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The Top of the Hill Herald - Monthly Philanthropic Newsletter

The "Top of the Hill Herald," launched by the Office of Advancement and Alumni Relations, will present an edition each month focused on the Power of Philanthropy at Hill. Different facets of the St. Joseph Hill Academy Experience will be highlighted - stories of inspiring benefactors, student success, alumni testimonials, exciting new programs, news-making events, and much more. We hope you enjoy these stories and we encourage you to share your unique SJHA perspective with us.
May 2025: "How these Staten Island students are 'learning hands-on' about helping others" Written by Alexa Viggiano '26
 
 

For many teens, doing service is just another line to add to the college resume. But at Saint Joseph Hill Academy High School, a Catholic all-girls school in Arrochar, service is more than mandatory: it is a central part to the girls’ way of life.

 

Similar to other schools, the girls who attend St. Joseph Hill, commonly referred to as Hilltoppers, have a requirement for the amount of service hours they need for each school year. What sets the Hilltoppers apart is the common tendency to go above and beyond the requirement, many even being honored with a President’s Volunteer Service Award each year at a bronze, silver, or gold level.

 

During the 2023-2024 academic year, the school-wide total of service reached 27,081 hours, according to the school.

 

Another important standout of Hill’s acclaimed service program is not the total number of hours, but the quality of those hours.

 

The Catholic institution, founded by the Daughters of Divine Charity, has a vast array of service clubs that each specialize in different areas, allowing the students to volunteer in many ways and for various kinds of people.

 

“St. Joseph Hill Academy is not just an institution of advanced academic rigor and learning. Our Hilltoppers strive to be well-rounded individuals, and part of that growth comes from service to the community,” said Principal Elizabeth Esposito, who is also a Hill graduate. “As principal, I am very proud of our students and their commitment to service. Not only do they partake in opportunities offered by the school, but they trail-blaze and seek other opportunities of interest and need.”

The service organizations at Hill inspire students to seek connectivity in their community. Some of the many service clubs include: Caring Cards, where students make cards to give to senior citizens and first responders; FOSI (Friends of Staten Island), an organization in which St. Joseph Hill and Monsignor Farrell High School join forces to enhance society; Operation Fairy Dust, which organizes a variety of clothing drives; and Harmonies for Happiness, a group dedicated to bringing smiles to society through creativity and song.

 

Additionally, a number of junior girls go on a Habitat for Humanity trip for a week every summer, where they build houses for those in need. Hill students also frequently volunteer at the Daughters of Divine Charity Convent and the Seton Foundation for Learning.

 

“Hill Service has enhanced my leadership, time management and responsibility, helping me develop real-world skills beyond the classroom,” said junior AnnaDoreen Lanni. “Whether it’s volunteering at the convent after school, making sandwiches for Project Hospitality, or organizing clothing drives through Operation Fairy Dust, these experiences have given me lasting friendships, memories, and a deeper understanding of the importance of service in both my life and the lives of others.”

 

Another junior, Emma Moroz, agreed: “I feel like by learning hands-on how to help and be empathetic toward others, I have gained a full Catholic education at Hill. It’s also provided me with opportunities to better myself and the community around me.”

 

Sister Liceria Sayon, Hill’s service director, works to keep the service program afloat. Her responsibilities include: offering service opportunities to students on campus and in the community; supporting the students and the groups in all their service endeavors; accompanying students to events; and tracking the volunteer hours in an effort to help students meet and exceed their requirements.

 

“I feel that showing, guiding, and assisting students to live up to the mission of the Daughters of Divine Charity, to ‘make God’s love visible’ in their everyday life, is a privilege,” explained Sayon, who is also responsible for organizing Hill’s annual Service Day.

 

Every year, Hilltoppers travel to a multitude of organizations and locations on Staten Island and dedicate an entire school day to serving others.

“Service is the cornerstone of St. Joseph Hill Academy and extends beyond the four walls of our classroom. This past Service Day, I volunteered at the Hungerford School, where I helped students with their art projects, empowering them to channel their imagination to draw heroes that inspire them,” said sophomore Chelsa Abraham. “Service helps build character as true Christian role models, and we can discover our talents and share them with the community.”

 

Daniela Luci, a junior, added: “As young adults, we often hear about how we are the future, but community service at Hill gives us the chance to impact our world now.” Many Hilltoppers volunteer outside the Hill community, spreading initiatives in their churches, at CCD classes, at nursing homes, hospitals, and more. This prepares the girls to be able to show their love through community service as they go through college and beyond.

 

Esposito explained that when a Hilltopper graduates, “she is a vital asset to the world around her, because she exemplifies independence, perseverance, fortitude, and empathy. It’s part of our Mission set forth by the Daughters of Divine Charity -- to be ready to meet society’s challenges."
 
 

About the Author: Alexa Viggiano '26

Alexa Viggiano '26 has been a Hill student since Pre-K and is looking forward to beginning her fourteenth year at Hill in September. Alexa is an avid member of her school community and has had a passion for both service and writing from a young age. In elementary school, she depicted this service passion early on by planning a craft event with the Seton Foundation, organizing activities to honor soldiers and first-responders, raising over $2,000 for her Sunshine for St. Jude project, and starting a virtual reading club called Kind Koalas to stay connected with younger students during the pandemic. Now, as a current high school junior, Alexa holds executive positions in the service clubs Caring Cards and Project Hospitality. She is a professional cantor at Holy Family Parish and has volunteered for a variety of organizations and events including Hill’s American Cancer Society, Tunnel to Towers, Hill’s Special Olympics, Waves of Strength, National Honor Society, The Minty Organization, and the Miracle Walk. In her sophomore year, Alexa founded the service organization Harmonies for Happiness to combine her passion for service and creativity, which now has almost forty active members. As the President of Harmonies for Happiness, Alexa has planned events and fundraisers/drives in the community with The Great Kindness Challenge, Daughters of Divine Charity Convent, Spectrum Works, Staten Island FerryHawks, Seton Foundation for Learning, and more. Alexa has published a multitude of articles for the Staten Island Advance as a part of their High School Journalism Immersion Program and is looking to pursue the craft in college and beyond.