April 30, 2012
It’s been said that teaching is the noblest profession, and so many
of St. John’s University’s alumni and friends prove that day in and
day out.
Photo Gallery
The University honored five of these outstanding teachers and
administrators at the Seventh Annual Leaders in Education Awards
Dinner (L.E.A.D.) on the Staten Island campus. Honorees
included:
Maryann Bollinger '69Ed
Executive Director, Our Lady of Good Counsel Food Pantry
Retired Teacher
Maria Napoli Bromme '71Ed
Former Principal, P.S. 69 Vincent D. Grippo School - District
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Matt Bromme
Former New York City District Superintendent
Vincent Maniscalco
Principal, Staten Island Technical High School
Rev. Msgr. Edmund J. Whalen, S.T.D.
Principal, Monsignor Farrell High School
Jerrold Ross, Ph.D., Dean of St. John’s The School of Education and
Academic Vice President of the Staten Island campus, welcomed the
guests and spoke about the vital role that teachers play in today’s
world, drawing comparisons to the dramatic arts.
“Just like great actors and actresses, teachers unfold a
tremendous set of stories to their students,” he said. “Hour after
hour, day after day, month after month, teachers and administrators
give the gifted performances of their lives. That’s why it is with
such enormous affection and respect that I welcome tonight’s
awardees and their families to our university.”
Maria Napoli Bromme ’71Ed felt a tremendous sense of pride to be
honored by St. John’s and discussed her very special connection to
the University.
“I was part of the very last graduating class from the former
Schermerhorn Street campus in Brooklyn,” she recalled. “It was
there that I started down the path towards Education, and I owe it
to the tremendous instructors and fellow students that I met there.
Wonderful memories, great camaraderie and truly excellent courses
are what made my time at St. John’s so special.”
Her
husband, Matt Bromme, also received an award. As a former
Superintendent, he knows full well how difficult – and oftentimes
thankless – the teaching profession can be.
“When you read about teachers in the newspapers, you often see the
negatives before the positives,” he noted. “That’s unfortunate, but
it’s also what makes tonight’s dinner so significant. It’s
important to acknowledge the achievements of our teachers, and St.
John’s is an institution that I know instills in its students what
is most important: a high ethical and moral philosophy towards
children.”
Maryann Bollinger ‘69Ed lives roughly a mile from the Staten Island
campus and views the University as practically her second home.
Many of her family members, including her daughters, also graduated
from St. John’s, so to be honored by her alma mater in front of her
relatives was particularly significant.
“I
owe my career in Education to St. John’s,” she explained. “It’s
through my studies here that I realized that there are children who
need our help. Educators can find the potential within every
student and help him or her succeed. Our job is to mold the future,
and that’s an incredibly rewarding experience.”
Throughout the dinner, honoree Vincent Maniscalco sat with a
handful of current St. John’s students, sharing his advice on how
to get their careers started in the world of Education.
“I’m always on the lookout for good students who could one day make
great teachers,” he said. “I didn’t want to come here tonight and
just sit around talking about these awards. Instead, I wanted to
give my contact information to these up-and-coming students and
invite them to come to my school and sit in on classes.”
The final honoree – Rev. Msgr. Edmund J. Whalen, S.T.D. – spoke
about the importance of the Vincentian mission and its role in the
teaching profession.
“For diocesan priests like myself, St. Vincent de Paul is our role
model,” Fr. Whalen noted. “In all of our teaching and instruction,
there has to be a heart at the center of it – and that all comes
together in what St. Vincent spoke about.”
He added, “And there’s no better place to talk about it and
acknowledge it than right here at this wonderful dinner.”