A Women’s History Month Special

Coming Full Circle: An Alumna’s Journey from Student to Steward

Women’s History Month invites us to reflect on the women who shaped us, challenged us, and opened doors we may not have even known existed. For me, that reflection always leads back to one place: Albertus Magnus College.

Being an alumna of Albertus is something I carry with pride. Now, as a member of the Albertus Office of Advancement, working here is something that fills me with gratitude.

As a student, Albertus was always more than classrooms and coursework. It was a place where I felt purpose; a place I was known not by another number, but by name. A place where professors and advisors like Dr. Christine Dolan Atkins, Sr. Anne Kilbride, O.P., Dr. Susan Letzler Cole, Professor Deborah Frattini ’70, and so many more helped me recognize my power and realize I was capable of so much more than I could ever imagine. Where strong, intelligent, faith-filled women modeled leadership not through titles, but through action, compassion, and integrity.

I didn’t fully understand it at the time, but I was being shaped, not just academically, but personally and professionally.

Albertus has always been rooted in the legacy of the Dominican Sisters of Peace, women who believed deeply in the transformative power of education. Their courage to found and sustain this institution created opportunities for generations of women like me. During Women’s History Month, I am especially aware that my story is built on theirs.

Now, as a member of the Advancement team, I have the privilege of walking the same paths I once hurried down as a student. I sit in meetings where decisions are made that directly impact the student experience. I speak with alumni who share memories that sound so much like my own. And every day, I get to advocate for the kind of education that shaped my life.

There is something incredibly humbling about working for the institution that helped shape you. It gives my work deeper meaning. Every day, I’m reminded that I get to pour back into the place that once poured so much into me. And that is not something I take for granted.

When I connect with fellow alumnae, I witness firsthand the ripple effect of an Albertus education. Women leading in healthcare, education, business, public service, nonprofits, and beyond. Women who are mothers, mentors, executives, entrepreneurs, and community builders. Women who learned not just what to think while at Albertus, but how to think, and who carry that confidence with them into every room they enter.

To be an Albertus alumna is to be part of that legacy. In working here, it is my goal to help ensure that legacy continues.

During Women’s History Month, I am reminded that history is not only something we celebrate, it is something we continue to write. Every student who walks onto campus today is adding her chapter. Every alumna who gives back, mentors, or simply shares her story is strengthening the foundation for those who follow.

I am forever grateful to have been shaped here, I am now honored to serve here, and I am inspired every day by the women of Albertus’ past and present who make our Falcon community what it is today and for the next hundred years to come.

Being an alumna of Albertus means carrying forward a legacy of courage, compassion, and leadership. Working here allows me to give back to the college that once invested so deeply in me, helping today’s students uncover that same confidence and strength. And for that, I am incredibly grateful. Here’s to the women of Albertus – past, present, and future!