Hope’s Path to St. Joe’s
Like many other students, Class of 2026 graduate Hope Mari’s high school experience included adjusting to a worldwide shutdown in the COVID-19 era, forcing her to adapt to fully online learning with her Miller Place High School classmates. While she admits it was difficult, it turned out to be the inspiration she needed to discover her dream of being an educator.
“I remember my junior year of high school, which in my opinion was the busiest year of high school,” said Mari. “I was knee-deep in thinking about my college education when the world shut down. As I adjusted, I focused on the relationships I had made with my teachers over the years, and that is what made me decide to become a teacher.”
When it came to choosing a university to attend, Mari knew she wanted to be able to form those same close relationships with her professors. Stepping onto SJNY’s Long Island Campus felt like home to her. Drawn in by the close-knit atmosphere and small class sizes, she knew it was a place where she could have the experience she was looking for.
Core Memories
As an undergraduate student, Mari was very involved in campus life, serving as a member of the Educator’s Club and Project Sunshine, as well as Kappa Gamma Pi, Gamma Tau Delta, Delta Epsilon Sigma and the Alpha Theta Omega chapter of Kappa Delta Pi honor societies.
In 2025, she graduated with a B.A. in Child Study. As she prepares for another SJNY commencement, this time with an M.A. in Literacy and Cognition, she credits many of her professors with having a profound impact on her.
Looking Back on St. Joseph’s Mentorship
Patricia Barry, Ed.D., director of the literacy and cognition master’s program; Maureen DelMonico, M.A., assistant professor of child study; and Mary Burns, M.S., child study lecturer, gave Mari the confidence to gain foundational knowledge in child development, classroom strategies and special education while including real-life applications and personal experiences into lecture material.
“I could tell that they all embody true enjoyment of teaching and were always willing to help students,” she said. “The class material and activities were consistently engaging and had practical applications in the field. My professors want their students to succeed, and will provide you with any assistance you might need to get there.”
Since obtaining her bachelor’s last year, Mari has been a permanent substitute teacher. Her goal is to obtain a full-time teaching position that will allow her to combine the skills she obtained at St. Joseph’s with her own ideas to create a classroom of her own.
“I knew that at St. Joe’s, I would be able to achieve my dream career of teaching,” she said. “Everything I learned, including fieldwork, projects and student teaching, helped me feel confident that I would be able to take what I learned in my college courses and apply it to real classrooms.”
Hope’s Inspiration
As she prepares now for the next step in her journey, she goes into the world with both the values she learned at St. Joseph’s, and those she learned even closer to home. Mari says she learned hard work and determination from watching her parents work tirelessly to provide for their family.
“Throughout my life, my parents have been the biggest inspiration to me. I am so grateful to them for not only providing me with such wonderful opportunities, but for believing in me and the success I will have in the future. They are my biggest cheerleaders and I am so lucky to have them.”
This story is part of OnCampus’ “Class of 2026 – Meet the Grads” series, focusing on the Class of 2026 at St. Joseph’s University, New York. To read more from this series, click here.
