St. John’s Alumna and Administrator Honored for Military and Community Service

On Saturday, June 14—Flag Day—the US Army turned 250 years old. Its birth during the beginning of the Revolutionary War is one milestone along the road to the United States of America’s 250th birthday on July 4, 2026. 

To mark the occasion, the Veterans Affairs Committees of three community boards—3, 8, and 16 in Kings County—honored female veterans from each branch of the US Armed Forces. A longtime St. John’s administrator, Sammantha O’Brien McCalla ’99CBA, ’01MBA, ’20Ph.D., Director of Stewardship, Office of Advancement, was celebrated for her past military service and continued service to the community.

“I am blessed to be associated with three long-established and mission-focused organizations: the United States Army, my sorority, and St. John’s University,” stated Dr. McCalla. “All have transformed my life and guide my ongoing commitment to others."

Dr. McCalla was born and raised in Brooklyn, NY, where she attended Brooklyn Technical High School. One month after graduation, she enlisted in the US Army Reserve at 17 as a private and trained for eight months at Fort McClellan in Alabama. Her Military Occupational Specialty is 54 Bravo, a Nuclear, Biological, and Chemical Specialist.

Dr. McCalla was assigned to the 320th Chemical Company, which eventually moved to Fort Totten in Queens, NY. She trained throughout the United States, including Fort Dix, NJ; Fort Bliss, TX; Fort Bragg, NC; and overseas in Korea. 

Upon her return to New York, she immediately enrolled at St. John’s, where, like countless St. John’s graduates, she put herself through school by working full time, attending school full time while still fulfilling her US Reserve obligations. She earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Finance and a Master of Business Administration degree, while working and starting a family. 

She rose to the rank of Sergeant at the 320th Chemical Company and earned two Army Achievement Medals and a Sharpshooter medal. She separated from the Army Reserve in 2005 after the birth of her second child and went on to complete her Doctor of Philosophy in English at St. John’s. She has been a full-time employee at the University since 1999.

Affectionately known as “Dr. Mac” by her students, she is an adjunct instructor teaching Honors English, Composition, and Anglophone Caribbean Literature. She completed the Vincentian Mission Certificate program that empowers St. John’s administrators, faculty, and staff to live the Vincentian mission as mission leaders in various departments around the University.

Mindful of the challenges faced by working-class families, Dr. McCalla is enthusiastic about funding scholarships for marginalized youth pursuing higher education. Mentoring and teamwork are personal and professional passions that she encourages and enables in others.

Dr. McCalla is a 25-year member of Zeta Phi Beta Sorority, Inc., an international, community-conscious, action-oriented organization comprised of more than 125,000 professional women, where she actively awards scholarships to college-bound youth annually. Zeta Phi Beta’s founding principles are scholarship, service, sisterhood, and finer womanhood.

She is also a member of Jack and Jill of America, Inc., a national organization for mothers with more than 50,000 families, where she is the Fundraising Chair for scholarships and Sergeant at Arms. 

Dr. McCalla resides on Long Island with her husband and four children and is extremely proud of her military and St. John’s career.

“Values matter, and the US Army and St. John’s are values-based organizations that resonate with me,” Dr. McCalla reflected. “Being surrounded by a community of supporters helped me develop my leadership skills, and to be able to pass them on to the next generation of servant leaders is a humble and meaningful responsibility.”