As part of its centennial celebration, Saint Raphael Academy is also marking the 50th anniversary of female excellence at Saints.

In recognition of this milestone and Women’s History Month, the Academy invites its alumnae and friends back for a special women-forward event on Thursday, March 27, at 5 pm. The event will include campus tours, a speakers panel, and networking opportunities.

The speakers panel will include Tracey Rabar ’87, owner of Avenue N Restaurants and Avenue N Productions; Cortney Nicolato ’96, president and CEO of United Way; Marie Bernardo-Souza ’85, president of Johnson & Wales University; and Joan Irons Cronin ’87, Customer and Colleague Engagement Director at Citizens Bank.

 

Meet Our Speakers

Mrs. Rabar, a Pawtucket native, built a career in hospitality which included management and marketing roles at several of New England’s most well-respected restaurant companies. Today, she combines her skills with her husband, local celebrity chef Nick Rabar, with whom she founded Avenue N Restaurant Group in 2011. Mrs. Rabar received the Woman of the Year award from The Rhode Island Hospitality Association in 2016 and remains actively involved with women in business and her Rumford community.

Mrs. Nicolato is a passionate advocate for community change and a dedicated champion for Rhode Island. With over two decades of experience in nonprofit management and entrepreneurship on a global scale, Mrs. Nicolato’s leadership has positively impacted countless individuals and families through her role at the United Way. In addition, she has held senior leadership positions at The Senior Source (Texas) and the National Center of the American Heart Association/American Stroke Association. She also serves as trustee for URI and is a member of United Way Worldwide’s Network Advisory Council, among other ventures.

Mrs. Bernardo-Sousa has spent her 30-year career in higher education at Johnson & Wales University. She came to the Providence campus as an undergraduate student and her first position was in the registrar’s office in 1988. What followed began her trajectory of positions of progressive responsibility at JWU. In March 2019, she was appointed Providence campus president.

Mrs. Cronin has built a successful career in communications and employee engagement, working at Fortune 500 companies including CVS and Hasbro. Currently, she serves as a vice president at Citizens Bank, where she has been for 13 years, helping to drive meaningful connections across the organization. A passionate advocate for inclusion and professional growth, she is an active member of the Women’s Impact Network at Citizens.

Several more alumnae will be returning to campus to speak with current students in an assembly planned during the school day. They will discuss their personal and professional journeys since high school and share their insights with students, including how their time at Saints and the important lessons learned played a role in their success.

 

Young Women Join the Academy in 1974

Saint Raphael Academy began as an all male-high school and remained that way for 50 years, until 1974, when young women from the former St. Jean Baptiste Academy in Pawtucket were welcomed to enroll in the fall after their school closed. The first senior class had 31 girls and nearly 100 additional underclassmen girls enrolled as well.

From that point, the women of Saints have made many contributions in professional life, community service, and family life. They have held positions of leadership at Saint Raphael Academy, in Rhode Island institutions and beyond. Many alumnae over the years have come back to teach at Saints and positively influence the next generation.

Tickets are available on the school website. An end-of-year gala is also planned to close out the celebration in June.