Fisher Today Fall/Winter 2011

isherToday 

Fall 2011/Winter 2012 Volume 6, Issue 1 

A Fisher College Alumni Publication 

keeping you connected and informed

Fisher College 

Reunion 2011 

October 14-16, 2011 

Friday, October 14, 2011 

3:30pm & 4:30pm Campus & Dorm Tours Grand Staircase, 118 Beacon Street 

7:00pm 

Everyone’s invited, but if your class year ends in 1 or 6 – 

this is your milestone Reunion year! 

Athletics Hall of Fame 

11:30am – 12:15pm 

12:30pm – 2:00pm 

Class Photos Grand Staircase, 118 Beacon Street 

Luncheon at Hampshire House 84 Beacon Street 

Saturday, October 15, 2011 

8:30am – 12:00pm 

9:00am – 11:15am 

9:30am 

Registration Grand Staircase, 118 Beacon Street 

Fisher College Archive Project 

Fisher College wants to capture your story. Michael 

Meadows, Associate Professor and Program Director 

for Communications & Media Studies, and students will 

help. Students will conduct short, conversational 

interviews (2 to 5 minutes) with you. 

Campus & Dorm Tours Meet at 118 Beacon Street 

Visit the historic campus and explore the new buildings. 

10:30am – 11:15am Classroom Revisited 

Hello, Body? This is Your Mind Calling. 

We Need to Talk. 

Studies show that 60 - 90% of physician visits and 

50% of emergency room visits are stress-related. We 

all experience stress, and while some is productive and 

beneficial, what is the effect of excessive stress? Join 

Dr. Tünde Turi-Markovic, Professor and Program 

Director of Psychology, for insight on the mind/body 

connection and tips on how to use your own healing 

power to reduce stress and take control of your life. 

What We Are Consuming 

When We Consume Pop Psychology? 

Join Susan Jordan, Associate Professor of Women’s 

Studies and English, in a lively discussion about the kinds 

of pop psychology research we read about everyday, from 

Cosmopolitan to Psychology Today, to the myriad ways 

media is consumed through online sources, television, 

and, increasingly rare, in print. Become a more informed 

consumer and uncover bias everywhere it lies. 

For information on 

accommodations, directions, parking and to register visit 

fisher.edu/reunion 

2:00pm 

2:00pm – 4:00pm 

2:45pm – 3:30pm 

4:00pm – 5:30pm 

Alumni Softball Game Boston Common 

Fisher College Archive Project 

Sunday, October 16, 2011 

10:00am-11:30am Farewell Brunch 

Classroom Revisited 

Fisher 101: A History of Our College 

While standing on the Grand Staircase in 118 Beacon 

Street, have you ever wondered how Fisher acquired these 

magnificent surroundings?...about the stories and legends 

of the campus?...about who came before – and after – you? 

Join Karen Myers ’68, Director, Center for Teaching Excellence, 

and explore the living legacy of which you are a part. 

What on Earth Does "Rosebud" Mean, 

Anyway? A Study of Symbolism in Films 

The film-viewing experience is better when we "get" 

symbolic references. Dr. Dean Walton, Professor of 

English and Chair of Liberal Arts & Sciences, will give a 

primer in finding and interpreting symbolism, such as 

colors, lighting, and camera angles. Classic scenes 

will be shown. Popcorn included. 

Boston Duck Tour 

Departs from 118 Beacon Street 

Explore the streets of Boston and splash into the 

Charles River on an amphibious vehicle. 

Reunion Committee: 

Roddie (Watt) Brunstrom ‘61 

Wilma (Kennedy) DiMasi ‘61 

Bobbie (Weinstein) Goldman ‘61 

Janet (Goldstein) Promisel ‘61 

Muriel (Powers) Dempsey ‘66 

Margaret (Concannon) Abramson ‘71 

Susan (Hirst) Read ‘71 

Sheila (Ott) Jackson ‘76 

Athena (Stamatis) Cerulli ‘81 

Tina DeRosa-Snow ‘81 

Debbie (DuPont) Harding ‘81 

Hosted by the 

Fisher College Alumni Association

Greetings Alumni, 

I trust that you have enjoyed a restful and enjoyable summer. Here in 

Boston, a new academic year is upon us and the campus is abuzz with 

possibility. 

I am sure you remember the excitement of a fresh semester. I heard 

many such stories over the last several months. The first-ever Out & 

About series brought alumni together at summer-fun events throughout 

Massachusetts. From Fenway Park and LaLacheur Park to the New 

Bedford Whaling and Attleboro Arts Museums, alumni re-connected 

with each other and with Fisher. 

In the same way, I hope to see you all at Reunion 2011 – especially 

those of you from the Class of 2001, among the first Fisher classes 

to graduate with a bachelor’s degree (my former students!). 

I enjoy meeting our graduates, learning about your Fisher experience 

and how it has served you in life, and sharing the exciting changes 

that are underway. Our students will continue to need your support 

if they are to fully realize the advantages of a Fisher education. 

TABLE OF CONTENTS 

This Just In: Fisher News.....................2 

The coming year will see us being even more engaged with the alumni 

community and I sincerely hope you will be among the emerging 

corps of Alumni Mentors. As always, I will look forward to welcoming 

you back to your college home. 

For Fisher, 

Commencement 2011........................3 

An Invitation to the World...................4 

Faces of Fisher..................................5 

Dr. Thomas M. McGovern 

President 

Net-workers....................................10 

Be a Mentor....................................11 

Connections....................................12 

Fisher Athletics................................13 

Class Notes....................................14 

The Fisher Fund...............................16

This Just In: 

FisherNews 

Janet Kuser, formerly the Chair of 

the Division of Management & Public 

Service, was appointed Chief Academic 

Officer. In announcing Janet’s 

elevation, President McGovern commented, 

“Janet’s longstanding service 

as both a faculty member and as 

an administrator gives her a global 

perspective of Fisher. This is exactly 

what we need as we tackle our next 

strategic plan and solidify and extend our place in the higher 

education landscape. Fisher’s commitment to teaching and 

learning will be strengthened during her tenure.” Janet is 

pursuing her Ph.D. from Northeastern University. 

............................................. 

A number of faculty members have been 

involved in research. Dr. Danielle Herget, 

Associate Professor of Humanities, presented 

a paper at the Popular Culture/American 

Culture Association of America National 

Conference in San Antonio, Texas. Dr. 

Nicholas Siciliano, Professor and Program 

Director of Psychology, is engaged in a classroom 

research project on student participation. 

Dr. Dean Walton (left), Professor of English 

and Chair of Liberal Arts and Sciences, 

is conducting a study using the Nelson-Denny Reading Test to 

examine reading improvement pre-English I and post-English II. 

............................................. 

Dr. Michael Meadows has been appointed to the position 

of Chair of the Division of Management and Public Service. 

Mike joined Fisher College in 2007 and has served as the Program 

Director for Communication and Media Studies since its 

inception, a role in which he will continue. 

............................................. 

John Hogan has been appointed to the position of Assistant 

Professor of Accounting and Finance. His professional experience 

is extensive, including a role as Mutual Fund Administration 

Supervisor for New England Funds and Assistant Treasurer in 

Fund Administration with Brown Brothers Harriman & Co. John’s 

teaching experience comes from Babson College, where he also 

earned his M.B.A. with a concentration in Finance. 

............................................. 

Katiti Kironde has been appointed to the position 

of Assistant Professor of Fashion Programs. 

Katiti has extensive experience as a fashion 

designer, including for major retailers like Laura 

Ashley and Marmaxx. She is currently the 

President and Creative Director of Katiti: The 

Essential White Shirt and was featured in "Shirt 

tale: Katiti Kironde is looking to perfect the white 

blouse" in the Boston Globe. Katiti is a graduate of 

Harvard University. 

Katiti broke ground with the August 1968 issue of Glamour, marking the first time an 

African-American woman had appeared on the cover of a major magazine. 

2 www.fisher.edu/alumni 

✯ 

Meridith Spencer has been appointed to the position of 

Assistant Professor and Program Director of Criminal Justice. 

Meridith will oversee the associate’s and pending bachelor’s 

degrees in Criminal Justice even while working as a supervisor 

and advocate at the Boston Area Rape Crises Center and blogging 

for crimereports.com. Meridith earned a Master’s in Criminal 

Justice from the University of Colorado and a B.A. in Political 

Science from Providence College. 

............................................. 

Associate Professor Karen Myers ’68 was named 

Director of the Center for Teaching Excellence. As Director, 

Professor Myers will be arranging faculty professional development 

events, evaluating instructors, and establishing a centralized 

communication portal. Janet Kuser, the College’s new Chief 

Academic Officer, said, “Karen has the knowledge and skills 

that allow her to relate to faculty and deliver strategies for 

effective teaching. This has always been a key area for Fisher 

and I am thrilled to welcome Karen into the role.” 

............................................. 

A southern spring day found President McGovern, Richard 

Levitt, Vice President for Institutional Advancement, and Kristen 

Sherman, Director of Alumni Relations, in Middleburg, Virginia 

where Rita (Donoghue) Cooke ’54 graciously opened 

✯ 

her Boxwood Estate Winery 

for a private tour and wine 

tasting to alumni. In addition 

to sharing his longstanding 

connection with the College, 

recent successes, and the plan 

for the future, President McGovern said, “More than 150 alumni 

live in Greater Washington DC, and I am looking forward to establishing 

a Fisher presence in the area.” Diane LaCroix ’66 

later wrote, “Fisher certainly seems to be blooming!” 

............................................. 

Following last year’s inaugural 

Alternative Spring Break, 13 

Fisher students dedicated their 

Spring Break to building a house with Habitat for Humanity 

in Macon, GA. Joshua McKain, College Librarian, and 

Dr. Ann Clarke, Director of Spiritual Life & Outreach 

Programs, accompanied the students for the week. A macon.com 

reporter asked students about their experience: “I just want to make 

them [the new homeowners] feel that people really do care about 

them,” said Eric Acheampong ’14. Echoing his classmate’s 

comment, Brandon O’Donnell ’14 said, “It’s so nice to 

know the homeowner is going to have a place that she can call 

home and raise a family in.” The local NBC affiliate featured the 

Fisher crew in a story at fisher.edu/springbreak. 

............................................. 

In her first Fashion Show as Director 

of the Fashion Institute, Emily Banis 

added new features, including a 

behind-the-scenes documentary filmed 

by Aaron Campbell ‘12 and 

Milourdes Augustin ’12. To view 

the documentary and Show videos, 

visit Fisher College Boston on 

YouTube. 

Kristen Sherman, Virginia Taylor '66, Diane LaCroix '66, Rebecca Costello '68, 

Richard Levitt, and Rita Cooke '54 (l to r) at Boxwood Estate Winery on 

April, 7, 2011

Strategic Plan 2011-2016 

The College’s newest strategic plan is complete and now serves 

as the blueprint for the next five years of growth and expansion. 

As President McGovern wrote, “[The Plan] is a dynamic tool 

that will serve as a guide to meet today's challenges and 

changes as we prepare for the next five years.” The pillars of 

the Plan are: 

✓ 

✓ 

✓ 

✓ 

✓ 

✓ 

✓ 

Strengthen financial resources 

Grow Day and Continuing 

Education enrollments 

Refine institutional identity 

Enrich academic programs 

Enhance the student experience 

Deliver excellent teaching and learning 

Improve assessment and planning 

As it always has, the Fisher experience will “meet the needs 

of our students and of those who will employ them upon 

graduation” by making programs “come alive in ways that truly 

educate.” 

The Strategic Plan is available at fisher.edu/strategicplan. 

............................................. 

Commencement 

2011 

Elise Green ’11 and Hilary Ritter ’11 

The Boston Park Plaza Hotel 

hosted Commencement – 157 

graduates and more than 750 

family members – on a cool May 

day. Day Division valedictorian 

Hilary Ritter ’11 and Division of Continuing Education valedictorian 

Elise Green ’11 addressed their classmates and, 

through poignant stories, spoke about their Fisher experience. 

State Senator Sonia Chang-Diaz ’ was this year’s commencement 

speaker. 

It was a bittersweet day for the Office of Alumni Relations, 

which added a new class of graduates, but also had to say 

good-bye to its first work-study student, Maria Coleman ’11, 

whose extraordinary efforts at multiple phone-a-thons, 

Reunions, and countless tasks will be difficult to replace. 

Maria was the first recipient of the Alumni Advocacy Award. 

Thank you, Maria, and congratulations to the Class of 2011! 

Full Launch of 

The Common Experience 

Fisher College is proud to announce that after three pilot years, 

The Common Experience, the grant-funded first-year experience 

program, is fully institutionalized. All 350 students in the 

incoming Class of 2015 are enrolled in The Common Experience. 

The Common Experience is the first step in the four-year model, 

Fisher for Your Future. Heather Carpenter, Director of 

Career Services, describes the model this way: “Fisher for Your 

Future is a sequence of programs that, over a student’s four 

years at Fisher, build a toolbox of skills, experiences, and 

knowledge about the world of work. It’s everything a student 

needs to find his or her professional calling.” 

See page 17 for information about how you can help 

raise $75,000 in matching funds from the Balfour 

Foundation to enrich this high-impact program. 

F I S H E R F O R U M 

SPOTLIGHT ON 

. 

(l to r) Alumni Relations team Richard Levitt, 

Maria Coleman '11, and Kristen Sherman 

SEPTEMBER 21, 2011 

JASON CONNELL 

International 

Seminar Leader, 

Changing the 

World 101 

OCTOBER 19, 2011 

MELISSA 

TANTAQUIDGEON ZOBEL 

Executive Director, 

Department of 

Cultural & Community 

Programs, 

Mohegan Tribe 

NOVEMBER 16, 2011 

LOUNG UNG 

Cambodian Author and 

Landmine Activist 

FEBRUARY 15, 2012 

JOHNNY EARLE 

Founder, 

Johnny Cupcakes; 

Business Week’s 

#1 Young Entrepreneur 

MARCH 21, 2012 

LINDA KOWALCKY 

Mayor Thomas M. 

Menino’s 

Liaison to Higher 

Education 

APRIL 18, 2012 

DR. BARBARA KIRWIN 

Forensic Psychologist 

For more information on the Fisher Forum, visit fisher.edu/convocation. 

3

An Invitation to the World 

The number of international students on American 

college campuses has grown significantly in recent 

years. At Fisher, students from 32 countries comprise 

17% of our population. The Center for International 

Programs & Services (CIPS) serves these students with 

the same care and attention that is Fisher’s hallmark. 

Founded in 2010, CIPS is charged with providing leadership in the 

development of policies and programs to support international students 

both domestically and abroad. As Robert Melaragni, 

Dean of Admissions, likes to say, “The Center is the resource for international 

students.” Besides managing recruitment and admission, 

CIPS provides a “student-centered environment that encourages personal 

and professional growth.” 

Nancy Pithis, Dean of International Academic Operations & Curriculum 

Development, said, “By helping students broaden their 

knowledge and cultural understanding, Fisher plays a critical role 

in providing graduates with the capacities they need to assume rewarding 

positions in their native country.” 

CIPS sponsors two programs to assist foreign students’ transition to 

the United States. We can all learn from one another, and Global 

Buddies pairs international and American students based on common 

interests to foster friendship and understanding. The Pathway 

Program provides international freshmen with classes intended to 

help them succeed at an American college. The goal is to ensure 

that they persist: the experience is only rewarding if students remain 

in school. Students study with other foreign learners and participate 

in College-wide activities that both acculturate and educate. 

“In a global city like Boston, it is imperative that the Fisher experience 

include cultural education,” said President Thomas McGovern. 

Mes Amies, 

Is there any place lovelier than Paris in the Spring? Of Alumni Survey 

respondents, 40% expressed interest in traveling with Fisher College. A trip 

to Paris is being planned for May 16–23, 2012. Intrepid alumni – and we’ll 

need at least eight — should email me at ksherman01@fisher.edu with 

“ I Love Paris” in the subject line and I will send you the details. 

ˆ 

A bienot, 

Kristen Sherman 

Director of Alumni Relations 

4

Faces of Fisher 

What is the “Fisher experience”? It is a composite of physical markers such as classrooms 

and campus, friends and faculty, as well as the intangibles, like the College’s spirit of learning. 

Together, these create enduring memories about Fisher. In this issue, we feature four 

faces of Fisher who capture the Fisher experience in unique and compelling ways. 

www.fisher.edu/alumni 

5

From 

Soldier to 

Student 

John L. Sullivan ‘80/‘08 

Military Police Corps, 1974-1977 

With our country embroiled in conflicts, Fisher Today takes 

a moment to reflect on a distinctly American tradition: investment 

in our servicemen and women and their transition 

back into civilian life. John Sullivan ‘80/’08 is a veteran 

and a lifelong student, and embodies all that Fisher College 

has done and worked towards in the 30 years since 

launching the Division of Continuing Education to enable 

Vietnam veterans to earn a degree. 

After being honorably discharged from the Army, I enrolled at 

Fisher in 1978. Fisher was considered a very good two-year 

school for returning soldiers. The accounting and management 

courses were perfect for me. My daughter was born on Halloween 

Day 1979, which also happened to be the day of final 

exams. I skipped exams to be with my wife – not without some 

difficulty from the College! In the end, I was allowed to take the 

exams and graduate with my classmates. I will never forget that. 

I returned in 2006 to get my transcript with the intention of 

applying to another school. I met Neil [Editor: Neil Trotta, 

Director of Division of Continuing Education Operations], who 

told me that Fisher was offering a four-year Management degree 

and that all of the credits from my associate’s degree would 

be accepted. It was my second “tour” of Fisher and I was 

amazed at how far the College had come. The professors were 

still incredible and the students inspired. I appreciated it all the 

more 30 years after first coming to campus. 

My life has come full circle since starting at Fisher. I have been 

married over 30 years and raised two children. My daughter, 

Jennifer, is an Assistant Attorney General for the Commonwealth 

of Massachusetts and my son, John, is a Public Defender for the 

Miami-Dade Public Defender’s Office. I had reservations about 

how a small school like Fisher would be perceived, but the Dean 

of Admissions at my law school put that concern to rest right 

away – she had even taught at Fisher. I am indebted to Fisher 

for enabling me to pursue my dream of becoming an attorney. 

Reconnecting with Fisher has been so gratifying. Fisher is like a 

family, and is on a mission to become bigger and better. This is 

the message I shared with the team during last year’s reaccreditation 

visit and at the Phi Theta Kappa commencement. The results 

are obvious and the future looks very bright. I feel honored 

to be asked to participate in anything that can further Fisher’s 

goals. 

John enters his final year at New England School of Law even as 

he works full-time as a Teamster. John is proud of his grandfather, 

the great heavyweight champion of the same name. 

6

When You Can 

Give 

Back 

and 

Michelle (Lamarre) Jenney '65 

Give 

Thanks 

You Do 

In the case of Michelle (Lamarre) Jenney ’65, circumstance 

had a clarifying effect, which led to some extraordinary 

opportunities. 

Where are you from and what brought you to Fisher? 

I grew up in Arlington, just about 10 miles from Boston. 

I was a commuter student and lived at home. I was really 

undecided as to what to do, and then I got a little postcard 

from the College. My Aunt Olympia [Mandarino] attended 

Fisher in the late 1920s when it was located in Somerville. 

That’s how I came to Fisher. 

What is your best memory from your time as a student? 

It is easily the attention Mrs. Agnes Fisher gave to me, 

followed by playing Ringo Starr in the talent show (we used 

hatboxes to play the drums!) Mrs. Fisher inspired me to be 

a more serious student, which I am grateful for. The liberal 

arts courses she taught, especially the American Literature 

and English Literature survey courses, got me interested 

in reading and history. And what can I say about Ringo? 

What is your favorite spare time activity and what is your 

passion? 

I cannot pick just one – being with family and friends, 

women’s history, reading and learning. Through my volunteer 

activities in the Boston Women’s Heritage Trail and the 

Boston Public Library Art & Architecture Tours, I like to think 

I am contributing to the civic life of the city. This fall, I am 

taking College 101 students [Editor:30 Boston high school 

students from five schools come to campus for a collegereadiness 

program] on a tour of the Library. I’m thrilled 

to share my experience with them. 

What is the best decision you made in your career? 

I accepted the first job that that was offered to me as 

Industrial Liaison Program Officer at the Massachusetts 

Institute of Technology, where I worked for almost 25 years. 

It was my first interview and I think my rehearsal interview with 

Mr. Albert Fisher helped me appear confident and capable. 

What is the most difficult decision you ever had to make in 

your career? 

I left MIT to study full-time to get an undergraduate degree. 

With my A.S. from Fisher, I was supervising people with 

master’s degrees. I didn’t know what to major in, but I am 

glad I got the degree in Communications & Speech from 

Suffolk University. I was able to apply work experience 

towards the degree. 

You attended Reunion last year. What made you attend? 

I wanted to reconnect and my friend and I decided to go. 

In my volunteer role at the Library, I have learned that I am 

less afraid to join in than I thought and that people like 

to be approached. I’ve also learned that when you can 

give back and give thanks, you do. This event made that 

possible for me. 

Michelle has worked for GMA Foundations, a grant making and 

financial services management and advising organization, since 

1997. Reflecting its commitment to philanthropy and the betterment 

of society, GMA employee shareholders benefit from 

the organization's success. Michelle splits her time between Boston 

and Maine. 

www.fisher.edu/alumni 7

Across 

the 

Desert 

and Around the 

World 

Born and raised in Degrea, a small village in Eritrea, Africa, 

it is nothing short of a miracle that Roma Hailemichael ’10 

found Fisher College. 

“Growing up in Eritrea was difficult,” Roma recalls. “You had 

to get your own water and wood, which my grandmother 

would carry on her back up and down steep, hilly terrain. The 

government ran ‘the people:’ to travel from village to city you 

had to go through check points. There was lots of suspicion.” 

Illustrating that point, when Roma was only seven, her mother 

became a political prisoner: “During Eritrea’s 30-year civil war, 

it was not uncommon for citizens to be falsely imprisoned.” 

For that difficult time, Roma lived with her aunt and helped with 

family chores, attended school, and waited two years for her 

mother’s release. Roma and her mother — and many others 

— made the decision to leave their country. 

Roma Hailemichael ’10 

Roma Hailemichael ’10 

After attending a few Boston-area colleges, Roma chose Fisher. 

“It’s like a family. The faculty care. Professors Janet Kuser and 

Donna Brady are kind and challenged me to always do 

better. They have very high standards. My favorite classes 

were Ethics with Ms. Kuser and Accounting with Ms. Brady. 

Professor Brady pours herself out for her students, she works so 

hard, and it’s obvious that she loves what she does. I find that 

so inspiring.” 

During Summer 2009, Roma interned with Claudia Tessier ’64, 

CEO of mHealth Initiative in Boston, who said,“Roma worked 

diligently to assist us in expanding our electronic database. I 

was particularly impressed by her sense of responsibility, which 

was especially important because she worked remotely. We 

also appreciated that she recognized when to ask questions. 

Thanks to Roma, our planned database expansion was accomplished 

efficiently and in a timely manner.” 

8 

At twelve years old, Roma and her mother walked for three 

days, avoiding capture by the Ethiopian military, to Sudan. 

They made a new life in the city of Khartoum, where life was 

easier and safer. Two years later, political tensions forced Roma 

to move again, this time with her father to the United States. 

Landing in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania in February was a shock 

for the now fourteen year old: “I had never experienced such 

cold in my life!” Later moving to Boston, Roma studied at Boston 

English High School, quickly learned English, and assimilated 

into her new country. Through all the struggles, her mother’s advice 

— “Work hard to achieve your goals” — kept her striving. 

Roma was determined to get her bachelor’s degree. 

It is completely unsurprising that Roma excels at everything she 

does. In addition to family, education has been the consistent 

thread in her life. Roma is the first member in her family to graduate 

from college. She is now setting the bar even higher: 

Roma is studying with several former Fisher classmates in the 

evening executive M.B.A. cohort program being offered at the 

College. 

Roma lives in Boston, Massachusetts with her husband, Ermias, 

and two children. Roma, her mother, and grandmother are avid 

Red Sox and Patriots fans. 

For more information about 

the evening M.B.A. program at Fisher, 

visit fisher.edu/mba

Minding 

the Code, 

Caring 

for People 

Christopher Rushbrooke ’10, RHIT, CCS 

Like so many Fisher students, Christopher Rushbrooke’s 

story reflects a search – for career fulfillment, personal 

accomplishment, and the opportunity to make a difference. 

I held a lot of jobs after graduating college and I was moderately 

successful at selling shoes, pianos, and furniture. But 

I tired of retail and wanted to go back to school. To pay my 

tuition, I held a part-time job at a pediatrician’s office. I was 

processing insurance claims and other technical items. This 

was my first exposure to the health care industry and I was 

intrigued. 

While working in billing at Fenway Community Health Center, 

a colleague suggested I look into medical coding. She said it 

was lucrative. I investigated several schools and settled on 

Fisher. In fact, my boss at the time, Carlos Vaquerano ’04, 

told me that he thoroughly enjoyed his experience at 

the College. 

I remain impressed with and appreciative of all that Fisher did 

for me. The professor-student interactions through Fisher 

Online were phenomenal. The Blackboard learning system 

encouraged me to perform better and reminded me that 

exactness in writing is critical. I think back to my professors 

and know that career advancement is about two things 

– networking and mentorship. Fisher provided both, for which 

I am grateful. 

Receiving the Student Achievement Award was unexpected 

and was the perfect capstone to all of the work I had put 

into my studies. [Editor: Chris was the 2010 recipient of the 

Massachusetts Health Information Management Association’s 

(MaHIMA) prestigious annual award.] The Award inspired 

me to give back – something I had never done before – and 

I now volunteer as MaHIMA’s Website Content Editor. 

I am amazed at the speed of change in the industry. Health 

care is going digital, and everything is moving so quickly as 

far as system integration. My colleagues and I are constantly 

challenged – and finding new solutions – to improve coding 

processes and clinical documentation so our service is 

top-notch. What we all need to remember, though, is that 

health care, even on the technical side, is about people. We 

are all better when the system is humane and compassionate. 

Chris is the Technical Coding Advisor for Partners HealthCare 

System, Inc., whose hospitals and community health centers serve 

hundreds of thousands of patients each year. He lives in Jamaica 

Plain, Massachusetts, and plans to go back to school to earn a 

master’s degree in health informatics. 

www.fisher.edu/alumni 9

Net-workers 

Recent graduates' internship experiences take them along for some exciting rides 

Joe Monteleone 

‘11 

Joe Monteleone ’11 

How did you find Fisher? 

The small class sizes and a personable staff sold me. The decision 

to come to Fisher opened my eyes to a new (and much more polite) 

city and also a myriad opportunities that I didn’t know existed. 

Who are your mentors? 

My parents. They provide me with unlimited support and help me 

understand the complexities of the world and the personalities I may 

encounter as I start my career. Since arriving in Boston in 2007, 

there hasn’t been a day where I haven’t called them to complain, ask 

about something new, or just say “Hi.” My mom is always there to 

help me assess a situation and realize that if it’s too good to be true, 

then it always is. My dad is usually the cooler head (I would never 

tell my mom, though). Together, they form a support team that is more 

than I could ever ask for. 

Are there any similarities between Fisher College and 

the Boston Bruins? 

Definitely. Both are very tight-knit groups who thrive in the most 

competitive environments. The Bruins have to deal with the Patriots, 

Celtics and Red Sox. Fisher has to deal with BC, BU and Northeastern. 

While the competition is all around, Fisher will always have 

its spot in the Back Bay and be a driving force in Massachusetts 

academia. The Bruins and Fisher also have similar personnel. We 

have everyone from rookies to the veterans who come back to DCE 

to finish up their degrees. 

A native of New Rochelle, NY, Joe mined his "net" work and is now 

working at BNY Mellon. He is looking forward to the Bruins' title defense. 

Amanda Cody ’11 

10 

How did you land your internship with the 2011 

Boston Bruins? 

Networking, and the ability to interview. My girlfriend's uncle is a 

season ticket holder and he asked the Bruins if there were openings 

in the internship program. Thanks to his well-received recommendation, 

my resume made it all the way to the head of Human Resources. 

With the help of multiple mock interviews with Heather Carpenter, 

I was comfortable and personable throughout my interview at 

TD Garden – two rows from the ice. 

Are you a Bruins fan? 

I am a huge Bruins fan, even though uttering the word “Boston” in 

New York, where I grew up, can be met with hostility. Everyone on 

my mother’s side of the family plays hockey. When I got the internship, 

not only was I excited, but I was also on the receiving end of 

many phone calls and texts from proud family members. 

What word would you use to describe the months 

leading to the Stanley Cup? 

Surreal. 

What was the highlight of the championship season? 

There are so many, but two will stick in my mind forever. The first is 

Game 7 of the Eastern Conference Finals. The last ten seconds in the 

arena were absolutely deafening, and when the horn sounded to 

end the game the burst of noise from the fans was something I had 

never experienced before. The second is meeting Bobby Orr and 

seeing what an impact he has on fans, young and old. During 

games, I was stationed in front of the Bobby Orr wooden statue. I 

never tired of watching a dad bring his young son or daughter up 

to the statue and saying, "Do you know who that is? That’s Bobby 

Orr. He's the greatest hockey player ever." 

Amanda Cody ’11 says she’s just lucky. However, she also credits 

learning time management and networking skills from Fisher to 

assume her job as Finance Director for the Massachusetts GOP. 

Tapping her connections while waiting tables at the historic Union 

Oyster House in Faneuil Hall, Amanda was hired as an intern with 

the Massachusetts Republican Party during her senior year. This 

position prepared her for her current role in which serves as the chief 

planner for all of the fundraising events for the Mass GOP. “It’s a 

great job. Every day is different and exhilarating. This past June 

I found myself walking in the Dorchester Day parade – a four mile 

hike in heels! I am busy, but I learn every day.” 

With an election season coming up, Amanda is looking for interns. 

Interested candidates may contact her at acody@massgop.com.

✯ 

✯ 

@Fisher 

✯ 

Get your monthly e-blast from the 

Office of Alumni Relations. @Fisher 

is a simple way to stay current on 

alumni events. 

Update your contact information at 

www.fisher.edu/alumni-update 

and we’ll add you to the list. 

} 

Alumni Advantages 

Be a Mentor 

Fisher graduates making a difference in the lives of students as Mentors 

Panelists Clara Florentino '97, 

Christine (Blatsos) Sprague '66, 

and Sarah Hamilton '04 (l to r) at 

the Hospitality & Tourism Panel on 

March 2, 2011 in Alumni Hall 

I have been a MOCK INTERVIEWER for two years, 

and wish that this program had been in place when 

I attended Fisher,” said Linda Doliber ’69 (at left). 

“I was very impressed with the caliber of the student 

interviewees, all of whom were well-prepared and 

will do very well in the future.” 

Alumni guide students’ investigation of industries while 

providing real-world insight and career advice. A student 

in the Class of 2013 commented about a recent 

ALUMNI PANEL on hospitality and tourism: “I really 

enjoyed Chris’ story [Editor: Chris (Blatsos) Sprague ’66, 

owner of the Inn at Ormsby Hill in Vermont] – how she 

and her husband started from scratch, rolled with the 

punches, and, finally, made it.” 

Denise Foley ’84 has been a CLASS SPEAKER and a 

JOB SHADOW HOST. As an independent visual 

merchandiser and former Director of Visual Merchandise 

for Bergdorf Goodman in New York City, Denise 

gave 12 fashion students a peek into a day in her life. 

Denise also returned to campus to enjoy the 

annual Fashion Show and to speak with visual hopefuls 

on how to forge their career. 

Fisher is for Life 

Receive a 25% Fisher for Life 

discount on Continuing Education 

courses. 

fisher.edu/alumni-advantages 

Earn Your MBA 

Earn another credential – on the 

campus that gave you your start. 

fisher.edu/mba 

MENTORS HELPING STUDENTS 

Review Resumes: 

Offer a fresh opinion on a student’s 

resume and help them rise to the top. 

Conduct Informational Interviews: 

Talk about your industry, company, 

and career with a student who wants 

to learn from your experiences. 

Speak to Students: 

Get back in the classroom – as a guest 

lecturer – and bring life to the textbook. 

Present a Case Study: 

Guide students through a model or 

example that illustrates what they 

should or should not do in a specific 

business or professional situation. 

Host an Intern: 

Baccalaureate candidates must complete 

a 120-hour internship, so help build 

students’ resume and give them 

real-world, industry experience. 

Join an Advisory Panel: 

Help faculty create a sharp and 

relevant curriculum. 

Contact Heather Carpenter, 

Director of Career Services, 

at hcarpenter@fisher.edu if you are 

interested in serving as a Mentor. 

While updating your Fish*net 

profile, please indicate the ways 

you want to serve as a Mentor. 

fisher.edu/fishnet 

Prior Learning Accepted 

Translate employment, military 

service, trainings and other 

experiences into course credits. 

fisher.edu/plan 

Finish Now 

Apply previously-earned credits 

towards a Fisher bachelor’s 

degree. 

fisher.edu/dcp 

www.fisher.edu/alumni 

11

LIFE AFTER 

(FISHER) 

COLLEGE 

Helping Others While Helping Yourself 

Wednesday, October 12, 2011 

These alums wanted to make a difference. Julie Calderone '79, 

Director of Cirriculum at Boston Public Schools, and Leah 

(Lentini) Winters '94, a Trial Court Probation Officer, will talk 

about how they charted impactful careers. 

Crooked Career Paths 

Wednesday, November 9, 2011 

Student: What can I do with my major? 

Alumna: Anything! 

These alumni, like Catalina Chew '04, a former ballerina who is 

now Controller for High Street Equity Advisors, broke the mold that 

defined their college studies. 

Internship Presentations 

Friday, December 9, 2011 

Learn what students have accomplished "on the job" and 

how they could contribute to your organization. 

...................................... 

Painless Networking 

Tuesday, October 25, 2011 

An etiquette consultant will help students tackle those awkward 

situations that could stand in the way of a professional opportunity. 

To assist students at these or at future Life After (Fisher) College 

events, please contact Heather Carpenter, Director of Career 

Services, at hcarpenter@fisher.edu or visit 

fisher.edu/careerservices. 

The online community for Fisher alumni! 

To activate your online account: 

Find your personal log-in number on the back cover. 

Join now to: 

✯ 

✯ 

✯ 

✯ 

✯ 

✯ 

Establish or rekindle connections with Fisher 

Post your news by submitting a class note 

Find classmates and friends 

Share your resume and locate job opportunities 

Network with Fisher alumni 

Become a Mentor 

Go to www.fisher.edu/fishnet. 

Go to First-Time Visitors. 

Click Register Now. 

Enter your last name. 

Click Find My Record. 

Enter your Personal Log-In Number. 

Click Verify Your Record. 

12 

Best. Address. Ever. 

I am one of the few who 

“ 

can list my permanent 

address as 104 Beacon 

Street (Robert Smith Hall). 

While beautiful architecture, 

magnolia tree-lined 

streets, and the Charles 

River are my “yard,” what 

lies behind the brownstones’ 

facade is unknown 

to many. 

A year after graduating (as the honored 

valedictorian), I became a Resident Director 

and Assistant to the Director of Housing. 

Fisher College prides itself on providing its 

residential students with devoted, experienced, 

and knowledgeable staff. Along with 

three other twenty-somethings, I have the 

pleasure of guiding and mentoring students 

to reach their dreams, all while becoming 

responsible, contributing members of society. 

Here is where the glue gets a little sticky. 

As many know, living on a campus has its 

challenges: roommate conflicts, conduct 

issues, after-hours guests – and, of course, 

the very late nights! Somebody’s got to do 

the dirty work, right? 

It’s not all bad. I have the privilege of meeting 

students and families from all over the world; 

cultivating leadership opportunities for 

my staff; and helping students achieve their 

ambitions. My job also allows me to contribute 

to big events at the College – one of 

my particular passions – like staff training 

events, Orientation, Reunion, Family & 

Friends Weekend, and Commencement. 

Working for a small organization also allows 

me to foster close relationships with not 

only my students, but with fellow staff and 

faculty members. Sure, I live in a Boston 

Brahmin family’s 19th century dining room 

– slightly nicer ‘dorm’ room – but I say with 

immense pride it’s quite possibly the nicest 

address I’ll ever have. 

” 

.............................................................. 

Though a city dweller now, Kyle Grenier 

’05/’07, is a proud Vermonter. In addition 

to his RD duties, Kyle is also a freelance 

floral designer (flowersbykyle@gmail.com). 

He earned his Master’s of Education from 

Endicott College along with a cohort of 

Fisher College staff members this past May.

Fisher Athletics 

Debbie Fuller ’12 

The Fisher Falcons marked their first decade by performing both on 

the field and in the classroom. Kudos to all of our student-athletes for 

representing themselves and the College so well! 

Louis Williams ’11 

Casey Pursell ’11 

Michael Hashem ’12 

SOFTBALL 

The Lady Falcons wrapped up their sixth year 

with a now-seasoned, freshmen-heavy team 

ready to compete in the years to come. 

CHEERLEADING 

The Falconettes sparked rallies, drives, and 

momentum-shifters at all Fisher games. Led 

by Coach Amy McBrine, cheerleading is 

expected to become a varsity sport in the next 

year. 

WOMEN’S BASKETBALL 

Tiffany Beckman ’11 (East 

Hartford, CT) became the first 

Lady Falcon to surpass the 

1,000-point milestone, notching 

1,292 points (and 506 rebounds) 

in a stellar career. 

MEN’S BASKETBALL 

The Falcons won the Sunrise Conference title for 

a record fifth time (2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 

and 2011) in what was the final season for 

the Sunrise Conference. Casey Pursell ’11 

(Seattle, WA) scored his 1,136th point, joining 

an elite corps of only five Falcons, including 

classmate Louis Williams ’11 of Burlington, 

VT (with 1,985 points, the Falcons’ all-time leading 

scorer) who have reached 1,000 points. 

see you atFisher 

Athletes 



BASEBALL 

Michael Oliveira ’11 (Billerica, MA) was 

awarded the 2011 Rawlings-NAIA Baseball 

Gold Glove Award as the nation’s best second 

baseman for his .988 fielding percentage. 

Oliveira is the first Falcon and the first studentathlete 

from the Sunrise Conference to be 

awarded the Gold Glove. 

Sebastiano Petruzzelli ’11 (Saugus, MA) 

and Davidson Peguero ’14 (Boston, MA) 

each earned Sunrise Conference Player of 

the Week honors and Kevin Michael ’11 

(Ipswich, MA) was named Sunrise Conference 

Pitcher of the Week. 

In a first for Fisher Athletics, pitcher Michael 

Hashem ’12 (No. Andover, MA) was slected 

by the Atlanta Braves in the 35th round of the 

Major League Baseball draft. “I want to thank 

my teammates and the coaching staff. Knowing 

the talent that has come through this program, 

it is humbling to be the first student-athlete from 

Fisher to be drafted. This just makes ending my 

college career at Fisher that much more special.” 

SOCCER 

Men’s and women’s soccer completed their 

second years, with student-athletes from across 

the Northeast and around the world, including 

Brazil, India, Spain, Kenya, and Greece, 

wearing the Falcons jersey. 

FRIDAY, OCTOBER 14, 2011 

7:00pm – 8:30pm 

Hall of Fame 

Celebrating the Teams of the Decade! 

SATURDAY, OCTOBER 15, 2011 

9:00am – 12:00pm 

Alumni Baseball & Basketball Games 

2:00pm – 4:00pm 

Alumni Softball Game 

SUNDAY, OCTOBER 16, 2011 

10:30am – 1:30pm 

Fisher Falcons Soccer 

133

14 

Class Notes 

1946 

65th Reunion on October 14-16, 2011 

1950 

“After being self-employed as the co-owner 

(with husband) of Hearthside Antiques in New 

York,” Barbara (Tebbetts) Page ’50 wrote, 

“I retired at age 74. I have five grandchildren, 

three great-grandchildren, and am actively volunteering. 

My best memories are my friends, roommates 

and wedding attendants. I am looking for 

Paula Leonard ‘50, Priscilla Chick ’50, and 

Barbara Baker ‘50.” 

1951 


Dr. Scott A. Fisher ’51 is eagerly anticipating 

his upcoming reunion. 

Kathleen (O’Brien) McCormick ’51 is the 

Readers Advisor and Librarian at the Thomas 

Crane Public Library in Quincy, MA. 

Betty (Gray) Isele ’51 is enjoying retirement in 

Indiantown, Florida. 

From Harrison, ME, Jewell (Wardwell) Collins ’51 

relates how she put her shorthand skills to work 

and became a freelance writer. “I will always be 

grateful for the broad education my two years at 

Fisher gave me. Mrs. Barnes grounded students 

in English grammar as well as in the art of public 

speaking. I shall never forget my first talk given in 

the Gold Ballroom in front of my fellow students. 

With great relief I completed it, only to be told by 

Mrs. Barnes, ‘I’m sure that was a fine talk, Miss 

Wardwell, but we couldn’t hear a word you said. 

Would you mind giving it again?’ Yes, I did mind, 

but I didn’t dare defy Mrs. Barnes, so I faced my 

classmates once more and loudly repeated my 

speech word for word. I never forgot that lesson 

in speaking up.” 

Gwen Davis ’51 has spent much of her 

retirement from the US Postal Service “traveling 

throughout the United States in our RV. I’ve 

discovered that every state had an interesting 

history of its own.” 

1952 

Frances (Heaphy) Turco ’52 lives in 

Sunnydale, CA and is a retired Database 

Analyst from Lockheed Missiles & Space. 

1954 

“Life has been wonderful, especially since I am 

a 25 year breast cancer survivor,” reports Doris 

(Slauer) Brooks ’54. Doris volunteers for her 

condo association, plays bridge, and travels to 

Japan to visit family. She also still works a few 

days each week for Wells Fargo Bank and has 

participated for the last five years in the Senior 

Olympics (gold in badminton, so far!). 

Corrine (Turner) Kelly ’54 lives in Keene, 

NH, spends summers in Kennebunkport, ME, 

and winters in Bretton Woods in New Hampshire’s 

White Mountains. 

Nancy Jean (Schultz) Ramsden ’54 retired 

after 18 years as a Clinical Social Worker. She 

still uses her skills as a Court Qualified Mediator 

and teaches middle school children peer-to-peer 

mediation. She is the International Treasurer for 

the Women’s International League for Peace and 

Freedom, the oldest women’s peace organization 

in the world. 

1955 

Barbara (Prescott) Benson ‘55 lives in 

Alameda, CA and says, “I have too many 

‘best memories’ to write here!” 

1956 


1961 


Writing from Walton, KY, Marie (Clement) 

Bushman ‘61 is looking forward to Reunion 2011. 

Cecile (Siuda) Kasprzak ‘61 is retired and 

lives in North Andover, MA. Her best memories 

are “having Laurence Hansen as a psychology 

and drama teacher. I was shy and he talked me 

into joining the Drama Club. Acting in Separate 

Tables with Scott Fisher was great fun.” 

Hailing from Vero Beach, FL, Suzanne (Curtis) 

Carter ‘61 is a teacher and counselor in the 

Indian River County (FL) School District. She 

fondly remembers Myron Hall (‘59-‘61) and 

the Boston Patriots first-year team! 

When in Hampstead, NH, be sure to say hello 

to Past & Present Hallmark Shop owner Sandra 

(Dall) Sabutis ’61. “Fisher taught me to be 

self-motivated and independent. It prepared me 

to move to San Francisco and find my first job at 

ABC-TV. I loved the bridge games in the cafeteria.” 

1962 

Beverly (Mitchell) Walker ‘62 lives in Ann 

Arbor, MI and is already thinking about Reunion 

2012. Anyone else? 

1966 


“I have been married for 44 years to Jim and 

have 2 sons and 2 grandchildren. I spent the 

last 10 years as a Training Manager for an 

international corporation,” wrote Charlene 

(Bertolucci) Anderson ’66, who retired two 

years ago and lives in southwest Florida where 

she enjoys volunteering, boating and gardening. 

“I’m grateful to be living the good life!” says 

Janine (Duguay) Beauchemin ’66, who 

recently retired from Newton-Wellesley hospital, 

plays golf, does art projects with her grandchildren, 

and still helps with her husband’s business. 

They split their time between Florida and 

Massachusetts. 

1968 

Doris (Rent) Brow ‘68 lives in Sandwich, MA 

and works as a Library Assistant in the Sandwich 

Public Library. 

1971 


Susan (Hirst) Read ’71 is retiring from her post 

as Senior Public Affairs Specialist at the Naval 

Air Warfare Center, Weapons Division. She and 

classmates Catherine (Sullivan) Dubois ’71 

and Nanette Baines ’71 are looking forward 

to seeing everyone this October at Reunion! 

1975 

Eleanor (Wickham) Sicluna ’75 is a Family & 

Consumer Science Teacher at Philip Livingston 

Magnet Academy in Albany, NY. 

1976 


Sheila (Jackson) Ott ’76 writes from Pennsylvania, 

“I have been married to the same guy for 

33 years…have three daughters…two Jack Russell 

terriers…have lived in the same house for 26 years 

and worked at the same job for 20 years…I even 

kind of look the same. It’s been a great life so far.” 

1978 

Gail (Greenier) Deangelis ’78 has worked 

in Human Resources for over 20 years, and 

recently finished renovating her 200 year old 

home in Watertown, CT. “Carol, Katrina, Lori, 

and Sheri: we need to have a reunion in Boston. 

I’m listed.” 

1979 

Pamela Young ‘79 is the owner of 

Pamela’s Delights, in Raleigh-Durham, NC. 

Rene Scotland ‘79 is a Legal Assistant at 

Frankfurt Kurnit Klein & Selz in New York City. 

1981 


Heidi J. Goodrow '81 received a B.S. in 

Communications, summa cum laude, from Clark 

University, Worcester, MA on May 22, 2011. 

Heidi was a member of Alpha Sigma Lambda 

Honor Society. 

Beth Dickinson ’81 and Nada Jones ’81 

are coming to Reunion this fall - and hope to 

see more friends too! 

Ann Marie (Affleck) Crosby ‘81 has worked 

in several capacities as a medical assistant, medical 

secretary, and certified medical transcriptionist: 

“I don’t have a job, I have a career, and it’s 

all because of the degree I earned at Fisher.” 

1982 

Living in Arlington, MA, Lisa (Battaglia) 

Davenport ‘82 remembers, “I met the most 

wonderful people. The faculty and staff were 

always very friendly and helpful. My fellow 

classmates were caring and always there for you. 

My group grew together. We were a family.” 

1985 

Susan (Benjamin) Harrington ’85 lives and 

works in Brattleboro, VT. 

Christine (Gooch) McGarry ‘85 lives in Lynn, 

MA and is a Senior Marketing Associate at 

Webster Industries. 

“Sitting out on Pebble Beach with friends trying 

to get a tan and gathering to watch General 

Hospital!” was the best memory Rebecca 

Rowe-Indich ’85 has of Fisher. Now a Therapeutic 

Recreation Director at the Essex Meadows 

Life Care Facility in Essex, CT, Rebecca said, 

“Fisher was a great place to be with Boston as 

your campus. It was a nice stepping stone to 

continue on in school.” 

1986 


1987 

Brenda (Almstrom) Lewis ‘87 is the owner 

of Love Your Holistic Body in Hopkinton, NH. 

Leslie (Cantor) Gladstone ’87 lives in Sharon, 

MA and works as a Business Applications 

Analyst at Sharon Credit Union. 

Kathy (McAndrews) Trister ‘87 is the Director 

of Career Services at Sanford Brown College in 

Farmington, CT. 

Gale Burdett ‘87 lives in Leominster, MA. Her 

best Fisher memory: “My professors: Mrs. Gearing 

and Ms. Rose Blake. The fun activities: Lip Sync 

contest, Dorm Olympics, fostering lasting friendships, 

entering drawings in the Charles Viewer. I 

loved the small class sizes, and being in the city.”

1988 

“Hooray for Fisher College!” says Andalyn 

(Edwards) Swan ’88, who is completing a B.S. 

degree in Child & Youth Studies from Mount St. 

Vincent University. Andalyn lives and works in 

Bermuda as a teacher in the Happy Valley Child 

Care Centre. 

1989 

Residing in Weymouth, MA, Colleen (Cummings) 

Collings ‘89 is a teacher in the Boston Public 

Schools: “At the time of my graduation, the college 

was all female I enjoyed sharing and learning collaboratively 

from my many classmates and faculty.” 

1990 

Irene Cardoso ‘90 is a Network Specialist for 

MTV Networks at adConductor. 

Writing in from Speonk, NY, Julie Kenney ‘90 

fondly remembers being “the vice president of 

her first-year class in 1987.” 

1991 


1992 

Alison (Barker) Buchanan ‘92 is a paralegal 

at Shepherd Law Offices in Boston. 

Mary (Lynch) Aiello ‘92 lives in Santa Fe, NM 

as a freelance researcher and writer. 

Delanie (Brown) Pryor ‘92 lives and works 

in Roxbury, MA at the Dimock Center. Her best 

memory is “the friendships I developed.” 

1993 

Stacy (Silva) Parks ‘93 works for 

Octapharma Plasma and lives in Charlotte, NC. 

Nicole Clark ‘93 works for the Boston Police 

Department. 

1994 

Libby (Woodbrey) Frances ‘94 lives in 

Boston, MA. 

Deborah Fellows ‘94 works at 

Cartographic Associates in Littleton, NH. 

1995 

Gina DeLuca ‘95 is the General Manager 

of Giorgio Armani in Boston. 

“Fisher was a wonderful experience, the staff 

was wonderful, and the school was beautiful. 

I will never forget the annual trip where I had 

a chance to travel with my friends. I’m thinking 

about going back to get my B.A.!” writes 

Jill (O’Connell) Frazier ‘95, who is a 

teacher in Fullerton, CA. 

1996 


Rita Wahlstedt ‘96 is a Residence Director at 

the Seven Hills Foundation in Worcester, MA. 

1999 

Tina Rondeau ‘99 remembers the “great 

professors and classmates” and now works 

at Inside Out in Leominster, MA. 

2001 


2002 

Jamie (Yarnold) Sousa ‘00/’02 wrote: “My 

husband, Joe Sousa ’00, and I met at Fisher 

in 1998, started dating a few years later, and 

were married in 2006. Joe proposed at the top 

of the Sheraton Boston in 2005 in honor of our 

meeting in Boston at Fisher. We were married at 

a church outside of Boston and had a reception 

with about 125 of our closest. The backdrop to 

our reception was a gigantic picture of the Boston 

Public Garden and footage of our reception was 

used in a commercial. We spent 3 weeks in Hawaii 

on the islands of Maui, the Big Island, and Oahu 

for our honeymoon. It all was perfect! We have 

a son and another on the way!” 

2004 

Nina Louys ‘03/’04 is a Bilingual Sales and 

Marketing Agent for Allianz Insurance and is 

living in Orlando, Florida. 

Tammy Greynolds ’04 is a Program Assistant 

at the American Society for Microbiology in 

Washington, D.C. 

2006 


“I had some of the best teachers at the New 

Bedford campus. John Souza (RIP) made a big 

impression,” says Lynne Gautreau ’06, who 

is a compliance officer at Sovereign Bank. 

2007 

As a field support assistant for Ecolab, Donna 

Squire ‘07 best remembers “the ease of being 

able to continue studies at my own pace and 

online.” 

Henry DeBardeleben ‘07 is a Senior Systems 

Administrator for General Dynamics Information 

Technology. 

Maame (Boakye) Amponah ‘07 is a banker 

at the Federal Reserve Bank of Boston. 

Shawn Burchill ‘07 is a Human Resources 

Business Partner at Bureau Veritas Group, a 

global provider of QHSE management. 

One of the country’s 

biggest hits, “Dominicanita,” 

was written by 

Jofre “Yunel” Cruz 

’05/’07, who recently 

caught up with President 

McGovern at an event 

sponsored by El Planeta. 

You can catch him at the 

Comcast Latino Family Festival at Fenway Park on 

August 21. 

Emily Witherell ‘07 is Planning Administrator 

for the City of Attleboro, Massachusetts. 

2008 

“I was engaged in December 2010 and passed 

the Early Childhood Praxis exam in February 

2011,” says Melissa Nickdowicz ’08, who 

is a teacher living in Lyndhurst, NJ. 

Aimee Lord ’08 married Zorran Atanasovski 

on August 21, 2010 in Beverly, MA. 

Andrew Tutkus ‘08 is a Technical Information 

Specialist at Cybex International. 

Nadia Tomaszewski ‘06/’08 is an 

Underwriting Assistant at Chartis. 

Ina Campbell ‘08 is a Senior Administrative 

Assistant at St. Vincent Hospital in Indianapolis, IN. 

Jamie Nowland ’08 is a teacher at Commonwealth 

Children’s Center in Boston, MA 

2009 

Tom Corcoran ‘09 is a career agent for Mutual 

of Omaha in Quincy, MA. 

Dave Power ’87/’09 is the Network Administrator 

at Digital Credit Union. 

Angela (Reed) Lee ’09 

and her husband welcomed 

Josephine Marie Lee 

(6 lbs 2 oz.) and Jacobe 

Daric Lee (7lbs 2 oz.) 

on February 1, 2011, 

the end of the Chinese 

calendar: “Tigers like 

their Momma.” 

Rose (Pierre) Jaboin ’09 married Wesley 

Jaboin in February. The couple is expecting their 

first child! Congratulations, Rose! 

Amanda Bertone ’09 became a keyholder 

for Max Mara on Newbury Street in March. 

2010 

Jay Holmes ‘08/‘10 is a Senior Account Executive 

at Trust Capital Funding in Newton, MA. 

2011 

1st Reunion on October 14-16, 2011 

Wendy Mello ‘09/’11 is Program Manager at 

CSS-Donovan House. 

Susie Concannon ‘11 is Practice Coordinator/ 

Antepartum Testing Unit at Beth Israel Deaconess 

Medical Center in Boston, MA. 

In Memoriam 

Nicholas Dimancescu ’07 

The Fisher community was saddened to learn 

of the passing of Nicholas Dimancescu ’07, 

who tragically lost his life in a fall while filming 

his newest documentary in the Carpathian 

Mountains of Romania. Nick earned acclaim for 

his direction and narration of Hill 789: The Last 

Stronghold, a film about his country’s role in 

World War I, and Knights of the Sky: Airwar 

Over Romania, which documents American 

attacks on Romanian oilfields in World War II. Both 

films were sponsored by National Geographic 

and aired on Romania’s national television station. 

Though exceedingly proud of his Romanian 

heritage, Nick also traced his ancestry to the 

Mayflower settlers, and developed an abiding 

affection for Boston. Nick was working on an 

ambitious film, Decoding Trajan’s Column, 

about the mountainous landscape and culture of 

the native Dacians who resisted conquest by 

Roman Emperor Trajan in 101-106AD, when he 

perished. 

15

thank you * thank you * thank you 

E.H. & M.C. Fisher 

Legacy Society 

Dr. Scott A. Fisher ‘51 

Joan Fixler ‘76 

Lea C. Pearson ‘42 

Charles A. Wintermeyer 

Charitable Lead Trust Fund 

Founder’s Circle 

($10,000 and above) 

Dr. Scott A. Fisher '51* 

Boston 4 Celebrations 

Abbot & Dorothy H. Stevens Foundation 

President’s Circle 

($5,000-9,999) 

Dr. Alexandra L. Bartsch* 

Dr. Thomas M. McGovern 

Aramark Food Services 

Coca Cola Bottling Co. of New England 

Liberty Mutual 

Falcon Society 

($2,500-4,999) 

Dr. Peter B. Post* 

Charles A. Wintermeyer 

Charitable Lead Trust Fund 

Ambassador Book Service, Inc. 

1903 Society 

($1,903-2,499) 

Christian Fisher* 

Young Lee 

Navy & Gold Society 

($1,000-1,902) 

Sandra (Spadea) Bishop '62 

Walter Dillingham* 

Dr. Susan Dunton & James Tanner 

Peter Everett* 

Connie (Bisceglia) Lawler '60 

Robert Melaragni 

Roy Muir* 

Rhonda Pieroni '83 

Steven Rich 

Innovated 2000 Multi Service, Inc. 

Seaward Management 

Charles River Club 

($500-999) 

Dr. Nicholas Bankson* 

Joanne (Chisholm) Beck '71 

Michael Bell* 

Beverly Cleathero '62 

Melinda Cook 

Elizabeth Gavett* 

J. Alexander Harte 

Shiela Lally 

Robert Mowry 

In honor of Arthur Asbury and 

the cast of Raisin in the Sun 

Edward H. Rogers III* 

Neil Trotta 

Bank of America 

Cabot and Company 

IBM 

Beacon Club 

($250-499) 

Thomas Beraldi 

Muriel (Powers) Dempsey '66 

Linda (Wyzanski) Doliber '69 

Elinor (Shannon) Dustin '49 

Richard Levitt 

Elizabeth (O'Connor) McCollum '76 

Jennifer McSweeney 

Carmen Milora 

Karen (Casey) Myers '68 

Dr. Thomas Payzant 

In honor of College 101 students 

Barbara (Cardello) Pickrell '56 

Jane Rothschild '73 

In honor of the Class of 1973 

Paul Rowe* 

Michael Wall '00/'02 

Carol Wilcox 

Michael Fuller Plumbing 

FV Recillas Electrical Services 

Heritage Pest Control 

Centennial Club 

($100-249) 

Anonymous '50 

Anonymous '61 

Lee Ashcraft 

Lynne (Streiber) Bertram '62 

Norma (Sanderson) Bohannon '66 

Mary Ellen (Coleman) Brueckner '69 

Candace Bryda 

Cathy Byrd 

Bill Cappiello 

Ellora (Raymond) Carle '56 

Heather Carpenter 

Mary (Czuckrey) Celetano '61 

Cindy (Vibber) DeBiasi '83 

Maryanne DiBerto '70 

Karen (Sullivan) Ditto '75 

Geraldine (Trombley) Dorsey '60 

Barbara (Breslin) Downs '64 

Dolores (LeSaffre) Driscoll '55 

M. Jane (Strott) Eaton '47 

William Englehardt 

Brooke Findley '11 

Nancy (Metzler) Gale '59 

Debra (Shields) Graf '76 

Susan Green '75 

Kyle Grenier '05/'07 

Kathleen (McGuinness) Hartley '66 

Andrea Hayes '11 

Wendy (Overbaugh) Hickey '94 

Virginia (Devito) Horn '51 

Laura (Petersen) Isaksen '88 

Michelle (Lamarre) Jenney '65 


Linda Knightly 

Pauline (Theroux) Kosanke '60 

Janet Kuser Komarnicki 

Ethel (Turner-Shapcott) Manahan '48 

Amanda Matarese 

Catherine McGonnell 

Joshua McKain 

David Medvitz 

Heike Milhench 

Loretta (Archer) Murray '58 

In memory of Judith A. Kontio ‘58 

Isabelle Ogoula 

Linda (Price) O'Keefe '65 

Dorothy (Irving) Olson '04 

Beverly (Lydon) Peyser '55 


Nancy Pithis 

Larry Poe 

Richard Potter '02/'05 

Susan (Hirst) Read '71 

Laura Rogers '85 

Susan (Gunn) Rogers '98 

Carolyn Schlegel '57 

Anna (White) Spellissy '43 

Lorraine Stec '55 

Donald Szarkowicz 

In memory of 

Susanne M. (Johnson) Szarkowicz '66 

Pam (Vitkin) Tulman '68 

Kandace (Smith) Van Gorder '73 

Merrie (Ellis) Walker '64 

Judith (Costain) Walsh '55 


Seth Woods 

Jean (Hogarth) Zink '51 

Embroidery Loft 

Scholar’s Club 

(Up to $99) 

Anonymous (2) 

Margaret (Concannon) Abramson '71 

Christine Aikens-Innis '90 

Samuel Alejandro 

Maria Almas 

Nancy Amado '93 

In memory of 

Ernest B. and Anna B. Amado 

Joseph Aniki '11 

Nancy (Tiano) Anselmo '70 

Michelle Anton '02 

Donald Arruda 

Margarita Ascencio 

Diana (Denno) Ashley '80 

Marietta Baier 

Tyler Baker 

Marcia (Wishnow) Balin '57 

Emily Banis 

Daryl Batista 

Diane (Devlin) Beaton '75 

Janine (Duguay) Beauchemin '66 

Tiffany Beckman '11 

Cheryl Beitz '74 

Javanna Bernard 

Alissa Bertram 

Ann (Keating) Bettencourt '59 

Scott Bigelow 

Ann Blanchard '56 

David Bosch 

Glenice (Upton) Boyd '56 

Patricia Boynton '64 

Donna Brady 

Delia Brimmer 

Austin Brodie 

Marion Brooks '50 

Linda (Finneran) Brown '62 

Nicholas Bruno 

Ethan Brush 

Arthur Bumpus 

Susan (Hardin) Burgdorf '60 

Barbara Burke '54 

Colleen Burke 

Angel Calderon 

Tim Callahan 

Michael Callahan 

Carolyn Carlson '64 

Clementina (Lizzi) Carmody '52 

Madeleine (Tardif) Caron '50 

Nancy (Davis) Chadbourne '50 

Gregory Chick 

Herbert Chisholm '11 

Amy Ye Cho '91/'10 

Janice (Krajewska) Christensen '59 

Chris Christopher 

Steven Clark ‘13 

Dorothy (Torgersen) Clark '55 

Tim Clark 

Janice (Kelley) Cliggott '56 

Ruth (Willis) Colby '60 

Nancy Coleman 

In honor of Maria Coleman ‘11 

Marie Collins '50 

Priscilla (Hamilton) Collupy '48 

Jeffrey Conrad 

Kathy (Plankey) Coolahan '77 

Betty (O'Brien) Coolidge '63 

Rebecca (Bortz) Costello '68 

Mary Ellen Crost-Lafrance 

Elizabeth (Harrington) Crowell '77 

Shawn Crowley 

Doris (Leahy) Curtis '47 

In memory of 

Barbara (Taylor) Mattson '47 

Chrystle Czeczot '04 

Judith (Gardner) Day '58 

Eddy Delcarmen '09 

Mary Leigh (Alcorn) deMont '80 

Kianesha Dennis '11 

Nancy Di Benedetto '60 

Jose Diaz '09 

Ann Doheney '00 

Mark Dorso '09/'11 

Joel Dube 

Helen (Omer) Duran '62 

N. Avis (Guild) Eldert '45 

Bobby Elland 

Krishna Ersson 

Liya Escalera 

Joey Eugenio '05/'07 

JoAnn Evans '80 

Linda Fader 

Carol (York) Falvey '61 

Michael Flynn 

Joan Forte '58 

Valentina Foster 

In honor of Matthew Foster '13 

and the Class of 2013 

Marion (Drew) Francis '47 

Eugenia (Jean) Frassica '50 


Patrick Gaffny '05 

Lillian (Legunas) Gagliardi '49 

Janet (Wagar) Gaseau '55 

Lorraine (Petrosevich) Gettings '58 

Julie Gormstyn 

Diane (Mullin) Guimond '89 

Steven Hamel 

Charlotte (Stowe) Hamill 

Averi Hamilton 

Pamela Harris '65 

Ruth Harzbecker '50 

Denise Hayes 

Kathleen (Begley) Hayes '65 

Patrick Holland '07 

Teresa Howe 

Evelyn (Colantuoni) Hudak '50 

Andrew Hurd 

Heather (McKee) Hurst '90 

Juan Inoa '10 

Kenneth Kahle 

Debra Kamm-Pelles 

Cecille (Siuda) Kasprzak '61 

Katherine Ernest 

Patrice Kenny 

In honor of Jeremy Mazza and 

Morgan Mazza 

Terri Khoury 

Jason Kirschner 

Diane (Sibolkin) Kline '63 

Brenda (Alberts) Korn '58 


Joyce Koski '60 


William Lafferty 

Shorona Lallsingh 

Luis Lara '06/'08 

Victor Lebron 

Kathleen (Strickland) Lord '50 

Gary Lunetta 

Beverly Lutz 

Jane (Gallivan) Lynn '65 

Herb Marin 

Candace (Dodge) Markella '70 

Linda (Genther) Masters '67 

Theodora (Geanakos) Mavroides '52 

Lisa (Ryder) McCormack '98 

Matthew McDougal 

Aaron McGinnis 

Christopher McGovern 

Michael McGovern 

Brian McMahon '86 

Melissa Menard '04/'06 

Katherine Meranian '62 

Kevin Michael '11 

Jennie Moore 

Deanna Morensy 

Shirley Morris 

Gertrude Morris '75 

Dorothy (Moloney) Morton '49 

Mary (Kelly) Moughan '50 

Sandra (Smith) Mumford '62 

Austin Nabors 

Joy Nelson '01/'03 

John Newburn 

Shelarys Nolasco 

Richard Noonan '95 

Michelle Oakes 

In honor of Jesse Oakes ‘11 

Mary-Ellen (Spear) Oberhauser '64 

Kaitlyn O'Leary '07 

Marisa O'Leary '05/'07 

Kenneth Olisky '04/'06 

Marilyn Opidee '75 

Alex Orsini 

Georgia (Contos) Otis '52 

Lois Pagan 

Angela Pappas '60 

Cara Parkoff 

Steven Peavey 

June (Rollins) Pedrick '54 

Charles Peladeau '89 

Beth (Vanderber) Pelick '85 

Roberta (Garrahan) Pennacchia '56 

Barbara Pennag 

Marcus Pereira 

Barbara (Biggs) Peterson '52 

Michael Pierfelice 

Mechelle Plasse 

Joann (Rowell) Poole '50 

Michelle Prahovic '85 

Janet (Goldstein) Promisel '61 

Sandra Quelle 

Rose (Dwyer) Quinn '71 

Mary (Lyons) Ranieri '51 

Gertrude (Ervin) Reichert '52 

Brett Remon 

Jennie (McLafferty) Richard '53 

Janet (Maccabee) Richards '51 

Diana Roberts '90 

Sarah Romano '96 

Barbara (Boynton) Ryan '55 


Roberto Samano 

Dianne Smith Santos '61 

Brenda (Richmond) Schadick '60 

Arghavan Schumacher 

Patrick Shamalan 

Valerie Simpson 

Deborah Slicis '82/'03 

In honor of John “Jack” Fitzgerald 

Linda Small 

Susan (Allen) Smith '60 

Nancy Spargo '58 

Brenda (Bettancourt) Stone '65 

Evelyn (Kristiansen) Sullivan '61 

Elizabeth Sullivan '50 

Lenore (Hulteen) Swanson '46 


Anne Sylvain 

Lorraine (Dembia) Tanner '67 

Evan Tardugno '10 

Susan Taylor 

Joy (LaBrie) Taylor '73 

Virginia (Norris) Taylor '66 

Claudia Tessier '64 

Rose (Fiore) Thomas '52 

Rebecca (Bidwell) Thompson '61 

Richard Thorpe 

Sheila (Kelly) Tighe '95 

Nancy (Farrar) Tofferi '54 

John Trask 

Frances (Heaphy) Turco '52 

Juan Ulloa-Hobet 

Harvey Ussach 

Kyle VanOfferen '07/'11 

Lori Villemaire 

Leslie Wadhams '10 

Margaret (Scarci) Wagner '49 

Sandra (Elliott) Wallace '59 

Tammy (Fedus) Ward '85 

Dorothy (Hulquist) Webster '53 

Dr. Jennifer Weiner 

Richard Welch 

Catherine (Sellers) Wells '55 


Marilyn (Lunny) White 

John White 

Ryan Willetts 

Judith (Brown) Williams '51 

Mathew Willmott 

Emily Wilson '08/'10 

Joan (Couseineau) Wingle '57 

Ann (Sutherland) Wise '58 

In honor of Mrs. Hurley 

Sabra Wrice 

Kathleen (Blanchette) Yarnell '67 

June Young '95 

Janice (Paratore) Zaganjori '61 

Design Furnace 

Dominion Foundation 

iGive.com 

* Fisher College Trustee 

16 www.fisher.edu/giving

Be at the head of the class. 

Raise your hand in support of Fisher students, and urge your classmates to do the same. 

If every alum donates just $5, Fisher will secure a $75,000 matching grant. 

Alumni who are new to the Fisher Fund will have their donation matched, dollar for dollar. 

Alumni who add to their previous gift will have the increased amount matched. 

Every class needs a leader. 

Fisher Fund Committee 

M. Jane (Strott) Eaton ’47 

Margaret (Scarci) Wagner ’49 

Nancy (Davis) Chadbourne ’50 

Margie Malva ’50 

Beverly Cleathero ’62 

Janine (Duguay) Beauchemin ’66 

Cheryl R. Beitz ’74 

Deborah Davock Finch ’76 

Mary Leigh (Alcorn) deMont ’80 

Laura Rogers ’85 

Wendy (Overbaugh) Hickey ’94 

Tania Novak ’99 

Jennifer Ives ’00/’05 

Michael Cotton ’11 

Hilary Ritter ’11 

Please make your gift at fisher.edu/giving or in the enclosed envelope. 

Fisher Today is a biannual publication distributed by the Office of Institutional Advancement with a circulation of 13,000. Letters to the editor are welcomed and can 

be mailed to: Fisher Today, c/o Office of Institutional Advancement, Fisher College, 118 Beacon Street, Boston, MA 02116, or emailed to alumni@fisher.edu. 

All photographs are preferred with a resolution of 300dpi 

or with the highest resolution possible. Fisher College 

strives for accuracy in all of its reporting and apologizes 

for any mistakes or omissions. Please contact the Office 

of Institutional Advancement to correct any errors. 

Contributions to this Fall/Winter 2011 issue were made 

by Heather Carpenter, Amanda Cody ’11, Kyle 

Grenier ’05/’07, Roma Hailemichael ’10, 

Michelle Jenney ’65, Janet Kuser, Richard 

Levitt, Joshua McKain, Joe Monteleone '11, 

Nancy Pithis, Christopher Rushbrooke ’10, 

Kristen Sherman, and John Sullivan ‘80/’08. 

Corrections: Patricia (Mango) Senich '59 and 

Louise (Stegelman) Kristeller '39 were attributed 

the wrong class years. 

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Office of Institutional Advancement 

118 Beacon Street, Boston, MA 02116 




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Attention Parents of Fisher Graduates If this magazine is addressed to a son or daughter who no longer maintains a permanent address at your home, 

please email alumni@fisher.edu with his or her current address. Thank you! 

“ 

Legacy 

The E.H. & M.C. Fisher 

S ociety 

Fisher College meant the world to our father. He 

was enamored with the idea of educating the next 

generation and felt that Fisher had the right formula 

for accomplishing this important task. Our 

father included Fisher in his estate plan because 

he wanted to show how grateful he was for being 

a part of such a unique educational enterprise, as 

well as to encourage others to share in the cause. We 

are pleased that Fisher still upholds the values he 

” 

cherished and continues to enrich students’ lives. 

Charles A. Wintermeyer, Jr. and 

Dr. Stephen F. Wintermeyer, M.D., 

on behalf of their father, 

Charles Wintermeyer, Sr., 

the first inductee into the 

E.H. & M.C. Fisher Legacy Society 

For more information about making a legacy gift, call Richard Levitt, Vice President for Institutional Advancement, 

at 617-670-4418, or visit fisher.edu/plannedgifts

Fisher Today Fall/Winter 2011

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