Conferences
Mount hosts conversation on grief for healthcare professionals
Photos by Lee Ferris
The Aquinas Hall theatre was the site of “No Boundaries: Grief, Growth, and Resilience,” the last in a popular, three-part conversation on grief and loss, near the end of the Spring 2024 semester.
The event was aimed at healthcare professionals, particularly those who counsel the bereaved or individuals struggling with personal loss.
Attendees enjoyed a welcoming and networking reception before the keynote speaker, Dr. Kenneth Doka, a licensed mental health counselor and preeminent expert in grief, discussed modern grief theories. He explored the phenomena of post-traumatic growth and resilience. Whether loss is experienced because someone has passed away or because something else important has been lost, there are strategies that can be applied to help one be resilient through grief, Dr. Doka noted.
The talk was presented by the Kaplan Family Foundation, in collaboration with Cornerstone Family Healthcare; the Mount’s Center on Aging and DIS-Ability Policy (CADP); Access: Supports for Living; and Montefiore St. Luke’s Cornwall.
Mount Social Science professors Lawrence Force and Jeffrey Kahana are CADP’s co-directors. Established in 2006, CADP promotes an interdisciplinary perspective dedicated to excellence in research and scholarship in the fields of gerontology and disability studies. Force has worked in the field of aging and disabilities for more than three decades as an administrator, clinician, and educator. Kahana, in addition to his work at the Mount, is a prolific author on subjects ranging from academics to social issues in the United States.
CARD talk examines evolution of substance abuse treatment
Justin Sangeorge, LMSW ’04, clinical director of a behavioral health outpatient clinic, discussed the evolution of substance abuse treatment. Photo by Lee Ferris.
Center for Adolescent Research and Development (CARD) recently presented “Substance Abuse: What Works, What Doesn’t,” by social worker and Mount alumnus Justin Sangeorge, LMSW.
The Mount’s CARD is a clearinghouse for research initiatives. These include the psychological, social, cultural, educational, and health-related issues endemic to contemporary adolescents and young adults.
Sangeorge, a 2004 graduate of the Mount, currently serves as the clinical director of a behavioral health outpatient clinic. He focused on the varying stigmas that come with substance abuse, delving into the evolution of substance abuse treatment.
“We’ve moved towards person-centered treatment, and recognizing [substance abuse] as a disease has opened up more access to treatment,” said Sangeorge.
Since becoming a social worker, Sangeorge has worked with people who experienced challenges with substance use, mental health, homelessness, incarceration, trauma, and abuse.
“My work has extended into the community, where I have had the opportunity to work with elected officials, state and city organizations, and community-based organizations, which all work together to assist the communities we serve,” he said. “This work is extremely important, and is my purpose that I have identified for my life and career.”
HEOP alumni mentor next generation of Mount students
Photos by Matt Frey
Nine influential alumni from the Arthur O. Eve Higher Education Opportunity Program (HEOP) returned to their alma mater recently to reveal the secrets of their success to a new generation of Mount students.
The panel consisted of Torrance Harvey ’03, City of Newburgh mayor and history teacher at Newburgh Free Academy; Justin Perez ’16, assistant director of Mission Advancement for the Sisters of Presentation; William Rolon ’95, Principal of Greenburgh Eleven Union Free School District in Dobbs Ferry, N.Y.; Keewana Grant ’09, vice president of Beauty and Wellness at Purple consulting agency; Curtis B. Turner ’89, a professor at SUNY New Paltz, SUNY Ulster, and the Culinary Institute of America; Debra Allison Layland ’77, chief Education Strategist at Academic Development Institute; Kelly De Leon ’22, a graduate school student at Lehman College pursuing a masters in Social Work; Giselle Martinez ’20, Newburgh Councilwoman; and Nirmala Singh ’17, a public service professional, nonprofit leader, and social justice advocate.
Harvey noted that his Mount classes were the key to becoming the excellent communicator he is today. From public speaking class and beyond, it all came together to aid him in his career as a teacher and as the Newburgh mayor.
“I learned interpersonal skills here at the Mount. I thank God for the Mount – this is where it all started,” he said. “You never know what you need to be prepared for and what you’re training for, so stepping outside your comfort zone can only make you stronger.”
The Mount’s HEOP is an academic and student support program geared towards traditionally underserved students. Through mentorship, leadership development, academic programs, and financial support, HEOP students are guided through the college transition process.
Empowering readers at the 30th annual lit conference
Photos by Matt Frey
The 30th Annual Conference on Literacy, “Literacy as a Tool for a Caring and Sustainable World: Empowering Interdisciplinary Readers, Writers, and Storytellers,” brought dozens of educators from Newburgh and beyond to Mount Saint Mary College.
The event, presented by the college’s Collaborative for Equity in Literacy Learning (CELL), featured keynote speaker Jen Cullerton Johnson, a writer, teacher, and environmentalist from Chicago.
Before the conference began, Johnson captivated area youngsters at the Newburgh Armory Unity Center where she discussed her book, Seeds of Change. The book was also the focal point of her keynote speech at the Mount.
Seeds of Change is a picture book biography of scientist Wangari Maathai, the first African woman and the first environmentalist to win a Nobel Peace Prize. She received the honor in 2004 for her work planting trees in her native Kenya. Johnson’s book won a Coretta Scott King Award in 2011.
Conference attendees enjoyed a variety of workshops on current educational topics. This included “Storytelling to Support English Language Learners,” “Celebrate Everyday: How Daily Holidays Help Engage Students,” and “African American Trailblazers: Scientists and Inventors Who Transformed the World with Innovation and Compassion.”
Also at the conference, Mount alumna Kathleen Murray ’22 was presented with the Sr. Frances Berski Award for Excellence in Literary Education, Ages Birth to Grade 6. The award was created in honor of Sr. Berski, who taught at the Mount for many years and passed away in 2005. Sr. Berski was instrumental in the development of the college’s Master of Science in Education in Literacy program.
Promoting diversity, retention in the Nursing field
Photo by Matt Frey
The Mount’s Nursing Workforce Diversity (NWD) program recently hosted a workshop featuring Wanda Thruston, DNO, APRN, RN, and director of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion at the American Association for Colleges of Nursing (AACN).
Thruston works to promote diversity in academic nursing, create inclusive classrooms and teaching styles, improve hiring and retention of faculty of color, and more.
At her Mount presentation, attended by students, faculty, and staff of the college, Thruston discussed teaching models specifically designed to support students from diverse backgrounds who might encounter obstacles in their path to academic achievement.
Factors such as race, socioeconomic standing, and gender can create disparities between student academic outcomes, said Thruston. To counter this, she teaches how to empower students and bridge gaps, fostering a more inclusive and diverse nursing workforce.
The NWD program focuses on the recruitment, support, retention, and graduation of nursing students from underrepresented groups. It increases nursing education opportunities and assists students from disadvantaged backgrounds to become baccalaureate-prepared nurses. The nursing students in this program benefit from a multitude of support services and opportunities to serve the community.