Mount Saint Mary College Magazine Winter 2019-2020

Mount Saint Mary College

MAGAZINE NEWBURGH, NEW YORK

WINTER 2019-20

Our first 60 years

Mount Saint Mary College Magazine Volume 42, No. 1 The Office of Marketing and Communications prepares this magazine for alumni, students, parents, faculty, staff, and friends of the college.

EDITOR / DESIGN DIRECTOR Dean DiMarzo MBA ’13

DESIGNER Sten Miller Perkins SENIOR WRITERS Matt Frey ’05 MSEd ’10 Emily Ricci ’15 PHOTOGRAPHER Lee Ferris CONTRIBUTORS Michael Doughty Lynn Frank Michelle Iacuessa ’94 COPYEDITORS Lauren Giacalone Tabatha Mays ’14

WEBSITE magazine.msmc.edu EMAIL magazine@msmc.edu

MOUNT SAINT MARY COLLEGE 330 Powell Avenue Newburgh, NY 12550 845-561-0800

ADMISSIONS 888-YES-MSMC CIRCULATION 8,000 ©2020

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Contents Celebrating 60

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Inauguration 2019

20

HEOP at 50

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Pillars of the Mount

24

Hall of Fame

34

Alumni Weekend

36

Alumni Notes

37

Singing Sisters

41

On the cover

A look inside the Villa Library in the early days of Mount Saint Mary College

The Gatehouse

A stately gatehouse framed by forsythia bushes graced the Liberty Street campus entrance for years before it was damaged in a fire and had to be razed. You can see it in the early drawing of the campus on page 5. www.msmc.edu

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As we celebrate our 60th year, we look back on the events that shaped Mount Saint Mary College as we know it today.

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www.msmc.edu

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1883

W

hen they arrived in Newburgh 136 years ago, who could have guessed that just four Dominican Sisters would be the catalyst for the entire educational legacy of Mount Saint Mary College?

On April 9, 1883, Dominican Sisters Hildegarde, Justina, DeSales, and Egbert first set foot in Newburgh, coming at the request of the pastor of St. Mary’s Church. They had arrived by way of a steamship called The Mary Powell. The sisters had come from the motherhouse on Second Street in Manhattan where they had been for 30 years since arriving in America from the Holy Cross Convent in Regensburg, Germany.

These first Dominican Sisters of Newburgh would do their brethren proud. Committed to service and study from the start, these four sisters quickly founded Mount Saint Mary’s Academy on the grounds of the McAlpine Estate on Gidney Avenue in Newburgh.

In the early 1910s, the property next door, the Van Duzer estate, was put up for sale. The asking price was $125,000.

Mother Emmanuel, who had succeeded Mother Hildergarde, saw the wisdom of buying it, but the bishop told her to pass on the opportunity. However, Mother Emmanuel was not deterred. She quietly contacted the cardinal, who told her to purchase the estate. She and the sellers agreed on a final price of $65,000, and the deal was completed in 1913.

The purchase consisted of Rosenhof mansion, a carriage

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An early photo of Mount St. Mary’s Academy house, an ice house, a hothouse, and dozens of acres of land.

Rosenhof mansion, the Van Duzer main house, became a residence and later the first building of the college – The Villa Madonna. The carriage house became Domus Angelorum, a music school where the sounds of Steinway pianos

Casa San José filled the air. It is now called Whittaker Hall.

By 1927, the sisters had built and opened Greater Mount Saint Mary, a five-story high school in the building now known as the Dominican Center. The Dominican Center’s Chapel of the Most Holy Rosary, the college’s current main

chapel, was completed one year later in 1928. Also around this time, a storehouse was rebuilt as the Casa San José, which served as an elementary school.

In 1930, Mount Saint Mary Normal and Training School was certified as a teacher training institute, allowing the sisters to teach in New York elementary schools. Twenty years later, the new Bishop Dunn Memorial School – taking the reins from Casa San José – was accredited by the Middle States Commission on Elementary Education. The school was named after Bishop John Joseph Dunn (1870-1933), a friend and benefactor to the sisters in the earlier days of the Academy.

Then, in 1954, Mount Saint Mary College as we know it began to take shape. The Board of Regents granted a provisional charter for Associate of Arts degrees, and the sisters donated 23 acres to the project. The Villa became the college building.

With the four pillars of Dominican Life – study, spirituality, service, and community – guiding them, the Dominican Sisters of Newburgh established Mount Saint Mary College as a four-year institution in October of 1959. www.msmc.edu

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1927

The Mount takes shape

The Dominican Sisters opened Greater Mount Saint Mary, a high school. It was housed in the building now known as the Dominican Center. Top, construction underway.

Above, Cardinal Patrick Hayes blessed the Motherhouse.

1957

Learning and literacy

The Center for Developmental Learning and Reading offered literacy and developmental therapy for local children. www.msmc.edu

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1959

AN ew Era

A look at life the year the Mount was born

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od Serling’s seminal horror anthology The Twilight Zone had just whisked viewers into the fifth dimension, gasoline was 25 cents a gallon, and Mount Saint Mary College became a four-year institution of higher learning. The year 1959 brought new beginnings for the college, but ushered in a time of growth and change for the nation as well.

Hail to the Chief

Republican Dwight D. Eisenhower, who had commanded the Allied forces during the WWII D-Day Normandy Invasion 15 years earlier, held the highest office in the land.

Swing low, sweet chariot race

Charlton Heston starred in Ben-Hur. It had a budget of more than $15 million and was the highest grossing film of 1959.

Joining the Lower 48

In January, Alaska became the 49th state.

Hawaii followed suit in August, becoming America’s 50th state.

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Please, Mr. Postman

Stamps cost just 4 cents (or 7 cents for air mail) in 1959.

The final frontier

A pair of primates became the first beings to experience space travel and safely return home to Earth.

And the award goes to…

At the 31st Academy Awards ceremony, the musical comedy Gigi won Best Picture.

Moose and squirrel

In addition to the iconic title characters, The Adventures of Rocky and Bullwinkle and Friends introduced the world to the likes of Boris and Natasha, Dudley Do-Right, and Mr. Peabody and Sherman.

Tearing up the charts

Johnny Horton’s “The Battle of New Orleans” was number 1 on the Billboard Hot 100.

The day the music died

Musicians Buddy Holly, Ritchie Valens, and the Big Bopper perished in a plane crash that was revisited years later in Don McLean’s iconic musical opus “The Day the Music Died.”

‘I still want a hula hoop’

The first Grammy awards were held in May. “The Chipmunk Song (Christmas Don’t Be Late)” earned three awards, including Best Comedy Performance.

See the USA in your Chevrolet

The Mercury-Redstone 2 carried Ham the chimpanzee (inset above) on a 16-minute suborbital flight.

The Chevrolet Impala, introduced the previous year, was one of the most popular cars with US consumers.

Images: Library of Congress, NASA, The Old Car Manual Project www.msmc.edu

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1959

Founding W

hen Mount Saint Mary College became a four-year institution in October of 1959, the Villa served as the college’s main building with classrooms, a library, and living quarters.

From this humble start, the Mount blossomed over the next 60 years.

The Villa

1960

1963

The first lay women were admitted to the newly-formed four-year college. Previously, the Mount had been awarding associate degrees to sisters since 1954.

Influential artist Salvador Dalí visited a fledgling Mount Saint Mary College in 1963.

He gave a book of his jewelry designs to the Mount’s first president, Mother Leo Vincent Short, OP, with a short note to her written on the inside cover. (The book is still part of the college’s archives.) In 1984, an anonymous donor gave the Mount several prints of Dalí’s works.

Welcome, fresh(wo)men

Hello, Dalí!

1961

Building a better future Work began on Aquinas Hall, the first academic building constructed for the college.

1962

Reaching new heights

The Mount acquired Rosary Heights in Balmville for off-campus housing.

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1963

Guzman Hall welcomes novices

Guzman Hall opened and served as the residence hall for the young Dominican novices.

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Aquinas Hall science lab

1963

Second to none

Aquinas Hall Theatre

Aquinas Hall, named after 13th century Dominican friar St. Thomas Aquinas, opened its doors in 1963 and remains the main academic building of the college to this day.

Said Sr. Mary Consilia, OP, an instructor at the college, “We have a building second to none and equal to the best.”

The 1,100 seat Aquinas Hall Theatre has long been a cultural home of the Newburgh community. In May of 1963, Aquinas Hall Theatre opened with the U.S. premiere of Dialogue of the Carmelites, directed by Salvatore Baccaloni of the Metropolitan Opera.

Dr. Cotter

1963

From Boston with love

The college’s longest-serving professor, James Finn Cotter, began his tenure at the Mount in 1963. Cotter, a professor of English, co-wrote the Mount’s alma mater (1964), taught English in Algeria as a Fulbright scholar (1970), and has inspired thousands of Mount students, staff, and fellow professors during more than 50 years of teaching. www.msmc.edu

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Growing Aquinas Hall language lab

Top, Joy Jarvis ‘68 relaxed with a newspaper outside a residence hall.

Above, Mount students decorated a Christmas tree in the Villa in 1964.

1964

The first Commencement

The Mount celebrated its first Commencement as a four-year liberal arts college in 1964. There were 32 graduates. Among the graduates was Professor Emerita of Mathematics Sr. Patricia (Pat) Sullivan, OP. 1968

The Mount goes co-ed

In the spring of 1968, the first male student began taking classes at the newly co-educational college.

By 1970, 58 male students were enrolled.

1968

Fully accredited

The Mount received full accreditation from the Middle States Commission on Higher Education.

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Sr. Pat Sullivan, OP 1973

1973

There were a few double takes on campus in October of 1973 when the Dominican Sisters began to dress in secular clothing. The new dress code, which allowed for personal choice for the sisters’ clothing, was approved by the Dominican Order.

The snack bar Nellie’s Nook opened and was operated by Mount student volunteers. In 1976, the popular hang-out, located in the College Courts, was renovated thanks to grants from the college’s Board of Trustees and Student Government.

Out of habit

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A sweet retreat

Rosary Heights In the 1960s, students enjoyed offcampus housing at Rosary Heights (left) in nearby Balmville. The first span of the Newburgh-Beacon Bridge, which had just opened in 1963, is seen in the distance.

Diane Assefi ‘77 was ready to “go further” as she drove away from Commencement in her family’s 1929 Ford.

Students on the hill overlooking Aquinas Hall

1974

Outstanding educators

Four Mount faculty were named “Outstanding Educators of America for 1974.” They were Sr. Agnes Boyle, OP; James Finn Cotter; Edith Lessor; and Sr. Mary Eleanor Mahone, OP. 1974

Adult education

Sr. Agnes Boyle, OP initiated the adult education program, now known as degree completion.

1974

Angels we have heard on high

The first Vespers at the Mount took place in 1974. Pictured here is the 11th Vespers service in 1985, conducted by Lou Fletcher.

Durward Entrekin, professor of

Vespers Music, currently leads the college’s choir and has participated in the tradition for nearly 30 years. Nicholas

Valentine of Broadway Tailors has been providing tuxedos for the singers since 1975. www.msmc.edu

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Star-studded years

Bob Hope visit

Dizzy Gillespie

Helen Hayes

1976

Helen Hayes at the Mount

The “First Lady of American Theatre,” Helen Hayes, was the college’s Commencement speaker in 1976.

She encouraged the graduates to be interested not “merely in making a living, but a life” and quipped that the “Joneses weren’t worth keeping up with in the first place.” The Mount awarded her an honorary doctorate during the ceremony.

1976

Hope and generosity

Legendary comedian Bob Hope took the Aquinas Theatre stage on December 3, 1976. At the event, Hope donated $10,000 to the college, prompting a standing ovation from the audience of about 800. Sr. Yvonne Milroy, OP, who

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Julius LaRosa and Jerry Lewis taught art classes at the Mount, presented the comedian with the Trustees’ Award for distinguished service to the college. Opening for Hope was singer Julius LaRosa, who paid the $50 admission for 100 Mount students to attend the show.

Jerry Lewis and Julius LaRosa (who had been there the previous year with Bob Hope). “Laughter is a safety valve, and we should cherish our ability to laugh,” said Lewis.

1977

Legendary jazz trumpeter Dizzy Gillespie enthralled audiences in Aquinas Hall Theatre.

Cracking up

The Mount hosted an evening with

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1978

Blues after dark

Henry Kissinger and Sr. Ann Sakac, OP

Armand Assante

Margaret Whiting and Sr. Ann Sakac, OP

1978

1986

The Math department purchased the college’s first computer, a TRS-80, for “Introduction to Computers.” By 1979, the Mount had three computers, two TRS-80 models and an IBM 5100.

Pictured above is a scene from the 1986 production of Little Mary Sunshine. Other plays performed over the years included The Philadelphia Story, The Glass Menagerie, and The Miseducation of Isabella, an original comedy co-written by the cast.

Entering the digital age

1984

The Mount’s first master’s degrees

The Mount launched its first master’s degree program, a Master of Science in Special Education, in 1984.

1985

Luck of the Irish

It was a packed house in the Aquinas Hall Theatre for the reunion concert of The Clancy Brothers and Tommy Makem in 1985.

Little Mary Sunshine

Little Mary Sunshine

with donors. “You have wonderful spirit at this college, Sister,” he remarked to Sr. Ann Sakac, OP, the Mount’s then-president, upon leaving.

1988

Assante at the Mount

Actor Armand Assante spoke to graduates at Commencement.

1986

1988

Former Secretary of State Henry Kissinger was The Samuel D. Affron Memorial Lecture Series speaker for 1986. He spent a day at the Mount discussing foreign affairs issues, holding a seminar for Mount and other area college students, and attending a dinner

Actress and singer Margaret Whiting visited campus. Whiting is known for the late 1950s television show Those Whiting Girls and for recording the song “Baby, It’s Cold Outside” with Johnny Mercer in 1949. The song peaked at number 4 on the Billboard Best Seller chart.

Kissinger visits the Mount

It’s Cold Outside

www.msmc.edu

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An early Knight mascot

Breaking new ground Desmond Campus

1980s

The original Mack

Who wore it better? The Knight mascot (above) has changed over the years, but remains a beloved figure at Mount events.

1990

Biden at the Mount

Sen. Joseph Biden held a lecture on campus to bring attention to the decade’s drug epidemic.

1991

Her eyes were on the arts

Alice Curtis Desmond bequeathed her Balmville estate to the Mount.

To this day, the Desmond Campus for Adult Enrichment offers community education in the arts, sciences, hobbies, fitness, and more.

1992

Building athletic excellence

The Elaine and William Kaplan Recreation Center opened in 1992, providing facilities for recreational and intramural activities as well as intercollegiate sports. The new center featured basketball and volleyball courts, seating for 1,500, a weight training room, aerobics room, athletic training facilities, lounges, a snack bar, an indoor track, and a pool, as well as classrooms.

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Rendering of the Elaine and William Kaplan Recreation Center

1994

Knights join the Skyline Conference

The Mount was accepted into the Skyline Conference of the NCAA. 1994

Friendly competition

The first Mount Olympics pitted each of the four undergraduate classes against each other in a series of fun challenges.

1995

Skyline Conference champs

Just a year after being accepted into the Skyline Conference, the Knights took their first Skyline Conference championship crown in 1995. Since then, the Knights have won more than 35 Skyline Conference Championships across nine teams.

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William an d

Elaine Kap

lan

1998

Dribbling to victory

The Women’s Basketball team won the Eastern College Athletic Conference championship tournament in 1998. They have had a total of 13 NCAA tournament appearances and five wins throughout the years.

The annual bonfire

Be the spark The Mount’s fall bonfire has been a beloved tradition since 1995.

Sakac Hall

2003

In her honor

Kaplan Family Math, Science and Technology Center

Sakac Hall, a new residence hall named in honor of the Mount’s fourth president, Sr. Ann Sakac, OP, opened. It now serves as a residence for first-year women. Guzman Hall and Founders Chapel were renovated the following year.

1999

2001

2007

The college purchased the Newburgh Jewish Community Center building and property in 1996, and completed renovations to the new Hudson Hall in 1999.

The newly-opened building offered 10 state-of-the-art smart classrooms, a multipurpose auditorium, a café, lounges, and the Education Curriculum Library.

The terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001 forever changed the nation, including Mount Saint Mary College.

Students packed the commuter lounge that morning, huddled around the television set, watching the situation unfold minute by minute. Nearly 20 years later, Campus Ministry holds an annual candlelight vigil on the anniversary of the attacks.

A 54,000 square foot addition onto the west side of Aquinas Hall opened in September of 2007 and was dubbed the Kaplan Family Mathematics, Science and Technology Center. It was dedicated in 2009 in honor of the family of William Kaplan and the Kaplan Family Foundation, which provided the lead gift of $5 million.

The birth of Hudson Hall

9-11 impacts us all

Aquinas Hall enhanced

www.msmc.edu

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Barbara Taylor Bradford

Call to Excellence campaign for the Dominican Center

James Patterson

Dana McDonough ’91 and Debra Calvino ’81

2010

Teachers of the Year

Debra Calvino ’81 was named New York State Teacher of the Year for 2010. Six years later, she was joined by fellow alumna Dana McDonough ’91, who was named NYS Teacher of the Year for 2016.

2011

Call to Excellence

The Mount purchased the Motherhouse from the Dominican Sisters in 2011, launching the Call to Excellence campaign to raise funding for renovations.

2012

Unexpected blessings

Novelist Barbara Taylor Bradford, OBE spoke on campus for the 2012 Samuel D. Affron Memorial Lecture Series.

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2013

Patterson returns home

Newburgh-native and best-selling author James Patterson addressed graduates at the 2013 Commencement Exercises.

2014

Relay for Life

In 2014, the Mount’s Relay for Life raised almost $50,000 for the American Cancer Society, topping the previous year’s total by $10,000.

The Mount’s Relays for Life garnered almost $250,000 to fight cancer over eight years.

2014

Renovation complete

The newly-renovated Dominican

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Center (formerly the Motherhouse) opened on January 28, 2014 for the college community to enjoy.

2014

Procession of Books

When the college opened Aquinas Hall in 1961, the sisters and students formed a procession to pass the books from the Villa Library to the new library in Aquinas Hall. Members of the college community gathered on a chilly day in January 2014 to recreate the book procession from more than 50 years prior. Book processors lined the sidewalk and stairs from the Curtin Memorial Library in Aquinas Hall to the new library in the Dominican Center, the Kaplan Family Library and Learning Center.

Procession of Books Founders Walk

Founders Walk

Giving Tree

2016

The first Medici Scholars

The first group of Mount students finished the Medici Scholars program in 2016. Medici Scholars, a collaboration between the Mount and Walden Savings Bank, introduces undergraduate Business and Accounting students to working with the arts and nonprofits. The program continues to this day.

Alvin Mann

2016

Graduating at 92

Alvin Mann attracted news coverage as he graduated from the Mount with a bachelor’s degree in history at the age of 92. He returned a year later to receive an honorary degree.

2019

A walk to remember

Sixty years after the Mount became a four-year college, more than 100 members of the Mount community recreated the original sisters’ walk from the Newburgh waterfront to campus. The Founders Walk con-

cluded with a ceremony on campus presenting the Dominican Sisters with a signed photo on behalf of the campus community, thanking them for founding the college so many years ago.

2019

Surpassing our goal

Fr. Gregoire (Greg) Fluet, chaplain and director of Campus Ministry, gave the campus community a huge goal in 2019: to finish out the decade with the highest number of gifts ever donated to the Giving Tree — 1,000. The Mount community rallied together to not only meet the goal, but also to surpass it, with 1,092 toys being donated to Catholic Charities for local children in need. www.msmc.edu

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Inauguration 2019

Charting the course

Dr. Jason N. Adsit inaugurated as the Mount’s seventh president

T

he Mount Saint Mary College community, distinguished local leaders, and friends of the college celebrated the inauguration of Dr. Jason N. Adsit, the Mount’s seventh president, on September 13, 2019.

Mass was concelebrated that morning by Cardinal Timothy Dolan; Bishop Dominick J. Lagonegro, DD; Fr. Kevin E. Mackin, OFM, fifth president of the Mount; and Fr. Gregoire J. Fluet, college chaplain and director of Campus Ministry.

At the ceremony that afternoon, regional leaders such as William Kaplan, Newburgh businessman and philanthropist, and Sr. Ann Sakac, OP, fourth president of the Mount, were present in recognition of Dr. Adsit’s service to the college.

Cardinal Dolan gave the invocation: “We are confident in your presence, Jesus… your presence we already honor on this beautiful, historic campus,” he said. “We beseech your continued presence, your wisdom and guidance, upon our new president, Dr. Jason Adsit.”

Michael J. Olivette, Vice President for Academic Affairs at the Mount, welcomed the enthusiastic crowd: “Dr. Adsit’s inauguration celebrates the beginning of the Mount’s next chapter,” he said. “Under his leadership, we have embraced a vision for our future – to build upon the college’s long-standing dedication to service.”

Among those who offered words of encouragement to Dr. Adsit were Beverly Mennerich ’68, president of the Mid-Hudson Chapter of the

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Mount Alumni Association; Torrance Harvey MSEd ’03, mayor of Newburgh; Anthony Liotti, vice chair of the college’s Board of Trustees; Sr. Catherine McDonnell, OP ’69, prioress of the Dominican Sisters of Hope; Sr. Margaret Anderson, OP ’67, former vice chair of the Mount Board and co-chair of the Presidential Search Committee; and Nancy H. Blattner, president of Caldwell University.

Dr. David A. Kennett, former interim president of the Mount, entrusted the college’s ceremonial mace to Dr. Adsit. In addition, Charles P. Frank, chairman of the college’s Board of Trustees, presented Dr. Adsit with the Presidential Medallion and Chain of Office.

Dr. Adsit thanked the many faculty, staff, students, and friends of the college who made the inauguration celebration possible, as well as the Dominican Sisters of Hope who founded the college 60 years ago.

To the students, he said: “You’re the reason why we exist, and why I get up every morning trying to figure out how we can make the best educational experience we can for you. Then I go to bed each night wanting to make it better for you the next day.”

Dr. Adsit reiterated the Mount’s dedication to service and community outreach. “When you’re in the service of others, you’re in the service of God,” he said. “Pour yourself out. Light the lamp.

Spark a change. Put yourself last and discover the authentic person who is revealed through your selfless acts of service. Because then you will find peace. Peace be upon all of you.”

are going “toWebecome the most community service-based college in the United States.

We are going to do that.

�

Dr. Jason N. Adsit President

Dr. Adsit and family with Cardinal Dolan

Cardinal Dolan blesses the presidential medallion

HEOP alumni celebrated the program’s 50th year during Alumi Weekend 2019.

HEOP celebrates

50 years T

he James Finn Cotter Villa Library was packed with familiar faces as the Arthur O. Eve Higher Education Opportunity Program (HEOP) at Mount Saint Mary College celebrated its 50th anniversary.

Held during the college’s 2019 Alumni Weekend, more than 30 Mount HEOP alumni returned to their alma mater to commemorate this massive milestone.

The Mount’s HEOP program provides educational opportunities and support to traditionally underserved students who have strong academic potential, but would otherwise be excluded from higher education due to circumstances of academic and economic disadvantage.

The program is one of the most successful of its kind in New York.

Since 1969 – only a decade after the Mount was established as a four-year institution – the HEOP program has been integral to the Mount’s commitment to accessible higher educa-

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tion and its philosophy of preparing students for a life of leadership.

Many Mount HEOP students are the first in their families to earn a college degree, noted Kelvin HerreraHassan, director of the Mount’s HEOP. “It’s important for Mount Saint Mary College to cultivate students like this because the college’s HEOP program aims to help students succeed through education and to make contributions to their communities and society at large,” said Herrera-Hassan.

“Many of our HEOP graduates have entered careers in medicine, law, business, communications, social work, and more. The accomplishments of our students are clear.”

It’s rewarding, Herrera-Hassan added, to see HEOP students grow personally, academically, and professionally: “Nothing compares to the feeling of being able to see them come in as wide-eyed freshmen and leave successful, experienced students ready to conquer anything and everything.”

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Other notable anniversaries The Mount’s 60th year also coincides with these milestones: 45 Years: The annual Christmas Vespers service of lessons and carols 30 Years: The Division of Math and Information Technology, formerly known as Math and Computer Science 15 Years: The School of Nursing’s Simulation Center 10 Years: Career Center (with co-ops and internships celebrating 30 years), the Investigating Research on Campus (iROC) series, the Catholic and Dominican Institute (CDI), Summer Undergraduate Research Experience (SURE), the Center on Adolescent Research and Development (CARD), and the Mount’s annual Gala celebration

Gala 2019 Mount honors Derrik R. Wynkoop and David Potack at Tenth Annual Gala

Mount Saint Mary College was proud to celebrate two distinguished members of the local community at the Tenth Annual Gala Reception on Friday, December 6.

Derrik R. Wynkoop, President and CEO of Walden Savings Bank, and David Potack, President of Unitex Textile Rental Services, Inc. were honored with the Joseph A. Bonura Award for Leadership Excellence.

This award recognizes individuals whose professional accomplishments and approach to management reflect the same commitment to quality, concern for neighbors, and shared prosperity that have exemplified the career and character of restaurateur Joseph A. Bonura. The local businessman owns Anthony’s Pier 9 in New Windsor, N.Y. and the Poughkeepsie Grand Hotel in Poughkeepsie, N.Y., among other businesses.

The gala also recognized the Mount’s Sr. Agnes Boyle, OP and Senator William Larkin, both of whom passed away earlier this year. Both gave much of themselves to the Mount.

More than 200 guests attended the event, which raised a record $127,000 in gifts, sponsorships, and ticket sales.

The funds enable the college to provide scholarships and an affordable, values-based education to thousands of deserving students, many of whom are among the first in their families to attend college.

“It’s an honor to receive the Joseph A. Bonura Award for Leadership Excellence,” said Wynkoop.

Top, from left, honoree Derrik Wynkoop, philanthropist William Kaplan, honoree David Potack, board chair Charles Frank, and Mount President Dr. Jason N. Adsit Left, the Dominican Sisters were well represented at the Gala Right, student leaders with Barbara Mulligan, Director of Student Activities

He has always been inspired to serve his community, Wynkoop explained. For example, he and Walden Savings Bank collaborated with the Mount to establish and endow the Medici Scholars Program. This selective program has undergraduate Business students work with Hudson Valley not-for-profit and arts-related charitable organizations.

Wynkoop is also the chairman of the SUNY Orange Foundation and has been on the board since 2010.

He became a board member of the Orange County Partnership in 2016 and currently serves as chairman of Marist’s Hudson Valley Scholars Program.

“Looking at my career in charitable work, it’s always been centered on education,” he said. To that end, Wynkoop announced that he would be making a $2,500 donation to the Mount for a new scholarship.

Wynkoop is blessed with his wife of 30 years, Allison, and his three chil-

dren: Sara, Christopher, and Matthew.

“It’s very meaningful to me to be here tonight with so many people that are important to my life,” said Potack, including his wife, Samantha, and their two children, Alexa and Justin.

“I’d also like to recognize the members of our Unitex team here tonight. I’ve learned so much from all of you, and it’s helped me to become a far better leader.”

Potack has held various positions within Unitex. His vast range of experience gives him an unparalleled understanding of the inner workings of the company and allows him to lead with great knowledge and purpose.

Community is very important to Potack: “My parents raised us with a clear understanding of the importance of what it means to be active in our communities,” he noted. He is a member of the Yale New Haven Children’s Hospital Council and the current chairman of Montefiore St. Luke’s Cornwall Hospital Board of Trustees. www.msmc.edu

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SAGAR

NUNNARI

PILLARS OF THE

MOUNT 24

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BOYLE

S

FALLON

ince the start, Mount Saint Mary College has been steeped in the four pillars of Dominican life: study, spirituality,

service, and community. It’s taken the work

of many dedicated individuals to get us to this 60th anniversary milestone, including these four outstanding pillars of the Mount.

Est. 1959

www.msmc.edu

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COMMUNITY 26

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Priscilla Sagar PROFESSOR EMERITA OF NURSING

O

ver the course of two decades – from 1998 to 2018 – Priscilla Sagar was an integral part of the Mount’s School of Nursing, and she continues to support the Mount in many ways. For years, Sagar helped to coordinate the community health nursing program at the Mount, where she and her students put transcultural nursing into practice. Her colleagues and students helped her to author two books in her focus area of transcultural nursing, giving nurses the tools they need to be more effective caregivers for people from all cultures.

Sagar, who holds a doctor of Education degree from Teachers College, Columbia University, has received many accolades for her hard work, including being named a New York Academy of Medicine Fellow and receiving the Columbia University Teachers College’s R. Louis McManus Medal. One of her proudest moments came near the end of 2019, when she was inducted as a fellow of the American Academy of Nursing. Sagar is one of only 2,600 nurse leaders in the world to have achieved this honor.

How has the Mount grown over the years?

The college has changed tremendously. The School of Nursing has many more students, and there are many more programs, both graduate and undergraduate – not just in Nursing. We’ve upgraded our technology and changed with the times.

What are the best memories of your first years teaching at the Mount?

I enjoyed teaching Community Health Nursing classes, clinical work, and guiding students to implement their Healthy People projects. With these projects, the students went into the local community and taught the benefits of hand washing, proper nutrition, physical activity, and more. I got to know the community in Newburgh, and I felt really good teaching them.

My students and I were making a difference! And making a difference really left an impression on me, on the students, and on the community. Nursing students are still doing these community education projects to this day.

Why is it important for our Nursing students to serve the community?

The City of Newburgh is one of the most underserved communities in the nation, and every individual at the college is part of this community.

Our Nursing students can make a difference by being in the community, involved in service-learning and community health. And when they graduate, they’ll be leaders in the movement towards positive health outcomes.

What should Mount Nursing graduates remember as they begin their careers in our community?

Critical thinking, clinical judgment, empathy, and compassion are key traits of good nurses, and it’s part of our curriculum. Our Nursing students also have the ability to give culturally and linguistically appropriate care.

These are the things I really emphasized to my students. These are the things I’m proud to see them carry on.

Priscilla Sagar (right) with Marallavarapu Prakasamma, a visiting healthcare professional from India, in 2002.

Sharing her knowledge Sagar has written several articles and books about her craft, particularly transcultural nursing. Keep up-to-date on what Sagar and the rest of the Mount faculty have published at msmc.edu/Authors

www.msmc.edu

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STUDY 28

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Irene Nunnari PROFESSOR EMERITA OF ARTS AND LETTERS

I

rene Nunnari’s connection to the Dominican Sisters began in 1963, when a chance encounter with Sr. Mary Immaculate McLaughlin, OP at a Villanova University acting class first introduced her to the Dominicans and the Mount.

She taught at Academia San José in Bayamón, Puerto Rico for two years, a girls’ academy run by the Newburgh Dominicans, before coming to the Mount in 1966 as director of Public Relations. She soon transitioned into a role in the English faculty, where she remained for the next five decades. During her tenure at the Mount, Nunnari was chair of the English department, which eventually became the Division of Arts and Letters; helped develop the Communications program; directed the Mount’s Cultural Centre; and was actively involved in Vespers and MSMC Theatre, often helping to direct or even acting in the plays. Now as a professor emerita, she is still an active member of the college, occasionally teaching a Shakespeare course or attending alumni events.

What was the atmosphere like at the Mount in the 1960s?

In his Pensées, Pascal wrote, “All things are best at their beginning.”

That’s where we were: at an exciting beginning of a brand new college, with all of the founders at the helm…

These women were intrepid in their determination, dedication, and faith.

It was a very exciting time.

What opportunities did the Mount offer to students in the early days?

The doors of [the college] were open to almost anyone with the dedication to pursue higher education.

You might not be a Rhodes Scholar, but if you were willing to work, the opportunity was offered. I have always believed that what we did best in those years was to present a chance to achieve at the college level. Our success stories abound.

How do knowledge and study help prepare students for their futures?

I believe that few endeavors demand more discipline and determination than pursuing a college degree.

Succeeding in that challenge does indeed prepare one for almost anything.

Hard work, self-awareness, the feeling

of achievement at finishing the goal, and meeting the rigors of a course of study are characteristics that can stay with you throughout life.

Irene Nunnari and English Professor James McEnery.

How do extracurricular activities augment study?

Those experiences augment scholarship in a crucial way, because — especially in theatre — one’s innate personal gifts and qualities can flourish. It demands determination, cooperation, leadership, and one’s artistic gifts that aren’t typically summoned up in the classroom setting, although my students will tell you that I got them up out of their classroom seats to recite, perform, or sing whenever possible.

How would you encourage your students to embrace these gifts?

Each semester, we would find a flat open space — like the Atrium, the porch, the stage in Whittaker Hall, the Science Lecture Hall, the dining room, and of course Aquinas Theatre — and perform. Those moments really stand out, because it’s one thing to read Shakespeare, but if you can speak Shakespeare, if you can stand up before a crowd and perform the battle cry of Henry V at Agincourt...well then, I think you have really learned something.

In the beginning Nunnari has been a dedicated member of the Mount community since the 1960s. She and some familiar Mount faces – James F. Cotter (English) and the late James McEnery (English, emeritus) – discuss the growth of the college during these early years in a video at msmc.edu/NunnariInterview

www.msmc.edu

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SPIRITUALITY 30

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Sr. Agnes Boyle, OP FORMER VICE PRESIDENT FOR ACADEMIC AFFAIRS

S

r. Agnes Boyle, OP spent more than 50 years serving Mount Saint Mary College. She started her career in 1963 as an assistant professor of Education, chairing the division for nine years. She also served as principal of Bishop Dunn Memorial School for five years, beginning in 1969. However, Sr. Boyle was best known for her tenure as Vice President for Academic Affairs (VPAA), a role she lovingly filled for three decades. When she stepped down as VPAA, she began the work of Mission Integration, followed by curating the college’s archives.

Among countless other accomplishments, Sr. Boyle oversaw the implementation of graduate programs and degree completion at the Mount. Since 2017, high-achieving seniors in the Mount’s degree completion program have been deemed Boyle Scholars in recognition of her tireless determination and love of academics.

Sr. Boyle passed away on Sunday, November 10, 2019, but her legacy lives on: The Vice President for Academic Affairs suite will be renamed in her honor in the coming months.

“Sr. Agnes made innumerable contributions to the college. Without her endless dedication and devotion, it is clear that the Mount simply wouldn’t be the institution it is today.”

Dr. Jason N. Adsit President of the Mount

“Sr. Agnes Boyle placed an unmistakable stamp on the Mount. Through her devotion to detail and order, through her honesty, courage, and faith, she inspired awe and respect in everyone…Her quiet demeanor, her ready smile, her total lack of ostentation, and her positive attitude influenced the Mount for nearly five decades and beyond. The college matured, deepened, and broadened under her faith-filled example and academic leadership.”

Sr. Ann Sakac, OP Fourth president of the Mount

“Sr. Agnes’s love and dedication to the college cannot be challenged.

She spent all but a few years of her ministry at the Mount and she gave her all to the development of the col-

lege. I was her student and she was an exceptional teacher – she modeled good teaching. As VPAA, she led the college’s academic side with one goal: growth of the college as an excellent academic institution. And she was tireless in that pursuit…When I visited Sr. Agnes [before she passed], her first question was about the health of the college. She was still demonstrating the courage she exemplified when on campus and the integrity that marked her tenure here.”

Sr. Catherine Walsh, OP Professor emerita of Communications

“I am so very glad that I knew Sr. Agnes and so very grateful for the opportunities she made possible. Like the other extraordinary Dominican Sisters who led the college forward, she worked tirelessly to promote academic excellence in the belief that the search for truth, individually and collectively, leads us deeper into the beautiful mystery of God’s love for all His creation.”

Sr. Agnes Boyle, OP was an integral part of Mount Commencement ceremonies for decades.

Peek at the past A devout Dominican Sister, Sr. Boyle was passionate about making Mount Saint Mary College a better place.

Take a peek at the history of the Dominican Sisters and the Mount campus at msmc.edu/PeekAtThePast

Toni Saldivar Professor emerita of English

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SERVICE 32

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Rae Fallon PROFESSOR OF PSYCHOLOGY

R

ae Fallon arrived at the Mount in 1985 and has been a warm and welcoming presence on campus ever since. In addition to preparing countless numbers of Psychology students for their careers, her Honors Introduction to Psychology course touched students of all majors as they began their studies at the Mount. Her courses, many of which she built herself, include Psychology of Stress, Child Psychology, and Drugs and Society, which echo her research interests in early childhood development, the Autism spectrum disorder, and infants exposed to drugs in utero.

Throughout her 34 years at the college, Fallon has actively served the community both at the Mount and in Orange County. She has volunteered as a member of the Board of Directors for Head Start of Orange County and as a Eucharistic Minister and member of the Altar Rosary Society at Holy Name of Mary Church in Montgomery, N.Y. She has also given generously of her time to many committees at the Mount over the years, including the Honors Program.

What was the Mount like when you arrived in the 1980s?

It was smaller in many ways. You knew almost everyone on campus.

Additionally, the longevity of Sr. Ann Sakac, OP and Sr. Agnes Boyle, OP was very important. It was a very comfortable time.

matically changing. Because of this, our students need to be lifelong learners. Students need the opportunity to question and get passionate about wanting to learn. I teach them to be skeptical of what they read and hear and to ask questions. Learning in and of itself changes who you are for the better.

Tell us about a moment that stands out in your 34 years at the college.

How does service impact students’ study here at the Mount?

When I was starting out in psychology, my research focused on the effects of crack cocaine in babies who were born from mothers with addictions.

I worked with these babies until they were 8 years old. Several years later, here at the Mount, a student asked me if I was Dr. Rae Fallon. I responded that I was, and she asked if I remembered her. She was one of my babies!

I burst into tears as she comforted me and told me that she was doing well. It was such a monumental moment seeing her as a college student.

Many of your students will end up with a career in the helping professions. How do you help them prepare for these lives of service?

The ability to help is always dra-

Being able to use theoretical knowledge and see how it affects others is crucial to the experience here at the college. Particularly in my Child Psychology and Autism courses, working with a real person is very different than a textbook. There is a dynamic change in attitude from reading a textbook to working one-on-one.

What do you view as an educator’s role to serve students both inside and outside of the classroom?

Rae Fallon at the Mount earlier in her career.

Psychology of love Known on campus for her kind and caring demeanor, Fallon says that love is “part of who we are. Love – to feel that we are part of something besides ourselves; that’s something we need to feel.” She discusses the psychology behind the six kinds of love in an article at msmc.edu/PsychologyofLove

I believe an educator’s role is t o help students discover their own passion. Once they discover that, everything else falls into place. So our role is to mentor, advise, and help them discover who they are.

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Athletics The Mount community welcomed William Lahar, Thomas Sarro, Lindsay McHugh, Jacquelyn Mancini, and Tara McDermott into the Athletes Hall of Fame.

Mount Athletics inducts 2019 Hall of Fame

M

ount Saint Mary College’s Athletics Department celebrated the achievements of the five newest members of its Hall of Fame at an induction ceremony in October of 2019.

The ceremony recognized former student-athletes Lindsay (Searle) McHugh ’11 (Women’s Tennis), Jacqueline Mancini ’14 (Women’s Soccer), and Tara McDermott ’14 (Women’s Soccer), as well as former athletic directors William Lahar (professor of Chemistry) and Thomas Sarro (professor of Biology).

McHugh played an important role in the success of the Women’s Tennis team from 2007-10. She helped lead the Knights to three unblemished Skyline Conference seasons and a pair of NCAA Tournaments. Over her four years with the team, it had a remarkable 63-10 overall record and a 31-1 mark against Skyline Conference opponents.

In 2010-11, with McHugh’s aid, the Knights followed up their first appearance on the national stage with a 15-4 mark and 7-0 league mark, returning to the NCAA Tournament for the second time in program history. McHugh graduated with a degree in Nursing

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Photo Galleries Find photos from the Hall of Fame inductions and more online at msmc.edu/flickr

and completed a doctorate in Nursing Practice at Duquesne University.

Mancini helped set the standard for the Women’s Soccer program and became the most prolific goalkeeper in program history. She anchored a team that went unscored upon in Skyline Conference play twice and posted three straight unblemished conference campaigns. Over her four years, the Mount finished with a stellar 64-24-2 overall record, including a 30-4 mark against Skyline Conference rivals.

Over the course of Mancini’s career, the Knights made four straight trips to the Skyline Conference Championship game and a trio of appearances in the ECAC Semifinal Round. Currently, she works as a high school physical education teacher and coaches high school soccer.

McDermott was a standout on the Women’s Soccer team for four seasons,

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helping build the Knights into an annual contender for the Skyline Conference crown. Over her four years, the Knights set the program’s record for most wins, 18, and best overall record, 18-4-1. She and her team went on to appear in four Skyline Conference Championship games and three ECAC semifinals. She was named the MSMC Female Athlete of the Year and ECAC Division III Metro Division Defensive Player of the Year following her senior campaign.

McDermott completed a master’s in Fashion Management from Laboratory Institute of Merchandising and currently works at Vogue Magazine.

Lahar and Sarro helped to create the Athletics Department at the Mount as some of the college’s first athletic directors. They were a driving factor in shaping the department into what it is today. Sarro and Lahar started the Men’s Basketball program with just a handful of male students and coordinated an intramural program without a gym facility on campus. Lahar and Sarro began their tenure at the college in 1975 and are currently in their 45th year. Lahar became a co-athletic director with Sarro and served as the Men’s Basketball coach from 1976-78.

Alumni Notes

[1] [2]

1967

1978

1974

1982

Ronnie (Burns) Brady is now a retired registered nurse (medical oncology). She is enjoying retirement and spending time with her five granddaughters!

Mary Ann (Kadera) Klicka attended the Pennsylvania Association of Developmental Educators’ (PADE) Annual Conference this year and was presented with an award for her "Outstanding Contribution to PADE." She has been a member for 30 years, treasurer for 9 years, and president-elect, president, and past president.

Mary Ann was honored for her exemplary teaching, leadership, advocacy, and expertise in organizational policy and procedures. [1]

Regina (Hosey) Adducci just celebrated her 40th work anniversary at Danbury Hospital in Danbury, Conn. this year. She continues to work full time in nursing management.

Linda (Dobias) Dombroski is working at Montefiore St. Luke’s Cornwall Hospital as the director of Quality/PI and has been in the nursing profession for 43 years. Linda is a member of the MSMC Alumni Board. Linda would like to hear from her MSMC friends.

Her mailing address is: PO Box 2242, Newburgh, N.Y. 12550.

1986

Donna (Smith-Peretin) Falquero has a blended family of five boys and four grandkids.

Her passion outside of family is horses. Donna is starting Whispy Hollow Farm, LLC, a nonriding program with mostly rescue/rehab horses and a focus on healthcare professionals as an opportunity for resilience building. She is currently the director of Quality Development for Duke Network Services of Duke University Health System in Durham, N.C.

1988

Sabrina (Capecci) Rosen is employed by the New York City Department of Education as a school psychologist. She splits her schedule between two elementary schools in Staten Island, N.Y., teaching students from pre K to Grade 5.

1993

Diana Fredenburg is getting ready to retire after 25 years of teaching middle school math. Diana and her husband spent last summer on a crosscountry trip, tent camping.

She is looking forward to more traveling and camping adventures. [2]

1996

Christen (Lombardo) Baumbach recently earned a doctorate in special education from Walden University, where she studied developmental literacy and the effect on grades earned by community college students with disabilities. She is working for the Binghamton School District in the parochial schools. Christen’s ultimate goal would be to teach future special education teachers at Binghamton University.

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Alumni Notes

[4]

[3]

[5]

1997

Denise (Doring) Van Buren was elected for a three-year term as the president general of the National Society of the Daughters of the American Revolution, a 186,000-member service organization with 3,000 chapters worldwide. In order to fulfill her responsibilities, she retired from Central Hudson Gas & Electric Corporation after a 26.5-year career, 20 of them as an executive officer, on January 1, 2020. [3]

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1999

The Rev. Wayne Keller completed the Master of Science in Organizational Leadership at Nyack College in 2018. In 2019, he began the Doctor of Ministry with Alliance Theological Seminary and is establishing the Wallkill Community Church while serving as founder and president of Compassionate Connections of Wallkill Inc., a community economic development corporation.

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2005

Keeping it in the family!

The LaPerche MSMC graduates are giving back to the community! Mom Sherry (LaTassa) LaPerche ’05 G '11 is a child abuse medical provider and coordinator of a sexual assault care team.

Daughter Shannon LaPerche ’18 is a registered nurse at Memorial Sloan Kettering.

Daughter Megan LaPerche ’19 is a recruiter for Greystone, Inc. [4]

2006

Enny Pichardo, former Noticiero Univisión and Noticias Telemundo news reporter, has left the journalism industry to join the public relations sector in the communications field. Enny was appointed as the deputy press secretary for New York State Attorney General Letitia James.

[5]

Alumni Notes Births

John ’09 and Corri ’10 Nicoletti welcomed their daughter, Avery Jane, into the world on November 23, 2019. Avery weighed 8lbs 1.9 oz and was 21 inches long. She joins her big sister, Hayley, at home.

[7]

[6]

In Memoriam

[8]

2008

Noah O’Byrne says “After getting my education at the Mount, it has opened up a lot of doors for me in regard to employment. The education that I received really helped prepare me for the day-today life of the workplace. I am grateful that I went to the Mount and got the experience I need to live a positive life that will last my lifetime.

Remember, work hard to reap the benefits.”

2013

Kerrie (Bascomb) Regan got married in December 2015. She has been working as a recruiter for the last four years and is also working on a master's degree in Marriage and Family Therapy. Kerrie welcomed a baby in March 2019. [6]

2014

Sandra (Rodriguez) Carter began her career in Florida as a nurse since graduating with her BSN. She started in obstetrics for two years as a postpartum nurse. Sandra then went into medical-surgical and began working her way up the leadership ladder. She is now the assistant nurse manager

of the observation units at Health Central Hospital. Sandra also enrolled in a Doctor of Nursing Practice program for leadership and management and owns a home-based travel agency. [7]

2016

Amanda Pecorella changed accounting firms, moved, and met a wonderful man who she is happy to celebrate the holidays with among lots of laughs and love. She is wishing all the same to her fellow MSMC alumni and all current students. Happy holidays to all! [8]

Irene Slabicki, 94 years old, mother of Denise (Slabicki) Carrington ’74 and motherin-law of Brian Carrington ’75, passed away June 4, 2019 at her home in Naugatuck, Conn.

Barbara Hughes, mother of Eileen (Hughes) Weir ’85 passed away on October 7, 2019.

Virginia Dente, mother of Maria Dente-Higgins ’09, passed away on August 19, 2019.

Yvonne B. Stallmer, mother of Eric Stallmer ’93, passed away on Monday, December 9, 2019.

www.msmc.edu

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Alumni Weekend

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MOUNT SAINT MARY COLLEGE MAGAZINE | WINTER 2019-20

Alumni Weekend

Left to right: Nicholas Shannon ’03, Distinguished Alumni Award recipient; Corri Nicoletti ’10 MSEd ’15, James V. McEnery Alumni Service Award recipient; and Dr. Jason N. Adsit, president of the Mount

Two earn service awards at Alumni Weekend

T

wo outstanding Mount alumni were given awards for their service to the college and the community as part of Alumni Weekend 2019.

Hundreds of successful grads, spanning 60 years of Mount history, journeyed back to their alma mater for the college’s 2019 Alumni Weekend. They celebrated their accomplishments, caught up with old friends and professors, and saw what’s new at the college that launched their careers.

During the celebration, Nicholas Shannon ’03 was presented with the college’s Distinguished Alumni Award, recognizing his contributions to society through professional and volunteer work. In addition, Corri Nicoletti ’10 MSEd ’15 was honored with the James V. McEnery Alumni Service Award for her continued service to the Mount.

Shannon, executive director of The Chamber Foundation, is a dynamic professional dedicated to giving back to the Hudson Valley through his work in the not-for-profit sector and his volunteer efforts. He gives back to the Mount by serving on the Alumni Board, as a

Photo Galleries Find photos from Alumni Weekend and more online at msmc.edu/flickr

member of the Gala Reception Committee, and as a panelist for the student Allies Club, in addition to participating in Career Center events, student job shadowing, Phone-A-Thon, and other activities.

Shannon credits the Mount with not only giving him the educational foundation and tools needed to become successful professionally, but also providing him with leadership opportunities and instilling in him the importance of service. Before graduating, he was offered a job at the former Saint Francis Hospital in Poughkeepsie (now the MidHudson Regional Hospital of Westchester Medical Center) through an internship he received with the aid of the Mount. During his nearly ten years in the position, he grew from being an assistant to running major fundraising and community events,

including Taste of the Hudson Valley.

Nicoletti has remained an active member of the Mount community since she graduated with a degree in Information Technology and Childhood Education. She then worked in the Mount’s IT Support Center while earning a master’s degree in Education at the college. Nicoletti went on to become an instructional support specialist for the Mount’s Office of Online Learning and an instructor in the Mount’s community education program. She also met and married her husband, John Nicoletti ’09, at the Mount.

Today, she is a technical support analyst for Lumen Learning, an education technology company providing affordable course materials designed to improve student learning and success via partnerships with higher education institutions. Nicoletti is quick to volunteer at the Mount as an alumni mentor to current students: she often assists at Career Center gatherings for students and serves as an alumni Admissions volunteer, recruiting the next generation of Mount students. www.msmc.edu

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Academy Profile

Building a legacy:

The Ruggerio family

A family story intertwined with the Mount's history

W

hen James Ruggiero was 14 years old, he worked with his father, a mason supervisor at a new building in Newburgh: a Motherhouse for the Dominican Sisters. Impressed with the piety of the nuns, he vowed that if he ever had a daughter, she would go to Mount Saint Mary's Academy.

Years later, he was blessed with two daughters, Janice and Jeannine. They not only attended the Academy, but also the elementary schools on campus, Casa San José and Bishop Dunn Memorial School.

The sisters agree that Mount Saint Mary's Academy was instrumental in preparing them for many of the challenges they faced in adulthood.

After graduating from the Academy, Janice went on to study Economics in college. She had a job lined up on Wall Street, but was struck by a drunk driver and had to undergo physical therapy.

While she healed, a friend gave her the opportunity to interview for a local teaching job. She credits Sr. Agnes Alma

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McDonald, OP with teaching her the organizational skills that she needed as a teacher. Another influence was Sr. M. Thomasina, OP, a history teacher whose nightly homework assignment was to watch the news and write an outline on the broadcast. The next day, the class would discuss what they heard and share their opinions. This taught the students to form an opinion and not be afraid to defend it. Finally, “Sr. Mary Francis McDonald [OP] was a perfect role model for those of us who became teachers because of her mastery of subject material, calm demeanor, and cheerful patience,” Janice reminisced. “We all loved her.”

Meanwhile, Jeannine has conquered her own struggles thanks to the Dominican Sisters’ influence. Despite the speech and physical impairments that came with being diagnosed with polio at age four, the sisters patiently worked with her throughout the years and helped her learn to read and write. She particularly remembers Sr. Rose Anita Cannon’s inspirational kindness and praise of her

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small achievements. “The Sisters looked at education as training individuals to learn, not just bookwork,” Jeannine noted. She had come to discover later in life that she had dyslexia and remarked that the sisters were before their time: they knew how to teach children with disabilities before her disability even had a name.

Today, Jeannine is able to use the sisters’ techniques with her two boys, one of whom has disabilities. She was determined to give her son the same love and understanding that she had as a child. Jeannine says that the sisters made her feel like she was part of a huge family and that they gave her the foundation to keep her strong.

As James helped construct the Motherhouse in the 1920s, who would have guessed how much the Dominican Sisters would enrich his family? As he built the foundation of the Motherhouse, so too did he build his family’s future. The Ruggerio sisters will forever be grateful for what the academy give them.

Looking Back

Joy to the world A

s Mount Saint Mary College grew and the need for new academic buildings arose, the Dominican Sisters really found themselves in tune with the college’s needs: As part of a capital campaign to build both Aquinas and Guzman Halls, 65 of them formed a group called The Singing Sisters to help collect donations.

Sr. Rose Anita Cannon, OP’s brother knew popular conductor Mitch Miller, who agreed to work with them.

The result was a 15-track album called The Singing Sisters Present: Joy! With tunes ranging from Mozart’s “Alleluia” to “Seventy-six Trombones” from The Music Man, the sisters lent their voices to the record and gave public performances.

In 1963, their popular act landed them on the Sing Along with Mitch television show. The sisters affectionately called Miller “bearded sunshine.”

The venture netted nearly $200,000 for the mortgage fund.

The album cover for The Singing Sisters Present: Joy!

www.msmc.edu

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Mount Saint Mary College

Weekend

2020

VERI M TATE

.Y .

DO CE ME

LEGE OL

Alumni

INT MARY C SA

EW

N

SAVE THE DATE

MOUN T

330 Powell Avenue Newburgh, NY 12550

B U R G H, N

Reconnect with former classmates and faculty!

September 25-27, 2020 Mount Saint Mary College