As the school year winds down for the summer, We’d like to remind you that The Stanner Alumni Center will remain open throughout the summer—buzzing with activity including the planning and preparation for many exciting events and programs for 2011-12. Thanks to the generous support of many Stanners throughout the year we surpassed the goal of $248,000 for our annual appeal – The Fund For Molloy. To date we have raised $281,000 and are only $29,000 away from our “challenge goal” of $310,000. Your charity to the Fund For Molloy enables the school to:
Sustain Excellence:
- 100% of graduates attend college.
Address Immediate Needs:
The capital upgrades and improvements needed around the facilities is approximately $750,000.
- Modernize and update the William J. Murphy Library with interdisciplinary and learning opportunities.
- Update the ventilation and heating system.
Stanners Helping Stanners
- In the last decade:
- 857 scholarships have been awarded from our endowments and named scholarships valued over $10,500,000.
- $1,200,000 in needs assistance has been provided to Stanners and their families in dire circumstances.
Richard Karsten, Maria Ford, Craig Katinas and a few members of our School Directory will be actively calling and visiting alumni to ask for your support in June, July and August. If you have not made your gift for 2010-11, please click here to make your donation today OR contact us to set up an appointment to discuss The Fund For Molloy and how your charity to our Alma Mater directly impacts Molloy students TODAY.
Afternoon at the Vineyard
A gentle breeze and sunny skies greeted Stanners on Saturday June 18th to the Diliberto Winery, nestled between Riverhead and Mattituck in lovely Jamesport, New York. Stanner Hall of Famer Sal Diliberto ‘63 and wife Maryann played host as they provided their own personal venue for Molloy’s first alumni wine event. For $45 ($80 couple admission) guests were treated to a laid back afternoon of wine tasting, lunch, networking, fun and good times. Molloy faculty members including Mr. Frank Gambino ’74, Mr. Jim Sheehan ’75, Ms. Maryann Safrey, Mr. Jeff Gallagher ’88, Ms. Shannon Winters ’06, and Ms. Dyana Christie came out to mingle with alumni and friends while enjoying the fine taste of award winning Diliberto wine (3 gold medals in the New York State Wine Contest in 2004). Molloy President Richard Karsten ‘81 and Alumni Development Director Craig Katinas ’93 spoke candidly with many alumni guests including Bob White ’59, Robert Rowe ’63, John DiGirolamo ’64 and wife Julie, Tom Zammitt ’64 and wife Lissa, Donald Kearns ’77 and wife Elizabeth, Anthony Filorimo ’88 and dad Tony, Joseph Papavero ’04 and wife Vanessa, and Richa Juthani ’08.
Multiple bottles of wine were provided on shady tables as spirited discussions lasted well through the afternoon (Mr. Sheehan provides quite possibly the most illuminating conversations, as you would expect). In addition to the award winning wine, guests enjoyed a gourmet catered lunch with options including grilled filet mignon, Cajun chicken wraps, and Foraccia Bread served with fresh mozzarella, roasted red peppers, and lemon caper pasta to name a few. Homemade cookies and brownies rounded out the afternoon menu. As the opportunity to purchase wine arose, Sal let everyone know that 25% of profits from every bottle of wine would be donated to Archbishop Molloy High School – a situation where everyone truly wins! Mr. Karsten (pictured with Sal Diliberto) commented on the afternoon, “It is interesting to see that wine draws a crowd representing almost every decade of Stanners. There’s something to be said for the allure of the grape. I feel the Diliberto winery is an exceptional venue to enjoy the company of Stanner alumni – especially on a beautiful spring day.” Mr. Gambino was equally pleased, having had a significant hand in planning the day’s events along with Craig Katinas and the Dilibertos. The afternoon at the vineyard was a fantastic opportunity for Stanners and friends to reconnect, network, and welcome the official start of summer in style. We look forward to seeing you at next year’s event!
Browse some of our favorite photos! Click the thumbnails to enlarge:
Around the School
Congratulations Class of 2011!
After 4 years of high school, of after school activities and athletics, of liturgies and masses, of inspiring trips to Esopus, of classes with an amazing faculty, of personal and academic guidance, and of growth under the Marist Brothers, it is time for the class of 2011 to depart Briarwood and embark on a new life journey. On Sunday, June 11th Archbishop Molloy High School celebrated its 118th Commencement Ceremony (the first being the class of 1893 at St. Ann’s Academy!) at Colden Auditorium at CUNY Queens College. Stanner Families crowded the auditorium to witness their graduates proceed in wearing full cap and gown and ready to move their tassel – such an important, emotional moment years in the making.
Molloy President Richard Karsten ’81 offered an opening invocation (which can be read in the right column under “Reflection”) and introduced Brother Thomas Schady. Brother Thomas addressed the graduates and acknowledged that while many of them consider Molloy to be their second home, the opportunity to take on the world has come. “It is time…to move out of the safety of this wonderful, supportive environment…to take the message and love you learned well as a Stanner. Let it burst forth for all the world to witness.” Indeed Stanners have always had a special quality, a certain inner-spark that makes them stand out like a Lantern in the darkness. St. Marcellin Champagnat and the Marist Brothers have always guided Stanners everyday with that Lantern, encouraging them to work hard and put the needs of others before their own. With these qualities, Brother Thomas challenged the graduates to be fearless, and to have the courage to take risks – even if it means leaving their comfort zones. Maybe most importantly, Brother Thomas described the joyous moments in life – those devoid of Facebook and television – and made it clear that they are not to be missed in this fast-paced world.
Carolina Ortiz ’11 delivered the Salutatorian Address and spoke about gifts. She spoke of a music box, an item handed down to each generation in her family as a way to remember each other. As Ortiz departs for the University of Pennsylvania she will be taking that music box, however she realized that the greatest gift her mother could give her was herself. “All I will ever need to do to remember her, to remember any member of my family, is to look at myself in the mirror…and in this reflection, finding its own place after four years, I now see Molloy.” The gifts Molloy has given to Ortiz are her teachers, her closest friends, the people whom she “would be lost without.” Ortiz continued, “The uniqueness of Molloy is not that it simply offers the gift of an education. What makes Molloy great, what makes it more than just a school, is that it offers the gift of friendships.” Ortiz stated with certainty that it is because of the people they have met at Molloy, along with their families, that give them the knowledge of what they can and will achieve.
The Valedictory Address was offered by Mary Rooney ’11. She began by quoting an interesting source – JRR Tolkien’s Bilbo Baggins in The Lord of the Rings, “I shall not keep you long. I have called you all together for a purpose…to tell you that I am immensely fond of you all, and that eleventy-one years is too short a time to live among such excellent and admirable hobbits.” Rooney admitted that she while many speeches utilize soaring rhetoric, she would offer her own perspective. She would not “paint a glorious picture of the future awaiting us” as graduates look to hone their skills in college in hopes of earning a job love. That word, hope, was emphasized multiple times. While in reality the job market is still picking itself back up, Rooney reiterated that there is always hope. She drew inspiration from St. Marcellin Champagnat, who formed an order of Brothers to educate youth amidst hunger, war, and ignorance in the darkest of days in France. “We Stanners – two hundred years later – are the direct beneficiaries of his commitment and sense of purpose. The four years we have spent at Archbishop Molloy High School have left an indelible mark on us.” Rooney cited their Catholic education, their interactions with teachers and students in and out of the classroom as the reasons they are able to understand the connection between faith and reason, intellectual formation and personal growth, and knowledge and its application to charity. Rooney challenged the class of 2011 to carry on the missionary spirit of St. Marcellin Champagnat, whom they owe so much to for influencing their lives so deeply.
All speeches can be read in full by clicking on the links below:
Commencement Speech by Brother Thomas Schady
Valedictory Remarks by Mary Rooney ’11
Salutatorian Remarks by Carolina Ortiz ’11
Archbishop M
olloy High School awarded 394 diplomas to students attending 92 different colleges including Boston College, Bryn Mawr College, Columbia University, Cornell University, CUNY Sophie Davis, Dartmouth College, Harvard University, NYU, Smith College, University of Pennsylvania, and Vassar among many other wonderful choices. The class of 2011 earned 100% college acceptance and over $25 million in scholarships awarded.
The class of 2011 (soon to be freshmen all over again!) were invited back to Molloy on Monday, June 13th for the Senior Graduation Breakfast. The grads signed yearbooks, took photos, said goodbyes, and enjoyed a great breakfast served up by some familiar faculty faces! In addition, 3 lucky seniors that entered a raffle by registering on the Stanner Alumni Website received prizes including Molloy t-shirts, hoodies pajama pants, and folding chairs with the Molloy logo. While it was the last time they would all be together for a while (until their 5 year reunion in 2016!) it was clear that they knew they had experienced 4 great years at Molloy and that they had all grown in a special way. We look forward to seeing you, the class of 2011, return to Molloy as alumni. Special thanks to the yearbook staff for the senior group photo and portraits. Click below to view a photo gallery from the breakfast.
Non scholae sed vitae
Tom Lowenthal ’74 recently shared his “Stanner Story” with us. Tom was originally a student at Bishop Loughlin High School before suffering a sports related injury during his sophomore year. The injury initially left him in a leg brace as well as paralyzed on the right side of his body. “It took me 3 years to really get well again,” said Tom, who overcame his injury over a long period of rehab. At the time, however, he was forced to switch schools and suddenly found himself at Archbishop Molloy High School as a new junior student. As you can imagine starting off fresh at a new school was a difficult transition, but Tom received a warm welcome from Molloy’s faculty. “They were exceptionally nice to me,” said a grateful Tom. He also mentioned that one of the students that befriended him and helped him during his transition early on was one David Caruso ’74 (CSI: Miami). Tom has nothing but positive feelings for Molloy as it was a place that helped him through tough days. He has been very successful in life, and is now a paralegal for the Eastern District of New York. Tom is also the proud father of 4 boys.
Class Updates
Paul J. Bailo ’83 is the author of The Essential Phone Interview Handbook, an important tool in today’s evolving competitive market that explains how to prepare for a phone interview, how to establish your professional presence, and how to get to the next step in the process. The book is available for purchase at Amazon and Barnes & Noble. Paul (MBA, MSW) is the founder and CEO of Phone Interview Pro. He plans to finish work on his PhD in 2012.
Anthony Brunetti ‘01 contacted the Stanner Alumni Center wanted to share special news with the alumni community. Anthony and his wife are expecting their first child in September – sure to be a life-changing experience. Congratulations to the Brunetti family, and good luck as the big day approaches!
Natalia Dudek ’08 is currently studying at Binghamton University with a duel Business Major. She is interested in management and strategic planning with a concentration in leadership and consulting and global management in international business. Natalia has worked for a Non-Profit Organization called the Urban League where she reviewed marketing strategies, helped created strategic plans, and applied these models to the organization going forward. Natalia speaks police (she visits family in Poland every year) and says it is a great skill to have with her business major. Natalia says her college work is demanding, but a worthy challenge that Molloy prepared her for. She is looking forward to taking additional classes at St. John’s University this summer. Natalia looks forward to her sister attending Molloy as part of the class of 2015.
Karen DeMarco ’10 visited the Stanner Alumni Center and informed us she is currently a freshman at the Catholic University of America in Washington D.C., although she misses New York. She is currently enjoying her studies in business management and being involved in sorority life. In addition to her studies, Karen is on the executive board of her dorm counsel and also works off campus with adults who have special needs. She feels her time as a peer group leader at Molloy has helped her in her new work environment. In reflecting more deeply on her time at Molloy, Karen spoke about her experiences with Marist Youth and Lantern. She mentioned Mrs. Catalanotto, Ms. Safrey, Br. John Raeihle ’61, Mr. Mark Sweeney ’03, and Mrs. Loughran as people that inspired her at Stanner High. According to Karen, “You not only Learn at Molloy, but the people stay with you.”
Louis Lamia ’10 (pictured with Mrs. Nancy Catalanotto) is currently attending MIT and loving it. According to Louis, “It’s hard to put in words. It’s a good environment, active, and supportive; a place for healthy learning.” That good environment helped Louis produce straight A’s in his first year of enrollment. Louis is pursuing studies in electrical engineering and computer science. His AP credits at Molloy helped him gain an early major declaration and sophomore standing. Louis works in the admissions records office at MIT when not studying hard. Louis was interested in theater at Molloy and participated in “Too Much Light Makes Baby Go Blind”, a project he helped direct that squeezed 30 plays into a 60 minute show. Louis called his time as a Stanner Player an “excellent experience” in addition to all the other activities he participated in. The wide variety of activities offered at Molloy helped him to find out what he was really interested in, such as theater, the Science Olympiad team, S.M.I.L.E., and working as a freshmen camp counselor. Louis plans to remain just as involved at MIT as he strives for excellence and another grand life experience.
Joe Pinckney ’10 visited Molloy and talked about his first year of study at the Stevens Institute of Technology in Hoboken, New Jersey. Joe is interested in mechanical engineering and is hoping to land a research position with his faculty advisor in nanotechnology (capturing nano-energy from vibrations and converting them into practical energy). According to Joe, he was “set up perfectly” for college by Molloy. He learned discipline and commitment from his track team and coaches including Br. Pat Hogan, and gained leadership skills as a peer group leader working with Mr. McGuinness. “The teachers at Molloy gave me a well rounded experience that is irreplaceable and made me who I am. I am grateful.” Joe remains dedicated to athletics as he is a college intermediate in hurdles.
We are saddened to share news of the passing of Mr. Tristan Dupre, father of Molloy teacher Ms. Madelyn Dupre. Mr. Dupre passed away on Saturday, June 11th at the age of 97. Please pray for the Dupre family during this difficult time.
Br. John Blazo ’63 sent us a mailing asking that we encourage the Stanner community to say a special prayer for his father Joseph Blazo who passed 27 years ago last month, and also his mother Helen Blazo who passed away on May 29th, 2010 just shy of 101 years old.
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