Second Annual Oakdale L.E.A.D. Event Honors Outstanding Educators

On Thursday, April 29, 2010 nearly 175 alumni and friends gathered on the Oakdale campus to acknowledge the achievements of five exceptional educators and educational administrators who have made a lasting and profound impression on the academic world that will be felt for generations to come.

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Those honored at this important event included:

Santina Aspromonte Haemmerle ’63Ed
National President, Commission for Social Justice
Order Sons of Italy in America

Maureen Connolly ’97C, ’00GEd, ’06Ed.D.
English Teacher, Mineola High School
Board Member, Long Island Regional Service Learning Network

Joseph Del Rosso
Executive Director
Scope Education Services

Theresa LaRocca Meyer ’67Ed, ’72GEd, ’80PD
Vice President, Enrollment Management, St. Joseph's College
Former Dean, Admissions and Enrollment Planning, SUNY Stony Brook
Former Director, University Recruitment Services, St. John's University

Anne Hession Smith ’09Ed.D.
Assistant Superintendent of Schools
Elementary School Principal
Mattituck-Cutchogue School District

The event began with introductory remarks from Linda Faucetta ’75GEd, Assistant Professor and Administrative Director, The Graduate School of Education, Oakdale campus. Faucetta welcomed the guests and stressed the importance of the contributions of the outstanding individuals selected for recognition.

The guests were then welcomed by Jerrold Ross, Ph.D., Dean, St. John’s The School of Education. Ross expressed his appreciation to everyone for their support of what has quickly become a very popular event on the Oakdale campus and indicated his pride in the alumni who continue to reflect the University’s commitment to academic excellence.  “Graduates of our programs that were begun at the University years ago are now out in the field making names for themselves,” he noted.  “They’re making a difference in the schools and in public agencies. So tonight we are honoring our own alumni and we are also honoring people who have made a great contribution to education even if they are not graduates of St. Johns.”

Following Dean Ross’ remarks, Rev. John A. Kettelberger, C.M., Director, Residence Ministry and University Chaplain, delivered the Invocation, urging God to “…bless those of us present here tonight that they may continue to carry the University’s message of caring and compassion to everyone whom they encounter in their daily tasks and activities.”
 
Serving as Master of Ceremonies for the second year, James Monnier ’74Ed, ’79GEd, Assistant Vice President for Development, congratulated the honorees and acknowledged the outstanding contributions that they have made to the educational milieu of our society. “Not everyone has a chance to make a positive impact on how we as a community educate our young people,” he said, “and not everyone who has such a chance makes the best of it. Tonight’s award recipients have done both, and for that we’re all grateful.”

Genuinely appreciative of having been selected to receive their award, the honorees expressed their delight in being recognized for what has become a lifelong commitment to excellence.

“St. John’s has been a cornerstone of my education and everything I have valued in my life comes from St. John’s,” noted Haemmerle.  “For me, and for many members of my family, St. Johns is a cornerstone.”

For Connolly, her profession and the recognition derived from it is all about making a difference. “I think one of the most ideal concepts that we can we leave behind [for our students] is that we all have the potential to take action and create some change in the world. As a teacher, I’ve learned that it’s up to us to find what we can do to make a difference.”

Although not an alumnus, Del Rosso indicated that his ongoing association and partnership with the University made the evening particularly meaningful for him. “My association with St. John’s has been mainly through Scope, because we are a non-profit organization that serves the school districts on Long Island, in both Nassau and Suffolk.  There’s an inherent value in education; it's the most important thing next to family. For me and for many educators, family comes first and education is a close second, if not a twin first. Being recognized here tonight is very special.”

“As a triple alumna, I’m honored and very humbled to receive this award,” said Meyer. “I think this is a wonderful event and I think St. John's does wonderful things in honoring its alumni. This is the second time I’m at this event. Last year a friend of mine was honored, and tonight it’s my turn.”

Acknowledging her affection for the University, Smith noted that “St. John’s became a place where I was able to pull together all the things I really cared about and was already interested in studying and conducting research in these areas. I was able to be with a group of people who were also curious about these things, and we were able to learn theory and then put it into practice. That’s something you don’t get in many places, which is what makes the University so special.”

Guests enjoyed the opportunity to meet and interact with individuals who have made so many significant contributions to their profession. “The L.E.A.D. event at Oakdale is absolutely wonderful,” said Margaret D’Angelo ’70Ed.  “At a time when we are always talking about the problems in education, this was an evening that really highlighted some of the very wonderful, successful people in the field of education. These people are not only working to make the students in their classroom better but to make this world a better place for us all.”

“I think this is a great program,” agreed Larry Burke ’77GEd. “I was an elementary school teacher for about 33 years and retired in 2006, and now I’m back at St. John's and supervise student teacher for The School of Education. Tonight is all about getting educators together, and bringing together people who are acclaimed in their field and honoring them. I just think its wonderful, a really great event every year.”

For Joseph Sciame ’71Ed, Vice President, Community Relations, the event was one of both personal and professional pleasure. “I’m here because of the honorees,” he said. “I served on The School of Education Advisory Board and on the committee that recommends people for these awards. All five honorees are so distinguished and they all bring honor to us, especially here at Oakdale on the east end of Long Island. I think their careers as teachers, mentors and administrators have been outstanding. I’m very proud of them.”