April 2025 Edition

Congratulations to Elms College Alumni Victoria Guay '23, BSN, RN (Baystate Medical Center) and Rachel Little '22, BSN, RN (Mercy Medical Center) on receiving The DAISY Award!

The DAISY Award celebrates extraordinary nurses who go above and beyond to provide care for their patients. Nominated by patients, families, and colleagues, DAISY Award recipients embody the very best of the nursing profession. Victoria and Rachel are shining examples of the mission and values of the Elms College School of Nursing.

Joel Rivas MBA, BSN, RN, a double graduate of Elms College, has been recognized for his outstanding leadership in healthcare. Joel was recently awarded the prestigious Gold Level ACE Award for Best Leader at Holyoke Medical Center.

Read More

Elms College students, staff, and faculty came together on April 4 for the Elms College Day of Service to give back to the community across Western Massachusetts. Organizations that welcomed us included Harmony House in Chicopee, Genesis Spiritual Life Center in Westfield, Food Bank of Western Massachusetts in Chicopee, and Open Pantry Community Services in Springfield. A huge thank you to Campus Ministry for organizing a day that brings the Elms College mission to life!

Congratulations to Jack Labbe ‘26, Student Representative of the Alumni Association Board, pictured in middle, who was honored as a Sr. Carol Coston Fellow through NETWORK, a Catholic social justice advocacy organization.



Through this fellowship, Jack spent a weekend in Washington, D.C. over spring break. Jack had an opportunity to lobby Congress for the first time and met with staffers from MA Congressman Richard E. Neal’s office about immigration and budget reconciliation. Jack also volunteered with Loaves and Fishes D.C. and visited the National Museum of African American History and Culture. A social work and history major at Elms, Jack said, “There are so many people working to make a difference. Meeting people just as passionate as I am was really motivating. I hope to bring the same passion I experienced in D.C. back to Elms, empowering my own community to get involved with issues they care about.”

On March 31st, bright and early at 7 a.m., Elms College Social Work students from Asnuntuck Community College (ACC), Springfield Technical Community College (STCC), and the Elms College Main Campus boarded a bus bound for the Massachusetts State House in Boston. Their mission? To take part in NASW’s (National Association of Social Workers) annual LEAD (Legislative Education and Advocacy Day)—a cornerstone experience for students committed to making meaningful change.

By 9:30 a.m., our students were seated and ready to dive into two timely and impactful legislative sessions:

1. An Act to Lift Kids Out of Deep Poverty
2. An Act Preventing Overdose Deaths and Increasing Access to Treatment

These topics aren’t just theoretical classroom discussions—they are real-world issues shaping lives and communities. LEAD Day gives students the rare opportunity to hear directly from lawmakers, advocates, and social work professionals, helping them see how policy and practice connect.

One student from the STCC cohort, Ashley Watt, reflected on the experience:

"Coming to the State House as a student made me feel more confident to come as a professional."

We’re proud to see our students stepping into roles as future change-makers, just as alumni before them have done. In fact, we’ve included photos from this year’s event—as well as a few throwbacks from years past—to celebrate the ongoing legacy of advocacy that binds our community together.

One thing is clear: the next generation of social workers is ready to lead.

2019

2016

We had an egg-stra special time at our first Easter Bunny Breakfast on April 6! From delicious bites to bunny hugs and joyful moments, it was a beautiful way to bring the community together. Thank you to everyone who made it so memorable — we’re already egg-cited for next year!

On Saturday, March 29th, the Elms community joined us for Elms Night at the Thunderbirds. President Harry Dumay dropped the ceremonial first puck, the dance team performed, and some lucky members of the Elms community rode on the fanboni!  

Please join the Institute for Theology and Pastoral Studies at Elms College for this spring's Mary Dooley Lecture on Thursday, May 1, 2025, at 4:30 PM in the Alumnae Library Theater. We will welcome Jacques Linder, Visiting Professor at the College of the Holy Cross (Worcester, MA), as he offers the lecture, "Political Hope in the Jubilee Year: Francis, Justice, and Catholic Social Movements."

The lecture will address Pope Francis's Jubilee Year of Hope (Dec. 24, 2024 - Jan. 6, 2026), the work of Catholic Social leaders like Dorothy Day, and the Catholic Worker Movement.

A light reception for lecture guests will follow in the Library Well.

We hope you will come back to campus for our Experiential Learning Showcase to celebrate with faculty, staff, and students. Our Keynote Speaker at the Kick-off program will feature Elms alumnus, Darius Griffin '13. The event will run from 9:30 A.M. to 2:30 P.M.

Classes ending in 0's and 5's join us for a fun-filled reunion weekend!

June 6-8, 2025

Jill Perry '21 '23, Assistant Director of Alumni Engagement

Email: Perryj@elms.edu

Phone: (413) 265- 2388