VILLA JOSEPH MARIE ALUMNAE NEWSLETTER WINTER 2020 Hello from Villa! I hope you enjoy this latest edition of the Alumnae Newsletter, which includes updates from fellow Alumnae, the Alumnae Association, and the Alumnae Office. Thanks for reading! - Mary Beth Davis Walinskas '96, Alumnae Relations Manager Kate Abel Memorial Tournament On Saturday, November 30, 2019 Villa hosted the inaugural Kate Abel Memorial Tournament. Named for a 2009 Villa graduate who lost her life to a drunk driver in 2014, this basketball showcase tournament featured twelve CYO teams from the Bucks County area, as well as numerous Villa Alumnae who gathered for an Alumnae basketball game. It was an amazing event and a wonderful way to remember Kate. Thanks to everyone involved — Villa Alumnae, CYO basketball players, spectators, sponsors, and donors — we raised $13,900 for the Kate Abel Memorial Scholarship Fund. The Abel family and Villa Joseph Marie thank you tremendously for supporting us in remembering Kate with such an special event. If you are interested in donating to the scholarship, please click here. ALUMNAE UPDATES Ruth Marie Cheleden Dextraze '53 shares, "Hello to all you 'JEMS'. At age 84, I have more blessings than years. My 6 children and 2 step-children and 24 grands and great-grands are reason. I pray more than complain. Their lives are exceptionally interesting and satisfying. A good attitude & a good education are keys. Always be grateful, that is 'primo'."
Mary Jean "Jeanie" Dever Biser '62 shares, "The many years since graduation have not diminished the fond memories of Villa and my dear friends. About 12 to 15 of the 'Villa girls of 1962' get together 3 or more times a year. We love to catch up, laugh a lot and remember great times. Several of us attend Christmas at Maria Hall. I am now in my 22nd year a volunteer chaplain at Doylestown Hospital, a calling that brings challenges and a great joy. I am married and have 2 wonderful sons and a lovely step-daughter. My 2 grandsons, 18 & 16, are the joy of my life. I have been blessed. My years at Villa laid down a firm foundation. Always more, always better, always with love."
Geraldine Carroll Crowley '64 shares, she and her husband, Bill, "celebrated our 50th wedding anniversary this year. We have 2 sons and 5 grandchildren who live nearby, which is a blessing."
Diane Eeckhout McNamara '64 and her husband, Dennis, recently celebrated their 51st anniversary. They have a son, Michael, 2 grandsons: Michael, Jr. and Joseph, and 5 great-grandchildren: Bryce, Caleb, Scarlett, Abigail and Everly. Diane retired in 2008 from the Hollywood Police Dept. She and her husband enjoy traveling throughout the U.S.
Linda Thatcher Raichle '66 was recently awarded the Lifetime Achievement Award from the Alliance for Continuing Education in the Health Professions in recognition of a lifetime of dedication to healthcare education and significant career contributions to the organization and more broadly to the promotion of a healthy world. She was also the 2019 recipient of the Alumni Achievement Award from Holy Family University (HFU). She earned a BS in Biology from HFU; an MS in Public Health Education from Arcadia University; and a PhD in Educational Leadership from the University of Pennsylvania. She spent over 30 years in the field of continuing medical education teaching physicians, nurses and other healthcare providers about new medicines to improve patient care. She served in leadership roles in multiple medical societies and pharmaceutical companies. She recently retired and resides in Media, PA and Margate, NJ. She also shares, "I have fond memories of my 4 years at the Villa. My experiences and the amazing teachers helped formulate the foundations of my career. I am grateful."
Martina White '06 was elected new chair of Philadelphia's Republican City Committee in November. Read more here.
Krista L. Connelly '09 , after successfully defending her doctoral thesis on November 1, 2019, received her PhD in Biomedical Sciences with a concentration in Neuroscience from the Lewis Katz School of Medicine at Temple University. The first part of Dr. Connelly's research, "Chronic cocaine administration upregulates FKBP5 in the extended amygdala of male and female rats" has been published in the international journal, Drug and Alcohol Dependence with parts 2 and 3 publication pending.
Anna Marie DiMascia Malloy '09 has been working on federal legislation which was recently signed into law: President Trump signs PACT Act; law will crack down on some of the worst animal cruelty crimes. Anna Marie was invited to the White House to participate in the signing on November 25. She shares, "It was such a memorable event!" President Trump Signs Preventing Animal Cruelty and Torture Act.
Angelina Ferrara '13, Katherine Kelly '13, and Kristan Coppola '13 traveled to London in December. They visited Marisa Poncia '13, during her fall semester abroad. Marisa is in her 3rd year of law school at Georgetown.
Francesca Bogiatzis '16 shares, "I am currently a senior at Ursinus College, Class of 2020. I played basketball for Villa for 3 years and have been playing for Ursinus the for 3 years and am entering my fourth and final season at Ursinus. I was elected captain along with two of my other teammates, one who is also a Villa Alumna, Marisa Morano '17. I am #15 pictured to the left and Marisa is pictured on the right #14. We're striving to win our conference championship this year!"
Briana Hocker '17 recently lead Alvernia University to a first place finish at LedgeRock Golf Club. Hocker Earns First Career Low Medalist At Alvernia's Home Invitational.
Erica Behr '18 was named to the Atlantic 10 Women's Soccer All-Academic Team. Erica is currently a sophomore at St. Joseph's University. Read more about Erica here.
Kat Mangione '18 recently had her photography skills used in Gettysburg College's holiday greeting message. Watch it here.
Gianna Newborg '18, Knicks City Dancer, dances at Madison Square Garden in New York for the NBA basketball team The NY Knicks.
Alexa Johnson '19 won the 2019 Auction item "Night of Improv" with Villa teachers Will Dennis and Maggie May. Alexa, along with other members of the Class 2019, enjoyed the event which was hosted at Will's studio , UnScripted, in Newtown in November.
WEDDING ANNOUNCEMENTS Kristin Canonaco Loker '99 shares, "On July 27, 2019 I married Thomas Loker at Aldie Mansion in Doylestown, PA. My sister, Tracy Canonaco '08 was my Maid of Honor.
BABY ANNOUNCEMENTS Deborah Sulock Gleiter '99 and her husband Jason welcomed a baby girl, Isabella Vivian Gleiter, on January 18, 2019.
Jennifer Stegonshek Morrison '01 and her husband Joe welcomed a daughter named Evelyn Rose on September 9, 2019, joining big brothers Joey and Sean. While the boys were a little disappointed that Evelyn was not a boy, they quickly fell in love with her and are amazing big brothers to their little sister.
Lindsay Tomlinson Guinan '05 and her family welcomed Maeve Catherine on January 2, 2020 at 9 lbs, 5 oz, 22 inches.
Erin Galen Cacchio '09 and her husband, John, welcomed their first child, John Nicholas Cacchio III, on June 30, 2019.
Share your Good News with us! We all love to hear 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!
ALUMNAE ASSOCIATION UPDATES Current Executive Board: President: Nicole Prunetti '07 Vice President: Sara Couch '04 Treasurer: Renee Kitchenman McGovern '02 Secretary: Stephanie Schlegel Shortall '01 Assistant: Sharon Citak Bell '86 Assistant: Nicole DiEnna '02 Assistant: Andrea Bradbury Sorial '04 Assistant: Jeannine Bradbury '07 Executive Board Meeting The Executive Board of the Alumnae Association gathered for a meeting in Maria Hall on January 4, 2020. The group has many exciting events planned for our Alumnae this spring, including a social in NYC in March, a general meeting for all Alumnae in April, and Executive Board elections for the positions of President and Secretary. Pictured from left to right are: Nicole DiEnna '02, Stephanie Schlegel Shortall '01, Renee Kitchenman McGovern '02, Andrea Bradbury Sorial '04, Jeannine Bradbury '07, and Nicole Prunetti '07
Executive Board Elections: Nominate an Alumna NOW! Elections will be held this Spring to fill the President and Secretary positions.
The Nominations for the position of Secretary are being accepted now through February 16, 2020. For more information on the positions or to nominate yourself or another Alumna, click here. Voting will open in April 2020, during the General Meeting (more information below).
Alumnae Association General Meeting: April 19 Mark your calendar! The Alumnae Association will hold a general meeting on Sunday, April 19, 2020 from 11 a.m. - 1 p.m. in the cafeteria. ALL Alumnae are welcome and encouraged to attend this meeting.
Tentative agenda:
More details, including how to register to attend the meeting, will be coming soon. Save the date for April 19!
If you would like to get involved in the Alumnae Association, click here.
Alumnae Event at Trenton Thunder Game Would you be interested in attending a VJM Alumnae Family Night at a Trenton Thunder game on Sunday, July 26 at 5:00 p.m.? We'd like your feedback. Families are welcome- Regular stadium seating at $8/person. Let us know if you're interested by taking this 1 question poll.
Class Agents A Class Agent is a liaison between the Villa Joseph Marie Alumnae Association, in conjunction with the Alumnae Office, and her classmates. The role of a Class Agent is two-fold: to share information provided by the Alumnae Association and/or the Alumnae Office with her classmates via email, social media, and word of mouth and to encourage participation, support, idea sharing, and feedback from her classmates with the Alumnae Association and/or the Alumnae Office. A Class Agent plays an essential role in helping the school connect and reconnect with the Alumnae.
If you're interested in acting as a Class Agent, please sign up here. ALUMNAE OFFICE UPDATES Thanksgiving Feast In November, many members of the Class of 2019 returned to Villa to celebrate the beloved tradition of the Thanksgiving Feast. We loved welcoming our newest Alumnae back to campus!
Christmas at Villa On Sunday, December 8, 2019, Villa welcomed current families, Alumnae, and the local community to school for our Christmas at Villa event. The day included Brunch with Santa, Villa Vendor Fair, and an Open House at Maria Hall. Many Alumnae and their children were in attendance at the brunch and enjoyed time with Santa, as well as fun Christmas activities with our students. The Villa Vendor Fair included several Alumnae vendors and provided guests with many opportunities to shop local. Maria Hall was adorned with exquisite decorations and interesting facts about the historic mansion, as well as musical performances provided by Villa's band and chorus. It was a fun, festive day with our Villa family! Do you want to join the Villa Christmas Vendor Fair Planning Committee? We can use your help with organizing and planning the event. Click on the Alumnae Association interest form tab at the bottom of this page and check off the box for Christmas Vendor Fair Planning Committee.
Women Today Leading Tomorrow: A Women's Symposium: February 22 Educate. Empower. Encourage. Villa invites you to "Women Today Leading Tomorrow: A Symposium on Empowerment for Women" on Saturday, February 22, 2020. Meet our speakers, read about the sessions that they'll be presenting, and register here. We look forward to seeing you there!
Alumnae Social Event in NYC: March 19 Join us to connect and catch-up with your fellow area Villa Alumnae! Bring a friend!
Thursday, March 19, 2020 6-8 p.m. Oscar Wilde NYC 45 West 27th Street New York, NY 10001
Registration is required by Wednesday March 11, 2020. Register here.
Career Day: April 23 Villa's annual Career Day will take place Thursday, April 23, 2020. 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.
Mentor Program Villa's Alumnae have countless success stories. Would you like to share your story and experience with a current Villa student by acting as 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, a lunchtime meeting, or even a remote connection through an email exchange. Don't feel limited!
For more information or to register as a mentor, click here.
Are you looking for an intern? Currently, we are seeking Alumnae who have internships available in aerospace engineering or forensic science. If you are looking for an intern in either of those fields, please email Mary Beth Walinskas '96 at mwalinskas@vjmhs.org.
Wall of Fame 2020 Nominate a worthy new addition to our wall of honor by submitting your nomination by May 1, 2020.
UPCOMING EVENTS February 22, 2020 Women Today Leading Tomorrow: A Women's Symposium Performing Arts Center (PAC) March 19, 2020 Alumnae Social Event in New York City Oscar Wilde NYC March 28, 2020 Philadelphia Ballroom April 19, 2020 Alumnae Association General Meeting Cafeteria 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 alumnae@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! |