Bria Tiro '15 | February 2022
For more than half a decade, Bria Tiro '15 took 911 calls for the Boston Police Department after graduating from Emmanuel College with a degree in criminal justice. Then the pandemic hit, the virus spread, and a light bulb went off. "Life is too short, and you have to do what you love." And that's exactly what Bria did.
Featured in GBH News' latest installment of "The Big Quit" series, one woman's journey from a BPD 911 call taker to pursuing her calling as a dog trainer: https://www.wgbh.org/news/local-news/2022/02/01/a-911-call-taker-fought-burnout-with-furry-friends-then-made-working-with-them-her-full-time-job
Lauren Protentis '06 | January 2022
This month for International Holocaust Remembrance Day (January 27th), alumna Lauren Protentis '06 and her grandmother Inga Protentis wrote about Inga's story of survival and escape from Nazi Germany at just 6 years old for JewishBoston.com. Read more: https://www.jewishboston.com/read/massachusetts-holocaust-survivor-shares-her-story-of-survival/
As Inga reflects: "Kindness and generosity...should be constant, as we have no idea how acts of kindness can change someone’s life... It is imperative to give back, to participate civically and to always speak about events like the Holocaust.” Thank you for sharing this powerful story, Lauren and Inga.
Lauren Protentis '06 is a national security and communications expert, serving at the Departments of State, Homeland Security and the U.K. Foreign Office. Lauren, a Massachusetts native, credits her grandmother Inga’s story as the chief motivator in her career pursuits in public service and international diplomacy.
Margaret Mary Soltis '66 | November 2021
Congratulations to Margaret Mary Soltis '66 who was presented with the Luminary Award by Boys Town Louisiana for her long-term generosity, commitment and leadership to the organization which touches the lives of more than 7,000 Louisiana children and families annually.
"Supporting Boy’s Town has been my pleasure, and helping the youth of New Orleans has been a great privilege," said Margaret, who served on Boys Town Lousiana's Board of Directors from 2011-2015 and continues to be a loyal supporter of their mission.
In November 2019, Boys Town Louisiana celebrated 30 years of service to children and families with an Anniversary Gala and Awards Dinner. The inspiring evening honored those like Margaret who have made the 30-year milestone possible and celebrated the success of those who have benefited from Boys Town.
Photo of Boys Town Louisiana’s Executive Director Rashain Carriere-Williams (left) with Margaret Mary Soltis '66 (right) and husband Bruce Soltis (center) from November 2, 2019.
Read more via Boys Town Louisiana.
Ash Uss '17 | July 2021
Homeless advocate Ash Uss ‘17, who experienced first-hand the challenges of not having housing and later became a resource about homelessness through her years of work at Andre House of Arizona, has launched From the Ground Up, LLC to develop specialized data-driven, community-centered strategies for alleviating homelessness "from the ground up."
As founder and executive director, Uss plans to leverage the depth of her community relationships to collaborate with individuals and organizations to propose, design and implement compassionate responses to homelessness.
Read more via The Phoenix Patch.
Nancy Barile '90 G'93 | July 2021
Award-winning Revere High School English teacher and Emmanuel College adjunct professor Nancy Barile '90 G'93 has turned her punk rock youth into life lessons for her students. She's also turned those memories into a book—I'm Not Holding Your Coat: My Bruises-and-All Memoir of Punk Rock Rebellion—that sold out its first printing earlier this year.
"Punk rock has helped me to connect with and reach the disenfranchised and marginalized teen — mainly because I was one and so were my friends," Barile recalls. "I do remember what it felt like to not feel ownership in my education or my school. I remember what it was like not being able to connect to my learning. As a teacher, I try to keep that in mind every single day."
Read more at Fifty Plus Advocate.
Kenny Lumpkin '17 | July 2021
Kenny Lumpkin '17 opened Dewey's Lounge in Springfield, MA this June and the new live music venue, restaurant and lounge is already a big hit with his classmates and other alumni.
Read more about this new jazz lounge in the Western Mass News.