Women's History Month 2024

It's Women's History Month at TMLA! Throughout the month of March, we celebrate the achievements of women past and present. TMLA women have done and continue to do extraordinary things, and we cannot wait to share them!

We are excited to announce a special event in honor of Women's History Month! In celebration of the extraordinary women who have inspired us, empowered us, and made a difference in our lives, we are creating a Wall of Fame dedicated to them. Our Wall of Fame will be located in the Breezeway, just outside the cafeteria.

Each member of our community is invited to participate by bringing in pictures of women who hold a special place in your heart. Pictures may be of friends, family members, famous individuals, or historical female figures. Whether they have made an impact on a global scale or within your personal life, we want to celebrate and honor them together.

Starting March 8, as we celebrate International Women's Day, there will be a box outside of the General Office for you to drop off your pictures. You are able to bring in pictures throughout the month. Please keep in mind that the pictures will not be returned when the wall comes down.

Let's fill our Wall of Fame with the images and stories of remarkable women who have touched our lives and inspired us to be the best versions of ourselves!

Thank you for joining us in celebrating Women's History Month and paying tribute to the incredible women who have shaped our past, present, and future!

Pictures of our Wall of Fame will be added throughout the month.

In celebration of International Women's Day, 11 TMLA Alumnae will be back on campus on March 8 to speak about their educational and business backgrounds and share their interest in young women to join their particular fields, such as finance, film, education, medicine, journalism, and leadership.

Anjali Aidasani '12 has double Bachelor's in Political Economy from Barnard and Columbia. She currently serves as VP of Private Credit for Alliance Bernstein. Her career has been in finance, business and leadership. Anjali also served as CIO of Smart Woman Securities which is a leader in encouraging financial literacy for women and girls.

Danielle Battista '95 is Financial Advisor for Merrill Lynch and a passionate advocate of Financial Literacy for women. Danielle has also served as President of the NYC Women's Exchange.

Jada Gomez Lacayo '00 with Bachelor's in Print and Broadcast Journalism from NYU, has worked as a Reporter for FORTUNE, Time and People magazines. Jada has also served as Digital Editor for Latina Media, Deputy Editor for Interactive One, Executive Editor for Bustle, Senior Editor for Medium and Executive Editor for POPSUGAR.

Jessica Lee de Jimenez '78 graduated from Wheaton College and has had an extensive career as an entrepreneur and in the entertainment, fashion and film production industries.

Erin Lynch Reyes '97 has BA in Social Studies from St. Joseph's, MA in Social Studies Education from St. John's and MA in Educational Administration from Mercy College. Erin serves as Deputy Superintendent of the NYC DOE, has served as Principal and AP of IS96 in Brooklyn as well as Dean of Students and Social Studies teacher at IS62 in Brooklyn. Erin is a new member of TMLA's Board of Trustees.

Marie Menendez '79 with BS and MBA from NYU. A retired Senior VP for Moody's Investors, Marie is passionate about financial literacy and introducing more young women to finance. Marie works with a group called Invest in Girls that provides financial literacy education to young women. This program normally charges a fee for participation but Marie has volunteered to cover that fee and serve as the instructor for any financial literacy courses offered at TMLA.

Rosalba Messina '79 is a highly regarded "C-Suite Executive" with BBA in Business Administration and Human Resources and MPA in Public Administration from Baruch College. Rosalba has served as VP of Finance for Women in Need, as CEO of GLAAD (Gay and Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation) and also owns a consulting firm where she serves as interim CEO, COO or CFO of large corporations during their searches for new leadership.

Amy Rapkiewicz, M.D. '95 is Deputy Chief Medical Examiner for Suffolk County. She is owner of her own Anatomic Pathology Lab and is also Assistant Professor of Pathology at NYU Langone Medical School. Amy is the pathologist who first spotted blood clots as a leading cause of death from Covid.

Denay Richards '15 has Bachelor's and Master's degrees in Molecular Biology (with minors in Neuroscience) from Princeton and is currently a dual MD/Ph.D. candidate at Robert Wood Johnson Medical School of Rutgers.

Marissa Joyce Stamps '17 has double Bachelor's degrees in Drama and Journalism from NYU and MFA in Playwriting from Brooklyn College. She is an Instructor in Brooklyn College's English Department, the Literary Manager of The Workshop's Theater, and a member of Dramatists' Guild and Playwrights' Center. Marissa is the recipient of the 2023 Princess Grace Playwriting Award/New Dramatists Residency. She is a member of Clubbed Thumb's 2023-2024 Early-Career Writers Group, a member of EST/Youngblood, a New Georges Affiliate Artist, and was named Finalist for The National Black Theatre's 2023 I AM SOUL Playwrights Residency. She is also a Mercury Store Fall 2023 Lead Artist.

Marina Tejada, D.V.M. '00 has a doctorate in Veterinary Medicine from Cornell and is the Supervising Veterinarian for North Shore.