June 12, 2024
Retired educator Mary Carole Schafenberg ’70Ed, ’80PD has a long history with St. John’s University. Her mother, Edna Ordway Schafenberg ’45NEd, a graduate of the original School of Nursing, taught nursing arts and pharmacology at the University’s Lewis Avenue location in the 1940s.
When the new Nursing Bachelor of Science degree was established at St. John’s, Ms. Schafenberg endowed a scholarship in her mother’s name. This year, she endowed the first professorship in The School of Education (SOE) for Special Education and Autism Education, a cause that is very dear to her.
Ms. Schafenberg earned her bachelor’s degree in Elementary Education and her professional diploma in Administration and Supervision from St. John’s. She worked in the New York City Department of Education for 45 years as a teacher, educational administrator, assistant principal, and principal.
Ms. Schafenberg was Principal of P.S. 76Q The William Hallet School in Long Island City, NY, when it was selected as one of 32 New York City schools to establish a unique autism education program known as Autism Nest. “I was floored by the design of this program, and it was so successful in my school,” she recalled, adding that the need for autism education has expanded exponentially in recent years.
“Mary Carole Schafenberg is one of the first people I met when I came to St. John’s, and I have known from the start that she is a great supporter of The School of Education,” noted James D. Wolfinger, Ph.D., Dean, The School of Education.
“Ms. Schafenberg has devoted her professional life as a public school educator and administrator in the most culturally diverse county in the world to helping students on the autism spectrum get the best services possible,” noted John N. Spiridakis, J.D., Ph.D., Professor and Chair, Department of Education Specialties.
He added, “The professorship will continue her legacy of increasing awareness of autism. Her generous donation will also help ensure that St. John’s graduates in special education will provide the treatment and interventions needed for students with autism to enjoy meaningful, richer lives.”
Ms. Schafenberg was highly motivated to see St. John’s offer autism education programs available at other colleges and universities. “My goal with this professorship is to bring the University to the forefront of this important work, and hopefully increase enrollment in SOE, especially in the area of special education. Autism became a passion with me. I have seen so many children benefit from these programs.”
For several years, Ms. Schafenberg wanted St. John’s to establish a program that would expand the curriculum in SOE to include training for teachers of children with special needs and/or on the autism spectrum. She approached Dr. Wolfinger with the idea of endowing a professorship to ensure St. John’s offers teachers and administrators the best tools for serving these populations.
A member of the SOE Alumni Advisory Board, Ms. Schafenberg received the Alumni Outstanding Achievement Award in 2010 for her work in establishing the Schermerhorn Street Reunion initiative, and the President’s Medal in 2022. She is also a member of both The McCallen and Loughlin Societies.
Recalling her time at the Schermerhorn Street campus, Ms. Schafenberg explained she was taught by “phenomenal professors.” She became a member of Delta Kappa Delta Sorority, Inc., which she acknowledged as “one of the best decisions I ever made as a St. John’s student,” noting that many of her sorority sisters became lifelong friends. “We were very close knit.”
“I had a wonderful career, which I would not have had without St. John’s,” she stressed. “It gave me a wonderful foundation for everything that followed, and it was also a legacy to my mom, who loved St. John’s and who I think of every day.”
Dr. Wolfinger added, “This gift—creating the first endowed professorship in the history of our School—will play a critical role in establishing us as a leader in special education, particularly in preparing educators to work with children with autism. Gifts like these elevate the work our great professors do and we could not be more grateful for Mary Carole’s generous support.”
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