Olivia Perriera ’25 Named Recipient of 2025 D'Agostino Prize

History major Olivia Perriera ’25 was focused on elevating the voices of women when she wrote her senior thesis on the New Bedford Women’s Club (NBWC). And when faculty read it, they decided Perriera’s voice deserved some elevation of its own.

Perriera’s work was chosen for the 2025 D'Agostino Prize, a monetary award presented annually to the graduating senior history major who writes, in the department’s judgment, the best senior thesis that academic year. The prize is named in honor of former History and Religious Studies Professor Peter R. D’Agostino. 

Through her thesis, “The New Bedford Women’s Club: A Leader in Blind Education, Advocacy, and Inclusion,” the North Dartmouth, Massachusetts, resident explored the 100-year history of the NBWC and its pioneering work in philanthropy and community building. Perriera argues that the club quietly expanded women’s roles in society, persevering in their core mission for a century: the “intellectual, philanthropic, moral, and social advancement” of society and of its members.

“Through this work, I wanted to help elevate the voices of the women in the New Bedford Women’s Club,” said Perriera, who is now pursuing a Master of Education in Special Education, PreK-8, one of Stonehill’s graduate programs. “By uplifting others, these women also helped and supported each other.”

Perriera was recently invited to submit an article based on her research to the History Journal of Massachusetts. 

“Presenting at the New England Historical Association was an invaluable opportunity that allowed me to share my research and connect with other historians,” she said. “This would not have been possible without the unwavering support of the History Department at Stonehill, whose encouragement guided me at every step of the process.”