Why I Give

I just made a donation in response to Stonehill's outreach. This gift reflects my personal gratitude for the impact Stonehill College had and has on my life.

I discovered Stonehill College right after I discovered that Middlebury College—about a 40-minute drive from my hometown of Proctor, Vermont—didn't offer elementary education. The cover photo on Stonehill's brochure reminded me of Middlebury, so when my family visited my grandmother in Massachusetts, my mother took me for a tour. I was so convinced that Stonehill was right for me that it was the only college I applied to. And Stonehill must have thought I was right for it because I was the only member of the incoming freshman class that was from the state of Vermont. 

Stonehill impacted my life in every way. I am grateful for the liberal arts education that gave me insight and exposure to concepts and ideas that were not required for my certification but allowed me to appreciate and understand a world view beyond my own. I think about Dr. [Herb] Wessling and how relevant the discussions we had in my Social Movements class are today. I am grateful to have learned from opposing perspectives in the Education Department so that when I became a classroom teacher, I was recognized for my distinctive approach of combining phonics and language-oriented activities. I was later tapped to co-author a teacher's guide to Whole Language, and to present at professional development workshops on the benefits of my integrative reading strategies.

Most recently, I called upon the lessons I learned in the Creative Process class I took senior year, when we were tasked with creating a legitimate business (my roommate Judy and I painted and sold socks!). Knowing nothing about starting a business other than what I had learned from that experience, I began a unique, one-of-a-kind literacy center for young children in 2012. It was just me and an idea when I started, eventually including a staff of eight teachers. The center was the recipient of numerous awards for Best Educational Resource and Best Tutoring Center in Charlotte. I later sold Ballantyne Reading Academy for the Very Young confident that it will continue on supporting the community.

While the educational impact Stonehill had on my life is great, nothing can compare to the impact it had on my personal life. Friends I made then are friends I have today. I shared life in and out of Stonehill with my best friend, the late Judy Strott Commesso '87. The memories made with her are too lengthy to list here. I met my husband of 31 years, W. Scott Palladino '87, in Commonwealth Court. Without Stonehill, the relationships I hold closest to my heart would not exist.

The four years I spent at Stonehill College are among the happiest of my life. I hope the financial contribution I made (earmarked for the Education Department) will help someone else enjoy a similar experience.