Rochelle Marsh ’71

Rochelle Marsh '71 was an Elementary Education major at Saint Mary's College. She recalls the mutual  bonding/support of fellow SMC "Staff-Students" as they worked for Saga Foods; giving the mandatory 30-hours of weekly  work-study assignments. These ongoing weekly work study assignment were intertwined with class requirements (i.e. exams, papers regular attendance etc.).  Although she had a tight weekly schedule, she also volunteered to tutor elementary inner-city youth from South Bend, Indiana.

After Saint Mary’s, Rochelle attended Howard University (HU) in Washington, DC. earning her Masters in Communication Sciences. She became a certified speech pathologist embarking on a fulfilling career. Unfortunately, Rochelle was confronted with an illness  that deprived her of the ability to speak and involved other organs. Unable to continue in her chosen career, she returned to school at Gallaudet University for the Deaf and became a certified teacher for the deaf. Determined to do what God wanted, in spite of significant personal challenges, she rose early daily, packed her car with personal toiletries and breakfast foods and delivered them to homeless individuals on the streets of DC. She was later honored by Mayor Sharon Pratt - Kelly with an appreciation award for her efforts.

In a retrospective of her Saint Mary’s  experiences, she remembers fondly being a founding member of the Association of Black Collegiate Women (ABCW) at Saint Mary’s.  One of its significant initiatives was creating the "Big Sister Program" to serve the significantly increasing number of incoming Saint Mary’s African-American students. The impact of this program created a sustained focus on their needs. These efforts were a stepping-stone to what is currently the Saint Mary’s Office of Multicultural Affairs. 

Rochelle was unable to complete her comprehensives and dissertation for her PhD because of numerous surgeries and illness flare-ups, but  believes: " I can live without my PhD but I cannot live without my G-O-D."