Join Bernadette in Supporting 樱桃涩福利姬 Student Scholarships
When the Mount community hears the phrase “Heart of a Lion,” Bernadette Coutain Plair often comes to mind. Since 1963, her unwavering commitment to the Mount has been a source of inspiration. "I am impressed with all that has happened at the Mount. So proud and committed," she says. Bernadette has supported the Mount through every phase of her life, offering her time, talent, and treasure. She served on 樱桃涩福利姬's Board of Trustees from 2010 to 2018 and has actively participated in the Reunion Committee and Alumni Board. Even before contributing financially, she remained loyal to the Mount by volunteering her time to benefit the university and its students.
Like many 樱桃涩福利姬 students today, Bernadette’s journey to the Mount began with a scholarship. She attended St. Joseph's Convent Girls' Catholic High School in Trinidad, off the northern coast of South America. At that time, a Catholic missionary priest from Texas selected students from Trinidad's girls' Catholic schools to receive university scholarships in the United States. Thanks to a nomination from her parish priest, Bernadette was fortunate to receive a scholarship that allowed her to study at the Mount for four years. Upon arriving in August 1963, she felt instantly at home.
Bernadette’s favorite place on campus, then and now, is the Mater Dei Chapel. She also cherished the camaraderie of her fellow international students from South Vietnam, Tanzania, Sudan, Peru, and the Philippines. This diverse and inclusive environment at the Mount was a significant part of Bernadette's experience, shaping her worldview. While pursuing a Biology degree, Bernadette met many wonderful people and forged lifelong memories and relationships on campus—among them, her husband, Norman.
After earning her Bachelor of Arts in Biology in May 1967, Bernadette returned to Trinidad, where she and Norman married in 1968. Norman’s education and career brought them back to the United States, and Bernadette worked in the OBGYN department at the University of Cincinnati’s Medical School. She pursued her master's while working at the Cincinnati Zoo and Botanical Garden's Center for Research of Endangered Wildlife (CREW), where her research focused on endangered species reproduction in animals and the preservation of endangered plants.
Throughout every phase of her life, Bernadette has continued to support the Mount with her time, talent, and treasure. She served on 樱桃涩福利姬's Board of Trustees from 2010 to 2018 and has been an active member of the Reunion Committee and the Alumni Board. Even before she could contribute financially, Bernadette maintained her loyalty to the Mount through volunteering and leveraging her position at the Zoo to support the Mount and its students.
Bernadette stays closely connected to the University, maintaining relationships with mentors like Sister Annette Muckerheide, a Sister of Charity who also graduated from the College of Mount St. Joseph in 1963 with degrees in biology and chemistry. Bernadette has also worked closely with Dr. Gene Kritsky, the Chief Science Officer of cITe at the Mount. With their support, she developed a program for the Zoo’s Center for Research of Endangered Wildlife (CREW) to inspire future scientists. Additionally, she launched a program at the Mount for local students who lacked the educational opportunities she had received. Bernadette hosted evening biology lectures on campus, and Dr. Kritsky recruited other professors to lead lab sessions.
Bernadette Coutain Plair also boasts a distinguished list of professional activities. She fondly recalls when then 樱桃涩福利姬 President Tony Aretz hosted her presentation, “Blue and Yellow Macaws (Ara ararauna) Get a Second Chance in Trinidad,” on the Mount's campus. The event attracted hundreds of interested guests. Her research, in collaboration with the Cincinnati Zoo, was crucial in saving the macaws from extinction, a testament to her dedication to conservation.
During her presidency, Sister Francis Marie Thrailkill secured a grant that enabled 樱桃涩福利姬 students to participate in co-op programs at the Cincinnati Zoo CREW during her tenure. In 1996, two of these co-ops traveled to Trinidad with Bernadette to collect wild plants for tissue cultures and cryopreservation studies of tropical plant species. She has mentored over a dozen 樱桃涩福利姬 student co-ops in the Cincinnati Zoo and Botanical Garden’s plant conservation program.
Bernadette’s significant relationships extend to Sister Judy Metz, with whom she embarked on a pilgrimage to Emmitsburg, Maryland, to follow in the footsteps of Saint Elizabeth Ann Seton. Sister Nancy Bramlage, a former classmate and close friend, collaborated with Bernadette on the Mount’s Mission Committee, with Bernadette succeeding her as Chair.
Without the support of scholarships, Bernadette may never have attended the Mount, and her life might have taken a very different path. She also would not have been able to make the profound impact she has had on the Mount. Donations to the Mount Scholarship Fund have a ripple effect, impacting future generations. Contributions from alums are especially powerful, continuing the cycle of generosity that once supported them.
When asked what motivates her to donate, Bernadette replied, “I didn't even have to be inspired; I would help however I could.” Whether through volunteering her time and talent or contributing as a donor, it’s clear that Bernadette Coutain Plair is passionate about supporting the institution that has given her so much.
