Our Stories

Jamie Leone ’22 recalls the advice she received shortly after enrolling in Le Moyne’s master’s degree program in occupational therapy. Don’t be afraid to forge your own path in this field, particularly as it continues to grow and evolve. Leone took those words to heart as she began building her career. She committed herself to being curious and observant, someone who is self-possessed, open to change and committed to a lifetime of learning.

Sophia Roberts ’22 has always loved science. As a child, Roberts found herself carefully observing the treatment her father received for several cardiac issues he faced. No one in her family worked in health care, so the field was entirely new to her. She recently graduated from Le Moyne’s Dual Degree in Three Program in nursing, and now serves as a registered nurse in the Emergency Department of Saint Luke’s Campus of the Mohawk Valley Health System in Utica, N.Y.

Walter Poland '66 is the founder of the Poland Jesuit Center for Research and Teaching Innovation. One of four Centers of Excellence housed within the Madden School of Business, it aims to continue to draw faculty to the School who are outstanding educators and practitioners in their fields, and who are committed to contributing to the overall body of knowledge in a way that informs their teaching, inspires their students, and helps to raise the profile of the Madden School overall.

Garbielle Masse never imagined practicing nursing in the midst of a once-in-a-century global pandemic, but in early 2020 she found herself doing just that. Masse was working at Saint Joseph’s Hospital in Syracuse when the Progressive Care Unit (PCU) to which she’d been assigned was suddenly transformed to an Intensive Care Unit for people who’d contracted Covid-19. Masse found herself holding the hands of her patients, providing them not only with care, but solace.

Anita May ’62, Ph.D., credits her time at Le Moyne with teaching her to think creatively, to ask questions about the world around her, and to appreciate the beauty in an array of histories and cultures. May’s education served her in good stead, she says, particularly over the course of her 31-year career as president and executive director of the Oklahoma Humanities Council. She created an endowed scholarship for first-generation students who are studying the humanities.

The human heart beat is the soundtrack of McKenna Burgwin’s professional life. Burgwin is a nurse practitioner at Upstate Cardiovascular Group. Every day she helps to care for adults living with illnesses like coronary artery disease, valvular heart disease and arrythmia, as well as those who have a family history of coronary disease or a condition such as hypertension that puts them at greater risk of a heart attack or stroke. It is the most rewarding, fulfilling work she could imagine doing.

At 6’7, Armon Nasseri, MBA ’22 is hard to miss. Armon left a powerful impression on teammates and competitors alike as a forward on the men’s basketball team.