Deanna Barry ’16 is a “legacy” student twice over, the third woman in her family to pursue a degree at SJC.
When Deanna Barry ’16 was inducted into the Delta Epsilon Sigma honor society in 2014, she was wearing a distinctive gold medallion around her neck—the very same medallion worn by Constance (Hegarty) Campbell ’52 many years before.
Constance was her grandmother. When Deanna graduates this spring, she’ll represent the third generation of women in her family to claim Saint Joseph’s as their alma mater.
Both Deanna and her mother, Mary Campbell ’85, loved their Saint Joseph’s experience and cherish the history they share with Constance.
When Constance passed away, Mary Campbell found two boxes of Saint Joseph’s memorabilia and donated them to the archives, under the care of Sister Mary George O’Toole ’51, RSM. “Sister Mary George was just a year ahead of my mother in school, and was a great friend of Constance. So it’s very fitting,” explains Mary.
Mary on Constance: “When I was young and growing up in Connecticut, we would visit Portland, Maine. My mother would drive us around, pointing out all the places she remembered from her time as a student at Saint Joseph’s. When I graduated from high school, it was a hard time for my family because my mother was sick. But she said to me: ‘You need to go to college!’ So I applied to Saint Joseph’s—it was late, but I got in and I went.”
Mary on Deanna: “Deanna is so much like her grandmother. At Saint Joseph’s, they both majored in English and both were inducted into the honor society. And psychology was a passion for both of them. Constance’s first job was with a psychiatric hospital in Hartford, Connecticut. When Deanna graduates, she’ll be going on for her MSW.”
Deanna on Mary: “I think it’s great that my mother and I are sharing the same experiences in the same places; but, at the same time, it’s unique to each of us. It doesn’t necessarily feel like I’m at ‘her’ school, or even my grandmother’s school, it feels like it’s my school, too.”
Deanna on Constance: “I love having such a rich history with the College going back over 60 years—it gives me a connection that is unique. It also makes me extremely proud that both of these women in my family received a college education, especially my grandmother because that isn’t something all women at the time were able to do. My experience at Saint Joseph’s has been an amazing journey. I couldn’t have done it without the strong role models my mother and grandmother have been for me.”
This just in:
Deanna’s younger sister, Kayla Barry, will be part of the SJC Class of 2020, continuing the family legacy. Welcome, Kayla!
