December 2023 Edition

Forbes Advisor has ranked the Master of Science in Nursing Program at Elms College as one of the most affordable, high-quality online MSN programs in the U.S. The MSN program at Elms was one of nine programs ranked by Forbes Advisor and the only one in Massachusetts.

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On December 2nd we held our annual Breakfast with Santa event. This year we were lucky enough to have Mrs. Claus in attendance as well. Families enjoyed crafts, cookie decorating, writing letters to Santa, and a special reading from Dr. Dumay. Thank you so much to all of our alumni and friends who made this event possible.

The Student Affairs Team, along with the Student Government Association, Multicultural Scholars Collective, and Student Nurse Association, organized a Christmas Toy Drive. The donations were brought to The Gray House and Homework House and will be distributed to children throughout the region.

On Thursday, November 16, the Alumnae Library celebrated its 50th Anniversary. The event was the culmination of a week-long celebration, which included “Meet the Authors”, student bingo, poetry reading, an art reception, and daily student raffles. The library staff welcomed over 100 attendees to the event, including Alumnae from 1970-1976, faculty, staff, students, administration, and members of the Board of Trustees. During the event, Fr. Mark Stelzer, Dr. Walter Breau, and Dr. Anthony Fonseca spoke about the history of the library, including important events that occurred over the years as well as information about the library directors. The library staff thanks all those who helped make the Alumnae Library’s 50th celebration a success!

Sheila Coon '98, owner of Hot Oven Cookies, appears on the Tamron Hall Show!

Brittany Walsh '20 will become executive assistant to the mayor in the Marchetti administration in Pittsfield, MA. Mayor-elect Peter Marchetti called Brittany "knowledgeable, dedicated and hard-working" who will be "ready to serve from day one." She will be tasked with constituent services and running the mayor's schedule. Brittany joined the Pittsfield Police Department in 2022 as an administrative assistant to then-Police Chief Michael Wynn. With Wynn's retirement in July, Brittany became the administrative assistant to interim Police Chief Thomas Dawley. Before her job in Pittsfield, she served as the administrative assistant for the Egremont Police Department.

Save the Date - Classes ending in 4's and 9's join us for a fun-filled reunion weekend!

Join us to learn more about what our students have accomplished this year through internships, research, community work-study programs, mission trips, study abroad opportunities, community service, and CEXPL courses.

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Save the Date - March 22!

Deb Paquette Cassidy '82, '09 M.Ed.

Deb received her BA in Secondary Education in 1982 and then her Masters of Education in 2009 both from the Elms. Deb retired from teaching in June 2022 after 40 years. She taught in Springfield Public Schools for 28 years and ended her career at Timothy Edwards Middle School in South Windsor, CT. 

After retirement, while enjoying the extra time to spend with her four grandchildren, she found a sweet part-time job as a Gallery Associate at WORK_SPACE in Manchester, CT. The Galleries at WORK_SPACE feature art by New England artists, while the coworking and event spaces serve entrepreneurs and businesses of all sizes.

Do you have any big announcements that you would like to share with the Elms community? If so, send information to alumni@elms.edu on engagements and marriages, births, promotions or awards, graduations, or other items of interest. Whatever your news may be, share your Blazer pride with your fellow alumni by submitting a class note.

In this season of giving, please remember our Elms College Students.

When you make a gift to the Annual Fund, your contributions will help build bridges for a brighter future for our students.

Jill Perry '21 '23, Assistant Director of Alumni Engagement

Email: Perryj@elms.edu

Phone: (413) 265- 2388