Heritage Society

Q: How has your relationship with Lasell evolved over time?
A: It started as a job, but it quickly became much more than that. Working in Advancement gave me a front-row seat to the heart of the institution — the students, the faculty, the alumni, the donors. Over time, those relationships and experiences shaped how I saw Lasell.

Q: What does Lasell represent to you?
A: To me, Lasell is about providing opportunities. It’s a place where students discover who they are and what they’re capable of. It’s also a community that genuinely cares about people, and that’s something I’ve always admired. When I think of Lasell now, I think of the possibilities and the ripple effect education can have on someone’s life.

Q: Why did you decide to include Lasell in your estate plans?
A: Honestly, it felt like the most natural thing in the world. Lasell has been such a meaningful part of my life — professionally and personally — that including it in my estate plans just made sense. I’ve seen the impact this community has on students, and I wanted to play a small part in making sure that continues long into the future.

Q: What impact do you hope your gift will have on future students?
A: I want my gift to help remove barriers — financial, personal, or something else entirely. My goal is to make students feel supported and able to pursue their goals. If my gift helps even one student feel seen, encouraged, or capable of taking the next step, that would mean everything to me.

Q: What would you say to someone considering including Lasell in their estate plans?
A: I’d tell them to think about what matters most to them. If Lasell has played a meaningful role in their life — or if they believe in its mission — planned giving is a powerful way to make a lasting impact. You don’t have to be wealthy to make a difference; you just have to care.

Angel grew up in Guatemala until his family moved to Waltham when he was 12. He thrived during his two years at Lasell after transferring from another college. A combination of generous financial aid and support from the college community — including alumni and friends of the college — helped him to both stay in the Fashion and Merchandising program and graduate with a 4.0 GPA. Angel immersed himself in the community as a student and cites Lasell’s openly inclusive campus as an incentive to participate in many activities. His proudest moments out of the classroom took place behind the scenes at POLISHED Magazine, where he served as managing editor, and at the college’s RUNWAY shows.

Immediately after graduation, he worked for the Sharf Marketing Group in Chestnut Hill to produce 100 Years of Fashion, among other projects that took him to England and back to research illustrations and artwork from the Jean S. and Frederick Sharf collection.

As a visual designer and operations manager at Talbots, he constantly reflects on the support he received at Lasell to make his undergraduate experience — and thus, his career — a possibility. He is humbled to be able to pay it forward to a new generation of students who might not be able to achieve their goals without philanthropic support.

“I am extremely appreciative of the support I received and I want future students to benefit in the way I did,” he says. “Giving back is the ultimate experience, and I am grateful that I can pay it forward to support the next generation of Lasell students.”

Angel and his spouse, Kurt Heinrich, an economist, live in Boston’s South End where they play an active part in the local community. They enjoy traveling abroad and spending time on the beaches of Cape Cod.

The former Lasell soccer player relies on her retail and math know-how in her senior role as a retail intelligence executive at SPS Commerce, where she leads a team of analysts that helps companies use data to solve business problems.

“There is a culture of community and succeeding together that makes Lasell a special place,” Daley says, listing professors Jill Carey, Neil Hatem, and the late Rick Frederics as being particularly supportive. “I felt cared for at Lasell.”

That affinity for Lasell prompted Daley to create her will through FreeWill, the University’s gift planning partner, and include a provision for a generous estate gift to support the women’s soccer team.

“We had been thinking about a will and then I received an email from Lasell about FreeWill with an option to make a gift,” says Daley, who has two children, Taj, 3, and Asa, eight months, with husband Lu. “It all fit together perfectly.”

She designated her gift to the women’s soccer team because of the life lessons she learned about teamwork, commitment, self-sacrifice, and caring for one another from Coach Vito La Francesca when he took over the program during Daley’s senior year.

“The culture had been that you showed up and did your best,” Daley remembers. “Vito took it to another level. I really appreciated him.”

Daley also appreciated her close friend group—Allison Peck Recklet ’08, Christina Rossi ’08, and Chelsea Comeau ’08. They met at Lasell Day for accepted students during their senior year of high school, roomed together for much of their undergrad careers, and still get together for vacations.

“I cherish my former teammates for their friendship, the memories we made together, and the lessons I learned,” Daley says. “I want future student-athletes to be able to have those same special experiences for many years to come.”

“My faculty and staff mentors pushed me to be a better person,” he says. “They taught me to take risks, get more involved, and make the most of every opportunity during my four years of college.”

Sanon graduated from Lasell in 2008 with a degree in sport management, and followed up with a master’s degree in sports leadership from Northeastern University. His career has taken him to positions at universities all over the United States, where he has refined his love for higher education. He and his wife, Carly, whom he met while working at Central Washington University, remain “dedicated to working in the academic realm with athletes.”

Now located in Butte, Montana, as an admissions representative at Montana Tech, Sanon still stays in touch with his classmates and was part of Lasell’s first Athletic Hall of Fame nominating committee. No matter the institution he worked at or state he lived in, he has always felt a persistent and deep connection to his alma mater.

Sanon knew that his next step with Lasell would be to ensure life-changing experiences for future students. He first read about planned giving in an issue of Leaves.

“I wasn’t sure at first how that information might apply to me, or what impact it could have,” he says. Sanon researched and connected with the College’s development and alumni relations team. Shortly thereafter, he made Lasell a beneficiary of his retirement fund.

“I discovered that I could have a positive impact on building Lasell’s endowment,” he says. And, more importantly, he learned that his gift would “ensure the growth of financial aid to deserving students long into the future.”

“The College was looking for an adjunct mathematics teacher, and they somehow found out that I was a math tutor,” says Neil. “I started teaching shortly after.”

Thirty-one years later, that small coincidence continues to pay off — both for the Hatem family and for the Lasell University community. In 2012, the Hatems joined the University’s Heritage Society as public members with a fixed dollar bequest.

“We have seen Lasell grow since our first days here, and simultaneously, I have been able to grow as an educator,” says Neil, now an associate professor of mathematics.

He notes that his pedagogy meshes well with students’ learning styles, which brings him great joy. To support their success only adds to that feeling.

“My love for the institution starts with the students, and being able to contribute to their goal of earning a college education gives me special satisfaction,” he says.

For Neil, this holds true beyond just fiscal contributions. In more than 30 years at Lasell, he has served as faculty chair, department chair for math and science, advised numerous student clubs, supervised student events, and volunteered as an unpaid assistant coach for the University’s women’s basketball team.

“I show up whenever I can to help out,” he says. That devotion stems from an appreciation of everything that happens on campus.

“There is so much that happens behind the scenes that doesn’t always get recognition or awareness,” he says, noting that services that may get taken for granted — such as campus police or plant operations — are one of the reasons he and Danielle opted to join the Heritage Society.

“Giving back to Lasell was an easy choice for me,” says Danielle. “From running the bed-and-breakfast to sending our children to Rockwell Preschool and then raising them on campus, Lasell University will always be a special place to us.”

Neil agrees. “As you succeed,” he says, “it is important to remember who took care of you. We feel very strongly in that sense about giving back.”

Mahony, a nurse practitioner and educator of more than 30 years, has committed to creating an institutional legacy with a planned gift that lists Lasell as the beneficiary of a life insurance policy.

Mahony lost touch with the college after graduation, and, despite living in Massachusetts for the majority of her career, only returned in 2017 for her milestone reunion at the insistence of her sister-in-law, who was also Mahony’s roommate at Lasell. Mahony describes her time at the former junior college for women as one of constant transition. Social and political shifts impacted her experience as her studies coincided with the Vietnam War and evolving stances on women in the workplace. Her campus visit exposed her to a world of change at Lasell, and she found the transformation “striking.”

“It is wonderful and essential to see the institution offer the liberal arts so that students can learn to think critically,” says Mahony, “and on the other hand, it is also nice to know that students get through with [industry-specific] vocational skills they can use.”

Mahony was particularly impressed by the number of majors offered on campus, and the extent to which each offers hands-on experiences to students. She is now a member of the college’s Board of Overseers and has made several donations to support scholarships, the recent capital campaign, and the Donahue Center for Ethics, Diversity, and Inclusion. She hopes to ensure that issues of diversity are addressed on campus with both a physical space for students and a comprehensive educational program on the subject.

“It is a great feeling to have the ability to help students,” said Mahony.

After earning her associate’s degree at Lasell and later pursuing two bachelor’s degrees, two master’s degrees, and a doctorate in maternal child health, she believes it is her duty to pass on the gift of education to others.

“It is a nice feeling to know that I’ll be remembered,” she says, “but I also know that something good will happen with my gift since Lasell spends its money well.”

At what was then Lasell Junior College, Goodale developed a love for learning that continues to this day; matured in the school’s intimate, nurturing environment; and expanded her worldview through exposure to a wide variety of people, coursework, ideas, and experiences.

“I wished Lasell had been more than two years,” Goodale says. “It was such a formative time in my life.”

Goodale has done her best to continue the college experience after graduation, earning her bachelor’s degree from Northeastern University in 1987 and serving Lasell in a number of volunteer capacities. She recently stepped down after 33 years on the Lasell University Alumni Association board and is a member of the University’s Board of Overseers. She has also given generously to the Lasell Fund and the In Pursuit of Great capital campaign, and joined the Heritage Society by making a provision for Lasell in her will.

“Lasell made such a big impact on my life that I want to see it grow and prosper,” Goodale says of her support of Lasell. “I’ve seen Lasell in all of its iterations, and I am so proud of what it has become. Education is so important to me; ignorance is terrible both for people personally and for society.”

Goodale is pleased that the essential ingredients that define Lasell have remained despite the University’s growth. “Lasell’s moral compass is still very strong,” she says. “Kindness, fairness, and equity are instilled in the students.”

Goodale arrived at Lasell in the fall of 1964 planning to pursue the secretarial studies program, but quickly switched to general academics. She thoroughly enjoyed her sociology and history classes, particularly Introduction to Art History with Professor Jacquelin Saunders. “It opened a completely new world to me,” she recalls. “I think of that class as being life changing.”

While working as a legal secretary in Boston in the 1980s, Goodale began taking night classes at Northeastern and received her bachelor’s degree in art history after several semesters. She was driven to return to school by her interest in lifelong learning and her desire to earn her BA, just as her mother had done at Wheaton College 53 years earlier when few women attained college degrees.

“I did it for my own personal satisfaction and because of the tradition of women in my family receiving bachelor’s degrees,” she says.

Goodale’s pursuit of knowledge continues. After befriending a retired psychiatrist from Germany several years ago, she began studying German at the Cambridge Center for Adult Education. Goodale and her sister, Marjorie, have visited the country three times in recent years and are able to converse with their friend’s husband, who does not speak English.

“Even though I am retired, I am still part of the world,” Goodale explains. “Learning keeps your mind active and allows you to get more out of life.”

The former member of the Lasell Chorus and the Lamplighters octet has been a social ballroom dancer since the 1970s, and she has taught everything from waltz to foxtrot and swing to salsa in her Kitchen Dancing studio in her Massachusetts home for the last 18 years. She has competed in international ballroom, and has been taking lessons in this style of dance for the last five years. She curtailed her dancing and teaching during the spring and summer due to COVID-19, but recently returned to the dance floor in both capacities with some restrictions in place.

“I’m going to teach dance as long as I can,” says Hood, who has two sons and four grandchildren. “It’s fun, it’s challenging, and it’s rewarding.”

Since graduation, Hood has made an annual gift to The Lasell Fund. When she retired at the age of 77 after a long career as a legal secretary, she established a charitable gift annuity at Lasell, making a generous gift in exchange for a fixed income stream for life. The University is also in her will.

“I am very grateful for the wonderful experience that I had at Lasell,” Hood says in explaining her support of the University. “I look back at my days at Lasell with great fondness.”

While Hood is thrilled to see Lasell’s evolution into a coeducational university with graduate programs, she thrived in the all-women environment in the late 1950s and early ’60s. She lived in Ordway House as a first-year student and then moved to Cushing. She studied to be an executive secretary, yet appreciated the opportunity to round out her education by taking French, music appreciation, and other classes in the liberal arts. She still gets together with longtime friend Joan Franke Neustaedter ’61 twice a year in New Jersey.

As a social outlet, Hood began dancing in her early 30s at famed ballroom Moseley’s on the Charles. In time, she learned both the leader and follower parts, and then began teaching couples. After giving friends some lessons in swing, “I was so excited that I literally did not sleep that night,” she remembers. “I said to myself, ‘You can do this. You can start a business.’”

It’s been beautiful music ever since.

Back in the mid-1950s, there were two — yes, two! — television sets on the entire campus. On the way to crew practice, Connor and her teammates were required to wear trench coats over their shorts to hide their bare legs. And, students needed permission slips, signed by their house mothers, to leave campus.

“There were fewer decisions to make because the decisions were made for us,” she recalls, “but being together all of the time fostered the feeling among the students that you were part of a big family.”

Although there are many more students on campus today (not to mention more TVs and no house mothers!), Connor is pleased that the essence of her alma mater has not changed in the six decades since she graduated. She has been an eyewitness to the institution’s growth as an active alum with the Board of Overseers and the Lasell University Alumni Association, from which she stepped down in 2021 after many years of service.

“Lasell has been able to grow and change but maintain the small-school identity and friendliness that makes it special to me,” she says. “I take great pride in what Lasell has become.”

Connor, who worked as a realtor with Coldwell Banker for many years, has contributed to Lasell’s development through both her volunteer and financial support. She makes a generous gift to the Lasell Fund each year and also established two charitable gift annuities, qualifying her for membership in the Heritage Society planned giving group.

“I want to see Lasell continue to do well,” she says. “Lasell has had great leadership through the years with Presidents Tom de Witt and Michael B. Alexander. I have always been impressed with how they have kept Lasell ahead of the curve.”

A secretarial student at Lasell, Connor lived in Woodland House as a freshman and Briggs House as a senior. She remembers typing class with Miss Josephs and learning shorthand from Sebastian Mignosa, serving as the vice president of the student court, and enjoying dances with students from Boston College and Babson.

If not for Lasell, she might never have married Philip Connor, her husband of 52 years who died in 2010. During her senior year, they met at Jane’s, a Newton restaurant, shortly after he had returned home from time with the U.S. Marines.

“He was a dreaded Newton ‘townie,’” Connor recalls with a laugh. “I guess I owe everything to Lasell.”

“I grew up at Lasell,” she explains of her affinity for the University, “and learned how to be resilient, work hard, and face challenges. I was determined to graduate with my degree — and Lasell helped me to do that.”

In addition to making annual gifts to the Lasell Fund, she recently joined the Heritage Society after choosing to include Lasell in her estate plans.

“Lasell gave me a really good foundation,” she says. “Because of what Lasell enabled me to do with my life, I feel obligated to pay it forward to help today’s students.”

Ogrodnik’s particular area of philanthropic focus at Lasell has been the Brennan Library since she is an avid reader. The shelves at her Virginia home are overflowing with books, and she frequently visits her local library. Her son-in-law even constructed and installed a mini sharing library in front of her home.

At Lasell, Ogrodnik lived in the new (at the time) Woodland residence hall as a first-year student, built enduring friendships with roommate Mimi Chol Smith ’55 and many others, and played field hockey and tennis. She can vividly recall the annual Father’s Weekend celebration.

“What I remember most about Lasell was the camaraderie with other students,” she says. “We had a good time but were also committed to our studies.”

Ogrodnik’s education did not end after she received her associate’s degree from Lasell. She went on to earn two more two-year degrees — in art and social work — and was employed as a licensed social worker in an adult protection services unit until 2013. She also volunteered in a similar capacity for many years, as she found working with the elderly to be rewarding. Ogrodnik currently volunteers for Project Lifesaver, helping vulnerable people, including seniors and children with autism.

“Helping people has always come naturally to me,” Ogrodnik says.