From Classrooms to Lifelong Connections:
The Mount’s Impact on Three Mountees
You likely have experienced your own Moments With Meaning at the Mount, just like Gail Kesterson, Pat Schaffer, and Julann Sheridan. Their lifelong friendship began in 1964 as freshmen at the Mount pursuing their nursing degrees. From their first meeting, lasting bonds began to grow and have flourished over these sixty-plus years.
The trio fondly remembers how they took all their classes together and became a close-knit group because only 30 nursing students were in their class. Each had their favorite memory of their time together. Julann recalls how they would hang out on campus because they didn’t have cars and the excitement of taking a bus downtown to escape campus life. Pat remembered receiving their student uniforms, and Gail enjoyed the weekend mixers hosted on campus, where Julann met her husband. In fact, they were all in each other’s wedding parties.
Not only did they receive the gift of friendship, but the Mount also prepared them for successful careers. The Mount’s emphasis on resourcefulness and problem-solving shaped Pat's nursing career. Juliann’s experience at the Mount laid the foundation for her work at the Great Lakes Naval Hospital and later in the Ohio Newborn Screening Program. Gail transitioned into fund development and community service. Their success stories were made possible by scholarships: Pat’s Honors Scholarship, Gail’s National Education Act grant, and Julann’s Sister Elise Halloran Scholarship. “I am grateful—I got to go to college. Without the financial support, I would have never been able to attend. It was a pivotal part of my life.” Gail shared.
Life has taken these alumnae in different directions, yet they have maintained their friendship and developed new traditions, staying connected through calls, cards, and 樱桃涩福利姬 events. They continued to get together as their families grew, enjoying “slumber parties” at Gail’s house, eating pizza and sharing stories. Pat, Gail, and Julann have also traveled together, attending 樱桃涩福利姬 alumni trips to Italy and Ireland. And when the three of them turned 60, they celebrated with a special birthday trip to San Franciso. Celebrating milestones like birthdays, weddings, children, and grandchildren together is something rare to be treasured.
“They are the first people I call with news—good or bad.” Gail reflected, adding, “I always felt like we would be friends for a long time, and I don’t know too many people who have friendships lasting 50 years or more.” Pat and Julann feel the same way, “I can’t think about the Mount without thinking about the friends I made here.”
For these three women, the Mount not only shaped their careers but also forged friendships that have lasted a lifetime. Their story reminds us that the choice to come to the Mount, often driven by the affordability of the degree, has a lasting impact beyond the classroom.
