HEART spring 2010
.
volume 13
.
Sacred Heart academy
S H A At h l e t i c s & A c a d e m i c s : a W i n – W i n C o m b i n at i o n
number 1
dear friends Healthy mind, healthy body, healthy spirit! At Sacred Heart Academy, we strive to educate the whole person and to create a “balanced” atmosphere where one can grow intellectually, socially, emotionally, and spiritually. In this issue of HEART, we are exploring the correlation between a strong athletic program and a successful academic program. In his New York Times bestseller, Brain Rules, John Medina purports twelve “brain rules,” that is, twelve interesting things we do know about how the brain works. His first rule is that exercise boosts brain power. He asserts that “exercisers outperform couch potatoes in long-term memory, reasoning, attention and problem-solving tasks” (3).
“With ‘Excelsior’ as our motto, we challenge ourselves to continually stretch and improve in every aspect of our program, from athletics to academics, from effective teaching to maximized learning.”
At Sacred Heart Academy, one would be hard-pressed to find any “couch potatoes”! With “Excelsior” as our motto, we challenge ourselves to continually stretch and improve in every aspect of our program, from athletics to academics, from effective teaching to maximized learning. We are proud of our athletic programs which are continually very competitive in the SCC division. This year Sacred Heart Academy was awarded the Michael’s Cup given for outstanding athleticism, scholarship and sportsmanship, as well as excellent coaching and supportive fans. This award typifies the overall goals of our athletic program at SHA. We firmly believe that while our students are honing their athletic skills and creating healthy bodies, they are also learning how to work as a team and to take direction, how to win humbly and to lose graciously.
. mind .
. body .
Not only does the daily physical activity of an athlete stimulate brain power and increase academic achievement, athletics also teach valuable life-long lessons that are reinforced in the classroom. Skills such as learning how to work cooperatively with others, how to manage stress under pressure, and how to remain optimistic in the face of adversity will serve our students well as they prepare for college and for the challenges that lie ahead. Indeed, our successful academic program was recently recognized in April when SHA received national recognition as one of three Intel High Schools of Distinction in Science. With this honor comes a $5,000 grant for science education and a trip to Washington D.C in order to be recognized for this merit. Finally, at the heart of all that we do and all that we achieve is the grace of God that supports and sustains us. The teachings of Jesus Christ and the values of the Gospel are the foundation of every program, be it athletic or academic. At Sacred Heart Academy, as we grow in healthy minds and healthy bodies, our spirits soar “ever higher!”
Sr. Colleen Smith Sr. Colleen Smith, ASCJ Principal
. spirit .
HEART sp r i n g 2 0 1 0
In his New York Times best selling book Brain Rules: 12 Principles for Surviving and Thriving at Work, Home, and School, John Medina explores the makings of a strong brain. Exercise, his first rule for optimal brain usage, espouses the importance of physical exercise in the maturation of the human brain: “Motion translates to exercise. Environmental instability led to the extremely flexible way our brains are wired, allowing us to solve problems through exploration.” Medina argues that physical activity increases brain function, and this along with other elements allow a human being to use her brain to the best of her ability. One need not be a neuroscientist to understand the correlation between the two. From infancy we are natural explorers, using all our senses to gather data from our environment. As we grow we hope to expand our territory, to build upon what we know of the places in which we find ourselves. And, indeed, to leave them behind for newer, more challenging environments that test our brains even more. At SHA we pride ourselves on meeting the challenge to educate the whole person, espousing some “brain rules” of our own:
-
contents features Strong Bodies, Strong Minds: Excellence in Athletics & Academics . 2 Appalachian Mission Trip: a Lesson in Contrast . 4
Around Campus . 5
Spring 2010
is one of three schools nationwide selected as an Intel School of Distinction in Science
strong academics + strong athletics + strong values = strong minds.
Student Reflections . 6
1
departments
Development News: Growing Together at SHA . 7 Alumnae Profiles: Where They are Now… . 8 Alumnae News: New York Reunion . 10 Class Notes . 11
Sacred Heart Academy
SHA
StrongBODIES StrongMINDS
Spring 2010
Excellence in Athletics & Academics
Sacred Heart Academy
2
Senior Julie Hendrickson may still be in high school, but she is already a master of the art of time management. Julie, preparing for her freshman year at Bucknell University, happens to be the captain of both the varsity softball and varsity volleyball teams. In addition to leading both teams, Julie made All-Division for volleyball this past year and received the CIAC Scholar Athlete of the Year Award for Sacred Heart Academy. Julie was chosen because of her excellent academic scores and athletic ability, in addition to her personal standards and achievements. As this honor suggests, Julie’s talents are not limited to the sports arena. Julie has placed number three in the senior class, and credits her academic success to the discipline SHA sports have taught her: “I find that having a scheduled practice or game each day keeps me on task, because when I do return home I know exactly what I need to accomplish and study for and get right to it.” Julie offers this advice to students wondering if they can manage both academics and sports: “Time management is really important and students should try as hard as possible to remain on top of their work. Though it may seem difficult, being a part of a SHA team is an incredible and rewarding experience on which no one should miss out.”
JUNIOr Maria Diaz has been cheerleading for eight years. So when she began her freshman year at SHA, it only seemed natural to join the cheerleading team. Maria cites the strong bonds she shares with her teammates as her favorite part of cheering: “The greatest reward is getting the chance to meet great girls who share the same interests as I do and building friendships that will hopefully last a lifetime.” Although Maria loves being a member of this team, she acknowledges the hard work that goes into maintaining her academic position: “The most challenging part of being on a team at SHA is managing my time so that I always remain focused on the sport during practice, while also being confident that I still have time to get my school work done.” And to incoming freshmen, Maria offers this advice: “I am able to balance sports and academics by making sure that I see my school work as a top priority, by studying hard and getting my homework done during study periods, free time before practice, and at home as well. I have learned that by making my school work my top priority, I am able to use that same determination in order to do well at cheerleading.”
Junior Clare Kane has learned much in her three years at Sacred
3 Sacred Heart Academy
Sophomore Jenna Hernandez may only be in her sophomore year, but that has not stopped her from excelling at both soccer and lacrosse. In fact, Jenna has spent her sophomore year as SHA’s junior varsity soccer captain. And this new leadership position has been a great lesson to her: “I have learned how to practice patience and how to maintain order, but still have fun in doing so.” In Jenna’s experience the most “fun” feature of playing sports for SHA has been “studying my heart out after a big game or a tough practice and receiving a deserving score.” Jenna adds, “The greatest reward of being part of a team is the feeling of achievement after a win, or the sadness of a loss or the gratitude of a hard fought tie.” If emotion is the essence of good game playing, Jenna is sure to come out on top. Jenna offers this bit of wisdom to students thinking of joining a team at SHA: “…stay calm, study hard, and enjoy every minute; the season will be over before you know it.”
Spring 2010
Heart Academy. Not only does Claire play volleyball, basketball, and golf for SHA, but she is also a scholar-athlete for the SCC division, an honor given to students who play a varsity sport while maintaining a 4.0 GPA. Balancing these two has not been easy, but according to Clare, all her hard work and effort has definitely been worth it: “Trying to juggle a varsity sport, as well as club sports, and school work is no easy feat. However, to be able to play a sport that I love almost every day after school and enjoy it, that’s the best part.” Clare also cites the strong friendships she has made as being integral to her SHA experience: “Team camaraderie is so important. Through playing sports, I have met some of my closest friends here at SHA.”
Appalachian Mission Trip
Spring 2010
T Sacred Heart Academy
4
he symbolism is uncanny. A trailer, double-wide, raised high above the earth in an effort to at least minimize the consequences the elements have on the lives inside. And just beyond the home, the cemetery’s snow covered gravestones stand up against the backdrop of the mountains, serving as reminders of the stagnant lives they surround. It is here in Brenton, West Virginia—the heart of Appalachia—that the boundaries between life and death blur. Appalachia—where Christmas tree lights are silenced amidst the swell of power lines, and overwhelming poverty couples with the smile of a young boy; where children play amongst the graves of their ancestors and the mountains defy anyone who dreams of crossing their borders. Here, Sr. Lany Jo Smith, ASCJ and Alison Palmer of the Mission Advancement office along with thirty SHA students and twelve of their parents worked over February break
a lesson in contrast
to repair homes in the poorest parts of this community. According to Alison Palmer, the mission opened eyes for many students, who had never seen such devastating poverty so close to home: “I think it was really shocking for everyone to see the living conditions. Some of the homes that the students mended had no insulation, broken windows, and caved in floors. Possibly more shocking to the girls was the lifestyle of the people; I think many went home more appreciative of their families and their access to a great education.” This exercise in contrast reached each student in her own way. Kyle Mitchell ’11 reveals, “The people lead very different lives than we do. They just seem to have given up on life and have no motivation. They feel that their lives cannot get better; they feel trapped. I definitely learned to appreciate more of what I have.” While Kyle noted the literal discrepancy between her own life and the lives of those she helped, Melissa Guerin ’11 found a more figurative contrast: “One
could never escape because there were mountains for miles and miles; it was very peaceful though. Cemeteries were on the sides of the mountains. One day we went up a mountain to see the graves and the scenery just took my breath away because it was so beautiful.” Yes, a land where hopelessness and despair mingle with the raw beauty of the land. For one week SHA students, parents, and staff labored in this beauty repairing rotting trailer floors, damaged ceilings, underpinnings, and insulation according to the ASP (Appalachian Service Project) standards of making the inhabitants “warmer, safer, and drier.” And even with the difficult terrain and harshness of climate, from this mission comes a message of hope and compassion. Melissa Guerin ’11 reminds, “Sacred Heart is all about showing God’s love everywhere we go and even if I have to go into the mountains of West Virginia in the freezing cold, I will because I know that I helped someone who really needed it.”
around campus
Sophomores Share SHA with their Grandparents April 15th marked a very special day for sophomores when their grandparents came to enjoy the morning with them at SHA. More than 100 grandparents attended a prayer service and tour of SHA classes. Sophomore Elizabeth Bailey sums up the success of the event: “Grandparents’ Day was a heartwarming experience, and made me appreciate all my grandparents have done for me.”
Albertus Magnus College Assumption College Bentley University Boston College Brandeis University Bucknell University Central Connecticut State University Clemson University College of the Holy Cross DeSales University Dickinson College Eastern Connecticut State University Emmanuel College Endicott College Cristina Disorbo ’12 and her Grandparents watched as their Elizabeth Bailey ’12 enjoys Fairfield University Fordham College at Lincoln Center grandparents Anthony and grandchildren worked on laptops. time in SHA’s chapel with Franciscan University of Steubenville Donna Lemma along with Sr. her grandparents Carol and Franklin Pierce University Colleen smile for the camera. Richard Carloni. George Mason University Gettysburg College High Point University Immaculata University Iona College Ithaca College Keene State College Julie feels ready to take on the challenge Valedictorian Roberta Delvy will attend La Salle University of Bucknell: “Sacred Heart permitted me to UConn’s Honors Program this fall majoring in Lasell College molecular and cell biology. Roberta credits succeed in academic endeavors and fostered Manhattan College a challenging environment that allowed me to her Yale internship with the Discovery Marquette University Massachusetts College learn life lessons as well. As much as Sacred to Cure program and all her of Pharmacy & Health Sciences Heart has prepared me for my collegiate future, SHA science courses with Monmouth University I believe it has also more than sufficiently her career aspirations: “I New England College prepared me for whatever may cross my path owe my fascination with New York University s in life.” biology to the science Nichols College ior rs n Pace University se olla department at SHA. I y Evelyn Kobierowski, fourth in the class of d Pace University, New York City especially loved taking em n Pennsylvania State University 2010, will attend Bentley University’s Honors ad illio c the biotech course, . A m Plymouth State University Program this fall as an undecided major in the rt 13 hips a working independently Providence College He ived lars School of Business. Evelyn is excited about d o and learning lab Quinnipiac University embarking on this new journey, confidently cre rece sch Roger Williams University a techniques not taught S ve ge stating that “SHA has reinforced my strong Sacred Heart University in most high schools.” ha colle Saint Joseph College foundation of a good work ethic. And because n i Saint Michaels College Salutatorian Aileen Alber will be of the pleasant environment here at SHA, I have Salve Regina University become much more open to new experiences entering the School of Business at Seton Hall University and opportunities. Overall, I feel much more Villanova University as an undecided Southern Connecticut State University major. Says Aileen of her SHA experience, confident in my abilities and believe I am wellSouthern Methodist University Springfield College “Sacred Heart has taught me to work hard in prepared for whatever lies ahead of me.” St. John’s University — Queens Campus order to achieve. I feel confident that the work Lauren Destito, fifth in her class, plans to Stonehill College ethic instilled in me at Sacred Heart will serve Stony Brook University attend Villanova University as an undecided me well in college.” Suffolk University major. Lauren has this to say about her time at Syracuse University SHA: “the vast selection of courses at SHA has Julie Hendrickson, number three in her class, The George Washington University will deliver the graduate prayer. This fall Julie left me with so many interests that I’m going to The University of Alabama take my time to decide which I’d like to spend will attend Bucknell University majoring in The University of Tampa Tufts University psychology. Despite the coming changes, my life perfecting.” University of Connecticut University of Delaware University of Hartford University of Miami University of New Haven University of Rhode Island Villanova University Wake Forest University Wesleyan University West Virginia University Western Connecticut State University Worcester Polytechnic Institute York College of Pennsylvania Roberta Delvy Aileen Alber Julie Hendrickson Evelyn Kobierowski Lauren Destito
SHA proudly announces our 2010 top five seniors:
n
Fu
t c a F
Spring 2010
Sacred Heart Academy seniors have been accepted to 236 colleges and universities across the country. These are the schools they have chosen to attend:
Newsmakers
5 Sacred Heart Academy
Oh, the places they’ll go...
Freshman Laura Smith Looks Ahead to Three More Years at SHA Coming to SHA was one of the best decisions I have ever made. Even as an applicant and visitor to SHA, the teachers and the students here truly amazed me with their friendly and kind demeanor. Love was seen in their smiles. Now, every morning, when I walk through the doors, there is a strong sense of community, belonging, and kindheartedness. I’ve already made many friends and many memories in the few short months that I’ve been here. SHA offers the opportunity to create and maintain lasting friendships. Along with such great social opportunities, the academics here are beyond exceptional. The homework load is a little heavier here than it was in middle school, but it’s easy to get accustomed to. The most important thing I’ve learned from my SHA experience is that I should always be myself, that’s always the best person to be!
Three Years in the Life of Junior Megan Grammatico Just like every Tuesday morning at 7:30, I like hurry to my Student Council Executive Board meeting, only to be five minutes late, as per usual. The five seniors are sitting around discussing college acceptances, graduation, and what is sure to be one of the best summers of their lives. Being the only junior, I’m pretty quiet. I’ve got what feels like forever left at SHA before something like graduation seems to be even a remote possibility. But it’s not forever, the seniors assure me. Before I know it, graduation will creep up on me. As I think about how fast this year alone has flown, I realize how right they are. I’ve come a long way from the scared freshman who had no idea where room 505 was! The girls I was almost too shy to sit with at lunch have become my best friends—people with whom to share stories, secrets, and the occasional late night of homework. The girl that was one hundred percent positive she would not pass Honors English her freshman year now plans to take AP Lit at as senior. So many things have changed, and yet so many things stay the same. My Sacred Heart experience has been full of wonderful friends, dedicated teachers, Spirit Week skits, all-nighters before chemistry tests—all these: the quintessential Sacred Heart experience. And, if the seniors are telling the truth, then the best is yet to come.
Student Reflections: My Time at SHA
Laura ’ 13
Lauren ’ 12
Spring 2010
Lauren Carotenuto: Somewhere in the Middle
Sacred Heart Academy
6
As a sophomore at Sacred Heart Academy, I have the opportunity to reflect on freshman year and to look forward to junior year. Freshman year of high school includes a new school, new teacher, and new friends. My first year at SHA was very exciting! I met people who lived all over Connecticut and I participated in my favorite activities. When sophomore year began, I knew I wanted to stick with those, and try new ones. This year, I began writing for the Alethea, our school’s newspaper and I performed in the fall musical, Fiddler on the Roof. My favorite thing about sophomore year is not being the “new kid,” in addition to not yet stressing about college. This spring, I am looking forward to Spirit Week. Sacred Heart Academy has taught me to go out and do the things my heart is set on.
Megan ’ 1 1
Gwen ’ 10
SHA senior Gwen Lemelin reflects on the last… Four years. 48 months. 208 weeks. 1,460 days. 32,256 hours. 483,840 minutes. 32,140,800 seconds. I look back at the time I’ve spent at Sacred Heart Academy, time spent between school, sports, clubs, and events. The friends I’ve made, the sports that I’ve played, and the clubs I participated in made my four years at Sacred Heart awesome. Getting as involved as possible in my school was the best decision I could have ever made. It’s safe to say that I’ve spent the majority of my time within these walls. However, I wouldn’t change this time for anything. While SHA has challenged me to the greatest extent, it’s shown me that I can do anything I put my mind to. It’s here where my limits have been pushed, my mind has been dared to think outside the box, and my education of time management has been perfected. I can say without a doubt that Sacred Heart Academy has truly been the best experience of my seventeen-year-old life. The friendships I’ve made with these girls will last me throughout my lifetime. I truthfully mean it when I say that these girls have become my sisters. Since walking through the carport door as a freshman, Sacred Heart has shaped my character, morals, beliefs, and in general—me. Now, walking out the gymnasium doors as a graduate, an alumnus, I know I will be fully prepared for the life I have ahead of me. Four years is a lifetime for a teenager, and these last four years I wouldn’t change for the world.
development news
Growing Together at SHA M AY
M A RC H This year’s FantaSHA auction on March 27 raised over $170,000 to support scholarship and educational programs at SHA. Our theme, Hollywood, included all the luxuries of tinsel town.
The SHA community celebrated at our FantaSHA auction.
Hollie Tracz ’10 does a brilliant Marilyn Monroe impersonation as she greets guests at auction.
The Principal’s Club honors major donors to Sacred Heart Academy with an annual dinner held at the Knights of Columbus Museum in gratitude of their generosity to Sacred Heart Academy. This year’s dinner was held on May 6.
Sr. Colleen enjoys the evening with Roger and Linda Sciascia.
A P RIL On April 27 the SHA community came together for our annual spring fashion show. This year’s theme “By the Sea” showcased fashions by Lizy B. Our models, sponsors, and guests all contributed to the night’s amazing success.
May 16 SHA’s artistic community shared an evening of celebration of music, art, and drama at Fantasia in North Haven. This event marked our first banquet in celebration of the fine arts at Sacred Heart Academy.
“Working with young women of incredible talent and enthusiasm moves me to encourage their passion in the arts.” — Sr. Mariette Moan, ASCJ
Liza Gillooly ’11, Nora Jefferies ’11, Emma Dwyer ’11, and Samantha Friedman ’11 share their beautiful energy with the audience.
M AY
Spring 2010
May 17 was our 18th annual Golf Tournament at Wallingford Country Club. Golfers raised nearly $20,000 for the Sacred Heart Academy Golf Tournament Scholarship Fund.
Sr. Mariette Moan, ASCJ received the Patron of Arts Award in recognition of her many years of dedication to the Fine Arts; SHA alumnus Kerry Flannigan ’94 delivered the keynote address.
7
Ron Heckert, Ed DeMarseilles, Josh Mosko and Ralph Heckert enjoy a day of golfing.
Angela Badore ’10, Brianna Gurciullo ’11, and Katherine Lee ’11 supply some musical entertainment for this celebration of the arts.
Sacred Heart Academy
Ellen Gensicki ’12, Alexis Iannone ’13, Jessyca Lary ’13, and Caleigh Curran ’13 prepare for an evening of beauty and fun.
alumnae profiles
Where They Are Now…
Diane Phelan, Leah Weber, and sisters Amy & Kim Kanoff
P
erhaps the echoes of 500 familiar voices reverberating throughout our small chapel, or perhaps the mist floating over campus on warm mornings, but then perhaps it is the crisp smell of fall draping itself over the upper field, or the struggles and laughter of the dozens gathered to perfect some well-loved melody. Diane Phelan ’96 could not choose a favorite moment from among the images, the flashbacks, the memories that made up her four years at Sacred Heart Academy. Whatever the favorite, Diane graduated SHA and began another brilliant four years at New York University’s Tisch School of the Arts studying drama. However, the performing arts were not always Diane’s calling: “I had been very interested in pursuing biology, but I remember at some point during one of the musicals I said to myself, ‘I want to do this for the rest of my life’. I’ll always remember that. It was so clear. Those shows were honestly electrifying experiences for me that shaped me and affected how I saw my future unfolding.” Recalling SHA’s 1992 production of Fiddler on Roof where she was one of four freshmen cast, Diane adds, “Years later, I saw Fiddler on Broadway and chuckled to myself how it couldn’t measure up to my memories of how great our own production was.” After graduating from Tisch, Diane traveled the world as a cast member in several productions. “Some of my favorite jobs included playing Maria in West Side Story in Paris, as well as creating the lead role in the world premier of a new rock opera in Phnom Penh. It’s also been extremely satisfying to have been hired by the prestigious Lincoln Center in New York, sharing the stage with luminaries such as Phylicia Rashad (in Bernarda Alba) whom we all knew growing up as Mrs Huxtable!” When not working, Diane spends her spare time traveling with friends and family or relaxing at her home in New York. Diane is quick to remember so many favorite SHA moments, adding, “I can’t say how much SHA has shaped me or how grateful I am for my time there.”
D iane Phelan ’9 6
“I can’t say how much SHA has shaped me or how grateful I am for my time there.”
8
leah Weber ’04
Sacred Heart Academy
Spring 2010
I
“The knowledge I gained at SHA helps me in my career daily.”
n her six years since graduating from Sacred Heart Academy, Leah Weber ‘04 has earned degrees in both Communications and Business Management from Marymount Manhattan College, interned for distinguished television shows such as The Rachael Ray Show, Law & Order: SVU and Saturday Night Live; and become one of the youngest ever assistant producers of One Life to Live. While Leah currently lives and works in New York City, she has also lived in Los Angeles, CA working as a freelancer in the script department for General Hospital. Leah credits her media production class at SHA for providing her with the tools she uses to excel in her career today: “During my sophomore year at Sacred Heart, one of my electives was media production. The knowledge I gained in that class was the foundation to my production education at Marymount and helps me in my career daily.” When Leah’s career isn’t occupying her time, she loves travelling to her family’s Nantucket, MA home or spending time with her friends. In addition to these pastimes, Leah has become quite active in SHA’s New York alumnae meetings. She counts Senior Week ’04 as one of her favorite memories: “I have so many pictures of graduation rehearsals and all the events that happened that week. My friends and I tell those stories all the time!”
Photo Caption (left): Leah Weber ’04 with Frank Valentini, Executive Producer/Director of One Life to Live after his 2009 Daytime Emmy win for Outstanding Directing Team in a Drama Series.
H
Amy Kanoff S chumacher ’ 94
“SHA continues to guide me in all facets of my life.”
er smiling face peppers the pages of 1994’s volume of the Clelian: These are the Days. The volume is cleverly broken down into the essential days in a SHA girl’s life: driving days, dating days, hectic days, scary days, dressy days, the list goes on. It is not until page 27 that we reach “dreamy days” and a photograph of Amy Kanoff Schumacher ’94 deep in thought. The caption reads, “College days could be on Amy Kanoff’s mind…” And here she is again, “goalie days” (page 67), fierce looking, kicking the ball through her opponent’s block. She is the captain of this team, making the most of her days at SHA. Indeed, Amy went on to Davidson College in Davidson, North Carolina majoring in English with a concentration in secondary education while playing on Davidson’s women’s soccer team. Of her soccer playing days, Amy shares, “I captained the soccer team my senior year and earned various soccer awards such as Southern Conference Player of the Week (1995) and Southern Conference All-Tournament Team (1995, 1996, and 1997). I coached the girls’ soccer team at Independence from 1998-2001 and was named the Regional Coach of the Year by the NC Soccer Coaches Association in 2000.” For the SHA girl who wonders how to manage so very many days, Amy elaborates, “One of the most important lessons I learned as a student-athlete at SHA was the habit of prioritizing and managing my time. Academics and practice must come first. Putting these first often means learning to be strong in hard moments, and ultimately leads you to your goals.” Amy also managed to earn a master’s degree in reading education and become the ninth grade lead teacher and co-department chair at Academy of International Studies at Independence High School (“a school within a school” funded by the Bill Gates’ Society), where she currently teaches. But, of her SHA days, Amy had this to say, “The rigorous courses and outstanding teachers allowed me to find success at Davidson College and awakened in me a desire to teach high school English. The experiences and coaching I was provided on both the soccer and tennis teams at SHA helped me earn a scholarship to Davidson and bestowed upon me the ability to successfully coach high school soccer. Finally, the confidence I gained as vice-president of my junior and senior classes at SHA continues to guide me in all facets of my life.”
Kim Kanoff ’9 2
9
“At SHA, I was encouraged and motivated by my teachers and peers.”
Sacred Heart Academy
Spring 2010
W
hen Kim Kanoff graduated from Sacred Heart Academy in 1992, she left the rolling hills of Connecticut behind her and became a student at Wake Forest University in Winston-Salem, North Carolina. But this sharp contrast between north/south, high school/college seemed an effortless transition for Kim who joined the Delta Delta Delta sorority and graduated Magna Cum Laude from Wake Forest in 1996 with a BS in business and a minor in psychology. After graduation, Kim began her career as an analyst in Mergers & Acquisitions for a small boutique firm called Bowles Hollowell Conner & Co. in Charlotte, NC. This small firm was later acquired by Wells Fargo, where Kim still works today. As a director on the Marketing & Communications team in a Research and Analysis role, Kim’s group provides AssetBased Loans to corporate clients. Kim’s dedication to her company traces back to her time spent at SHA: “At SHA, I was encouraged and motivated by my teachers and peers. I believe that SHA instilled a strong work ethic in me.” Kim captained the SHA soccer team and cites her soccer days as contributing to her current leadership role: “Playing sports provides you with the opportunity to build strong relationships and to understand team dynamics. Those characteristics help in the business world and in your relationships with others.” Not all business, Kim enjoys spending time with her friends and family, including her younger sister Amy (also featured in this issue) who lives in Charlotte near Kim. Kim also keeps in touch with her old friends from SHA: “I feel so lucky that I made wonderful friends at SHA! And, many years later, I am so happy that I had the opportunity to have been able to reconnect with several SHA friends on Facebook.”
alumnae news
An Evening to Remember0 SHA’s First Gathering of New York Alumnae
This year marked SHA’s premier gathering of New York area alumnae. Thanks to hosts Christopher Hyland and Constantino Castellano, a good time was had by all.
Gracious hosts Christopher Hyland and Constantino Castellano.
Sallie Vece DeMarsilis ’82 and Amy Duda ’82 enjoy this wonderful reunion of friends.
Sr. Mary Jane Paolella, ASCJ ’65, Alicia Ierardi ’95, Sr. Mariette Moan, ASCJ ’77, and Jennifer Ierardi ’95.
Leah Weber ’04, Louise Moan Bouteiller ’80, and Sr. Mariette Moan, ASCJ ’77.
Jennifer Ramano ’96 and sisters Alicia Ierardi ’95 and Jennifer Ierardi Morrissey ’95.
Spring 2010
The group pauses for a photo.
Sacred Heart Academy
10
10
class notes 1966
spring
Cathy Thompson Johnson is delighted to finally become a grandmother! This year she also began her new job as a business analyst in Hospital Solutions at Ingenix in Rocky Hill. Carolyn Schnaars Slaughter, a novelist who writes Christian historical fiction, has a 3 book contract with Thomas Nelson Publishers. Her first book, Love on a Dime, is being released in June. She writes under the pen name Cara Lynn James.
1975 Sr. Mary Grace Walsh, ASCJ recently earned a Ph.D. degree in education administration and supervision and church leadership.
1983 Kathleen Kenney Flynn was married in October 2009 to Gerry Flynn. After honeymooning in Italy and Greece, they settled in Wallingford, CT.
1989
1996
1999
Maria Gulisano Warner and her husband Mark have been married for 12 years and have two wonderful sons, Andrew (6) and Brendan (2). She is a forensic science examiner at the Connecticut State Forensic Science Laboratory, where she has worked since 1998. She received her Master’s degree in forensic science from the University of New Haven in 1995.
Stefanie Gambardella Savo currently resides in Hamden with her wonderful husband Dominic Savo III and three beautiful children—Genaro, (6) Nicolas, (6) and Myrissa (1). Stefanie is a special education teacher at Hamden High School and absolutely loves it. Stefanie feels “very blessed to have such an amazing family and although our life is very busy, we enjoy every second of it to the fullest!”
Suzanne Redente McNellis attended Western New England College in Springfield, MA. She is currently on active duty as a captain in the United States Army Military Police Corps. She spent 18 months in Iraq from 2006-2008 and is currently stationed in Guantanamo Bay, Cuba.
1993
Jessica Young graduated this month from the University of Connecticut with a Bachelor of Arts in both psychology and human development & family studies. She has been interning at the Department of Children and Families for the past semester and will be pursuing a career there in the near future.
Colleen Farrell is a nurse in the emergency room at Yale New Haven Hospital. She is planning to return to Quinnipiac University for her Master’s degree as a nurse practitioner this year.
Amanda Palmieri Linski is recently married and will be living in Charleston, South Carolina. She is expecting her first baby this September. In May, Amanda will receive a Master’s degree in special education with a focus on learning disabilities from Southern Connecticut State University. Erica Considine Tamsin and her husband Mark welcomed their 2nd daughter—Talia Grace in December 2009.
1998 Beth Peterson Delaney currently resides in Waltham, MA and works as a compensation analyst at Boston College. She and her husband Jeff, whom she married in March 2007, are both currently pursuing MBA degrees at Boston College.
Katarzyna Matusiewicz Boucher received her B.A. in criminal justice from Albertus Magnus College in May 2007 and her M.S. in victimology from the University of New Haven in January 2009. She and her husband Andre are expecting their first baby girl this August. Liz Graham is currently in a one year Master’s program at University College Cork in Ireland. She will graduate with a Master’s degree in music and cultural history. Her thesis will be on a work by Kurt Weill and his relationship with America before and after emigration.
Spring 2010
1994
2003
11 Sacred Heart Academy
Katie Nicholson Morrissey married her husband Chris in July of last year. They are expecting their first child this August. Katie is receiving two Masters’ degrees this May from the Florida Institute of Technology where she has been accepted into the doctoral program.
2002
Lindsey Shepherd is a special education teacher in the Hamden public school system. She also provides behavioral home therapy for children with severe autism and their families.
In Memoriam Bill Abbagnaro, beloved SHA custodian and father of Maria ‘92 Larry Bradley, brother of Maureen Bradley Scranton ‘80 Helen DelVecchio, mother of Dolores DelVecchio Perfetto ‘58
2004 Emily Prestiano graduated from Marist College in Poughkeepsie, NY in May 2008 with a Bachelor’s degree in social work and minor in psychology. She then went on to attend the UConn School of Social Work, where she graduated in May 2009 with her MSW. She is currently employed at Family Services of Greater Waterbury as a clinical social worker. Emily will be married in July of this year to her boyfriend of 8 years.
Robert J. Delvy, father of Roberta ’10 and Rachel ‘13 Gabrielle Carmela Dinsmore, daughter of Louise Rosarbo ’86 and Jeff Dinsmore Sandra Boguski Drobish ’58, mother of Tracey Drobish Scalzo ‘88 Hon. Gerard Esposito, father of Emily ’06 and Christina ’08 James Healy, former Advisory Board Member and father of Susan Healy Gonnelly ’72 Genevieve Kilijanski, mother of Helen Kilijanski ‘70 Doris Auger Lamb ’63
2005 Meg Tarrant is currently working on a Master’s degree at Seton Hall University. Reflecting on her years at SHA, she wrote “My four years at Sacred Heart Academy were quite possibly the best years of my life and I cannot wait until I am finished with school and able to support SHA in every way that I can.” Thanks Meg!
William Miller, father of Kathleen Miller Sansone ’85 and grandfather of Samantha Sansone ’14. Jim Mills, brother of Susan Mills Writer ‘77 Frank Talmadge, Jr., brother of †Sr. Judith Talmadge ’61 Christine Belli, mother of Andrea Belli Tullo ‘92
2006 Morgan Fitzgerald just graduated from Salve Regina University with a Bachelor of Science degree in business administration and a Bachelor of Arts degree in Spanish. During her time at Salve Regina, Morgan has studied business and culture in Beijing & Shanghai, China and Seville, Spain. For the last 3 years, she worked as a freshman resident assistant. For her senior thesis, Morgan and a team of five others successfully created and defended a business plan for a home care agency in Rhode Island. She has been accepted to graduate school at Salve Regina University where she will work toward a MBA degree. Kelly Jerzyk was the recent recipient of the Western New England College Skookum award, given each year to a student who has demonstrated a commitment to excellence in all her endeavors. Kelly is an English major with a minor in psychology and has been a peer advisor for three years. She plans on attending graduate school where she hopes to obtain an assistantship in residence life.
Spring 2010
2008
Sacred Heart Academy
12
Jennifer Limauro is the recipient of the Clelia Merloni Youth Award given by the United States Province of the Apostles of the Sacred Heart of Jesus at the recent annual Legacy Dinner where individuals who embody the characteristics of the Foundress, Clelia Merloni, are recognized.
H O N O R A L O V ED O N E
x
Memorial gifts in your will can provide for a scholarship in your name or that of your family. The annual income earned on your gift will forever provide need based scholarships to young women who desire a Sacred Heart Academy education.
HEART Magazine
Sacred Heart Academy Alumnae Association
calendar of events 2010
Sr. Colleen Smith, ASCJ Principal
. SEPTEMBER .
Sr. Mary Jane Paolella, ASCJ Assistant Principal
1 SHA Alumnae Association Monthly Meeting 17–18 HOMECOMING & REUNION ’10 WEEKEND! 27 SHA Alumnae Board Meeting
Managing Editor Elaine Lamboley Director of Institutional Advancement
. OCTOBER . 2 6 16
5M Road Race and 2M Walk | 9:00 a.m. SHA Alumnae Association Monthly Meeting Shopping Trip to Woodbury Commons (NY) | TBA
Editor Allyson Wuerth Contributing Writers Beth Griffin Director of Public Relations
SHA Alumnae MA/RI/NH Gathering in Boston | TBA
. NOVEMBER . 3 14 18 24 29
SHA Alumnae Association Monthly Meeting Afternoon at the Musical | noon Chapel Bells Memorial Liturgy | 7:00 p.m. Young Alumnae Return Day and Tailgate Party | 9:00 a.m. – noon SHA Alumnae Board Meeting
. DECEMBER . 1 4
SHA Alumnae Association Monthly Meeting & Christmas Party SHA Alumnae Basketball Game | 4:00 p.m.
The regular monthly meetings for the Alumnae Association are held on the first Wednesday of every month at 7:00 p.m. in the Alumnae Room (505). All SHA alumnae are urged to attend! For more detailed information about any of our events, please see the Alumnae page on the school’s website (www.sacredhearthamden.org) as well as our page on Facebook—Sacred Heart Academy Alum Association (Hamden, CT). If you haven’t joined our Alumnae Portal or become a “fan” on Facebook yet, please do so!
Sr. Mariette Moan, ASCJ Director of Alumnae Relations Design Howard Design Group, Princeton, NJ Cover and major photography Robert Lisak Photography Dr. Elizabeth Christophy Kathy McDonough McGarry ‘77 Sr. Mariette Moan, ASCJ Storytellers Cover Lauren LaChance ‘11 Back cover Nicole Brown ‘13
M y s t e r y P ho t o
No one was able to completely identify all those in last issue’s Mystery Photo. Congratulations to Shannon McKeon, ‘96 who was able to correctly identify several of the SHA students in the picture.
Now can anyone solve this mystery? This picture was found in the archives and we’d love to put names to the faces. Please contact the alumnae office: (203) 288-2309 ext. 313 or email alumnae@sacredhearthamden.org
HEART magazine is published by Sacred Heart Academy for alumnae, parents, friends and the SHA community. Send address changes to the Office of Advancement, Sacred Heart Academy, 265 Benham Street, Hamden, CT 06514. You may contact us online at www.sacredhearthamden.org. Sacred Heart Academy admits students of any race, color, creed, national or ethnic origin, and handicapped status to all the rights, privileges and activities generally accorded or made available to students at the school. It does not discriminate in these areas in the administration of its educational policies, scholarship and loan programs, athletic or other school-administered programs.
Sacred Heart Academy 265 Benham Street Hamden, CT 06514-2833
Non-profit Org. U.S. Postage
PA I D
New Haven, CT Permit No. 508