Alumni Notes
1967
Joan (Kennedy) Tolley said, “We have two great grandchildren and are looking forward to the arrival of two more in the coming year. Walt and I will travel to Turkey to vacation with our grandson and his family who live in Moscow, Russia in September.”
1969
Lynn Bertholf Priebe retired from teaching social studies in 2010. She volunteers at the Sullivan County Historical Society and the Valleys Museum. Lynn has five grandchildren ranging from 20 to 2 years old. “Going to the Mount was one of the best decisions of my life. What a great college!” she said.
1970
Ellen (Dwyer) Rosano was recently appointed as legislator of the County of Albany. “Having lived in District 24 for 60 years, I am thrilled to be representing my community in the Albany County Legislature and would like my constituents to know that I will always be available for them,” she said. “I look forward to collaborating with my colleagues and jumping into the important work coming before the Legislature.”
1971
Mari-Olga (Alonso) Kelley and her friends had a College Court #19 mini reunion in Weeki Wachee. Mermaids rule!
Pat (Kennedy) Majer notes that 1971 graduates are perfecting their skills in second careers as "Mermaids" in Weeki Wachee, Fla. From left to right are: Pat Kennedy Majer, Marianne Gauch Lamborne, and Olgui Alonso Kelley.
1972
Elizabeth (Scannell) Scannell-Desch and Mary Ellen Doherty are publishing their third book, Women’s Journeys to Posttraumatic Growth: A Guide for the Helping Professions and Women Who Have Experienced Trauma. It draws on research around women’s experiences to illustrate and explore the concept of posttraumatic growth, emphasizing practice implications for healthcare professionals and strategies for fostering posttraumatic growth. The expected publication date is December 1, 2023, by Routledge (London). The sisters also published a research manuscript in the August issue of the Journal of Psychosocial and Mental Health Nursing called, “Posttraumatic Growth in Women Who Have Experienced Intimate Partner Abuse.”
1973
Regina (Seelig) Sikorski happily retired from careers with IBM and teaching Computer Science and high school Mathematics. She is now working part-time in her parish's Religious Education department. She and her husband also recently celebrated their 46th wedding anniversary. “We are the proud parents of Tim, his wife Elizabeth (both scientists), and grandparents of Tommy, an adorable five-year-old who may just major in Mathematics like his grandparents,” she said.
1975
Brian Carrington and Denise Slabicki Carrington ’74 of Wolcott, Conn., celebrated their 48th wedding anniversary on June 14, 2023. Additionally, August 6, 2023 marks the 20th anniversary of Brian’s kidney transplant - which Denise gave to him to save his life. Brian calls Denise “his miracle” and it all started at the Mount.
Elaine (McCourtney) Clemente noted that “After graduation from MSMC in ‘75, I received my MS in reading from Syracuse and went on to teach in New York and Massachusetts. I received another MEd. in mild/moderate special education and retired in 2016. I am married to Charlie Cocchiaro and have spent 25 years together. We also have an amazing son, David Clemente, who lives in Oregon. I spend time with my 96-year-old mom, quilting with friends, and enjoying my life like it’s 1975 again.”
Suzanne (Auer) O'Rourke said that 11 members of the class of 1975 reunited at West Point in June to celebrate their 70th birthdays: Ellen Abate (Chaya), Linda Squires (Fagan), Kathy Neuffer (Quilty), Diane Martell (Crowley), Kim Mastroianni (O'Connor), Regina Conway (Coyne), Marg Bowles (Burns), Marie Kelly (McKee), Barbara Stevens, Jerrilee Relyea (Groves), and Suzanne O'Rourke (Auer).
1977
Margaret (Meyer) Clarke retired from nursing in January 2023 after 45 years. Now she is enjoying spending time with family and friends, as well as traveling.
1978
Mary (Sullivan) Bruno noted that “After a tumultuous three years during COVID, 2023 is proving to be a joyous year for our family. Our daughter Jenna was married in April and our son Michael is due to be married in September. Very happy, beautiful times.”
1982
Anne Fitzgerald said, “I have recently switched real estate brokerages to Engel & Voelkers in Bluffton, S.C. I will be focusing on residential listings and sales in the Hilton Head, Bluffton area in sunny, warm, South Carolina. If you're visiting the area, stop by and say hello!”
Dr. Michael J. Fraser was recently inducted into the Goshen Athletic Hall of Fame. He said he was “blessed, honored, and humbled to be part of the class of 2023. Had my day in the sun, but that sun set a long time ago.” As the old adage says, “Don't cry because it's over. Smile because it happened.”
1983
Laurie Ann (Iuzzini) Lawrence retired from her job as an elementary teacher in May of 2023, after 31 years as an educator. “My last 16 years were spent as a Gifted Resource/Support teacher in Georgia,” she explained. “Plans post retirement include sleeping later, catching up on reading, and traveling, especially to beaches. My husband Dennis and I plan to build on our land in Bokeelia, Fla. in 2026.”
1988
Sabrina (Capecci) Rosen’s daughter, Allison Yeneic, will be attending the Mount (Class of 2027) as a Nursing major.
1990
Susan (Remian) Burns noted that reunions have “become the best part of every year.” This year, she and her Mount friends were hosted in Connecticut by Eileen (Sorcinelli) Mezzo for a wonderful weekend away.
Kimberly Martini said, “Thanks to the wonderful nursing program at MSMC, I have been an elementary school nurse in public schools for just about 20 years now. The nursing profession has been very rewarding and I treasure my experience at the Mount.”
Kellieann (Dell) Moroney has been married to her husband, John, for 26 years. They have two children. Emma is 21. She graduated from Penn State in May of 2023 and completed her studies in only three years. Emma will be returning to Penn State this fall for graduate work in Guidance Counseling. Caitlin is 18 and completed her first year at Penn State. She is studying to be a teacher. Kellieann just completed 33 years of teaching and is in her 24th year with the NYC Department of Education. She’s planning on retiring next year.
1997
Patti Nason went to grad school after graduating from the Mount. “I dropped out at the end, moved to Europe, changed my name, married an artist, and had four kids,” she explained. Sometimes things don’t turn out the way we plan them, but that’s part of what makes life interesting, she said: “I’m a Welsh housewife who speaks no Welsh. I’m homeschooling my kids and teaching them Spanish. We don’t all make it professionally, and that’s okay.”
1998
Janis (Majewski) Goerres has relocated to the metro Charleston, S.C., area with her husband and her parents. Janis is currently working at Charleston Southern University as a professional tutor in the Writing Center and as an adjunct professor in the Bridge program. Janis earned her M.Ed in Lifelong Learning and Adult Education from Penn State in 2018.
1999
The Rev. Dr. Wayne Keller said that with his MSOL and DMin complete, “We have transitioned from living and pastoring in Middletown N.Y. to Mirror Lake Retreat in Milan N.Y. Also serving part time on staff at Rock Hill N.Y. church of the Nazarene while periodically traveling and serving with Renewal International Ministries conference team. Attending MSMC Alumni events when possible. Godspeed MSMC and Alumni!”
2000
Heather (Connelly) Hendershot graduated from Manhattanville College with a Doctorate in Education.
2003
Alicia (Hock) Plevritis was promoted to Business Engagement Partner, Senior Manager at Pfizer in Tampa, Fla.
2010
Brandon Roberts said, “I am entering my eighth year as an associate professor and CJ Program Coordinator at Piedmont University. My wife and I have two boys and we recently celebrated our ninth anniversary. In our free time we enjoy playing in the pool with our kids and traveling.”
2014
Samantha (Killmer) Culligan earned her neonatal critical care nurse certification and accepted a position as a neonatal/pediatric transport nurse at Texas Children’s Hospital in Houston.
Gretchen (Hafner) Salcedo graduated as a DNP, CRNA from Rutgers School of Nursing in 2021. Her son could not wait to meet his parents and made his debut at just 24 weeks of gestation in November 2022. After 127 days in the NICU, being cared for by many Mount graduates, Alejandro Salcedo is now happy and healthy at home.
2015
RoseMarie DiStefano reports that five alumni from MSMC stepped off to complete the largest marathon on Earth, the TCS New York City Marathon, on November 6, 2022. The first time at full scale since the COVID-19 pandemic, they were joined by 50,000 fellow runners on this journey. RoseMarie, Jesse Matuza ’17, Joseph Pugliese ’17, Danielle Krupka ’15, Will Moss ’16, and Bradley Moody ’17 all completed the 26.2 mile/42.2 km journey through all five boroughs, starting at the foot of the Verrazano Bridge on Staten Island and crossing the finish line in Central Park.
2016
Jennifer (Gries) Juergensen and her husband Steven Juergensen ’17 were married on September 9, 2022. “We met at the Mount and ran into each other after he graduated at the end of 2017, where we reconnected and have been together ever since,” she explained. “We are currently living on Long Island with our golden retriever puppy named Sammy.”
2019
Tyler Mannix and Margot Cano (Now Mannix, Class of 2019) got married on November 4, 2022, at the Riverview in Simsbury, Conn. Many fellow Mount alumni were in attendance.
Hannah Pascual notes that Charlotte Pascual ’18 married Alfred Allegretti ’18. They met at Mount Saint Mary College as freshmen and started dating their sophomore year. Alfred proposed at Charlotte's favorite restaurant and they tied the knot at the Vineyards at Aquebogue in Long Island.
2020
Jose Colotla said, “Since graduating from the Mount, a lot has happened in the three years that followed. I have been a tax preparer, and bookkeeper, and am currently an auditor for a top 25 public accounting firm, looking to be a senior associate soon for the N.Y. and N.J. offices for the Company. Since graduating, I met my wife who supported me in getting my master's degree and seeing what accounting field I liked the most.”
Allyson Sickler graduated in 2020 and attended Marist College for a two-year accelerated master’s program. She graduated with a degree in Clinical Mental Health Counseling in May and began a full-time job at Family Services in Poughkeepsie as a therapist. “I completely love the work I’m doing and the people I work with,” she said.
2023
Colleen Giordano accepted a job as a Senior Revenue Cycle Quality and Performance Management Analyst at Northwell Health. Getting her Master of Business Administration (MBA) with a focus on healthcare was a challenging but rewarding journey. “But that's not all,” she said. “I'm also planning to pursue a doctorate in the near future. The goal is to keep growing, learning, and making a real difference in the healthcare sector.”
In Memoriam
Timothy Lancaster, brother of Bobbie Lancaster Allen ’67 and uncle of Dan Allen ’94, passed away on December 17, 2022.
Maureen Whalen Stotland ’70 passed away on October 7, 2020.
Bronwen “Bronnie” Jones Lewin ’74 passed away on September 7, 2021.
Eileen Fitzmaurice ’83 passed away on January 13, 2023.
Richard F. Savage, father of Patricia Savage ’86, passed away on February 2, 2023.
James J. Hanley, father of Edward Hanley ’94, passed away on February 4, 2023.