Alumnae Association Welcomes New Students

At the annual welcome program, Mount Saint Mary Academy’s Alumnae Association greeted freshmen and transfer students on September 17 as they begin their Mount journey.

 

Alumnae President and Mercy Associate, JoAnn Rojek Minnicino ’74, P'11, shared the many ways alumnae continue to support the Academy through events, scholarships, and mentorship.

 

"As graduates, we support the Academy to make sure the Mount will be as special for you as it was for us,” said Mrs. Minnicino. “Although alumnae may be scattered across the globe, our hearts never stray far from the Mount.”

 

Mrs. Minnicino introduced the featured speaker, Victoria Bixel ’95, a leader in nonprofit consulting and a current member of the Mount Board of Trustees. Her love of service blossomed at the Mount, where she was President of the HOPE Club and Peer Ministry. From special event days for kids from McAuley School to toy drives for the Mercy Center, those activities paved the way to helping organizations raise millions of dollars.

 

Ms. Bixel spoke warmly about the community she discovered at the Mount, describing it as “a safe and welcoming place” filled with encouragement.

 

“At the Mount, you find the support of peers, teachers, and friends,” she shared, adding that it is also a place where “you learn you can overcome challenges.” For Ms. Bixel, life at the Academy was more than an education. It was a place that inspired you to do good and to do the right thing.

 

Alumnae Relations Coordinator, Susan Di Iorio, encouraged students to embrace the Mercy Core Values as they begin their time at the Mount.

 

“The friendships and values you begin here stay with you long after graduation,” she said, reminding students that the values of Principled Leadership, Being a Voice for Dignity and Respect, Compelled by Mercy, Inspired by Faith, and Living with Educational Courage will guide them not only during their years at the Academy, but throughout their lives.

 

Each student received a garment bag from the Alumnae Association as a symbol of their welcome into the Mount community.