Alumni outcomes

Small classes, internships and personal attention pay off. Meet some of our graduates.

First-grade teacher Ann Marie Ouellette loves it when she sees a child understand. She fondly recalls her children’s literature class at Saint Joseph’s, because the professor “really transferred her passion about reading.” She liked the variety of internships, where she experienced settings in first grade, third grade, middle school and alternate education. Now, with skill and nuance in the midst of persistent questions from 6-year-old minds, she balances curriculum, classroom management and school district benchmarks.

Biology major Sean Carey is a family practice physician at Central Maine Medical Center. After medical school, he did his residency at Maine Medical Center, the state’s largest hospital. His wife, Amber Caron Carey, was also a biology major at Saint Joseph’s, and she now works as a manager at a large biotechology firm. Many of our biology majors go on to graduate school and succeed in varied positions – everything from research scientist to optometrist to veterinarian.

Irish history scholar Angie Gleason teaches medieval history at Princeton University. After she graduated from Saint Joseph’s, she studied in Germany on a Fulbright Scholarship and then enrolled in graduate school at Trinity College in Dublin, where she earned her doctorate and taught for several years. Her expertise is the social and cultural history of medieval Ireland, especially its early legal structure, but she also focuses on the philosophy of play and the history of sport. A former volleyball player at Saint Joseph’s, she still loves to compete.

Theology major Katie Pinard recently completed her Master of Arts in Transforming Spirituality at Seattle University. She specialized in spiritual direction in the School of Theology and Ministry and earned the archbishop’s award for embodying the university’s mission and values. She is employed at the Center for Service and Community Engagement at Seattle University, and has begun a spiritual direction and retreat direction practice. While at Saint Joseph’s, she was active in service learning, Campus Ministry, and Habitat for Humanity.

Chad Pulkkinen is living his dream of playing professional basketball. A member of the Northampton Neptunes in the British basketball league, he gets to tour English villages on his days off. A business major at Saint Joseph’s, he entertained offers in the field, but couldn’t pass up the chance to become a professional athlete. As part of his contract, he also coaches children, who then come to the games to cheer! “This has been something I have worked for my entire life,” he says. “To have this opportunity is incredible.”

Jessica Cote, a communications major, is now the web services manager at an award-winning marketing agency in southern Maine. During her junior year at Saint Joseph’s, she interned in the public relations department at an area hospital and worked closely with the marketing manager. The internship opened doors and gave her the experience she needed for her fast-paced position – a job fostered through a connection with one of her former professors.