Alumna, Valerie Coello to returns to SDA to speak to students about the plight of Burmese women
Saint Dominic Academy welcomes back alumna, Valerie Coello, now attending Rutgers University, who has become involved in easing the plight of Burmese women who are refugees in Thailand. Her main interest is the education of Burmese women.
Valerie returned to SDA to speak to the students to raise awareness of the difficulties faced by these women. In the near future, Valerie will also be traveling to Thailand to participate in educational programs to assist the women on the Burmese border.
Alumnae News
Alunmae Spotlight:
During my campaign for Mayor, I often found myself reflecting and drawing upon the important lessons I learned from my time at St. Dominic Academy.
I had privilege of spending the better part of 1978-1982 there at 2572 Kennedy Blvd and have the friends and self-confidence to prove it. At Saint Dominic, I never felt it strange to be president of the club or captain of the team. It was an expected and supported presupposition. As students, we were instilled with the understanding that the world was ours to shape and explore and that nothing was beyond our reach with a little knowledge and a lot of courage. We were exposed to wonderful educators who expected we would take our knowledge and do great things with it. One of my favorite quotes is, “To whom much is given, much is expected.” I was given much by my Saint Dominic education and have been doing my part to give back ever since.
People from my time at Saint Dominic are woven through every aspect of my life. From the butcher shop where I have my morning coffee, to my office of the past 14 years, to patrons at the restaurant next to my campaign headquarters, so many have a connection to Saint Dominic; I also had the privilege of meeting Mr. Napoli and his wife here in Hoboken just last week. I also get to relive fond memories every now and again with my best friend who I met as a freshman at St. Dom’s over 30 years ago. (We still laugh at the yellow “banana suits” we had to wear to freshman gym class! I understand St. Dominic’s has come a long way since then in the gym uniform department!)
In preparing for my campaign, I found my yearbook and had the great pleasure of revisiting my graduation photo. Next to it was a quote by Henry David Thoreau that means as much to me today as it did the day I attached it 27 years ago. It reads:
If one advances confidently in the direction of one’s dreams, and endeavors to live the life which one has imagined, one will meet with a success unexpected in common hours.
St. Dominic Academy helped shape the woman I am today. Having served my community as its presiding municipal judge for 14 years, and hopefully next as mayor, I can only hope more young women will enjoy the same benefits from their experience at St. Dominic that I have had.
Thank you, and keep “Empowering Women For Leadership Since 1878”!
Sincerely,
Kimberly K. Glatt