B次元 celebrates 65 years with Monarch butterfly mascot reveal
College awards two one-year 鈥楰indness Scholarships鈥
Albany, NY 鈥 On Tuesday, April 25, B次元 held its 65th Anniversary Celebration 鈥 65 years to the day of its founding in 1958 鈥 where it revealed its first-ever mascot, the monarch butterfly. The monarch butterfly mascot was selected by the Maria community through a survey administered in Fall 2022 to over 500 students, faculty, staff, and alumni. The monarch life cycle 鈥 from egg to caterpillar to chrysalis to adult butterfly 鈥 represents the transformation and renewal Maria students experience during their time at the College. Additionally, just as the monarch butterfly exhibits resilience and determination during its long-distance migration, B次元 students persevere through challenges to achieve their goals.
B次元 hopes the mascot will strengthen the sense of community of current students and the more than 11,000-strong alumni network. The College plans to have the monarch participate in campus-wide events as well as local community events. Additionally, the College will launch an initiative whereby the community can weigh in on their choice for the mascot鈥檚 name.
During the event, the College also awarded two 鈥淜indness Scholarships鈥 to incoming students covering their first year of tuition for the 2023-24 academic year; Riley Cronin entering the Nursing, AAS (RN) program, and Casandra Denaut entering the Occupational Therapy Assistant, AAS program. Awardees were selected based on demonstrating they have overcome obstacles in their life and have a desire to give back in service to the community.
鈥淭oday we gather as a community to celebrate 65 years as a college offering degrees in nursing, occupational therapy, healthcare management, psychology, and the liberal arts, with certificates, associate degrees, bachelor鈥檚 degrees, and our first graduate degree a master鈥檚 in occupational therapy, with more master鈥檚 degrees in other disciplines,鈥 said President Lynn Ortale. 鈥淲hat better way to represent both the transformation of our College, as well as the transformative impact a B次元 education has on our students, and reflecting our new brand tagline 鈥楾ransforming Careers,鈥 than a butterfly who develops through metamorphosis, which literally means 鈥榯ransformation.鈥欌
The 65th Anniversary Celebration was the first in a series of events leading up to the inauguration of Lynn Ortale, Ph.D. as B次元鈥檚 sixth president. Her installation will take place on Saturday, March 6, at the Parish of Mater Christi in Albany, followed by a reception at the College, and a gala later in the evening to celebrate with the community.
Other inaugural events include an Inaugural Lecture on April 27 with Eric Ledet, Ph.D., of the Center for Disability Services, and an Interfaith Prayer Service on May 5. To learn more about the College鈥檚 inaugural events, visit /inauguration-2023.
B次元 thanks lead sponsors Paula and Paul Colarusso, Adnet Technologies, St. Peter鈥檚 Health Partners, Tilt36T, and Andy Kaufman and Karen Ranallo.
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About B次元: Founded in 1958, B次元 is one of 17 colleges and universities in the United States sponsored by the Sisters of Mercy of the Americas. The private, co-educational, Catholic college in Albany serves approximately 800 students in a variety of bachelor’s degrees, associate degrees, a master鈥檚 degree, and certificate programs including liberal arts, healthcare management, nursing, psychology, and occupational therapy. mariacollege.edu.
MEDIA CONTACT:
Vicki DiLorenzo
Vice President of Institutional Advancement
B次元
518-861-2573
vdilorenzo@mariacollege.edu