Service
Taxes made less taxing: Students provide free tax prep for local residents
Photos by Lee Ferris
As the April filing deadline approached, Mount accounting students were providing vital support to the community by offering free tax preparation for middle- and low-income families.
The students are volunteering with Tax-Aide, a program offered annually by the AARP Tax-Aide Foundation, the Mid-Hudson CASH Coalition, and other local partners. Serving at more than a dozen locations – including Newburgh, Middletown, and Montgomery – the students are helping neighbors navigate the complexities of federal and state returns. In 2025, the program resulted in more than $2.5 million in tax refunds and credits for families across Dutchess and Orange counties.
For Rhiannon Petrakis, an accounting student at the Mount, volunteering for Tax-Aide is about building a professional foundation while making a difference. She noted that the work has given her a “better understanding of how things are categorized” and helped her master industry terminology.
The most rewarding part of the experience, she explained, is “helping others to the best of my ability, when they may be completely unsure of the process or how to get started.”
Nicholas Clarino, also an accounting major, sees the program as a bridge to his future career goals.
“As an accounting major, tax preparation is one of the key components in getting your CPA license,” Clarino explained. “Not only knowing tax law, but learning how to apply it on a case to case basis is crucial.”
Clarino added that the client interactions have been the highlight of his experience so far: “Every single client that I have seen has been more than grateful for our services.”
Both students credit Neirouz Watad, associate professor of Accounting at the Mount, with guiding their interest in the field. Watad, who Clarino says “treats students like future working adults,” was the one who first introduced him to the Tax-Aide program.
Before beginning their work, students must pass a rigorous training course with certified instructors to ensure they can accurately interview clients and prepare returns using specialized software.
Stepping Up for Homeownership: The 27th Annual Walk for Housing inspires Newburgh
Photos by Lee Ferris
The Newburgh community can build a lot of momentum – and even more homes.
Partnering with the Mount for the second year in a row, Habitat for Humanity of Greater Newburgh hit the pavement for its 27th Annual Walk for Housing this spring, bringing local residents together to raise critical funds and awareness for affordable homeownership.
Themed “Building Tomorrow Starts at Home,” the walk drew participants from across the Hudson Valley. The route began and ended at the Mount’s Kaplan Family Mathematics, Science and Technology Center (MST), taking walkers through the historic streets of the City of Newburgh.
This year’s Walk for Housing T-shirts, worn by participants and volunteers, were designed by Mount senior Issiah Figueroa of Newburgh, N.Y.
The event highlighted Habitat Newburgh’s long-standing impact on the community, showcasing past accomplishments and current build sites.
“Mount Saint Mary College and Habitat have had a long and strong relationship,” said Fr. Gregoire Fluet, Vice President for Mission and Ministry at the Mount. “Habitat and you all here, in so many ways, live the words of scripture: ‘I was hungry and you gave me food, thirsty and you gave me to drink, naked and you gave me clothes, alone and you visited me.’”
The partnership between the two organizations dates back to 1999, when the Mount community helped fund and build a Habitat home in memory of student Julie Sager. Most recently, the college donated two properties at 417 and 419 Liberty Street, located directly behind the campus, for the construction of new Habitat homes. Mount students, faculty, and alumni continue to partner with Habitat through Build Day events to move these projects toward completion.
Students ‘Pack It Forward’ to support Newburgh community
Mount Saint Mary College senior Ava DiScala of Seaford, N.Y., (right) and Fr. Gregoire Fluet, Vice President for Mission and Ministry, Campus Chaplain, and instructor of History and Religious Studies (center) are joined by members of the men’s soccer and basketball teams on Wednesday, March 18, to assemble food bags for the Newburgh community.
Photo by Lee Ferris
Mount students demonstrated their commitment to service during the “Pack It Forward” event last semester, assembling hundreds of food items donated by the college community to support underserved people in Newburgh and beyond.
Organized by Ava DiScala of Seaford, N.Y., the event brought together the Student-Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC), the Student Government Association (SGA), and Campus Ministry.
The collaborative effort transformed the campus athletic facilities into a bustling assembly line of canned goods, pasta, and other non-perishable staples.
Members of the men’s soccer and basketball teams joined DiScala and Fr. Gregoire Fluet, Vice President for Mission and Ministry, Campus Chaplain, and instructor of History and Religious Studies, to assist in the packing process.
Dominican Scholars donate $320 to Baby Steps pantry
The Dominican Scholars of Hope (DSH) recently donated $320 to the Baby Steps Baby Pantry (BSBP) at Christ Lutheran Church in Newburgh, N.Y., as part of the scholar club’s end-of-the-year award ceremony.
Through a Krispy Kreme doughnut fundraiser, the DSH raised the money for the pantry, which provides infant supplies for families in need in the local area. Each month, families who are part of the program are provided with a week’s worth of diapers, wipes, wash, and cream.
Susan Surprise, one of the founders of Baby Steps, and Laura Kohlmann, president of the board for the pantry, were grateful to accept the donations in person.
Rooted in the values of the Judeo-Christian and Dominican heritage of the college, DSH is a nonacademic living and learning community for highly motivated Mount students. DSH is directed by the four Dominican pillars of spirituality, study, community, and service, the guiding values of Mount Saint Mary College. It’s overseen by advisor Charles Zola, Assistant Vice President for Mission, Director of the Catholic and Dominican Institute, and associate professor of Philosophy.
This is the eighth year the Dominican Scholars have hosted fundraisers to benefit BSBP.
