VILLA JOSEPH MARIE ALUMNAE NEWSLETTER WINTER 2021 ALUMNAE UPDATES John Thompson, husband of Rosemary Dick Thompson '51, shares, "With great sadness, I would like to inform you that my wife and Villa Joseph Marie alum Rosemary Dick Thompson passed away on Wednesday December 2, 2020. She always loved Villa Joseph Marie and spoke of the great education and foundation the school provided her. " You can view Rosemary's obituary here.
Kathleen Hihn Petrone '60 shares, she is a "semi-retired realtor in Philadelphia NW area."
Mary Jean Dever Biser '62 shares, "This has been a challenging year for all of us. The class of '62 stays brave and strong. Hope is not cancelled. I am looking forward to the vaccine so that I may resume being a volunteer chaplain at Doylestown Hospital. Also as a grandmother, I can't wait to put my arms around Brady [19] and Kyle [17]. They live in Colorado and a year is a long time between visits. To all my dear Villa family, past and present, "keep your face always toward the sunshine and the shadows will fall behind you." [Walt Whitman]
Krista Brusco Chalfont '90 shares, "another year come and gone.... this one for the books! Abigail turned sweet 16 and started 11th grade, editor of the yearbook, in Spanish and English Honor Societies and made the Arundel HS track team. Go Wildcats! Charlie turned 14, graduated from middle school with Presidential Award, active in BSA, plays soccer and added baritone saxophone to musical line-up. Krista still teaching at Quarterfield Elementary, moved up to 2nd grade, started playing the drums she received for her 48th birthday. Chuck still working at VAE as project manager and loving it. He worked on several home improvement projects this year, built a fence in the backyard. Looking forward to an even more exciting 2021, sending our love & good wishes."
Heather Katz LaRocco '04 shares, "I live in Drexel Hill, PA with my husband Pierre and our 2 sons Joseph (10) and Nicholas (6). I graduated from DeSales University in 2008 with Bachelor of Science Nursing and minors in Biology and Theology. I just started a new job as Community Case Manager for Dedicated Senior Medical Center in West Philadelphia and also just became a Certified Hospice and Palliative Care nurse.
Kaitlin Files '06 was named co-chair for the Workers' Compensation Section of the Philadelphia Bar Association for 2022.
Rachel McGovern '07 married Kent Scriven on August 8, 2020 in Bordentown, NJ. Two Villa alumnae stood by her, her sister and Maid of Honor Lauren McGovern '14, pictured to Rachel's right and Dr. Brittany Bontemps '07, pictured to Rachel's left.
Amisha Patel '11 married Pratik Pandit and shares, "We were supposed to get married in May 2020 with the big wedding but that got postponed so we had a legal wedding and a small ceremony at home and hoping we can have the bigger celebration this May."
Emily Davis '14 shares, "I have been working at Cancer Treatment Centers of America in Philadelphia as a patient advocate and supporting our marketing and growth department. I am completing graduate school for my MBA at Holy Family University and I recently moved to Yardley this past summer. I am continuing to volunteer for Susan G Komen and American Cancer Society with my mom and family. I was recently interviewed with The Power of the Patient Project discussing mental health, patient advocacy, and how to cope with life's changes during the pandemic. The video can be viewed on YouTube." https://youtu.be/F_PXBRr0yYU
Meghan Reguera '17 shares, "still swimming on the Cabrini University swim team! Our team has been undefeated Atlantic East Champions for 3 years now and will hopefully win again for the 4th year. Also, I am currently a senior at Cabrini and about to graduate in the spring semester with a Bachelors Degree in Human Resources and Marketing. I am currently interning at a company called Data Recognition Corporation as a Human Resources assistant. Definitely miss Villa and all of my classmates and teachers!"
Cecilia Barreca '18 shares, "I am excited to announce that I will be graduating early from East Stroudsburg University. I will graduate this coming May, summa cum laude, having also served as President of the Phi Sigma Pi National Honor Fraternity. Next up for me, attending law school to pursue a dual JD/ MBA. A huge thank you is owed to Villa for preparing me for higher education."
Katherine Mangione '18 shares, "I loved my time as an athlete on the Volleyball and Track & Field teams at VJM. I made friends for life on those teams, and I have some amazing memories competing. I'm so grateful to have been a part of that, and I am very grateful to the coaches for their support and encouragement those four years. I would not be the collegiate athlete I am today without my experiences at Villa."
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 EXECUTIVE BOARD President Stephanie Schlegel Shortall '01 Vice President Sara Couch '04 Treasurer Renee Kitchenman McGovern '02 Secretary Becky Flynn Hensel '99 Assistant Nicole DiEnna '02 Assistant Andrea Bradbury Sorial '04 Assistant Jeannine Bradbury '07 EXECUTIVE BOARD ELECTIONS 2021 The Alumnae Association will hold Executive Board elections this spring for the positions of Vice President and Treasurer. Are you interested or know an alum who is? For more information on the positions, to submit a nomination or to learn more about the Alumnae Association visit: https://www.vjmhs.org/alumnae/vjmaa. All nominations due by February 26. We welcome you to stay connected with your alma mater and become a part of the Alumnae Association. ALUMNAE OFFICE Mary Beth Davis Walinskas '96, Alumnae Relations Manager
Cathleen Murway, Alumnae Relations Assistant WOMEN TODAY LEADING TOMORROW: Saturday, February 27, 2021 Join us on February 27, 2021 for this symposium designed to educate young women about opportunities for representation and leadership of women in all career sectors; empower participants to pursue or continue on a path of leadership in the workplace, marketplace, and community; and encourage a multi-generational commitment to supporting future cohorts. For more information click here.
ATTENTION CLASS OF 2020: Yearbook Pick-Up Class of 2020, your 2020 yearbook will be available for pick-up in Villa's front office during the following dates and times:
If you would like someone else to pick up your yearbook on your behalf, please email the pick-up person's name to Mary Beth Walinskas '96 at mwalinskas@vjmhs.org
We will have additional pick up times in the future, if you are unable to pick up your yearbook during the above dates.
ANNUAL SPRING AUCTION: March 16-20, 2021 Villa's Annual Spring Auction is a chance for Villa parents, alumnae, and friends to come together to bid on one-of-a-kind Villa items while raising funds for our Jems. This year's categories include indoor and outdoor items for the home, small electronics and kitchen appliances, handbags, custom Villa items, skin care products, perfumes, wine tastings, fine jewelry, plus so much more! Look for your Auction raffle tickets inside the Profiler magazine, which will be in homes soon, and stay tuned for more information coming via email about the amazing items available at this event. Remember that items donated to and purchased at our Auction directly help to raise funds for tuition assistance, classroom materials, and extracurricular offerings for our students that are not covered by tuition dollars. Check out just some of the items available at our Annual Spring Auction!
HOPE-A-THON: Friday, April 16, 2021 Hope-A-Thon, Villa's new school-wide charity fundraiser, is a student-run dance marathon committed to raising awareness and funds for both Bringing Hope Home and Drew's Hope, two amazing foundations that provide aid to families fighting the unimaginable – Cancer and Batten Disease. The event will be led by co-founders and overall chairs Mary Ellen Connelly '21, Gianna Fiduccia '21, Hailey Monaghan '21, and Brooke May '22. This year, Hope-A-Thon will also be dedicated to angel Maria Middleton, as she was one of the original co-founders/overall chairs and continues to inspire the leadership team and entire Villa community to be servant leaders in Hope-A-Thon and beyond. Visit www.vjmhs.org/hope to read more about these causes and our event, including how to donate.
PRAYER INTENTIONS The Sisters of St. Casimir, Villa's Mission and Ministry Office, and the Villa community are happy to pray for any intentions you have. Please fill out this form to submit your intentions to us. God bless you! "THEY MIGHT BE SAINTS: MOTHER MARIA KAUPAS" Villa's foundress, The Venerable Mother Maria Kaupas, was recently featured in a documentary on EWTN . If you missed it, the video is still available online by visiting www.sistersofstcasimir.org/events
ALUMNAE FACEBOOK GROUP Have you joined the Villa Joseph Marie Alumnae Facebook Group? Launched at the end of October, this private Facebook group was created specifically for our Alumnae. This page will be a place for all things alumnae -including blasts from the past like memories, photos, and throwbacks, as well as information on current and upcoming events. We've already had fun reminiscing, sharing photos and celebrating our alumnae. Joins us here! UPCOMING EVENTS February 27, 2021 March 1-7, 2021 March 16 – March 20 April 16, 2021 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! |