Stanners Celebrates Holy Week Liturgy
Our school community gathered together to celebrate Molloy’s Holy Week Liturgy. During two separate Masses (one for freshmen and sophomores and one for juniors and seniors), a group of Stanners put on a performance depicting the sinful distractions that separate us from God, and how if we acknowledge our sinfulness, God will always be there to redeem us.
Celebrant Fr. Anthony Rosado reminded everyone in attendance that no matter how much we believe we’ve messed up by giving in to temptation, or how hopeless we feel in our darkest times, God’s presence is stronger. Fr. Rosado encourages us to enter this Holy Week thinking of our temptations and broken promises, and then remind ourselves that God will always be there through it all.
We wish our Stanner family a blessed Holy Week and Easter.
Special thanks to Molloy’s Liturgy Committee and our student volunteers for their performance!
Molloy Welcomes Incoming Freshman and Families
On Saturday March 23rd, over 400 families from the incoming 9th grade class joined us here at Molloy for the Freshman Welcome Event! At the occasion, students from the Class of 2028 got to interact with representatives of different departments — including Academics, Admissions, Medical/Nurse, Freshman Camp, Finance, Athletics, Clubs & Activities, and more! Additionally, the incoming freshmen took their ID pictures, purchased apparel, and enjoyed snacks like hot dogs, cookies, and churros.
Special thanks to the Class of 2028 and their families who joined us. We’re so happy to officially welcome you to the Molloy family!
Pictures by Photography Club members Krystal Valentin ’25 and Isaac Fatola ’24.
GERLL Club Hosts Women’s History Month Panel
On Thursday, March 14th, Molloy’s GERLL Club (Girls Empowerment for Real Life Leadership) hosted a panel discussion in honor of Women’s History Month! The panel, entitled “Standing on the Shoulders of Women That Came Before Us,” featured MaryAnn Safrey, Patricia Koppinger, and Jean Bagley. All three women have had wonderful professional careers, and were happy to give advice to and support all in attendance!
Throughout the event, the three panelists answered questions regarding their careers, their experiences as women in their particular fields, their struggles, financial advice, motherhood, and who their biggest supporters are. Ms. Safrey, creator and founder of GERLL Club, worked as a professional copywriter, school librarian, English teacher, and author. She taught many Stanners throughout her career and retired as a Molloy administrator in February 2020. Ms. Safrey gave honest advice about being a woman in her fields, telling students there is always work to be done and to never stop striving for greatness. Ms. Koppinger, a retired Reading Specialist, shared her love of teaching, and her passion for working with young children even after she had a family of her own because “if you do what you love, it doesn’t feel like work.” Ms. Bagley, a retired nurse and former business owner, told students in attendance that it’s never too late to pursue their passions, and to “always be open to new opportunities.” The panelists encouraged Stanners to “lead with compassion and kindness, and keep their humanity intact even through the toughest of situations.”
A huge thank you to the GERLL Club for hosting such an empowering panel, as well as MaryAnn Safrey, Patricia Koppinger, and Jean Bagley for taking the time to come speak to our Stanners! Happy Women’s History Month!
Molloy Community Supports Annual Blood Drive
On Tuesday, March 19th, Molloy hosted its annual Blood Drive! Ms. Maria Gallagher, Molloy’s Registered Nurse and the organizer of the event, invited the New York Blood Center to once again help our community give the gift of life. Students, faculty, alumni, and family members all signed up to give blood throughout the day. Out of 108 registered donors, the Molloy community contributed 93 whole blood donations! This equates to more than 279 lives positively impacted.
The New York Blood Center (NYBCe) is one of the largest community-based, non-profit blood collection and distribution organizations in the United States. They are a vital community lifeline dedicated to serving patients and advancing global public health.
Special thanks to: all our blood donors, Ms. Gallagher, our student and faculty volunteers, and the entire NYBCe team! On a separate note, congratulations to Ms. Gallagher on completing the United Airlines NYC Half Marathon on March 17th (pictured above, bottom right).
Seniors Attend Mass Celebrated by Bishop Brennan
On Friday March 22nd, members of the Class of 2024 attended Bishop Brennan’s first Graduation Mass. Held at the Cathedral Basilica of St. James, 43 Stanners joined seniors from many other Catholic high schools in the Brooklyn/Queens diocese to celebrate with one another.
The students were welcomed by both Bishop Brennan and School Superintendent Deacon Kevin McCormack. The Bishop began by reminding students that they are so important and loved by God. In his homily, the Bishop challenged them to be “bold, joyful, and unapologetic in their faith.”
Senior Bailey Meier ‘24 reflected, “I felt Bishop Brennan’s love for all of us who attended the Senior Mass. He was beyond excited that so many of us were gathered together, as he had been trying to plan that Mass for four years now! I am so grateful I had the chance to attend, because I really did feel known and loved.”
President Karsten, Mr. McCleary Attend Konchalski Foundation Fundraiser
On Saturday, March 23rd, President Richard Karsten ’81 and Athletic Director Mr. Mike McCleary represented Molloy at the 2nd Annual Thomas C. Konchalski Foundation “Midtown Madness” celebration. The event serves as a celebration of the late Tom Konchalski ’64, renowned high school basketball scout and Stanner Hall of Famer, as well as a fundraiser to support a scholarship in his name. This scholarship benefits outstanding Molloy students, including this year’s recipient Josh Powell ’26. President Karsten and Mr. McCleary spoke with many of the Foundation’s supporters and took photos with Fordham’s Director of Intercollegiate Athletics Ed Kull ’99, Assistant Basketball Coach Donald Francois, and Tom’s brother Steve Konchalski ’62.
Archbishop Molloy High School congratulates Josh as well as the event honorees, including Coach Bobby Cremins (recipient of the Value of the Game Award), Coach Keith Urgo (recipient of the Spirit of the Game Award), and Coach Will Klein (recipient of the Lifetime Achievement Award). Thank you to the Thomas C. Konchalski Foundation for honoring Tom’s legacy through scholarship.
The Thomas C. Konchalski Foundation was established to honor and perpetuate the memory of a beloved man who lived an exemplary life of Christian virtue and charity. Over his 50-year career, Tom’s work contributed immeasurably to the game of basketball while helping thousands of high school athletes. The Foundation is dedicated to raising funds to provide need-based scholarships and financial assistance to students who embrace Tom’s values and are committed to learning on and off the court.
Molloy Track & Field Continues Amazing Year
Congratulations to Molloy Track and Field! Our Stanners competed at the Adidas Indoor Nationals in Virginia Beach over the weekend of March 15-17. The team won four emerging elite medals, 13 All-American medals, and set four school records! This group represents the most All-American medals earned at a single meet, an amazing record for our storied Track & Field program! Congratulations to our dedicated coaching staff and our amazing athletes: Olivier Alexandre ’25, Maria Badalamenti ’25, Eva Gonzalez ’24, Gabriel Gonzalez ’26, Antonio Hernandez ’25, Juliette Locurto ’27, Camille Munoz ’25, Nicolas Ospina ’25, Brianna Poliseno ’25, Jayson Reyes ’25, Garry Ryan ’25, Stephen Tsimisiris ’24, and Jenna Wright ’24.
Seniors Top Faculty in Annual Basketball Showdown
Molloy played host to a sold out crowd on Friday, March 22nd, as the seniors and faculty faced off in the Jack Curran Gymnasium! One of the most sought-after tickets of the year, the latest Seniors vs. Faculty Basketball Game didn’t disappoint, as each squad played hard for glory and bragging rights! Each team donned custom jerseys, while students, family, and friends in the crowd cheered for their favorite players on both sides. The game was sharply contested for much of the first half, as the seniors held a modest lead over the faculty. That lead became more comfortable in the second half as the seniors stayed focused and pulled ahead for good, earning a convincing 81-58 victory! This anticipated matchup turned out to be one of the highest scoring seniors vs. faculty basketball games in recent memory.
In addition to the game, the crowd was treated to electric performances by the Step Team and what might be the biggest group of Sassy Seniors we’ve ever seen! In all, it was an amazing night full of energy and school spirit. Special thanks to Mr. Dougherty ’91, Ms. Murdocca, and everyone who helped make the night happen. Congratulations to the seniors on their big win!
In the spirit of March Madness, The Beehive congratulates to Alexia Mousouroulis ’23 and the NYU Violets, who recently won the Division III Women’s Basketball Championship! In attendance to cheer on Alexia was GCHSAA Hall of Famer Jessica McEntee ’05, a Violets alumna who once helped advance them to the Final Four. Jessica has also been working with Alexia as a mentor this year. Congratulations, Alexia!
Pre-Med Career Club Welcomes Dr. Akhtar ’04
Molloy’s Pre-Med Career Club welcomed Dr. Radeeb Akhtar ‘04 on Monday, March 18, 2024! Dr. Akhtar took time out of his busy schedule to speak to members of the club about his career trajectory, from Stanner to Program Direction at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai!
Dr. Akhtar told students of his time at Molloy, working closely with Mr. Chris Dougherty ‘91 in SMILE and the Sci Fi Club. From Molloy, he went on to NYU, majoring in psychology on a pre-med track. He attended medical school at New York Medical College in Westchester County, with a dual degree in Public Health. Dr. Akhtar knew he wanted to pursue a career in which he could help all members of the community, and so he focused on family medicine.
As a family medicine doctor, Dr. Akhtar treats patients of all ages, from infants to senior citizens. “Family medicine is exciting because it’s so variable,” said Dr. Akhtar, sharing that primary care doctors are able to handle a majority of patient issues directly in their offices instead of referring out to specialists. Dr. Akhtar answered questions about his day-to-day responsibilities, his main priorities as a Program Director, and work-life balance. He explained that his main focus is overseeing the curriculum at Mount Sinai, as well as teaching and managing. He encouraged Stanners that are interested in medicine to get into clinics and internships as soon as possible, and that there is high demand for primary care doctors. Thank you, Dr. Akhtar, for speaking to our Stanners!
On Pi Day, March 14, Ashley Regazzi ’04 received the 2024 Le Marteleur Award for distinguished service to Columbia University Engineering Young Alumni. The award citation read as follows:
“The Le Marteleur Award is presented to an affiliate who exemplifies the core mission of Columbia Engineering: to expand knowledge and advance technology through research, while educating students to become leaders and innovators informed by an engineering foundation. It is the highest honor the Columbia Engineering Young Alumni board presents. Your achievement in being chosen for this honor reflects the remarkable impact you have made on your peers and the Columbia community.”
Ashley is a researcher at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center and enjoys giving back to her alma maters, Columbia and Molloy. Back in January 2024, Ashley came back to Molloy for a visit with our Pre-Med Career Club, during which spoke about her career trajectory and answered many questions from students.
Congratulations, Ashley!
Congratulations to Michael J. Medvecky, MD, ’85 for being promoted to Professor of Orthopaedic Surgery at Yale School of Medicine.
Dr. Medvecky joined the department faculty in 2001 and has supported the Sections of Sports Medicine and Orthopaedic Trauma. This dual interest has developed an experience with complex shoulder and knee injuries and was the source of developing a large cohort of uncommon multiligament knee injuries and knee dislocations. The establishment of a database of clinical cases has spurned numerous publications on this topic and led to being a Principal Investigator on the YNHH site for the STaR Trial, a multi-center Department of Defense-funded prospective study on the treatment of multiligament knee injuries.
He completed the internal and external review processes of the Yale School of Medicine OAPD and was approved for promotion to Professor in the Clinician Educator-Scholar Track. Please join us in congratulating Dr. Medvecky on this well-deserved honor, who serves as a shining example of clinical and academic excellence for our junior faculty, residents, and students.
Congratulations to Jim Feeney ‘82, who was honored as the Grand Marshal of the Bridgeport, Connecticut St. Patrick’s Day Parade on March 15th. Jim is the driving force behind the Irish sports program at the Fairfield Gaelic American Club. Many Stanners were in attendance to celebrate with Jim and his family!
Congratulations to Rob Jennings ’89, who finished this year’s NYC Half Marathon in 1 hour, 41 minutes and 48 seconds!
On March 20th, the Stanner Alumni Center hosted another successful Alumni Zumba Night! Alumni, family members, and friends enjoyed a spirited spring workout with a bit of an Irish theme in celebration of St. Patrick’s Day. Alumni Zumba Night is led by Ms. Liz Murdocca and Mr. Chris Autera ’16 and is being offered once a month throughout the school year. Interested in getting a great workout in? Contact Rebecca Wagner ’14 at rwagner@molloyhs.org. All are welcome!
Please pray for the repose of the soul of St. Ann’s Academy graduate Gregory A. Rienzo ’49, who passed away on August 14, 2023. Gregory was a proud Stanner who cherished his experience at St. Ann’s and learning from the Marist Brothers. One of his favorite experiences at St. Ann’s was as a member of the track team, running many races through Van Cortlandt Park and Madison Square Garden. According to his family, Gregory lived his life as a warrior for peace, justice, and human rights. Please keep Gregory and his loved ones in your prayers. | Click Here for Memorial Page
