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Class Notes Spring 2021

A Q&A with Crystal S. Neuhauser, 国产哟哟鈥檚 New Vice President of Institutional Advancement Feature Story
The Circle of 国产哟哟 Alumni Profile
Your 国产哟哟 Recent Alumni Ambassador Alumni Profile
Save the Date - Reunion Fall 2021 Reunion
Delmarina L贸pez '17, Esq. Alumni Profile
Class Ambassadors Featured Class Note

Alumni Reunion

Oct 23
Please save the date of Saturday, October 23, 2021, as we plan to host an on-campus Reunion Learn More
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Class of 1941
In Memoriam Cecile D. Normandin Dufresne on December 9, 2020
Class of 1951
In Memoriam  Carolyn Lova Lee on April 11, 2020
In Memoriam Dawn Stanton Massini on January 28, 2021
In Memoriam Georgiana Sutherland Bristol on May 7, 2020
Class of 1953
In Memoriam Kathryn Ann D'Amato on May 10, 2020
Class of 1954
In Memoriam Abigail Kavanagh Weller on January 31, 2021
Class of 1959
In Memoriam Margaret Gotta Halgas on May 8, 2020
Class of 1962
In Memoriam Judith Newell Charest on May 30, 2020
Class of 1963
In Memoriam Dianne Falcon Major on June 6, 2020
In Memoriam Rosalie Libiszewski Ward on March 31, 2021
Weddings Jessie Mackay and Doug Roper were married on December 25, 2020.
Class of 1965
In Memoriam Leslie Cwikla McKay on January 29, 2021
In Memoriam Susan Alice Studer on July 21, 2020
Class of 1969
Catching Up Ginny Freeman shares: “I am a 国产哟哟 alumna from 1969. My aunt attended 国产哟哟 Institute, my grandmother graduated from Mount Holyoke, a great aunt was Dean of Women at Colby College, and another a graduate of Wellesley and Cornell Law. She was a lawyer and a judge - the first woman judge in Maine. Both of my parents were teachers and community leaders here in my native State of Maine. I brought a proud history of strong women with me when I arrived all those years ago to 国产哟哟.”
Class of 1970
In Memoriam Cathy Luce on December 19, 2020
Class of 1973
In Memoriam Maria Abbate Ribaudo on August 7, 2020
Class of 1979
In Memoriam Lori DuBois O’Neil on January 23, 2021
Class of 1988
Catching Up Lesly Connolly was appointed director of sales and marketing at DoubleTree by Hilton Hotels in Washington, D.C. North/Gaithersburg, Maryland.
In Memoriam Christine Chenard Davis on April 21, 2020
Engagements Monica A. Lougee and Richard Curtis Gaudet of Westbrook, Maine, are engaged to be married.
Class of 1993 30th Reunion
Catching Up Tammy Beckwith was recently promoted to senior IP paralegal at Flagship Pioneering, Inc. Tammy has been with Flagship since 2017, and is one of the original members of the Intellectual Property Group now consisting of four patent attorneys, one patent agent, two contracts managers, and one paralegal. Tammy oversees the Intellectual Property portfolio for the entire Flagship enterprise, now at roughly 35 private companies in the biotech and agricultural industries. Flagship's companies include Moderna and Incredible Foods, and this spring announced raising $1.1B in capital to create new biotechs in a post-pandemic world.
Class of 1994
Catching Up Christa Collier G’07 was inducted on June 17, 2020, as the president of the North Adams Rotary Club as part of the District 7690 installation event via Zoom.
Class of 1995
Catching Up Florence Bank announced that Dawn Harrington was recently selected as a recipient of its President’s Award.
Class of 1998 25th Reunion
Catching Up Kelly Hawkins published her first book: 50 Things to Know About Being a High School English Teacher. It became the #1 New Release on Amazon.
In Memoriam Amy Clark Swanson on January 30, 2021
Class of 2000
Catching Up Kiernan Cone Rushford got a new job at Farm Credit Financial Partners, Inc as a project coordinator.
In Memoriam Mary Jane Strycharz on July 1, 2020
Class of 2001
In Memoriam Karen Normand on May 19, 2020
Class of 2002
In Memoriam Bonnie Aitchison on January 5, 2021
Class of 2003
Arrivals Payal Kapoor Gupta welcomed their second grandest gift, Ayaan Kapoor Gupta, on October 22, 2020.
Class of 2005
Catching Up Amy Feeley-Austin G’11 found her birth father through a DNA test. .
Catching Up Tammy Nuccio G’06 was elected to represent the 53rd district in the Connecticut House of Representatives. 
Class of 2006
Catching Up Myra Quick has joined the board of Dress for Success of Western Massachusetts.
Weddings Geena Ravella and Nick Larson were married on January 8, 2021.
Class of 2007
Catching Up Dr. Lauren Chapple-Love was the recipient of the Nevada Psychological Association's Outstanding Advocacy Award for 2020. In her words: “ I hope to continue to serve my community and plan to use my breath for those that have had theirs taken away.” She is also the owner of Elle Psychological Services, LLC.
Catching Up Rachel Hewat recently opened a cookie shop in Frisco, Texas, called Mary's Mountain Cookies. It is a very small franchise out of Colorado. Mary’s Mountain Cookies was started by a single mother in the late 1980's who still owns and operates her own stores, as well as overseeing franchises.
Catching Up Kiyota Garcia was named one of BusinessWest, Class of 2021, 40 Under Forty honorees.
Catching Up Noelle Jacques G’12 has started her own business—Everything In Its Place by Noelle. Her company offers professional organizational and cleaning services for home and office and specializes in office setups, document control and storage, and bookkeeping services for self-employed contractors and small businesses.
Engagements Michelle Chandler and Adam Barrios got engaged on December 24, 2020.
Engagements Stephanie Mannion and Charles Ngelezi got engaged.
Class of 2008 15th Reunion
Catching Up Kristen Ferraro, who grew up in the Forest Park section of Springfield, is the producer of A Deadly Legend. She stars as Joan Huntar, a real estate developer who buys an old summer camp with a dark history of supernatural worship and human sacrifice.
Catching Up Kristine Kelly Hougaard was named The Citizen’s Chronicle inaugural Teacher of the Year.
Catching Up Gillian Hinkson was one of two newly announced Community Foundation of Western Massachusetts (CFWM) trustees: Nikki Burnett, Executive Director of Educare Springfield, and Gillian Hinkson, Victim Witness Advocate for the Hampden County District Attorney’s Office. Nikki Burnett ’18 G'21 is also a 国产哟哟 graduate.
Catching Up Courtney Connor of Jacksonville, Florida, was recently initiated into The Honor Society of Phi Kappa Phi, the nation's oldest and most selective all-discipline collegiate honor society. Connor was inducted at Nova Southeastern University. Connor is among approximately 30,000 students, faculty, professional staff and alumni to be initiated into Phi Kappa Phi each year. Membership is by invitation only and requires nomination and approval by a chapter. Only the top 10 percent of seniors and 7.5 percent of juniors are eligible for membership. Graduate students in the top 10 percent of the number of candidates for graduate degrees may also qualify, as do faculty, professional staff and alumni who have achieved scholarly distinction.
Catching Up Mary Forcier G’08 recently opened her own bakery in December 2019 called Canary's Cookies & More, LLC in Hamden, Connecticut.
Catching Up Amanda Wendt G’14 shared this news: “I recently transitioned into a full-time faculty position at American International College. In my role as an assistant professor and fieldwork coordinator, my focus will be assisting students as they develop their professional self as practitioners.”
Arrivals Stephanie Crowell Rigazio welcomed a girl, Willow Ann Elizabeth, on May 29, 2020.
Arrivals Jessica Washington welcomed their second child, Zion Grace Washington, on April 3, 2020.
Arrivals Lauren Minnichiello welcomed Giovanni Minnichello on April 11, 2020.
Arrivals Amanda Wendt welcomed daughter Maria Rae Wendt. 
Class of 2009
Catching Up Attorney Rose Colon was named to the board of Martin Luther King, Jr. Family Services. Colon is a criminal defense and personal injury attorney based in Springfield, MA. She engages in all aspects of criminal defense and civil personal injury litigation. She earned her paralegal certificate from the American Bar Association, a bachelor’s degree with a concentration in legal studies at 国产哟哟, and her Juris Doctor at Western New England University School of Law.
Engagements Sandra Widmer and Rob Friederichs got engaged.
Weddings Kristin Whalen and Jason Fisher were married on September 12, 2020.
Weddings Vicky Malinowski and Jason Thody were married on October 31.
Class of 2010
Catching Up Latoya Bosworth was the guest speaker at 国产哟哟's History & Empowerment: Living Life with Purpose and Passion, the third Thumbprint Lecture of the Own Your Now: Resilience Thumbprint Lecture Series!
Engagements Aubry Frost and John Maciejko got engaged.
Arrivals Brittnea Davis welcomed Novan Ricci Davis to the world on May 6, 2020.
Class of 2011
Catching Up Racquela Richard started a new job at Women & Infants Hospital in Providence, RI, as a registered nurse in labor and delivery.
Arrivals Kimberly Roche and Dennis Roche welcomed a girl, Jennifer William Roche, on March 13, 2020.
Arrivals Tiffany Cutting Madru G'11 welcomed a boy, Talan, on June 19, 2020.
Class of 2012
Catching Up Dr. Dajara Wright earned her PhD from the American International College and is now Dr. Dajara Wright, MSW, EdD.
Catching Up Amanda Thibedeau G’20 celebrated her anniversary of 15 years as a volunteer firefighter and is coming up to five years as a career firefighter! She successfully completed Fire Investigations (State/National Certifications) and will be taking Fire Code in the fall of 2020 to become a certified Fire Marshal.
Catching Up Victoria Ann Rodriguez G’17 was named one of BusinessWest, Class of 2021, 40 Under Forty honorees.
Arrivals Melissa Tharau Story welcomed her daughter, Addison Grace Story, on March 30, 2020.
Arrivals Jayna Van Fleet welcomed Wren Alice on March 8, 2021.
Class of 2013 10th Reunion
Catching Up Taylor Wright was recently reading the Spring/Summer 2020 issue of the 国产哟哟way. She shares: 鈥淚 thought I would let you know about some recent news. I鈥檓 a project executive at T&M Equipment Corporation and was recently recognized with two awards in our industry: 2019 Women in Construction Award from Constructech Magazine. Here is what Peggy Smedly, the editorial director said: 鈥楾he Women in Construction are true examples of stalwartness in an industry that is primarily dominated by men. These forward-thinking women are aspiring for more than just a paycheck. What makes them truly stand out is how they inspire all women to persevere and are dedicated to helping the industry thrive as a whole. I am so pleased to be recognizing them for their successes.鈥� I also was inducted into the Class of 2020 Under 40 in Construction by Construction Equipment Magazine.
Catching Up Ruchi Mukerjee says: “Hi alums! When I graduated from 国产哟哟 in 2013, it was my goal to work with nonprofits. I am proud to say I have accomplished this. My organization, Essex Art Center, is a place for children and adults to learn and express themselves through art and provides reduced rate/free classes for youth in need. We now have online art classes in drawing, painting, cartooning, and more so anyone around the world can share in our instructors’ knowledge. If you know anyone interested, please share this with them! Thank you so much for being a part of my journey!”
Catching Up Arianna White has accepted a position teaching PreK with Head Start here in Chesapeake, VA.
Class of 2014
Catching Up Amanda Buckingham has joined the litigation & dispute resolution practice area of the law firm, Halloran Sage, based out of the firm’s Hartford, CT, office. She handles tort claims and matters ranging from motor vehicle and uninsured/underinsured motorist to professional and product liability. Prior to joining Halloran Sage, Amanda worked as an employment practices liability adjuster for a large reinsurance company, handling claims against insured employers in state and federal agencies and in courts across the country involving discrimination, retaliation, harassment, and wrongful termination. She earned her JD from the University of Connecticut School of Law after graduating magna cum laude from 国产哟哟. Halloran Sage (www.halloransage.com) provides responsive legal counsel to client needs and routinely handles transactional, litigation, and personal service matters. The firm has a presence throughout the state, with offices in Hartford, Danbury, Middletown, New Haven, New London, Westport, Connecticut, as well as a branch in Washington, D.C.
Catching Up Jynai McDonald will be running again for the Ward 4 City Council seat she came close to winning two years ago, and in part, it is the attendance record of Councilor Malo Brown that is motivating her campaign.
Catching Up Cole Eckerman G’14 was recently named director of development & government relations at Bellevue Arts Museum (BAM) in Bellevue, WA. Prior to this promotion, Cole served as BAM's development director for 18 months. During this time, Cole increased BAM's grants revenue by 176% and secured substantial corporate support from the region's tech giants, including Microsoft, Amazon, and T-Mobile. In this new role, Cole will continue to lead BAM's development department while also representing the Museum's interests with elected and government officials.
Catching Up Liliana Madrid G’14 began her new position on January 4, 2021, as the first director of diversity, equity and inclusion for New York State’s Division of Academic and Student Affairs.
Arrivals Becca Felton welcomed Regina “Reggie” Maher Felton on March 27, 2021.
Class of 2015
Catching Up Maureen Daley G’15 graduated with a master’s in Occupational Therapy in 2015. She writes:  “I am including to my recent online article published in OT Practice Magazine, the print article will be published in January 2021. I wanted my OT class to be in the know!”
Catching Up Dr. Samira Galvao G’17 says: “Hello, my BPU family! After receiving my master’s in 2017, I continued my studies at Northcentral University. I finished in May of 2020, defended my dissertation study in June, and virtual commencement was this past Saturday, August 22nd, 2020. I’m grateful for everything I learned at BPU, and therefore, I felt I was ready to expand my knowledge by getting my doctoral degree. Thank you! My dissertation was the following: Addressing The Needs of English Language Learners AT The Secondary Level: A Qualitative Single-Case Study.”
Class of 2016
Catching Up Kieona Fairley started a new position as senior clinical data manager at TFS - Clinical Contract Research Organization.
Catching Up Edna Ohemaa Aboagye is now an RN, graduating from SUNY Onondoga Community College with her nursing degree.
Catching Up Kelly Partridge G’16 officially published her first children's book, How Owls Become Wise.
Catching Up Amanda Emet G’18 shares this news: “I've been keeping busy with school, my new role, and enjoying lots of books. I miss seeing everyone on campus! My new role is as a Lead Teacher for NORY. This educational institution runs summer camps and after-school enrichment programs throughout greater NYC, with their programs usually focused on STEM and entrepreneurship. If we were not in a pandemic, this camp would be taking place on ground, in the Upper West Side. Because of this, I am involved in their virtual summer STEM program and work remotely from Massachusetts. I am extremely grateful to have this position because it was a competitive pool! I work with ages 7-12, and they are advanced learners. They're such a great group to work with, and they drive my passion for education even more. It's been a dream of mine to teach science and attend science camp - so I'm having an absolute blast...well, literally and figuratively having a blast because we also do daily experiments that include some nifty chemical reactions! Another benefit is that I've networked with 30 people from all over the US who are part of this program as well. They range from Maryland, South Carolina, NYC, Delaware, and more! It's been a pleasure working here. I'm happy I can still make a difference in the lives of students, no matter the distance! :-) It's only a summer position, but it is such an amazing opportunity to continue teaching during the pandemic.”
Catching Up Cassandra Houle G’17 has been named associate manager of audit services at the Pittsfield accounting firm of Adelson & Co., according to President Gary Moynihan.  
In Memoriam Luz Rivera on May 10, 2021
Catching Up Kaci Wood Trout was married in October 2020, and the officiant was Rita Schiano, who was Kaci's professor in the One-Day program at the Sturbridge campus back in 2014/2015.
Class of 2017
Catching Up Krista A. Garriepy recently graduated from her physician assistant program, passed her NCCPA board exam, and will be working as a pediatric oncology physician assistant at Cohen Children's Hospital in NYC starting in August!
Catching Up Meredith O'Brien-Weiss G’17 has written a memoir about the life-altering diagnosis of multiple sclerosis. Uncomfortably Numb Memoir came out in paperback on March 3, at the beginning of MS Awareness Month.
Catching Up Delmarina Lopez, J.D. ’17 states: “It is with great enthusiasm that I officially announce I am running for City Councilor in my home City of Chicopee, Massachusetts.”
In Memoriam Mary Kapper Letasz on February 5, 2021
Engagements Alma Rizvani and Mondial Najte got engaged on July 5, 2020.
Class of 2018 5th Reunion
Catching Up Olivia Violette is excited to announce that she has accepted a position with the Georgia Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Disabilities as a health care worker.
Catching Up Lauren Vallee earned her Masters in Forensic Science at the Univ. of New Haven in May 2020! She writes: “I have accepted a position at the Nebraska State Patrol Crime Laboratory as a Forensic Scientist I in the Biology/DNA Unit. I’ll be headed to Lincoln, NE, in mid-September to start my dream career. I know what you’re thinking... NEBRASKA?! The answer is: YUP, call me a cornhusker! I’ll certainly miss CT, but I’m super excited to begin a new chapter in my life.”
Catching Up Nikki Burnett G'21 is one of two new trustees announced by the Community Foundation of Western Massachusetts (CFWM). Nikki is the executive director of Educare Springfield.
Catching Up Courtney Kinney G’18 has joined Coldwell Banker Community Realtors (CBCR) and will be serving Franklin and Hampshire Counties.
Class of 2019
Catching Up Tori McClure recently was hired as a lead eec certified preschool teacher at 18 Degrees in Pittsfield, MA.
Catching Up Kelly Williams has started a position as an occupational therapist in special education.
Catching Up Ariangna Gonzalez joined the Northampton Police Department last year, completed the academy, and is now wrapping up the Field Training Program.
Class of 2020
Catching Up Khalia Albury was hired into a permanent position as a financial analyst at Universal Plastics.