Mercy University Celebrates 75 Years of Opening Doors during 45th Annual Trustees’ Scholarship Gala
From left to right: Mercy University President Susan L. Parish with honorees Sister Mary Virginia Orna and Marcela Guerrero.
On April 30, Mercy University celebrated the 45th Annual Trustees’ Scholarship Gala, bringing together hundreds of community members for an inspiring evening dedicated to advancing the university’s mission of transforming lives through education. The gala, a signature fundraising event for student scholarships, featured a live Scholarship Challenge, where guests raised their paddles to support Mercy scholarships. This year, the Scholarship Challenge alone raised over $100,000, surpassing its $75,000 goal in honor of Mercy’s 75th anniversary.
More than 300 trustees, faculty, staff, students, alumni from both Mercy and the College of New Rochelle (CNR), friends and supporters attended the event at Glen Island Harbour Club in New Rochelle.
News 12 anchor Tara Rosenblum, an Emmy winner who served as mistress of ceremonies, noted her personal connection to the university. “As some of you know, I have a special connection to Mercy. My husband, Joe Apicella, is a proud Mercy alumnus from the Class of 1985, and was honored at this event in 2017. It’s a pleasure to be back with all of you tonight and to be a part of the University’s ongoing celebration of Mercy’s 75th Anniversary,” said Rosenblum.
She announced that Westchester County Legislator David Imamura presented the university with a special citation honoring its 75th anniversary.
Watch Mercy’s 75th anniversary video
A history of access
The mission that began in 1950 with the Sisters of Mercy continues today: ensuring higher education is not reserved for the privileged few.
"For 75 years, Mercy's mission has been clear and unwavering: to open doors and provide access to higher education for generations of students," said Jim Jenkins, chairman of Mercy’s Board of Trustees. "Tonight's gala is a living expression of that mission."
University President Susan L. Parish reminded the audience that access at Mercy is more than a slogan — it's a daily commitment.
"If there is one word that defines Mercy, it's this: access," Parish said. "Our students are extraordinary. Most are working — sometimes more than one job — while carrying a full course load. Many are supporting their families while building their own futures."
Sophomore Gregory Hiraldo, who came up on stage to talk about the impact of his scholarship, knows that reality intimately. Between classes, he helps care for his grandmother and supports his family in ways that don't show up on paper. When he received a scholarship, everything changed.
"Scholarships are not luxuries. They are lifelines," Hiraldo said. "The scholarship didn't just pay for classes. It bought me time. It bought me focus. And it gave me belief in what was possible."
Honoring Those Who Embody the Mission
The evening celebrated three individuals whose lives reflect Mercy's values of service, education and community.
Alberto Vitale, who holds an honorary doctorate from Mercy and served as a Mercy Trustee, received the Lifetime Achievement Award for his and his wife Gio's transformative support of the university. Their generosity has created a named scholarship, the Vitale Life Skills Lab, the Vitale Center for Academic Excellence and Innovation, and other initiatives that continue opening doors for students. Though Vitale could not attend, his impact was felt throughout the evening.
Sister Mary Virginia Orna received the CNR Legacy Award for her four decades teaching chemistry at the College of New Rochelle and her continued work with the CNR Legacy Council at Mercy University. When she took the stage, the audience rose in a standing ovation — a testament to the generations of students she shaped and the enduring bonds formed at institutions like CNR and Mercy.
Watch Sister Mary Virginia Orna video
And then there was Marcela Guerrero ’26, the Student Achievement Award recipient who embodies what happens when opportunity meets determination. As president of the Student Government Association, a member of the Mercy Navigators program and the Latin American Student Organization, and a Mercy Scholar pursuing medical school, she represents the university's future.
Tashauna Wynter ‘25, last year’s Student Achievement Award recipient, introduced her successor with words that captured the spirit of the evening: "Marcela, you exemplify what it means to be a leader, an advocate and a dedicated member of this community."
When Guerrero accepted her award to another standing ovation, she offered a simple truth: "Mercy didn't ask me to choose between being there for my family and investing in myself. It showed me that I could do both."
Her words resonated through the room as guests raised their paddles during the Scholarship Challenge, pledging donations from $75 to $10,000 to create more lifelines for students like her.
As the evening concluded, the message was clear: For 75 years, Mercy has been opening doors through affordable, accessible education. And with the support of trustees, alumni, faculty, staff and community partners, those doors will open even wider, offering more students the life-changing opportunity of a full scholarship.