Springfield College Alumni News from Around the World

Springfield College was well represented at the recent Women's Basketball Coaches Association (WBCA) Convention and the 2024 NCAA Women's Final Four in Cleveland, Ohio! It was an inspiring moment as current women's basketball graduate assistants Alexis Castro, G'25, Elizabeth Thompson, G'25, and Katelyn McCann, G'25, had the chance to connect with esteemed alums who once worked under Coach Naomi Graves, G’85, and are now making waves as Head Coaches or Assistant Coaches across the NCAA at all levels. 

From left to right: Marc Taney, G'16, Kelly Thompson '02, Katie Kollar, G'15, Alexis Castro, G'25, Elizabeth Thompson, G'25, and John Hannafin '20. What a testament to the impact of Springfield College's legacy in shaping future leaders in the world of basketball!

On April 11 we celebrated Springfield College's 98th Stepping Up Day and officially welcomed the Class of 2024 into the Alumni Association. 

Class Presidents participating in the ceremony from left to right: Mo Castellanos '26, Karly Suppicich '24, Joseph Kosior '27 and Xavier Lockhart '25. It was a special day for Lockhart as he was awarded the Molly Gorman Bourne '05 Rockstar Scholarship Award by Aaron Dombroski '05 and Molly's sister Kelsey Anne Sullivan. Congratulations Xavier!  

Rhode Island area alumni recently had the opportunity to gather together for a Springfield College social. Some terrific interactions across generations! Special thanks go to Alumni Council members Shannon O'Neill '08 and Peg Ferguson Boyd G'95, who assisted in hosting the event. 

Kelly Curtis '12, husband Jeff and beautiful baby daughter stopped by campus for a visit.  It was her daughter's first visit to Springfield College....perhaps a future Triangle!

Willamette University has hired Matt Corti-Young, G'09, as its next head coach of men's soccer. Corti-Young has been the assistant men's soccer coach at the University of California, San Diego since 2020. He also has eight years of experience as an NCAA Division III head coach in men's soccer. 

Kurt Aschermann '71 has been named Executive Director of Loudon Now to run the business side of the weekly newspaper during its transition to a nonprofit model. 

Loudon Now was founded in 2015 to bridge the gap left by a countywide newspaper. Its content is updated daily at LoudounNow.com and print editions are mailed to local communities. 

Aschermann will be responsible for carrying out the Board's strategic plan of supplementing paid advertising with voluntary donations from readers and new forms of revenue such as corporate underwriting and event sponsorships.

Congratulations to Kyla Boyns '21, G’23, who recently started her role as an Employee Training Specialist at TTM Technologies in CT. This role blends Kyla’s skills and knowledge gained as a Sociology undergraduate student and from the Industrial and Organizational Psychology Master’s program. 

Kyla was also heavily involved in leadership opportunities on campus including Leadership Summit and the YMCA Club where she honed her training and facilitation skills.

Alumni Spotlight - Meet Caeden Hale '23. During his time at Springfield College, he was a Psychology major, a member of the Psi Chi Psychology Honors Society and Minds in Motion. Caeden was also a four-year member of the football team. 

He is currently pursuing his Master's Degree in  Clinical Social Work at Salem State University and is a clinical intern for Eliot Community Human Services. Football is still very much a part of Caeden's life as well, as he is the tight ends and defensive line coach at Beverly High School.

“Springfield College is truly a special place that provides an experience that is unforgettable. SC taught me how to live for others and to take advantage of every opportunity presented. I take my values into the mental health field and utilize them within my practice with the adults I provide services for in my current clinical internship. SC means culture, family, and the mission to be the best version of yourself every day.”

Springfield College alumnus John “Jay” Martin ’71 is the winningest men's soccer coach in all NCAA divisions with more than 750 wins. His excellence over four decades is second to none, and he offers the secret to his success in his recent book, Lessons From The Best Coach, Develop A Winning Culture That Lasts. 

A native of Hingham, Mass., Martin played men's soccer and earned All-American honors in men's lacrosse while at Springfield. In 2005, he was inducted into the Springfield College Athletics Hall of Fame. Martin translated his success as a soccer and lacrosse player, and turned that into a hall of fame coaching career as well. Martin’s book is a road map for all coaches to create an environment that is sustainable over time. In nine lessons, Martin presents the steps he uses to create a winning team environment. He believes that leaders create the culture, the culture determines acceptable behaviors, and these behaviors are necessary to sustain the winning culture.

“My methods I will admit right from the start, maybe a little different than other coaches,” explained Martin. “I tell my players all the time that it’s their time, and in turn I empower them to take ownership of their team. Players make players better. Good coaches create an environment where the players can get better, and want to get better. A good coach creates an environment that is motivating, challenging, and fun. At the end of the day, it’s the player’s team.” Read more...

Communications/Sports Journalism alumnus Kris Rhim '21 was named ESPN NFL Nation’s Los Angeles Chargers beat reporter in September 2023, and he has continued to stay busy on the beat. 

Rhim recently appeared on ESPN talking about the annoucement of the Chargers' new head coach, and the National Football League draft. Click here to view Rhim's appearance on ESPN.

Prior to joining ESPN, Rhim covered the Baltimore Ravens for the Baltimore Banner, where he reported on the Ravens having what is believed to be the first entirely Black quarterback room in NFL history. From 2022-2023, Rhim was a member of the New York Times fellowship class. Before joining the New York Times, Rhim was a features reporter for the Atlanta Falcons.