“It is about all who enter St. Francis living their ‘Big Dreams,’” he
added. “Those dreams change over time and it our responsibility as
believers to give our dreamers the cutting-edge resources they need
to be successful, including technology, innovation spaces, production
and editing studios, and so much more. As they say, you cannot
spell successful without SFC and U. We do it together, we do it for
others—always.”
St. Francis
College’s 1947
Basketball Team.
ABOVE:
L E F T: St. Francis
College’s first
Women’s Basketball
Team, 1973, formed
just one year after
the passage of Title
IX, the Education
Amendments Act
of 1972, which
provided equitable
opportunities to
participate in sports.
The kick-off event for the 160/50 celebrations was a vibrant
presentation by the Women’s Leadership Network (WLN),
Women as Catalysts for Change, held on September 26.
The featured speaker was JoAnn Stonier ’84, chief data
officer of MasterCard. In October, the WLN held the career
building workshop, First Impressions: Insider Tips on
Resume Writing, Managing Your Internet Presence and
Acing Your Interview. The goal of the event was to combine
the expertise of the college’s alumnae community with the
interests of female students. The first part of this program
featured interactive presentations followed by networking.
W
LN encourages and supports the development of leadership
skills in students and alumnae by providing opportunities to
collaborate and network with experienced career women who
are both alumnae and supporters of St. Francis College.
“The WLN is steering some of the work when it comes to celebrating
the lives and work of women,” said Martinez-Saenz. “They did some-
thing really powerful with the intergenerational dialogue, which made
Learning takes place both inside and outside of classrooms, and the
us appreciate the legacy.”
college must foster environments conducive to such learning.
There is a strong and active network of amazing women who have
“Like a lot of educational institutions, creating a learning environment
and are attending St. Francis and are contributing to the vibrant legacy.
required us to think carefully about who was in the space,” Martinez-
Koster created the Women’s Scholarship, which she hopes will give
Saenz said. “Franciscan Brothers laid a foundation for us to remain
other young women the same opportunities she had.
committed to serving populations that didn’t have access. Before people
“Those of us who learned from our parents how to work hard, needed
were talking about a college of opportunity, they already understood
the chance to show everyone what we could do and how we could play
that expression and began to expand the idea of what it meant to
an integral part in the future,” said Koster. “I am so humbled that others
provide that opportunity.”
have helped fund my scholarship.”
Other important firsts at St. Francis included the opening of the
Koster hopes today’s generation of female students at St. Francis
Anthony J. Genovesi Center in 2003 and the New Frank & Mary
rise to the challenge and take full advantage of the college’s nurturing,
Macchiarola Academic Center in 2006. The college is now able
supportive, and caring culture. Also, they should embrace the Franciscan
to accommodate athletic competition and community events, and
tradition, give of themselves, and pay it forward.
serve students and the community with a state-of-the-art building
Martinez-Saenz said in the not-too-distant future that legacy could
that includes a new library, an
include the first female president
HD television studio, and a
of the college.
That first class of women was just 13 students.
90-seat theater.
“That’s a natural occurrence
Today, more than 60 percent of the full-time
Flood said the progressive changes
happening in Catholic colleges
undergraduate student population and 52
that have kept St. Francis a contem-
across the country,” he said.
porary institution have evolved in an
percent of the graduate population are women. “In terms of the administration,
organic way while never losing sight of
we’re going to continue to see that.
the college’s Franciscan mission and
Academic Affairs is all female.
traditions. Alumni understand that
We celebrate Irma Garcia’s leading
students must be prepared to enter
role in intercollegiate athletics
the workforce of the 21st century,
every chance we get.”
and they want current students to
“For me, it’s a given that women
have the same level and scope of
have to be in leadership roles across
opportunities that they enjoyed.
the campus because it empowers
“Thanks to the Franciscan Brothers
the next generation of women to see
of Brooklyn, we continue to follow
themselves in leadership roles on
their exemplary example and teach
college campuses, at other organiza-
every person who enters our buildings
tions, in the business world, and
Women’s Leadership Network members: Arianna Sartzetakis ’19;
how to serve, live and give like them,”
beyond.” ●
featured speaker JoAnn Stonier, Esq. ’84; Judy Rice ’79; Elizabeth
said Flood. “We never forget our
Mindlin ’81; and Danielle Francavilla ’19 at a recent event,
roots and mission.”
Celebrating 50 years of Women at SFC, at the Union League Club.
ST. FRANCIS COLLEGE TERRIER | WINTER 2018, VOLUME 82, NUMBER 1
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