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SPRING 2019

VILLA JOSEPH MARIE ALUMNAE NEWSLETTER

First Edition 

We are excited to introduce the Villa Joseph Marie Alumnae Newsletter! This e-newsletter will feature news, events, updates, and all things Alumnae. This publication will be by the Alumnae, for the Alumnae. Share your news with us and we will include it in an upcoming edition. We love keeping you informed of what is happening on campus, as well as what is happening with your fellow Alumnae.  If you have news or information you would like to submit, click here.  We hope to hear from you and we hope you enjoy our NEW publication!

 
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Meet the Leadership Team of the Alumnae Association
The Villa Joseph Marie Alumnae Association was relaunched at the 85th Anniversary Celebration on September 10, 2017. During the past year and half, the Association has organized numerous events and activities both on and off-campus. Maybe you've been to one! Were you at one of the social events in Bucks County, New York City or Philadelphia? Maybe you attended the Soccer Celebration on campus in October or visited the Villa Vendor Fair in December? These and many other exciting events were organized and hosted by Villa's Alumnae Association.

 

The Association's success and momentum is thanks to the women who make up the Leadership Team. This team of hardworking, dedicated volunteers has combined their love for their Alma Mater to create and organize meaningful, interesting, and fun events for all our Alumnae.

 

Some members of the Leadership Team are pictured above. From left to right are: Stephanie Schlegel Shortall '01, Renee Kitchenman McGovern '02, Nicole DiEnna '02, Nicole Prunetti '07, and Jeannine Bradbury '07. (not pictured: Sharon Citak Bell '86, Sara Couch '04, and Andrea Bradbury Sorial '04).

Executive Board Elections

The Alumnae Association is planning to hold elections in Spring 2020, to fill the positions of the Executive Board. Currently, these positions are filled by the interim Leadership Team as follows:

 

  • Nicole Prunetti '07 - President

 

  • Sara Couch '04 - Vice President

 

  • Renee Kitchenman McGovern '02 - Treasurer

 

  • Stephanie Schlegel Shortall '01 - Secretary

 

  • Sharon Citak Bell '86 - Assistant

 

  • Nicole DiEnna '02 - Assistant

 

  • Andrea Bradbury Sorial '04 - Assistant

 

  • Jeannine Bradbury '07 - Assistant

 

More information on the elections to come. For more information or if you would like to get involved in the Alumnae Association, click here. 

ALUMNAE ASSOCIATION UPDATES

Alumnae Socials

March was a busy month! The Alumnae Association held two fun social events. The first one was held on Thursday, March 14 at Oscar Wilde Bar in New York City. The second event was held on Thursday, March 28 at The Buck Hotel in Feasterville, Bucks County. Everyone enjoyed connecting (and reconnecting) with fellow Villa Alumnae. Thank you to everyone who attended. We hope you enjoyed these events as much as we did! Currently, we're planning to host an event for our Washington, D.C. area Alumnae. We'll keep you posted on the details!

 
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Alumnae Social Events in Your Area

We're looking to host more Alumnae Social Events in a variety of locations, but we need your help. We would like to gather our Alumnae from the following areas:

 

  • Boston
  • North Jersey
  • South Jersey/ Delaware / Jersey Shore

 

If you live in one of these areas and would like to get your local Villa friends together for a night of socializing and catching up, please email Mary Beth Walinskas '96 at mwalinskas@vjmhs.org. Is there another location you'd like us to visit? Please let us know. We'd love to hear from you!

ALUMNAE OFFICE UPDATES

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Alumnae Legacy Students: Connecting Our Past with Our Present  

Last fall, Villa began a new tradition. We recognized our Alumnae Legacy Students: current students who are daughters or granddaughters of Villa Alumnae. These 16 students received a pin, which was blessed during the All Saints Day Mass and placed on their uniform by their Alumna relative (or someone in her honor). The students are invited to wear the pin throughout their years at Villa. We are excited to begin this new tradition which honors Villa's past while celebrating Villa's future. 

 

Some of our honored Alumnae shared their thoughts on this new tradition: 

 

Thank you so much for organizing the first Alumnae Legacy Student Pinning.  It has been an honor to have my daughter, Jacqueline, attend Villa.  I enjoyed attending and participating in the Legacy Student Pinning.  The ceremony was beautiful and it was incredibly special that I was able to share that moment with my daughter.  The high school years go so quickly but I am sure that this memory will stay with me (and Jacqueline!) for a lifetime! Thank you again for including me in this special Villa Moment!

-Christine Heys Armetta '84 (mother Jacqueline '19)

 

 

Villa's Alumnae Legacy Pinning was an incredible expression of pride and love for the Villa community.  Always more, always better, always with love.  This is why I send my daughter to Villa. 

-Jamie Volponi '92 (mother of Lia Caucci '21)

 

 

Being a part of the Villa Joseph Marie Alumnae Legacy Student Pinning was a very unique way to commemorate the importance of the "Villa experience."  I felt honored to be included in this very special occasion, but most of all thankful that my granddaughter, Brynn Davis, will now know what it is like to live the Villa Joseph Marie Legacy.

I believe that our family has chosen to continue the Villa Legacy because the excellent quality of the education, the small class size which invites one-on-one interaction between student and teacher, and stressing the importance of moral values, all come together to nurture each student to her full potential.

While partaking in the Alumnae Legacy Mass last November, as I "pinned" my granddaughter, Brynn, my thoughts were also reflective of the members of my family who have had the honor to call themselves Villa graduates – my daughter, Mary Beth Davis Walinskas '96, my sister, Diane Keating Geddes '75, and Diane's two daughters, Kellyann Geddes Rogers '05 and Shannon Geddes '09. 

I think the Alumnae Legacy Student Pinning is a beautiful tradition. Congratulations to all of the alumnae and students who share this honor! 

-Mary Ann Keating Davis '67 (grandmother of Brynn Davis '22)

 

 

Current Alumnae Legacy Students and their Alumnae Relative:

 

  • Jacqueline Armetta '19, daughter of Christine Heys Armetta '84

 

  • Margaret Wade '19, daughter of Mary Nagle Wade '81

 

  • Jordan Benner '20, daughter of Danielle Benner '91

 

  • Brooke Morrell '20, granddaughter of Ann McIlvaine Rigby '60

 

  • Lucy Pickersgill '20, daughter of Melissa Tatar Pickersgill '90

 

  • Caitlin Webster '20, daughter of Susan Browarek Webster '93

 

  • Kylie Aquaro '21, daughter of Cherie Twining Aquaro '87

 

  • Lia Caucci '21, daughter of Jamie Volponi '92 

 

  • Angela Farinella '21, daughter of Christie Antonelli Farinella '86

 

  • Barbara Meakim '21, daughter of Bridget Cole '91

 

  • Nadia Noorchashm '21, daughter of the late Dr. Amy Reed '91

 

  • Brynn Davis '22, granddaughter of Mary Ann Keating Davis '67

 

  • Samantha Froman '22, daughter of Claire Geib Froman '85

 

  • Emily Morace '22, daughter of Jennifer Pierce Morace '93

 

  • Anna Schmidt '22, daughter of Mariann O'Hara-Schmidt '88

 

  • Brigid Woolerton '22, daughter of Cecelia Singleton Woolerton '91 

Take a Jem to Work Days - April 15 and 16

Villa's Take a Jem to Work Days program allows a current Villa Junior or Senior to shadow an Alumnae mentor at her workplace for the day to gain insight into a potential career path. If you are interested in acting as a mentor for our shadow days on April 15 and 16, please complete the form here

Thank you to our Alumnae who have volunteered during our previous shadow days. We are so grateful to you for helping to provide a valuable real-world experience for a Villa girl.

 

 

Mentor Program 

We understand that providing a shadow is not always an option for some people. We also understand that not everyone's schedule will coordinate with our school calendar. If you are interested in mentoring a student, but cannot offer a shadow day in your office or commit to a specific date, that's fine! You can still be a mentor.  A mentor relationship with a student can be whatever you choose to make it. It can be a shadow day at your workplace,  but it can also be a lunchtime meeting, or even a remote connection through an email exchange. Don't feel limited! If you are interested in acting as a mentor, in any capacity, please click here to learn more about our Mentor Program. 

Career Day - April 25

Villa's annual Career Day will take place Thursday, April 25, 2019. Career Day gives students an opportunity to learn more about various fields they are considering pursuing in college. We are actively searching for Alumnae who are interested in presenting information about their career. If you are interested in registering as a presenter at Career Day, please click here.

Wall of Fame

Do you know someone who should be elected to Villa's Wall of Fame in 2019?  Click here and place your nomination by May 1, 2019.

Growing Villa into the Future

Villa Joseph Marie is steeped in tradition. When speaking of their Villa memories, Alumnae often will share stories of Ring Day, Big Sister-Little Sister Day, the Mother-Daughter Tea, or the Father-Daughter Dance. All of these traditions, and more, continue to be a part of the Villa experience. 

With a nod to these traditions and the Alumnae who have paved the way, Villa's Board of Directors has embarked on an expansion which will position future generations of Villa women to take their place as leaders in  the workplace, the community, and the world. Presently, construction is underway on a new state-of-the-art auditorium and plans are in review for the transformation of the school's main hallway to incorporate STEAM (science, technology, engineering, art, and mathematics) classrooms.

As we grow into the future, we are building upon our past, literally. As a symbolic and tangible example, the steel beam, which connects the new construction to the existing school, was signed by all current Villa students and staff, before it was installed. (photo below) 

We are excited for Villa's story to continue and invite all Alumnae to see what's new. Please contact Mary Beth Walinskas '96 at mwalinskas@vjmhs.org to schedule a visit.

 
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Side view of the auditorium.

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Steel beam connecting the new construction to the existing school, filled with signatures of current Villa students and staff.

Share your Good News with us!

When you opened the most recent edition of The Profiler, where was the first place you looked? Probably the Class Notes section, right?  We all love to see what our classmates have been up to. Now you don't have to wait for the next edition of The Profiler to share your news. We can share it right here in the Alumnae Newsletter!  Click  here and tell us what's new in your life. We'd love to hear from you and share it with our Alumnae family!

Prayer Request

Do you have a a prayer request? The Sisters of St. Casimir, Villa's Mission & Ministry Office, and the Villa community are happy to pray for any intentions you have. Please submit your prayer intentions here.

 
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Did you know there's an Alumnae App?

Get the latest news from the Villa Alumnae Office and the Alumnae Association on upcoming events and activities, network with classmates, and support Villa Joseph Marie! It's FREE in the App Store or on Google Play. Just search for VJMHS Alumnae. 

UPCOMING EVENTS

 April 25
Career Day
Villa Gym• 12-2:30 p.m. 

 

May 1

Wall of Fame Nominations due

 

May 22

Class of 2019 Baccalaureate Dinner

 

June 1

Class of 2019 Graduation

Do you have news or information you want to submit for publication in the Villa Joseph Marie Alumnae Newsletter? We want to hear from you! All submissions can be sent to Mary Beth Walinskas '96, Alumnae Relations Manager,  at mwalinskas@vjmhs.org. Submissions may be edited or omitted for space, clarity, or content at the sole discretion of the editor. We also welcome your questions, feedback, and suggestions. Thanks for reading the Villa Joseph Marie Alumnae Newsletter!

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