Parent Council Welcomes New York Couple as Co-Chairs
Husband and wife from Saratoga Springs, NY, to serve as ambassadors for SHU parents
Sonny and Julie Bonacio P’22 of Saratoga Springs, NY, look forward to leading Sacred Heart University’s Parent Council as co-chairs for the next two years. As such, they will oversee the group of parent ambassadors who advance Sacred Heart’s mission through philanthropic support and engagement in University life.
The Bonacios, who have been Parent Council members for the past two years, succeed outgoing co-chairs Rich and Shauna Haas. The Bonacios will run council meetings, welcome new SHU families and host or attend events and receptions once the pandemic is over.
The couple’s journey to this new role began when their daughter, Gianna Bonacio, started touring colleges a few years ago. The Bonacios noticed how quickly she decided whether a college was the right fit or not. Sonny Bonacio recalled visiting a school in Chicago: the family wasn’t on the campus for more than a few minutes before Gianna Bonacio knew it wasn’t for her. Sonny said his daughter also had similarly quick reactions a few other times. Yet, “Literally, when we got to SHU, we got out of the car and Gianna said, ‘This is it,’” he said.
Julie Bonacio said Sacred Heart’s gorgeous campus and state-of-the-art facilities impressed the family.
About a year into their daughter’s college career, the Bonacios attended a Family Weekend breakfast at President John Petillo’s home. There, they spoke with other SHU parents and learned about the Parent Council. Joining was an easy decision. “We are very involved in our own community,” Julie said. “We’ve been doing that for years … Giving back to Sacred Heart was natural for us. We believe in the school and really loved how Gianna embraced it. We wanted to help other parents.”
Gianna Bonacio is now a junior, majoring in marketing. She has taken advantage of the many SHU clubs and activities like joining the Zeta Tau Alpha sorority and studying abroad in Italy and Ireland.
Picking a college is a big decision for a family, and if it’s their first time going through the process, it’s overwhelming, the Bonacios said. When Gianna Bonacio was accepted at SHU, the family received a call from a neighbor whose child was at Sacred Heart. “I’ll never forget that phone call and that feeling of reassurance that your children are in great hands and that they’re going to have a wonderful experience. That call had an impact on us. Now we can pay it forward,” said Julie.
Sonny said he is happy to ease the concerns of parents who don’t know much about the college experience. He said he enjoys the conversations and has made some friends along the way.
“Sonny and Julie have been very generous to SHU and established the Bonacio Family Scholarship,” said Kierran Broatch, executive director for University advancement. The scholarship is endowed and will support students from New York who are enrolled in the Jack Welch College of Business & Technology, with preference given to students from Saratoga Springs High School.
Typically, Parent Council members attend two meetings on campus each year to learn about new developments at SHU and provide feedback to the administration, Broatch said. They also are invited to special receptions throughout the year with SHU leadership and other families, and they enjoy priority seating at commencement. Above all, they give back to the University and help strengthen its mission.
Parent Council members make annual leadership gifts of $2,500 or more in support of SHU’s programs and priorities. Each summer they host or attend receptions to welcome incoming students and parents to the SHU family and each fall they make welcome calls and emails to new SHU families from their geographic area. Parent Council members also provide career development and networking opportunities for SHU students and alumni, among other contributions.
Photo: Julie, Sonny and Gianna Bonacio