Q&A with Mary Carole Schafenberg ’70Ed, ’80PD, LEAD Honoree

The School of Education at St. John's University celebrates our outstanding alumni and faculty at our annual Leaders in Education Awards Dinner (LEAD).

Mary Carole Schafenberg ’70Ed, ’80PD, Principal (retired), New York City Department of Education, and Member, The School of Education Dean’s Advisory Board, will be among several alumni honored by The School of Education at the 14th Annual Leaders in Education Awards Dinner (LEAD) on April 10 at the Stewart Manor Country Club in Stewart Manor.

Congratulations! What does it feel like to receive this award?

It is a very humbling experience. I have a long history with St. John’s University. My mother, Edna Ordway Schafenberg ‘45Ned, graduated from the original School of Nursing and taught nursing arts and pharmacology at the Lewis Avenue campus in the 1940s. I have remained connected as a member of the McCallen and Loughlin Societies.

Please tell us a little about yourself and your current profession.

I am retired from the New York City Department of Education as a principal and currently serve as a member of The School of Education Dean’s Advisory Board. I earned a bachelor’s degree in Elementary Education and a professional diploma in Administration and Supervision from St. John’s. I worked in the New York City Department of Education for 45 years as a teacher, educational administrator, assistant principal, and principal. I retired as principal of P.S. 76Q, The William Hallet School in Long Island City.

How has a degree from The School of Education impacted your career path?

I had a wonderful career, which I would not have had without St. John’s. 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.

Were there any professors in The School of Education who influenced your life? 

I was taught by phenomenal professors at the Schermerhorn Street campus. My fondest memories are of Teresa A. Trimarco, Ph.D.

What are your most cherished memories from your days as a student in The School of Education?

My cherished memories were of the Schermerhorn Street campus in Brooklyn, NY, and joining my sorority, Delta Kappa Delta, which was one of the best decisions I ever made as a St. John’s student. Those sorority sisters became lifelong friends. We were, and remain, very close-knit. To this day, I am blessed with friends from my sorority days, and we continue to see each other and get together regularly. These women have enhanced my life.

What wisdom would you like to share with the next generation of alumni? 

Always remember to pay it forward and continue the St. John’s legacy. I urge everyone to consider giving an endowment to St. John’s,  because it truly is such a lasting and enriching institution.