December 8, 2023 at 5:34 p.m.
‘TREMENDOUSLY GRATEFUL’
In recognition of a $3.5 million gift – the largest in the college’s 65-year history – Maria College named its nursing school the Andrea Lewis Siek School of Nursing on Dec. 8.
The late wife of Richard E. Siek, a Navy veteran, Andrea Lewis Siek, R.N. was a 1966 graduate of Troy High School and 1969 graduate of St. Peter’s Hospital School of Nursing. Richard made the gift on Sept. 7 to celebrate what would have been Andrea’s 75th birthday. The dedication ceremony was held to coincide with the Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception to reflect Andrea’s great devotion to the Blessed Mother.
“The Maria College community is tremendously grateful for the ongoing friendship and support of Richard Siek in honor of his late wife, Andrea,” said Maria College President Dr. Lynn Ortale. “The support he has provided to our institution is unequaled across our 65-year history, and the educational legacy he has established in Andrea’s name will resonate across generations of Maria College nurses and the communities they serve.”
Andrea lived a life of service as a charge nurse and mentor to countless nurses. She was a devoted advocate for the nursing profession, promoting the importance of carefully trained, highly skilled nurses. Since Andrea’s death in 2017, Richard has continued to support nursing education by establishing three nursing scholarships at Maria College, enhancing a state-of-the-art nursing simulation lab, and providing transformational support for the nursing program through the naming gift.
He has also contributed to creating restful, reflective spaces around campus to support the health and well-being of Maria College students, staff, and faculty, including a renovation of a chapel, installation of a statue of Catherine McAuley, founder of the Sisters of Mercy, and creation of a Serenity Garden.
“With some of the highest National Council Licensure Examination for Registered Nurses (NCLEX) pass rates for first-time test takers in the nation, the Maria College nursing program already sets an example of rigor and care in training,” Dr. Colleen Carmody, R.N. said. “We’re pleased to dedicate the nursing school in honor of Andrea Lewis Siek, R.N., who lived as an example of excellence in the field. The naming gift will support the mission and values of our program, and ensure we maintain Andrea’s exceptional training standards, far into the future.”
“We are extremely honored to be the recipient of this naming gift. Not only does it continue the generous legacy of Richard and Andrea Siek, but it also allows for Maria College to continue to build a diverse pipeline of both early career nurses and nursing leaders at a time when the nation is facing unprecedented nursing shortages in the healthcare workforce,” Dr. Anne Jung, Vice President for Academic Affairs, said. “Maria is proud to graduate the largest numbers of nursing professionals in the area at the LPN, RN and BS Completion level. This generous gift increases the college’s ability to maintain the highest standards of excellence in teaching and learning, to encourage innovative scholarship at all levels of our nursing programs, and to deliver nurses committed to the service of others.”
Andrea worked side by side with the Sisters of Mercy who were instrumental in shaping Andrea’s leadership as a nurse. Board Chair Dr. Mary Jo LaPosta is grateful to Richard for “supporting the long tradition of the Sisters of Mercy’s commitment to educating nurses by naming Maria College’s nursing school in perpetuity after his loving and talented wife Andrea.”
The Andrea Lewis Siek School of Nursing at Maria College houses our state-of-the-art nursing simulation lab, and the new Center for Academic Innovation, home of the federally-funded Virtual Reality Nursing Hub.
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