Class Notes for May 2021

Find out which of our alums is celebrating a promotion, a new career, or their start-up business in Class Notes. See who is making news, and take a moment to remember those who have passed on.

Every month, we find ourselves short on news from classes before the 1990s. We want to share all of our alumni’s accomplishments, but we don’t know what you’re up to if you don’t tell us. Please email us at alumni@strose.edu with your job changes, retirement news, promotions, or wedding and baby announcements, and write “class notes” in the subject line.

2010s

Cyonn Alexander ’18 is a domestic-violence intake specialist for the City of Albany, New York, police department.

Torez Ramsey ’18 is a laboratory technician for Monogram Biosciences in the San Francisco Bay area.

Edson Chipalo ’17, a Ph.D. candidate at the University of Alabama, served as the Saint Rose commencement speaker for the undergraduate Class of 2021 on Saturday, May 8. A week later, he got married in Alabama. Congratulations to Chipalo and his wife Meredith Beamer!

Juanita Diaz G’17 is the new principal of Manorhaven Elementary School in Port Washington, New York.

Brian Tomek ’17 has become an instrumentation analyst with Certified Laboratories, Inc., in Melville, New York.

Sam Crocker ’16 has been promoted to director, mid-market and SMB sales, at Impact in London, England.

Paige DeSorbo ’15 was featured in screenrant.com for her role in “Summer House,” a reality-TV show.

Meisha Ross-Porter G’15, chancellor of the New York City School district, was interviewed on “Good Morning America 3” on May 5, 2021, about how New York City’s schools are supporting teachers and students as they have dealt with difficult conditions and continue to transition through the pandemic. She fielded a tough question from host T.J. Holmes about snow days with aplomb and humor.

Stacey Ratner G’12 is a licensed behavior analyst/BCBA at Yellow Bus ABA in Mineola, New York.

Ken Stay ’11, G’12 has joined Standard Communities, the affordable-housing division of Standard Companies, which is headquartered in Washington, D.C., as an East Coast construction manager.

2000s

Suzanne (Heasley) Scofield G’06 is a financial representative and financial planner with Thoroughbred Advisors in Latham, New York.

Katie Boss ’04 has become human resources manager for QCI Asset Management in Rochester, New York.

Janice DeRito G’04, LMSW, is supervisor of state initiatives at Affinity Health Plan in New York, New York.

Andrew Kourt ’03, G’13 was appointed superintendent of schools at the New Lebanon Central School District in New Lebanon, New York, in October 2020.

Daesha Devón Harris’s ’02 artwork was featured in the Mohawk-Hudson Regional Invitational exhibit at the Albany Center Gallery in Albany, New York.

Renata Relyea ’02, an instructional coach for math and science for North Colonie Central Schools, was featured in an interview with Spotlight News. She spoke about the challenges of teaching during the pandemic, her difficult journey from her native Czechoslovakia to Italy and eventually the U.S. at the age of four, and thoughts about her beloved grandmother.

Mary Yuhasz ’02 and Michael Yuhasz ’01 spoke about their taekwondo studio, Adirondack Taekwondo and Fitness Center in Clifton Park, New York,and shared their stories, thoughts, and strategy from running their business during the COVID-19 shutdown.

Two Saint Rose alums announced their candidacy for the Shenendehowa Board of Education:
Alfred Ives ’99, G’00, G’01, who is employed at the New York State Office of the State Comptroller, and Tom Templeton G’11, the owner and a psychotherapist at Templeton Mental Health Counseling, PLLC.

1990s

Kevin Graber ’92 has become coach of the Bourne Braves, of the Cape Cod Baseball League, a famed amateur league.

1980s

Peggy O’Shea ’86 has been named superintendent of Cohoes School District. She had been acting superintendent since October 2020, then interim superintendent in December 2020, all while continuing her duties as assistant superintendent. She has worked for the district since 1995, when she became assistant principal of Cohoes High School. She became principal of Van Schaick Grade School in 1998 and assistant superintendent in 2002. Prior to her roles at Cohoes, O’Shea worked as an associate principal, a special education teacher and coordinator, and a reading teacher.

1970s

Melody Reynolds ’74 writes: “I volunteer regularly for Flower City Habitat for Humanity (Rochester, New York). The Women Build team currently is building a house for single mom and her son. It’s our 17th house!”

In memoriam

Dawn Lewis Haggart ’87
James L. Vatter ’77
Sr. Helene Courtney, CSJ ’73, G’73
Sr. Theresa M. Martel, SCSL ’66
Kathleen R. Jennings ’62
Patricia Ann (Callahan) McDonald ’50

Friends of Saint Rose

Henry Nicolas Spelter IV, husband of Alice Horgan ’50 and stepfather of Joan Horgan, Director of Spiritual Life at Saint Rose