Saint Mary\'s Stories Archive









May marks Asian American Pacific Islander (AAPI) Heritage Month, a time to raise awareness and educate others about AAPI culture. Avery Lazaro ’26 recognized the need for this kind of awareness at Saint Mary’s. “It has been my mission in leadership positions to spread awareness of our underrepresented communities on campus, and that includes AAPI,” Lazaro says. In 2024, she made good on that mission by launching the Asian American Pacific Islanders club on campus.
Sofia Dolan ‘26 entered Saint Mary’s College with a desire to fully immerse herself in the campus community. In late September, an invitation to participate in the McCloskey New Venture Competition from Stacie Jeffirs, director of the Career Crossing Office, piqued her interest. Her eagerness to be an engaged student on campus led her to submit an idea to the competition hosted by the Idea Center at the University of Notre Dame. Dolan’s answer to the call provided a transformational experience for her as a first-year student, and, on top of that, the EquiCorp Award for the Best Undergraduate Venture