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After 38 years in leadership at Maria College in Albany, Sister Laureen Fitzgerald, RSM, will retire as its president in August.

She looks back at her time in higher education with gratitude and pride: In her time, the student body has grown from about 250 to a little more than 1,000. Maria College will award its first bachelor's degree this spring, with four more bachelor's degree programs expected to launch next fall.

Sister Laureen said she's sure the college's foundress, Rev. Mother Mary Borromeo, RSM, "is up there smiling down on us."

In 1958, the Sisters of Mercy started Maria College as a school for formation of sisters and for liberal arts education. Mother Mary wanted to make it a four-year college, but clashed with the education commissioner.

After graduating from Vincentian Institute in Albany, Sister Laureen was in Maria College's first graduating class of 52 students.

She entered the Sisters of Mercy at age 20, taught history and became the first woman in administration at Catholic Central High School in Troy. She holds a bachelor's degree from The College of Saint Rose in Albany and master's degrees from the University at Albany and Catholic University of America in Washington.

Back home
She came back to Maria College as its first vice president.

"I don't think I expected to be the president of the college when I came here," Sister Laureen remarked. "It's amazing what can happen to you overnight."

The school was already co-ed at the time and had evolved into a college whose offerings included business programs, an early childhood education transfer program and a nursing program.

Sister Laureen witnessed the start of a popular occupational therapy program, the creation of the first weekend college program in the northeast, one of the first evening nursing programs and the renovation of an old convent near campus into a health facility now known as Marian Hall.

One thing hasn't changed, Sister Laureen said: the type of student who chooses Maria College. "Most of them know what they want," she said. "They're not here trying to find themselves."

The student body is predominantly working adults, including single parents, first-time students, second-career students and recent high-school graduates. The majority are local; 12 percent are from other states, such as Vermont, New Hampshire and Massachusetts.

The college has no sports or extracurricular activities. "We're no fun and games," Sister Laureen said. "Our students go to class, go to work and get on with their lives."

Keeping up
More than 280 students now take classes online, adding to the flexibility the school offers.

"We're in operation pretty much 24/7," Sister Laureen said. "I'm here quite a bit."

The other 67 full-time faculty members and many part-timers and clinical supervisors are just as dedicated: "They're the reason why we continue to exist. I have been blessed to have wonderful staff. You're only as good as the people that are with you. The reason for the success of the college is not because of anything I have done."

Maria College students have always inspired Sister Laureen.

"They're amazing, what they accomplish, especially with the obstacles they have to overcome," she said. "They have taught me that I've been very lucky with my own life, with my own career - to be able to do something that I really love doing."

Sister Laureen is one of 12 women religious still on staff at Maria; she expects this number to decline in the future. Meanwhile, the search for Maria College's next president has begun.

Change is good
"It's always good to have change," Sister Laureen said. She believes her replacement will "be a very lucky person to be at an institution like this with great people."

What's next for the outgoing college president? "Who knows?" Sister Laureen said. "I'll certainly be doing something. I'm certainly not the type to just retire."[[In-content Ad]]

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