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Class Notes for June 2019

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2010s

Emily Barcia-Varno ’18 was crowned 2019 Albany Tulip Queen at Tulip Fest in May.

Ann-Marie Berdar ’18 is the cofounder of Bare, a smoothie shop in Stuyvesant Plaza, Albany New York. “We opened our first location about 6 months ago, and are doing very well! My shop is a 100% vegan and gluten-free facility that only serves food made with all natural plant-based ingredients. Our mission is to promote health and wellness in our community.”

Emily Mitchell ’18 started working as a client success associate at Songtrust in Brooklyn, New York. She has been with the firm since March 2018. “Moving to the city has been a very exciting experience,” she adds.

Samantha Phillips-Vargas G’18 is a school counselor with Intermediate School 392 in Brooklyn, New York.

Brian Tomek ’17 is a chemist working at FB Laboratories in Hauppage, Long Island.

Nick Menozzi ’17 is a business development manager at Impact in London, England. “I recently left my position as a stock broker on Wall Street to work for a technology marketing firm in my hometown.”

Christopher Benfield ’16 is pursuing his doctorate degree in vocal performance at the University of Washington in Seattle, Washington. “I have just performed in the West Coast premiere of Philip Glass’ ‘Hydrogen Jukebox,’ and I am preparing for the Met National Council Auditions in October of this year. I am also going to be participating in the Lawrence Opera Theatre summer program in Lawrence, Kansas, in August.”

Erin Davenport ’16 is a 911 emergency dispatcher with the U.S. Navy, Department of Defense, in Silverdale, Washington. She is pursuing a master’s degree in forensic science and technology at Stevenson University.

Ashlie Garcia ’16 is a store administrator at Nordstrom in the New York City metropolitan area.

Brittany Terry ’15 is working as an HR coordinator for Northrop Grumman in the Chicago, Illinois, metropolitan area. “This is a complete position change – back to my HR roots!”

Cherokee Lynn Grimes ’14is working as the community engagement coordinator for WMHT in Troy, New York. “I was teaching in Catskill, but transitioned to WMHT to work in education in a different capacity and be closer to home.”

Dominick Benedetto ’14 is a senior executive with Numerix LLC in New York City.

Ryan Brauer ’11 is a case administrator at Chronovo, which is headquartered in Burlington, Massachusetts.

2000s

Laurén Carter G’08 is associate director of college counseling at Episcopal High School in Alexandria, Virginia.

Lindsay A. Roth ’06 is assistant vice chancellor of annual giving at the University of Massachusetts at Dartmouth. “I was married in December 2018 to Steven Sechoka in Poughkeepsie, NY. We are currently living on the south shore of Massachusetts.”

1990s

Matt Luneau G’97 has become the men’s basketball coach at Clinton Community College in Plattsburgh, New York. He coached women’s basketball at Saint Rose in the late 1990s and has also coached at Siena College in Albany and at Syracuse University in Syracuse, New York.

Loretta (Lori) Palmer ’99: “I am proud to announce that I will be graduating from SUNY Empire State College next month with a Masters of Arts in Adult Learning.”

Rosalind Gaines-Harrell ’93, G’01 was named Administrator of the Year by the City School District of Albany. She is principal of Arbor Hill Elementary School in Albany, New York.

Julia Kelly G’97 is working for the New York State Office of People with Developmental Disabilities (Albany, New York) as a policy development specialist.

Nicole Radens Arel ’96 was recently elected to a two-year term as a delegate for the American Massage Therapy Association. She also serves as the Connecticut Chapter’s Government Relations Chair and was awarded the “Firecracker Award” for her drive, enthusiasm, and efforts at the state level regarding legislation affecting the massage therapy field.

Sarah Collins Johnson ’93 is a teacher with Christ Clarion Community Preschool in Pittsford, New York.

Rose Horton ’90 has been promoted to vice president and branch manager for Old Point National Bank in Newport News, Virgina.

1980s

David Montanye ’80 is an import manager for John S. Connor, Inc., in Dulles, Virginia.

Carol Connolly ’61 is in Chapel Hill, North Carolina, where she moved with her husband after retiring from teaching in the Wynantskill School District. “I was also a professional storyteller for 25 years, performing solo and as part of a four-woman ensemble. We brought our tales to adult and family audiences.” She performed with her husband from 1991 to 2015 in the storytelling duo, Tales ‘n Tunes, which toured New York, New Jersey, Massachusetts, and Vermont.

In memoriam
Thomas Gauvin ’96
Jill L. Hotaling G’95
Anne Palmieri Bielkiewicz ’73
Sue Ann Hoogkamp Rodgers G’57
Eileen Jones ’79, G’83
Thomas Koch ’75

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Events at Saint Rose for June 2019 and Beyond

Things slow a little in the summer at Saint Rose, but there is still a steady buzz around the campus. Check out some of our events for June and beyond.

But First, Summer Is Even More Fun with Alumni Discounts

Great Escape Alumni Discount: As an alum of The College of Saint Rose, we are happy to offer you a discount on tickets and season passes at Great Escape. To redeem, visit the Six Flags website. Click on ENTER PROMO CODE in the upper right corner of the screen at checkout and enter promo code STROSE.

Albany Empire: Get discounted tickets to the Albany Empire, Albany’s arena football team based at the Times Union Center. Tickets are available for the June 22 and July 20 games. Just click on this ticket link to view the discounted ticket prices.

Saint Rose Summer Academy:
For students entering grades 6 through 10, each week offers a varied roster of classes in art, history, adventure, science, sports, writing, and many other subjects. Students can take half- or whole-day classes. The program runs for five one-week sessions, from July until August 2.

Broadway Bootcamp (part of Summer Academy):
This program, for students entering grades 6 to 12, runs during the week from July 8 until July 26, and culminates in fully staged scenes and songs from Legally Blonde at the Swyer Theater at The Egg, Albany, New York, on July 25 at 7 p.m. No auditions necessary – all are welcome.

Saint Rose Pre-College Experience:
For students entering grades 9 to 12 (including grade 8 for music programs), the Pre-College Experience offers intensive classes in music, visual arts, digital filmmaking, and criminal justice. Students may attend the day program or reside on campus (residential students must be at least 13 years of age). The program runs from July 8 through July 19.

June 15:
Nominations are now open for the 2019 Alumni Association Awards with a deadline of June 15. These awards will be presented during HOME.COMING Weekend on Saturday, September 28.
The Alumni Association proudly presents two annual awards: The Thomas A. Manion Distinguished Faculty Award and the Distinguished Alumni Award. To see a list of past winners, or to nominate a deserving candidate for either award, please visit www.strose.edu/alumni.

July 18:
Saint Rose Night at the Tri-City ValleyCats, 6 p.m.
Join for fellow Golden Knights for a perfect summer evening: dinner and a baseball game! Registration includes a pre-game picnic for Saint Rose guests only, your game ticket, and a souvenir ValleyCats baseball cap. We’ll also have some great Saint Rose raffles and giveaways too. Saint Rose family of all ages are welcome. The picnic begins at 6 p.m., and the game begins at 7 p.m. Click here to reserve your tickets.

And don’t forget to mark your calendars:

September 27 through 29:
HOME.COMING and Family Weekend. Come HOME to your alma mater for a weekend of festivities. Celebrate the induction of the newest Golden Roses, the Class of 1969. Attend the annual meeting of the Alumni Association Board. Other events include the Athletic Hall of Fame, The School of Education Tailgate, the Gospel Brunch and more! For more information visit the website.

Painting with a Twist Event: October 13
Spend a Sunday afternoon painting with your fellow alumni at Painting with a Twist, 899 New Loudon Road, Latham, New York. Your $35 registration provides you with all the materials you will need: canvas, brushes, paint, etc. The venue is BYOB, so feel free to bring snacks and beverages for you and your friends to enjoy during the event. Registration is coming soon.

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A Message from President Carolyn J. Stefanco: May 2019

Saint Rose President Carolyn J. Stefanco

I speak with the presidents of colleges and universities regularly about the challenges facing higher education, and they are real. The victories at Saint Rose are also real, and it is exciting to share some of them with you as we conclude the academic year.

Although it is still early in the enrollment process, and 2019-2020 registration numbers are not finalized until October, key year-over-year admissions data points for Fall 2019 suggest that our strategies to increase and diversify enrollment are working. We have received more first-year and transfer undergraduate applications than last year, and, as of May 1, the numbers of admitted and deposited undergraduate students are the highest in five years. Additionally, 29% more Fall 2019 prospective undergraduate students have visited campus this year – an important indicator of demonstrated student interest in Saint Rose.

A significant way that we are increasing enrollment is with the development of new programs. We celebrate the College’s success in adding or restructuring 14 programs since Spring 2017, from the long-awaited Master of Science in Social Work to the innovative bachelor’s degree in design media arts. New online delivery methods, including a hybrid model that combines on-campus and online learning for some of our graduate programs, as well as a new Any Time, Any Way MBA, which allows students to take courses via three modalities and not have to commit to just one, offer true flexibility, and help students balance advanced education and the obligations of life and work.

I am grateful to work with dedicated faculty, staff, and administrators at Saint Rose who are committed to our mission and to leading change. As we near our 100th anniversary, we are focusing on the needs of today’s students. In doing so, we appreciate all the support we receive from our alumni, parents, friends, and supporters of this great institution. Know that each victory that we celebrate is a shared one.

Best wishes,

Carolyn

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President Stefanco and Martin Dinan Present on Serving Veteran Students at National Conference

Saint Rose chief of staff Lisa Haley Thomson, President Carolyn J. Stefanco and Martin Dinan, director of veteran enrollment

President Carolyn J. Stefanco and Martin Dinan, director of veteran enrollment at Saint Rose, presented at the Association of Governing Boards of Universities and Colleges National Conference on Trusteeship last month.

They led a session on best practices for serving student veterans and military-connected students, discussing how Saint Rose leads the nation in supporting this population. They identified presidential support for military-connected students, two full-time veterans on staff who work directly with these students, a dedicated staff member in the registrar’s office to certify veteran benefits, a Veteran Center and Veteran Residence, and a Student Veteran Association chapter as important in creating a welcoming environment at Saint Rose.

The College has also received generous financial support from its trustees and donors, particularly from the Massry Family, in meeting the needs of veterans and military-connected students.

Read more about our efforts around veterans and military-connected students here.

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