Saint Anselm College Alumni

06/03/2026

Its hard to root for New York teams here in New England, but we make exceptions when it’s one of our own…

Congratulations & Good Luck to Brendan O'Connor '94 in the NBA Finals!

https://www.wmur.com/article/brendan-oconnor-helps-knicks-reach-nba-finals/71414450

Brendan O'Connor, a New Hampshire native and Saint Anselm graduate, is headed to the NBA Finals as an assistant coach with the New York Knicks.

06/02/2026

From campus to climate action: Anselmian Katharine Cusack ’21 turns passion for clean energy into policy.

Katharine Cusack’s ’21 interest in clean energy and sustainability began while growing up enjoying New Hampshire’s natural resources and flourished as a communications major with a politics minor at Saint Anselm.

During her undergraduate studies on the Hilltop, Cusack was interested in the landscape in her home state and volunteered for campus groups that supported that ethos, including the Center for Ethics in Society and Access Academy’s Meelia Center for Community Engagement.

Pursuing that passion, she recently worked on an important piece of legislation—the Commercial Property Assessed Clean Energy and Resiliency (CPACER). It is the financing program that allows commercial property owners to finance upgrades for energy efficiency through a tax assessment.

“That is the tie between what I did at the Center for Ethics in housing and zoning, and energy and resiliency, upgrading water for sanitation, resiliency for storms, solar array or efficiency projects,” she says.

Outside of work, Cusack remains passionate about the outdoors, from running and hiking to biking, skiing, and climbing, and much of her free time is spent outdoors. This dovetails with her volunteer work as a U.S. Forest Service backcountry steward. She adopted an .8-mile stretch of trail in the White Mountain National Forest where she trims branches, saws fallen limbs, and cleans out drainage ditches in the spring and fall.

It seems all her interests in the environment, communications, and politics are converging on this precise time and place, and she is grateful for the opportunity to make an impact.

Read more in the current edition of Portraits Magazine:
https://www.anselm.edu/about/anselmian-hub/news/alumni-news-fallwinter-2026

05/25/2026

Join us in remembering an outstanding member of the Saint Anselm Community:

It is with great pride and deep reverence that we honored the late Captain Mary Jo (O’Dwyer) Majors ’69, NC, USNR ’69, HD ’24 with the John A. Houghton ’46 Alumni Council Award at the 2025 Alumni Awards Brunch.

Along with her dedicated service in the U.S. Navy Nurse Corps, Captain Majors was a proud and devoted Anselmian. As a member of the Alumni Council and longtime co-chair of the Recognition Committee, Captain Majors worked diligently to honor the achievements of her fellow alumni at the annual Alumni Awards, ensuring that their stories of faith, service, and excellence were recognized with the dignity and commemoration they deserved. Captain Major’s passionate and kind contributions to Saint Anselm throughout her life will never be forgotten, and she will always be remembered as a profound light in our community.

Alumnus Robert Elliott ’95 accepted the John A. Houghton Alumni Council Award on Captain Major’s behalf at the ceremony. “Let us honor Mary Jo by continuing to serve—in small acts and large ones—with the same steady, generous spirit she gave to her country, her college, and her community,” said Elliott.

05/22/2026

A week ago, we welcomed members of the Class of 2026 to the Alumni Community. Here are a few more pictures to enjoy!

05/21/2026

Like mother, like daughter: Caroline (Sheeran) McDermod, ’99 and Ayla McDermod ’28 both earned the Rookie of the Year Honor at Saint Anselm College.

It’s been more than 30 years since Caroline (Sheeran) McDermod ’99 first arrived on the Hilltop, but with every return to campus, she remembers grass-stained uniforms, sweaty cleats, and the beginning of lifelong friendships. The soccer standout was drawn to Saint Anselm’s academic reputation and charm, and she knew it was a place where she could study history while shining on the field. “It was a special four years,” Caroline says.
After attending countless alumni events and cheering on women’s soccer with former teammates, Caroline never could have guessed her daughter would become NE-10 Rookie of the Year, just like her.

Ayla McDermod ’28, a member of the women’s lacrosse team, insists her journey to the Hilltop was her own. She had heard many stories of the college from her parents, but what attracted her to Saint Anselm was a desire to study nursing while playing lacrosse.

During Ayla’s rookie season at Saint Anselm, she started the first game with a hat trick, and led the season in goals scored. Her speed and composure helped the team reach the NCAA Tournament. Soon enough, a new award debuted in the McDermod home: 2025 NE-10 Rookie of the Year.

Both Caroline and Ayla attribute their athletic accomplishments to their teammates’ thoughtful encouragement. While Caroline and Ayla may have chosen different sports on the Hilltop, they arrived at the same conclusion: Being Anselmian changes you. “It’s not just four years; it really is forever,” Caroline says. “You [can] be part of this community at any chapter in your life.”

Read more in the most recent edition of Portraits Magazine: https://www.anselm.edu/about/anselmian-hub/news/alumni-news-fallwinter-2026

05/16/2026

Congrats to our newest Anselmian Alumni!

05/09/2026

This week, as we honor both Teacher's and Nurses, there's no alumna better to highlight than Joyce Latvis Arel ’60, who received the Alumni Association's Career Achievement Award this past fall.

After graduating from Saint Anselm, Arel began her 60-year career, first as a hospital nurse and later serving on the Board of Directors at St. Joseph Hospital in Nashua, NH. She eventually returned to school for her Masters of Education, after which she spent 25 years as an educator. Impressively, Arel is the only person in Nashua’s history to serve as the president of both the Nashua Board of Education and the Board of Aldermen. She later served on the New Hampshire Community College System Board, during which she secured legislation enabling community college credits to transfer to New Hampshire universities.

“At Saint Anselm College, many professors added depth, structure and understanding to not only the subject matter, but to the value and connectedness of learning to life,” said Arel.

Joyce’s dedication to bettering education in New Hampshire is a testament to her Anselmian values of leadership, empathy, and dedication.

04/27/2026

Registration is OPEN for our 34th Annual Scholarship Golf Tournament at Nashua Country Club on June 22, 2026! We hope you can join us on the fairway for a day of fun as we come together to support Saint Anselm College scholarships. Follow the link for more details: https://alumni.anselm.edu/scholarship-golf-tournament-2026

04/16/2026

Last weekend, the U.S. Navy commissioned the USS Harvey C. Barnum, Jr. to honor the 1962 alumnus and Medal of Honor recipient at Naval Station Norfolk.

The missile destroyer, named for retired Col. Harvey C. Barnum, Jr. was commissioned before 1,800 people, including senior military leaders, Sailors, Marines, veterans and family members. Secretary of the Navy John C. Phelan served as the ceremony’s principal speaker. President Joseph A. Favazza, Abbot Mark Cooper, O.S.B. ’71, and Senior Vice President James Flanagan represented Saint Anselm College at the event.

Read the full story: https://www.anselm.edu/about/anselmian-hub/news/united-states-navy-commissions-uss-harvey-c-barnum-jr-honor-1962-alumnus

04/05/2026

Happy Easter from all of us in the Office of Alumni Relations!