Work

Sr. Francis del Marmol was born in New Orleans, LA on December 8, 1924. She moved to Worcester about ten years ago to live on the Assumption College campus with her community of sisters. Sr. Francis attended Newcomb College at Tulane University where she studied medicine. She moved around the country running her own anesthesia department in various hospitals. She later joined the convent and became a nun. She was soon sent off to Africa where she opened her own dispensary. Upon coming back to the United States she was eager to learn and update her medical knowledge.

Stephanie Taylor is an Assumption College alumna who graduated with her Bachelor’s in Psychology and continued her education with the Counseling Psychology graduate program. She now works as a counselor at the Massachusetts Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children (MSPCC). She discusses how “middle child syndrome,” in conjunction with her family life led her into the field. Kind-hearted, somewhat sarcastic, and overwhelmingly humble, Stephanie reveals the hardships as well as benefits in her job.

 

Gale Nigrosh was born in Washington D.C. in 1947 and moved to Worcester with her first husband in 1967. Earning her Master of Arts in Teaching from Clark University and her Doctorate in Linguistics from Brown, Gale taught romance languages at Clark University for a number of years. She now works with the Worcester Public Schools creating partnerships with higher education institutions. In this interview, Gale discusses her extensive volunteer involvement in the Worcester community and her particular interest in programs that support women and children.

Annette Dudek was born in Worcester, MA in 1981. She attended Catholic schools, graduated from St. Joseph’s College with a degree in Sociology, and is currently completing her master’s degree in Social Work at Boston College. In this interview, she discusses her Polish upbringing and the culture’s influence on her life as well as growing up in her neighborhood. She also talks about her love of working with the elderly and how she tries to balance her personal and professional life.

Sister Mary Ann Azanza was born on October 12, 1959 in New York City. Shortly thereafter, her family moved to the Philippines where both her parents grew up. She completed her schooling in the Philippines and upon graduation moved to the United States. Two years later, she became a Religious of the Assumption, a path she never thought she would travel down. She returned to the Philippines where she entered religious life. In 1996, she was asked to join the Worcester community to work with the immigrant and poor community. She began working with St.

Elizabeth D’Errico was born in Forest City, Pennsylvania in 1939 and works as a Registered Nurse in the city of Worcester. Before her first child was born she had worked as a teletype operator at Norton Company, but her husband didn’t believe a woman should work. When Betty became a widow in 1974, she needed a way of supporting her family. Betty decided to do what she had always wanted and that was to become a nurse. In this interview, Betty discusses the rewards and challenges she faced while pursuing her dream.

Dr. Claire Quintal was one of the first women professors at Assumption College. She never married because she chose a career path in lieu of a family, which in her generation were the only two options. She was born in 1930 to a loving Roman Catholic, French-Canadian family where French was her first language.  She grew up in Central Falls, Rhode Island, where she had a happy childhood. Claire attended Anna Maria College in Paxton, MA, and graduated in 1952.

The Reverend Jill Williams is an ordained priest in the Episcopal Church. Jill was born in Worcester on April 4, 1981. She attended high school in West Boylston and college in Florida. Following graduation from college, Jill sensed a call from God and began a one-year discernment process within the Episcopal Church. As a result, she was accepted into a program at Virginia Theological Seminary. She completed a Master's Degree in Divinity and is an ordained priest in the Episcopal Church. Jill is currently the Associate Rector of St. Francis Church in Holden, her home parish as a child.