Saint Mary's News & Stories

From Nepal to Saint Mary’s College

Shreejan Shrestha’s journey to becoming a digital fabrication instructor and director of the Spark Lab at Saint Mary’s College took him more than 10 years and a distance of about 8,000 miles to complete. The Spark Lab is an entrepreneurial maker space and a hub for collaboration and innovation at the College. Reflecting on his journey from Nepal to Saint Mary’s College, Shrestha said, “It has been a wild ride.”

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Sparking Imagination in the Spark Lab

For the past three years, Shreejan Shrestha, Digital Fabrication Instructor in the Department of Art, has directed the Spark Lab, a makerspace that encourages hands-on learning, creativity, and collaboration at Saint Mary’s College. What began as a creative innovation hub where users could create buttons, stickers, and totes has expanded to include the design and fabrication of learning aids for a multitude of adaptive and academic applications.

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Saint Mary’s First International Student Body President, Daniela Riv... We’re proud to celebrate Daniela Rivera ’27, Saint Mary’s first international student body president. We sat down with Rivera to hear more about her experience at Saint Mary’s, her journey as a student leader, and the ways her culture has shaped her leadership. Belief and Practice Animate Our Work In her September letter, President Conboy frames leadership as a delicate balance between visionary belief and daily practice. For Conboy, "Belief gives us a horizon; practice is how we move toward it. Perhaps leadership—and perhaps a life shaped by mission—asks us to hold the two together: to keep believing in something just beyond our reach while doing, faithfully and sometimes quite routinely, the work that brings it a little closer." Saint Mary’s College Receives Six Key Rankings from U.S. News and W... Saint Mary’s College announced that it received six national rankings from U.S. News and World Report in its list of Best Colleges for 2027. Liz Hanlon Sands ’04: A Story of Courage and Change Alumna Liz Hanlon Sands ’04 is a survivor and a thriver. As part of the upcoming Raise Your Voice Sexual Violence Prevention Symposium, Sands will share her story with the College community, showing her trajectory from survivor to advocate. "I feel called to keep sharing my story and to continue to find ways to help and encourage others to do the same.” Young Donors Make a Long-Term Impact Millennial and older Gen-Z alumnae at Saint Mary’s are carving their own path for charitable gifts which, down the road, will have a big impact. In this interview, alumnae Caroline Johnson '18 and Julia Wilson '21 discuss how being part of the Young Madeleva Society is an opportunity worth sharing. Lauren Groff and Marion Turner to Deliver 2026 Francis A. McAnaney Hu... Authors Lauren Groff and Marion Turner will be live on stage at Saint Mary's College on September 23 to share their take on storytelling and truth-telling. The public is invited to attend as Groff and Turner come together to deliver the 2026 Francis A. McAnaney Humanities Lecture. Caring, Leading and Learning Saint Mary’s is a long way from Dover-Foxcroft, Maine, but Lori Towne '28, FNP, didn’t let that stop her from enrolling in the College’s Doctor of Nursing Program. This family nurse practitioner was drawn to the program’s flexibility—she could challenge herself professionally while keeping her impressive professional obligations in place. In this story, Lori reflects on returning to school after years in practice and the importance of continuing to grow as a nurse and leader. A Harmony of Faith, Science, and Sisterhood For Sarah Sullivan Bigelow ’96, a legacy gift is not about looking backward; it is about looking forward with faith, hope, and joy. By including Saint Mary’s College in their long-term estate planning, Sarah and her husband Nick are helping to preserve a sacred place where young women learn to tackle any challenge, lead with compassion, and discover God’s purpose for their lives. A Master Class in Self-Possession In her August letter, President Conboy reflects on the passing of a legend, inviting the Saint Mary’s community to draw inspiration from Dolly Parton’s blueprint of unapologetic self-possession. Drawing on insights from alumna Adriana Trigiani ’81, Conboy challenges students to balance deep gratitude for where they came from with the courage to claim their own extraordinary futures.