BUFFALO, NEW YORK – March 16, 2026 – , a private, Catholic college providing a pathway for students to build careers of achievement and lives of purpose, will host its Spring Soirée on Thursday, April 23 at from 6 – 8 p.m. at The Buffalo Club, 388 Delaware Ave. This annual fundraiser, which includes a cocktail reception with hors d’oeuvres, live entertainment, and a raffle, celebrates all who empower the spirit of Trocaire, including honoring three deserving individuals and organizations.  

This year’s award recipients include: 

• Ģ����ý President’s Award – Goodwill of WNY This award is presented to a person, group, organization, or corporation whose partnership with Trocaire advances the college’s mission, vision, and Mercy values, and supports current and Trocaire students and alumni. Goodwill has been a vital partner, providing essential services and career pathway support that align with a shared commitment to breaking the cycle of poverty and empowering individuals to achieve meaningful employment.  

• Distinguished Alumni Award – Michele A. Ladouceur ‘01 This award recognizes a graduate who embodies Trocaire’s tradition of excellence and serves as an inspiring example to fellow alumni and current students. Ladouceur is chief operating officer at Heathwood Assisting Living & Memory Care and a former Trocaire board of trustee and alumni board member. Her professional accomplishments and steadfast commitment to Trocaire reflect the values the college seeks to cultivate in every graduate and underscores her deep and sustained dedication to the college’s mission. 

• Outstanding Student Award – Nicholas R. Osman ‘26 This award is presented to a current student who has demonstrated outstanding academic achievement and commitment to Ģ����ý. Osman is expected to graduate this year with a degree in radiologic technology. Throughout his time at Trocaire, Osman as served as rad tech club president where he spearheaded a highly successful bake sale to support Radiating Hope and the Making Strides Against Breast Cancer Walk. He also played a leading role in organizing the May pinning ceremony, providing outstanding support for Student Life and his graduating class.  

Proceeds from the Spring Soirée support tuition assistance for Trocaire students. For more information and to purchase tickets, visit trocaire.edu/alumni-and-friends/events/.  

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About Ģ����ý 
Founded in 1958 in Buffalo, NY by the Sisters of Mercy, Ģ����ý is a private, career-oriented Catholic college that empowers students with the resources and supportive environment needed to achieve their academic goals. The core mission is to allow each person to be a valuable contributor to the workforce needs of the community. Trocaire offers bachelor’s degrees, associate degrees, certificates and workforce development programs in healthcare, veterinary sciences, business, and technology. Trocaire ranks in the top one-quarter of colleges and universities for return on investment by Georgetown University and is designated as an Opportunity College and University by the Carnegie Classifications with a Higher Access, Higher Earnings classification. Visit  for more information and follow Trocaire on,  and . 

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“After having various discussions with local Catholic education stakeholders, it became clear that Catholic schools, particularly at the elementary level, are facing a pressing challenge to meet the needs of an increasingly diverse student population and their families,” said Dr. Bassam Deeb, president, Ģ����ý. “As an opportunity college, we understand that sometimes our students need wrap around and support services to help them thrive along their academic pathway. This collaborative initiative will bring that support to the elementary level, to ensure students and families have earlier access to needed resources.”

Ģ����ý will lead this pilot program with the goal of supporting a thriving, cohesive, and enduring Catholic education system in the region. The initiative will provide services that align with the cultural, linguistic, and economic realities of individual communities and offer support in crisis response, grief, housing instability, mental health navigation, and more. In addition, the project will look to connect students and families with appropriate resources and seek the input of existing, successful family support centers in the local public-school sectors.

“This partnership strengthens our ability to meet students and families where they are,” said Joleen Dimitroff, superintendent of Catholic elementary schools. “We are deeply grateful to the Mother Cabrini Health Foundation for its investment and to Ģ����ý for its leadership in expanding access to critical supports that help every child flourish academically, emotionally, and spiritually within our Catholic schools.”

The Mother Cabrini Health Foundation, one of the largest foundations in the United States and the largest foundation focused exclusively on healthcare across New York State, provides grants to improve the health and wellbeing of vulnerable New Yorkers, bolster the health outcomes of diverse communities, eliminate barriers to care, and bridge gaps in health services.

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Fundraiser honors community leaders and funds student tuition

Ģ����ý’s announced today that it will host the Spring Soirée on April 24 at 6 p.m. at The Buffalo Club. This annual fundraiser, which includes a cocktail reception, live entertainment and an auction, celebrates all who empower the spirit of Trocaire, including honoring three deserving individuals and organizations. The public is invited to attend. For more information and to purchase tickets, visit .

This year’s award recipients include:

Ģ����ý President’s Award

Gerard Place: This award is presented to a person, group, organization, or corporation whose partnership with Trocaire furthers the college’s mission, vision, and Mercy values, and supports Trocaire students and alumni. Celebrating 25 years of service, Gerard Place continues to change the lives of people living in poor and underserved parts of the City of Buffalo with programs ranging from housing to education and workforce training. Trocaire partners with Gerard Place to offer certification programs that are essential to helping people break out of poverty and procure careers in healthcare. 

Distinguished Alumni Award

Bonnie Kane Lockwood ‘75: This award recognizes a graduate who serves as a positive role model to fellow alumni and current students. Lockwood is celebrating her golden anniversary of receiving her associate’s degree in radiologic technology from Trocaire, from which she was the first New York State licensed x-ray technologist in Buffalo General Hospital’s angiology department. Lockwood pursued a career in public service, holding multiple Legislative and City of Buffalo roles including as director of special projects for Congressman Brian Higgins and now serves as the director of Governor Hochul’s Western New York office.

Outstanding Student Award

Emma Westerling ‘23 ‘24 ‘25: Currently employed with General Physician Women’s Health, Westerling is expected to graduate this year with a degree in healthcare management. She is also a 2023 graduate of Trocaire’s radiologic technology program and a 2024 graduate of the college’s diagnostic medical sonography program. Throughout her time at Trocaire, Westerling has been an engaged student who has repeatedly made Dean’s list. She participates in honor societies and department initiatives while pursuing her multiple degree paths.

Proceeds from the Spring Soirée support tuition assistance for Trocaire students. For more information and to purchase tickets, visit .

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Ģ����ý’s annual fundraising event will honor former Congressman Brian Higgins with the President’s Award. The Trocaire is Thursday, April 25 at 6 p.m. in the Grand Aeries Ballroom of 500 Pearl. This annual gathering of Trocaire supporters includes cocktails, hors d’oeuvres, plated dinner, awards presentation, and entertainment. The public is invited to attend. For more information and to purchase tickets, visit . This year’s award recipients include:

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Mark Your calendars for Trocaire’s annual fundraiser – Spring Soiree!

The event will be Thursday, April 27 at 6:00 p.m. at The Forbes Theater at 500 Pearl Street. The event honors several deserving individuals and organizations with proceeds supporting tuition assistance for Trocaire students.

The event will feature cocktails, hors d’oeuvres, dinner, dessert, a short awards program and after party networking.

For more information and to purchase tickets, visit .

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As an opportunity college, we strive to support students who may be facing personal or financial challenges in their lives while on the road to a career-oriented education,” Trocaire President Dr. Bassam Deeb said. “Scholarships like the ones being presented today by KeyBank are part of that support system. We are thankful for their assistance and encouragement of our students, knowing that they will soon be part of our local healthcare community, helping others in need.”

Congratulations to our student scholarships recipients – Kristin Fisher, Kathleen S McAnaney, Mary Raczka, and Jessica Lewis, along with Briana Boyette and Felicia Herrmann (not pictured).

We are grateful for the opportunities KeyBank is making possible for our students to complete their degrees and serve our community as capable and compassionate nurses, trained in the Mercy tradition.

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In recognition of its efforts to help those impacted by the coronavirus pandemic transition to new careers in information technology, Ģ����ý was recently presented with an Innovation Award by CompTIA, the nonprofit association for the global technology industry. Trocaire is one of 12 organizations recognized by CompTIA during its recent Partner Summit. More than 1,500 people from 70-plus countries participated in the online event.

CompTIA’s Innovation Award recognizes partners for their response to the pandemic and their commitment to continue to train to CompTIA courses and certification as they prepared students for careers in information technology (IT).

As the unemployment numbers began to increase in the United States as a result of the economic toll caused by the pandemic, Trocaire offered a free, five-week online IT Career Exploration course. Based on the CompTIA IT Fundamentals+ certification, the instructor-led course was designed to dispel that misconception that an IT career is out of reach for the average person. When Trocaire announced the course, it hoped to register two groups of 15 students, but by the end of the week they had received 250 applications and delivered the course to five cohorts of 20 students each.

“Our commitment to preparing individuals for careers of achievement in technology has not wavered in the midst of a global pandemic,” said Dan Neville, director of the Trocaire Technology Institute. “The IT sector is resilient in Western New York, and our IT Career Exploration course illustrated that basic entry level skills needed for a career in IT are a willingness to learn and a customer service orientation. Thank you to CompTIA for recognizing that the programs at Trocaire Technology Institute are not only best-in-class, but also world-class as we were honored to be one of only two awardees from North America.”

CompTIA is the global leader in vendor-neutral technical education and certifications in skills ranging from IT support and networking to cybersecurity and cloud computing. Nearly 2.7 million CompTIA certifications have been awarded to technology professionals in 232 countries around the world.

“The critical role filled by technology professionals during the pandemic has been acknowledged by many, and rightly so,” said Joe Padin, CompTIA vice president for business development. “For many IT pros, the knowledge and skills they employ today were sparked and nurtured under the tutelage of teachers, instructors and trainers. CompTIA is pleased to present this award to the Ģ����ý team for their contributions to help individuals realize their career aspirations.”

Trocaire offers degrees and certificate programs in cybersecurity, data analytics and healthcare informatics. The Trocaire Technology Institute also provides non-credit career training to businesses and consumers through the college’s Workforce Development division. For more information, visit staging.trocaire.edu/it.

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The three students honored were Ashley Dvorak, Nursing; Leah Gordhamer, Diagnostic Medical Sonography; and Nicole Wiza, Nursing. Dvorak was unable to attend the ceremony.

As an opportunity college, we strive to support students who may be facing personal or financial challenges in their lives while on the road to a career-oriented education,” Trocaire President Dr. Bassam Deeb said. “Scholarships like the ones being presented today by KeyBank are part of that support system. We are thankful for their assistance and encouragement of our students, knowing that they will soon be part of our local healthcare community, helping others in need.”

Ron Sutton, KeyBank’s senior vice president fiduciary strategist and senior trust officer, was on site to congratulate Gordhamer and Wiza.

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Faculty

Patricia A. Lavender Distinguished Educator of the Year: Amy Breski Ph.D. (Psychology)

Innovative Educator of the Year: Amy Breski, Ph.D.

Part-time Educator of the Year: Taylor Swan ’17 (Surgical Technology)

Kevin Wise Legacy Award: Thomas Mitchell ’89, MS (Philosophy)

Staff

Staff Appreciation Award: Cheryl Swain, Human Resources Generalist

Staff Excellence Award: Shawnte Wilson, Pathways to Nursing Success Program Coordinator

In addition, the college community acknowledged several retirements as well as celebrated milestone lengths of service with Trocaire.

Other Recognitions

Retiring: Janet Healy, Claudia Lesinki, Sharon Mang DNP, Maria Povlock, Elise Torre

40 Years of Service: Philomena Gallagher

25 Years of Service: Rachel Suto McCormick

10 Years of Service: Solomon Nelson, Ph.D.

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is the area representative for ATHENA International, a nonprofit that seeks to support, develop, and honor women leaders. The ATHENA Awards^® are celebrated annually around the world in more than 500 communities and 8 countries. Since 1989, the Partnership has been honored to produce the annual ATHENA Awards^® Luncheon, at which finalists for the ATHENA Leadership Award® and the ATHENA Young Professional Leadership Award^® are honored.

Trocaire was proud to have representation within the class of 2019 finalists with Director of Marketing and PR Emily Burns Perryman being named a finalist for the young professional category Athena award. While she didn’t take home this year’s honor, she was humbled to have been recognized along with such talented, driven, and amazing women making a difference in the Western New York and Buffalo community.

Emily was asked this question by the Partnership: “What is your advice to a woman just getting her career started?”

“Be strong, diplomatic and kind, and be thoughtful about the way you treat and interact with people. Be open to new ideas and opportunities; appreciate diversity of thought and perspective. Seek out mentors, but don’t be afraid to provide knowledge and insight to those who can learn from what you have to share.”

 

For more details on all of this year’s finalists and winners, check out more info .

You can also check out a photo gallery from the event .

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