Sr. Joan Magnetti, RSCJ, welcomed as Commencement Speaker at Fairfield Prep

Fairfield Prep is pleased to announce Sr. Joan Magnetti, RSCJ, as the featured graduation speaker at the 68th Commencement Exercises, which will take place on Sunday, June 6, at 10 a.m. in Alumni Hall on the campus of Fairfield University.

Sr. Magnetti grew up in New Jersey, and graduated from Manhattanville College with a B.A. in Government.  Upon graduation she entered the Society of the Sacred Heart, an international religious congregation dedicated to the education of youth.  Sr. Magnetti earned an M.A. in Theology from Union Theological Seminary and has had extensive experience as a classroom teacher, academic dean, and curriculum director.  She served as Headmistress at Stuart Country Day School of the Sacred Heart in Princeton, New Jersey for 13 years and as Headmistress at Convent of the Sacred Heart, Greenwich for 19 years. She retired as Headmistress in 2009. Beginning July 1, 2010, Sr. Magnetti will be Executive Director of the Cathedral Educational Cluster – a consortium of six inner-city Diocese of Bridgeport inner city elementary schools.

Sr. Magnetti is active in national educational associations and has served on the boards of Manhattanville College, the National Association of Independent Schools, the New Jersey Association of Independent Schools where she served as President for four years, the Commission on Independent Schools for the New England Association of Schools and Colleges, the Connecticut Association of Independent Schools and the Board of Governors of Fairfield College Preparatory School. She has been the recipient of many awards from professional organizations including the New Jersey Business and Professional Women Award, the YWCA TWIN (Tribute to Women in Industry) Award, the BRAVA Award for commitment to the educational needs of youth by the YWCA of Greenwich, and in April 2007 the Woman of Conscience Award from the Associated Alumnae of the Sacred Heart.  In June 2009, she received the prestigious award of Excellence in Educational Leadership from CASE, the Counsel for the Advancement and Support of Education given at the Kennedy Library, Boston, MA.