Alumna Spotlight, Rosemary Gagliardi, Loretto Abbey, Class of 2015

Apr 10, 2019 | 0 comments

Alumna Spotlight, Rosemary Gagliardi, Loretto Abbey, Class of 2015

At the Abbey

My first memory from my time at the Abbey, happened to not be in the actual building. I remember being so nervous to go to my Camp White Pine as a grade nine student and meet all these new people. However, by the time camp was over I couldn’t wait to get more involved in the school.  I’ll never forget being a part of the volleyball team, the field hockey team, leadership, and countless other events that were so impactful (I’ll also never forget these extracurriculars because I have a sweatshirt from each club and team lol). A highlight of my experience at the abbey was having the opportunity to be a leader in grade 12 at Camp White Pine and also attending Camp Olympia. 

The relationship that teachers have with the students at the Abbey is unparalleled. When I wasn’t doing extracurriculars, I often spent spares and free time annoying the teachers (sorry Andreacchi, Cappadocia, Muia, Lopes, Pereira, etc). Though I’m sure they do not miss me barging into their classrooms unannounced, I will always miss the times both in and out of the classroom I’ve had with teachers who went the extra mile to make the Abbey such an incredible school. I hope I’ve made them proud and continue to build off the knowledge I’ve gained from them

Getting Personal

I think it is exceptionally important to have a good balance of school, life and work. Similar to my time at the Abbey, I found a way to get involved with University of Toronto Scarborough’s numerous extra curriculars. I play intramural volleyball and hockey and I am also involved in the International development community at UTSC. Though my job in Toronto is currently on hold, I am a dance/skating instructor at the city of Toronto. But most importantly, I  always manage to find time to hang out with my friends and family because these are the people who inspire me and keep me motivated.

Getting Professional

I was accepted to study in the International Development Co-op program. This program was actually introduced to me through a fellow alum, Daniela Spagnuolo who graduated from the program. Currently, I am living and working in Ghana doing an internship at World Vision, while working on research for my thesis. I am based out of the national office in Accra; however, as a part of my job I often travel into “the field” to interact closely with World Visions projects. My research is focused on the extremely varied literacy rates across urban and rural Ghana. I have been able to speak to local teachers, principals, parents, and educational policy makers to learn and understand more about literacy in Ghana. 

My interest in this research topic and my passion for development stems greatly from my time at the Abbey; from the English teachers who instilled a love a literacy in me, to the geography teachers who sparked my curiosity in the world.

I am so thankful for their guidance and knowledge.

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