Alumni Spotlights

St. Rose School students may leave our halls upon graduation but never our hearts.

Our students go on to top high schools and colleges followed by exciting careers. Many of them continue giving back to the communities in which they live through service, some have even started their own non profit organizations to better the lives of others.

We are proud of our alumni, the majority of whom credit their future successes to the foundations in academics, faith and service they learned at St. Rose School. Here are some of their stories.

Alumni Spotlight: Joseph Rahtelli II

Class of 2003

He walked these halls from the first day of Kindergarten to the final day of 8th grade and in between learned lasting lessons and made marvelous memories including visits to the ice cream shop with Monsignor Bob, fun class field trips and exciting games on the court as a member of the boys basketball team.

Now a successful CPA and Financial Accountant for a Greenwich based Hedge Fund, happily married to his wife, Kaitlyn (Monsignor Bob was the celebrant of their Nuptial Mass in 2017), living in Ridgefield and expecting their first baby in December, Joseph reflects back on his days at St. Rose School as being formative and the gateway to his successes at Fairfield Prep, Marist College and in his professional life.

He credits Mrs. Maloney with igniting his love for learning and Mr. Woodcock for pushing him in his strongest subject, Math. Joseph is thankful to Monsignor Bob is for his continuous guidance and he says that his Mother, our beloved Kindergarten teacher Mrs. Rahtelli, has been the most influential teacher in his life.

"St. Rose School is more than just an education, it is a family. Your teachers will prepare you for high school and beyond, the community becomes a strong support system and your classmates become life long friends. Treasure every moment at St. Rose. You are attending a very special school that will lay the groundwork for success in your future endeavors. If you strive to live by the four core values (Respect, Integrity, Academic Excellence and Service) you will find yourself living a very happy life full of accomplishments."

Basketball with a twist of Faith...

Congratulations to St. Rose School alumnae Sabrina Capodicci, Maya Webler, Cate Herrick, Katherine Bonomo, Marianella Salinas and Anastasia Meltzer who recently received the Girl Scout Gold Award. These young ladies have been together as a troop since their days at St. Rose School and have worked diligently under the guidance of their dedicated leader, Mrs. Annette Capodicci, to achieve this milestone. Mrs. B, Sister Thaddeus and Ms. Smith attended the award ceremony. In further exciting news, 3 of the 77 CT Gold recipients have been chosen to represent the state at the National Gold Level – all three are from Newtown and SRS alumnae – Cate Herrick, Sabrina Capodicci and Kate Marinalla Salinas. All of these girls are truly making a difference in the world. May God continue to bless their good works!

Congratulations to the St. Rose School Class of 2015 who recently graduated from their High Schools and are on their way to great places including The U.S. Naval Academy at Annapolis, University of Notre Dame, Baylor University, Fordham, Holy Cross, The Boston Conservatory at Berklee, Seton Hall, Villanova, Drexel University, Muehlenberg.

It was a joy to have this class back with us for Mass and Breakfast on the last day of school. They are a group of hard working, talented, service minded, faithful young men and women. We wish them God's blessings as they move forward in their lives to fulfill the plans He has for them.

Nicole Kolitsas (L) and Siobhan Reidy (R), members of SRS Class of 2017 and currently Sophomores at Immaculate High School, did an outstanding job as Student Directors of Getting To Know The Sound of Music and last year's musical Annie Jr.

Both young ladies participated in St. Rose School musicals during their time here, as well as in outside productions. In fact, in their 8th grade year Siobhan and Nicole shared the role of Fiona in Shrek Jr. Recently, Nicole was the Leading Player (Dark) in Immaculate High School's musical,Pippin. Siobhan performed in Broadway Workshop's Main Stage production of Sister Act at the Riverside Theater in New York City. Somehow they managed to attend all St. Rose School rehearsals while they were in rehearsals for their respective productions. They showed a great level of commitment and responsibility beyond their years.

Siobhan and Nicole are wonderful role models to the St. Rose School students who have learned so much about stage direction, projecting their voices and confidence under their knowledgable and caring guidance.

"To say that Nicole and Siobhan are a blessing to us at St. Rose is an understatement! These two alum are not only incredibly talented, but dedicated as well. They were a MAJOR part of directing our show, from audition day where they came to give pep talks and meet the students, to choreographing and blocking the show, and even attending our cast party wrap up. The wealth of knowledge these two ladies bring with them is quite remarkable. They have performed in numerous shows both as ensemble members, and as leads. They attend school all day, then come to our 2 hour rehearsals, then go off to their own rehearsals at night. Amazing!

I always say that I would have loved having them as students at St. Rose, but I'm even luckier to be able to work with them and call them my colleagues and friends," said Mrs. Salustri.

No doubt their names will be in lights some day ...they are certainly in the hearts of everyone here at St. Rose School.

Patrick Brennan, SRS Class of 1999, has come back to his roots. The father of three – Declan (age 5 who is currently in the Preschool and plans to attend St. Rose School Kindergarten), Brian and Aurora – says “I enjoyed my St. Rose School experience so much that I want to give my children the same opportunity. Although the school has grown in size since my time here, it is still a tight community in which I know my children will thrive.” He and his wife Amanda are active school parents because they believe that service is an important part of life and, according to Patrick, “some of the best people you meet are found when helping others.” Read more here...

The seeds of sharing, caring and learning to use God’s gifts to our greatest potential took root and are flourishing in SRS Class of 2006 alum Zachary Bokuniewicz. A 2014 Magna Cum Laude graduate of Rochester Institute of Technology with a BFA in Graphic Design, Zach is currently working full time as the Motion Graphics & Video Producer in the Advancement Office at the University of Rochester and is simultaneously working on his MBA. His mission at work is to develop marketing and recruiting materials that highlight the programs, culture and opportunities at University of Rochester to both internal and external audiences. He also works on marketing campaigns with top level benefactors which has led to increased charitable gifts to the University including a billion dollar donation to fund medical research being conducted at the University. Read more here...

Ilona Ludanyi, SRS Class of 2014, grew up in the halls of St. Rose School. “I remember St. Rose as my first family. I grew up there. My mother was constantly volunteering to help out with my older sister Lizzy’s class at lunch duty, as a Room Mom and with various other school events. When I was a toddler, I spent most of my time there. I knew everyone and everyone knew me. The loving atmosphere of the school was comforting and nurturing. It fostered so many friendships that are still strong today.” Read more here...