SHU Celebrates Young Alumni at Homecoming 2025

Sacred Heart welcomes back alumni and honors their accomplishments

Key Highlights

• ^{SHU’s Office of Alumni Engagement & Events recognized seven exceptional graduates at the inaugural Young Alumni Awards, held during Homecoming 2025}
• ^{The awards celebrate alumni from the past decade who have shown outstanding professional success, community involvement and dedication to SHU}
• ^{Executive director Robert Gilmore highlighted the importance of recognizing young alumni who “have achieved so much in such a short amount of time,” marking the beginning of a new annual Homecoming tradition}
• ^{The celebration brought honorees back to campus to reconnect with classmates, coaches and professors, reflecting SHU’s strong sense of community and Pioneer pride}

Sacred Heart University’s Office of Alumni Engagement recognized seven outstanding graduates at the Young Alumni Awards.

As part of Homecoming 2025, the awards honored alumni from the past decade who have demonstrated exceptional professional success and dedication to their communities and alma mater.

“This new tradition allows us to honor an influential group of Pioneers who have achieved so much in such a short amount of time,” said Robert Gilmore, executive director of alumni engagement & events. “We celebrate their professional and personal accomplishments—and their continued commitment to their families, communities and to SHU.”

The Young Alumni Council, made up of 10 graduates from the last 10 years, played a key role in bringing the event to life. The council serves as a voice for recent alumni, creating opportunities for involvement and strengthening their connection to the SHU community.

2025 Honorees

• Alyssa Sheehan ’15, DPT ’19, Outpatient Orthopedic Physical Therapist at Brooksby Village in Massachusetts
• Cory Robinson ’18, Assistant District Attorney, Manhattan District Attorney’s Office
• Jordan Velez ’18, Performance Physical Therapist at Resilient Performance PT in New Jersey
• Johanna deLeyer-Tiarks ’15, Assistant Professor on a tenure track at Pace University
• Eric Torrens ’19, MA ’25, Director of Visual Communication at Sacred Heart University
• Ann Conlon ’15, Nurse and Clinical Service Lead at St. Vincent’s Medical Center
• Jo-Marie Kasinak ’11, Assistant Teaching Professor of Biology at Sacred Heart University

“It was wonderful to see the honorees back on campus, reconnecting with their former classmates, coaches and professors,” said Gilmore. “Moments like these create lasting memories for everyone involved.”

The Young Alumni Awards will become an annual Homecoming tradition, recognizing the growing impact of SHU graduates in their fields and communities.

Photo: Honorees pictured, from left, are Jo-Marie Kasinak ’11, Ann Conlon ’15, Eric Torrens ’19, MA ’25, event host Christian Colón ’17, Alyssa Sheehan ’15, DPT ’19, Cory Robinson ’18, Jordan Velez ’18, presenter Tori Vacca ’20, MA ’23, Johanna deLeyer-Tiarks ’15 and presenter Sydney Worthen-Jenkins ’23, MAT ’24.