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Learn more about what is new at the College and how our students, staff, faculty, and alumni are impacting the world.
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10Friday, July 10, 2020 - 5 P.M.
As we continue to shelter-in-place here in Moraga and throughout the country, we have...
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21Friday, August 21, 2020 - 6 P.M.
Join us for our first ever VIRTUAL Poker Tournament! No buy-in and the winner will...
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Oscar winners, NBA champions, leaders in business, education, social justice. Gaels are multi-talented and making an impact in the world. Check out the list.
Invest in us. As our newest Gaels embark on their journey, they will benefit, and depend, on our close knit community of world-class faculty, committed staff, and, loyal supporters, who recognize that we all share a personal stake in their future success, and the continued success of Saint Mary's. Join us and help all of us realize our full potential.
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FEATURED ALUMNI
Teacher Activist Changes Lives
When Nora Zulema Garcia ’08, MA ’12, ’13, returned home to Pomona in 2012 to become a high school teacher, she made good use of the lessons from her Saint Mary’s education.
“I decided to take what the College taught me and become involved in my community once again,” she said.
First, she fought successfully to keep the public library open when the city council moved to close it amid budget cuts: She is now president of the Friends of the Pomona Library. Garcia also worked with the Clean and Green Pomona group to hold industrial businesses accountable for the pollution they were causing in town.
In 2018, Garcia—who received her BA in English in 2008; MA in Creating Writing in 2012; and MA in Teaching in 2013—ran for city council against a 25-year incumbent and had little expectation of winning. But with some unexpected support (including from former professors at Saint Mary’s), she pulled off an upset victory after spending six months knocking on voters’ doors.
As a freshman English teacher at Citrus Valley High School, Garcia works to impact her students the same way her professors impacted her. “I literally have students who call me Mom,” she said.
“Serving is just part of the DNA once you leave.”
— Craig Lazzeretti
Michael Urbina Creates Space for Diversity and Inclusion
Michael Urbina ’14 takes the Saint Mary’s mantra Enter to Learn, Leave to Serve to soaring heights. As an executive recruiter for Silicon Valley–based tech company Box, Urbina uses his dual degree in Sociology and Women’s Studies to seek out and give voice to underrepresented talent in the business world.
While at Saint Mary’s, Urbina was deeply involved with the Women’s Resource Center and the popular Latinx Cultural Nights. These experiences, coupled with Urbina’s commitment to social justice and drive to create space for conversations about diversity and inclusion, have led him to do executive-level diversity work in the Bay Area. “At this point for me, it’s just about giving back and helping others,” he said.
In this spirit, Urbina has launched a podcast series called ¡Adelante, Juntos! in which he highlights the experiences of Latinx senior executives to inspire others. “I was looking for a one-stop shop like this myself when I entered the workforce, and I couldn’t find anything. This is my answer to that missing piece and my way of paying it forward,” he said.
Ultimately, Urbina hopes to continue expanding possibilities for diversity at the senior level. “There are very few Latinos in positions of leadership in Silicon Valley,” he said, “and if you don’t have leaders who look like you, how can you serve a diverse customer base?” Urbina’s work embodies the Gael spirit, and he emphasizes the value of his liberal arts degree in getting to where he is today.
“Saint Mary’s has positioned me tremendously well for where I am now. I did not take a single business class in college—so as a feminist, as someone with a liberal arts background, I’m doing this,” he said.
— Sophie Cipolla ’20
Christine Costamagna Connects Tennis With the Special Olympics
The paralegal certification that Christine Costamagna ’90 earned from Saint Mary’s not only opened the door to a successful career in legal services: She believes it also helped pave a rewarding path to volunteerism ranging from Special Olympics to the top echelons of the United States Tennis Association (USTA).
After graduating from UC Davis with a degree in English, the San Rafael resident decided to pursue a legal career, and at the time, Saint Mary’s was one of the few colleges in the United States with an accredited paralegal program.
That has led to a 30-year career with Bank of America, the past 22 years as an assistant corporate secretary. Costamagna credits BofA with supporting volunteer work among its employees.
“Without the paralegal certificate, I’m not sure I would have gone on to work at Bank of America,” she said. “My company also supports volunteerism, which has allowed me to be as involved as I am.”
In addition to coaching Marin County’s Special Olympics tennis program and high school tennis, Costamagna has held many leadership roles with the USTA. She currently is chair of its Adult Competition Committee.
She has forged new opportunities for disabled athletes with USTA, including helping to create the Unified Doubles National Championships. The tournament pairs able-bodied coaches and players with Special Olympics athletes at the 100-court USTA national campus in Orlando, Fla.
“It’s so much fun to see their faces when they show up on the campus for the first time,” she said.
— Craig Lazzeretti
