Kathleen (O’Donovan) Schwartz ’86 Named 2009 Alumni Service Award Recipient

November 23, 2009

At the Alumni Volunteer Appreciation Dinner on Sunday, November 22, former Alumni Council President Kathleen (O'Donovan) Schwartz '86 received the 2009 Alumni Service Award. As the first legacy to serve as president of the Alumni Council, Schwartz has maintained a deep connection with Stonehill through the years.

In presenting Schwartz with the Service Award, Council President Mark Mulligan '88 said, "by your example, and through your genuine affinity and affection for Stonehill, you have bridged gaps between the generations, bringing older and more recent alumni together in your desire to see the College flourish." (To read Schwartz citation, visit here.)

"To me it seems almost ridiculous to accept an award for giving of myself when I have actually received so much more than I have given," said Schwartz upon accepting the award. "It was not easy for me to step out of a busy, happy career and become a full-time, stay-at-home mother. Working with the Alumni Council has given me just what I needed to keep busy in the grown-up world working with a definite purpose for something that I believe deeply in. I would never have been as happy at home all these years without the work and companionship the Council has given me."

Following in her mother Lorrie's footsteps (Class of 1959), Schwartz attended Stonehill and received her degree in communication in 1986. She began serving as an alumni volunteer with the Alumni Council in 1997.

In 1998, Schwartz was elected Treasurer of the Council before being voted Vice President in 2002. Three years later, she was elected President and under her three years of leadership, alumni participation grew at the College.

Throughout her time of service on the Alumni Council, Schwartz was a member of the awards, scholarship and special projects committees. She also chaired the community affairs committee.

Schwartz has been a member of Stonehill's Dean Club since 1992 and has participated in numerous alumni events over the past two decades.

She resides in North Easton with her husband Marc, also a 1986 graduate of Stonehill, along with their three children, Victoria, Garrett and Brent.

The Alumni Service Award is presented annually by the Alumni Council to recognize graduates who have worked for the betterment of the College and the Alumni Association. Schwartz is the 36th recipient of the award.

Contact

For more information, contact Communications and Media Relations at 508-565-1321.