Bay Path Celebrates Outstanding Alumni at Reunion Awards Ceremony
At every Reunion gathering, the University recognizes a select group of alumnae who have brought tremendous distinction to the University as business, nonprofit, artistic, and community leaders and volunteers.
Through their career achievements and accomplishments, they have set a standard to which our students and fellow alumni can aspire. They represent the best of the University and the far-reaching impact a Bay Path education can have on others. Congratulations to the 2023 award winners! Read their complete citations for their awards…
The Recent Alumni Award: Gladys Oyola-Lopez '21
The Civic Award: Ysabel Garcia '18 G'21
The James McGill Carpe Diem Award: Ann Bailey Hammer '62 '13
The Service Award: Lynn Pellerano '11 G'13
The Bay Path Lifetime Achievement Award: Nikki Burnett '18 G'21 G'25
The Recent Alumni Award: Gladys Oyola-Lopez '21
The Recent Alumni Award is given to an alumna from the last 10 classes for service to the University, and who shows promise as a leader. This year, Gladys Oyola-Lopez, class of 2021, was selected for this honor.
Gladys graduated from Bay Path University and The American Women’s College in 2021, majoring in Leadership and Organizational Studies. As a student, in 2019, she was selected to participate in a dual hybrid exchange program with Japan as part of the TEamUP project pairing US and Japanese institutions together. Her success as a student was forged long before.
Born in Puerto Rico and raised in Springfield, Massachusetts, from an early age, Gladys was taught the importance of public service and civic engagement. Her mother instilled in her the importance of community and political activism, which shaped her career path.
Gladys went on to pursue a 28-year career in state and local government, working for the Commonwealth of Massachusetts both at the University of Massachusetts Amherst, and The House of Representatives in Boston. Gladys’ career with the City of Springfield has been highlighted by many “firsts.” Among her many “break throughs”— break through is this year’s university and Women’s Leadership Conference theme—she was appointed the first Latina Election Commissioner in the Commonwealth. During her tenure as Election Commissioner, she successfully administered 30 local, state, and federal elections and oversaw the local count for two decennial federal census counts. In 2021, she was elected by the City Council as the first Latina City Clerk and appointed by Mayor Domenic Sarno as the first Latina Cabinet Head.
Gladys encourages everyone to examine their lives and to find an outlet to give back. She believes that it’s an important part of her job to lead by example for young women. “This is what others did for me, without knowing it. I want to be a mentor for the cultivation of more women of color in government and civic engagement.”
The Civic Award: Ysabel Garcia '18 G'21
The Civic Award goes to a person who has exemplified outstanding service to the community. For 2023, the award was presented to Ysabel Garcia. Ysabel earned her bachelor's degree in child psychology in 2018 and a Master of Public Health in 2021 from Bay Path University.
In Ysabel’s LinkedIn, she shares this statement: “I am a Dominican immigrant with a bold and ambitious mission to dive heart first into raw and honest conversations about mental health, equity, and suicide prevention.”
Since graduating, Ysabel has devoted herself to working in this space. Suicide is not an easy topic for anyone to approach, but Ysabel’s firsthand experience has given her the strength and commitment to help others who are struggling with mental health.
In 2020, Ysabel founded Estoy Aqui LLC, which in English means I Am Here, a professional development training service focused on connecting the dots between suicide, mental health, and social justice. Its goal is to provide information about the social, cultural, and structural factors that create risks and protections around suicide and mental health challenges in the Latino/x and Black community. Estoy Aqui offers programs and training to organizations, schools, and groups in this critical mental health area.
This past August, Ysabel and Estoy Aqui were the primary feature in an in-depth Boston Globe story about the suicide rate of Latinos in Massachusetts. Her work is groundbreaking and gaining national attention.
For her efforts, Ysabel earned the Mark A. Davis: Miss Altered States Award in 2021 as her role as a change agent in the community, and BusinessWest selected Ysabel for their Forty Under 40 Class of 2022.
The James McGill Carpe Diem Award: Ann Bailey Hammer '62 '13
The James McGill Carpe Diem Award recognizes an alumna whose educational, employment, and civic contributions truly epitomize the University’s Motto—Carpe Diem…Seize the Day! It is named in honor of Bay Path graduate James McGill, class of 1935.
This year’s distinction goes to Ann Bailey Hammer, class of 1962 and 2013.
Ann is an advocate and ambassador for education at any age, especially for women. For her, the term lifelong learning is not mere words, but a motto to live by.
Ann earned her degree in 1962—an associate degree from Bay Path. Like many women, she then married, had children, and life took over. When she reconnected with Bay Path, she was drawn to our efforts in launching The American Women’s College or TAWC. In fact, Ann was so excited about TAWC that she decided to enroll in the program and finally earn her bachelor’s degree in leadership and organizational studies. Even though she hadn’t been in a classroom—and an online classroom at that—in almost 50 years, she did it! She Seized the Day and earned her bachelor’s degree!
In recognition of Ann’s accomplishment and with the knowledge of the joys and challenges the women in Ann’s cohort experienced, Ann’s husband Bob established the Ann B. Hammer Endowed Scholarship for Adult Women, which over time has reached $500,000. In 2019, the Hammers enhanced the scholarship with an additional $500,000 creating the largest scholarship in support of adult women.
Ann’s life is also about volunteerism. She has given her time to children’s reading programs in schools, taught exercise classes for the elderly, and is an active patron of the arts. And I should add that Ann has also been a member of Bay Path’s Board of Trustees, adding her voice in support of adult women’s education.
The Service Award: Lynn Pellerano '11 G'13
The Bay Path Service Award is for Outstanding Service to the University, and the recipient for 2023 was Lynn Pellerano.
Lynn pursued her higher education later in life and is a two-time graduate of Bay Path, earning her Bachelor of Science in Business Administration in 2011 and her Master’s in Business Administration in Entrepreneurial Thinking and Innovative Practices in 2013. She volunteered her time to the University as a past Trustee and past Alumni Association Council President and still volunteers her time as a current Alumni Association Council member.
Lynn has worked for MassMutual for 22 years and is currently an Insurance Operations Director leading a unit which services Annuity contract holders. In addition to her operational leadership role, Lynn is very passionate about helping MassMutual fulfill its goal of ensuring it is a diverse and inclusive organization. In an effort to support the achievement of these goals, she volunteers her time at the company to facilitate Diversity & Inclusion related courses. She has also served in many leadership roles for MassMutual’s’ “PRIDE” Employee Resource Group and currently serves as the chair of the company’s Armed Forces, Veterans & Families (AFVF) Business Resource Group. Lynn’s service in the Air Force Reserves for eight years and being a veteran of the Persian Gulf War was what drew her to this resource group at MassMutual.
At Bay Path, it is in Lynn’s nature to help others, to step up to the plate when we need a volunteer, and to show up. Those last words are very important: Lynn shows up. She has been there for things that matter, from participating in meetings to lend a voice to attending events to being a role model for others. In many ways she has been the definition of service: She is dependable and willing to give her time and talent. Lynn—we thank you and our students thank you for your commitment.
The Bay Path Lifetime Achievement Award: Nikki Burnett '18 G'21 G'25
The Lifetime Achievement Award goes to a person who has exemplified extraordinary professional and lifetime achievement that will have a lasting impact.
For 2023, this distinction goes to Nikki Burnett '18 G'21 G'25.
Nikki is a triple Bay Path graduate. She received her bachelor's degree in Leadership and Organizational Studies, and completed her Master's in Leadership and Negotiation. Currently, Nikki will earn her Doctor of Educational Leadership with a concentration in Higher Education Leadership and Organizational Studies from Bay Path in May of 2025.
A Springfield native with family roots in Georgia, her professional journey was not a straight line. A born caregiver, she worked at Baystate Hospital and then the American Heart Association (AHA). In fact, at the AHA she rose from director to regional vice president, even though she didn’t have a bachelor’s degree. She did it through hard work and determination.
In January 2020, Educare, a nationally based early childhood educational organization, opened a satellite school in Springfield, Massachusetts. Educare has a simple goal: establish a network of early learning champion schools around the country that are focused on children as young as infants to five years of age. With her Bay Path degrees in hand, she applied for the role of executive director and was hired. In her words: “I am exactly where I need to be in my life.”
In addition to her work as Executive Director at Educare Springfield, she is a Trustee for the Community Foundation of Western Mass and serves on the Distribution Committee as co-chair, the Diversity, Equity and Inclusion subcommittee and the Executive Committee. Most recently, Nikki was appointed as a Corporator for Monson Savings Bank. She also sits on national committees for the Educare Learning Network, such as including the Educare Policy Work Group and the Collaborative Fundraising Advisory Board, and the Red Nose Day Advisory Board. Nikki is also a member of the Baystate Community Benefits Advisory Council. Recently, she was appointed to the statewide New Markets Tax Credits Advisory Board.
Empowering her community, raising awareness, and building equity have been her passion for over 30 years. She is one of the founders of the Faith Based Health Advocates Alliance and has previously sat on the Board of the Mason Square Health Task Force.
Above all, ministry and service to others are at her core. She proudly serves in her church, Progressive Community Church of Jesus Christ with the Sisters of Praise Choir and the Progressive Community Development Corporation.
Carpe Diem to our Award Winners!