17 minute read
Class Notes
CLASS OF 1969
In February 2018, Frances (Paccillo) McEldowney moved from New Jersey and bought a home in Lake Frederick, Virginia. Her home, settled in the northern Shenandoah Valley, is 25 minutes from the entrance of the Shenandoah National Park where she spends late spring, summer, and early fall among these beautiful mountains. The rest of the year is spent in DeLand, Florida, enjoying warmer weather conditions for the winter season. Throughout the year, Frances keeps herself busy painting with different mediums, hiking, camping, attending a wonderful Bible Study group and volunteering her sewing skills by preparing sanitary packets for young ladies in Africa. Frances’ daughter, Bree, works for the Disney Corporation. She began her employment the month before the COVID shutdowns. In July, when Disney opened on a small scale, she was called back for part-time work. Finally, after 2.5 years, she will be moving over to a full-time position. Things are starting to look up! Attached are a few paintings Frances completed over the last few years.
CLASS OF 1984
Barbara Toto and Arlene Rodda Quaratiello recently returned to Villa Walsh Academy to attend a performance of The Music Man. They enjoyed being back on campus and remarked about the many improvements and changes that have been made over the years to benefit the students’ learning experiences. Arlene was in the 1983 production of the same musical, and she shared that singing in the barbershop quartet remains one of her favorite high school memories. Both Arlene and Barbara have fond memories of their Villa Walsh Academy days, especially contributing to the Spring Musicals. Both alumnae have been busy raising their families. They are now taking time to reconnect with one another, and are having a wonderful time doing so!
Arlene Rodda Quaratiello has lived in southern New Hampshire for over twenty years where she and her husband, Mark, raised three children: Grace (23), Julia (21), and Joseph (17). After getting a master's degree at the University of New Hampshire in 2008, Arlene taught English courses at St. Anselm College in Manchester, NH and other area schools, but recently left that profession to focus on her writing pursuits, details of which she hopes to share with Villa Walsh Academy in the future.
CLASS OF 1986
Christine Collins Jackson lives in Crofton, MD with her husband Kevin and four children, ages 16 - 24.
Although she has accomplished a number of different things over the years, her latest passion projects included running a food pantry that she started four years ago at a local public high school where 50% of students are eligible for free and reduced cost meals. In addition to this selfless feat, Christine is enrolled in full-time courses for her masters degree in School Counseling.
While being a university student at the same time as two of her kids constantly underlines just how old she is, it has equally done wonders for making her feel young again! She is set to graduate in May 2023 and is looking forward to working in a Title I middle or high school, thereafter.
CLASS OF 1989
On November 30, 2021 VF Corporation, a global leader in branded lifestyle apparel, footwear, and accessories, announced the appointment of Nina (Campo) Flood ’89 to the newly created position of President, Global Packs – Eastpak ® , JanSport ® and Kipling ® . “Flood will be based at the headquarters of VF International, in Stabio, Switzerland. Flood most recently served as President of Eastpak ® . After joining VF in 2003 as Senior Director, Marketing for the Nautica ® brand (formerly part of VF Corporation), she quickly progressed in her career holding various senior positions, including leading global Marketing and Strategy for Nautica before joining the Kipling ® brand as President of Kipling ® Americas in 2016. Prior to joining VF, Flood spent 10 years with Guess, Inc., holding various marketing and brand leadership roles.
Nina is the mother of Isabella (Ella) ’20 who is currently a junior at Boston College. Nina’s parents, Mr. and Mrs. Sal & JoAnn Campo, forwarded the Press Release quoted above.
CLASS OF 1991
Tiffany (Ericksen) Ward was named one of the “2021 Women in Entertainment Power 100” by The Hollywood Reporter (THR) magazine. Tiffany, an agent with Creative Artists Agency (CAA), put together talent for the Emmy-winning I Know This Much Is True and the summer hit, Lovecraft Country at HBO, as well as Amazon’s The Wheel of Time. Said THR "these executives, film makers, showrunners, and multi-hyphenates rose above the turmoil with vision and resilience.
VILLA WALSH ACADEMY TRIVIA QUESTION
"Enter the gates and climb the hill. See around you nature in full... Can you finish the verse from VWA's alma mater?
CLASS OF 1991 (CONT.)
Kara Sweeney, lives in Bow, NH with her husband, Scott Atwell (celebrating 20 years of marriage this fall), their sons, Collin (16) and Sean (13), and their two chocolate labradoodles, Teddy and Tucker.
After her time at Villa Walsh Academy, Kara attended Middlebury College where she received a degree in geology and sang with the women’s a cappella group, the Middlebury Mischords. Scott and Kara met at Sugarbush VT, where they worked together as ski patrollers. After college, Kara moved into management with the ski company, but ultimately went back to school to study law.
Kara is now a partner with the regional law firm, Preti Flaherty LLP, focusing on corporate, commercial real estate and affordable housing finance and development. She works with multi-family and senior housing developers on the acquisition, development, and financing of affordable housing facilities across northern New England. This will be her 20th year in practice.
Kara serves on the firm’s management committee, on the board of Evernorth, a low income housing and new markets tax credit syndicator, and on the board of YMCA Camp Belknap, a boys’ summer camp in Tuftonboro, NH.
Aside from work, she and Scott stay busy supporting their boys in their activities. They get back to New Jersey to visit her sister, Erin (Sweeney) Skidmore ’93 and her beautiful family, as well as her parents.
Attached are photos of Kara’s family with President Biden, whom they met last fall, thanks to 13 year-old Sean, who wrote a letter to the President to express his concern over climate change. It was an incredible lesson on speaking up for the things you care about-irrespective of politics, which was a part of their son’s point in writing!
CLASS OF 1993
Amy (Troy) Noonan, class of 1993, lives in Morristown with
her husband, Ed, and three children, Michael, (Delbarton '22), Margaret (Maggie), '23, and Marissa, '25. They are a lacrosse family and can be found in the spring at a lacrosse field. They enjoy family vacations and making memories.
CLASS OF 1997
Following her graduation from Boston College, Nicole Noonan attended Seton Hall University School of Law. After practicing family law for a number of years, she started her own fund, New Chapter Capital. Nicole has given legal commentary on Good Morning America, ABC News, Bloomberg, and France2.
She and her husband, Steven, celebrated their 10th wedding anniversary in May. They split their time between Manhattan, the Hamptons, and Miami Beach.
CLASS OF 2000
Jaime (Frio) Lambros currently resides in Manhasset, NY with her husband Elias and three children, Harry, Nicholas, and Joanna.
Pictured, is the entire Frio Villa Walsh Alumnae contingent and their respective families, Jaime (Frio) Lambros '00, Dominique (Frio) Bealin ’22, and Alexandra (Frio) Urso ’05.
Dominique currently resides in Glenview, IL with her husband, Mark and three children, Elle, Mark, and Annie. Ali currently resides in Morristown, NJ with her husband, Joe, and two boys, Joey and Vinny.
CLASS OF 2001
Melissa Campbell Parente lives in Georgia with her husband, Steven, and their two sons, William (7 years old) and Xander (6 years old) who they recently adopted from Taiwan. Both boys keep them very busy. Melissa is practicing at Emory Healthcare as a Nurse Practitioner in the Department of Neurosurgery.
CLASS OF 2004
Jessica Bhargava Devi welcomed a baby girl, Nora Maya Baksh, born in February 2022. Nora is pictured in her Villa print dress. She is ready for the VWA Class of 2040!
CLASS OF 2006
Jamie Eick lives in Dover, New Jersey and is working as a high school math teacher in Clifton. Jamie obtained a bachelor's degree in mathematics education and a masters degree in educational technology. Every February, Jamie and group of her friends take part in the Polar Bear Plunge to support the Special Olympics of New Jersey.
Jamie is happily engaged to Christopher Elsman and their wedding date is set for September 17, 2022 at SkyView Golf Club in Sparta.
Alexandra Buga is the Senior Manager Business Development at SOPHiA GENETICS. She completed her undergraduate degree at College of the Holy Cross, double majoring in Chemistry and Classics. She, then, attended Creighton University from which she received an MBA degree and a Master of Science Degree in bioscience management.
Leslie Shumate is a Senior Content Design Manager at
an educational technology company serving students in Grades K–12. Leslie received her bachelor’s degree in American Studies from the University of Notre Dame before beginning her career in children’s book publishing.
In 2020, Alexandra Buga founded a non-profit called Little Curies. Leslie Shumate joined Little Curies at its inception, as secretary. Little Curies’ mission is to ignite and accelerate the potential of young scientists and provides girls, pre-K to 8th grade, access to scientific platforms, books, and innovative interactions with women scientists. Little Curies has donated hundreds of books, science kits, and science supplies to multiple New Jersey schools.
For more information, visit www.littlecuries.org
CLASS OF 2009 CLASS OF 2006 (cont.)
Since graduating from Villa Walsh Academy, Cara Brady Smith received her bachelors degree in English from Loyola University Maryland and her JD from Seton Hall Law School. Cara is an Assistant Prosecutor at the Essex County Prosecutor’s Office, currently assigned to the trial team. Cara and her husband, Ledyard Smith IV, were married in St. Lucy Chapel at Villa Walsh Academy in November 2017. They had their first son, Ledyard Henry Smith V in December 2019 and their second son, Nolan Francis, in March 2022.
Cara and her family live in Morristown and she remains close to her Villa Walsh Academy friends - the women were bridesmaids in Cara’s wedding and are aunts to her boys!
After graduating with a Juris Doctorate from Baylor University School of Law in 2017, Marykate Moore moved from Texas to Sydney, Australia in February 2018 to pursue a Masters of Criminology at the University of Sydney. Marykate completed that degree in 2019 as well as a Masters of Law from University of New South Wales in 2020. She was admitted as a practicing solicitor in both the Supreme Court of New South Wales and the High Court of Australia in March 2021.
Marykate currently practices criminal and family law in Sydney. In 2021, she became engaged to Andrew Churchland, an Australian. They are currently planning a wedding for July 29, 2023 in Lake George, NY.
CLASS OF 2012
Since graduating from Villa Walsh Academy, Bridget (O’Loughlin) Carrasquillo graduated from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute in 2016 with a bachelors degree in Aeronautical and Mechanical Engineering. Shortly after graduating, Bridget moved to Seattle, Washington to work for The Boeing Company where she has been for the past six years. On August 8, 2020, amid the pandemic, Bridget married her college sweetheart, Diego Carrasquillo. In June 2021, they welcomed their daughter, Elizabeth, the light of their lives. This summer, Bridget and her family are preparing to move across the country to Boston, Massachusetts!
CLASS OF 2013
Katie Grumka is currently working as a Vice President at M&T Bank while pursuing her MBA at Rutgers Business School, parttime. She recently relocated back to New Jersey after four years in Philadelphia and is looking forward to traveling to Scotland again this summer to visit her sister, Kerry.
Katie (left) and sister Kerry at the Glasgow Cathedral
Katie and fellow VWA ‘13 alumnae in Hoboken January 2021 (left to right: Ellen Mihalick, Cat Creeden, Alyssa Caputo, Carolyn Regimbal, Katie Grumka)
CLASS OF 2014
After graduating Villa Walsh Academy, Gabby Anselmi went to Brown University and received a degree in Public Health. She has lived in New York City since 2018 and works as a go-to-market manager at Tomorrow Health, a health care start-up that focuses on streamlining home-based care. Gabby met her fiancé, Mike Bonacci, in 2019 in New York City.
Congratulations Class of 2018!
W H E R E A R E T H E Y N O W ?
It’s been four years since the Class of 2018 graduated from Villa Walsh Academy. Many of them graduated college and their proud families shared the following updates:
Mary Bell graduated, magna cum laude, from Elon University with a major in Psychology and a minor in Neuroscience. Mary is working at Veritas Collaborative, an inpatient eating disorder center in Durham, NC. Mary plans to apply to grad school in the fall to become a clinical psychologist for adolescents and teens with a concentration in eating disorders.
Meredyth Binder graduated from the University of Arizona with a degree in Communications and a Creative Writing minor. After a summer internship in the Communications Department at Walmart headquarters in Bentonville, Arkansas, Meredyth plans to pursue her masters degree at UT Austin Stan Richards School of Advertising and Public Relations.
Lauren Brett graduated from Boston College with a degree in education. She continues at Boston College for an additional year to receive her masters degree.
Meg Drew graduated summa cum laude from Gettysburg College with a degree in economics. During her senior year she studied abroad in Copenhagen and accepted a job with USI.
Catherine Gallo graduated from Fordham University with a major in global business. She accepted a position as an Analyst – Researcher with AMC Networks.
Tessa Grabowski graduated from Duke University Trinity College of Arts & Sciences with a BS in computer science and a minor in dance. She is currently working as a Software Developer for Syncarpha Capitol in New York City. Lauren Heitsenrether graduated with highest distinction from the University of Michigan. She majored in communication and media studies with a minor in law, justice and social change. Over the summer, Lauren began working in public relations with Edleman in New York City. Megan Holt graduated early from the University of Vermont (UVM) in December 2021 (in part due to AP credits earned at VWA) with a Bachelor of Science degree in biological studies. She is working at the University of Vermont Medical Center, with plans to pursue a Doctorate in Nursing and become a Nurse Practioner. During her years at UVM, Megan was extremely active with UVM Rescue, a 100% student run volunteer organization that serves the campus community, the city of Burlington, and surrounding towns. They are the only national collegiate EMS that staffs EMTs 24/7/365, and did so throughout the uncertainty of the pandemic. Mackenzie Hurley graduated from Rutgers University, New Brunswick's School of Arts and Sciences School of Communications and Information with a major in public relations and a minor in psychology. and
Meaghan Imossi graduated Villanova University with a major in finance. Olivia Munson graduated from the Walter Cronkite School of Journalism and Mass Communication at Arizona State University (ASU) on May 10, 2022. She earned her degree in journalism and mass communication summa cum laude with a minor in women and gender studies. She graduated with honors from ASU’s Barrett, The Honors College. She received the Moeur Award, the highest academic distinction at ASU (a 4.0 gpa for eight consecutive semesters). She also was inducted into Kappa Tau Alpha, the Journalism and Mass Communication Honor Society, and awarded the Outstanding Undergraduate Student Award (1 of 6 out of a class over 450). She is currently seeking a position in journalism and digital media. Nicole Naunton graduated from the University of Michigan - Ann Arbor with a Bachelor of Arts in economics along with a minor in history and a Business Sales Certification. She will be starting a one year masters program in accounting at the University of North Carolina - Chapel Hill. During her free time in Michigan she volunteered at Adaptive Gymnastics where she worked with special needs children, volunteered for Blood Drives United, chaired both fundraising and design for her Volunteer Business Fraternity, and was a member of the Marketing Club. She also enjoyed interning at Stifel during the summer. Olivia Reo graduated from Clemson University with a BS in accounting. She has already begun working towards her Masters of Professional Accounting at Clemson, and expects to graduate with her masters next year, in 2023. This summer she interned with Price Waterhouse in Florham Park, NJ for her third summer in a row. Ava Ritchie graduated magna cum laude from the University of South Carolina, with a major in global health. Ava is returning to USC to earn her Masters of Public Health degree. Juliana Saling will graduate from the Kogod School of Business at American University (AU) in December 2022. She has had some health issues the last couple of years that have delayed her graduation, but she has persevered throughout, playing on the AU Women’s Soccer Team and served as captain her senior year. She served as President of the AU Black Athlete Coalition and a member of the Patriot League SAOC Leadership Council. She will be a digital marketing intern this summer for the National Retail Federation in Washington DC, and hopes to pursue a career in marketing. Emily Santen graduated from the University of Scranton with a major in occupational therapy. Stephanie Uy graduated from Fordham University magna cum laude with a double major in economics and international business. She will receive her masters degree in Fall 2022 in business analytics data science at Columbia University, NYC. Mary Walsh graduated cum laude with BS in Business Management and Health Policy & Management from Providence College . She was also inducted into the Charles V. Chapin Honor Society for Health Policy & Management. Mary was lucky enough to play club lacrosse for four years at Providence College. Her team made it to Nationals in Texas and took 5th in the nation! Mary will be living in Boston and working as a Recruitment Consultant for Phaidon International under LVI Associates Celine Zalamea graduated from William & Mary College with a major in neuroscience.
