3 Near-tragedy leads to new path 10 Elms SW alum rides with police
20 Men's, Women's BBall teams make playoffs
6 A heartfelt moment in Jamaica
Dear Friends,
Benevolentia…is an attitude that “wills the good” of others; it bespeaks a yearning for goodness… a desire to fill the lives of others with what is beautiful, sublime, and edifying.
— Pope Francis, Encyclical Letter Fratelli Tutti
In the middle of a very busy spring semester in late March, a few of us took some time to have lunch with students who came back from mission trips in Jamaica and Iceland. Director of Campus Ministry Eileen Kirk invited them to light a candle and share a reflection about someone or something that touched them during their experience. As we listened to their stories, I was struck by an underlying theme: one by one, they recounted meeting the dear neighbor in Jamaica or Iceland and being better for it.
Interactions like these with our students remind me of both the pricelessness and timelessness of our mission and values. In completing the revision of the core curriculum last year, the faculty of Elms College reaffirmed that since our founding in 1928 by the Sisters of St. Joseph, the mission of Elms College has stood on four strong pillars: Faith, Community, Justice, and Excellence.
Over the course of the past year, in conversations facilitated by the D’Amour Center for Faculty Teaching Excellence, faculty and staff have discussed the ultimate outcome of that commitment to mission: graduating students who are proficient in their fields, of course, but more importantly who are fully aware, fully engaged, and fully invested in making a difference for others.
This issue of the Elms Magazine reverberates around that theme of fidelity to our mission. Woven throughout these pages are stories of Elms students, faculty, and alumni who carry with them the values they learned here—and live them out every day.
Our cover story, “Nursing Students Offer Aid in Jamaica,” follows a group of nursing students who spent winter break delivering care to underserved communities. Their experience changed the way they see their work—and their purpose.
“Leaning into My Faith” shares the powerful story of Aswad Thomas ’09, a former basketball star whose life changed after a near-fatal assault. No longer able to play, he became a national advocate for victims' rights.
In “Social Work on the Front Lines,” Lynn Botsaris ’90 shares her journey to becoming a police diversion officer, using her training to offer mental health support during crises—helping find solutions beyond arrests.
And finally, “Well-Suited for a Career Helping Others” introduces Jessica Roncarti-Howe ’03, now head of the local Dress for Success chapter. She credits Elms College for inspiring her path in nonprofit service.
It’s been a wonderful academic year at the Elms. Summits, lecture series, and symposia have maintained an academically vibrant campus community. The excitement around our Blazer Blitz Day of Giving and the continued support from important contributors such as the W. K. Kellogg Foundation and the Irene E. and George A. Davis Foundation indicate alumni and friends’ endorsement of our commitment to mission.
I am deeply grateful for your enduring faith in Elms College. Through changing times, you inspire us to remain rooted in faith, educated in mind, compassionate in heart, and responsive to civic and social obligations.
As we head into summer, I hope the months ahead bring you sunshine, peace, and plenty of time to relax with loved ones.
Warmly,
Harry E. Dumay, Ph.D., MBA President
TABLE OF
ELMS COLLEGE MAGAZINE
Carol Lucardi
Marketing Director
Patrick Johnson
Multimedia Writer
Katelyn Connors
Communications & Public Relations Manager
Katherine Cardinale, Cardinale Design
Creative Director
Don Forest, Cardinale Design
Art Director
Photography
Don Forest, Cardinale Design
Harry E. Dumay, Ph.D, MBA, President
Bernadette Nowakowski, ‘89,‘08
Vice President of Institutional Advancement
Patrick Quinn
Interim Vice President of Enrollment and Marketing
FEATURES
Board of Trustees leadership change
Paul Stelzer, a longtime member of the Trustees, is completing his term, and Vice Chair Kate Kane will succeed him as board chair.
Elms College
291 Springfield Street • Chicopee, MA 01013
We are a Catholic liberal arts college founded by the Sisters of St. Joseph of Springfield, Massachusetts.
The editors invite you to send comments, questions and suggestions to the Elms College Office of Alumni Engagement at Alumni@elms.edu
Tragedy leads to Triumph
Aswad Thomas ‘09, saw his basketball dreams end when he was nearly killed when shot during a robbery. In his recovery, he began a new chapter working with a national organization focused on helping victims of violent crime.
4
Nursing students offer aid in Jamaica
Several nursing students and Elms faculty traveled to Jamaica on a mission trip to care for the sick, infirmed, and elderly in remote villages. Students spoke of the trip as transformative.
6
2 10 11
Social work on the front lines
Lynn Botsaris ‘90, parlayed her social work degree into a career as a crisis counselor working alongside police and responding to the scene of mental health crises.
Well-suited for a career helping others
Jessica Roncarti-Howe ‘03 is the new head of the Western Mass. chapter of Dress for Success, a nonprofit that aids women entering the job market. She says that opting for a career within nonprofits that help others suits her just fine.
The Libertas Academy Charter School Big Red Drumline performs outside of Alumnae Library as part of the CEUE 5th anniversary celebration. (p.19)
Longtime Trustees Chair Paul Stelzer completes his term; Kate Kane chosen as new chair
Elms College will see a change in its Board leadership with longtime Chair Paul Stelzer completing his term at the end of June and Vice Chair Kate Kane elected Trustees chair.
Stelzer, retired CEO of the Appleton Corp., said that after 15 years as a Trustee and the last five as chair, it just seemed like the right time to move on. “You just know when it’s time,” he said.
Kane, a Trustee since 2016 and vice chair for the last five years, said she is excited about leading, and she learned a lot from Stelzer’s leadership style that emphasized collaboration and engaging with everyone.
“It was never about him as the chairperson,” she said. “It has always been a collaborative, giving kind of leadership that always stayed true to the mission of the college.”
Stelzer spoke fondly of his relationships with President Harry E. Dumay, Dumay’s predecessor, Mary Reap, and with Cynthia Lyons, his predecessor as Trustees chair.
Of President Dumay, Stelzer said “The college is lucky to have a president with the financial, strategic and forward-looking skill set that he has.”
Stelzer recalled several accomplishments from his service with pride, including construction of the $13.5 million Cynthia Lyons Center for Natural and Health Sciences, the Center for Equity and Urban Education (CEUE), and the recent Building Bridges comprehensive campaign.
Also important, he said, was the decision for Elms College to continue to fully embrace its legacy as a Catholic college and the charism of the Sisters of St. Joseph.
“We leaned into our Catholic identity, and that made a big difference,” he said. “A lot of colleges were kind of running away from it. We chose not to do that.”
He also spoke of the importance of the college revising the curriculum to reflect the needs of area employers, especially in the areas of nursing, social work, teaching, and business. This has benefited local employers, students, and ultimately the college. “The ability to graduate students who get well-paying jobs is critical to our continued success.”
Elms College, he said, remains “an exceptional place where students can get an excellent education and a degree while in a small college environment where everybody knows your name.”
President Dumay said, “Paul Stelzer has been a true friend to the college, and his leadership and wise counsel have solidified our standing for years to come. I have always enjoyed our close relationship in our years together. I look forward to working with his successor, Kate Kane, and I also look forward to continued collaboration and friendship with Paul."
Stelzer said that from working with Kane since she has been vice chair, he expects a seamless transition. “She will do well by and for the college as chair,” he said.
Kane is a wealth management advisor with Northwestern Mutual and has a track record on the boards of nonprofits throughout the region, including The Women’s Fund of Western Massachusetts, Sisters of Providence Health Systems, Friends of the Homeless, Springfield Museums, Square One, and Girls Inc. of the Valley.
Kane said a goal has always been to serve on a college board of trustees, and when offered a seat on the Elms board, she thought of the college’s unique place in higher education and gladly accepted.
“The work I can do at Elms is so much more meaningful because of the work we do to bring first-generation students into the institution and give them an education,” she said.
It is a very challenging time for higher education, given the political climate nationally and in Washington, D.C., she said. Still, she said she feels excited about Elms, its mission, and the possibilities ahead.
“It is a wonderful antidote to despair to be a part of a community that is doing the right thing and will continue to do the right thing,” she said. “I see this as an opportunity to be very active in the fight for justice and the underpinnings of the Sisters of St. Joseph’s mission.”
Elms stands out among other colleges because it incorporates ethics, spirituality, and its core values of faith, community, justice, and excellence into the curriculum. Students graduate not just with an education but with the understanding that they are part of a greater community and a desire to be a part of the greater good.
That, she said, “is our secret sauce. It is a competitive advantage that we need to continue to take advantage of.”
Paul Stelzer
Kate Kane
Elms launches ‘The Elms Promise’ offering full tuition for students from working-class families
Elms College this spring unveiled a new financial aid program designed to provide full tuition coverage for four years for students from working-class families with annual incomes of $85,000 or less.
The program, called The Elms Promise, is designed to remove financial obstacles to attending college and create pathways to success for students and families across the region.
It will be available only to eligible undergraduate students coming to Elms as first-year students, beginning Fall 2025. Eligibility will be reassessed each year after that, based on family income, each student’s federal student aid application (FAFSA), and the student remaining in good academic standing. Undergraduates transferring into Elms after freshman year are not eligible.
The Elms Promise reflects the college’s commitment to providing a high-quality, affordable education that is accessible to all, regardless of background or income.
“Elms College was founded to empower those students least likely to afford a top-rate college education with the knowledge, skills, and values they need to make a lasting impact in the world,” said Elms College President, Dr. Harry E. Dumay. “The Elms Promise helps to fulfill that commitment by eliminating financial barriers for eligible families, ensuring every student has the opportunity to unlock their potential at Elms College.”
To be eligible, all incoming first-year students need to be residents of Massachusetts and have a high school grade point average of at least 3.5 on a 4.0 scale. The program is open to students who commute and who choose to live on campus. Those opting to live on campus will still be required to pay costs associated with room and board.
For eligible students, the college will assume the full cost of tuition once all federal, state financial assistance and scholarships have been applied.
Eligibility for each student will be determined each year based on family income and FAFSA submissions and upon the student remaining in good academic standing.
The new program is seen as an expansion of the Elms College tradition of offering a supportive environment rooted in Catholic social justice and academic excellence. Students seeking a four-year degree at Elms learn through smaller class sizes and a rich campus life, and have the opportunity to form close, lifelong connections with professors and peers. A bachelor’s degree from Elms College also opens doors to greater career opportunities, increased earning potential, and the chance to make a meaningful impact in their communities.
For more information about The Elms Promise, visit www.elms.edu/the-elms-promise/ or contact the Financial Aid Office at 413-265-2249
The Elms Promise Who Qualifies?
Families with an Adjusted Gross Income (AGI) of $85,000 or less, as reported through the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA).
What Does It Cover?
Full tuition is covered after all federal, state, and institutional grants and scholarships are applied. This includes merit awards, endowed scholarships, and other forms of financial aid.
Application Process:
Students must:
• Apply for admission to Elms College and be accepted.
• Maintain a minimum high school GPA of 3.5.
• Complete the FAFSA.
Eligibility and Renewal:
• Students can live on campus or commute to receive full tuition benefits. The cost of room and board is not included.
• Families must be Massachusetts residents
• First Year freshmen students only
• Eligibility is reassessed annually based on income and FAFSA submission. Students must also remain in good academic standing.
Aswad Thomas ‘09 survives near-fatal shooting, finds calling as a victims advocate
Aswad Thomas’s life changed on Aug. 29, 2009.
On that day, three months after graduating from Elms College with a degree in business management and three weeks before he was to head to Europe to play pro basketball, Thomas was shot twice in the back during an attempted robbery outside a convenience store near his Hartford home.
He very nearly died and just missed being paralyzed.
“Two gunshots in my back, an inch away from my aorta, and an inch away from my spinal cord,” he said.
Thomas, a star athlete at Elms and a member of the Elms Athletic Hall of Fame, faced years of recovery and multiple surgeries. He also had to endure lingering emotional and mental trauma.
“My doctors and nurses told me about the physical challenges that I would have from the shooting, but they never mentioned the psychological effects of being a victim of gun violence,” he said.
“The depression, the stress, the anxiety, the flashbacks, the nightmares,” he said. And a lot of anger.
Once police arrested a suspect in the shooting, Thomas began to develop a broader view of what happened. The suspect, a young man roughly Thomas’s age, had himself been seriously injured in a violent crime years before at age 14.
“They say hurt people hurt people. I feel his unaddressed trauma played a huge role in my shooting years later,” he said.
“That is when I made my commitment that I wanted to do something about the cycle of violence.”
Thomas returned to school to earn his master’s degree in social work and became an advocate for victims of violent crime.
Today, he is vice president of the Alliance of Safety and Justice, a multi-state organization that works to help victims of violent crime. He is also the national director for the Crime Survivors for Safety and Justice, the alliance’s sister organization that advocates for laws in support of victims’ rights and public safety.
His work takes him around the country, meeting with both victims of crime and politicians. He has led lobbying trips to several state capitals by victims and their families, and takes credit for the passage of more than 100 pieces of public safety legislation.
“It’s been the most important experience to be able to help change laws that are having an impact,” he said.
Much of his work is about increasing awareness of the Victims of Crime Act (VOCA), a federal program that provides compensation for lost wages, medical costs, and even funeral expenses for victims of violent crime. Thomas said one of the problems with VOCA is not many victims, particularly those from low-income households or families of color, know that help is available.
In his case, when his gunshot injuries left him laid up for two years and unable to work or pay his bills, no one with the hospital, police, or district attorney ever told him that VOCA assistance was available.
For his work, the U.S. Department of Justice selected Thomas as a 2024 recipient of its Survivor Voices Award, citing his experience as both a survivor and as a victim advocate and the unique perspective that gives him in his work.
Now 15 years after the shooting, Thomas said he still has chronic back pain, and his breathing is sometimes labored. There are still lingering psychological issues, too.
“It’s more of a challenge psychologically. That’s the hardest part every single day. I still deal with PTSD (post-traumatic stress disorder),” he said.
Meeting people who have suffered a trauma sometimes triggers memories of his own, he said. “To hear those stories again and again… is what keeps me up at night.”
Aswad came to Elms in 2007 after a chance meeting with thenElms head coach Ed Silva during some summer league games in Hartford. Thomas had always been a skilled basketball player, and that talent kept him out of trouble growing up in Hartford while losing several close friends and family to violence or incarceration.
Coming to Elms was his first opportunity to experience a life free from crime and violence.
“It was the best decision I ever made,” Thomas said.
“Growing up in Hartford, being surrounded by gunshots and sirens all the time, Elms actually gave me a sense of peace,” he said. Sometimes, he said, he allows himself to think what would have happened if he had not been shot. He wonders what would have happened if he had been able to play European basketball. Would he have made enough money to buy his mother a home? Would he have turned enough heads to gain a tryout with some NBA team? These and other questions remain unanswerable.
Instead he believes he is doing what he was meant to do. The shooting closed one chapter in his life, but it led to another chapter. Ultimately, he said, there are no regrets.
“The new chapter is me leaning into my faith and doing the work that I do today,” he said. “I strongly believe God saved my life for some reason that night.”
There are times when hearing the tragic stories of victims of crime leaves him feeling emotionally drained and mentally exhausted, he said. To lift himself up, he remembers what his former basketball coach at Elms College would say as he put the team through its paces in practice.
“Coach Silva would always say you’re not as tired as you think you are. You can be tired as hell but you’re not as tired as you think you are,” Thomas said.
“They say hurt people hurt people. I feel his unaddressed trauma played a huge role in my shooting years later. That is when I made my commitment that I wanted to do something about the cycle of violence.”
Aswad Thomas’s autobiography, “Healing through Adversity: A Journey through Basketball, Violence and Forgiveness,” is due to be published this summer.
Scan the QR code to order a copy online.
Aswad Thomas ‘09 has become a national advocate for victims of crime.
Aswad Thomas, number 3, goes for the ball during a game in the 2009 season. The men’s team finished 26 -2 that year.
Nursing students, faculty offer aid in Jamaica service trip
A group of Elms College School of Nursing students and faculty journeyed to Jamaica during January break to provide healthcare to the sick, elderly, and destitute in remote villages in the center of the Caribbean island.
From Jan. 2 - 10, the Elms team split their time performing health screenings and tending to patients at the Mary Help of Christians Home for the Elderly in Balaclava, visiting shutins with Morgan Forest communities, and performing health screenings with two clinics in the villages of Maggotty and Santa Cruz, and the Gift of Hope, a Mustard Seed community for children with disabilities in Mandeville.
Nine students, led by Professor Andrea Bertheaud, MSN, RNBC, and Dean of Nursing Julie Beck, took part. Rounding out the team was Joel Kevin Beck, Julie Beck’s husband.
Elms nursing students have taken numerous service trips to Jamaica previously, with Bertheaud having gone at least five times, but it was Dean Beck’s first trip since coming to Elms in 2023.
What impressed Dean Beck the most was how prepared, dedicated, and unflappable the students were despite being in a new setting and a different culture.
“It was amazing to see our students and their confidence,” Beck said. “It was really just powerful.”
In addition, they also demonstrated compassion, humility, and grace, she said.
“They all did an amazing job with teamwork and taking care of people,” she said.
Timothy Congo, an accelerated RN-to-BSN student who is graduating this year, said that deployments overseas with the Air Force showed him what poverty is like in other countries. But Jamaica, he said, “exceeded my expectations.”
for
He spoke of one man at a clinic who was barely able to walk, but who still rose to his feet to help put away some folding chairs.
Sherica Rowe, a traditional BSN student and a native of Jamaica, has been interested in returning there to help people since she got into nursing. When this trip was announced, she signed up immediately.
“It was a great experience, a heartfelt one, a warm one,” she said. “We had a great team, and we did good work together.”
She was surprised by the level of need, especially at the adult care homes. But everyone on the team saw what needed to be done and got to work.
“We were all jumping in and doing what we could,” Rowe said. “We definitely impacted some lives.”
Andrea Maldonado-Burgos, an accelerated RN-to-BSN student who is graduating this year, had vacationed previously in Jamaica and has a deep fondness for the island and its people. Like Rowe, she wasted no time in signing up on this trip.
It felt gratifying to help, especially since available healthcare resources are stretched too thin to keep up with the need, she said. But the people were welcoming and even curious about this group of American nurses caring for them, she said. “Especially the kids.”
The cover photo shows Maldonado-Burgos holding a stethoscope to her chest and letting a small boy listen to her heart.
“It was a great experience, a heartfelt one, a warm one. We had a great team, and we did good work together.”
The people they met often had little food, inadequate housing, and a level of healthcare far below what is acceptable in the United States, he said. What surprised him the most was how joyful, open and welcoming the Jamaican people were.
“We got to travel to some of the poorest communities in Jamaica where we were met with smiles and open arms,” he said. “The people of Jamaica are so grateful to be alive even when they have next to nothing. And when you visit those who have next to nothing, they still want to give you the shirt off their back.”
“One of the things I have learned through my clinical experience and through this program is that with little kids you have to interact with them at a different level so they can trust you,” she said.
Joel Kevin Beck, in his recap of the trip, wrote of how the entire experience of watching the Elms students at work was inspirational. A retired information services professional with no experience in healthcare or medicine, he pitched in with logistical support where he could. This afforded him a unique perspective on the experience.
“I have always witnessed Julie’s passion for the vocation of nursing…and how she takes that same passion into educating future nurses,” he wrote. “In these Elms nursing students, I see up-and-coming professionals who have that same passion for nursing, for advocating for others, for reaching out to the marginalized, (and) for making the world a better place.”
The group poses
a photo on their final night before returning to Chicopee.
Katelynn Gordner checks blood pressure of a man at a clinic in Balaclava.
Elms Nursing Students and faculty pose with Sister Helen, center, at the St. Croix Clinic in Santa Cruz.
Tim Congo and Hudson Laflamme care for an elderly man in a wheelchair at the Mary Help of Christians home for disabled elderly.
Elms President Harry E. Dumay elected Board Chair of the Council of Independent Colleges in January
Elms College President Harry E. Dumay has been elected Chairman of the Board of Directors for the Council of Independent Colleges.
The Council of Independent Colleges is an association of more than 700 nonprofit independent colleges and universities that works to advance institutional excellence and increase public understanding of the contributions independent colleges make to higher education.
The board of directors is charged with setting policy and managing and directing the affairs of the council.
Dumay was sworn in as chair in January during the annual board meeting in San Antonio.
He has been on the Board of Directors since 2022 and previously served as vice chair for programs and member services on the Executive Committee. He succeeds Jeff Abernathy, the former president of Alma College in Michigan.
Lori S. White, president of DePauw University in Indiana, assumes the role of vice chair for programs on the executive committee.
Dumay’s term expires in 2026.
Blazer Blitz rockets to new highs
Blazer Blitz, the college’s annual day of giving, blasted off to new heights never before seen in Elms College history.
The drive, held on March 19, set records for both the number of participants and amount raised, with 612 people contributing $207,319. This bested the previous records, set in 2024 when 487 people contributed $183,859.
The theme this year was Shoot for the Stars, culminating with a lighthearted promotional video featuring President Harry E. Dumay dressed in a spacesuit and planting a Blazer Blitz flag on the moon.
Bernadette Nowakowski, vice president of Institutional Advancement, said this fundraising effort exceeded goals through the participation of our amazing supporters.
“This incredible accomplishment wouldn’t have been possible without you, our stellar alumni, trustees, friends, families, students, faculty, and staff. Your out-of-this-world support has propelled us to new galaxies, and we’re truly overwhelmed by your generosity.” She is also deeply grateful for the dedication of the Institutional Advancement team and the collaborative assistance of Institutional Marketing.
She cited the generosity of several alumni and friends who made challenge gifts toward Blazer Blitz. These include: Sean Austin, Margaret Beturne '99, Martha Bischoff '87, Diane Brunelle '84, Patricia Chmiel '73, Carolyn Connelly '60, Mena DeCarvalho '75, Kathleen Donnellan '63, Barbara Guerra '58, Barbara 'Bunny' Hood '63, Maureen Holland '85, Bernice Hoyt '73, Ellen Hynes '03 (MAT), Linda Kaczmarczyk '72, Sheila Keator '59, Sarah Keenan '61, Katherine LaCarrubba '78, Dorothy 'Dottie' McCarthy '71, JoAnne Palmer '74, Kathleen Riddle '74, Karen ‘60 and Robert Vollinger, and a Distinguished Alumni Award (DAA) Challenge Gift led by Dr. Margaret Frieswyk ’69.
Money raised through Blazer Blitz helps fund the college's Annual Fund which supports scholarships, educational programs, and student activities.
President Dumay elected chair of CIC Board of Directors
Elms President Harry Dumay, wearing his spacesuit costume, poses with Elms students during Blazer Blitz.
Elms College and Diocese of Springfield host forum on grief and mental health
Elms College and the Diocese of Springfield hosted the third annual symposium on mental health, featuring a session focused on surviving the unrelenting burden of grief following loss. Approximately 50 people attended the March 9 event in the Mary Dooley College Center.
The forum, "Finding Hope in the Midst of Grief," featured speakers Rev. Ute Schmidt, manager of Spiritual Services and Clinical Pastoral Education at Baystate Health, and David Arfa of Baystate Health’s Hospice Services. Bishop William D. Byrne of the Diocese of Springfield attended and opened the symposium with a prayer.
In an interview beforehand with Catholic Communications, Bishop Byrne said the topic of grief has been central to his ministry since his time as a parish priest when he started a support group for parents who had lost a child.
“Most losses we can imagine, but a parent losing a child—there is no space for it,” he said. “So the opportunity for people to be with each other was such an incredible grace. Where two or three are gathered, there is the Lord. This symposium today is working with people who will walk with those in grief.”
The symposium series began three years ago as a response to the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on public health. The first two sessions focused on addiction and mental health through the lens of the pandemic.
This year’s forum shifted focus to examine grief more broadly.
In his opening remarks, Elms College President Dr. Harry E. Dumay noted that grief is as old as humanity yet unique to each individual.
“Everyone, at some point in their lives, is confronted with bereavement,” Dumay said. “The sudden loss of family, friends, or loved ones can leave us with no easy or one-size-fitsall way to cope.”
Rev. Schmidt discussed how grief is a natural response to loss and emphasized the importance of acknowledging and accepting grief and then seeking support through community and spiritual traditions.
Arfa reminded attendees that while grief is a part of life, it should not define it entirely. Even in the early stages of intense sorrow, individuals may experience moments when their emotions shift in intensity.
The Diocese of Springfield and the Institute for Theology and Pastoral Studies at Elms College sponsored the event. Additional support came from the St. Vincent de Paul Society of St. Mary Parish in Hampden.
Dr. Michael McGravey, director of the Institute for Theology and Pastoral Studies at Elms, said the symposium underscores the community’s role in helping individuals heal from loss.
He noted that the series highlights how parish leaders and healthcare workers can “support their neighbors while embodying the mission of the Sisters of St. Joseph of Springfield and the bishop’s clarion call to aid the dear neighbor.”
McGravey expressed gratitude for Bishop Byrne’s ongoing support.
“We appreciate his continued interest, and we look forward to welcoming partners from across the Pioneer Valley, the Diocese of Springfield, as well as friends and alumni of the college to future symposiums,” he said.
Rev. Ute Schmidt
Bishop William D. Byrne
David Arfa
Elms alum finds
‘dream job’ working as police crisis counselor
“This is actually my dream job,” said Lynn Botsaris ‘90. “I actually love it.”
For her job, Botsaris dons a protective Kevlar vest, carries a police radio, and spends her time in a police cruiser rushing from one emergency to the next.
Botsaris is not a police officer. She is a social worker who works with and alongside police in the Worcester County towns of Northborough and Southborough.
For a little more than a year, Botsaris has split time between the two police departments, serving as a co-responder for their joint Jail Diversion Program. She is employed by Advocates, the Framingham-based social service agency that contracts services with several police departments in eastern Massachusetts.
upset person just having a bad day, or are they in crisis? Are they a danger to themselves or others?
She can also direct the person’s family toward different community agencies offering specialized support.
She responds alongside officers on all 911 calls identified as potential mental health crises. The diversion program was created specifically to give officers other options beyond simply exercising their powers of arrest. Botsaris's job as a trained social worker is to figure out what the issue is and propose alternative solutions.
On any given shift, she can be dispatched to a variety of calls where her training as a social worker is useful for calming and comforting those undergoing emotional duress.
“It could be a domestic assault, a medical call, a car accident or unattended death, or even a death notification. Anything like that,” she said.
“It’s definitely a different job,” she said, “and when I tell people what I do, they’re like ’what?’”
Many police departments in recent years have adopted some form of jail diversion program. This is in recognition that nearly 20 percent of all calls to 911 involve some kind of emotional crisis, and most officers are not sufficiently trained to handle them. Studies show that a person acting out of control because of a mental health issue is several times more likely to be injured or even killed in a violent confrontation with police. The cost of sending someone to the hospital can also be thousands of dollars less than the costs of the criminal justice process from arrest to prosecution.
Botsaris worked for years as a social worker at St. Vincent’s Hospital in Worcester, primarily in the emergency department and the in-patient psychiatry unit.
She said it was good training for her work now.
When called to a scene, she has to make a rapid assessment to determine any underlying causes and possible solutions. Is the
“I can plug people in with different social service agencies if they want it. And that is a huge benefit to them,” she said.
The work, she said, is different from day to day, and fast-paced. Another perk is that she’s not stuck in an office all the time. But best of all, she said, is the feeling of helping people navigate through minefields of personal problems and despair.
“I love trying to help people figure out what is going on,” she said. “I do feel like Elms prepared me for all this.”
Botsaris, a native of Enfield, Conn., said she became interested in social work as a young adult because she was always interested in helping people.
Her inspiration was a late aunt, Sister Carol Shannon, who worked for years as a social worker helping inmates at the Hampden County House of Correction. “I was really close to my aunt and loved the work that she did,” she said. “I was fascinated with the work she did in the jail system. And that’s kind of where it started.”
When she told this to her aunt, Sister Carol, herself an Elms College alumna, suggested she check out the social work program at her alma mater.
Botsaris said she followed that advice and has never regretted it.
She found the coursework challenging, enjoyed her professors, and really enjoyed the close-knit classes. It also prepared her to seek her master’s in social work and for her career.
“I had a good education that really helped solidify the decision to become a social worker.”
Lynn Botsaris ‘90
‘Dress for Success’ head says career spent helping others is well-suited
Jessica Roncarti-Howe ‘03 came to Elms College with plans to become a comic book illustrator.
By the time she graduated with a bachelor’s degree in English, she had sketched out an entirely new career, one that drew upon her Elms experience and a desire to help others.
It was at Elms where faculty steered her into a transformational leadership program. They also helped her to land internships at local human service organizations. Through each, she discovered an interest in grassroots organizing and personal fulfillment that comes from helping others.
“I was so inspired by what I saw, I never looked back,” Roncarti-Howe said. “I wouldn’t change it for anything.”
Growing up, her family always stressed helping people in need, but she said she never understood someone could make a career of it until she went to Elms.
After Elms, she went to graduate school for a master’s degree in nonprofit management, and went to work with different Springfieldarea nonprofits, including a stint as executive director of the AIDS Foundation of Western Massachusetts.
“Not a single thing we do costs anybody anything,” she said. In addition, Dress for Success houses a career counseling center where they help women polish up resumes and prepare for job interviews. There are computers to help with job searches and a drop-off daycare. They also offer a program called “A Foot in the Door,” which prepares people with the skills they will need to ace a job interview and then hit the ground running once hired.
There are also mentoring programs and workshops for career development, leadership skills, and financial literacy.
“Our goal is not just to get women a job, but to put them on a sustainable career path so they can achieve financial independence for themselves and their families,” she said. “We’re playing the long game with everybody who walks through that door.”
She said she finds the work incredibly rewarding.
Roncarti-Howe said that when she looks back on her career, she owes it all to Elms College for helping her find her path.
For the last five years, she has been with the local chapter of Dress for Success and was named its executive director last year.
Dress For Success, located in Springfield, is a nonprofit offering career counseling and support for low-income women throughout the region who are seeking an escape from poverty through stable employment.
Its location in a Lyman Street storefront resembles a boutique clothing store. There are racks of business-suitable clothing, shoes, and accessories. When a woman comes in for assistance, the staff helps her pick out a stand-out outfit suitable for a job interview. If she lands a job, Dress for Success will provide a week’s worth of work attire.
All of the clothing is donated, and all of it is available to clients at no charge.
Growing up, her family always stressed helping people in need, but she never understood someone could make a career of it until she went to Elms.
“Never in my life did I consider what I’m doing now for work, of building a career of service. It never occurred to me that such a thing existed,” she said.
“If it wasn’t for the community I built at Elms, and the people that I met, Dr. Carla Oleska, Sisters Mary and Eleanor Dooley, and Sister Ann Daly, it is a simple fact I would not be here doing what I am doing right now. I hope the work I’m doing honors them.”
Jessica Roncarti-Howe ‘03 is seen here at the Western Massachusetts office of Dress for Success in Springfield.
8 TH ANNUAL
Black Experience Summit 2025:
Celebrating Black community and culture through food and family recipes
Elms celebrated its annual Black Experience Summit by examining the importance of food, shared recipes, and familiar cuisine as staples that held Black communities together throughout the United States and the Diaspora.
The summit, in its 8th year, is sponsored by Elms College and the Sisters of St. Joseph.
This year’s theme was “Harambee: A History of Cultivating Black Togetherness through Food Justice.” Speakers and presentation explored centuries-old traditions surrounding food, including the handing down of recipes, free breakfast programs for school children, and community farms, that contribute to the importance of community, and the Kenyan concept of Harambee, a Swahili word for “all pull together.”
Elms President Harry E. Dumay, spoke of how for each of the last 8 years, even when the pandemic required a virtual session, the summit has been unique in the way it examined different aspects of the African-American experience in America.
“In education, in healthcare, in housing, through its intersectionality with other identities, we’ve celebrated the shoulders on which we stand, and we’ve explored the AfricanAmerican experience within the Catholic Church,” he said.
“This year’s theme is particularly appropriate for our times and our traditions,” Dumay said. “It finds its inspiration in the African concept of Harambee … and it examines how food has been a catalyst for togetherness and justice within and outside of the African-American community.”
The featured speaker was award-winning author and poet Crystal Wilkinson, who participated in a Q&A with Elms Chief Diversity Officer Jennifer Shoaff. Wilkinson also read excerpts
from her critically acclaimed and best-selling book, “Praisesong for the Kitchen Ghosts: Stories and Recipes from Five Generations of Black Country Cooks,” which uses storytelling and recipes to explore the hidden legacy of Black Appalachians.
The summit also featured a panel on the subject of collective advocacy and food justice, featuring Karen Washington, founder of Rise & Root Farm in Cheshire, NY, Liz O’Gilvie, director of the Springfield Food Policy Council, and Cynthia Feliciano, senior manager of health and racial equity for Health Resources in Action. Dr. Tyra Good, founding director of the Center for Equity in Urban Education, served as moderator.
In addition, the summit also featured two extended segments from the Netflix series “High on the Hog: How African American Cuisine Transformed America.” The first segment detailed the history of slavery in transforming South Carolina into a leading source of rice for the world. The second segment focused on the cultural aspects of African-American cuisine.
Wilkinson, the Bush-Holbrook Endowed Professor and Director of the Division of Creative Writing at the University of Kentucky, is a past poet laureate for Kentucky. Her book "Perfect Black," a collection of poems, won the 2022 NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Literary Work in Poetry.
Washington is a board member of the New York Botanical Gardens, former president of the New York City Community Garden Coalition, and co-founder of Black Urban Growers (BUGS) and La Familia Verde Garden Coalition. She is a leading voice in calling attention to food inequity and coined the term “food apartheid” to describe the scarcity of large grocery chains in urban areas.
O’Gilvie, through her work on the Springfield Food Policy Council, is focused on creating a healthier food system in the region. She is also interim director of Gardening the Community, which operates quarter-acre lots where young people in Springfield's Mason Square neighborhood can learn to grow food.
As part of the summit, Chef Sonya Yelder, owner of Souper Sweet Sandwich Shop in Springfield, set up a food truck in the Keating Quadrangle to provide sandwiches to summit patrons. In addition to the Sisters of St. Joseph, sponsors included the YWCA of Western Massachusetts, and Greenfield and Northampton Cooperative Bank.
Elms President Harry E. Dumay poses with Chief Diversity Officer Jennifer Shoaff and main speakers Liz O’Gilvie, Karen Washington and Chrystal Wilkinson prior to the Black Experience Summit.
Elms students listen intently during the Black Experience Summit.
CEUE Director Dr. Tyra Good, Sr. Elizabeth Sullivan, president of the Sisters of St. Joseph, and Elms President Harry E. Dumay listen to a presentation during the Black Experience Summit.
Panelist Karen Washington makes a point as Liz O’Gilvie looks on during a panel discussion on food justice during the Black Experience Summit.
Guest speaker Crystal Wilkinson reads from her book, “Praisesong for the Kitchen Ghosts” during the Black Experience Summit.
The College of Our Lady of the Elms celebrated its 94th commencement exercises on May 17 at the MassMutual Center in Springfield.
Degrees and certificates were awarded to some 400 undergraduate, graduate, and doctoral students.
Delivering the main address was Christine Ortiz, a worldrenowned scholar, researcher and scientist who serves as director of the Technology and Policy Program at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.
Granted honorary degrees were Paul Stelzer, a retired real estate CEO and longtime member of the Elms Board of Trustees, and Deborah Alstrom Vo, a 1989 Elms graduate and program officer for Strategy & Initiative for the Rasmuson Foundation.
Dr. Ortiz has had an extensive career in different facets of higher education as a leader, trustee, professor, engineer, administrator and social entrepreneur. She has a lifelong passion for emerging integrative research, transformative pedagogy, social mobility and impact.
As the Morris Cohen Professor of Materials Science and Engineering at MIT, she has pioneered advancements in several areas including biotechnology, nanotechnology, the design of
new and multifunctional materials, and socially-directed science and technology.
She has given invited talks in more than 40 countries, has published 200 articles in scholarly publications, and supervised research projects of more than 100 students in as many as 10 different academic disciplines.
In August, she was named as head of the MIT program on Technology and Policy.
Stelzer, a retired businessman and real estate developer, has served for 15 years on the Elms College Board of Trustees, serving as vice chair and then more recently as chair. He announced earlier this year that he will not seek another term when his current term expires in June.
In 50 years in real estate, he has had a hand in the development of several notable buildings in greater Springfield, Worcester and Boston, including Springfield’s Union Station and the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame, Gateway Technology Park in Worcester and the World Trade Center in Boston.
Christine Ortiz
Paul Stelzer
Deborah Vo
As a trustee, he has been involved in several programs and initiatives at Elms College, including the Lyons Center for Natural and Health Sciences, the Center for Equity in Urban Education, and the recently concluded Building Bridges comprehensive campaign.
He is brother of Rev. Mark Stelzer, Elms Chaplain, professor and Special Assistant to the President for Catholic Identity.
Vo, the youngest of 10 children from St. Mary’s, Alaska, a city of 600 along the Lower Yukon River, graduated from Elms College with a bachelor’s degree in Business Management. She returned home to become city manager for St. Mary’s. She would go on to become tribal administrator, a health planner for the Alaska Native Health Services, and executive director of the Alaska Inter-Tribal Council, a statewide advocacy group for the 229 federally recognized native tribes in Alaska. She spent seven years as an aide to U.S. Senator Lisa Murkowski, and was in 2021 appointed by President Biden to serve on the U.S. Arctic Research Commission.
She is now head of Strategy & Initiatives for the Rasmuson Foundation, an Alaskan-focused philanthropic organization.
For more photographs of the 2025 ceremony, visit the Elms College page on Flickr.com or by scanning this QR code with your phone.
Anne Marie Corrieri ’80 announces new scholarship at Donor Scholar Brunch
At this year’s Donor Scholar Brunch, Anne Marie Corrieri ’80 and her husband, John W. Perrin III, announced the creation of a new scholarship, the Darren Harrington Endowed Scholarship, in honor of a family member who was a profound inspiration.
Corrieri, in her remarks, spoke of how Darren became a part of their family when they became his caretakers. Though born with Down syndrome and later afflicted with early-onset Alzheimer’s, Darren lived each day as a beacon of kindness, empathy, compassion, and unrelenting optimism.
“His most critical ingredient for a good life was having fun and being happy,” she said. “And if you forgot that critical ingredient, Darren reminded you with his mantra and
electrifying smile, stating ‘How ’bout be happy?’”
“As you age, life gains more meaning when you recognize that you will never experience the same moment twice. So, fill your memories with moments that make your heart happy and overflow to others. Those will be the memories you cherish most,” she said.
And when life seems too hectic and everything seems too much, Corrieri said, remember Darren’s mantra and ask yourself, “How ’bout be happy?”
Elms President Dr. Harry Dumay praised the donors for their generosity over the years and their continued belief in Elms College, its mission, and new generations of students.
“The reason this event began—and why it continues—is
Corrieri and Perrin have previously established three other scholarships for Elms students: the Sr. Jane Morrissey Endowed Scholarship, the Sr. Mary Lou McKinstrie Endowed Scholarship, and the John and Patricia Corrieri Endowed Scholarship.
Five other new scholarships were announced at the brunch: the Arlene L. Tyszkiewicz Memorial Scholarship, the Knight Family Annual Scholarship, the John and Mary O’Connor ’41 Austin Endowed Scholarship, the Henry and Alice Bourgeois Endowed Scholarship, and the Doris S. Donovan Endowed Scholarship.
because we saw great value in bringing together those who have generously donated to Elms College scholarships and the students who have directly benefited from that generosity,” Dumay said.
Dumay encouraged students to use the opportunity to introduce themselves to those creating endowed scholarships.
“How ’bout be happy?”
“All of us, at some point in our lives, have benefited from the generosity of others. The best way to honor that generosity is to pay it forward—to help someone else in need. This spirit of giving has always been at the heart of Elms College.”
The Donor Scholar Brunch is held annually in the Dooley Campus Center as a way of celebrating benefactors of endowed scholarships at Elms while also shining a spotlight on outstanding students selected to receive scholarship assistance. More than 200 people attended the brunch April 29 in the Dooley Campus Center.
Corrieri spoke to the students about how she was once in their shoes, setting out from college into the world of adulthood, work, and responsibilities. It is important, through it all, to remember what really is important, she said.
Javier Cepeda ’25 offered his gratitude for being selected to receive the Karl W. Berger Endowed Scholarship and the Dean’s Scholarship.
The scholarships, he said, were the difference in allowing him to remain in school to complete his degree in nursing.
“Earning the Karl W. Berger Endowed Scholarship gave me a sense of relief,” he said. Maxed out on his student loans, he needed to find other ways to pay his tuition in his final semester. “When I saw that I was graciously given this opportunity, I remember just saying 'thank you' over and over.”
Anne Marie Corrieri ’80 and President Harry E. Dumay
Anne Marie Corrieri ’80 with Sr. Jane Morrissey
Javier Cepeda ’25
Students transformed by Campus Ministry service trips to Iceland, Jamaica
Nine Elms College students and five staff and faculty in two groups spent Spring Break volunteering in Iceland and Jamaica as part of the annual Compassionate Heart Service Trips program sponsored by the Office of Campus Ministry. The service trips are designed to create awareness of social justice issues and encourage Elms students to consider the value of service work after graduation.
The trips are designed to be a transformative experience with students volunteering at different social service agencies. They meet new people from different walks of life, listen to their stories, and experience firsthand the charism of the Sisters of St. Joseph by seeing strangers as neighbors.
This was the first time Campus Ministry arranged a trip to Iceland. Students worked in partnership with Compass Path, a Massachusetts-based service organization, helped clean, organize and sort donations at different Salvation Army locations in greater Reykjavik.
The Jamaica group volunteered with service agencies and health clinics in the communities of Mandeville, Maggotty, and Santa Cruz.
Participants in each group spoke of the feeling of fulfillment in helping others.
A student with the Jamaica group wrote, “The loving people we worked with each day reminded me to slow down, breathe, and enjoy each moment and every experience for what it is.”
Another student in the Iceland group said “My time in Iceland served as a reminder to uplift people within my own community, to value the people in my life, and to move forward with the genuine love and acceptance that God embodies.”
Iceland Group: Rylee Kaplan ‘28, Theanna Hernandez-Tiedemann ‘28, Johnathan Hernandez ‘27, ArihJey Villon-Nahue ‘25, DeAngela Fobbs ‘25, Nicole Fregeau, Assistant Director of Campus Ministry, Maureen Holland, Social Work Division Chair, Rachael Kaplan, Business Division Coordinator
Jamaica Group: Isamar Perez ‘26, Malina Woodbury ‘26, Shakir Smith ‘26, Ty’Liyah Wimberly ‘25, Eileen Kirk, Director of Campus Ministry, Andrea Hickson-Martin, Education Division Chair
Elms President Dr. Harry E. Dumay, center, poses with faculty and nursing students from the Episcopal University of Haiti.
W.K. Kellogg Foundation awards $1.27 million grant to renew support for Haiti nursing education program
Elms College received a $1.27 million grant from the W.K. Kellogg Foundation to continue a program that is working to elevate nursing education in that Caribbean country.
The grant continues a partnership first launched in 2019 between Elms College and the Faculty of Nursing Science of the Episcopal University of Haiti to increase the professional development of nursing faculty in Haiti. This will address pressing healthcare challenges in that country, including low life expectancy and high infant mortality rates.
“Elms College is extremely grateful to the Kellogg Foundation for their continued support of our work in Haiti. Elms College and the Kellogg Foundation have a common objective to effect positive change in our community and the world,” said President Harry E. Dumay. “Thanks to the Foundation’s support, our highly regarded School of Nursing is partnering with a sister institution in Haiti to educate Haitian nurse educators who are true pockets of hope for their communities.”
The W.K. Kellogg Foundation, based in Battle Creek, Michigan, was founded in 1930 as an independent private foundation by breakfast cereal entrepreneur W.K. Kellogg. It is one of the largest philanthropic foundations in the United States. It focuses on assisting programs in the United States and internationally that address areas with high concentrations of poverty and children facing significant barriers to success.
Previously, the foundation has made grants of $750,000 in 2019 and $1.2 million in 2022 toward the Haiti nursing partnership. To date, W.B. Kellogg’s support for the Haiti nursing program totals $3.2 million
Nurses are pivotal in Haiti's healthcare system and provide more direct medical care than doctors. Under this partnership, the program uses a “train the trainer” approach where Elms nursing faculty enhance the knowledge and skills of Haitian nursing educators, who then use it to empower their nursing students. In addition to the Kellogg Foundation support, the D'Amour family established the Our Lady of Perpetual Help endowment to support the Haiti nursing continuing education program. The result of this joint financial support is that more skilled nurses will deliver quality healthcare to the Haitian people.
The program through this June will have produced five cohorts of nursing faculty better able to teach their students ways to improve the quality of care for patients. Graduates have consistently expressed pride in being part of the program, their growing sense of professionalism, and a strong commitment to improving healthcare in Haiti.
Dr. Joyce Hampton, Vice President of Academic Affairs, said, “This is Elms College at its best. We are using our excellence and innovation in nursing to effect positive change globally in solidarity with our Haitian partners.”
CEUE celebrates 5 years of helping teachers thrive in urban schools
Elizabeth Baader has been a teacher for over a decade, working in Europe and Texas before joining Springfield’s Central High School as an ESL teacher. Throughout her career, she has taught in urban school settings, which led her to pursue a master’s degree at Elms College’s Center for Equity in Urban Education (CEUE).
Enrolling, she said, is one of the best decisions she has ever made.
“I am a proud student at Elms College,” Baader said. A selfdescribed “CEUE evangelist,” she actively promotes the program to anyone considering an education degree.
Another teacher at Central, Manuel Reinoso, is also enrolled in CEUE, nearing completion of his undergraduate degree. Originally a paraprofessional, he is now working toward his teaching license. Like Baader, he values the program’s emphasis on preparing educators to teach diverse populations in urban schools.
“I’ve gotten a lot from the program,” he said.
CEUE celebrated its fifth anniversary in May with a gathering of students, faculty and education officials at the Alumnae Library.
“We are celebrating five years of success, growth, and impact on education in Massachusetts,” said Dr. Tyra Good, founding executive director of CEUE.
Since its inception, CEUE has expanded the pipeline of educators prepared for urban schools through undergraduate and graduate degree programs. Many of its students, like Reinoso, are longtime paraprofessionals looking to become licensed teachers. Others, like Baader, are already teaching and pursuing an advanced degree.
What sets CEUE apart from traditional education programs is its emphasis on culturally responsive teaching. Graduates gain an understanding of the challenges of urban education and learn strategies to bridge cultural, linguistic, and socioeconomic gaps between teachers and students.
Baader’s students represent a wide range of cultures, languages, and faiths. Thanks to CEUE, she feels better equipped to understand their differences and the challenges they face.
“CEUE has helped me become a better teacher,” she said. “It has given me a platform to feel proud of my work and motivated me to continue my life’s mission.”
She noted that many new teachers hired in urban or even rural schools struggle to connect with their students due to differences in background and upbringing.
“They have no idea about culturally responsive teaching,” she said. “I feel that’s a critical part of education that is neglected in many teacher training programs.”
Reinoso, who moved to Springfield from the Dominican Republic in high school, understands firsthand what it’s like to adjust to a new culture and language.
“I pretty much identify 100 percent with my students,” he said. Through CEUE, he has learned how to foster community and inclusivity in the classroom, encouraging students to collaborate and support one another in learning.
Good said that under the leadership of Elms College President Harry E. Dumay, CEUE has thrived in its first 5 years. But the work, she said, is far from over.
“We are expanding our school partnerships and leadership programs,” she said. “We’re excited for the next five years and beyond.”
Elizabeth Baader
CEUE Director Dr. Tyra Good, Elms President Harry E. Dumay and Trustees Chair Paul Stelzer pose with program supporters at the 5th anniversary celebration.
CEUE Director Dr. Tyra Good and staff meet with CEUE alumni at the 5th anniversary celebration.
Women’s and Men’s Basketball earn GNAC playoff spots
The Elms Men's and Women's Basketball teams each closed out successful 2024-2025 seasons by earning spots in the Great Northeast Atlantic Conference playoffs before ultimately being knocked out of the tournament.
The men’s and women’s teams opened round one action by hosting a playoff game at Picknelly Arena in the Maguire Center. It was the first time in 10 years that both programs hosted a playoff game on the home court. The women’s team most recently hosted a home playoff game in the 2021-2022 season. The women's team led by second-year coach Denisha Parks '15, finished their regular season as the eighth seed, which tied their highest finish position in the GNAC.
The Men's team led by first-year head coach Chris Piscioneri, finished as the eighth seed, which was their highest finish ever in the GNAC.
The women defeated Lasell 63-58 in the opening round but then lost to Johnson & Wales 89-50 in the quarterfinal game in Providence.
The men’s team narrowly lost in the opening round to Mitchell College by two points, 74- 72.
Coach Parks described the end of their season as bittersweet.
'It was a great accomplishment for all of our hard work and effort to host a home playoff game,” she said.
“While I’m sad that we are losing some really talented seniors and graduate students, I’m excited for the future with the returning student-athletes in the program,” she said.
Coach Piscioneri said losing in the first round by the closest of margins really hurts, but like Parks, he is looking forward.
“While we ended on a heartbreaking last-second loss, this is a great stepping stone for us in the future,” he said. “I can’t wait for the next season to build on what we accomplished this year.”
The standout performers for the men’s team were junior Andrew Ciaglo, a sports management major from Hadley, Mass., and junior Aiden Goffe, a business major from New Haven, Conn.
For the women, the standouts were Rhamia Johnson, a psychology graduate student from Newton, Conn., and firstyear student Mary Turco, an early childhood education major from Winthrop, Mass.
Women’s basketball coach Denisha Parks and Men’s Coach Chris Piscioneri, rally their troops during time-outs in the respective playoff games.
Guard Andrew Ciaglo surveys the field as he brings the ball past midcourt.
Elms guard Aiden Goffe drives through traffic toward the hoop.
Forward Mary Turco drives past the defender to the hoop.
Guard Rhamia Johnson brings the ball up the court.
News & Notes
Yolanda
Marrow ‘06 elected president of WMBNA
Dr. Yolanda S. Marrow ‘06, MSN ‘12, DNP ‘23, was recently elected president of the Western Massachusetts Black Nurses Association (WMBNA).
As president, she leads an organization dedicated to providing leadership, collaboration, and advocacy for communities of color throughout Western Massachusetts. Among her goals as president are to expand the association’s visibility, strengthen community partnerships, and work closely with nursing students to advance education and healthcare equity across the region. The president’s role is in keeping with her longtime goals of advancing healthcare equity and fostering leadership in nursing.
Dr. Marrow is the Pediatric Trauma & Acute Care Surgery Program Manager at Baystate Health in Springfield. She has been with Baystate for more than 30 years, including 25 years as an emergency and trauma nurse.
She is also a proud triple graduate from Elms, earning her bachelor’s in nursing in 2006, her master’s in 2021, and her Doctorate of Nursing Practice in 2023. She is also a member of Elms College's Alumni Association Board.
Christopher Medina ‘22 in inaugural class of Massachusetts Probation Officer Academy
Christopher Medina ‘22 graduated in January from the inaugural Massachusetts Probation Officer Academy in Worcester.
Medina, who earned his bachelor’s degree in Criminal Justice, is a part of the first class to complete the comprehensive training program, which was launched in January. The academy teaches new probation officers the skills and tools to perform their jobs, including legal principles, evidence-based practices, risk assessment, probation violations, conflict resolution, and officer safety. At the cermony, Medina was presented his probation officer badge by Pamerson Ifill, Massachusetts Commissioner of Probation. “My experience at Elms not only prepared me for the challenges of the everyday work I do but also set me up with all the necessary tools to understand that there is so much more to criminal justice than someone committing a crime,” he said.
Gabriela Leon ‘25, named to ‘40 under Forty’ for Berkshire County
Gabriela Leon ‘25, completing her bachelor’s degree in Social Work at Elms, was recently named to the 2025 “40 Under Forty” list for Berkshire County.
The list, compiled by Berkshire Community College, is an annual celebration of talented people under 40 who have demonstrated a commitment to improving the quality of life for those who live and work in Berkshire County.
Leon was selected for her work as an outreach coordinator and recovery coach with Berkshire Connections, a program offered through Berkshire Health Systems that provides prenatal and postnatal support for women with a history of substance use.
After earning her associate’s degree at Berkshire Community College, Leon came to Elms to earn her bachelor’s degree in Social Work. She called her time at Elms “a cherished journey, one that has profoundly shaped my personal and professional growth.”
Elms Assistant AD Bre Marcyoniak participates in Worcester panel about careers for women in athletics
Elms Assistant Athletic Director and softball coach Bre Marcyoniak recently participated in a panel discussion in Worcester about careers in athletics for women.
The Feb. 7 panel in Worcester was sponsored by the Worcester-based Railers, a professional hockey team. The discussion was held before a game in conjunction with the team’s Women in Sports promotion.
The women on the panel offered stories of getting started in sports careers, the challenges they face as women, and the lessons they learned along the way.
In addition to Marcyoniak, panelists included Shannon Chiras, AHL coordinator of hockey operations; Karrah Ellis, Franklin High School Athletic Director; Heather Palmer, Major Gift Officer for the US Golf Association, and Natalie Bernstein, VP of marketing and licensing for the Eastern Collegiate Hockey League. The moderator was Patty Raube Keller, Boston College program director for sports administration.
Elizabeth Dineen ‘77 named ‘Fearless Woman’
Elizabeth Dineen ‘77, an Elms alumna and a member of the Elms College Board of Trustees, was recently honored by the Springfield Symphony Orchestra as one of the recipients of its Fearless Women Awards.
The awards are given annually to extraordinary women who have demonstrated courage, resilience, and empowerment in their careers.
Dineen has been CEO of the YWCA for Western Massachusetts since 2016. Before that, she served as an assistant district attorney, specializing in the prosecution of sexual assault, child abuse, domestic violence, and child murders. In 2003, she became the first woman ever selected to receive the Massachusetts Bar Association's Access to Justice Award as Prosecutor of the Year in 2003.
She is also a member of the Governor’s Council to Address Sexual Assault and Domestic Violence, the Board of Directors for the Economic Development Council of Western Massachusetts, and the Board of Directors of Hampden County Homelessness Continuum of Care.
In 2017, Elms College presented her with the Distinguished Alumni Award.
Elms names new head of campus safety
Kellie Cournoyer has been hired as the new director of Public Safety for Elms College.
As director, she is in charge of oversight of the college’s safety and security practices in all campus buildings, residence halls, and property. She is also responsible for emergency planning and parking.
Cournoyer has more than 20 years of experience in campus public safety, and previously served as director of Campus Safety at Bard College at Simons Rock and as a campus police lieutenant at Mount Holyoke College.
She received her bachelor’s degree in Criminal Justice, and a Master of Human Services degree from Springfield College. She also attended Sergeant School at the Western Massachusetts Regional Police Academy.
In February, the Elms Board of Trustees voted to grant tenure to five Elms College faculty members
Granted tenure were Dr. Yeukai Chiroodza-Imah, assistant professor of education; Dr. Tyra Good, associate professor of education and founding executive director of the Center for Equity in Urban Education; Dr. Danielle Maurice, assistant professor of psychology; Dr. Michael McGravey, director of the Institute of Theology and Pastoral Studies, and Dr. Sudad Saman, associate professor of biology and biotechnology.
Elms President Harry Dumay said each of their selections reflects their demonstrated commitment to excellence in teaching, scholarship, and service at Elms College.
Alumni
IN MEMORIAM
Mary O'Malley Hayes '50
Lucille Molter Farrell ‘51
M. Kathleen Frank ‘51
Marilyn Abare '55
Sr. Catherine Alaimo, SSJ '57
Margaret Curran Dowd '58
Evelyn Rivet ‘58
Mary Collins Vivaldi 1958
Gail Cicio Ireland '59
Elizabeth Garrity Lawler '59
Nancy Madden Lukasiewicz '59
Patricia Dowd Wilkinson '59
Jeanne Atkinson Carter '60
Patricia Cummings Cumberbatch '61
Jean Zdon Rinaldi ‘61
Mary Jane Cameron Sheehan '61
Carolina DaPonti '64
Julia Cheetham Hession '64
Rosalie Gwozdz Rodgers ‘64
Susan Dwyer Wallace '64
Sandra Clark Flynn '65
Susan Lavoie ‘65
Barbara Sousa Kelliher '66
Sr. Kathleen Murphy, O.S. '66
Robert Loughrey ‘67
Sr. Kathleen Wallace, SSJ ‘69
Cheryl Lanzoni Ryan '70
Sr. Mary Dutko, SSJ '71
Jody-Lynn Van Wagoner Mills ‘80
Mary O’Connor Gelinas ‘89
Debra Perreault '92
Thomas DeNardo '95
Patricia Hill Ashe '02
Sr. Constance Santilla, FSSJ '04
Christopher Cowan ‘05
Husband of
Margaret Conroy Quinn '64
Kim Forni (Staff)
Wife of
Edmond Skinski (Former Faculty)
Father of
Rebecca Martin Lescarbeau '95, '04
Chris Holl (Faculty)
Wendy McAnanama (Staff)
Cynthia Skrodzki (Staff)
Anna Stabile (Staff)
Deborah Trezza (Staff)
Mother of
Pamela LaFountain Caron ‘88
Brett Carroll (Staff)
Destinee Meeker '11
Cynthia Skrodzki (Staff)
Regina Tillona (Staff)
Brother of Bernadette Morawiec Nowakowski ’89, ‘08 (Staff)
Sister of
Margaret Wallace ‘58
Jeanine Doorley Vignali ‘64
Helen Gwozdz Miller '65
Julia Cameron Powers '68
Paula Bouchard ‘88
Gina Gilday Faustino '10
Aunt of Michelle Lancto '87 (Staff)
Grandfather of Julia Trezza '21
Grandmother of Andrew Caron ‘25
Former Faculty
Br. Michael Duffy O.F.M. Conv.
Former Staff
Helen Lusczynski
Friend of the College
Atty. Maurice Ferriter Sr. Therese L'Heureux, SSJ
Robert Mahar (Former Trustee)
This list includes updates reported by family members, newspapers, and other sources from October 26, 2024 through March 28, 2025.
“Situations can change; people can change. Be the first to seek to bring good. Do not grow accustomed to evil, but defeat it with good.”
Betty Hukowicz named “A Hero Among Us”
Elizabeth “Betty” Hukowicz, Elms’ dean of Student Success and professor of Education, was honored recently before a capacity crowd at a Boston Celtics game as she was selected as a recipient of the team’s “Hero Among Us” award.
Before each Celtics home game, the team celebrates recipients who are selected for making significant contributions to their communities.
Dean Hukowicz was honored for her dedication and advocacy work on behalf of those affected by cystic fibrosis.
Following the death of her daughter, Meghan Hukowicz Zoll ’00, at age 39 in 2014, Dean Hukowicz channeled her loss into helping others by founding Meghan’s Light. The charity has raised more than $500,000 in donations for cystic fibrosis research, and has aided some 800 patients and their families throughout New England.
In 2016, Meghan's Light created the Meghan Hukowicz Zoll Endowed Scholarship at Elms College.
Meghan, a Business Management and Psychology major, also minored in Coaching and served as goalie for the Field Hockey team. The need-based scholarship is awarded primarily to undergraduates minoring in Coaching, or to those majoring in Sports Management.
For more information on how to establish a scholarship, contact Vice President for Institutional Advancement Bernadette Nowakowski '89, '08, at 413 265-2214 or nowakowskib@elms.edu
The Annual Fund
Every gift matters and contributes to our students’ success!
Your financial support helps Elms College empower students to effect positive change in the community and in the world. Gifts paid before June 30, the close of the college’s fiscal year, allow Elms to put your gift to use quickly in a way that has the biggest impact on our students, programs, and faculty.
Join alumni and friends of the college by making a tax-deductible gift today.
Learn more at www.elms.edu/give or contact Lynn Korza '88, Assistant Vice President of Institutional Advancement at korzal@elms.edu or 413-265-2454.
