BUFFALO ACADEMY OF THE SACRED HEART Annual Report 2024-2025 SHA Loyalty Club Sacred Heart’s most loyal donors are recognized as part of the SHA Loyalty Club. The consistent generosity of these donors for 20 years or more forms the foundation of the Annual Loyalty Fund. Their devotion to Sacred Heart makes it possible for today’s students to flourish. Anonymous Sr. Karen Allen ’45 † William and Josephine Barnas Rosemary Uhteg Bateman ’53 Lenore Belzer ’51 Suzanne Jolls Bilson ’75 Rita Pierpaoli Blanford ’60 Clare Buchheit-Edson ’71 Lorraine Matuszewski Budowski ’46 Kathleen Hughes Carley ’51 Sandra Ernst Cohen ’88 Kathleen Malone Devine ’53 Eileen Tubridy Drinkwater ’67 Christine Klumpp Fix ’65 Patricia Maes Gemerek ’53 Josephine Caruso Haberl ’59 Deborah A. Hard ’70 Kathleen Byron Heffern ’60 Virginia Nettina Heller ’71 Heide Herrmann ’91 Kathleen Maier Heupel ’52 Jennifer Smith Hogan ’77 Elizabeth Barczak Horrigan ’64 Mary Eder Hurley ’74 Carole Burkot Ignaszak ’66 Geraldine Vollmer Janis ’71 Maryann Schwab Justinger, EdD ’69 Mary Keefe-Hinners ’64 Mary Ann Stievater Kelleher ’47 Margaret Galley Kendron ’65 Frances Lombardo Kraus ’62 An anonymous alumna recently established the Hope Scholarship, inspired by a desire to reflect God’s love through meaningful generosity. “God loves us, and we can demonstrate that to others through our own gifts,” she shared. “I want a student to know that someone cares about her future, even though they haven’t met her. That is a way I can demonstrate God’s love.” Her motivation is rooted in a simple but powerful belief: Hope can change a life. “The world can feel hopeless,” she reflected. “I want to give a family hope by making it possible for their daughter to access the transformational, faithbased, all-girls education at Sacred Heart. She will have to do the work when she gets there, but I can help take away the worry of cost.” The Hope Scholarship will provide four years of full tuition for one member of the Class of 2030. Gifts of this magnitude ensure that Sacred Heart continues to deliver the life-changing experience envisioned by the Sisters of St. Francis – one that nurtures young women academically, spiritually, and personally. 6 Carol Zimmerman LaPlante ’70 Carol Siefert Laschinger ’56 Kenneth and Sandra Levan Maureen Piazza Lopez ’83 Lois Bork Maines ’58 Kathleen Seitz Mazurek ’68 Marie Gordon McCarthy ’57 Sharon Jarvis Menchini ’60 Mary Kay Lang Moore ’61 Patricia Drzewiecki Nesensohn ’60 Jennifer Pelosi Noah ’93 Barbara Eckert Ochterski ’61 Mary Ann Kennedy O’Connell ’53 Mary Anne Kreher Peer ’78 Colleen Webb Prorok ’65 Therese Cunningham Reinagel ’61 Barbara Staebell Rooney ’74 Elaine Szczepankiewicz Sattelberg ’72 Mickey McGarry Slind ’56 Patricia Smith ’75 Cherrie Majkowski Solomon ’73 Florence Hejza Stack ’47 Barbara Eye Stanley ’72 Carol Schneggenburger Starr ’78 Annette Donaruma Suffoletto ’55 Elaine Reeder Telaak ’58 Suzanne Horvatis Tozer ’68 Susan Barczak Uba ’61 Margaret Mandell Walter ’45 Carol Kolb Wiktorski ’64 Lighting the Way: One Donor’s Vision for a Young Woman’s Future “I want to give a family hope by making it possible for their daughter to access the transformational, faith-based, all-girls education at Sacred Heart. She will have to do the work when she gets there, but I can help take away the worry of cost.” Ava Verrastro ’21 wasn’t necessarily destined to become a SHA girl. She attended public elementary and middle schools and felt comfortable with her friends and district. High school didn’t seem like something she needed to change. But as the time to choose a high school approached, Ava’s mom, Andrea Palisano Gunnells ’92, began sharing stories of her own experience at Sacred Heart. Beyond the fun memories and friendships, Ava heard how the school shaped her mother as a person, and she became intrigued by this very different option. A shadow day and an entrance exam were all it took to open the door. Those simple first steps led to four years that would help define who Ava became. She embraced the SHA experience fully. During Spirit Week, she wore every yellow accessory she could find, surrounded by classmates who would become lifelong friends. An all-girls environment and school uniform were new to her, but quickly became two of her favorite parts of high school. Ava had always been outgoing, but at SHA she developed the communication skills and confidence not only to speak, but to ensure she was heard. The SHA sisterhood became part of her identity. She immersed herself in everything SHA offers: field hockey, lacrosse, Model UN, the Internship Program, YOUR IMPACT Where Donor Generosity Meets Student Potential: Ava’s SHA Experience
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