November 8 was an evening of celebration and reflection as St. Joseph’s University, New York hosted its fourth annual Esse Non Videri Gala Awards Dinner at the Garden City Hotel in Garden City, New York. Alumni, faculty, staff, friends and guests were in attendance to honor alumni excellence while paving a way for the future of the University.
“This year’s Esse non Videri Gala Awards Dinner was a great success with over $200,000 raised for student scholarships and more than 220 people in attendance,” said Rory Shaffer-Walsh, vice president for institutional advancement. “The evening was a testament to the St. Joe’s community and our commitment to the students we serve.”
The theme of the evening was Transformation. Each award recipient represents a form of transformative leadership, whether it be academically, professionally or in the community.
The Winners
SJNY was proud to present seven distinguished alumni with awards that exemplified their hard work, fortitude and perseverance—qualities the University seeks to identify and inspire in each and every one of its students.
The evening’s honorees included:
President’s Esse Non Videri Award
Steve Somers ‘82
Partner, Solex Capital Partners
A personification of the gala’s theme of transformation, Steve Somers ‘82 learned the true value of education and its effect on untapped potential when attending St. Joseph’s University (then St. Joseph’s College) as an undergraduate student of chemistry.
“Over the last 42 years since I graduated St. Joseph’s, I’ve been able to do things I never even imagined I’d be able to do, and as I look back, I realize the impact St. Joe’s made on me, not just in teaching me about chemistry but teaching me about life,” said Somers, who in 2023 became a part owner of the Boston Red Sox.
Coming from a working-class family, attending St. Joseph’s was not a premeditated move made by Somers, and his example showcases the University’s tradition of highlighting students’ brightest attributes and bringing out the best versions of themselves.
Somers recounted the opportunity a Sister of St. Joseph gave him, and his determination to make the best of it. “Sister Mary Myers was the person who allowed me to be a chemistry major with no high school chemistry,” he shared.
Lifetime of Leadership Award
Glenn Kubik ‘99
Math Teacher, Northport-East Northport School District
Glenn Kubik ’99 has embarked on a decades-long journey that took him from being a student to becoming a teacher, one whose inspiration now spans generations.
Kubik, who has taught for 26 years, now educates the children of former students. In fact, many parents specifically request their child be put in his class. Kubik says this offers reassurance that he is putting students on the right path.
To Kubik, teaching is more than showing up for nine periods, grading tests and going home. He feels that being a leader is supporting students in their endeavors both before the morning bell and after that final class is let out for the day. Kubik is proud to stay late, attend students’ games and partake in traditions that have left a longstanding impact on his students.
“It’s not just a job for me, it’s a career,” said Kubik, who has witnessed the impression his leadership has left on influential young minds.
Kubik’s impact has been evident. He has been invited by students to more than 40 scholarship award ceremonies throughout the years.
Rising Star Award
Dylan Larkin ’16
Assistant Principal, NYC Department of Education
The winner of the evening’s Rising Star Award, Dylan Larkin ‘16 saw becoming an educator as a way to give back to the community that raised him. In Larkin’s world, leadership doesn’t equate to having the loudest voice, but rather the ability to bring the best out of those around you.
When speaking on his approach to leadership, Larkin said, “I try to lead with empathy, use my Catholic values and use all the skills learned at St. Joe’s to ultimately help students fulfill their own careers, goals and hopefully one day become St. Joseph’s students as well.”
Larkin has the honor of working with St. Joseph’s graduates daily, and is happy to see the value of his education manifested, not only in his personal accomplishments but in those he works alongside and those he hopes to inspire.
“What I’m trying to promote to my students in school is there’s different avenues to success,” Larkin continued. “Even though a student might not understand something fully, to put it into their own terms, and meet them where they are, is always the way to really get through to them.”
Excellence in Social Impact Award
Noeline Maldonado ‘05
Executive Director, The Healing Center, Brooklyn NY
As a leader, Noeline Maldonado ’05 believes that if you can change one person’s life, you can change multiple—a belief she has carried into her role as executive director of The Healing Center, a critical resource for Latinx survivors of intimate partner violence.
Stephanie Rovine, program manager at The Healing Center spoke on what is like having Maldonado as a source of guidance. “I think Noeline has a really special presence as a leader. She’s come into this role and had a strong, intuitive sense of what was needed, of where the organization needed to go, and also how to best support each staff member while still serving a larger mission, said Rovine of the SJNY alumna.
As a leader who greatly values her team, Maldonado understands that in order to truly make an impact socially, each member must believe in the work they are doing. For her, that work began during her time at St. Joseph’s University.
“The education I received at St. Joseph’s University is one that now proliferates through the work that we are doing,” said Maldonado, recounting the one-on-one attention she received as a result of the University’s small, more student-focused nature. It is a trait she compares favorably to her work in the grassroots, nonprofit world.
“To be able to use my education now to impact the community is something that’s directly related to my time at St. Joseph’s,” she said.
President’s Award: Legacy of Change
Mary B. Mulvihill, Ed.D., ‘64
Founder and President of Seniors Taking Action
Since graduating from St. Joseph’s University in 1964, Mary B. Mulvihill, Ed.D., has proven time again that life’s greatest challenges are best tackled together. At 81, Dr. Mulvihill’s work is far from finished; she established Seniors Taking Action in 2019 and continues to make an impact across social and political landscapes.
“You really need people around you to help and inspire you, and sometimes the best ideas don’t come from you,” Dr. Mulvihill said while speaking on the importance of assembling a team.
To Dr. Mulvihill, people are a support system that can help carry you through victories as well as defeats. As the oldest of 10 children, she learned quickly that academic excellence was the key that would open an endless number of doors. Her large family also taught her the significance of turning to others when you need help—an idea she greatly values to this day.
From her former role at the Grace Institute, where she assisted immigrant women in receiving an education, to her current work at Seniors Taking Action, a coalition of political activists working to support democratic candidates and organizations across the country, Dr. Mulvihill serves as an inspiration and driving force for many attempting to leave their mark on the world.
Former St. Joseph’s president, classmate and friend, S. Elizabeth Hill ’64, C.S.J, J.D., spoke about Dr. Mulvihill’s ability to bring individuals together to accomplish wonders—a defining characteristic of any great leader. “She really captures people’s energies and she makes you want to work with her and to do what she’s doing,” said. S. Elizabeth.
Rising Star Award
Madeline Romano ’09 and Mary Vitale ’10
Co-Founders, Beyond Play NYC
As speech pathologists, Madeline Romano ’09 and Mary Vitale ’10 wanted to take that knowledge, combined with their experience as mothers and help children beyond their own.
Thus, Beyond Play NYC was born. It is an early learning enrichment center based on language development and foundational learning that allows both women to give back to the community and do what they love: raising their young children while uplifting others.
Their personalized yet communal approach to child development is one they attribute to their time at St. Joseph’s University.
“The mentality that we have in our business, the small community feel, the individualized personal attention that we like to give the families and children that we work with, that was kind of fostered within us at St. Joseph’s,” Romano said.
“There’s that saying: it takes a village. Well, some parents don’t have that and if we’re able to make that village for them, I don’t think there’s anything better,” added Vitale. Echoed by the other award winners of the evening, Romano said being honored by the University feels like a “full-circle” moment.
