Alumnae Reunions & Events

Congratulations to the St. Joseph Hill Academy High School Classes of 1962, 1975, 1980, 1985, 2005, and 2015 on their recent celebrations of their milestone reunions. 

While times change, the Hilltopper spirit remains forever strong. Whether it's been 20 years or 60, our alumnae continue to embody the confidence, leadership, and passion for learning that define the Hill experience.

 

Check out photos from recent reunions below!

Congratulations to the St. Joseph Hill Academy High School Classes of 1964 and 2004 for the recent celebrations of their milestone reunions. The Class of '64 celebrated 60 years of sisterhood while the Class of '04 marked their 20th anniversary.

While times change, the Hilltopper spirit remains forever strong. Whether it's been 20 years or 60, our alumnae continue to embody the confidence, leadership, and passion for learning that define the Hill experience.

St. Joseph Hill Academy High School Alumnae celebrated our third annual Rosé and Roses: A Night on the Hill on Friday evening. Setting out to Relax, Rejuvenate, and Renew, we welcomed Hill Alumnae of all years to an evening focused on holistic approaches to wellness, nourishing our mind, body, and spirit!

We enjoyed a keynote presentation from Angela Fiduccia Mazza, BSN, RN, CHC, Hill Alumna Class of 1992 and Founder of Angel Holistic Health Coaching. We also heard from the “Hilltopper of Today” Brianna Bello, a current graduating Senior who committed to attending Auburn University in Alabama. Dr. Elizabeth Basile, Sister Mary Coffelt, F.D.C., Ms. Elizabeth Campbell HS ‘94, and Mr. Hansen all shared their gratitude for alumni who return home to Hill.

We know reconnecting with the bond Hilltoppers share can really be a source of rejuvenation! And we really love that Rosé and Roses continues to be a yearly opportunity for Hilltoppers to gather with old friends and new, celebrate their growth and accomplishments, and reconnect with the school that shaped them.

If you are interested in staying in touch with Hill Alumnae or volunteering your time and talent with our current students, please visit stjosephhillacademy.com/alumnae/ or contact the Advancement and Alumni Office. To show your support for SJHA, please go to www.stjosephhillacademy.com/donate/

In the premier edition of "The Top of the Hill Herald," we shined a spotlight on the remarkable reunion efforts that define the spirit of our Hilltopper community. This month, we journey back with the class of 1983, a group of individuals who exemplify the power of staying connected and the profound purpose it can serve. For those of you who have embarked on the exciting journey of life as a “Hilltopper”, the bonds forged during your time on campus remain etched in your hearts long after you’ve graduated. At the heart of this enduring connection lies the desire to stay connected, informed, and engaged with the vibrant happenings of the Hill.

 

Dr. Mary Jo McGuire ’83, an alumna who has dedicated her time and energy to orchestrating the 40th Reunion for the Class of 1983, explains the why:

“Our reunion planning started when Barbara Erickson Breuer ’83 posted a picture on Facebook and the caption said it was 40 years ago that day that she had graduated from high school. A number of us commented on the photo saying how we really should do a reunion. And that’s how the ball got rolling. It had been 30 years since my class celebrated our 10-year anniversary and had not gathered since - needless to say, it was overdue.

We are excited to spend time with our fellow Hilltoppers this October - the women we spent some of the most formative years of our lives with. We are strong, hard-working, and like-minded when it comes to our values and beliefs, and sharing that again after 40 years is truly incredible.”

Fellow reunion planner and classmate, Josephine Paone Geraci ’83, further explains why she wanted to join the planning committee to reconnect with her peers, “The values that were instilled in me from my days at St. Joseph Hill Academy that I’ve lived by and that I instilled in my children and that I repeatedly rely on when making business decisions as a CEO of my own business are reasons why I couldn’t wait to reconnect with like-minded classmates - even if it has been FORTY shhhh years!”

Alumni like Dr. Mary Jo McGuire, Ms. Bonnie Brennan, Ms. Barbara Erickson Breuer, and Mrs. Josephine Paone Geraci, members of the 1983 reunion planning committee, are living testaments to the profound impact our institution has on our students. Their dedication to staying connected, not only with each other but with the essence of their Hilltopper experience, serves as an inspiring example for all.

One simple yet effective way to stay connected is by updating your contact information and becoming a part of our Alumni Directory. By doing so, you ensure that you remain in the loop about upcoming events, reunions, and exciting developments on campus. Please find our SJHA Alumni directories under our Advancement tab on both our SJHA websites.

As Dr. McGuire ’83 can attest, “For me, staying connected and supporting the school means giving young, intelligent women the chance to grow and flourish academically and spiritually in an environment that encourages hard work, integrity, and sisterhood. Raising other women up and celebrating their achievements is so important today. St Joseph Hill Academy fosters that culture and graduates confident young women ready to take on the world.”

We also applaud the Class of 1973 and Class of 1977 for holding their very own alumni gatherings this Fall! A special thank you to Donna Prato ’73 and Carol Zarrilli ’73 for coordinating their 50th Reunion celebration this October. An additional thank you to Mary Ellen Colangelo ’77 and Jennifer Lynch ’77 for gathering their classmates for a 1977 Luncheon as they prepare to celebrate their golden anniversary in just a few years!

If you are interested in starting a reunion of your own and would like assistance, please email: [email protected]

Hill High School Alumnae Reunions were busy this Fall 2022 and we loved to see it! The Hill Classes of 1972, 1982, 1987, 1992 have celebrated their 50th, 40th, 35th, and 30th reunions.

50th Reunion: Class of 1972- Saturday, December 3, 2022- Lorenzo’s Restaurant, Hilton Garden Inn, Staten Island. Organized by Barbara Esmilla.

 

On the evening of November 18, 2022, we celebrated the legacy of St. Joseph Hill Academy Alumni Athletes with an inspiring and fun-filled reunion set amongst the banners, trophies, and photos that detail Hill's amazing athletic achievements throughout the decades.

The evening's honoree was Hill Alumna Kelsey Carey '13, whose basketball achievements while at Hill include: Four-year varsity player, Three-time Advance All-Star, Single season scoring record (Sr. year) – 727 points, Staten Island All-time Women’s Leading Scorer – 2,174 points, 2013 Jacques Award Winner, 2012-2013 SI CHSAA League MVP, 2013 Patricia Carbone Achievement Award, and averaged 26 PPG – Senior year. Not to mention her Volleyball accolades including two-time Advance All-Star, won 4 straight Staten Island Championships, and team leader in kills. Kelsey, like every Hilltopper, also went on to be incredibly successful both in her athletic and professional pursuits post-graduation.

We also heard from our two esteemed guest speakers that evening: Mrs. Janice Philipps and Mrs. Virginia Mayrose, two pillars of the athletic program at St. Joseph Hill Academy, who both helped shape the legacy we celebrated that evening.

It was an inspirational and joy-filled evening and we are grateful to the Athletic Office and the Advancement and Alumni Office for putting everything together. We are excited to keep the celebration going with similar events in the future!

 

St. Joseph Hill Academy High School held a special Alumnae of All Years event, Rosé and Roses, on Friday, May 6, 2022 on Hill’s campus. The inclement weather moved the event indoors to the Hill Auditorium, but did little to dampen the spirits of the over one hundred alumnae, many of whom were returning to Hill for the first time in many years. 

 

With wine donated by The Vineyard at Windham, a Hill Alumna-Owned Business, light fare and refreshments, and lovely roses adorning the tables, alumnae were able to reminisce and reconnect with fellow classmates. They heard from SJHA Director of Advancement and Alumni Relations, Dr. Elizabeth Basile, who worked tirelessly to ensure the event was a beautiful, fun-filled evening after its original date was postponed from 2020 due to Covid-19. Sister Mary Coffelt, FDC, President of St. Joseph Hill Academy, welcomed our esteemed alumnae back and expressed her gratitude to them for choosing to receive a stellar education in a Catholic environment. 

 

St. Joseph Hill Academy High School Principal, Mrs. Maria Molluzzo, reflected on how grateful she was to reunite with our alumnae, many of whom were her former students. She expressed her pride in how impressive they all are and how genuinely thrilled she was to see them return. As an Academy, the group also heard from our Elementary School Principal Mr. Lawrence Hansen, who welcomed back many “Hill Lifers” (graduates of the elementary school as well as the high school) and a number of parents of current SJHA Elementary School students. He reflected on the importance of a deep connection between SJHA Elementary School and High School. 

 

Lastly, a current SJHA High School Senior, Sophia Cyrgalis, who was recently accepted into the 8-year medical program at Siena / Albany Medical College Science and Humanities Program addressed the alumnae. Sophia shared how Hill has shaped her and how she has grown academically, socially, and spiritually in her nearly four years as a Hilltopper. 

 

Alumnae were able to enjoy small group tours of the school building thanks to our Student Ambassadors who volunteered at the event and are always enthusiastic about sharing what St. Joseph Hill Academy High School offers them as current students. Tours included our newly renovated Library, Chapel, and Performing Arts Studio generously supported by Hill’s outstanding donors.

 

“I came with five friends to Rosé and Roses and we had such a lovely time. It was so nice to go on the tour and exciting to see all the improvements Hill has made…  The Hill TV Studio was so impressive! I was on the Dance Team and it was so great to see the new Performing Arts Studio and the newly renovated Library was gorgeous. We really had a blast,” said Christina Griffo Murphy, ‘02. 

 

Alumnae received beautiful gift bags from our Advancement and Alumni Office with Hill-branded mementos and had the opportunity to participate in a number of raffles and a 50/50. Dr. Basile encouraged alumnae to continue to stay connected with their Alma Mater in a number of ways including giving back with financial support, volunteering to speak at one of our Career Conversations Alumnae Panel Series, and/or sharing their talents and resources with the school in any way possible.