Dean Fitzpatrick, Four Assumption Alumnae Named to Leadership Worcester Class of 2022
As a testament to the quality, relevance, and importance of an Assumption Catholic liberal education, the Worcester Regional Chamber of Commerce’s recently announced the Leadership Worcester Class of 2022, which features a prominent presence of Assumption faculty and alumni. The Class of 2022 includes Professor of Psychology and Dean from the D’Amour College of Liberal Arts & Sciences Paula Fitzpatrick, Ph.D., and four Assumption alumni: Ariana Dello Stritto ’16, G’17, marketing coordinator and financial literacy assistant from Bay State Savings Bank; Kimberly McCullen ’16, employment & employee relations specialist from the College of the Holy Cross; Amy Sciannameo ’96, senior underwriter from Hanover International, The Hanover Insurance Group; and Brittany Wong G’16, CEO from Studio Jade.
According to the Chamber, the Leadership Worcester Class of 2022 includes a diverse group of 28 men and women representing a variety of industry sectors across Central Massachusetts. The individuals were carefully selected for their motivation, inspiration, and active leadership roles in Worcester as well as for their “potential to create meaningful change.”
“Through my participation in Leadership Worcester, I hope to strengthen relationships and build partnerships with non-profit agencies, schools, and businesses to create more opportunities for the Worcester community to serve as a classroom for experiential learning opportunities such as internships, community service learning, research, and project-based learning,” said Dean Fitzpatrick. “With their background in a variety of liberal arts and professional programs, the students in the D’Amour College of Liberal Arts and Sciences at Assumption are uniquely poised to have a direct impact on the Worcester community by using their skills in meaningful ways to solve problems and advance solutions. As a regional university, our students are motivated to build a long-term relationship with Worcester and the surrounding communities.”
In addition, Fitzpatrick added that she is looking forward to discovering more avenues to share her experience in higher education, her expertise in developmental psychology and autism spectrum disorder, and training as a Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction teacher and certified Koru mindfulness teacher to effectively impact the community.
Those chosen for the Leadership Worcester class participate in a nine-month experiential learning program, which begins September 16. During the monthly sessions, individuals will they “learn about their community from a variety of angles and engage with local leaders to learn about the region’s challenges and opportunities. Each monthly session takes participants behind the scenes of Worcester’s diverse anchor institutions and hidden gems, allowing them to see the city through a new lens.” Topics that will be explored include urban environment and sustainability; economic development; health and public safety; government; arts, culture, and quality of life; and food insecurity.
“As has been reinforced by the COVID-19 pandemic over the past year-plus, strong and collaborative leadership is the cornerstone of any successful community. That’s why the Chamber and our employer partners remain committed to running this crucial Leadership Worcester program year after year,” said Timothy P. Murray, president and CEO of the Worcester Chamber, in a press release. “Leadership Worcester alumni have gone on to do great work, advancing the region and helping move us all forward. We congratulate these 28 professionals – our next generation of leaders – on their selection to the class, and we’re confident that they too will make tremendous and meaningful contributions to our community.”