D'YOUVILLE UNIVERSITY 49 FALL 2025 ALUMNI NEWS 48 D'MENSIONS MAGAZINE Her work with the clinic was fulfilling and, more importantly, a great benefit to Rochester. Volunteer physicians, nurses, nurse practitioners and even dentists were there for everything from routine checkups to helping people develop care plans to live healthier lives. DelSanto’s association with the clinic and the church also helped rekindle her relationship with religion. She got to know many sisters during her time there, and she began to find answers to those questions that pulled her away in her 20s. “The work we did was all about our neighbors, whether they were poor or affluent,” she said. “I was in an environment where people were brought together, and that appealed to me. I never thought about becoming a sister myself, but I agreed to take part in a 40-day retreat in 1991, and I had an experience that I did not anticipate. God told me he wanted more out of me. “I’ve talked to people who share their experiences with God, and when He asks something of them, they’re very willing and pliable. I, on the other hand, asked him, ‘More? Really?’ I remember screaming at God to pick somebody else. I didn’t think I had more to give.” Growing up in a Catholic family, DelSanto said she was taught that only Catholics went to Heaven. She never bought into that idea. Even as a child, she said her view of God was as something generous. Something for everybody. She said her reconnection with the Catholic faith — which led her to join the Sisters of Saint Joseph at the age of 40 — was about committing herself to that generous lifestyle. She says the difference between the God she knows today and the God she was taught growing up is that He is bigger than anything she ever imagined. “He is a God of love. A God of reconciliation. A God of abundance. I think so often churches talk about a God of scarcity and of punishment, and you have to hold on to your own. I believe in a God of abundance and that we are agents of abundance. I’ve never given away something of myself that didn’t come back tenfold. I hold to the belief that when we’re really relying on God’s providence, there is no limit.” Sixteen years ago, DelSanto and four other Sisters of Saint Joseph moved into the South Wedge convent, where they provide spiritual direction to the revolving door of students who come through looking for affordable housing and “intentional living.” The students have to agree to take part in prayer sessions and live a life of simplicity. “We’ve had nuns, and we’ve had NONES, which I suppose is the largest growing religious group in the country,” DelSanto says. “We ask them to take part in something called ‘State of the Heart,’ where we share what we’ve experienced with God. Even those who aren’t necessarily religious, we ask them to talk about signs of kindness or compassion that they’ve seen. Or talk about seeing people struggle or deal with disappointment. What is the state of your heart? That’s a big part of living here.” DelSanto makes the hour-plus drive to Buffalo to visit her alma mater somewhat regularly to meet the nursing students who receive the scholarship that bears her name. The scholarship was funded to honor DelSanto by a close friend and D’Youville classmate and her husband (the two choose to remain anonymous). The DelSanto Family Community Health Scholarship supports nursing students in their junior or senior year who demonstrate a commitment to community service and are planning a career in community health. “The scholarship specifically goes to students who are going into public health, because D’Youville didn’t have a public health degree back when I started,” DelSanto says. “A lot of nursing students weren’t going directly into public health, but they could see how nursing helped people in the community. When I started my career in a rural hospital, I met people and heard their stories [of struggle and success], and I was amazed. I wanted to be where they were and see what they were like. I wanted that connection with the community. “I use a quote from Howard Thurman: ‘Don’t ask yourself what the world needs. Ask yourself what makes you come alive, and go do that, because what the world needs is people who have come alive.’” D’Youville University recently honored outstanding alumni who exemplify excellence, leadership and service through its 2025 Alumni Awards. D’Youville celebrates distinguished alumni award winners for ’25 SERVICE TO D’YOUVILLE AWARD MARJORIE QUINT-BOUZID (’85) Dr. Marjorie Quint-Bouzid serves as executive vice president and chief nurse executive for Kaleida Health, overseeing nursing across the organization. Previously, she held senior leadership roles at Parkland Health & Hospital System in Dallas, Texas, where her initiatives in patient care, staff development, and community health earned national recognition. SERVICE TO D’YOUVILLE AWARD FRAN SCHMIDT Fran Schmidt dedicated 18 years to D’Youville’s Career Center, guiding countless students and alumni in navigating their career paths. She co-created the Alumni Networking Program on campus. A lifelong learner and author, Schmidt earned multiple degrees as an adult student and has written both career guides and novels. Her dedication to mentoring and service has left a lasting impact on D’Youville University. EDUCATION MEANT THE WORLD to Nancy Acara. From an early age, she understood the power of knowledge and the doors it could open — especially for women, at a time when those doors were often tough to open. After graduating from Holy Angels Academy in Buffalo, Nancy pursued a degree in chemistry at D’Youville College, defying expectations in an era when women were rarely encouraged to attend college, let alone study the sciences. Determined to go further, she earned a scholarship to complete her master’s in chemistry at the University of Pittsburgh. Her father, protective and hesitant to send a young woman to a distant city alone, initially refused. But Nancy, ever resourceful, enlisted the help of a local priest to change his mind. Her persistence paid off — she went on to complete a formidable thesis titled Cyanoethylation of Certain Alkylated Ketones. Her success never made her forget the importance of lifting others. She paid for both of her younger sisters to attend college, ensuring they had the same opportunities she had fought so hard to secure. At 41, Nancy embarked on a new adventure. She joined the Peace Corps, learned Swahili and traveled to Kenya to teach at an all-girls school. While there, she befriended a priest and often traveled hours to attend Mass, a reflection of her deep and abiding faith. Her generosity extended far beyond her time abroad. Nancy was a multi-gallon blood donor, a faithful volunteer at Kenmore Mercy Hospital, and a steady supporter of charities — especially those that served the disadvantaged. For many years, Nancy shaped young minds as a chemistry teacher in the Buffalo Public Schools. Even in retirement, she traveled widely, volunteered faithfully, and doted on her grand-nieces and nephews. Nancy’s life was one of intellect, service, faith and quiet courage. She blazed a trail for the women who came after her, not through grand gestures, but through steadfast action and a heart full of purpose. Though she was far too humble to boast of her accomplishments, her legacy lives on in the many lives she touched. Nancy Acara was a 1947 graduate of D’Youville College. She died in 2022, leaving behind a legacy of education and generosity. A life and legacy of courage “He is a God of love. A God of reconciliation. A God of abundance. I believe in a God of abundance and that we are agents of abundance. I’ve never given away something of myself that didn’t come back tenfold. I hold to the belief that when we’re really relying on God’s providence, there is no limit.” Sister Donna DelSanto
