Meet the three valedictorians for Class of 2023

Salve Regina has three valedictorians representing the Class of 2023, which is a first for the University. Samantha Bond ’23, Theo Modla ’23, and Mairead Nee ’23 are all psychology majors, and they are honored to be representing the Department of Psychology at Commencement on Sunday, May 21.

“The psychology department has passionate professors, meaningful assignments, and the ability to set students up for success in the post graduate world,” Nee said. “This feels like a shared achievement that recognizes the department faculty as integral in making psychology students successful in the classroom.”

Bond added to this sentiment.

“The psychology program here is truly the best,” Bond said. “Every single professor in this program has contributed to the field in major ways, will support you in any of your endeavors, and will go above and beyond to give you as much applicable knowledge as possible.”

All three acknowledged how great it was to see their names as valedictorians when they were notified of their achievement.

“There was an immediate shared celebration between us,” said Modla. “I also love how even though we are all psychology majors, we still carry unique experiences and perspectives through our different minors, extracurriculars and responsibilities.”

So what’s next for these three students post-graduation?

Samantha Bond

Bond, who also had a minor in philosophy, will be pursuing a master’s degree in mental health counseling at Bridgewater State University. She then plans to become a licensed mental health counselor in Massachusetts and work with an adult population.

Bond thought that the wide variety of classes within her liberal arts education were also very helpful.

“I was able to take classes in sociology, social work, and philosophy that all contribute to a better understanding of populations I will be working with in my career and society as a whole,” she said.

Bond is also excited to note that being an undergraduate student during COVID-19 had its unique challenges.

“It’s definitely cool that I was able to accomplish being a valedictorian even with Covid having such an impact on the Class of 2023,” she said. “Lockdown happened in my freshman year, so it definitely adds some unique factors to this accomplishment.”

Theo Modla

Modla, who also had a minor in biology, plans on returning to his home in New Jersey and taking a gap year. During that time, Modla will study for the MCAT and apply to medical school in 2024.

In the time between graduating from Salve Regina and entering medical school, he plans to work in the clinical field, conduct research and travel.

Modla never thought he would achieve something like being a valedictorian.

“I can recall that before my college career, I struggled significantly in class and academia for a variety of reasons,” Modla said. “This makes attaining the honor of valedictorian with my fellow valedictorians all the more fulfilling. I hope that my kind of academic journey can show people that struggles, even long-lasting ones, can be overcome – not just in academics, but in life entirely.”

Modla also relished the research opportunities he got to do that Dr. Heather Axen, associate professor in the department of Biology and Biomedial Sciences, encouraged him to pursue.

“I thought it would be interesting, but didn’t think I had the aptitude to do anything like that,” he said. “But Dr. Axen believed in me, and through her guidance, I have done biology research with her lab for two years now and matured not only as a researcher but also a person.”

Mairead Nee

Nee is currently pursuing a master’s degree in social work at Simmons University, where she is completing accelerated online courses as well as a clinical practicum at a community mental health center. Nee hopes to eventually become a licensed social worker.

“I would like to work with juveniles and emerging adolescents who are involved with the criminal justice system,” Nee said. “Victim advocacy work is another area of interest to me, in addition to juvenile justice. Being a licensed social worker offers versatile opportunities, and working in the criminal justice system would allow me to work on a variety of levels.”

In thinking about the ways that the Mercy Mission has shaped them as students, Nee had a lot to say.

“The Mercy Mission will continue to be memorable and useful in my future work,” she said. “The social work profession is rooted in values of service, compassion and justice — which directly aligns with the University’s mission. In living and learning by this mission for the last four years, the ethical standards of social work have already been guiding principles in my life and will continue to be useful going forward.”

For more Class of 2023 stories, go here.

Salve Spotlights is a series of people-centered stories periodically featured on SALVEtoday. Check out the tag Salve Spotlights for more stories.