As the year-long celebration of Saint Anselm College’s 50 Years of Women’s Education continues, seven alumnae who are well-known in the business world returned to campus on April 25 to network with current students interested in business and participated in a panel discussion on women’s success in the male-dominated field.
The alumnae offered sound advice on education and personal and professional growth to the current students, staff, and faculty who overflowed the McCready Event Space.
The Women in Business Club, the Economics and Business Department, and the Office of Alumni Relations hosted Jeannette Davila ’83, a Saint Anselm College Board of Trustee member and Director for Strategic Partnerships, Mergers, and Acquisitions for Independent Services Network; Mary Ann Polad ’88, Director of Environment, Health and Safety, and Security and Sustainability of The Boston Beer Company; and Susan Connelly ’92, also a Board of Trustee member and Chief Communications and Public Affairs Officer of Darden Restaurant Group. There was also Lisa Fossella ’92, Senior Director of Value Chain Strategic Planning and Analytics of New Balance; Amy LeBlanc Hackett ’92, Managing Director of Corporate Banking of M&T Bank; Michaela Scott ’09, Principal and Founder and 401(k) and 403(b) advisor of The Strategic Retirement Benefits Group; and Kate McSherry ’20, Financial Advisor at Rise Private Wealth Management.
Each panelist was interviewed by a current female student involved in the Women in Business Club, and all have majors spanning from Business, Finance, and Economics to Marketing, Accounting, and International Business. Each interviewer asked their panelist curated questions based on their unique experiences as a woman both during their time at Saint Anselm College and in navigating the career path they pursued.
Connelly offered words of encouragement to the next generation of women business leaders by quoting the “Barbie” movie, “‘Our mothers literally stood still, so we could look back and see how far we’ve come.’”
Placing the panelist in the maternal role and speaking directly to the current students, some of whom are about to graduate, Connelly went on to say, “We’re going to stand still so that you someday can sit here and remember this moment and see how far you’ve come, and I’m grateful for that. I’m grateful to give you all that chance because you deserve just what I got as well.”
“It’s so inspiring to me to see these women from so many different years of graduation, to see all of their different career paths, and to learn from them,” said Jennifer Kelber ’01, associate professor and department chair of the Economics and Business Department, and chair of the Business, Industry, and Innovation Working Group, which is in collaboration with the 50th-anniversary celebration committee, and host of the event.
“As an [alumna] of the college and also as someone who works here now, it’s exciting and inspiring to know that these women who… graduated here years ago are still achieving such success in their careers. It’s been really wonderful to be a part of the celebration and to cheer on the next generation of students.”
One of the Women in Business student interviewees, Tara Donohue ’24, an honors Finance and International Business major with a minor in Spanish, was grateful for the opportunity. “[To be ] surrounded by a room full of Saint Anselm women who all humbly credited their time on the Hilltop for helping them develop into confident leaders made me proud to sit among them as a fellow Anselmian woman. It was truly a privilege to hear their sage advice, professional and personal stories, and memories from their time at Saint A’s.”
Fifty Years of Saint Anselm Women in Leadership is just one of the many events the 50 Years of Women’s Education Committee is holding in collaboration with other departments that celebrate the monumental impact of women throughout the Hilltop’s history.
A full listing of Women’s 50th events and more information on the campaign can be found on the Women’s 50th Celebration homepage.
Related Links
Gallery
View more photos from this exciting event!
