Contents / 2024
14 / Making a Difference Fisher graduates get more than a first-rate education. For many alums, the seeds of social responsibility and community service were sown during their years at Fisher. Here’s how some are striving to make things better for those around them
By Maria LaPiana
20 / Club Life Fisher College’s many clubs offer students mutual support, creative outlets, and the first steps on a career path. Some come and go based on student participation, while others, like the Drama Club and Criminal Justice Club, have been around for decades
By Bob Curley
26 / High Tech Fisher’s forwardthinking Criminal Justice and Business programs prepare students for thriving careers in technology. Meet four alums who parlayed their Fisher education into challenging, fulfilling, and groundbreaking tech careers.
By Bob Gulla
“In some of the cases I work, I have the pleasure of telling the case team that I have found what they’re looking for. It’s pretty satisfying”
PATRICIA ROSARIO ’18,
EXAMINER / P.26
2 / From the President Steven Rich
2 / Contributors
3 / Leadership Meet Fisher’s newest Trustees.
3 / Connect
40 / Artifact
A 1928 marketing postcard for Fisher Business College.
Helping Hands
April Rowell ’17 works with Youth Guidance Boston, a student-centered organization that provides tools for managing life—from problem-solving to career readiness. She’s a program supervisor, overseeing counselors in six schools.
by Christopher Churchill
Photographs by Christopher Churchill
Photograph
The Cover In Every Issue
Departments
4 / Beacon
When a local college closed, Fisher stepped up and threw its doors open in welcome.
6 / Fisher Today
Three Quick Questions with Agnes Oyewale, Ed.D., Director of Career Services and Employer Relations; Fisher Commencement 2024.
8 / On Campus
Sophia Graves ’26; Student Spotlights; News + Notes.
10 / Falcons
Former basketball coach David Lindberg enters the Athletics Hall of Fame.
12 / The Academy
A student’s internship experience at the prestigious Tufts Medical Center.
34 / Beyond
Deanna Morency ’14 found her passion and purpose in event planning; Class Notes.
36 / Pursuits Ann Melaragno ’89, Director of Mobile Sales Operations at Charter Communications; photo stylist Asha Holmes A.S. ’09, ’11; Fisher events.
38 / Advancing Fisher
Donor Q+A: Fisher’s Senior Director, Enrollment Management and Administration Graduate and Professional Studies, Richard Potter, A.S. ’02, ’05, on why he supports the College; updates from the Office of Advancement & Alumni Engagement; Spot the Difference.
President
STEVEN RICH
Vice President of Enrollment Management and Chief Admissions Officer
ROBERT MELARAGNI, E d .D.
Director of Advancement and Alumni Engagement
ERIN DIGUARDIA
Associate Director of Advancement and Alumni Engagement
MICHAEL OLIVEIRA ’11, M.B.A. ’24
Editorial Committee
SCOTT DULIN
JANET KUSER, E d .D., P ’24
JOSHUA MCKAIN ’20, ’22
CHARLENE PETERS
Editor
PAULA M. BODAH
Creative Director
ROBERT PARSONS / SEVEN ELM
SEVENELM.COM
Chief Photographer
CHRISTOPHER CHURCHILL
Image Specialist
STEPHEN BEDNAREK
Contributing Editor
FRED ALBERT
Contributing Writers
BOB CURLEY
BOB GULLA
MARIA LAPIANA
Copyright © 2024 by Fisher College. All publication rights reserved. Fisher College Magazine is printed annually by Fisher College, 118 Beacon Street, Boston, MA 02116. Diverse views expressed in Fisher College Magazine do not necessarily reflect the opinions of the Magazine or the College.
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FAX: 617-236-5473
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Foreword
We’ve established a partnership with Dream Big, a nonprofit organization that helps student athletes in the Dominican Republic and Colombia go to college. Additionally, our innovative Early College program with East Boston High School allows students to earn college credits with no tuition costs, giving them a head start toward their college degrees and, again, boosting Fisher’s enrollment.
Contributors
From the President
Navigating the Future
LIKE THE CHANGES OF THE NEW England seasons, all colleges must adapt and change to succeed in today’s higher education environment. Changing, evolving, growing—staying relevant—is how Fisher College maintains its robust enrollment and financial health.
It’s an ongoing process, and, as I lean into my fourth year as President, I’m proud of Fisher’s continuing progress in the ambitious five-year strategic plan we embarked on last year.
Maintaining healthy enrollment levels is a challenge for many private colleges these days, and the Boston area has seen the closure of several institutions of higher learning over the past five years. As other colleges have shuttered their doors, Fisher has been fortunate to have been able to open ours to some of their displaced students (“Fisher to the Rescue,” page 4).
Fisher also recognizes the value international students bring both in terms of increasing enrollment and in adding richness and diversity to the student body.
Retaining and graduating students is as important as enrolling them in the first place, and to that end Fisher continues to add innovative programs, such as our new STEM M.B.A. program (“News + Notes,” page 9), aimed at enabling students to develop traditional management and leadership skills with the added focus on technology and information security. Our Criminal Justice program also recently received Police Career Incentive Pay Program (PCIPP) certification from the state of Massachusetts. PCIPP encourages police officers to earn degrees in law enforcement and criminal justice, and municipalities may provide financial incentives for them to do so.
Whether through our thriving athletic programs (“Winning Time,” page 10), our growing esports, or the many extra-curricular clubs that address the student body’s diverse interests (“Club Life,” page 20), we strive to keep students engaged. Statistically, students who are involved and participate have a higher degree of success and complete their degrees.
Finally, as we look to the future, I’m happy to report that Fisher College’s finances are strong. We’ve operated with a surplus for the past two decades, and have grown the endowment to more than $80 million. I want to thank our many supportive alumni for their generous contributions to the College as we navigate the headwinds of higher education.
Christopher Churchill / Photographer
Churchill is a documentary photographer whose work has been shown internationally and is held in private and public collections including The Corcoran Gallery of Art, The J. Paul Getty Museum, The San Francisco Museum of Modern Art, and the Smithsonian. His clients include Condé Nast Traveler, Architectural Digest, Bank of America, Google, and Volvo, among others.
Bob Curley / Writer
Curley is a freelance writer based in Rhode Island who writes about travel, food, culture and health and wellness for publications inNew England Home, Caribbean Journal, , Fodor’s, and Healthline. He is also 100 Things to Do in Rhode Island Secret Rhode Island: A Guide to the Weird, Wonderful, and Obscure
Bob Gulla /
Gulla is a veteran writer who began his adventure in journalism in Boston. Bob has written for a wide array of outlets throughout his career, including People, Rolling Stone, and the Boston Globe. He now lives in Newport, Rhode Island, with his family.
Maria LaPiana / Writer
With a special interest in education, architecture, and design, LaPiana has held senior writing and editing positions at both regional and national publications. She is currently freelancing from her home in Connecticut.
Steven Rich / President
Fred Albert / Contributing Editor
Albert is a Connecticutbased writer and editor whose work has appeared in dozens of regional and national publications including House Beautiful, This Old House, and New England Home. A graduate of Yale, he has edited some half-dozen lifestyle magazines on both coasts, and is the author of two design books.
President photograph by Adam DeTour
Writer
Board of Trustees
Officers
Chair
ALEXANDRA L. BARTSCH, J.D. ATTORNEY AT LAW
Vice Chair
Board of Trustees Welcomes Two New Members
The newest members of Fisher College’s Board of Trustees bring a wealth of experience to the role. Gus Martucci P ’14 , President of Mutual Beef Co., became familiar with the College when his daughter Andrea was a student. “When I visited Fisher with my daughter, I wanted to go there myself,” Martucci says. “We had great experiences with the school.” As a Trustee, Martucci, who also sits on the Winthrop, Massachusetts,
Connect
Leadership Stay in Touch
Update your contact information to stay in touch with Fisher College. To learn how to help build our community, volunteer, or support Fisher, contact the Advancement & Alumni Engagement Office.
EMAIL: alumni@ fisher.edu CALL: 617-670-4419 VISIT: fisher.edu/ alumni
Help Build Our Community
There are a number of ways to draw closer to Fisher. Online, you can join the Fisher College LinkedIn page to see what your colleagues are doing professionally and to build your career network. Or follow
us on Facebook, Instagram, or YouTube and share our content with your fellow alumni. We invite you to attend or host alumni events, volunteer to be a class correspondent or regional volunteer, or hire alumni for full-time positions.
Provide Career Services
Fisher supports students and graduates in their quest for professional fulfillment. Become part of that endeavor by providing career advice and opportunities for them. Those opportunities include hiring students for internships, participating in mock interviews and the Spring Career Fair,
school committee, hopes to help raise Fisher’s profile in the community and assist with the school’s fundraising efforts.
Thomas Grilk, J.D., former President and CEO of the Boston Athletic Association, was a speaker for Fisher’s 2023 Graduate School commencement, and was so impressed with the school he happily agreed to become a Trustee. “Fisher is an institution that keeps reinventing itself,” he says. “The world has changed, what students are seeking has changed, and Fisher has changed along with it.” Grilk, who is also a former corporate lawyer, looks forward to helping Fisher continue to evolve.
or hosting recruitment and networking events.
Connect with Students As alumni, you have a lot to offer our students—and vice versa. Get to know each other. Share your know-how by mentoring, speaking to classes, sponsoring learning projects and travel to professional and academic conferences, and becoming a member of one of our Industry Advisory Boards.
Invest in Our Future
Alumni generosity is central to Fisher’s commitment to provide an affordable, quality education to our students.
Gifts to the annual Fisher Fund provide support for many of the College’s most important needs. Additional options include estate gifts, gifts of stock, wire transfers, establishing a named scholarship, and joining the Staircase Leadership Giving Society.
Lifelong Learning
Advance your career, add to your credentials, or obtain a graduate degree or certificate by enrolling in one of our growing number of professional and master’s degree programs, taking a workforce training and development course, or participating in customized corporate training.
REBECCA B. COSTELLO, P h .D. ’68 SCIENTIFIC CONSULTANT, RB COSTELLO LLC
Treasurer
WALTER J. DILLINGHAM, JR., CFA MANAGING DIRECTOR, WILMINGTON TRUST N.A., ENDOWMENTS & FOUNDATIONS
Clerk
JAMES BAYLES
SENIOR MANAGER, CONSULTING, VALUED CONSULTING, LLC
Members
LAVERNE BROWN, P h .D. SENIOR SCIENTIST, SKIN AND HAIR CARE, ANALYTICAL METHOD DEVELOPMENT, JOHNSON & JOHNSON CONSUMER PRODUCTS COMPANY
STEPHANIE DAVIDSON, P h .D. VICE CHANCELLOR FOR ACADEMIC AFFAIRS, OHIO BOARD OF REGENTS (RETIRED)
PETER C. EVERETT, M.D. ASSISTANT PROFESSOR OF MEDICINE, BOSTON UNIVERSITY SCHOOL OF MEDICINE; MEDICAL ONCOLOGIST, BOSTON MEDICAL CENTER
CHRISTIAN C. FISHER
PRESIDENT EMERITUS, FISHER COLLEGE; PRESIDENT, TEN GATES DEVELOPMENT LLC
THOMAS GRILK, J.D. RETIRED PRESIDENT & CEO, BOSTON ATHLETIC ASSOCIATION
GUS MARTUCCI, P ’14 PRESIDENT, MUTUAL BEEF CO.
JOHN MCDONNELL, P ’15, P ’24 MANAGING DIRECTOR INTERNATIONAL, TITO’S HANDMADE VODKA
IKE PAPADOPOULOUS MANAGING DIRECTOR, PUBLIC FINANCE, STIFEL
ASHOK PATEL VICE PRESIDENT, DEVELOPMENT/OPERATIONS FOR JAMSAN HOTEL MANAGEMENT
VIKAS PATEL BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT, BOSTON TRADE INTERNATIONAL
PAUL M. ROWE, P ’16 WELLESLEY VOLKSWAGEN
DEAN WALTON, P h .D. PROFESSOR OF ENGLISH, ASSISTANT DEAN SCHOOL OF LIBERAL ARTS AND SCIENCES, FISHER COLLEGE (RETIRED)
The Beacon
Fisher to the Rescue When a local college closed, Fisher stepped up and threw its doors open in welcome.
BY MARIA LAPIANA
Edoardo Miranda ’27 had just completed his freshman year at Eastern Nazarene College when he got word there would be no sophomore year—at least not there. This past June, the private, nonprofit Christian institution in Quincy, Massachusetts, announced that, facing mounting financial challenges and declining enrollment, it would be shutting down immediately. “I couldn’t believe it was happening,” says Miranda, a Health Science major from the Dominican Republic. “I wish we had found out sooner because a lot of people went through a tough time.”
Enter a happy accident and Fisher’s forward-thinking approach to admissions. “A lot of students who are not from down the street had gone home; some had stuff in storage. The situation upended everyone,” says Robert Melaragni, Ed.D., Chief Admissions Officer and Vice President of Enrollment Management at Fisher.
“Financial distress is not uncommon among small private schools,” he says. In fact, nearly 100 colleges closed during the
2023–24 academic year, according to a report by the National Center for Education Statistics. “We’re fortunate in that we have a very healthy endowment,” Melaragni says, “so we stepped in.”
Through a variety of outreach efforts, some 16 students from Eastern Nazarene have since matriculated at Fisher, which was accommodating in terms of transfer credits. Some made their way to the College via a student athlete recruitment foundation in the Dominican Republic. “Our baseball coach was familiar with the program and knew that some Eastern Naz students had come through the program. So we went down and met with prospective students,” says Melaragni.
Miranda was one of the prospects who accepted a transfer offer, with the entire admissions process condensed into five weeks. Still majoring in Health Science with an eye on a career in physical therapy, he is on track to graduate in 2027.
For Fisher to have taken in so many students on such short notice, Melaragni says, “a lot of logistics and a lot of trust had to come into play. These kids were left in the wind. There’s a lot of talk about college debt. The only thing worse than graduating with debt is incurring the debt and not getting the degree. I’m glad we were able to be there for them.”
“I couldn’t believe it was happening.”
EDOARDO MIRANDA ’27 , UPON DISCOVERING EASTERN NAZARENE COLLEGE WAS SHUTTING DOWN
Photograph by Christopher Churchill
Fisher Works
Marco Miranda Colombo ’27, left, and Edoardo Miranda ’27 were among 16 students from Eastern Nazarene who have matriculated at Fisher.
Beacon / Fisher Today
Commencement 2024
The 120th Commencement celebrated a new crop of graduates eager to make their marks on the world.
BY PAULA M. BODAH
Friends and family applauded proudly as Fisher College awarded 290 under graduate degrees on May 11 at the Back Bay Events Center at John Hancock Hall in Boston. Alexandra L. Bartsch, J.D., chairwoman of the College’s Board of Trustees, opened the ceremonies, which included an invocation by Tünde Turi-Marković, Ph.D., Associate Dean of the School of Liberal Arts and Sciences, an address by President Steven Rich, and a keynote address by Boston-area entrepreneur Salvatore Lupoli, who was awarded an Honorary Doctorate of Commercial Science. On Wednesday, June 26, Fisher College celebrated the accomplishments of its graduate class of 2024 at the College’s Alumni Hall. Keynote speaker Frank Frederickson, retired chief of the Yar mouth (Massachusetts) Police Force, who received an Honorary Doctorate of Humane Letters, addressed the 62 graduates.
‘If You Really Want to Be Successful in Life, Check Your Ego at the Door’
Salvatore Lupoli told of his journey from becoming the first in his family to graduate from college to opening his first pizza parlor at the age of 22 to becoming one of the largest commercial developers in Massachusetts. The secret to success lies in relationships, not power, Lupoli told graduates. “Carve your name into people’s hearts,” he advised. “If you do, I promise you the journey will be easier. People will root for you; people will look out for you; people will want you around them.”
“Internships
are a significant soft launch into your career journey, offering the opportunity to learn on the job and develop professionally.”
AGNES OYEWALE, E d .D.
Photograph by Christopher Churchill
Beacon / On Campus
Goal Oriented Honor student and soccer player Sophia Graves ’26 shares lessons learned on and off the pitch.
BY MARIA LAPIANA
Playing soccer is what drew Sophia Graves ’26 to Fisher. Well, that and a desire to intentionally step outside her comfort zone. “Boston is the polar opposite of my home in Long Beach, California, and I’m introverted,” she says. “I wanted to be uncomfortable, because that’s where I grow. It forced me to mature and be independent.”
Graves played every sport imaginable as a child and teenager, from swimming and track to volleyball and basketball, but soccer is easily her favorite. Sadly, a series of injuries and surgeries has led to her being sidelined. She’s now rehabbing torn ligaments in her knee, yet remains hopeful she’ll be able to play in her senior year. The recovery process has been humbling, she says, but she looks at the positives. “I’m surrounded by so many people who care about me here at Fisher,” she says. The experience has also helped her come out of her shell.
“I was worried that being in an honors program was too much of a commitment, but I found it doable.”
SOPHIA GRAVES ’26
“Something clicked and I learned to speak up for myself.”
Majoring in English with a minor in Diversity Studies, Graves is very focused on her classes. “I love writing, reading, research, and I love my professors,” she says. “I’ve been fortunate enough to have professors who push me to find new ways of reading, writing, and expressing myself.”
With a passion for everything from the classics to modern nonfiction, Graves estimates she reads around 30 books a year. Her favorite by far is The Autobiography of
News + Notes
A Life Well Lived
The Fisher College community was deeply saddened by the October death of Laura Fisher, the widow of longtime Fisher College President Scott Fisher (1970–1981), who passed away in 2022.
Mrs. Fisher grew up in Los Angeles, California, graduating from the University of Southern California. She met Scott, the love of her life, when he was stationed with the U.S. Navy in San Diego, and the two married in 1958.
Mrs. Fisher played tennis and golf and enjoyed bridge, becoming an American Contract Bridge League Regional Master in 1988. She explored hobbies as varied as learning German, disco dancing, playing the dulcimer, quilting, and traveling. She was also known for her resourcefulness, once being reputed to feed a family gathering of 10 on a pound of hamburger.
Mrs. Fisher was the mother of son Christian C. Fisher, who
Malcolm X. “It really is so inspiring,” she says. “I hope that I can realize my dream to be published one day.” Graves is a member of several honor societies, something that seemed daunting at first: “I was worried that being in an honors program was too much of a commitment, but I found it doable.”
She’s contemplating going to graduate school and pursuing a career in academia. “I know I want to get a master’s and a Ph.D., ideally in African American studies, and become a professor,” she says, eager to pay her love of learning forward.
was President of Fisher College from 1993–2001, and daughter Alexandra Bartsch J.D., the Chair of Fisher’s Board of Trustees. She was also the grandmother of five. She was especially proud of her long association with Fisher College. Contributions may be made in her name to the College at fisher.edu/give.
Get Smart
Always looking for ways to give students a leg up as they prepare for their careers, Fisher has introduced a minor in Artificial Intelligence Literacy. The fourcourse program can be taken by students in any discipline, says Dr. Janet Kuser, Vice President for Academic Affairs and Chief Academic Officer. “Anyone who graduates today needs to be versed in artificial intelligence,” she says. For students studying for a B.S. in Information Technology, the College also offers a concentration in Applied Artificial Intelligence.
New STEM M.B.A.
January 2025 will see the launch of a new STEM M.B.A. program aimed at enabling graduates to develop traditional management
and leadership skills, including finance and data analysis, with the added focus on technology and information security. The program is constructed to build on the existing Master of Business Administration and the College’s core competence in the fields of business and technology. It will include courses in cybersecurity management and informatics, a rapidly evolving field that influences many areas of life, including health, business, and science. Dr. Kuser says the College is ready to launch the program, pending approval from the Department of Education at the federal level.
A Feather in the Cap of Criminal Justice Program
The Criminal Justice program was recently given Police Career Incentive Pay Program (PCIPP) certification from the state of Massachusetts. Formerly known as the Quinn Bill, PCIPP encourages police officers in cities and towns throughout the Commonwealth to earn degrees in law enforcement and criminal justice. Furthering their education may result in financial incentives for the officers, as participating municipalities may give them a raise in pay, ranging from 10 percent to 25 percent, if they earn an Associate, Bachelor’s, or Master’s degree in Criminal Justice or a law degree.
get an internship with the Boston Red Sox in the spring, doing “whatever they need, anything to get my foot in the door,” he says.
3 / Armando Torres Gines ’26 From Vega Baja in Puerto Rico, Torres Gines is a baseball player and a Biology major planning a career as a chiropractor. “My dream career path would be to help other athletes realign their bodies,” he says. “I hope to lead a really active life as a chiropractor, playing baseball or engaging in other physical activities after work,” he adds.
4 / Mia-Sky Rojas ’26 Rojas says she loves “building connections with professors in small classes.” Majoring in Psychology with a double minor in Human Services and Sociology, the Connecticut native hopes to pursue a career in counseling and become a school psychologist. “I’d like to assist children or teens who may be struggling, to make their time at school more comfortable and more productive,” she says. –ML
Graves photograph by Christopher Churchill
The Fisher community was deeply saddened by the October death of Laura Fisher, the widow of longtime Fisher College President Scott Fisher (1970–1981).
Beacon / Falcons
Hoop Dreams Former basketball
coach
David
Lindberg reflects on life and work as he’s inducted into Fisher’s Athletics Hall of Fame.
BY MARIA LAPIANA
DAVID LINDBERG’S CAREER has been forged by a sense of adventure, a desire to connect with others, and by unexpected opportunities. Fisher College’s head men’s basketball coach for 12 years, Lindberg was inducted into the Athletics Hall of Fame in October and is humbled by the honor.
“It’s powerful to be acknowledged—to be recognized in this way—with anything you do in your life,” he says. “And my experience at Fisher is something I’m very proud of. Our sports program had only been in existence for a short time, and to think we were playing a world-class schedule.”
His stats speak for themselves. Among his many successes, he led the Falcons to an overall record of 186–162, and took the team to four Sunrise
Winning Time
Conference Championships and back-to-back trips to the NAIA National Tournament.
He also served as Director of International Admissions and Enrollment at Fisher. It was this experience as a recruiter that ultimately led to an offer he says couldn’t refuse: Since 2019, he has been the Director of Admissions and Alumni Relations at Korea International School, living in South Korea with his wife and son, and loving it.
The opportunity arose after his retirement from coaching in 2017. “I’d done a lot of traveling over the 12 years, and we had a young child,” he says, sensing it was time to move on. By chance, he connected with a superintendent of schools who had ties to the international community, and was intrigued. When his current
position became available, he and his family took a leap of faith. Because they have roots in New England (and a house in Maine), they spend every summer in the States. “Staying connected is very important to us,” he says.
“I really embraced the challenge of coaching at Fisher,” he says. “We always talked about how it was us against the world, and when we won, it was very sweet.”
Lindberg owes his successes in part to his ability to connect with people. “I do a good job with one-on-one. I like collaborating and making connections,” he says. “Whether I’m wearing a coaching hat or recruiting a family to come to our school, I’m a pretty competitive person—and I love the adventure.”
It was a very good year for Fisher Athletics. Three teams made it to the postseason: baseball, women’s soccer, and men’s basketball; and Head Baseball Coach Scott Dulin notched his 600th career victory as a collegiate head coach. This comes as no surprise to alum Anthony Perry ’08, M.B.A. ’22, now Associate Director of Athletics, who credits the school’s successes to all who contribute to its sports programs—not just those on the field, court, or pitch. “Any accomplishments our teams continue to make is a testament to the effort and commitment of the student athletes, coaches, and administration,” says Perry.
While no Fisher team has taken home an NAIA National Championship (“at least not yet,” Perry says), they’ve seen plenty of success. The baseball team has advanced to the conference tournament in 23 of its 24 years. Men’s basketball has advanced to the NAIA National Tournament five times, with its last appearance in 2011. And while women’s soccer has only advanced to the conference tournament, all three teams have never looked stronger. They have a lot of talent and positive momentum, which bodes well for the future.
The significance of the 2023–24 stats isn’t lost on Perry. “Fisher Athletics is a unique place without true oncampus home facilities, so it takes a special student-athlete to be able to succeed here and have their respective teams flourish,” he says. —ML
“I really embraced the challenge of coaching at Fisher. We always talked about how it was us against the world, and when we won, it was very sweet.”
DAVID LINDBERG
Lindberg led the Falcons to an overall record of 186–162, and took the team to four Sunrise Conference Championships and back-to-back trips to the NAIA National Tournament.
Beacon / The Academy
The Business of Medicine
Thanks to a forward-thinking Fisher alum, a current student experienced a unique learning opportunity at the prestigious Tufts Medical Center.
BY MARIA LAPIANA
AS A BIOLOGY MAJOR, Layla
Wilson ’26 is required to complete two internships related to her area of study in order to graduate. She has already fulfilled her first—and it’s an impressive one. Wilson served as an administrative intern at Tufts Medical Center this past spring, collaborating with the abdominal transplant team in the Department of Surgery.
The internship was created a year ago by Fisher alumnus Raul Domrique ’18, who majored in Management with a concentration in Healthcare Management. “I started out wanting to be a doctor, but realized I was good at business,” says Domrique, who went on to earn a master’s in health care administration from the University of St. Augustine for Health Sciences. He feels strongly that such hands-on experiences benefit both the students and the future of hospitals. As a Business Operations Manager at Tufts Medical Center, Domrique hopes to expose more students to the operations side of health care, and to workflow and interdisciplinary teams.
Wilson says that by helping to facilitate the complex process of organ procurement, she learned how vital it is to “communicate clearly and
thoroughly, and to foster a work environment that’s both friendly and productive.”
Although she is planning a career in veterinary medicine, she says the smooth operation of Domrique’s department proved that the fundamental aspects of health care administration are universal.
Wilson was an exemplary intern, Domrique says. “She wants to be a vet, but wants to run her own business, so sitting with the Medical Director, a woman, gave her the confidence to see herself in a leadership role.”
As she prepares to apply to veterinary school (possibly in the Caribbean, because she has family in Jamaica), Wilson says she gained invaluable insights into the health care field. She is networking and securing letters of recommendation, and is planning to spend next summer volunteering at a veterinary hospital. Wilson believes her Tufts internship provided not only professional experience, but taught her the importance of advocating for—and believing in—herself. Domrique is gratified to be able to offer students such opportunities, even as he seeks to facilitate more networking within the hospital and beyond.
“I started out wanting to be a doctor, but realized I was good at business.”
RAUL DOMRIQUE ’18
Photograph by Christopher Churchill
“It was most impactful, and an amazing experience for all delegations,” says Dr. Mohammad Agwa, an Associate Professor of Management, who advised the delegation of Fisher students.
Role Models
INCREASING GLOBAL AWARENESS AT HOME.
In fall 2023, Fisher sent its first delegation of students to the Boston Area Model United Nations Conference sponsored by Boston University. BarMUN engages students while teaching them the principles of the U.N. and how it functions. Acting as “delegates,” students are charged with researching a country and committee of their choice, then are challenged to respond and react to commentary from their peers on a variety of contemporary and historical political topics.
Dr. Mohammad Agwa P ’26, an Associate Professor of Management at Fisher, advised the six international students from the school who participated in the conference. “We did very well, and I was impressed at all the work our students did,” says Agwa. “It was most impactful, and an amazing experience for all delegations.”
Layla Wilson ’26 served as an administrative intern at Tufts Medical Center this past spring. The internship was created a year ago by Fisher alumnus Raul Domrique ’18, who majored in Management with a concentration in Healthcare Management.
The students who participated were Jae Young Jung and Donggun Kim from South Korea, who both represented Kenya on the Special Political and Decolonization Committee; Ellene Laurenzi from Indonesia-Jakarta, who represented El Salvador on the Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean; HyunWook (Sean) Woo from South Korea, who represented Lesotho on the African Union Committee; Zhenyu Xu from China, who represented Saudi Arabia on the Assembly of Kosovo Committee; and Xian Jiang from China, who represented Sierra Leone on the Committee on the Peaceful Uses of Outer Space. —ML
“At a nonprofit, you’re really helping people at the lowest point of their lives, and it isn’t always pretty.”
TAYLOR
WEATHERWAX ’19
BAY COVE HUMAN SERVICES
MAKING FISHER GRADUATES GET MORE THAN A FIRST-RATE EDUCATION. FOR MANY ALUMS, THE SEEDS OF SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY AND COMMUNITY SERVICE WERE SOWN DURING THEIR YEARS AT FISHER. HERE’S HOW SOME ARE STRIVING TO MAKE THINGS BETTER FOR THOSE AROUND THEM.
A DIFFERENCE
BY MARIA LAPIANA
Photographs by CHRISTOPHER CHURCHILL
Zack Timmermeyer ’10 had moved back to his hometown of Lewiston, Maine, after earning his B.S. in Management, and was working as a mortgage lender when horror struck. On October 25, 2023, a mass shooter there killed 18 people and injured 13 others.
Like many in the close-knit community, Timmermeyer knew some of the victims, and knew people who lost loved ones that day.
The day after the shooting, he helped organize a benefit softball tournament in the name of one victim, beloved umpire Ron Morin. With grief and adrenaline fueling the effort, the tournament raised more than $207,000 in one weekend for the families of the victims. “It had many silver linings,” says Timmermeyer. “We had no time to grieve and mourn. It felt like so much pressure, but money wasn’t what the families needed; they needed to come together for an embrace. The volunteers did so much in such a short time, with little to no sleep for 12 days. It was the most humbling moment of our lives.”
Today, the nonprofit Maine Strong Memorial Foundation provides temporary financial relief to Maine families touched by unexpected tragedy.
Timmermeyer now travels the state as a notary/closer for a title company, a role he says he loves. He often thinks back to how he “absorbed a lot of pain” in the aftermath of the shooting and took time to heal and move on. He credits Fisher, in part, with helping him find his place as an active member of his community.
Seeing a need in their own communities—and acting on it—is what informed career decisions for both April Rowell ’17 and Taylor Weatherwax ’19.
Rowell says she always loved working with kids and knew she’d make a difference in some way. After graduating with a B.A. in Psychology, she worked for AmeriCorps in a Boston public school, where she observed the plight of some troubled students. “There were so many things wrong,” she says. “Some had mental health issues, some were on medication. I could tell it wasn’t about them not wanting to be there.”
With that, she pursued a career in social work, and after earning her L.C.S.W. degree from Simmons College, went into sports-based therapy. “As a clinician, I went out into the community and worked with kids from 5 to 17, and thoroughly enjoyed the one-on-one,” she says.
After a few years, Rowell applied for a counselor’s position with Youth Guidance Boston, a student-centered
organization that provides tools for managing life—from problem-solving to career readiness. She’s now a program supervisor, overseeing counselors in six schools. “We’re teaching social and emotional skills,” she says, “including body image positivity, anger management skills, and effective communication.”
Although she is in a supervisory role, Rowell says she never loses sight of the needs of the end user. “The work we’re doing is impactful, and I’m proud of that.”
Growing up in a small Cape Cod town, Taylor Weatherwax was drawn to Fisher because she always wanted to live in a big city. It was her B.S. in Criminal Justice (with a minor in Human Services) that gave her an interdisciplinary outlook on the world at large. “I appreciate how my professors shared experiences in law, therapy, law enforcement, and more,” she says.
While a career path wasn’t clear at the outset, she says Fisher gave her the tools to, as she puts it, “think things through and change my mind.” Which she did, when she unexpectedly lost her mother three weeks before graduation. Because her mom had struggled with behavioral health issues, Weatherwax ultimately decided to go in that direction.
She started out in the private sector, working with clients with mental health, addiction, and housing issues, but after four years moved to the nonprofit she’s with now, Bay Cove Human Services in Boston. As operations manager, she feels she’s making a difference where it’s needed. “At a nonprofit, you’re really helping people at the lowest point of their lives,” she says, “and it isn’t always pretty.”
Weatherwax says Fisher prepared her for that. “All of my professors were really honest. They didn’t sugarcoat things, and I needed that. They set me up to be ready to expect the unexpected.”
The unexpected is what led Antonio Mateo Garcia ’22 to his life’s work. He took a circuitous, sometimes painful route, but Garcia has a B.S. in Management with concentrations in Entrepreneurship and Accounting. He is the
“We had no time to grieve and mourn. It felt like so much pressure, but money wasn’t what the families needed; they needed to come together for an embrace.”
ZACK TIMMERMEYER ’10 MAINE STRONG MEMORIAL FOUNDATION
founder and executive director of HELP by AMG (Helping Everyone Live Prosperously; AMG are his initials).
The organization serves the LGBTQ+ community—and anyone facing discrimination—in the greater Boston area, providing care packages that include clothing, personal care products, seasonal items, and blankets. Funded by donations only, HELP distributes packages at multiple events throughout the year—and anytime there is a need. “The important thing is they are gender-affirming, and you get exactly what you want,” he says.
Here’s why: Raised by a single mom in Detroit, Garcia had planned to study biomedical engineering in college, but despite scholarship offers, several challenges (poverty and homelessness among them) prevented him from doing so. He joined the Army instead. Sadly, he was injured and discharged after two years.
He moved around a lot after that, and one experience in particular stayed with him. Needing appropriate attire for a job interview, Garcia applied to a free clothing program, showing his ID as required. When invited to choose an outfit, he was offered only dresses, skirts, business suits, and the like. The trouble is that his license identified him as female—and Garcia is trans. Hence the inclusion policy at HELP. “I’ve had bad things happen in my life,” he says,
“but I do believe most things happen for a reason.”
He attended Fisher on a combination scholarship and GI bill, and began to flourish, which led to his involvement in community service. He says education and learning are paramount to his success; he’s currently studying for a master’s degree in Nonprofit Management at Northeastern University. “I believe no one should ever feel the way I have. I’ve had some dark times,” he says. “Ever since I was young, I had a feeling I should be doing things for others. And now, this just feels right.”
It was a confluence of interests and events that led Cam Pearson ’21, M.B.A. ’22, to do what he says feels exactly right to him. He played baseball from age 4 throughout his time at Fisher. He enrolled as a Criminal Justice major and planned a career at a “three-letter agency,” he says, employing a term used to describe organizations like the FBI and CIA. A misunderstanding changed his mind, however. “I was told I’d have to start out in law enforcement no matter what, which I later learned is untrue.”
The athlete instead earned a B.S. in Sport Management, then, taking advantage of NAIA rules that afforded an extra year of eligibility due to COVID, stayed at Fisher to play ball and earn an M.B.A. with a focus on strategic leadership. The experience led to his role with Special Olympics
“We’re teaching social and emotional skills, including body image positivity, anger management skills, and effective communication. The work we’re doing is impactful, and I’m proud of that.”
APRIL ROWELL ’17 YOUTH GUIDANCE BOSTON
I was young, I had a feeling I should be doing things for others. And now, this just feels right.”
ANTONIO MATEO
GARCIA ’22
HELP BY AMG
Florida. The program provides opportunities for more than 70,000 intellectually disabled athletes, and sponsors more than 200 sporting events a year.
As Manager of the Law Enforcement Torch Run, Pearson works with law enforcement agencies, coordinating logistics and marketing for the organization’s largest fundraising effort. The program culminates in more than 100 runners bringing the Special Olympics torch into a sta-
ON THE HOME
FRONT Fisher students help out with Habitat for Humanity.
HABITAT FOR HUMANITY has been helping people improve their living conditions in more than 70 countries for nearly 50 years. Its collaboration with Fisher has been benefitting students since 2010. “It’s cliché to say it’s life-changing, but I see the difference it can make,” says Josh
McKain, who runs the program. In addition to his day job as College Librarian and Manager of the Writing and Academic Support Center, McKain also teaches the three-credit course required of students who participate in the Habitat program.
Every spring, between 9 and
dium filled with athletes, parents, and coaches. It’s a very dramatic moment, he says.
“Many athletes with intellectual disabilities are at or below the poverty line,” says Pearson. “Their families usually can’t afford health care and nutrition, which we provide. The program also helps them gain important social skills. It helps spread the word of inclusion, and it makes them feel good about themselves.”
17 students enroll in the course and study altruism (the organization’s mission) and the importance of giving back.
Students, including April Rowell ’17, Emily Deller ’23, M.B.A. ’24 (see “Club Life,” page 20), and Patricia Rosario ’18 (see “High Tech,” page 26), have traveled to Florida, Louisiana, and North Carolina, among other states, performing a variety of building tasks. And while students are working together to build houses, they’re also
building skills in collaboration, cooperation, and bonding. After the trip, students present their experiences to Fisher administrators, and the reaction has been overwhelmingly positive, McKain says. There’s anecdotal evidence of the program’s success, he says, including consistent enrollment and retention among students who complete the course, as well as graduates who go on to work for nonprofits—including Habitat for Humanity. –ML
FISHER COLLEGE’S MANY CLUBS OFFER STUDENTS
MUTUAL SUPPORT, CREATIVE OUTLETS, AND THE FIRST STEPS ON A CAREER PATH.
LUB
BY BOB CURLEY
Photographs by CHRISTOPHER CHURCHILL
Women’s Empowerment Club President Ashley Baez ’26, left, and Vice President Kylie Conrado ’26.
Cullen Burke arrived at Fisher College in 2006 with dreams of playing baseball, but within two years he had traded stadium floodlights for theatrical footlights, embarking on an acting career inspired by his time in Fisher’s Drama Club and the mentorship of club advisor Danielle Herget, Ph.D. “I’ve been acting for almost
20 years now and wouldn’t have done any of it without Fisher, Dani, and the Drama Club,” says Burke,
whose acting journey took him from performances of The Crucible, Lovers and Other Strangers, and The Heidi Chronicles at Fisher to New York and, ultimately, theater, commercial, and voiceover work in Maine.
“I went to Fisher for baseball, so I come from a team-oriented background,” says Burke. “What I learned in Drama Club is that acting is a team sport, too: You rely on others as much as you do on a baseball team.”
The Drama Club is just one of more than a dozen active student clubs at Fisher. Some come and go based on student participation, while others, like the Drama Club and Criminal Justice Club, have been around for decades. The Drama Club celebrated its 20th anniversary in 2023 and has hundreds of alumni, as well as a strong contingent of active members.
“For commuters, the clubs offer a reason to stay on campus,” says Natividad Manalo ’19, M.A. ’21, Fisher’s Director of Student Activities and Resident Director, who also serves as head coach of the women’s and men’s volleyball teams.
“Clubs bring together people who might not have otherwise met,” says Herget. “I think that’s the biggest benefit: People who are not athletes can make friends and find a community.”
That’s not to say that student athletes can’t also be club members, as Burke’s story illustrates. A member of the Fisher men’s basketball team memorably brought the whole team to his show when he performed in a Drama Club play a few years ago, recalls Emily Deller ’23, M.B.A. ’24, the Assistant Director of Housing at Fisher.
Deller, who succeeded Herget as the club’s advisor in 2024, comes from the club’s ranks, having also served as the president of the Drama Club.
For a long time, the club’s main focus has been putting on dramas in the fall and musicals in the spring. This year, however, the club is looking to broaden its appeal
and bring in new members who might not be interested in being in a play, by adding drop-in activities like karaoke and improv to its schedule. “The goal is to have three or four smaller events, so anyone can join in,” Deller says.
About 15 to 20 members form the core of the Drama Club’s onstage actors, but other students can get involved by joining the lighting and sound crew, or even just taking tickets, says Deller. “Everyone on campus has at least heard of the Drama Club, because everyone who’s in it talks it up,” she says. “It’s a place where everyone is able to be themselves.”
Creativity also takes flight at Fisher’s Fashion Club, which currently has more than 40 members and is advised by Catherine Murphy, Assistant Professor and Director of Fisher’s Fashion Merchandizing program, a concentration within the Management degree.
Club participants include a smattering of people in other majors; psychology students, for example, lend their expertise about the thinking that goes behind the choices people make when buying clothes.
The club’s most high-profile activity is producing an
Assistant Professor, Director of Fisher’s Fashion Merchandizing program, and Fashion Club advisor Catherine Murphy, above; Criminal Justice Club advisor Meridith Spencer, Ph.D., opposite.
“Everyone on campus has at least heard of the Drama Club, because everyone who’s in it talks it up. It’s a place where everyone is able to be themselves.”
DRAMA CLUB ADVISOR
EMILY DELLER ’23, M.B.A. ’24
annual fashion show, a red-carpet event supported in part by a twice-yearly popup clothing shop run by club members, who donate clothing for resale.
Other club projects, including a fashion magazine and photo shoots, help build anticipation for the show, reflecting a curriculum that focuses on the business of fashion as much as fashion design. “The entire school gets excited about it,” says Murphy. “There aren’t a lot of schools in Massachusetts with this kind of program, so to see it grow is really important for students.”
Besides offering a creative outlet, Fisher’s clubs can be instrumental in helping students choose a career path. Patricia Rosario’s job as a Digital Forensics Examiner for the FBI is highly exacting, but when she was a student at Fisher College, there was one big detail that she didn’t work out until she got involved in the school’s Criminal Justice Club: what she wanted from a job after college.
“Through the club I learned that you could not only be a police officer, but could also work in criminal justice at the FBI, the DEA, or the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives,” says Rosario ’18, who was a Criminal Justice Club member and officer for all four of her years at Fisher, graduating with a degree in Criminal Justice and a minor in Computer Forensics. “Having the connection with the Criminal Justice Club and other students, I was able to see different horizons, and that’s what led me to this career,” she says.
Rosario joined the Criminal Justice Club as a freshman mostly “for the field trips,” she says, and was inspired to get her master’s degree and teach criminal justice as an adjunct professor at Fisher by a club outing to the Norfolk County Correctional Center, where Fisher’s senior adjunct professor Robert Boomhower worked, at the time, as the facility’s Assistant Deputy Superintendent.
Club advisor Meridith Spencer helped Rosario get the FBI internship that eventually led her to her current job with the agency in New York. “I used the leadership skills I learned in the club in my interviews,” Rosario says. “I don’t think I’d have gotten this job without them.”
Most members of the Criminal Justice Club are Criminal Justice majors. In fact, half or more of all students with a CJ major at Fisher end up taking part in the club, says Spencer. But as with the Fashion Club, the Criminal Justice Club also attracts students studying in tangentially related fields, such as psychiatry and human services.
Trips like the annual visit to the Norfolk County Jail, and taking part in an active shooter exercise at Logan Airport—in which Fisher students role-play being travelers as law enforcement trains them how to confront a wouldbe attacker—have broad appeal. “The drill offers a chance to see how agencies prepare for these things, and it’s a good bonding experience for students,” says Spencer. “The trips really connect the classroom to the real world. And if the only thing you get out of exposure like that is,
‘Hell no, that’s not for me,’ that’s valuable, too.”
The club maintains an active presence on campus, hosting book signings by authors who write about criminal justice topics, and talks by Fisher alumni who detail various career paths available to graduates. Club members also distribute information on domestic violence and sexual assault to their fellow students.
Creating a safe environment for all students at Fisher is part of the mission of the Women’s Empowerment Club, founded three years ago by club President Ashley Baez ’26 and Vice President Kylie Conrado ’26.
Club meetings, which sometimes involve guest speakers, revolve around such topics as women’s health, STDs, pregnancy, and preventing sexual assault—including self-defense tips offered by Campus Police Chief Sherry Belanger A.S. ’11, ’16, M.S. ’21.
This year, the Women’s Empowerment Club is also providing some of the support previously offered by the Happy Hour Club, founded in 2022 by transfer student KarlaMary Santos ’23, to give Fisher students a place to talk with peers about mental-health concerns outside of a counseling setting.
“My outlet for getting out of my own head had always been programming—therapists, counselors, after-school programs—so, especially as a transfer student, I wanted to have a place to interact with other students,” says Santos. “I think everyone should have a counselor, but students also should feel safe to talk about what they’re going through without getting a diagnosis.”
There’s a synergy between the Happy Hour and Women’s Empowerment clubs, with some members of the former joining the latter for activities like journaling— a therapeutic tool that allows students to self-assess and write about their daily experiences, and a core activity at both clubs.
While the Women’s Empowerment Club’s current members all identify as female, men are sometimes welcomed to join discussions. “We want to get their point of view on subjects like relationships, what constitutes cheating, what are red flags,” as well as male perceptions of female sexuality on campus, Conrado says.
“We wanted to create a healthier bond among women and create a safe space for them to come talk about certain topics that they might be scared to bring up in another setting,” Baez adds. “We’re big sisters, in a way.”
It’s no coincidence that Conrado and Baez were firstyear students themselves when they founded the club, which currently has about a dozen active members. “Freshmen are a long way from home and are figuring out who they are,” says Conrado.
Of course, that’s true of male as well as female students. “We actually have talked about why there’s not a men’s club,” says Conrado, adding, “Guys, just start one! There isn’t one, but there should be.”
Welcome to the Club
Each academic year, Fisher College sponsors more than a dozen clubs, each led by students and advised by a faculty member.
Clubs currently active on campus include:
Biology Club
Charles Viewer Produces an annual literary and visual arts publication
The Community Service Club a.k.a. The Common Good Criminal Justice Club Disney Club
Drama Club Film Club
Finance and Investment Club
International Club
Internet Radio Station Club
MARCO
Marketing and Communications Club
The Self-Care Club
Psychology Club
Sports Management Club
Student Veterans of America Club
Women’s Empowerment Club
Yoga Club
As the nature of crime changes and grows with the complexities of our digital world, the field of Criminal Justice needs to continually evolve to stay ahead of ever-moresophisticated criminal activities. It’s a fascinating, multi-disciplinary field that encompasses a wide array of careers, including security, enforcement, rehabilitation, and prosecution. And, as the fields of Criminal Justice and Information Technology move into the future, so, too, does Fisher, providing students with a cutting-edge curriculum and the tools they’ll need in tomorrow’s world. • The big challenge is determining what skills those students will need to excel. Today, and for the foreseeable future, Fisher has a special focus on technology—cybersecurity, software engineering, and game development—where many of its students are not only surviving, but thriving. • Those specialties—in business, criminal justice, and IT/IS— all allow Fisher students to embrace their vocational future with training that gives them the necessary skills to find their way and make their own opportunities.
Patricia Rosario ’18
Having graduated from Fisher in 2018 with a B.S. in Criminal Justice and a minor in Computer Forensics, Patricia Rosario now has a great job with the FBI as a Digital Forensics Examiner. “I give them the smoking gun!” she laughs, describing the essence of her job. “In some of the cases I work, I have the pleasure of telling the case team that I have found what they’re looking for. It’s pretty satisfying.”
It has been a serious journey. After graduating from Fisher and snagging an entry-level administrative gig with the FBI, Rosario earned her M.S. in Digital Forensics from Champlain College in Vermont, while still working her day job. Since then, the Bureau has moved her from Vermont to Albany, New York, to Las Vegas, Nevada, and back to her home in New York City.
Rosario began college as a first-generation immigrant from the Dominican Republic, by way of the Bronx. “When I first got to Fisher, my goal was to become an NYPD officer—a street cop,” she says. “I had what I thought was a clear view of right and wrong, and a fondness for law enforcement.”
But as she progressed through school, that dream expanded. Her confidence grew, and she tackled more challenges. “Honestly, it was all thanks to the people at Fisher—my friends, my professors, and the administrators I met along the way.”
She became a resident assistant, then an orientation leader, and eventually, student body president. As she grew to embrace these responsibilities, she also sharpened the leadership qualities she didn’t even know she had. “Fisher gave me the chance to prove I was more than what I thought. It helped me to see beyond my horizon, that I had more to offer to the world. Fisher encouraged me to strive for more and to be uncomfortable—you know, in a good way.”
While at Fisher, Rosario went through a rigorous selection process to secure an internship at the FBI. Since then, she’s worked her way up the ranks and now serves as a Forensic Examiner in the New York office. “Once you become
Patricia Rosario works with the FBI as a Digital Forensics Examiner. She went through a rigorous selection process to secure an internship at the FBI. Since then, she’s worked her way up the ranks and now serves as a Forensic Examiner in the New York office. “Once you become an examiner for the Bureau,” she says, “you’re good. You’ll always have a job.”
an examiner for the Bureau,” she says, “you’re good. You’ll always have a job.”
Rosario is also an Adjunct Professor at Fisher, leading a class called Introduction to Digital Forensics. Despite this success, her career path has had its challenges. “As a minority and a woman, I have the double whammy,” she says. “I have to stand my ground. My co-workers tell me I’m ‘spicy.’ But they also know that I’m very good at my job.”
Nick Lucchese ’21, M.B.A. ’22
When it was time for Nick Lucchese ’21, M.B.A. ’22 to walk for his undergraduate degree, the Criminal Justice major and Fisher baseball third baseman still had another year of sports eligibility, due to the intervention of COVID. Playing another year of ball was a no-brainer for Lucchese.
Let’s be clear, he really loved playing baseball. “It was such an important part of my Fisher experience,” he says. So when he realized he’d be in school for an extra year as a “super senior,” he enrolled in the school’s M.B.A. program. “Best decision of my life,” he says with a smile.
Indeed, that extra year not only let Lucchese play the game he loved, it set him up for a successful career in business. “It was unbelievable. I honestly hadn’t thought about getting my master’s as an undergraduate. But playing a sport that extra year changed everything.”
Lucchese’s undergrad years were spent studying Criminal Justice. “The idea of Criminal Justice and law enforcement ran in my family,” he says, “so I had it in mind when I got to school.” He was drawn to the academic program’s excellent reputation, and he had heard about the school’s outstanding faculty.
As his undergraduate career progressed, he learned about the prickly challenges of law enforcement from friends and family, as well as his newsfeed. “I’d seen the way it had gone the last few years. I listened to the stories they’d tell me. It just seemed like it was a lot tougher than it used to be.”
“Fisher gave me the chance to prove I was more than what I thought. It helped me to see beyond my horizon, that I had more to offer to the world.”
ROSARIO ’18
PATRICIA
“The [security] field combines my passion for criminal justice with tech savviness.”
GARY LUNETTA ’12
Enter the decision to go for the M.B.A. “Getting my master’s provided me with the most versatile degree, and it also benefitted me, mainly because at the time I wasn’t sure what I wanted to do. I’d have to say it was the reason I landed my job today.” His Fisher M.B.A. also derailed his law enforcement plan and changed his job search. “It gave me a chance to think about alternatives and what my life would be like if I decided not to follow my original career path.”
Today, Lucchese works for the Government Services Agency, where he is in the Acquisitions Management Division. There, he oversees contracts in the Contracting Specialist Division, and also participates in the Emerging Leaders Program. It’s a technical job, one that requires great organizational skills and experience with some technical software. But Lucchese was up to the task. “You can ask anyone who’s played ball with me,” he says. “I always overprepare. I’m very detail-oriented and very organized. If it’s worth doing, it’s worth overdoing.”
Choosing this route over law enforcement has afforded Lucchese a better work/life balance and career growth opportunities. “The M.B.A. program was unbelievable and set the stage for my career. I couldn’t be happier.”
Kevin Gilson M.B.A. ’23
Like Nick Lucchese, Kevin Gilson also made the rather unanticipated choice of earning an M.B.A. at Fisher. “I was hesitant at first,” he says, “because I was on active duty in the Army at the time, and I didn’t know just how flexible the school’s program was.”
When Gilson, an Army staff sergeant for six years, started talking to program leadership, he no longer felt any apprehension. Not only was it the perfect prerequisite to the working world, but it was also an amazing learning environment—custom-built to reflect real-world business issues and problem-solving opportunities. Plus, if he maintained good grades, he could fast-track through the program.
Over the years, he’d seen a lot of service members leave the military without taking advantage of all the educational benefits available to them. Gilson decided he wouldn’t be one of them. “I’m so glad I made the commitment,” he says from his home in Washington, D.C. “The learning environment was incredible. You literally cannot fail when you come out with an M.B.A. How can you not be successful?”
He was right. With a flexible schedule and a handful of retired, like-minded military veterans in the Business Administration faculty mentoring him, Gilson was destined for success. (It helped that he maintained a 4.0 GPA throughout the program.) “I walked for graduation at the end of June 2023, and by August I was in my internship in Customs and Border Patrol (CBP). It was a quick transition.”
Gilson separated from the Army at the end of 2023, just as he finished his M.B.A. Thanks to the Department of Defense’s Skill Bridge, which helps vets transition to the real world, he was able to ease into his first job at CBP, where he currently serves as a Management and Program Analyst
with the Office of Information Technology for Customs and Border Protection.
“I never thought I’d go into Information Technology,” he admits. “But I’ve learned that there are amazing opportunities in the field.” Now he has decided to get a second master’s degree, this time in Criminal Justice from Ohio’s Tiffin University, so he can move into the Department of Homeland Security with the requisite skills and education.
“It’s all worked out so well,” he says. “The service really worked with me to get me up to speed, and Fisher was so cooperative. I got the feeling during my time there that they wanted me to succeed.”
Gary Lunetta ’12
Gary Lunetta’s B.S. in Management helped him secure a job at San Francisco–based tech giant Salesforce, where he serves as the company’s Global Security Leader. “When I first went to school, I didn’t know what I wanted to do,” the 2012 graduate admits. “I thought maybe I wanted to own my own business.”
That notion pushed him to get a business degree at Fisher. “I didn’t want to be locked into a single field, so I figured a business degree would touch on different areas and give me some flexibility if I didn’t know which direction to go.”
As it turned out, his instincts were correct. Lunetta did end up leveraging his degree in a number of ways, from building a team and working on budgets to economic forecasting. “I really used the tools I picked up at Fisher and applied them to a field I was interested in,” he says.
Eight years after joining Salesforce, Lunetta now leads a team of 15, including Security Technology personnel and a Design and Implementation team that gets those security systems working. “My job is, in part, responsible for improving the security experience at Salesforce while still ensuring safety and security,” he says.
A former Fisher baseball player, Lunetta grew up with Criminal Justice in mind. But rather than focusing on law enforcement, he chose to focus on security, which he felt was more forward-thinking, given the risks corporations face in today’s digital world. “The field combines my passion for criminal justice with tech savviness,” he says. “Physical security was a great place to start for me.”
Gary Lunetta’s B.S. in Management helped him secure a job at San Francisco–based tech giant Salesforce, where he serves as the company’s Global Security Leader. Eight years after joining Salesforce, Lunetta now leads a team of 15, including Security Technology personnel and a Design and Implementation team that gets those security systems working.
When he first entered Fisher, Lunetta never envisioned himself in tech. “Now I can’t see myself outside of it. I love it. It’s been life-changing. I feel like a Fisher business degree prepared me for anything, so right off the bat I was set up for success.” Lunetta looks back at his time at Fisher, going to class and playing ball, with fondness. “I loved Fisher. Bleed the Fisher blue!”
If Lunetta could offer current Fisher students a bit of advice, he would tell them, “Lean all the way in. Take advantage of the professors and other role models you come into contact with. Take advantage of all of it. Use all the tools you can. I had a great time. I learned a ton. But you blink and it’s over.”
Fisher Festivities!
Join your fellow alumni, friends, and classmates in supporting Fisher!
No matter when you graduated or the path you chose, we encourage you to reconnect and engage as we celebrate our shared identity as Fisher Falcons for life. Your involvement strengthens our community and enriches the Fisher College experience for all!
COLLEGE DAY OF GIVING
The Giving Day theme this year is “Soar Higher: Empower Fisher, Empower Futures!” We encourage you to contribute in any way you can. fisher.edu/give
March 9, 2025
The 3rd Annual Fisher College Golf Classic will take place at the Merrimack Valley Golf Club in Methuen, MA.
October 6, 2025
The Fisher College Athletic Program will honor Class of 2025 hall of
October 25, 2025
Save the Dates!
FISHER
FISHER COLLEGE GOLF CLASSIC
famers.
HALL OF FAME
It was hands-on learning, Deanna Morency ’14 says, that led her to her current role as Manager of Event Marketing at Toast, a restaurant point-of-sale and management system company based in Boston.
BEYOND
Toast of the Town
Deanna Morency ’14 found her passion and purpose in event planning.
BY MARIA LAPIANA
DEANNA MORENCY ’14 moved from Auburn, Maine, to Boston to attend Fisher for a lot of reasons, from its prime location to the diversity of its student body. While earning her degree in Communication and Media Studies, she came to appreciate the real-life experiences afforded by the College’s internship program. It was hands-on learning, she says, that led her to her current role as Manager of Event Marketing at Toast, a restaurant point-of-sale and management system company based in Boston. Her first job after graduation was working in Fisher admissions, traveling to college fairs and recruiting prospective students. Afterward, she did a short stint in advertising, but found she didn’t love it. She was looking for something new and different when she discovered Toast. “It kept popping up in my job search,” she remembers. In 2018, she was
“Networking is a huge part of what I do. I learned a lot of those skills in college, in part by attending the many different events that Fisher holds.”
DEANNA MORENCY ’14
hired as an Executive Assistant to the CEO, eventually transitioning to the Event Marketing Team. Like many of her colleagues, she was laid off in April 2020 due to COVID, but was able to rejoin the company three years later, almost to the day.
Today, she plans and executes a regional event series called Spark on Tour. Its purpose is to connect with and inspire the restaurant community through innovation, Morency says, and is designed to build trust in the Toast brand. “My responsibilities cover endto-end event management—from conducting site visits to venues, to driving registration for the event, to overall event production,” she says. “This includes everything from presentations to room decor.”
Morency takes pride in her company’s culture. “They trust their employees and allow them to make an impact—and have an amazing time while doing it,” she says.
Morency, who is a member of the Fisher College Athletics Hall of Fame, credits her experience as captain of the Fisher women’s soccer team for helping her to gain leadership skills. She also says Fisher helped her to build networking skills. “Networking is an absolutely huge part of what I do for a living,” she says. “I constantly have conversations with our customers, vendors, and people I’m meeting for the first time. I learned a lot of those skills in college, in part by attending the many different events that Fisher holds for students.”
Outside of work, Morency enjoys catching up with friends over dinner, visiting her family back in Maine, playing with Maple, her three-year-old Nova Scotia Duck Tolling Retriever, and “just enjoying my time at home when I’m not traveling,” she says.
Looking back on her years at Fisher, she says, “It feels so long ago.” Still, she remains grateful for her time and experiences there. “The connections that I made there are ones I truly value, connections I’ll never forget.”
A Few Class Notes
1963
CAROLYN MACKENZIE BOWERS has been retired since 2010, after working as a legal assistant for over 22 years. Prior, she was a medical secretary for 12 years. She’s been living back in her hometown of Gorham, Maine, for 47 years and has three children and five grandchildren.
1968
From Pasadena, Maryland, JEAN HUNTINGTON BOWMAN has been married for 54 years and has a son and two granddaughters; the eldest graduated from high school in June. Jean retired in 2010 from the Anne Arundel County Circuit Court after over 38 years as a court recorder.
1974
ALISON PARKHURST BELL attended Fisher for one year, and then left for nursing school. She worked in hospitals for years, became a nationally board-certified holistic nurse, a member of Sigma Theta Tau, the international honor society of nurses, and earned an M.S. in Holistic Health. Now retired, she works part-time as an English tutor online for Cambly Inc.
1981
From West Cornwall, Connecticut, STEPHANIE CAVANAUGH HAZARD is a horse carriage livery driver at Gaitkeeper Stables. She also does work as a professional voice actor and announcer.
1988
Owner and operator of LUXE Beauty and Brows, LLC, SUSAN PETRILLI CONTE also works in South Windsor, Connecticut, at Bluemercury Evergreen. She’s been loving the beauty business for over 30 years now.
STACIE WELDON , who is now an empty nester, reports that she’s gone to all of the MLB parks, except the California and Seattle teams, which she hopes to get to this year.
Upwardly Mobile
ANN MELARAGNO ’89 PARLAYED TRANSFERABLE SKILLS INTO AN UNEXPECTED CAREER.
It isn’t exactly a direct line from an A.A. in Fashion Merchandising to becoming Director of Mobile Sales Operations at Charter Communications, but Ann Melaragno ’89 swears she can connect the dots. Melaragno, who lives in Norwalk, Connecticut, says she enjoyed her course of study at Fisher but decided to delve deeper into the world of business, so she went on to earn a B.A. in Design and Resource Management from the University of Connecticut. “It was quite a jump from Fisher’s small classes to UConn’s huge lecture halls,” she says. “I really wanted to be a fashion designer, yet I was really interested in the business side of things. I took a class in entrepre neurship and fell in love with marketing.”
Melaragno went to work in retail at the Gap and Macy’s, growing her career considerably at the latter, where she went from Sales Manager to Regional Manager, ending up on the corporate side in Store Development. “I loved doing it all: the planning, putting in the registers, the fixtures, working with the product team,” she says. Her career continued to evolve as she got into project management, project execution, and operations. Like many retail giants, Macy’s cut back on staffing and Melaragno was laid off in 2016. “I had
Picture Perfect Asha
Holmes A.S. ’09, ’11 has leveraged her Fisher degrees and years of experience into a successful career as a photo stylist.
BY MARIA LAPIANA
Asha Holmes A.S. ’09, ’11 likes to say that she helps make pretty pictures. But the Fisher alum does a lot more than that. With degrees in Fashion Merchandising and Communication and Media Studies, Holmes has leveraged years of experience—from retail and event planning to visual merchandising—into a successful career as a photo stylist. “It’s multifaceted, and I love collaborating with others to make something look its best. I really enjoyed visual merchandising, and at one point thought I’d want to become a buyer, but it involves more math than I expected,” she says with a laugh. Because she was skilled at making stores look good, in 2017 she applied
to pivot, so I did some sales and marketing for vendors, and then I found out about Charter. I’m thinking, ‘They’re a telecom company, what can I possibly do there?’”
A lot, as it turns out. Melaragno has been with Charter for seven years now. She started in store development, using the
for her first job as a stylist at Wayfair, and found her passion. She now styles photos for lifestyle products ranging from bedding to candles. Holmes lives in a northwest Boston suburb with her husband of seven years, Jonathan Holmes ’10, whom she met at Fisher, and they have a three-year-old son. Holmes says her experience as a Communication and Media Studies major taught her a lot about advertising and the industries adjacent to hers. “Many of my classes were conversation-based. We talked about the world and how we’re influenced,” she says. “I think about it all the time and bring it into every shoot I work on. It really is about more than taking pretty pictures.
skills she honed at Macy’s. She worked with the marketing team on “everything from window posters and uniforms to branded customer bags. We even had to plan the employees’ back room,” she says.
When the company started selling mobile phones, new opportunities opened up. “There were many new aspects of the operation, including how to secure the phones in the stores,” she says. From there, Melaragno went on to head up mobile sales operations and all that it entails. “I like to solve problems. I like to ask, ‘What are we solving for?’ I like to look at data, because it tells a story. I think: ‘If we fix this or enhance that, how can we increase sales?’ Every day is different, and I really like that about the job.”
Melaragno says she appreciates every experience she has had along her career path, starting with her associate degree from Fisher, when it was still a junior college. “I couldn’t be doing what I do now if I didn’t go through all those steps,” she says. “I firmly believe that nothing is wasted.” –ML
Holmes photograph by Christopher Churchill
Fisher Events
A group of alumni gathered at View Boston in June to reconnect with old friends, make new ones, and reminisce about their time at Fisher, all while enjoying the stunning Boston skyline.
The 2nd Annual Fisher Golf Classic, held at the Merrimack Valley Golf Club on September 30, was a resounding success, raising record-high funds. The club will host the 3rd annual tournament on October 6, 2025.
On October 26, current and former Fisher athletes came together to applaud David Lindberg, former head men’s basketball coach and former Director of International Admissions, as he was inducted into the Athletics Hall of Fame
BEYOND / ADVANCING FISHER
Donor Q+A
Richard Potter, A.S. ’02, ’05
Fisher’s Senior Director, Enrollment Management and Administration Graduate and Professional Studies, on giving back.
Why did you choose Fisher?
At 27, I was working in retail and was a single dad with a young daughter. I felt I needed more. I stopped into Fisher’s Taunton, Massachusetts, site one day and ended up enrolling. I enjoyed learning for the first time since middle school, and did pretty well, which boosted my confidence.
How did your experience as a Fisher student set you up for success? The confidence I gained led me to leave retail for a position with a software development/Internet hosting start-up company as a sales associate. The opportunity to learn new skill sets and emerging tech was the perfect challenge.
What made you want to continue your relationship with the school as an employee?
I thought working for the College would be a great opportunity to parlay my sales, marketing, and support experience into an industry that leverages personal and professional growth.
Why is it important to you to support Fisher financially?
I’m still a single-income household and don’t have much extra to donate, but I’ve tried to consistently give something small every month for nearly all the time I’ve worked at Fisher. I would emphasize to my fellow alums to give whatever amount they can afford. If we can have more participation from smaller donors, then we’ll be able to grow our fund and expand our giving community To donate, please visit fisher.edu/give.
–Paula
M. Bodah
“I knew ‘selling’ education and providing support to people like myself would be very satisfying.”
POTTER, A.S. ’02, ’05
Photograph by Christopher Churchill
RICHARD
Advancement Updates
From the Office of Advancement & Alumni Engagement
Continuing to strengthen the alumni connection with their alma mater remains a top priority for the College. There are a variety of ways that alumni can stay engaged and involved with Fisher—attending alumni events, volunteering as a guest speaker at an event or class, hosting a gathering of alumni local to one’s area, visiting with a member
of the Advancement staff and learning more about specific opportunities tailored to one’s interests and expertise—and more! Alumni and friends are welcome to reach out any time at alumni@fisher.edu.
Donor Appreciation
It is with tremendous gratitude that we acknowledge our Fiscal Year ’24 (July 1, 2023–June 30, 2024) benefactors of Fisher College. Their impact allows students to be educated, elevated and empowered every day. Thank you for your continued investment in Fisher students! To view the contributors by giving society, please visit fisher.edu/alumni.
Giving by the Numbers
Our FY24 metrics increased over FY23 by the following percentages:
11.8%
Total dollars raised
22.3%
Number of gifts
26.5%
Number of donors
107%
Number of first-time donors
15%
Number of alumni donors
32% Board of Trustees collectively increased their annual giving total
45.6% FY24 donations made by alumni
Girls Just Wanna Have Fun
In 1988, Fisher’s students were a stylish bunch with their big hair, feathered bangs, and oversize sunglasses. Styles have changed, but Fisher still spawns lasting friendships. *
Every era has its signature hairstyle, from the pageboy of the 1950s to the beehive of the ’60s to the shag of the ’70s. The women of Sarah Mortimer Hall, shown here in 1988, were totally on trend with the decade’s big-hair craze, featuring hairspray, mousse, and more hairspray. See if you can spot the nine changes in these photos.
*For solution, go to fisher.edu/ fishertoday. Spot the Difference
Artifact
A 1928 MARKETING POSTCARD FOR FISHER BUSINESS COLLEGE
A one-cent stamp was all it took to mail a postcard back in 1928, when Fisher Business College sent this one to high school students. Marketing methods have changed over the years, but Fisher’s mission as described here is very much the same. The College still prides itself on its “modern, comprehensive courses of study.” And, it adheres to its longtime mission of recognizing each student’s singularity and helping all students meet their fullest potential. Still true today is the postcard’s message that “the student who wants to succeed will find here encouragement and help of every kind.”
—Paula M. Bodah
Photograph by Christopher Churchill
‘UBIQUE FIDELIS’ Everywhere Faithful
Established in 2006, The E.H. & M.C. Fisher Legacy Society honors those who have taken the special step of including Fisher College in their long-term plans through a bequest provision in their will, trust, IRA Charitable Rollover, Charitable Gift Annuity, or other estate-related giving arrangement.
Planned gifts are a way for alumni and friends to fuel the College’s mission and provide transformative educational experiences for students empowering their limitless potential.
We welcome you to have a conversation about how you can make a difference through a planned gift. Please reach out to the Office of Advancement & Alumni Engagement at 617-236-8822 or alumni@fisher.edu or visit fisher.edu/give
Your Future, Your Way
Enhance your career with a Fisher College Graduate Degree.
Fisher College Graduate and Professional Studies offers two new degrees—a STEM M.B.A. and an M.Ed. in Early Childhood Education. See News + Notes, page 9, for details!
To prepare for your next chapter, visit fisher.edu/academics/graduate
FISHER GRADUATE PROGRAMS
Master of Business Administration in Strategic Leadership, offering tracks in Cybersecurity and Healthcare Management
STEM Master of Business Administration
Master of Arts in Counseling Psychology, offering tracks in Trauma and Addictions Counseling
Master of Arts in Psychology
Master of Education in Early Childhood Education
Maser of Science in Criminal Justice
Graduate Certificate in Addictions Counseling
Graduate Certificate in Healthcare Management