Donor Spotlight:
A Lifelong Connection

The Stephen G. and Nellie Uccello Romaine ’ 54 Endowed Scholarship.

Nellie Uccello Romaine’s ties to the University of Saint Joseph are deep and lasting. One of three sisters to attend (along with Antonina Uccello ’44 and Vincenza Uccello ’56), Nellie’s family legacy also includes cousins, second cousins and a cousin-in-law.

“Saint Joseph is the anchor of my family’s education. It has given us so much in our lives and careers,” she said. And in a roundabout way, the University was responsible for Nellie meeting her beloved husband, Stephen:

“I met Stephen at my first teaching job. I was a year out of college and working at the Traveler’s. One day, I went to campus to pay back my student loan and I had a conversation with Sister Theodore, who was the president at the time. She asked about my life. When I told her I wasn’t happy with my job, she asked if I was interested in teaching. I was. She recommended me for a position in South Windsor, where the superintendent had called her looking for a Saint Joe’s graduate to fill an opening.” It was a life-altering move, embarking Nellie on a 27-year career in education and a 43-year marriage to Stephen.

“I established the scholarship in our name as a way to assist a worthy student who wouldn’t otherwise have the opportunity to obtain a quality education,” she said. “I remember what it was like to be a student and to have that need. I am delighted to be able to help and wanted to do so while I was alive and well.”