Senior Spotlight: Mount alumni take their next steps
Commencement marked the end of an academic journey at the Mount for nearly 500 graduates – and the beginning of a new adventure into grad school or the start of a career. Here’s what’s next for several stellar Mount alumni from the Class of 2023.
Crim alumna works towards mental health career
Photo by Lee Ferris
Nearly four years ago, Bryanna Blanks excitedly hugged her roommate as they moved into Sakac Hall.
On that warm Sunday in 2019, Blanks, a Criminology major, said the Mount’s culture of service goes hand in hand with her career goals: “I love working with children and I love helping people.”
Four years later, that sentiment still rings true. The alumna’s ultimate goal is to become a mental health counselor or a therapist. With that in mind, she’s seeking a master’s degree in Social Work and Criminal Justice at SUNY Albany.
“Mental health is something that has a lot of stigmas,” Blanks explained. “People need to know there are advocates out there who want to get them help. I want to support those people who might not know where to go or what to say to get the help they need.”
For the last two years, Blanks has tackled internships where she works with children with disabilities, special needs, and mental health challenges. “It’s allowed me to get a handle on working with those different populations,” she said.
Blanks is focused and determined, but there were times when her path wasn’t as clear to her. Mid-pandemic, Blanks no longer wanted to go to class, or even outside her residence hall. Enter Jenifer Lee-Gonyea, one of Blanks’s Criminology professors.
Lee-Gonyea “Zoomed in and said, ‘I’m here for you and you have us as a support system,’” Blanks recalled. “She cares about me outside of the classroom. As a person, she sees me. And that’s made the biggest difference for me during my college career.”
It was just one of the many Mount experiences that shaped Blanks into the successful person she is today.
Nursing alumna prepares for new challenges
Photo by Lee Ferris
Reyna Baumann was quite a familiar face on-campus, and not just in her Nursing classes.
Being an admissions ambassador, a cheerleader, a member of the college’s Track and Field Team – among a host of other activities – made her a better leader, communicator, and team player. She was also honored for her academic achievements as a student, having been inducted into Sigma Theta Tau (the Nursing Honor Society) and Chi Alpha Sigma (the Athletics Honor Society).
“Mount Saint Mary College has shaped me into the nurse that I had only dreamed of becoming,” she explained. “Through the professors’ hard work, my peers’ comradery, and my perseverance, I know that I am prepared to excel in my career.”
Now pursuing a career as a pediatric nurse, Baumann reflected on the many people who have helped shape her college career at the Mount. Two mentors who stand out are Vidia Saleem, instructor of Nursing, who taught her so much while always bringing a smile to her face during classes and clinicals, and Candace White, director of Student Engagement, who pushed her to become a better leader and the creative, goal-oriented person she is today.
“I will miss all of the people who have instilled themselves into my life, through lessons and memories,” Baumann explained. The Mount “has provided me with a family I didn’t know I needed, but would not change for the world.”
Student preps for career through academics, athletics
Photo by Lee Ferris (left) and submitted (right)
From the day she moved into Sakac Hall in August of 2019, Kristen Dwight was looking forward to joining the college’s swim team.
As it turns out, her time as a swimmer at the Mount would help set a standard for success both in the pool and in the classroom.
“The swim team absolutely exceeded my expectations in every way,” Dwight explained. “The bonds and friendships I have made over the past four years will never fade. When looking at it from a student perspective, it really helped me with my time management, and coming up with a good schedule for myself.”
With Commencement in the rearview, the Business Administration alumna is planning to attend graduate school in the Fall of 2023 and will be working as a swim coach as she does so.
Fittingly, some of her most impactful Mount mentors have been Scott Russell, associate professor of Sports Management, and Chris Mance, her swim coach.
Russell “helped me realize the potential I have in the business world,” Dwight explained. She added, “I definitely wouldn’t have made it this far without Coach Chris. The amount of faith and encouragement he gave me was unmatched.”
Army vet thrives in IT
Photo by Lee Ferris
Maron Yusuf presents “Connecting the Dots – Turning a Set of Activities into a Learning Experience” during last year’s SURE program.
Receiving a degree from Mount Saint Mary College has become something of a tradition for the Yusuf family.
Maron Yusuf, who studied Information Technology with a concentration in Human Computer Interaction, graduated from the Mount in May 2023. But he’s the second in his family to complete a degree at the college – the first being his wife, Kathy.
Yusuf met Kathy while the two were serving in the U.S. Army. Having been stationed in places like Hawaii and Germany, their last tour of duty found the couple at West Point. Afterwards, they settled in Monroe with their two children.
Yusuf, who has a background in healthcare and had served as a combat medic in the Army, had been considering switching fields. The Mount’s IT program was just what he was looking for, he said.
The veteran made the most of his time as an undergraduate. Earlier this year, he participated in the annual Techstars Startup Weekend at the Mount, where dozens of young entrepreneurs cultivated their ideas for new, unique businesses. He was also a member of the college’s Student Undergraduate Research Experience (SURE), where he researched topics like experiential learning through applied, real-world Math. And he earned the title of Aquinas Scholar, an honor given to only the best academics at the Mount.
Yusuf described his work ethic simply: “I always try to give 110 percent.”
The future is looking bright for Yusuf, who plans to take what he’s learned at the Mount, combine it with his previous master’s degree in Health Education, and go for a PhD in Systems Science at Binghamton University.
Grad says scholarship and faith are a powerful combo
Photo by Matt Frey
Thomas Sullivan summed up his life over the last four years in a single sentence: “I’ve made so many great friends, I’ve learned a lot about myself, and I’ve figured out what I want to do going forward,” he said.
The Criminology alumnus plans to pursue a master’s degree in law enforcement, social work, or another discipline within the Social Sciences field. Human interaction in his career is a must, Sullivan said, a conclusion he came to during the COVID-19 pandemic.
“The main thing that’s got to be there is people,” he said. “I love being with people. I love the little family I have here at the Mount.”
The Dominican Scholars of Hope (DSH), a living and learning community for highly motivated Mount students, had an immeasurable impact on Sullivan during his college years. He served on the DSH Leadership Council, “an opportunity that not a lot of people get, and I loved it,” he explained. “Before this I had never been in a leadership position. It helped me to blossom.”
His time at the Mount and as a Dominican Scholar of Hope also worked to strengthen his Christian faith, Sullivan revealed. About a month before his classes came to an end, he and about ten other Mount students received the sacrament of Confirmation as Catholics.
“I wondered, ‘why didn’t I do this sooner?’” he said. “When I walk into the Dominican Center chapel after a stressful day, I feel calm.”
CADM alumna looks to the future
Photo by Lee Ferris
Along with her dedicated peers, Emily Araujo began the next phase of her career after graduating in May. The Mount, she said, has prepared her well for working in the field of Digital Media and Production.
On any given day when she was a student, Araujo could be found in the computer labs of Aquinas Hall, editing media content for Last Friday Knight, a weekly comedy broadcast for the Mount community. Working on the show gave her real-world experience and helped to build the confidence she needed to move toward her future goals.
“As a team, we faced real challenges, had to meet deadlines, share ideas, and collaborate, all with the collective goal of creating amazing content,” she explained.
Araujo said that her professors helped her skills to soar, including Merle Becker, instructor of Digital Media Production, and Christopher Neyen, chair of the Division of Communication, Art and Digital Media (CADM) and associate professor of Art and Graphic Design.
“The way they care about their students is indescribable,” she said. “Both have taught me so much about Digital Media and Production and about life. The support they provide their students and the love that they have for teaching is truly remarkable and can be seen in each interaction you have with them.”
She added, “Through their love for their work, they have helped to bring out the passion that I have for Digital Media and Production.”
Bio major, athlete headed to PT grad school
Biology major Anthony Paggiotta recently finished his undergraduate studies, but there’s no time to rest: About a week after graduation, he started at the New York Medical College of Physical Therapy.
The Mount’s excellent Biology courses, Paggiotta noted, had him heading into his next academic journey with great confidence.
While Paggiotta is happy to have earned his undergrad degree, he’ll miss being a student-athlete at the Mount. His college lacrosse experience was about more than just athleticism, he explained. It also helped to make him a better student.
“Joining the lacrosse team gave me a great group of teammates that I grew with throughout my time here,” Paggiotta said. “Lacrosse kept me in a positive competitive atmosphere that made me a better person all around.”
There were many people, from coaches to professors, who helped Paggiotta along the way. One such mentor was Suparna Bhalla, associate professor of Biology.
“When you first meet [Bhalla], she puts your head on straight and conveys what you will do to be successful,” he explained. “By the time you’re in Biochemistry, she challenges those skills you developed throughout the time in a harder class.”
As he begins the next chapter of his life, Paggiotta has some advice for students who are just starting their college career.
“Keep your mind open and do not be so set on one profession,” he said. “You will likely change what you want to do during your career and that’s OK. Be present, make friends and connections. These relationships will last your entire college career and life.”
Education grad goes back to the future
Photo by Lee Ferris
Shirley Cordova returned to Nora Cronin Presentation Academy in Newburgh as a student teacher.
As recent Mount grad Shirley Cordova prepared for a career in education, she reflected on how the path to her future led her back to the school she loved in her younger years.
During her final semester at the Mount, Cordova, a Hispanic Studies major on the Education track, taught English Language Arts and Social Studies for grades 5 and 6 at Nora Cronin Presentation Academy in Newburgh.
“Being able to do my student teaching experience here has been nothing but amazing,” Cordova said. “Thank you to my Nora Cronin family for welcoming me back into a place that I will always hold dear in my heart.”
To say that things have come full circle would be an understatement. Not only did Cordova return to her middle school as a teacher candidate, but it was via the Mount’s “Lighting the Way” scholarship for students of Nora Cronin Presentation Academy and San Miguel Academy that Cordova was able to make her college dreams come true.
In addition to her student teaching experiences, Cordova credits the Mount’s rigorous Education program with helping to mold her into the successful educator she is today.
“The Mount has prepared me very well [and] set me up for success throughout my new student teaching journey,” she noted. “The Mount has taught me so much on how to create detailed lesson plans to ensure I encompass all the information I need to set up my students for success.”
Emily Gursky ’23 and Rosemarie Budhwa contributed to this article.
Class of 2023, Then and Now
Photos by Matt Frey and Lee Ferris
Grad and Dad share a milestone moment: When Emily Moore received her diploma, it wasn’t Dr. Jason Adsit who presented it to her – it was her father, Brian Moore. That moment marked the culmination of a journey the family started together in August of 2019, when Brian, director of Purchasing, helped his daughter to move into the Sakac Hall. “I loved student teaching and I learned so much from all my teachers,” she said. “They really helped me to integrate myself into the classroom. I’m really excited to start my career.”
Photos by Matt Frey and Lee Ferris
Bethpage BFFs: For Nicole Godnick and Katie Roddy of Bethpage, N.Y., friendship has been an important ingredient in their success. Having gone to the same high school, the two moved into Sakac Hall as roommates in August of 2019 and graduated together in May of 2023. It just goes to show: the friends that study together, stay together.
Photos by Matt Frey
All in the family: On a beautiful Sunday morning in 2019, Chris DiMare moved into Guzman Hall with a little help from his sister, fellow Nursing student Alyssa DiMare. Four years later, Alyssa returned to her alma mater and presented him with his pin at the college’s annual nurse pinning ceremony. Chris is grateful to his sister for always being there for him during his Mount journey.
From sixth graders to college grads: When they started hanging out in sixth grade, 2023 grads Anthony Bosco and Cooper Sanquini had no idea how important their friendship would be to their futures. “The past four years at the Mount made our friendship so much stronger,” said Bosco. “We graduated high school and college together and I loved every second of it.”
