery. With special gratitude for the support of Fr. Greg Fluet, campus chaplain; Joan Kaplan and the Kaplan

Professor Moira Tolan (above) and Professor Lawrence Force (left).

Family Foundation; Elizabeth Rowley and staff from the Community Foundation of Orange and Sullivan County; and family and friends, Force Recovery was established to be an advocacy voice and to develop a presence for individuals and fami-

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lies addressing spinal cord recovery (SCR). “That’s the passion you need to make starting a nonprofit organization successful,” noted Lauren Giacalone, one of Tolan’s students. “So, we’re so incredibly inspired by that mission and the Force family’s passion for becoming this vital and much needed resource.” That inspiration fueled the projects. From budgeting strategies to creative social media approaches, each group proposed their plan for a solid foundation that Force Recovery can begin building on immediately.

And according to Tolan, the foundation has done just that. “Some of the strategies are already being pursued by the foundation, including a possible alliance with Habitat for Humanity,” she said. Tolan added that there will be elements of each project put into place as the foundation moves forward. It’s an unsurprising decision, based on Force’s reaction to the projects: “The students did a speculator job under the guidance and leadership of Dr. Moira Tolan. This is like going up to a dessert bar and somebody saying, ‘pick one.’ There’s no chance. You have to choose them all. Everyone of these projects is based upon creativity coupled with good marketing and guided by strong business practices.” With only eight weeks to come up with their strategic business plans, the MBA students were fully committed to being a source of knowledge and innovation for the foundation with each idea they contributed. Patrick Force offered his hopes for the future of the Force Recovery Foundation. “My goal is to create something that is long-lasting for people, and create sustainable inspiration, and I think it can be programs and assets like you guys have presented here tonight,” he said. For more information about the Force Recovery Foundation or to donate, visit www.theforcerecovery.com

One step at a time: Alumna finds continued success after spinal injury

lumna Hanna Sheppard ’16, a Client Services associate for Morgan Stanley, took an extraordinary path to her seemingly ordinary life. About 14 years ago, Sheppard dove into her pool from the middle, hit the concrete head-on, and cracked her C5 vertebra in half. Were it not for her younger brother, she would have drowned. However, the accident was just a new beginning for the determined young woman. Much of Sheppard’s right hand and right leg remain partially paralyzed, but it’s become much less of an obstacle over the years. As a freshman in 2012, she walked to class aided by crutches. As a senior in 2016, she walked across the Commencement stage unaided. Today, she can be found working out at her local gym on her own. After graduating from the Mount, she earned an MBA in Finance from Southern New Hampshire University in 2019. And recently, she had been advocating for spinal cord injury awareness, including serving as an ambassador for The Christopher and Dana Reeve Foundation. About a year ago, Sheppard reconnected with Lawrence T. Force, a Psychology professor at the Mount and director of the college’s Center on Aging and Disability Policy. Force’s son, Patrick, suffered a spinal cord injury in 2019. In response, the Force Recovery Foundation was created to be present for individuals and family members on the spinal cord recovery path. The foundation can be found online at www.theforcerecovery.com Force was one of many people at the Mount who Sheppard said helped to shape her into the successful professional she is today. “I am so grateful and thankful that I went to the Mount,” she said. “It gave me my best friends and I still think about my professors. Every professor I had molded me in some

About 14 years ago, Hanna Sheppard suffered a major spinal injury. At the Mount’s 53rd annual Commencement (above), she walked across the stage unaided.

positive way.” Even after getting to know her injury over the years, sometimes there are still surprises, Sheppard said. Most recently, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, working from home afforded Sheppard a respite from some of the issues she lives with on a daily basis. But by moving around less, she began to lose much of the progress she had made. It took about four months of early morning gym visits to get back to the point where walking wasn’t extremely painful, she noted. However, while it’s certainly a big part of her life, Sheppard’s injury does not define who she is. “My spinal cord injury doesn’t affect the big picture,” Sheppard noted. “It affects my everyday life – it’s hard to walk, it’s hard to do everything, but I still do it.” She added, “Sometimes people are so, so quick to throw in the towel with anything that’s hard. But never stop trying, never give up.” www.msmc.edu

Megan Morrissey ’10, Assistant Director of Student Success

“

Because I got to know the campus well as a student, I feel like I can better serve our current students .

”

John Chiaia ’17

The ones who stayed

It’s no secret that the Mount is a home away from home for its students, and many a graduate has started the next chapter of their life with both excitement and a bit of sadness for leaving the campus they love. But some alumni enjoy the best of both worlds by returning as an employee.

John Chiaia ’17, Coordinator of Housing

t was John Chiaia’s junior year when he had a revelation: As much as he loved his major of Public Relations and Media Studies, he didn’t see himself pursuing that field for the rest of his life. He took some time to reflect on next steps and realized that he was really invested in his work as a resident assistant on campus as well as his positions with the Student Government Association. So when a resident director position at the college was posted soon after graduation, Chiaia knew he’d found his home, again. “When the opportunity presented itself, I knew that I couldn’t turn it down due to how much the Mount had looked out for me for four years,” he explained. “I thought about how without the Mount I might not have ever figured out that I wanted to work in higher education, so returning to the place that was such a crucial part of that process felt right.” Since then, he’s been paying it forward as a resident director and, more recently, coordinator of housing.

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His experience as an alumnus in a studentcentered position has proven beneficial to his ability to be a resource for his students, he said. “Being a student here has helped me relate to their experiences academically and personally,” Chiaia said. “Because I got to know the campus well as a student, I feel like I can better serve our current students by connecting them with resources or giving insight.” The transition from student to employee was fairly smooth for Chiaia, but he still has some trouble calling faculty by their first names: “It’s been years of them trying to get me to call them by their actual name but I just can’t,” he said. Chiaia has enjoyed aiding in improvements to his beloved alma mater, especially new ways to reach students. But most of all, he’s happy to still be immersed in the community he’s called home for more than eight years. “Being a part of the Mount community means that you always have someone looking out for you,” he said. “People here have become my family away from family. I enjoy being able to share my student experiences with our current students and to tell them about things that I wish I had known at 19. I appreciate that I get to use my MSMC experiences to help guide another student’s MSMC experiences.”

hat started as a part-time opportunity to return to her alma mater has blossomed into a career spanning almost a decade for Megan Morrissey ’10, assistant director of Student Success. Upon graduating in 2010 with a degree in Public Relations and minors in Psychology and Theatre Arts, Morrissey thought she knew exactly where life was headed. She graduated with a master’s degree in School Counseling in 2012 with plans to become a school counselor for middle or high school students. Then Kathleen O’Keefe, former Career Center counselor and director, told her about a new opening at the college: a part-time academic coach position in the new Center for Student Success. It was a different path than she had planned, but the opportunity to rejoin the Mount community was too tempting to pass up. Morrissey was an extremely active student on campus, which she believes assisted her in obtaining the position and continues to be an asset today. She was involved in the Different Stages acting troupe and student government, including being the vice president of the Student Government Association in her senior year. She noted that the first day at a new job is always a bit stressful, but going back to a familiar environment made all the difference: “It was like being welcomed home again,” Morrissey explained. In her role as assistant director of Student

Success, Morrissey helps hundreds of students each year succeed academically and socially at the college. But that isn’t the only place where she’s making an impact on the Mount: Morrissey is also club advisor for the Dance Team, a member of the First Year Experience (FYE) Taskforce, and more. Having a background at the college helps her to connect with the students she works with, most of whom are freshmen. It’s a feeling she can relate to, she said. “I feel very lucky to be able to work with these students every day knowing that I have literally been in their place before,” Morrissey explained. “I had a lot of the same professors, sat in the same classrooms, and had to go through similar hardships.” That sense of understanding is pivotal in her work, as it allows her to connect with the students as well as point them to resources they can utilize. This connection, in turn, has impacted her career. “I feel like I can empathize with them on a different level and it has made me a better counselor and educator,” she noted. “So really, the Mount never stopped teaching me.”

had a lot of the “Isame professors, sat in the same classrooms, and had to go through similar hardships .

”

Megan Morrissey ’10

www.msmc.edu

[pandemic] is something people “willThis be reading about hundreds of years from now. And you did it with grace, and grit, and determination.

”

President Jason N. Adsit

Commencement 2021

Ready to soar

Classes of 2020 and 2021 honored with three days of Commencement ceremonies

n unusual academic year required an unusual Commencement. In the last three semesters, the Mount community rose to the challenge of the COVID-19 pandemic. After a necessary switch to online courses in March of 2020, students saw the return of face-toface learning in the fall. Together, we did our best to keep friends, coworkers, and professors safe by adhering to proper safety guidelines. Thanks to their hard work, graduating seniors enjoyed an in-person Commencement with a reduced, but very enthusiastic, crowd. The Class of 2021 – which includes more than 500 graduates – was recognized over the course of two ceremonies. On Friday, May 21, Nursing students were honored, and on Saturday, May 22, all other majors walked across the Commencement stage. The graduating students hailed from eight states: California, Connecticut, Florida, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Virginia, and Washington.

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“Your work matters. Don’t ever forget that.” President Jason N. Adsit

Angelica Tillery ’20 (above) was among the 2020 Nursing graduates returning to campus for Commencement.

Honoring the next generation of nurses

The Friday Nursing ceremony also included dozens of Class of 2020 Nursing graduates. And on Sunday, May 23, the other 2020 grads finally enjoyed a live Commencement, in addition to the virtual graduation they celebrated last year. After years of acting as Master of Ceremonies at the Mount’s Commencement celebrations, James Finn Cotter, the college’s longest serving professor, retired in 2020. For the Nursing graduation, the honor was bestowed upon Christine Berté, chair of the School of Nursing and director of Graduate Nursing Programs. For the other two ceremonies, George Abaunza, vice president for Academic Affairs, took the helm. The Friday ceremony was presided over by Michael Horodyski, chair of the Board of Trustees of the college. The Saturday ceremony was presided over by Anthony Liotti, vice chair of the Board of Trustees. The Sunday ceremony was presided over by Charles Frank, former chair of the Board of Trustees. The invocations were given by Fr. Gregoire Fluet, college chaplain and director of Campus Ministry. Fr. Fluet had two joyous occasions that weekend, as he was celebrating both Commencement and his 39th year of priesthood.

At the college’s first-ever combined Nurse Pinning, White Coat ceremony, and graduation ceremony, the Nursing Classes of 2020 and 2021 were recognized for their excellent work and dedication. Dr. Jason N. Adsit, president of the college, discussed how nurses saved the life of his young son, Ronan, who spent six weeks in the neonatal unit. “It was the nurses who sat with me every night, prayed with me, and cried with me as I held his little hand,” he said. “The nurses were the ones who figured out what was wrong. That little boy turns 10 in October. Your work matters. Don’t ever forget that.” Keynote speaker Susan LaRocco, dean of the School of Nursing, reminded the graduates that patients deserve the best care a nurse can give. “Compassionate care is a core value we have, whether as the primary care provider or as a staff nurse,” said LaRocco. “Treat everyone as they would want to be treated. Be sensitive to the cultural and religious differences of your patients, and provide the care that they want and that they need.” As the Nursing graduates approached the

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Family and friends pinned Nursing graduates before they received their diplomas. Nursing master’s degree and postmaster’s certificate recipients received white coats.

Commencement stage, their guests came with them. Before receiving their diploma from Dr. Adsit, the students were pinned by their family and friends. The Nursing pin represents “a new facet in the personal and professional lives of these graduating students,” said Berté. It symbolizes “their rite of passage into the professional world of nursing.” Graduates who earned a master’s degree or post-master’s certificate received their white coat from their loved ones. The white coat represents a graduate’s knowledge and dedication to the medical profession. Berté thanked these newly-coated professionals, who have been on the frontlines in the battle against COVID-19 for more than a year. “These are the RNs that were taking care of patients in ICUs, long-term care facilities, and other healthcare areas during this challenging time,” she said. “While they were doing this, they had the perseverance to continue their education…Mount Saint Mary College wishes to acknowledge you and thank you for your efforts and congratulate you on this academic achievement in a time that truly challenged our profession.”

Mount Saint Mary College President, Dr. Jason N. Adsit, welcomed the graduates.

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Nursing awards The School of Nursing honored several students for excellence in their studies and dedication to the field:

We have all overcome “challenges to get to the point we are today... ”

Our commitment to service, leadership, and deter“mination is what brings us here together as one. ”

Edward Arnold, Student Government Association president

Alexander Perlak Senior Class President, Class of 2020

School of Nursing Leadership Award: Sean Leuschner School of Nursing Clinical Excellence Award: Annette Martinez Perseverance Award: Stephanie Cataldo General Excellence in Nursing Award: Kelly Giana Spirit of Nursing Award: Toni Ann DeRose

Edward Arnold of Southampton (above) congratulated his fellow seniors. Excitement was in the air for graduates, faculty, and staff alike (below).

Mu Epsilon Chapter of Sigma Theta International Nursing Honor Society Award: Emily Dee (May 2021), Benjamin Hayes (December 2020), and Nicole Gray (May 2020)

Leuschner, School of Nursing Leadership Award recipient, earned a whopping four job offers in critical care before his last semester ended. Ultimately, Leuschner picked a job with Hartford Hospital, a 938-bed acute care teaching hospital located in Hartford, Conn. in the Level I Neuro/Trauma Intensive Care Unit (ICU). He started in early August. “ I am very excited to work for a company with such an excellent track record,” he explained.

Alexander Perlak welcomed his fellow graduates back to the Mount.

Class of 2020: A celebration months in the making

School of Nursing Leadership Award: Sydney Natkiel

Sister Leona DeBoer Award: Sadhana Subramanian (May 2021); Benjamin Hayes (December 2020); Ann Murray (May 2020)

From left: Andre Waitley; Tottiona Waitley of Ellenville, a Sociology major and 2020 graduate; and Dana Williams.

Sending off the Class of 2021 From Business to Education, the remaining members of the Class of 2021 and their families proudly took to the Dominican Center Field on Saturday, May 22 for their Commencement ceremony. “You have lived through a worldwide historical event,” said Dr. Adsit. “This [pandemic] is something people will be reading about hundreds of years from now. And you did it with grace, and grit, and determination.” Jake Kosack ’18, a member of the Board of Trustees, encouraged the students to take what they have learned here and use it to make the world a better place. Commencement “is always misunderstood as an ending, and although this scene is ending, the film is just

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getting started,” Kosack said. “Your life is a movie and you’re the lead. It is up to you to go out there and win Best Picture.” Edward Arnold, president of the Mount’s Student Government Association (SGA), challenged his fellow graduates to continuously improve themselves. “Our commitment to service, leadership, and determination is what brings us here together as one: Mount Saint Mary College graduates, Class of 2021,” Arnold said. “The relationships we have not only with one another, but with our faculty and staff, will last forever. Use them to your advantage, grab life by the horns, and begin this journey with no fear.”

Like the rest of the world, the Class of 2020 was blindsided by the COVID-19 pandemic. But one year later, they finally enjoyed a muchdeserved in-person Commencement ceremony. For Alexandra Smith, a History major who was on the Childhood and Special Education tracks, the decision to return to her alma mater for graduation was an easy one. “My experience at the Mount has been so amazing,” Smith said. “Between my professors and my peers, my years here were truly the best…The Mount was a second home for me.” After graduating last year, Smith quickly obtained a job as a thirdgrade teacher in the Warwick Valley Central School District. “It’s been great to step out of school and hop right into my profession,” she explained. “It’s been quite the year, but we’ve been doing our best and adapting to all the COVID changes. Teaching is still the best job I could have ever had.” Like Smith, Emma Sweeney was a History major who was on the Childhood and Special Education tracks. Sweeney has also found a full-time

job in her field: she is teaching in a kindergarten class at Horizons on the Hudson in Newburgh, N.Y. On returning for graduation, she said, “I’m glad we had a chance to close out this chapter of our lives and walk across the stage.” Their classmate, Sociology major Tottiona Waitley, is currently mentoring at-risk youth at Ellenville High School. She credited her advisor, Kate Burmon, assistant professor of Criminology, with helping her to be successful. Alexander Perlak, Senior Class President of the Class of 2020, addressed his fellow graduates at the ceremony. He said that it is often through adversity – such as the pandemic – that people grow the most. “We have all overcome challenges to get to the point we are today, [and] it’s not always about the challenge – more importantly, it’s how we overcome it,” said Perlak. “It may not have gone how we expected it to, but this is an achievement that we all did together…after this ceremony, we can all say we are Mount Saint Mary College graduates who finally walked the stage.”

Alexandra Smith of Middletown (top) and Emma Sweeney of Cornwall-onHudson (below), are both History majors on the Childhood and Special Education tracks who quickly found teaching jobs after graduation.

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Sharing Commencement stage with family

Cyan Scott of Buena Park, Calif. graduated this past May. Her hometown is about 2,700 miles away from the Mount.

From Orange County, California to Orange County, New York For Cyan Scott of Buena Park, Calif., a Psychology major, choosing a small college on the opposite end of the United States was a gamble that paid off. Scott graduated with the Class of 2021 as the only California native. The dedicated student has already been accepted into the graduate program at John Jay College in New York. “Honestly, it [four years of college] went by so fast,” Scott explained. “But I’m excited for what’s next.” What attracted Scott to a college nearly 3,000 miles away, a staggering 41-hour drive, from her hometown? It was the close-knit campus that is one of the Mount’s flagship attributes. “Everybody here knows everybody,” she said. “The support here is incredible.” In addition to her scholastic achievement, Scott was also a student athlete: she was the goalkeeper on the Women’s soccer team.

Jenna Park with her mother, Tiffany Gagliano, dean of the School of Business.

Cheers! Mount seniors raised their glasses on May 1 in celebration of the college’s upcoming Commencement ceremony.

s students graduated with their second family of peers and professors, some had the unique opportunity of walking the Commencement stage alongside their relatives as well. Jenna Park, a teacher at George F. Baker Upper School in Tuxedo, N.Y., graduated in 2020 with her MSEd in Special Education. She was presented with her diploma on stage by none other than her mother, Tiffany Gagliano, dean of the School of Business. Being handed her diploma by her mother was “The most incredible feeling...It’s absolutely a once in a lifetime opportunity I’ll never forget,” Park said. “My mom has always encouraged me to pursue a degree in education because she understands my love for teaching and helping others.” Brianna Mercado was finally able to attend graduation on Saturday, May 22, after receiving her BA in Public Relations with a concentration in Journalism in December of 2019. Her mother, Jenine Mercado, graduated alongside her with an MSEd in Adolescence and Special Education as a 2021 graduate.

Celebrating the Class of 2021 with a blessing and a toast

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A Brianna Mercado left, with her mother Jenine Mercado at Commencement.

“Graduating with my mom was such a surreal feeling,” Brianna explained. “My mom has supported me throughout my entire college career and to have her walk across the stage with me and her see me receive my diploma is truly something special.” Lanisha Outlaw graduated with her BA in Nursing on Friday, May 21 as a 2021 graduate in the Nursing Commencement ceremony. Her daughter’s graduation from a different institution was on the same day, but “she opted to forgo her graduation to be here,” Outlaw explained. “It’s a very monumental moment for both my daughter and I to be able to…walk that stage together.”

few weeks before graduation, members of the Class of 2021 gathered at the Chapel of the Most Holy Rosary for a Mass and a toast to the Mount. Fr. Gregoire Fluet, chaplain and director of Campus Ministry, celebrated the special Mass for Mount seniors. During his homily, Fr. Fluet encouraged the seniors to keep service close to their hearts: “No greater joy can come than to give of yourself to others,” he said. He then offered a general blessing for non-Nursing students and a hand blessing for the Nursing students, since their hands are “the most important healing tool a nurse has.”

Right top: Gianna LaMarca had her hands blessed by Fr. Gregoire Fluet. Right bottom: Mount students prayed during a special Mass celebrating graduating seniors.

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Senior Spotlight

Guided by faith

Sharing a passion for healing

Science majors find formula for success

ost students hope to get a job or be accepted into graduate school before graduation. Nick Tucker did both. Tucker, who majored in Psychology with minors in Criminology and English, recently began a position in student life at a local college. He is also currently a graduate student at Pace University – Pleasantville Campus in the Master of Science in Mental Health Counseling program. Tucker made the most of his college experience by joining the Honors Program, being an orientation leader, serving as a resident assistant, and more. His intelligence and tenacity were rewarded: Tucker was named a Mount Ralph Scholar, putting him in the top five percent of his class. The Dominican Scholars of Hope (DSH), a living and learning community for highly motivated students, had a major impact on Tucker. DSH is rooted in the values of the JudeoChristian and Dominican heritage of the college and is overseen by Charles Zola, director of the Catholic and Dominican Institute, assistant to the President in Mission Integration, and associate professor of Philosophy. Becoming a Dominican Scholar of Hope was an easy choice for Tucker, who is dedicated to his Christian faith. “The Mount helped me to remain connected with my faith through retreats, weekly Mass services, and acts of community service,” he said.

lyssa DiMare spent her time at the Mount inspiring others while sparking her own success. She was a member of the women’s lacrosse team, an orientation leader turned admissions ambassador, and a mentor to fellow Nursing students. DiMare is one of many students who has met the COVID-19 pandemic with resilience and adaptability. “We have all had to completely change our learning habits,” she noted. However, the School of Nursing “did a great job of supplementing hands-on activities with case studies…as the semesters have gone on, I realized how much my critical thinking has expanded because of them.” The culmination of these experiences and skills has made DiMare a mentor to fellow Nursing students – one in particular being her brother, Christopher DiMare, a sophomore in the Nursing program. “I really try to be a mentor to him and his friends about certain classes and just share some strategies with them on how to succeed in each class,” she said. Alyssa and Chris DiMare are far from the first siblings to study in the Nursing program together. May 2021 grad Aleena Alexander passed the torch to her brother Anvin Alexander, and twin sisters Elizabeth Scannell-Desch and Alyssa DiMare helped her brother, Chris DiMare, to move into Guzman Mary Ellen Doherty graduated Hall in the summer of 2019. together in 1972.

essica Musacchio and Nasayah Israel walked across the Commencement stage and into jobs in the science field. Musacchio, a Pre-Med Biology major, jumped right into her career at Columbia University. She’s a research technician studying Essential Tremor, a nervous system disorder that causes involuntary and rhythmic shaking. By participating in the Summer Undergraduate Research Experience (SURE), Musacchio was able to work closely with faculty in the Natural Sciences Division. SURE sparked her journey as a researcher: In SURE, “I was able to gain skills that enabled me to land this new job,” she explained. Israel, another Pre-Med grad, began a position as a

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medical scribe for a family/internal medicine practice shortly after graduating. “The Mount’s Natural Sciences Division has enhanced my ability to critically think and analyze data as a scientist,” she said. “I am grateful for the research opportunities this program has to offer as well.” As she reflects on her college experience, Israel noted she shares the Mount’s core belief that service matters. “The Science Division is very involved in community service,” she said. “I was able to volunteer with some of my professors and assist students at Nora Cronin Academy,” in addition to serving at the Boys and Girls Club of Newburgh and at the Hudson Valley Food Bank.

A classroom of her own

here was no time to rest for Nicole Cervone, who started a job in the Washingtonville School District on Monday, May 17 – less than a week before she graduated. Cervone, a Math major with a certification in Childhood Education and Special Education, served as a special education leave replacement in a self-contained third- and fourth-grade classroom through the end of the school year. Working in the Washingtonville district was a sort of homecoming for Cervone, who had recently completed her student teaching in the district. “My favorite part about my job is teaching and learning from my amazing students,” explained Cervone. “I love children because they always keep things interesting and fun.” Cervone said her training at the Mount has aided her in overcoming many of the challenges associated with the pandemic. “Even before COVID-19, the Mount’s Education Division worked very hard to ensure that teacher candidates are exposed to many different kinds of technology,” she

Nicole Cervone (center) made the journey through college with cousins Olivia Pelliccia (left) and Renee Hydo (right).

said. “Many of the things I learned about during my years at the Mount have come in handy with distance learning.” Cervone’s college career was a busy one: She was a lacrosse player and joined Chi Alpha Sigma, the athletic honor society. She earned the Outstanding Leadership Award from the Mount before graduating, was named a top Math student by the division, and received the sacrament of Confirmation as a Catholic by Fr. Gregoire Fluet, chaplain and director of Campus Ministry, in 2019. www.msmc.edu

Senior Spotlight

Inspiring with sign language

Taking the next step

hanks to her strong work ethic and Nursing knowledge, Saraí Bellamy’s next career steps were decided before she even walked across the 2021 Commencement stage. Bellamy earned year-long Nursing residency with VA Hudson Valley Health Care System before graduation, which she began in August of 2021. She is rotating between several VA facilities in multiple nursing specialties and is responsible for an evidence-based project at the end of the year, based on a nursing practice she believes she can improve. “I’m looking forward to working with the geriatric population,” said Bellamy. “I believe I can make a difference in their care.” She credits the Mount with helping her to succeed: “The Mount provided me with professional nursing skills that I can develop more in the specialties I will be working with,” she explained. “The resources available on campus helped me prepare my résumé and cover letter.”

Grad heads to NYU publishing program

imberly Kelly is living proof that hard work pays off: She was recently accepted into New York University’s Master’s in Publishing program. “When I found out, it was quite literally a dream come true,” said Kelly. “I’ve always wanted to live and work in the city.” Kelly, who was an English major with a concentration in Creative Writing, will begin classes at NYU in the fall. Her goal is to have a career at a publishing house in New York City as an editor. Kelly has always loved the written word. Thus, a career in publishing was a logical – and fulfilling – next step. The Mount gave Kelly plenty of opportunities to sharpen her writing skills. For example, she wrote a short film called Put Together, which she helped to film through the college’s Knight Productions. She has also written many articles for the college’s online newspaper, Mount Messenger. Her classes and professors played the largest role in Kelly’s academic development. Specifically, she thanked Rob Wakeman, assistant professor of English, and Marie-Therese Sulit, associate professor of English and director of the Honors Program, for helping to make her successful.

Business seniors launch careers

Alexander Howard

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Kyle Robbins

lexander Howard and Kyle Robbins, Business majors who graduated this May, didn’t have to wait long to launch their careers: both have already accepted jobs in their field. Howard, a Management and Administration major, recently accepted a job as a paralegal for Drake Loeb PLLC. He began his new position just two days after Commencement.

ood teachers work hard to get their students through the school year. Great teachers adapt to the unexpected and spark a lifelong love of learning. Kerry DeFelice is going to be a great teacher. DeFelice was an English major on the Childhood and Special Education track. She noted that student teaching during the COVID-19 pandemic was “a little difficult.” But while COVID-19 has created educational hardships, it has also provided an opportunity for some very unique on-the-job training. Some of DeFelice’s students were attending classes virtually, while others were in person. It was a challenge to make sure each set of students was getting the same amount of attention, she explained. But regardless of modality, keeping up with her students’ social and emotional needs is always a priority: “I always want to make sure my students are OK,” she explained. Thankfully, DeFelice’s Mount education had prepared her well for the trials of COVID-19. “Student teaching in a pandemic is something everyone had to adjust to,” she said. “But my professors at the Mount always said [teachers] have to be flexible. If you walk in with a plan, but you’re able to change it and tweak it, that’s the key to becoming a successful teacher.” Student teaching isn’t the only way that DeFelice is putting her education skills to use. The Mount’s Student Council of Exceptional Children (SCEC) has been offering virtual American Sign Language workshops for students. DeFelice, an SCEC member, headed up these classes.

Howard thanked the Career Center for helping him to land the job, and Michael L. Fox, assistant professor of Business Law, Pre-Law advisor, and MBA coordinator, who inspired Howard to switch to the Business major in his sophomore year. Robbins will be working in sales at Otis Elevator Company. He’s excited about the opportunity, which will see him moving to Charlotte, N.C. Getting the position has given him a “huge sense of relief and accomplishment, especially during the

pandemic because many places aren’t hiring like they once were,” he said. “But I worked extremely hard to be in the position I am currently in and am excited about the near future.” Robbins thanked Anthony Scardillo, assistant professor of Marketing, for “pushing me to always better myself and work harder, which shaped me into the person I am today. I knew if I ever had difficulty or a problem, he would be there to help any time of the day, and I’m forever grateful for everything he’s done.”

Senior accepted to nationally-ranked master’s program

aynie Callo graduated with a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology and will soon be joining California University of Pennsylvania in their Exercise Science and Health Promotion Master’s Program. She will have a dual concentration in Sports Psychology and Performance Enhancement/Injury Prevention. Callo understands from experience the impact mental health can have on an athlete: in high school, she ran up to 25 miles a week until a spinal condition called spondylolisthesis – when one vertebra slips out of place onto the bone below it – left her unable to compete. Due to Callo’s condition, she began to experience episodes of numb legs and back pain so severe that she sometimes could not walk, having to use crutches or a wheelchair. Her time in physical therapy helped to heal not only her physical but also her mental strength: “The toll that particular experience had on my mental capacity for my sports performance as a whole would have been detrimental if it wasn’t for me having such an amazing support system,” she said. Callo’s goal is to be that support person for others. Being a woman entering a maledominated field does not scare Callo in the slightest. She explained that the Mount taught her to never limit herself: “You will never know how much you can handle until you push your limits of success,” she said. www.msmc.edu

From left: Sophia Reinhardt of Port Ewen, Shayla McCarroll of Clifton Park, and Daley O’Keefe of Marlborough, Conn.

From the pool to grad school Swim team trio pursues doctorate degrees

hree grads from the Women’s Swimming team truly lived up to the phrase “student-athletes” by excelling in their sport and being accepted into doctorate programs before graduating from the Mount. In the pool, Sophia Reinhardt, Shayla McCarroll, and Daley O’Keefe made successful marks at the college, helping the Knights to three straight runner-up finishes at the Skyline Conference Championship Meet. McCarroll earned Second Team All-Conference accolades in both the 100- and 200-yard backstroke events and won the 200-yard backstroke in 2019, on her way to being named First Team All-League in the event. O’Keefe posted seven top-10 finishes at the Skyline Conference Championship over a three-year career. O’Keefe’s best finish at the championship came with third place showings in the 1,000-yard freestyle in both 2018 and 2019, before COVID-19 concerns cancelled her 2020 season. Reinhardt scored five top-10 finishes for the Mount at the Skyline Conference Championship. Her career best finish for the Knights was in

the 200-yard backstroke in 2019. Outside of the pool, the women were just as successful, with each swimmer landing on the Skyline Conference Academic Honor Roll three times. McCarroll, who graduated with a Bachelor of Arts in Biology, began pursuing her doctorate degree in Physical Therapy at Utica College in June. She believes that the Mount prepared her by enhancing her already strong work ethic: “It taught me time management, because you have to juggle early morning practices and school work,” she explained. “It taught me that when you get work, just do it. Don’t wait.” O’Keefe, who chose the Mount for both its five-year Education and swimming programs, graduated with a Bachelor’s degree in Biology and a Master’s in Education while also minoring in Hispanic Studies. She began her doctorate degree work in August at Clark University in Worcester, Mass. Mount professors “are easy to talk to and willing to help,” she explained. “I’m going to another small school

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like this, so I know it’s going to be a similar experience.” Reinhardt had been recruited to swim for the Knights out of high school. She completed the five-year track in only four years and earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in Mathematics and a Master of Science degree in Adolescent Education/ Special Education. She begins work on a Doctor of Philosophy in Mathematics Education at Columbia University Teachers College in the fall of 2021. She believes that the time management skills she acquired being a student-athlete will serve her well moving forward. “As a student-athlete…a majority of our time in school we have to balance everything,” said Reinhardt. “It helps you create a schedule to be a productive college student and won’t allow you to fall behind.” All three were also part of the Mount’s first-ever class of Chi Alpha Sigma, the only National Honor Society for Student-Athletes. To earn induction to the Chi Alpha Sigma, a student-athlete must be at least a junior academically and hold a 3.4 grade point average or better. As they prepared for the next steps in their academic journeys, the three swimmers reflected on how they supported each other during their time at the Mount. “Daley was my number one sounding board,” McCarroll recalled. “I was trying to decide between two different schools and asking what are the pros of this school, what are the cons? That was really helpful.” “It’s very different fields we are all going in, but we were definitely there every step of the way checking in on each other,” noted Reinhardt. O’Keefe lived with McCarroll and was in the five-year program with Reinhardt. “We’re all really close and we’re all up there when it comes to academics,” she explained. “It’s just something about this class that we’re all really motivated to do well in everything that we do.”

Chris Lyn, Women’s Soccer coach, recently orchestrated the creation and donation of 200 bags of school supplies for local children in need.

A greater goal

Players gather supplies for local students

hanks to the combined efforts of the Mount, Staples in Mount Kisco, N.Y., and the Beekman Soccer Club, dozens of local children are receiving muchneeded school supplies. The operation was the brainchild of Chris Lyn, Women’s Soccer coach at the Mount. It yielded 200 bags of school supplies for children in need. Some of these bags have already been donated to the Poughkeepsie Police Department, the Beekman Parks and Rec summer camp program, and the Sparrow’s Nest charity in New Windsor, N.Y. The rest will go to other local charities and organizations. Through the “Staples Cares” program, the Mount Kisco Staples donated thousands of dollars in

supplies, including crayons, pencils, markers, folders, and more. The Mount’s department of Marketing and Communications also donated various items for the bags, such as water bottles and pens. “All of this couldn’t have been done without support from Staples, Mount Saint Mary College, and Beekman Soccer Club,” Lyn noted. In May – following the Mount’s in-person Commencement ceremony for 2020 graduates – Lyn organized an event where volunteers took the donated items and separated them into individual bags. It was held on the Beekman Soccer Club’s field. “We formed an assembly line,” explained Lyn, with volunteers making sure that each bag was packed with

the appropriate number of goodies. “It went exceptionally well and the kids had a great time.” Aiding Lyn in his efforts were Fr. Gregoire Fluet, campus chaplain and director of campus ministry; Trevor Purcell, assistant athletic director; other members of the Mount’s Women’s Soccer team; and more than 50 students and 30 parents of the Chris Lyn Soccer Academy (CLSA). Lyn founded CLSA, which offers year-round soccer training programs for children ages 4 and up, in March of 2020. Over the past year and a half, Lyn has ensured that the CLSA students take part in community service. “I really want the kids to be involved in service and have a sense of community,” Lyn explained, adding, “It’s a big part of the Mount Saint Mary philosophy and mission to help people in need and to engage with the community.”

Head-to-head fundraising battle earns thousands for Athletics Instead of playing against a rival school, the Knights teams went headto-head with each other in the Knight Nation Challenge, a fundraiser for the Athletics department, earlier this year. Each of the Mount’s 21 Division III teams were challenged to see how many donors they could get to help them raise money over the two-day period in April. Almost 200 friends of the college donated nearly $8,000 for the Knights. Men’s Basketball took the crown for most funds raised at $2,660, with Women’s Tennis taking second with $1,531. Softball came in third with $1,322. www.msmc.edu

A legacy of knowledge

Professor Emeritus James Finn Cotter has concluded his 57-year teaching career at the Mount.

Dr. Cotter retires after teaching 57 years

Dr. Cotter led the Commencement procession for decades.

John Reilly, Tom Sarro, and Bill Lahar all started at the Mount in 1975 and are now the longest-serving faculty.

uthor, poet, and educator James Finn Cotter, the longest-serving professor in the history of Mount Saint Mary College, retired from teaching recently after 57 years of dedication and outstanding service. “I believe a new era is about to develop for higher education, and younger minds and hearts can deal with it better than I,” Cotter explained. “I know the Mount will continue to grow.” Cotter, a professor of English with the Division of Arts and Letters, began his tenure with the college in 1963. In his nearly six decades with the Mount, Cotter has taught in or chaired the divisions of Humanities, Arts and Letters, and Religious Studies and Philosophy. His legacy is truly part of the DNA of the college, from his administrative service to the thousands of students on which he imparted a love of literature. “Walking into a classroom had been as natural as eating, drinking, and breathing,” Cotter explained. “I enjoy the poems we will discuss, the plays we will read, the stories we will analyze. The task is there before us, we are the readers and responders. Without us, there would be no Homer, Dante, Shakespeare, Donne, Keats, Hopkins, Dickinson, Frost, or Salinger…Of course, I will miss the classroom, but my memories are real

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The Cotter campaign The Mount recently created the “$57K for 57 Years” donation campaign, which seeks to honor Cotter by raising $57,000 for Mount scholarships. For more information or to donate, please visit www.msmc.edu/57years

and remain in me alive and well.” When Cotter arrived at the Mount in the fall of 1963, there were fewer than 250 students. Now, more than 2,200 students take Mount courses. In 1966, Irene Nunnari, who had taught at Academia San José in Guaynabo, Puerto Rico, was invited to direct Public Relations at the college and serve as an adjunct professor. It was Cotter who requested that Nunnari join the full-time faculty in the fall of 1967. Nunnari would go on to become one of the most cherished and longest-serving professors the Mount has ever known. “I owe my own 48-year career at the Mount to Dr. Cotter,” said Nunnari, a professor emerita of the college. “In the entire history of the Mount, from the day it was founded until forever, there will never be another James F. Cotter, who…in his own words, ‘welcomed the light of knowledge and searched for the height of truth.’”

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Supporting scholarship

taking care of people is “Always the basis of our company. ” Rachel Berliner co-founder of Amy's Kitchen

Annual tournament boosts student fund

ore than 175 friends of the college came to support the Mount at our 43rd Annual Golf and 10th Annual Tennis Invitational Tournament in June, which raised approximately $82,000 for the college. Held at the Powelton Club in Newburgh, the event honored the Smith Family of William A. Smith & Son, Inc. Insurance Agency. All donations and net proceeds will support the newly established Golf and Tennis Tournament Endowed Scholarship Fund. This scholarship will be awarded to academically strong students with financial need, with preference given to students pursuing sports management, sports medicine, or similar fields. Of the Mount’s undergraduate students, 36 percent are first-generation college students; 35 percent are students from underrepresented communities; and 94 percent receive some form of financial aid. Scholarships help create a more equitable path for students from all backgrounds to succeed at the Mount. William A. Smith & Son, Inc. Insurance Agency has been proudly serving the Hudson Valley region for the last 90 years. Since William A. Smith started the firm in 1928, supporting their community has always been a top priority. Now the agency has four different offices located in both Dutchess and Orange counties. William’s son, John H Smith, Sr., joined the firm in 1957. He was married to Ruth C. Smith ’89 and passed away this year. The top sponsors of the event were iHeartMedia of the Hudson Valley, The Kaplan Family Foundation, M&T Bank, William A. Smith & Son Insurance, and I.B.E.W. Local Union 363. Additional sponsors included Anchor Media Services, Armistead Mechanical, Inc., GTI Graphic Technology, Inc., Lakeland Bank, Premier Diagnostic Services, Inc., Rose & Kiernan, Inc. an NFP Company, and Wallkill Valley Federal Savings and Loan.

MOUNT SAINT MARY COLLEGE MAGAZINE | SUMMER 2021

The Smith Family of William A. Smith & Son, Inc. Insurance Agency was honored at the 43rd Annual Golf and 10th Annual Tennis Invitational Tournament in June. Left to right: Ramond Johnson, Debra Johnson, Kathy Smith, Ruth C. Smith ’89, Julia Smith, John H. Smith, Jr. (Jack), Cathy Smith McCarty, Tim McCarty, and Austin McCarty.

Amy’s Kitchen founders Rachel and Andy Berliner gave keynote remarks at the virtual Gala.

Mount honors college’s heroes of the pandemic at virtual Gala

Top: David Melby, Chair of the Mount’s Golf and Tennis Committee (right), recognized the Smith family, left to right: Cathy Smith McCarty, Ruth C. Smith ’89, Debra Johnson, and Jack Smith.

The golfers kept their scores low and the excitement high during the 43rd Annual Golf and 10th Annual Tennis Invitational Tournament in June. Though Dr. Jason N. Adsit, president of the Mount, couldn’t be there in person, he was there in spirit – and in cutout form.

Middle: Eloise Jessup ’11 enjoyed a game of tennis at the 43rd Annual Golf and 10th Annual Tennis Invitational Tournament in June. Bottom: From left, Rob Benfer, Charles Benfer ’21, Chuck Benfer, Rob VanDerbeck

tudents, employees, and alumni who have helped to keep their communities healthy during the COVID-19 pandemic were celebrated at the Mount’s 11th Annual Gala. The Gala raised $31,000 in gifts, sponsorships, and virtual ticket sales. The funds enable the college to provide scholarships and an affordable, values-based education to thousands of deserving students. The keynote remarks were given by Rachel and Andy Berliner, founders of Amy’s Kitchen. The company is opening a new production facility and kitchen in Goshen, N.Y., and has been a well-respected maker of organic foods for more than three decades. “We are so excited about going to Goshen with our next facility because it will help us fill demand, it will save a tremendous amount of fuel from bringing products across country, and the people…have been so welcoming to us,” said Andy. Amy’s Kitchen shares the Mount’s mission of service by awarding scholarships to the children of their employees and donating food during times of crisis: “Always taking care of people is the basis of our company,” said Rachel. The college thanked the local leaders who sponsored the event, including Presenting Sponsor: Rose and Kiernan, Inc. an NFP Company; Gold Sponsor: Unitex Healthcare Laundry Services; and Silver Sponsors: Wallkill Valley Federal Savings and Loan Association; and William A. Smith and Son, Inc. You can view the Gala video online at msmc.edu/gala www.msmc.edu

Alumni Spotlight

Leading the league

Mount grad Tyler Tumminia named commissioner of NWHL

T Hannah Mulhall with professor James Moran in 2014 (left) and after receiving her Ph.D. earlier this year.

Solution seeker Mulhall earns PhD researching gum disease

ight years ago, Hannah Mulhall ’15 was a sophomore Biology major spending her summertime conducting research on the cutting-edge blood substitute OxyVita. Today, Mulhall is celebrating the completion of her Ph.D. in Microbiology and Immunology from the New York Medical College in Valhalla, N.Y. As a Ph.D. candidate, Mulhall’s research focused on periodontal (gum) disease, an infection that allows plaque to build up and harden on teeth. She has been working in the lab of Dr. Salomon Amar, DDS, Ph.D., Vice President for Research at New York Medical College. Amar and Mulhall are studying the use of probiotics to prevent and alleviate the symptoms of periodontal disease, such as inflammation of the gums and tooth loss. The disease’s prevalence makes it an appealing target. According to the Centers for Disease Control and

Prevention (CDC), half of Americans aged 30 or older have periodontitis, the more advanced form of periodontal disease. So far, Mulhall, Amar, and their fellow researchers have published several research papers on periodontal disease in prestigious academic publications such as Infection and Immunity and Microorganisms. She credits the Natural Sciences department with setting her on the path to a Ph.D. James Moran, associate professor of Biology and director of the college’s Summer Undergraduate Research Experience (SURE), was Mulhall’s research mentor in the SURE program, where students work with professors on research and making meaningful contributions to their fields. Through SURE, Mulhall tested the immune response of Balb-C mice after multiple exposures of OxyVita, a blood substitute that can be produced in a liquid or powder form.

MOUNT SAINT MARY COLLEGE MAGAZINE | SUMMER 2021

In 2013, she presented her findings to the OxyVita Inc.’s pharmaceutical and biotechnology professionals, including president and CEO Hanna Wollocko. Without a concrete idea of what she wanted to do after college, it was Moran’s suggestion that she continue her research into grad school that helped Mulhall to choose the career path she is on today. “I think without getting to do research at the Mount, and having the professors push me, I wouldn’t be where I am now…[SURE] was a masterclass in critical thinking,” she said. With a decade of higher education under her belt, Mulhall hopes to find work in the pharmaceutical industry. Helping humanity is something Mulhall has wanted to do since she was a child. Those embers of service were stoked at the Mount, where, in the tradition of the founding Dominican Sisters, hands-on service is built into many classes and student clubs. “The whole reason I got into this is that I want to make some kind of positive impact,” she explained. “I want to use my education to improve peoples’ health and well-being.”

yler Tumminia ’00 MBA ‘09 was recently made the full-time commissioner of the National Women’s Hockey League (NWHL). Tumminia, who during her undergraduate years studied public relations with minors in psychology and media studies, has been making the Mount community proud with the spark she’s lit throughout her career in sports promotion. After working as the Senior Vice President of Goldklang Group, where she was responsible for operating five minor league baseball teams, Tumminia joined the NWHL in April 2020 as chairman of the Toronto Six expansion franchise. In October, the league restructured its ownership and governance models and formed a Board of Governors. “I was presented the opportunity to become commissioner and moved into that position ahead of the league's sixth season,” Tumminia explained. As commissioner, Tumminia said she is fully committed to fulfilling the NWHL’s vision to create opportunities for women, inspire the next generation of female athletes, and advance professional women's hockey in North America. Despite the added challenges of the pandemic, during the 2020-21 season, the league set records for sponsorship activation, broadcast partnerships, and experienced incredible growth in digital fan engagement, as well as significantly enhanced their player benefits – including doubling the salary cap to $300,000 per team. “I'm excited by the league's growth potential and am focused on continuing to move the needle forward and strengthening the platform for our incredible athletes,” she said. Tumminia credits the Mount for the solid foundation her impressive career is built on. “My undergrad generally gave me a strong foundation in critical thinking, research, and writing. In receiving my MBA, the academic family really seeded my interest in and love of business, which has become the foundation of my career to date,” she explained.

Tumminia at work in her new role as NWHL commissioner.

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Alumni Notes 1973

Joseph O’Connor gave a presentation to his condo residents called “Seeking Potential Joy in spite of...” It was a big hit. He said, “The potential joy is there, but our unhealthy beliefs get in the way of seeing what is right in front of our noses.” Regina (Seeling) Sikorski is happily retired from both teaching high school and working for IBM. She is enjoying her 3-year-old grandson, Tommy. Deborah Shanley wrote a chapter for a new book America’s Largest Classroom: What We Learn from our National Parks published by University of California Press in April 2020.

1975

Nancy (McFadden) Haley retired from teaching after 40-plus years. She also beat pancreatic cancer in 2019-2020.

1976

Laura (Schwarz) Hopkins is happy to say, despite COVID-19, this has been a big year for her family. Laura and her husband purchased their dream home on Cape Cod in Dennis, Mass. and have

been enjoying this new aspect of life. In addition, on November 11 they welcomed their fourth grandchild, Julianna Joy Hopkins, who joins her sister and two brothers. This year Laura has also become site prayer coordinator for the Empower program for women at Risen King Church in New City. [1]

1982

Linda (Dobias) Dombroski is working at Montefiore St. Luke's Cornwall as the director of Quality Management. She is also back at MSMC as an adjunct professor. Linda is a member of Sigma Theta Tau, Mu Epsilon, and on the MSMC Alumni Board of Directors. Linda also received certification as a Master TeamStepps trainer.

1990

Patricia (McAteer) Arrucci and her family moved from Smithtown, N.Y. to Delray, W.Va. in September of 2020. She is working as a staff accountant for Valley Health System in Winchester, Va. [2]

1993

Robert Slutsky retired in June of 2019

MOUNT SAINT MARY COLLEGE MAGAZINE | SUMMER 2021

after teaching for 26 years in the Warwick Valley School District of Warwick, N.Y. Robert also coached within the modified softball program for 18 years, coached modified football for two years, and officiated in the OCIAA soccer for three years.

2004

Lori Kasprzak celebrated four years of working for Round Point Mortgage Servicing Corporation on Feb 20, 2021. Jonathan Mars, his wife Amiee, daughter Autumn (7), and son Winston (5) moved to paradise – Charleston, S.C. – six years ago. Winston starts kindergarten in the fall, joining his sister who will begin second grade in the fall. Jonathan is vice president at Xandr, founder of Mars Career Enterprises, and host of the Career Corner podcast. His wife is the founder of Aimee Mars Living. The family enjoys the beach, sports, and smoking meat.

2005

Stacey (Mikulak) Wilson was named the Head Women’s Tennis Coach for Lake Forest High School.

2012

Trudy (Cardona) Vazquez has pursued a career in the mental health field. Trudy began working as an Intensive In Community Counselor last year after taking two years off to raise her son. She is halfway to obtaining a Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC) in New Jersey. Trudy is grateful for the wonderful memories she made: it has been a beautiful ride.

2019

Trinity Haswell completed her Master of Social Work at Columbia University and accepted a position with the Town of Wilton, Conn. as their Youth Services Coordinator.

Marriages

2015

Brianna (Croce) Capizzo married Michael Vincent Capizzo on November 28, 2020 in Brooklyn, N.Y. Brianna and Michael are both teachers for the New York City Department of Education. [3]

Developing a more natural beauty brand

abriela Goldberg-Kosinski ’12 says that no job has been as rewarding as becoming an entrepreneur. On December 28, 2020, she launched the website for her new cosmetics business, B • LIVELY BEAUTY. It can be found at www.blivelybeauty.com Kosinski majored in Biology with a double minor in Chemistry and Psychology. She recently returned to her alma mater as an adjunct, teaching Microbiology lab classes. She’s run the gamut of careers from retail to research. But through it all, she never forgot her dream to open her own business. Combining her Mount education, her Master’s degree from New York Medical College, and her experience in the beauty industry, Kosinski created her own clean, vegan, and cruelty free cosmetic brand that is rooted in philanthropy. She makes all the products herself and adheres to both US and European chemical standards. For every product purchased from B • LIVELY, Kosinski donates either money or her cosmetics to those in need, including local and national organizations. “The idea of giving back is what started the brand, and it excites me so much to be able to do that,” Kosinski said. The Mount is what gave her the foundation to become successful, she said, crediting the Natural Sciences department with molding her into the business owner she is today. www.msmc.edu

Alumni Notes

SUPPORTING STUDENT SUCCESS

Births [4] Amber (Becker) Curti ’09 and Anthony Curti ’08 welcomed their third child, Zachary Vincent Curti, on September 6, 2020. Zachary weighed in at 7lbs and 14oz and was 19 inches long! Zachary joins his big sister Catherine (2) and big brother Dominic (3) at home. [5] Jessica Davis Ponce ’13 and her husband Agustin Ponce ’12 are pleased to announce the birth of their daughter, Harper Jean Ponce. Harper was born on February 13, 2021.

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In Memoriam

Linda Benton ’80 passed away on May 6, 2021

Arthur Gerhardt, father of Gerilyn Gerhardt Franco ’88, passed away on February 16, 2021. Katherine Hepinstall ’67 passed away on October 9, 2020.

William M. Bloom ’81 passed away on March 28, 2021

Susan Webster Nee ’89 passed away on April 9, 2020.

Frances Diller, mother of Robin Diller Rita ’97 and mother-in-law to Nelson Rita ’99 passed away on June 8, 2021.

Joseph Perhauch, father of Evelyn Perhauch ’95 and longtime Mount employee Bonnie Perhauch, passed away on February 13, 2021.

MOUNT SAINT MARY COLLEGE MAGAZINE | SUMMER 2021

Joan Pomeranz ’75, passed away on October 21, 2020. Cecelia Pittman, mother of Meline Pittman Radenberg ’87 and grandmother to Jessica Radenberg ’17 passed away February 5, 2021. Arthur Haab, husband of Margaret Hauck Haab ’73, passed away on February 13, 2021. John H. Smith Sr., husband of Ruth C. Smith ’89, passed away on March 15, 2021.

Miryam L. Stewart ’77 passed away on May 13, 2020. Helen Capecci, mother of Sabrina Capecci Rosen ’88, passed away on January 14, 2021. Richard C. Brady, father of Eileen Brady Tarasco ’92 and father-in-law to Christopher Tarasco ’92, passed away on January 2, 2021.

support scholarships that are awarded based on high financial need and academic success. A scholarship can be the difference

between achieving the dream of a college education and drop-

DO ping out halfway through.

CE ERI V M In less than two years, M theE fund hasTEalready had a significant TA

impact for a number of students at the Mount, thanks to the efforts of alumni and friends!

2019

Donor Scholarship Fund established

Jason T. Bevier ’97 passed away January 1, 2021

[6] Aaron ’16 and Emily ’15 (DiBiase) Ricci welcomed their daughter, Emma Marie, on December 17, 2020. She weighed 8 lbs 2 oz and was 21.5 inches long. They are looking forward to her being part of the Mount's Class of 2043!

The Donor Scholarship Fund allows donors, at any level, to

104 Donors contributed to the fund

$66K Donated to noteworthy students

B U R G H,

To donate, please visit msmc.edu/lovemsmc

. N

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Thank you donors, you make a difference!

MOU NT

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E LEG OL

M A T R N Y I C A S

www.msmc.edu

Looking Back Decades of Dominican tradition

Teaching truth in the tropics MSMC’s sister school in Puerto Rico closes its doors

s part of their mission of service, members of the Dominican Scholars of Hope set up shop near The View dining hall at the Mount one day in 2019, selling Krispy Kreme donuts to passersby. The scholars were raising money to defray the cost of yearbooks for the students of Academia San José in Guaynabo, Puerto Rico, a fellow Dominican school. Up until its final day of operation in June 2021, Academia San José provided students with the tools they need to develop their academic achievement and spiritual beliefs. Like the Mount, the Academia imparted to students the four pillars of Dominican life: study, spirituality, service, and community. Under the leadership of Charles Zola, assistant to the president for Mission Integration, director of the Catholic and Dominican Institute, and associate professor of Philosophy, the Dominican Scholars of Hope have done much to aid their spiritual brothers and sisters 1,600 miles south of the Mount. However, that is not the only history that the Academia shares with the college. For example, Irene Nunnari, a professor emerita, taught at Academia San José before Nunnari coming to the Mount in 1966.

The founders of Academia San José in 1963.

But this is just one of many connections between the two institutions, going back more than six decades.

From Newburgh to Puerto Rico Three branches of Dominican Sisters – Newburgh, N.Y., Ossining, N.Y., and Fall River, Mass. – joined together in 1995 to become the Dominican Sisters of Hope. Long before that, in 1950, three Dominican Sisters from Newburgh traveled to Puerto Rico and opened the Academia with about 50 students. During its last year, San José hosted more than 400 students from elementary through high school. Since the first sisters arrived, many other sisters from Newburgh and the surrounding area followed in their footsteps. Having joined the Dominican Sisters of Newburgh in 1962, Sr.

MOUNT SAINT MARY COLLEGE MAGAZINE | SUMMER 2021

Dorothy Gensur, OP, moved to Puerto Rico and taught middle schoolers at Academia San José from 1979 to 2013. She experienced the blessings of a wonderful community life with her sisters and a spirit of great resilience. Sr. Catherine (Cass) McDonnell, OP, is Prioress of the Dominican Sisters of Hope, a Mount Trustee, and a 1969 graduate of the college. She taught Chemistry at Academia San José from 1971 to 1974 and described it as “truly, a wonderful experience.” Initially, Sr. McDonnell was concerned because she didn’t speak Spanish. However, the bilingual students were eager to help, teaching her as much about Spanish as she taught them about science. It was “a blessing,” explained Sr. McDonnell. “In the course of those language lessons, the students shared many other things about themselves

Generations of students attended Academia San José before it closed at the end of this past school year.

– their hopes, their dreams, and their worries…I truly felt enriched by those students and I hope I was helpful to them in some way. I continue to pray daily for those students and their families, because they meant so much to me.” Born in Puerto Rico, Sr. Juanita Marie, OP, journeyed to the Mount Saint Mary Motherhouse in Newburgh and entered the Novitiate in 1957. After her profession, Sr. Marie headed back to Puerto Rico, where she taught fifth and sixth graders at the Academia for several years. She cherished her time with her fellow sisters and with the children. Sr. Mary Schneiders, OP, entered the Dominican Sisters in 1960 and would later teach Theology and Scripture at the Mount. She arrived at San José in January of 1967 to teach Religion and English to fifth graders. “The children were delightful, and,

with a few exceptions, eager to learn,” she noted. “I was also amazed to discover that one of my students who had a terrible time learning English nevertheless learned all the words to popular songs in English, and sang them with perfect pronunciation.” Having left New York in the winter, Puerto Rico’s warm climate was a breath of fresh air for Sr. Schneiders: “You can imagine my delight as we deplaned amid balmy breezes and gently swaying palm trees,” she explained. “I immediately fell in love with this land of warm weather, beautiful rainforests, white sand beaches, and mountains.” Like Sr. McDonnell, the children also helped Sr. Schneiders to overcome the language barrier. “I had one little boy who became a self-appointed translator, and would translate everything I said in English into Spanish for the class,” she said.

The Dominican Sisters present during the final year of Academia San José – Sr. John Christian McCabe, OP, and Sr. Catherine Ortiz, OP – found much joy in serving their school. In the early 1960s, Sr. McCabe taught Latin and History at Mount Saint Mary Academy (MSMA) in Newburgh. MSMA was one of the precursors to Mount Saint Mary College as we know it today. She began her tenure at the Academia in 1963, first as a teacher of Latin and Religion, and then as an assistant principal from 1978 to 1987. Until the school’s closure, Sr. McCabe served as the Academia’s principal, with the same love and dedication that she has shown since first setting foot in Guaynabo. Sr. McCabe will be forever grateful “for 70 years of time, talent, and work of our Dominican Sisters here at Academia San José,” she said. Sr. Ortiz was first assigned to Academia’s elementary school in September of 1961. Having worked in the Academia’s library for the last few years, she previously served as principal, among many other responsibilities. One of Sr. Ortiz’s fondest memories is speaking to the students of the elementary school for adoration to the Blessed Sacrament every Thursday morning: “Their respect and piety were just admirable,” she explained. “I have been very happy and grateful to the community for allowing me to work and serve my own people.” Born from the hard work of the Dominican Sisters, Mount Saint Mary College and Academia San José were bonded in the pursuit of spirituality, service, study, and community. Though the Academia has closed its doors, the Dominican spirit will live on at the Mount, with the sisters, and in the Academia’s many proud alumni. www.msmc.edu

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HOPE TO SEE YOU AT

MSMC Alumni Reunion Weekend

Come back and make new memories — it’s going to be epic! Join 22 classes celebrating milestone reunions. November 5-7, 2021

Family Weekend

A weekend of fun for Mount students and their families! October 15-17, 2021

12th Annual Gala Reception

Honoring business leaders dedicated to our community. December 10, 2021

Admissions Open Houses

A chance for students and families to tour and learn more about the Mount. September 19 and October 24, 2021