Welcome Alumnae

Maura Murphy Abbott ‘94

PhD, AOCNP, CPNP, FAAN 

Columbia University/Associate Dean, Clinical Affairs Associate Professor of Nursing; Nurse Practitioner Oncology

 I started at Fordham University and received a Bachelor of Science degree, thinking I would go into the FBI to become a behavioral analyst/profiler, but that did not happen. I worked in a hospital during college as the Nursing Department's Chief Nursing Ocer and after college graduation continued to work in hospital administration for a couple of years. At that time, I never thought I would become a clinician. But, being surrounded by clinicians of all dierent backgrounds, nurses, physicians, physical therapists, technologists, and more I became interested in pursuing clinical education. I started in a post-baccalaureate pre-med program to complete the necessary prerequisites for medical school and during that program the 9/11 attacks occurred. That day changed my career path. I was not really enjoying the competitiveness of my pre-med program and I was beginning to doubt that medicine was my calling - it just did not fit who I was. Then I needed to get a school physical and I saw a Nurse Practitioner. From a family of nurses and I didn't even know what an NP was! I found an accelerated program to become an RN and was fortunate to be accepted to the Yale School of Nursing for my RN and then my Masters of Science in Nursing to become a Pediatric Nurse Practitioner. I am certified as an acute and primary care Pediatric Nurse Practitioner. I worked in Pediatric Oncology at CT Children's Hospital and at Memorial Sloan Kettering. Then, I went back to Yale for my PhD in Nursing and became a certified Adult Oncology Nurse Practitioner. After my PhD, I went back to Columbia and joined the Division of Hematology/Oncology and became Faculty at the Columbia School of Nursing. I am the Oncology Subspecialty Program Director for all nursing students who want to become an Oncology Nurse Practitioner. I am the founder of the Oncology Urgent Care which is run by Nurse Practitioners and the Associate Dean for Clinical Aairs. I am also the founder of the first Department of Nursing at Columbia Irving Medical Center.

Nicole Breen ‘11

NBA, Youth Basketball Development Program Manager

After my time at Sacred Heart Academy, I attended Villanova University where I received a Bachelor of Arts in Communication in 2015. While at Villanova, I interned in video production for the Philadelphia 76ers as well as freelanced in operations and production for ESPN, working at Wimbledon and the US Open. 

Following graduation, I worked part-time in production for MSG Network prior to landing a job at the NBA, where I have been working ever since in Youth Basketball Development, leading youth basketball programming to positively impact young athletes, parents, and coaches.

Janice Desir '96

R1 RCM, Peer to Peer Manager, Kidney Medical Associates and Saint Barnabas Hospital- Nephrologist

Since my days at SHA, I ended up in the field of medicine. I often thought that law would be my future during my freshman and sophomore years. However, with two parents that were both involved in dierent parts of healthcare, I had exposure to medicine and later felt more called to a career in this field as I was preparing for college. When I finished college, I decided to pursue my Masters’ in Public Health and after my degree, I worked for a year at the Children’s Hospital in Philadelphia. After this experience, I started medical school in Ohio the following year and then returned to New York for a combined training in Internal Medicine/Pediatrics at StonyBrook followed by a dual training in adult and pediatric nephrology. I started working for a private practice and later got involved in medical education, teaching medical residents. This led me to an opportunity to work as a Physician Advisor with R1RCM, a company that helps hospitals recoup lost revenue. My role was to perform written consults to help guide other doctors on the correct status to place patients and then transitioned to talking with medical directors at insurance companies to advocate on behalf of these hospitals to overturn denials. With time, my team grew and I became a manager and now I train and mentor other physician colleagues on this work.

Shannon Lally McLay '96

CEO and Founder of The Financial Gym

Shannon McLay is 24-year-financial services veteran and currently the CEO and Founder of The Financial Gym, a revolutionary financial planning company, whose mission includes providing financial wellness for people of all financial shapes and sizes. Shannon’s early career focused on institutional banking including investment banking and hedge fund sales. In 2012, while Shannon was working as a financial advisor at Merrill Lynch, she recognized the need to create a financial services company that would provide retail clients the financial partner they needed to achieve their goals no matter the size of their assets. The Financial Gym is a national, personal financial services company that takes a fitness-inspired approach to its clients’ finances. Certified Financial Trainers or your B.F.F. (Best Financial Friend) work one-on-one with clients on a regular basis to teach them financial literacy, how to budget, how to make smarter, more strategic decisions about their finances; and most importantly how to have a healthy relationship with money. Over the past eleven years, Financial Gym has worked with tens of thousands of clients in all 50 states, all income brackets, and all backgrounds. Within three months of working with Financial Gym, the average client will increase their net worth by $2,500, increase their credit score by over 50 points and increase their income by over $5,000. Shannon currently hosts the award-winning podcast, Martinis and Your Money and is the author of Train Your Way to Financial Fitness. She has been featured on the TODAY show, The New York Times, Fast Company, Forbes, Business Insider and The Wall Street Journal. Shannon was also named a Woman to Watch in SHAPE’s Women Changing the World issue in 2019. Shannon lives in Westchester, NY and became an empty nester in 2024 when her son Will started college at Binghamton University. Shannon enjoys reading crime novels, listening to WWIIrelated podcasts and spending time with her partner Vinnie.

Kathryn Sullivan McDonald ‘09 

VP of Marketing at Arista Records, a division of Sony Entertainment

After graduating from Sacred Heart, I attended the University of Miami where I double majored in Media Management and English Literature and Double Minored in Marketing and Music Business. During my time in Miami, I worked for the school’s radio station, WVUM 90.5 FM, where I was a disc jockey and had a weekly show. My junior year, our station won the MTV Woodie Award for “Best College Radio Station”. While in college, I interned at CID Entertainment, a company that produces VIP packages at music festivals. Here, I had the opportunity to tour the US working on site production at festivals including Bonnaroo, Electric Forest, Electric Zoo, LOCKN’, and many others. It was this experience that solidified my desire to work in the music industry. After graduating, I continued to work freelance gigs with CID and landed a full-time job at United Stations Radio Networks. I worked here for a year before being hired by the Stockholm-based record label PRMD Music and Publishing, becoming one of the founding members of its US presence and oversaw releases for EDM superstar Avicii, Cazzette and others. While at PRMD, I got involved with the Brilliant Minds conference; a two-day leadership summit in Stockholm that brings entrepreneurs together from all industries. During the conference, I am the VIP guest manager where I coordinate logistics directly with the production team. This year will mark the conference’s 10-year anniversary! In 2019 I was hired by Arista Records (a label under Sony Music Entertainment) as an Associate Director of Marketing and since then have worked my way up to a VP of Marketing role. Throughout my time at Arista I have worked on exciting projects including Grammy Nominated artists.

Anna McGovern '06

Rockville Centre School District, Principal (Hewitt Elementary)

Since my time at Sacred Heart Academy, I attended Manhattan College for my undergraduate and graduate degrees. I focused my studies on Special Education and began my teaching career at the psychiatric day treatment in the Bronx. I received my advanced certificate in School Building & School District Leadership from The College of Saint Rose. I became an assistant principal in the South Bronx, supervising three special education sites. After many years of commuting to the Bronx, I transitioned to the role of Early Childhood Special Education Director in Oceanside, where I was able to support families and students with special needs and supervised special education programming. Missing the day-to-day action of building leadership, I decided to go back to being an assistant principal in Long Beach at Lindell Elementary. Last Spring, I was appointed as principal of Hewitt Elementary in Rockville Centre. I am currently pursuing my doctoral degree at Molloy University in the Educational Leadership program for Diverse Learning Communities. Something that has been consistent in my life since my time at SHA is Camp ANCHOR. Since my time leaving SHA, I have grown through my roles as volunteer to sta member to group leader and now, junior camp director. Camp ANCHOR has inspired my career in education and helped me grow both personally and professionally. It is where I met my husband and developed some of the strongest friendships in my life.

Brittany Mehmedovic ‘07

The Weekly Show with Jon Stewart, Producer 

Since graduating from Sacred Heart in 2007, I 

pursued studies in Communications and Fashion 

Merchandising, building a strong foundation for my 

career in media and production. I seized an 

opportunity for an internship at MTV Networks. I was 

quickly recognized for my dedication and talent, 

earning a full-time role immediately after my 

internship. This decision marked the beginning of my 

successful journey in the entertainment industry. 

As an Emmy-nominated producer with over a decade 

of experience, I have contributed to a number of 

high-level productions, including variety series, 

top-tier talk shows, and large-scale live events. Most 

recently, I have served as a Producer for The Weekly 

Show with Jon Stewart, where I oversee the booking 

of influential guests, manage on-air content, and 

guide episode development from concept to 

broadcast. 

My career has been built on fostering relationships 

with talent and industry representatives, strategic 

project management, and the ability to deliver 

compelling content that captivates audiences.

Lisa Cella Ortiz ‘89

D&B Engineers and Architects D.P.C. / Senior Engineer, Water Supply Division

After graduating from SHA, I began my time at Manhattan College as a Chemical Engineering major. I went from an all-girls school to a mostly-boys classroom, usually being the only female engineering student in most of my classes. During my summers o and winter intercessions between semesters. I worked as an engineering intern for Jamaica Water Supply Company. I was boots on the ground, out in the field, surveying water main construction work and assisting with design plans. After two years, I was looking for a change, so I moved back home and transferred to Hofstra University, continuing my education as a Civil Engineering major and Mathematics minor. In the Engineering School, I had a female professor who helped to increase course oerings in the civil/environmental area and who was also a special mentor to me. Under her guidance, I found my interest in environmental engineering. She also brought to Hofstra new student engineering opportunities: the first student chapter of the Society of Women Engineers (SWE). I was the first President of SWE at Hofstra and enjoyed watching it grow each year with new members. After graduating from Hofstra, I started as an environmental engineer at Fenley and Nicol Environmental, an environmental 

contractor/consultant in Suolk County, specializing in pollution remediation and construction. I left Fenley and Nicol and moved back into water supply at Long Island Water (now Liberty Utilities). As an engineer there, I gained experience both in the field and in the oce, handling everything from water main construction and well drilling projects to planning water treatment facilities. I was still the only female engineer there but it was a very supportive environment. After taking a short break to start a family (my hardest work ever!) I started working where I am today, as a Senior Engineer at D&B Engineers and Architects in Nassau County.. I am finally not the only female engineer - we have many and two of our Vice Presidents are women as well! It is a fast-paced, deadline-driven position but one in which I have learned so much and have continued to grow.

Kaitlyn Quinn ‘04

CPA, National Football League/Finance Director of League Oce Operations

After graduation, I attended Stonehill College and pursued my Bachelor’s degree in Accounting. I decided to apply for an internship during my sophomore year at AIG, which led to another internship at PwC during my junior year. At the beginning of my senior year, I was oered a full-time position and I worked at PwC for two years while pursuing my CPA. After building a strong foundation in public accounting, I decided to move into the private sector. I took a sta accounting job at BNY Convergex (a broker dealer of the Bank of New York) and learned how a public company operates. I enjoyed my time at Convergex, but was looking for a more exciting industry. I was given the opportunity to interview for a Senior Accountant role at the NFL. After multiple rounds of interviews, I was finally hired! I have been at the NFL for eleven years and have worked in various 

departments, including the Controller’s Group and Operational Finance. I am currently the Finance Director of League Oce Operations, overseeing the NFL’s spending in IT, football Operations, PH&S, DEI, and Data & Analytics.

Daria Rose ‘15

Third-Year Corporate Associate - Wachtell, Lipton, Rosen, & Katz

Daria Rose is a corporate M&A associate at Wachtell, Lipton, Rosen & Katz in New York and a rising media personality. After graduating cum laude from Harvard University in 2019 with a degree in Government and Women Gender Studies, she earned her J.D. from Yale Law School in 2022. 

At Yale, Rose served on the Yale Law Journal, worked with the Black Law Students Association and the Temporary Restraining Order Project, and gained national recognition as a contestant on ABC's "The Bachelor." As a research assistant for Professor James Forman, Jr., she helped launch "Access to Law School," a pre-law pipeline initiative. 

Beyond her legal practice, Rose is a political commentator for The Young Turks Network (TYT). Her content has also amassed millions of views across various platforms.

Marie St. Pierre ‘16 

Estee Lauder Companies - Associate Scientist

Since saying my goodbyes to Sacred Heart back in 2016, the journey has been anything but a straight road! I attended college at the University of Notre Dame where I majored in Biochemistry. I decided I would take on the medical field and pursue a career as a doctor; however, looking back, I know I only made the decision because I was very unaware of what other careers even existed in science besides medicine. I graduated from college in 2020, studied for the MCAT, applied to medical school, and did not get in. While I was initially very discouraged, I bounced back quickly and found a job in the medical field to keep me busy in the meantime while I could figure out my next steps. I became a Medical Scribe working in a Breast Oncology oce in New Hyde Park. While working at this job, I also tutored high school students in Science and Math. Shortly after I began tutoring, my name had landed in the perfect person’s lap. By word of mouth, a woman who worked at Estee Lauder Companies heard about a recent Biochemistry graduate and wanted to speak to me about the opportunity to work at Estee Lauder as a Scientist. I was absolutely interested. We connected on the phone a couple of times before I interviewed with the director of one of the Research Labs at Estee Lauder. Soon enough, he oered me a job as an Associate Scientist in the Bioinformation Research Lab at Estee Lauder in Melville. I have now been working there for about a year and a half and I absolutely love it!

Sehar Ahmed, '08

Emmy-winning Senior Producer CBS News and CBS Mornings

Sehar started her career in the fast-paced, high pressure news and media industry at CBS News 10 years ago. Sehar graduated form New York University with a degree in Journalism and Middle Eastern & Islamic Studies, Sehar’s first position was at CBS Radio for a year before joining CBS This Morning as a broadcast associate. In 2019, she was a producer at Bloomberg News (now QuickTake) and then returned to CBS News and CBS Mornings as a supervising producer. Sehar has many impressive accomplishments including an Emmy Award for Outstanding Live News Program.

Michelle Avery ESQ. '00

Attorney

Michelle is a Housing Attorney at Legal Services of the Hudson Valley. Besides graduating with a juris doctoral degree with Pro Bono Honors, she has a bachelor’s degree in Policy Analysis and Management from Cornell University and a master’s degree in Art and Cultural Management from the Pratt Institute. Her eleven years of legal experience includes serving underserved families and advocating for them in City Court as a Housing Attorney, intellectual property work for sole proprietors, consumer work for Bank of America, and public interest work for organizations such as the Guardian ad Litem. As a law student, she developed her passion for public service and was elected as the Vice-President of the Caribbean Law Student Association and served as a Property Law tutor, which allowed her to engage in work centered in education and the development of students.

Jenn (Vertiz) Calabrese  CPA, CGMA, '88, P'19

CEO of CCL

Jenn Calabrese specializes in SEC financial reporting, compliance, and consulting services to facilitate the reporting between auditors and public companies on behalf of clients. Jenn started her career at KPMG, LLP, where she was employed from January 1994 through June 2001, and held numerous positions, including senior audit manager. While at KPMG, Jenn received the firm’s Instructor of Excellence Award for her work in the firm’s continuing education program. From June 2001 through 2003, Jenn served as the Corporate Controller for United Capital Corp., a publicly traded real estate management company, and from June 2004 to July 2007, Jenn held the role of VP – Controller and Principal Accounting Officer for MKTG, Inc. From July 2007 through March 2010, Jenn was the Managing Director of SEC Solutions Group, LLC, a company specializing in SEC financial reporting compliance and consulting services. From March 2010 through August 2012, Jenn served  March 2013, Jenn was appointed Executive Vice President of Finance for uSell.com, Inc. and Chief Financial Officer in April 2014. Jenn founded Calabrese Consulting, LLC (“CCL”) in 2012, applying a hands-on approach that exemplifies her dedication to her craft. CCL is a woman-owned, full-service accounting and advisory firm which currently employs over 55 employees, serving more than 350 clients around the world. Through CCL, Jenn and her team work hand-in-hand with clients to assist them in the research, interpretation, documentation, and implementation of various rules and regulations with respect to complex business and accounting transactions, such as stock-based compensation, derivative instruments, reverse mergers, acquisitions, and other difficult equity and debt transactions. Having graduated from Hofstra University with a B.B.A. in Accounting and a B.A. in Psychology, Jenn also earned her Master of Science in Accountancy from SUNY Polytechnic. She is a Certified Public Accountant, a Chartered Global Management Accountant and a member of both The American Institute of Certified Public Accountants and The New York State Society of Certified Public Accountants. And since January 2020, Jenn has also returned to Hofstra University as an Adjunct Assistant Professor, teaching Accounting 101. 

Diana Colapietro '12

Deputy Director of Social Media Forbes

After graduating from SHA, Diana received a bachelor’s degree in Photojournalism from St. John’s University in 2016. Diana worked at the Long Island Herald as a general assignment reporter for about a year, then joined the Fox News social media team for about two years. After that, she went to ABC News to build a social media audience around the up and coming streaming channel ABC News Live. As of July this year, Diana is the deputy director of social media at Forbes.

Meaghan Coyne, MD '12

Resident Physician

Meaghan attended Stony Brook University, where she rowed crew and conducted research on the role of smoking in breast cancer development. Following college, she ventured south to attend medical school at Tulane University. There, she ran a medical-student run free clinic that provided free HIV and Hepatitis C testing to high risk patients at homeless shelters and drug rehabs. This experience instilled in her a passion for community health, social justice, and harm reduction. After medical school, Meaghan returned to New York in the midst of the COVID pandemic in June 2020 to begin internal medicine residency at NYU. She is currently in her final year of training and intends to pursue specialization in addiction medicine next year.

Natalia Suaza ‘22

Miss Long Island Teen 2022

On November 20th 2022, Natalia Suaza '22 was crowned Miss Long Island Teen 2023. Natalia will be promoting her platform of cancer awareness throughout the Long Island community. In August of 2023, Natalia will be competing for the title of Miss New York Teen USA. 

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