Nearly four years ago, the Romaniello triplets of Waterbury, Conn. lugged food, clothing, and their computers into their shared room in Mount Saint Mary College’s Sakac Hall on a warm summer Sunday.
On a warm spring day in May 2022, Ashley, Haley, and Jessica headed across the college’s Commencement stage, decked out in honor cords. Their parents, Glorie and Todd, cheered as their daughters were recognized for their hard work.
A few days before graduation Haley reflected on her four years at the Mount: “I will miss the view of the Hudson River and the beautiful scenery on campus,” she said. “I always enjoyed my walks to the classrooms, being able to feel the breeze coming off the river and listening to the birds chirping. The Mount has been a one of a kind experience.”
The Romaniello triplets of Waterbury, Conn. (left to right, Haley, Jessica, and Ashley) moved into the same room in the Mount’s Sakac Hall on Sunday, August 26, 2018.
The young women each went to a different high school. All of them were in the top 10 of their respective classes. When it came time for college, Jessica came to the Mount to study English on the Adolescence Education track. Ashley and Haley selected the Mount for its prestigious Nursing program.
“I always loved the idea of going away to college with my sisters, and once it became a reality, I was so excited,” Haley explained. “I could not have imagined going through four years of college without them being by my side. We are each other's backbones and we showed each other tremendous amounts of support throughout these last four years. I loved our endless laughing and late-night talks.”
Ashley, who was the valedictorian of Wilby High School, had received a full scholarship to another college. She turned it down in favor of the Mount’s small class sizes and tightknit, family atmosphere. It’s a decision that paid off, she said.
“I am in a field I love,” she said. “Yes, the schooling, exams, homework, and clinicals were tough, and at some points, I never thought this day would come. But I persevered and here we are. College gave me four years to develop into the person I am today, and I can confidently say that the Mount has prepared me for my future as a registered nurse. I couldn’t be more grateful.”
After four years together at the Mount, the time has come for the sisters to follow their own separate paths. Ashley will be working at the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP) as a Nurse Resident in the Intensive Care Unit. Haley landed a job at Yale New Haven Hospital in Connecticut as a Registered Nurse in the Medical Surgical Unit. And Jessica will be attending Quinnipiac University in Hamden, Conn. to pursue a Masters of Arts in Teaching for Secondary English Education.
Looking back at her growth over the last four years, Jessica has some advice for new college students: “Do everything and anything possible, even if you’re unsure. Join the clubs! Take a class you normally wouldn’t think to take to fill a requirement! I’ve made friends that I will have for the rest of my life through theatre and going out of my comfort zone. College is the time to have fun and try new things!”