Anything but
Ordinary
Catherine P . Alexander Lennon ’ 84 ( a . k . a . “ Cate ”) graduated from Little Flower High School in 1960 . She wanted to continue her education full-time but due to social norms and financial constraints , she entered the workplace and attended night school at St . Joseph ’ s University in Philadelphia . She had an adventurous side to her . When she first started working at Goodyear as a young adult right out of high school , they needed someone in their New York City office for a year . She gladly took that opportunity to live and work in NYC . Soon after , she returned to Philadelphia , got married , and started a family .
When her husband and father of their six children passed away after battling an aggressive form of melanoma , Cate was faced with a decision : jump at going back to her administrative job at Goodyear that would barely support her young family or fulfill her dream of attending college and provide a better life for her family .
Cate soon enrolled in Gwynedd Mercy University ' s Nursing program , inspired by the nurses who took care of her husband during his cancer treatment .
" She was so impressed with the nurses , their level of attention , knowledge , and compassion helped her so much during this period in her life . Her first job was at Fox Chase Cancer Hospital , and I think she really felt compelled to give back due to the excellent care our father received ," Amy Watson , Cate ’ s daughter , said .
After earning her BSN degree , Catherine enjoyed a successful 30-year career in the field , spending most of her time in the GI unit at Graduate Hospital . She was known for her outstanding patient care and became the go-to person to teach new technologies to her colleagues .
My mom was just an ordinary person . Usually when somebody has a scholarship in their honor , it ’ s because they were a senator or super successful business person . But our definition of success is her being an amazing mother and an incredible role model for all of us .
AMY WATSON
Lasting Legacy
As a mother of six young children and with little support nearby , Catherine often found herself with no choice but to blend school and family . If one of the kids were sick , she would bring them to class . Her daughters Amy and Josie Alexander recall numerous times tagging along and keeping busy with a coloring book while their mom diligently took notes beside them . She spent many nights doing her homework at the same time they were doing theirs , even squeezing in work while waiting for them to finish up sports .
“ The best were the conversations at the dinner table about what she was dissecting in class . She approached school with curiosity and enthusiasm ,” Amy and Josie reflected .
It was these memories , and Catherine ' s passion for education , that led her family to establish The Catherine P . Alexander-Lennon ’ 84 Endowed Scholarship for Nursing after her passing in April 2023 .
" She really gave up her life for all of us and demonstrated the importance of education . She really loved Gwynedd and loved the mission of the college . She just found the campus to be so welcoming ," Josie said .
The Catherine P . Alexander-Lennon ’ 84 Endowed Scholarship for Nursing will support one full-time female student majoring in Nursing with a minimum GPA of 3.0 . Preference will be given to a non-traditional student with children . When Catherine passed , her family asked for donations to be made to the scholarship in lieu of flowers .
" It ' s hard raising a family and trying to go to school at the same time , but she would say , ' don ' t let anything stop you ,'" Amy said . " There ' s always an answer to everything . If she was giving advice to a young mother / father starting this process , she would say , ' Go for it . You can have a career , support your family and most of all , be proud of what you accomplish .'"
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