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Check out the sights and scenes from Saint Leo University alumni gatherings.

Homecoming & Alumni Reunion Weekend
More than 400 alumni, current students, and their families gathered for a memorable 2022 Homecoming & Family Weekend, October 21-23. The weekend included Brunch with the President, the Lions Rally, and Brews & Bites. The Class of 1972 also celebrated its 50th reunion with several engaging events.

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ZooTampa Chapter Event
On December 18, the Tampa Bay Alumni Chapter hosted its annual holiday party at ZooTampa. More than 60 alumni enjoyed an evening filled with the spirit of the holiday season. 

 

Lacrosse Alumni Weekend
Men’s and women’s lacrosse alumni returned to Turf Stadium on January 14 for their annual alumni lacrosse games. Former players enjoyed a great day of competition against the current lacrosse teams.

Basketball Games
Saint Leo alumni came out on January 21 to support the women’s and men’s basketball teams as they took on Barry University. 

 

Alumni group and Fritz the lion mascot posing after a Saint Leo basketball game.

Buccaneers Training Facility Tour
Saint Leo alumni, friends, and families gathered on March 15 at the AdventHealth Training Center, the practice and training facility for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, for a guided tour and reception.

 

Dr. Kirk Book Signing
The Saint Leo Alumni Association hosted Dr. Arthur F. Kirk Jr., Saint Leo University president emeritus, for a special book signing event on March 25 in honor of his recently published book, Sometimes Wrong But Never in Doubt (That I Was Right). 

Saint Leo Alumni Association members with Dr. Kirk, Saint Leo University president emeritus.

Paint Your Heart Out
On April 22, alumni came out for Paint Your Heart Out Tampa, a one-day volunteer effort to paint the homes of low income, elderly residents in Tampa.


Get Involved

We would love to see you at our next alumni event! Visit your.saintleo.edu/events to see a calendar of all of the fun upcoming events.


Check out the sights and scenes from Saint Leo University alumni gatherings.

Homecoming & Alumni Reunion Weekend
More than 200 alumni and their families attended Homecoming & Alumni Reunion Weekend, November 4-7. Alumni enjoyed reconnecting with one another at several events, from Brews & Bites to Brunch with the President and the Lions Rally. During the weekend, the classes of 1970 and 1971 celebrated their 50th reunion with several engaging events.

Christmas with the Tampa Bay Alumni Chapter
In December, alumni celebrated the Christmas season with a gathering at ZooTampa at Lowry Park.

Lacrosse Alumni Weekend
Saint Leo men’s and women’s lacrosse alumni came back to University Campus for lacrosse alumni weekend in January. Alumni engaged in friendly competition against the current lacrosse teams.

Reception in Daytona Beach
Alumni gathered in Daytona Beach, FL, in January to cheer on the men’s and women’s basketball teams as they took on Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University.

Virginia Southside Alumni Chapter Dinner
In February, alumni gathered at the Cypress Point Country Club in Virginia Beach, VA, to connect with friends, enjoy cocktails, and dinner.

St. Patrick’s Day Parades
Alumni gathered together on St. Patrick’s Day to once again walk in the parades in New York City and Savannah, GA, representing our university.


Get Involved

We would love to see you at our next alumni event! Visit your.saintleo.edu/events to see a calendar of all of the fun upcoming events.


A Welcome Message for the Class of 2020

Congratulations to the Class of 2020 on your accomplishments and welcome to the Saint Leo University Alumni Association! While your final weeks as a Saint Leo student took place during an unusual time, rest assured the difficulties of the spring will not detract from the good work that yet awaits you and the future that you can build from this point forward.

As you enter the next phase of your life and career, remember you also are warmly invited to a new chapter in your relationship with Saint Leo University. The alumni association is your connection to a network of more than 98,400 Saint Leo alumni worldwide. Begin your relationship with fellow graduates by following Saint Leo alumni on social media and visiting the Saint Leo alumni website to learn more.

Like so many milestones reached during the coronavirus pandemic, the celebration for the Class of 2020 looked very different, but was filled with the same sense of accomplishment, pride, and plenty of green and gold!


Celebrate Homecoming and Reunion Weekend apart, but together

Our next traditional homecoming won’t be held until November 2021, but that does not mean that we can’t connect and celebrate our Saint Leo pride this year. Strength, encouragement, and inspiration can be found whenever our pride of Lions unite. During these challenging times, this connection with others becomes even more important.

All alumni are invited to take part in this year’s virtual Homecoming and Reunion Weekend, which will take place November 9-15 through a series of engaging events. This schedule and format honor the tradition of Saint Leo’s Homecoming and Reunion Weekend, while permitting us to do our part to protect the pride. More details about the homecoming events and activities are available on the Homecoming and Reunion Weekend website.

New this year are Alumni Swag Bags! Show off your Saint Leo pride with these great spirit items and support current students. Proceeds from your purchases will benefit the Lions Together Fund, which was created to assist students facing financial hardship.

Green Package – $15: Saint Leo face mask, window decal, pennant, and baseball hat all in a Saint Leo stadium bag.
Gold Package – $30: Saint Leo face mask, T-shirt, baseball hat, license plate holder, window decal, and pennant all in a Saint Leo stadium bag.

Learn more about Homecoming and Alumni Reunion Weekend and reserve your Alumni Swag Bag on our website.


Join your Saint Leo in this new volunteer opportunity

“Volunteers don’t get paid, not because they’re worthless, but because they’re priceless.”
– Sherry Anderson

Alumni are among Saint Leo University’s greatest assets, biggest advocates, loudest cheerleaders, and our largest reservoir of talent.

The Alumni Ambassador program leverages the power of our alumni while providing a volunteer opportunity that does not require a formalized time commitment or leadership position. Alumni who are interested in volunteering must simply register as an ambassador and indicate the areas for which they would like to volunteer. When there is a need in that role, a member of the Alumni Engagement and Sustained Giving office will reach out and provide details about next steps. Some examples of volunteer roles include:

  • Hosting or promoting engagement events in your area
  • Representing Saint Leo at official events
  • Supporting your Saint Leo Lions at athletic events in your area
  • Serving as fundraising advocates
  • Being a champion for Saint Leo on social media
  • Partnering with an admissions counselor in your area

To learn more about the Saint Leo University Alumni Ambassador program, email Sarah Olsen at sarah.olsen@saintleo.edu.

Alumni of the fraternity start a new tradition in giving.

With the 30th anniversary of their founding approaching, members of the Rho Xi Chapter of the Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity Inc., wanted to do something special to commemorate the occasion.

The chapter was founded at Saint Leo College in the spring of 1989 by a group of 10 students. The organization would provide leadership and a brotherhood experience within the frame work of Greek life to minority students. On November 11, 1989, under the guidance of Terrence Hood, the Rho Xi Chapter became nationally recognized and chartered. 

The fraternity places a strong emphasis on service and helping minorities and disadvantaged individuals achieve success. “Since its founding, the chapter has been providing educational and social opportunities to the campus and the local community,” said Stuart Hart ’98 ’15, who helped reinvigorate the chapter at the university in 1995.

“We wanted to celebrate our 30 years in a special way,” said James Cummings ’09, who was one of the alumni members who helped organize the effort. “We thought, ‘why not create a scholarship to help this group of individuals.’” Working in partnership with the university’s Alumni Engagement and Sustained Giving office, they did just that, establishing the Alpha Phi Alpha Outstanding Leadership Scholarship to benefit student leaders with financial need.

As part of the 2019 homecoming weekend, fraternity members came together and hosted a scholarship ball at University Campus. At the festivities, they presented the university with a check for $28,080, permanently establishing the fund and creating a new philanthropic tradition for the fraternity.

“It was a lot of hard work, but it was exciting, though,” Cummings said. “We were more than excited to start something we felt would leave a legacy at our alma mater.”

Hart said strong fraternities enjoy active engagement from alumni, so it is important for alumni members to stay connected with current students. “Celebrating this milestone reunion and establishing the scholarship would help in this area,” he said.

The reunion weekend brought together Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity members dating back to 1989, including members of the current chapter as well as friends, advisors, and family.

Photo by Renee Gerstein

Seven alumni were inducted into the Saint Leo University Athletic Hall of Fame during homecoming weekend in November. Since 1986, the athletic hall of fame has honored former students, coaches, and administrators who excelled in Saint Leo athletics throughout the university’s history. Please join us in congratulating the following alumni.
 

Ernie Robinson ’68 was a dual-sport athlete, competing for the men’s basketball and baseball programs as a Monarch at Saint Leo. During his senior year, Robinson was voted as the J. Barthle Scholar-Athlete of the Year for carrying a 4.0 grade point average in the classroom. He was the 1968 captain with a .335 lifetime batting average on the baseball team where he caught for Saint Leo Athletic Hall of Fame pitchers Thomas Crosby, Fred Cambria, and Raymond Korn. Today, Robinson is retired from a 33-year teaching career in New York. In 1973, he was named teacher of the year in New York where he helped bring several cross country, basketball, and baseball championships. He was a founder of a baseball camp, which gave free instructions in baseball and life skills for 41 years in New York.

Brian Dayett ’78 was a member of the 1978 NCAA tournament baseball team and a two-year student-athlete, where he led the team in multiple categories. In two seasons, Dayett logged 197 total bases, 78 runs batted in, 26 doubles, 11 home runs, and 10 triples. During his sophomore season, in which he played every game, Dayett put together a .311 hitting percentage. He followed with a .381 average his junior season. In 1978, the New York Yankees selected Dayett in the 16th round of the draft. In 1982, he was named the AA Southern League Player of the Year, with 96 runs batted in and 34 home runs—a Nashville Sounds single season record that still stands today. In 1983, he was named New York Yankees Minor League Player of the Year. After playing five years in the major leagues with two clubs (the New York Yankees and Chicago Cubs), Dayett played in the Japanese Pacific League before beginning to coach in 1997.

Pierre Augustin ’90 remains as one of the top all-time leading scorers in Saint Leo men’s basketball history, competing for the Monarchs for two seasons during which he amassed 1,037 points. His highlight night was against the University of Tampa. On January 25, 1989, he scored 40 points—the program’s first ever win over the Spartans. While competing on the hardwood for the Monarchs, he played in 53 games with a .483 shooting percentage and a .417 three-point percentage. Augustin hauled in 272 rebounds in two seasons and dished out 126 assists. He was the executive secretary and founding father of the Alpha Phi Alpha fraternity chapter at Saint Leo. Following his time at the university, Augustin started Universal Distributor Inc. in 2003.

Eusebio Herrera-Montoya ’09, who was named a National Soccer Coaches Association of America All-American as a senior, was a four-year member of the Saint Leo men’s soccer program. He ranks third in the Saint Leo record book for career goals with 46, and career points with 115. He was a three-time All-Sunshine State Conference (SCC) honoree, including a pair of first team nods, and the 2005 SSC Freshman of the Year, helping the team win its first championship and No. 2 national ranking. As a sophomore, he received the Personal Improvement Award at the Saint Leo athletic banquet. Herrera-Montoya works at Saint Leo as a Financial Aid manager.

Ashley Urbanik ’09 enjoyed a strong four-year career with the softball program, both at the plate and inside the circle. A two-time All-Sunshine State Conference selection, Urbanik ranks among the top 10 in 10 career categories inside the Saint Leo record book, including seventh as a pitcher and third as a hitter. She sits in second for career homeruns; third in wins, shutouts, strikeouts, and appearances; fourth in runs batted in (RBIs) and complete games; fifth in innings pitched; and sixth in earned run average and at bats. She helped lead the team to a pair of NCAA tournament appearances in 2006 and 2008 and ranked among the top in NCAA Division II in 2008 in her earned run average, wins, hits allowed per seven innings, home runs per game, and strikeouts per seven innings.

Kyle Marceau ’10 is the first Saint Leo men’s lacrosse student-athlete to enter the university’s athletic hall of fame. Despite only playing for three seasons, Marceau put his name all over the Saint Leo record book. He scored 77 career goals in just three seasons, while dishing out 53 assists. He still ranks among the top 10 at Saint Leo in points, goals, assists, shots, shots on goal, and man-up goals. He was named the Saint Leo Male Scholar-Athlete of the Year as a senior and was also a United States Intercollegiate Lacrosse Association (USILA) Academic All-American that season. A 2010 US Lacrosse All-American, he was a two-time, Deep South Conference first team selection and was named to a pair of Deep South All-Tournament teams. He was Saint Leo’s first representative for the USILA North/South All-Star game following his senior campaign. Marceau works for Lincoln Financial Group in Concord, NH, and is an assistant lacrosse coach for Concord High School.

Kaitlin McKenna ’11 was a four-year standout on the Saint Leo volleyball team and holds the career records for attack percentage and block assists, while ranking in the top 10 in four other categories. She is second in total kills, total blocks, and games played, and seventh in solo blocks. She posted the best single season attack percentage in program history as a freshman at .452. As a junior, she was a College Sports Information Directors of America Academic All-District First Team selection for her prowess in the classroom and on the court. In 2007, McKenna was named the American Volleyball Coaches Association South Region Freshman of the Year and the Sunshine State Conference Freshman of the Year. She is also an honorable mention and two-time All-Sunshine State Conference selection and three-time NCAA South Region All-Tournament Team honoree. McKenna works for Ernst & Young in Detroit.

It’s Better Inside the Pride

Hundreds of Saint Leo University alumni and their families gathered on University Campus for the 2018 homecoming weekend, November 1 – 4. Alumni came from more than 20 states, Canada, and even as far as Nigeria. They represented nearly 50 different graduating classes, dating as far back as 1947.

The three-day weekend was packed full of a variety of activities—from Brunch with the President to the Lions Tailgate. The Class of 1968 celebrated its 50th reunion with a dinner on Friday night, and Greek Life members participated in a service project with Feeding Children Everywhere, an organization that provides healthy meals to children in need.

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About your Alumni Association 

Whether you are among our newest alumni or have not been active within the alumni association, here are some details to know:

  • The alumni association is led by the board of directors, which holds open nominations every January. Eight to 10 positions open each July as current members’ terms expire.
  • Homecoming weekend is held the first weekend in November at University Campus and is a great opportunity to reconnect with former classmates or to expand your network.
  • A variety of alumni events are held throughout the country, including happy hours, professional networking, community service projects, and outings to local sporting events. Bring a friend or come on your own. Either way, you will be glad you came.
  • Regional alumni chapters provide a great opportunity to get involved with Saint Leo right in your own backyard. Don’t see your city listed? Contact the Alumni Engagement office to find out how to start a chapter.

Photo: Front row: Keith Middlemark ’04 (secretary), Harv Whitney ’68 (treasurer), John Holladay ’75 (president-elect), Ann Marie Lombardi ’77 (president). Second row: Bud McKechnie ’52, Brittany Hahn ’15, Ray Pennick ’16, Kristen (Cabot) Brady ’08, ’13, Sandy Watkins ’03, ’17, Rebecca Matthews ’14, Amber Loring ’06, ’07, Akshita Sahgal ’19, Allison Walker ’09, Maggie (Herrmann) Beaumont ’57. Third row: Luckson Abraham ’16, Iskra Sbraccia ’05, ’09, Bill Meneely ’71, Ken Finch ’89, Andy Flanagan ’70, John McDonald ’87, Greg Greiwe ’80, Gary Gustafson ’07, John Flaherty ’67, Juliette Stratis ’19, George Gano ’85

Details on all this and much more are available at your.saintleo.edu.


Ann Marie Lombardi, Class of ’77 President, Saint Leo Alumni Association

Note from the from the Alumni Association President

A special welcome to the Class of 2018! You are now a valued member of our Saint Leo University Alumni Association family.

We encourage all 93,000 alumni around the globe to actively support our many activities and programs; stay connected with the latest news and happenings on our website and social media channels; join your fellow alumni during networking and chapter events; and give back your time, talents, and treasures in support of our university. Visit your alumni website—your.saintleo.edu—to learn more.

I also would like to recognize and thank this year’s Saint Leo University Alumni Association Board of Directors for their dedication to our mission. Together, we are working to foster a mutually beneficial relationship between Saint Leo University and alumni. We hope our leadership actions, volunteerism, and giving inspires all alumni to engage and support our alma mater.


Saint Leo Launches a New Online Career Platform

Saint Leo Career Services is excited to announce the launch of Handshake, the go-to career services platform for Saint Leo alumni and students. The new online site offers several resources for alumni and students who are looking for career guidance, seeking a new job, or looking to find that perfect new employee.

Visit Career Services Handshake and check out the site today.

As a job seeker, you can:

  • Schedule an appointment with one of our career advisors (phone, video conference, or in person)
  • Easily search for jobs using an upgraded tool
  • Read different career profiles

As a prospective employer, you can:

  • Share job postings
  • Announce internship opportunities
  • Connect with students and alumni as a mentor

Alumni Chapters are Growing

We are excited to welcome the Virginia Peninsula Alumni Chapter and the Virginia Southside Alumni Chapter to the pride! If you are in the Tidewater, VA, or Tampa Bay, FL, area, be sure to check out the alumni chapter events for great opportunities to network, participate in service projects, and have fun. Chapters will also be forming in Ocala, FL; Savannah, GA; and Jacksonville, FL, this fall.

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Virginia Southside Alumni Chapter social