I’m currently a 4th Grade Teacher at St. Mary School.
What was your educational path after graduating from St. Mary School?
After graduating from SMS, I attended Joseph A. Foran High School (2015), Central Connecticut State University (B.S. 2019) and Fairfield University (M.A. 2021). At CCSU, I was a member of the Education Club.
How do you feel SMS prepared you academically?
SMS prepared me with a strong work ethic and provided me with all the prerequisite skills needed to be successful in academics. In high school, I felt more prepared than the other students in my classes that had only attended public schools. I also feel SMS prepared me with good time management and organizational skills and taught me how to take really good notes during class.
Do you feel SMS provided you with a foundation for your future?
SMS definitely provided me with a foundation for my future because it is where I realized I wanted to be a teacher. I loved how all my teachers developed a bond with their students and positively impacted our lives and I knew that is what I wanted to do in life. I love how my life has come full circle and now I’m a teacher at SMS making a difference in the lives of the next generation of students here.
What are some of your favorite memories of SMS?
Some of my favorite memories at SMS were the carnival, bake sales, playing Jeopardy in Miss Orlando’s class to review for science tests, various field trips such as Sturbridge Village in 5th grade, Holiday Hill in middle school and Boston in 8th grade, father-daughter dances and the annual basketball tournament. The father-daughter dances were fun because it was a yearly tradition to go to Friendly’s for ice cream afterwards. The basketball tournament was always something to look forward to starting with the Pep Rally and Fun Night. I loved seeing all the decorations in the gym and playing basketball with my team. When I wasn’t playing basketball I was standing on the stage, in my cheerleading uniform, cheering for the other SMS teams. Just in general, I loved playing basketball and being a cheerleader for SMS. From December-March there wasn’t one weekend not spent in the St. Mary’s gym and I wouldn’t have wanted it any other way. It was always so much fun spending the weekends at St. Mary’s even if my team wasn’t playing because I enjoyed watching the other teams play basketball and hanging-out with my friends.
What advice can you give to our students?
Get involved! Participate in everything that you can. Go to the carnival and play a sport or join a club. I can reminisce for hours about all of my memories from SMS and I hope that one day you can too. Enjoy every moment you have at St. Mary’s and don’t take for granted how special the opportunity to attend this school is. There are not many places like St. Mary School.
