ASPIRE Program Launches for Alumni and Student Partnership
ASPIRE Program Launches for Alumni and Student Partnership
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Thu, 10/26/2023 - 15:35 This fall, Assumption University launched the Alumni-Student Partnerships in Reflective Engagement (ASPIRE) program, offering new opportunities for students and alumni to connect over meaningful conversation and mentorship. ASPIRE began this fall through the Center for Purpose and Vocation (CPV), an office on campus that assists students on their vocational journeys. ASPIRE, along with SOPHIA (the Sophomore Initiative at Assumption), are programs designed for students to explore what they are passionate about and discover how those passions can translate into meaningful vocations. “SOPHIA has been so successful for sophomores,” said David Crowley, professor of Biology and Director of the ASPIRE program. “But we lacked official programming that would allow juniors and seniors to continue to think about their vocation and how things are developing in their lives.” ASPIRE thus became the brainchild of a team of alumni and faculty that included Crowley and Esteban Loustaunau, professor of Spanish and Director of the Center for Purpose and Vocation. Together, after receiving a Program Development Grant from the Network for Vocation in Undergraduate Education (NetVUE), the team built a program that seeks to build meaningful relationships between current juniors and seniors and alumni. Through these connections and conversations, undergraduate students are provided with an opportunity to begin thinking about and planning for their post-graduation lives. The ASPIRE program facilitates these connections through engaging events, including a kickoff social reception at a Worcester Red Sox game, “ASPIRE nights” on campus, and dinners with specific topics for students and alumni to discuss.Assumption University students, faculty, and alumni attend a Worcester Red Sox game through the ASPIRE program.
“There’s no prescription for how we live after college,” Crowley said. “But it’s great to hear shared frustrations and shared experiences, especially from people who have been in our students’ shoes.” The first ASPIRE night was held on October 5th, and conversation focused on what students could expect from life after graduation, specifically focusing on the development and maintenance of relationships. “We discussed a lot of questions that make you think in that realm of like, okay, I’m going to be an alumnus soon, I have to start thinking about what comes afterwards,” said Noah Laren, a political science major from the class of 2024. “It’s good to know and understand that these are things that I should expect. A lot of the friends I have here…we may not be as close in two, three, maybe five years down the road. Understanding that things like that will happen is crucial.” The students who attended the ASPIRE night also emphasized how important it is to discuss the different paths alumni can take after graduation. “I thought it was really important to hear the variations of where they are in life,” said Kaitlin Merson, a marketing major with a sales concentration from the class of 2025. “It was really eye opening, and I think it was also really important to establish those connections and see different ways of going about life and the different paths you can take.” Alumni who attended the event, including Megan Evangelista ‘13 and Anthony Manzi ‘17, found that discussions were equally as rewarding for them as they were for current undergraduates. “As an alumna, it’s so easy to get caught up in the day to day of life,” Evangelista said. “But to have a space where I could come back and really say, ‘yeah, those fears, those concerns, those anxieties were very real, and here’s how I overcame them, or met them, or realized they didn’t actually exist,’ was a nice moment of reflection.” “It was awesome to be able to see students take the time out of their night to start thinking about life after college and engaging really intentionally,” said Manzi. “This program is really getting at the heart of the challenges and the changes that come with leaving college. It’s really great to be able to prepare students as much as possible and to make that next step less intimidating.” The next ASPIRE night, planned for January, will focus on the importance of the liberal arts in relation to vocation, expanding on the idea that there are multiple pathways students can take after graduation. “We emphasize especially to choose the major that you love, don’t focus necessarily on the career that will come along. The alumni at our event had completely different majors from what they’re doing right now, and they’re successful,” Loustaunau said. “They see the connections between, for example, their psychology major and the work they’re doing now. Your major is the toolkit for the things you’ll be doing later in life.” “For lots of people, their major doesn’t match what their career is,” Crowley said. “We want to explore that idea; how is where you’re at right now in life being served by the core curriculum experience at Assumption?” In addition to the alumni-student conversations, Crowley says that the program also aims to develop connections through community service. Some alumni involved in the program work at non-profits in the Worcester community, and Crowley and Loustaunau hope to help students and alumni build relationships through service. “It’s scary; I thought ‘it’s just gonna hit me in the face when I’m out. And then I’m going to be left alone,’” Merson said. “But no, there are so many different things you can do and so many ways you can stay connected, and so many people want to help you. After these talks, I’m thinking, ‘oh my gosh, maybe I can do it.’”
ASPIRE-large.jpgAssumption students attend first "ASPIRE Night" in the Tsotsis Family Academic Center.General
Olivia Boudreau
This fall, Assumption University launched the Alumni-Student Partnerships in Reflective Engagement (ASPIRE) program, offering new opportunities for students and alumni to connect over meaningful conversation and mentorship.
ASPIRE began this fall through the Center for Purpose and Vocation (CPV), an office on campus that assists students on their vocational journeys. ASPIRE, along with SOPHIA (the Sophomore Initiative at Assumption), are programs designed for students to explore what they are passionate about and discover how those passions can translate into meaningful vocations.
“SOPHIA has been so successful for sophomores,” said David Crowley, professor of Biology and Director of the ASPIRE program. “But we lacked official programming that would allow juniors and seniors to continue to think about their vocation and how things are developing in their lives.”
ASPIRE thus became the brainchild of a team of alumni and faculty that included Crowley and Esteban Loustaunau, professor of Spanish and Director of the Center for Purpose and Vocation. Together, after receiving a Program Development Grant from the Network for Vocation in Undergraduate Education (NetVUE), the team built a program that seeks to build meaningful relationships between current juniors and seniors and alumni.
Through these connections and conversations, undergraduate students are provided with an opportunity to begin thinking about and planning for their post-graduation lives. The ASPIRE program facilitates these connections through engaging events, including a kickoff social reception at a Worcester Red Sox game, “ASPIRE nights” on campus, and dinners with specific topics for students and alumni to discuss.
“There’s no prescription for how we live after college,” Crowley said. “But it’s great to hear shared frustrations and shared experiences, especially from people who have been in our students’ shoes.”
The first ASPIRE night was held on October 5th, and conversation focused on what students could expect from life after graduation, specifically focusing on the development and maintenance of relationships.
“We discussed a lot of questions that make you think in that realm of like, okay, I’m going to be an alumnus soon, I have to start thinking about what comes afterwards,” said Noah Laren, a political science major from the class of 2024. “It’s good to know and understand that these are things that I should expect. A lot of the friends I have here…we may not be as close in two, three, maybe five years down the road. Understanding that things like that will happen is crucial.”
The students who attended the ASPIRE night also emphasized how important it is to discuss the different paths alumni can take after graduation.
“I thought it was really important to hear the variations of where they are in life,” said Kaitlin Merson, a marketing major with a sales concentration from the class of 2025. “It was really eye opening, and I think it was also really important to establish those connections and see different ways of going about life and the different paths you can take.”
Alumni who attended the event, including Megan Evangelista ‘13 and Anthony Manzi ‘17, found that discussions were equally as rewarding for them as they were for current undergraduates.
“As an alumna, it’s so easy to get caught up in the day to day of life,” Evangelista said. “But to have a space where I could come back and really say, ‘yeah, those fears, those concerns, those anxieties were very real, and here’s how I overcame them, or met them, or realized they didn’t actually exist,’ was a nice moment of reflection.”
“It was awesome to be able to see students take the time out of their night to start thinking about life after college and engaging really intentionally,” said Manzi. “This program is really getting at the heart of the challenges and the changes that come with leaving college. It’s really great to be able to prepare students as much as possible and to make that next step less intimidating.”
The next ASPIRE night, planned for January, will focus on the importance of the liberal arts in relation to vocation, expanding on the idea that there are multiple pathways students can take after graduation.
“We emphasize especially to choose the major that you love, don’t focus necessarily on the career that will come along. The alumni at our event had completely different majors from what they’re doing right now, and they’re successful,” Loustaunau said. “They see the connections between, for example, their psychology major and the work they’re doing now. Your major is the toolkit for the things you’ll be doing later in life.”
“For lots of people, their major doesn’t match what their career is,” Crowley said. “We want to explore that idea; how is where you’re at right now in life being served by the core curriculum experience at Assumption?”
In addition to the alumni-student conversations, Crowley says that the program also aims to develop connections through community service. Some alumni involved in the program work at non-profits in the Worcester community, and Crowley and Loustaunau hope to help students and alumni build relationships through service.
“It’s scary; I thought ‘it’s just gonna hit me in the face when I’m out. And then I’m going to be left alone,’” Merson said. “But no, there are so many different things you can do and so many ways you can stay connected, and so many people want to help you. After these talks, I’m thinking, ‘oh my gosh, maybe I can do it.’”
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It speaks to their strengths as well as to the quality education and preparation they are engaged in both in our department and across our institution.” “The conference is where everyone comes together and tries to look forward five years,” said Dante Bachini, a health sciences major with a focus on patient advocacy. “We ask questions like, ‘what are we doing now?’, ‘What’s the new research?’, ‘As a profession, are we moving forward to not only support our patients and clients, but each other?’, ‘How are we trying to maintain the highest ethical standards for our patients?’” Bachini gave a presentation at the conference on the interviewing methods used by primary care physicians and their patients with chronic illness. “In the chronic disease world, providers are unable to really get all the knowledge about what’s going on,” he said. “What we’re seeing is that the patient and provider are on separate thought processes and have different information understandings which create a large barrier to care.” Bachini’s work is focused on how an interdisciplinary approach between human services strategies and clinical strategies can be used in clinical spaces to promote patient wellness. “My research found that the human services field, though not focused on being a clinician, has key enduring strategies which promote the wellness of chronic disease patients,” he said. “These strategies include patients’ stories, their lived experience, and their knowledge into the picture. This informs the interventions the provider can use to create a better and more comprehensive care structure for their patients.” Katy Cannistraro, a human services and rehabilitation studies major, gave a presentation on the gender gap in mental health. “I started the research about a year ago in my psychiatric rehabilitation course,” she said. “I had noticed after looking at these mental illnesses that there was a recurring gap in the statistics between male and female prevalence rates. I wanted to figure out why this gap existed; my project looks at how gender roles affect our emotional expression and what we see as far as emotional disorders and help-seeking behaviors.” On top of presenting her research, Cannistraro was also presented with the NOHS Outstanding Human Services Student Award, which is presented to one student member of NOHS who has “demonstrated a significant contribution to the field of human services during the time of his or her degree completion,” according to the NOHS website. The student who receives this award also then serves as the student member of the NOHS Board of Directors.Katy Cannistraro '24 receives the NOHS Outstanding Human Services Student Award, with NOHS President James Stinchcomb and Professor Christian Williams. “By no means had I ever defined myself as an ‘outstanding student,’” she said. “Professor [Christian] Williams (of the Human Services department) helped me realize that it’s not necessarily about my GPA, but about all the other work I do outside of that. Oftentimes, we emphasize the importance of having a high GPA and I understand that, it’s super important, but I think there are so many different aspects to a person that make them, I guess, ‘outstanding’.” Along with her meaningful work on the gender gap in mental health services, Cannistraro is also a part of AU Allies, and has a large focus on advocating for students of the LGBTQ+ community on campus and has minors in both secondary education and women’s studies. Bachini and Cannistraro both highlighted how meaningful it is for them to be involved with the human services department at Assumption and how it has shaped them as individuals. “Not enough people know about the human services program,” said Cannistraro. “It has changed my life and the whole trajectory of what I want to pursue in the future. I am grateful for all of the professors…they’re extraordinary, and I don’t think they get recognized enough for all the hard work they do and their dedication to the students. It’s incredible.” “Our department makes you a unique candidate for grad school or the workforce because it blends together your strengths that you may not be aware of,” said Bachini. “It makes you want to reach out, makes you able to reach out, and I think that’s a really unique trait to our program and speaks volumes to the level and type of practitioner Assumption is creating.” Pica believes that the futures of the human services department at Assumption and the future of the field of human services itself are bright. “I’m thrilled because I see that we have several students who are both accomplished in terms of academics but also because of their service to our profession,” said Pica. “This emphasizes the quality of students and young, aspiring professionals that we have amongst our ranks.” NOHS-pic-katy-dante-large.jpgAssumption students Dante Bachini '24 and Katy Cannistraro '24 at the National Organization for Human Services Conference.General Olivia Boudreau
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- Assumption University Honors Veterans DayAssumption University Honors Veterans Day oe.boudreau Fri, 11/10/2023 - 12:50 On November 7th, in celebration of Veterans Day, Assumption University honored those who have served in the United States Armed Forces, including those within the AU community, with a ceremony in the Atrium of the Tsotsis Family Academic Center. The service included a presentation of the colors and a performance of the National Anthem by Assumption’s Chorale. “Our world is dangerous, and veterans put themselves on the line to keep that danger at bay, so that we have the luxury of learning for learning’s sake,” President Greg Weiner said in his opening remarks. “Simply to say ‘thank you’ feels grossly inadequate…but when all else fails, words are what we have.” After Weiner’s speech, the guest speaker for the event, Gary Senecal, Assistant Professor of Human Services, spoke about his experience as a member of the United States Army Reserve since 2013, specifically his time serving in Somalia to provide medical care to wounded service members. Senecal emphasized how much of an impact serving has had on both his life and his outlook on teamwork and community. “I’ve learned a lot during my time in the service…teamwork, comradery, fulfillment in connection with others,” Senecal said. “I don’t know if I’ve found greater joy than being a part of that tight-knit group of people. This experience of comradery and connection only happens in the military.” Senecal also spoke about his return to campus after service, saying that the Assumption community was able to help with the transition from life in military service back to work as a professor. “When I came back to campus, I cannot begin to describe how welcoming it was,” he said. “There are days when I miss doing the work that I did…nevertheless, I am thankful to have those sentiments placated by having a job that replicates it and allows me to operate daily in the company of friends.” For many years, Assumption has offered programs and resources for students who are veterans of the United States Armed Forces in order to help them adjust to both college life and life outside of military service. Beginning with the creation of the Veterans’ Success Committee, faculty, staff, and students work together to ensure that veterans on Assumption’s campus have everything they need to thrive and be successful. “I had a very difficult time making the transition from a combat zone to college when I got back from Vietnam,” said Michael Rubino, former Chair of the Veterans’ Success Committee and Veterans Recruitment Coordinator. “Because I had that experience, I am now able to help students make that transition.” Due to the number of efforts put forth by the Veterans’ Success Committee, along with other programs across campus, Assumption was honored by Military Friendly as one of the nation’s Top Ten Military Friendly Schools for 2023-2024. According to Military Friendly’s methodology and criteria, factors that determine rankings include: “retention, graduation, job placement, repayment, persistence, and loan default rates.” These efforts include the creation of a veterans’ lounge, located currently in the Information Technology Center, to allow veterans a dedicated space on campus to gather and form communities. Rubino stressed that the lounge is extremely important to the veteran community on campus so they can have a place to connect and relate to one another. “It gives the veterans a place to go to meet one another and so forth and try to work out problems because they all understand each other’s backgrounds,” Rubino said. “I have found oftentimes that veterans who have been in combat zones only feel comfortable talking to other veterans who have been in similar situations.” On Veterans Day, Saturday, November 11th, a ceremony will be held to honor veterans in the Assumption community. This ceremony will be held at halftime of the Assumption Greyhounds football game against Southern Connecticut State, which kicks off at 12:00pm at Brian Kelly ‘83 Stadium. Veterans-AU-Web-2.pngAssumption University community members present the colors at the November 7th Veterans Day ceremony.General Olivia Boudreau
- Nursing Class of 2023 Has 100 Percent NCLEX-RN® Passing RateNursing Class of 2023 Has 100 Percent NCLEX-RN® Passing Rate oe.boudreau Thu, 11/09/2023 - 15:57 Assumption University’s Froelich School of Nursing announced that every member of its first graduating class has passed the National Council Licensure Examination (NCLEX-RN®) following their graduation from the program this May. The NCLEX-RN® is an exam regulated by the National Council of State Boards of Nursing (NCSBN), which oversees each state’s board of registration and nursing. The national exam is the final step in the licensure process to become a registered nurse. According to data gathered and reported by NCSBN, the average pass rate for all candidates who took the NCLEX-RN® from January through September 2023 was 88.55 percent. In April of 2023, the NCLEX-RN® test plan was updated to correlate to the revisions made on the exam. The Next Generation NCLEX-RN®, with a focus on testing the exam taker’s clinical judgment was launched on April 1 after years of research and item development. “Amongst us in nursing education, we had never seen these kinds of exam items,” said Caitlin Stover, Dean of the Froelich School of Nursing. “It was really important to structure a curriculum that embeds clinical judgment scenarios, exam items, and simulations in every course so that the students had exposure and confidence going into this exam.” “The class of 2023’s success is a validation of all of the hard work that we have put in over the past couple of years,” said Stover. “We have things on paper, we give really high-quality exams, and we follow principles of best teaching-learning strategies, but you don’t know until you get the official results.” Along with all passing the NCLEX-RN®, each of the nurses from the class of 2023 are now employed at various hospitals across the country, such as in the UMass Medical system through their new graduate program, St. Vincent Hospital, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Lahey Hospital & Medical Center, Midstate Medical Center, Hartford Hospital, Bozeman Health Deaconess Hospital, and Newport Hospital. Students from the class of 2023, such as Aly Landry and James Bachini, have said that their experiences at Assumption have benefited them greatly, both in terms of when they had to know for the NCLEX-RN® exam and for their nursing careers. “My experience not only prepared me for the NCLEX-RN®, but also for getting a job as a registered nurse on the cardiothoracic surgery unit at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center in Boston,” said Landry. “I believe that the foundation set from my time at Assumption with a strong liberal arts curriculum coupled with diverse clinical experiences really helped me transition to practice. I have confidence in my work and can draw from the values learned at Assumption.” “Although the entire process is incredibly stressful and difficult, I felt supported, prepared and capable thanks to the nursing curriculum and education that the wonderful Froelich School of Nursing faculty provided,” said Bachini. “I was also supported by a faculty mentor who helped motivate me and keep me on track with my studying for the boards as well as providing additional resources whenever needed.” The importance of the nursing program’s preparation for nursing students to enter their careers as compassionate professionals was also emphasized by both Stover and Bachini as a former student in the program. “The NCLEX-RN® is 100 percent important, but we pride ourselves on developing the professionalism required of the nurse as well,” she said. “The success of the program is a reiteration of Assumption’s commitment to develop the workforce in a time of a huge nursing shortage, making sure that these nurses are high quality and compassionate.” “Upon my hiring as a staff nurse at Beth Israel Lahey Hospital in Burlington, Massachusetts, I have felt that I have the proper skills in place to support me in my new position,” said Bachini. “We [nurses of the class of 2023] are well prepared to professionally and compassionately treat and serve patients today and well into the future.” The success of the class of 2023 was also aided by many other departments on campus that assisted in laying the science foundations, such as the as well as the humanities departments who were instrumental in establishing a foundation of critical thinking and reasoning that nursing knowledge is built upon. “This wasn’t just nursing’s success,” said Stover. “This was all hands-on deck, all departments that educate the students along their transformative journey here at Assumption.” nclex23-large.jpgStudents from the Froelich School of Nursing's Class of 2023 stand in front of the Catrambone Health Sciences Building. General Olivia Boudreau
- Senator Robyn Kennedy ’03 Leads Town Hall on Community Engagement and Women’s Intersectional LeadershipSenator Robyn Kennedy ’03 Leads Town Hall on Community Engagement and Women’s Intersectional Leadership oe.boudreau Mon, 11/06/2023 - 11:22 To kick off fall semester programming for Assumption’s Women’s Studies Program, Massachusetts State Senator Robyn Kennedy, a member of the class of 2003, participated in a town hall in the Tsotsis Family Academic Center on October 17th to discuss topics such as community engagement and women’s leadership. “I never envisioned that I would someday be standing here as your state senator,” Kennedy said. “Keep your eyes open, your hearts open, and your dreams big.” Kennedy, who graduated from Assumption with a bachelor’s degree in history, currently serves as State Senator for the First Worcester District of Massachusetts, which includes Boylston, West Boylston, Northborough, Berlin, Bolton, and most of Worcester. Through her career, Kennedy has worked in multiple different public service roles, including Chief Operating Officer at the Young Women’s Christian Association (YWCA) of Central Massachusetts and Deputy Assistant Secretary for Children, Youth, and Families at the Massachusetts Executive Office of Health and Human Services. Over 140 students, faculty, staff, and alumni filled Ballroom A as Senator Kennedy advocated for policies such as the care economy, making the workforce more accessible for all, period poverty, and early education for all children. Senator Kennedy was introduced by Cinzia Pica, Director of the Women’s Studies Program and Professor and Chair of the Human Services and Rehabilitation Studies Department, and Kathryn Cannistraro ‘24, a human services major and women’s studies minor, who recently received the Outstanding Student in Human Services Award from the National Organization for Human Services. Kennedy began her speech by connecting her public service to her undergraduate experience at Assumption, saying she found inspiration in the university motto, “Until Christ be Formed in You.” She also said that in her public service, she works to “drive the mission of the university into a values system,” ensuring that Assumption’s mission is reflected in her work. She emphasized the importance of passionate leadership, encouraging students to take action in the Worcester community through volunteering for campaigns and uplifting and caring for those among us. “We need more leaders – we need the conviction as leaders to be driven by passion,” Senator Kennedy said. “Leaders willing to listen to and to be led by those who are most impacted by any issue we are facing.” To emphasize this point further, Kennedy quoted Bible verse Matthew 25:40, “…Amen, I say to you, whatever you did for one of these least brothers of mine, you did for me,’” saying they were words that have always been important to her work. Kennedy made a point throughout her talk to encourage students to get involved in the Worcester community, including doing both community service and volunteering for local campaigns, saying that doing this work “helps [students] learn and grow [their] own values systems.” After an introduction of her major policy initiatives and promoting getting involved in the community, Kennedy fielded questions from Assumption students on topics such as the opioid crisis, immigration into Massachusetts, and housing. While answering these questions, Kennedy promoted more resources being allocated to community wellbeing, making child care more affordable for families, increased capacities for addiction treatment spaces, and pay increases for teachers, among many other policies. Toward the end of the town hall, Kennedy was asked for any advice she had for seniors getting ready to graduate. To answer, Kennedy stressed the importance of internships, telling students to “take advantage of internships that may not be in your field,” saying that interning can help students learn both what they are and aren’t interested in. AU-Robyn-Kennedy-Image.jpgAssumption University graduate from the class of 2003 Senator Robyn Kennedy participates in a town hall in the Tsotsis Family Academic Center.General Olivia Boudreau