Shannon Conheady's Blog

Shannon Conheady, history alum, is blogger about her experience on a Fullbright scholarship.  You can read her blog here.

Students from same school named St. Bonaventure's Ideal Man and Woman

May 18, 2015 |

Two St. Bonaventure University students who excelled in and out of the classroom and who embrace Franciscan values were recognized as the Ideal Bonaventure Students for the graduating class of 2015. 

Andrew M. “Drew” Belfield, the Ideal Bonaventure Man, and Shannon K. Conheady, the Ideal Bonaventure Woman, were recognized on Saturday, May 16, during the university’s Honors Ceremony, and again Sunday during its 155th Commencement Exercises.

Remarkably, both students attended Churchville-Chili High School in suburban Rochester.

The Ideal Bonaventure Students exemplify the spirit of St. Bonaventure and the ideals of St. Francis through community service and academic excellence. They are selected by a committee that considers nominations from the campus community. 

Belfield earned bachelor’s degrees in theology and philosophy. He is a son of Anne Camp and Mark Belfield. 

Conheady earned a bachelor’s degree in history and a minor in journalism and mass communication. She is a daughter of Daniel and Marianne Conheady.

The honorable mentions were Alex Gu, a biology major from Chappaqua, N.Y., and Audrey J. Mooradian, a psychology major from Canton, N.Y.

Belfield, whose long-term goal is to complete a Ph.D. in Catholic systematic theology and become a university professor so that he can share with others his love of theology, is passionate about his chosen field. 

His interest in Thomas Merton has led him to attend several academic conferences on Merton’s life and theology and serve as a student intern at one of them. The Reed: An Undergraduate Journal of Existentialism published his article “Raining on the Absurd: Entering into Solitude with Thomas Merton.” His honors project extended the research and was titled “Raining on the Absurd: Existence and Solitude in Camus and Merton.”

Dr. Chris Stanley, professor of theology and Belfield’s academic adviser, describes the student as “a natural thinker who exhibits the kind of integration of faith and intellect that one sees in the great Franciscan theologians such as St. Bonaventure himself.”

Belfield welcomes the challenge of building community among his peers, and mobilizing others to achieve a common goal.

In particular, say members of the Student Affairs division, Belfield is wonderful at seamlessly connecting what he does in the classroom with his leadership role as a resident assistant: Approaching his position as an RA as that of a servant, he seeks to discover what his students need by getting to know them on an individual basis and treating each student with dignity and respect.

“Drew’s faith is very important to him, but I think one of the most amazing things about Drew is that he lives out his faith very naturally. His peace-seeking nature and his intellectual understanding of the university’s mission and traditions, make him an ideal Bonaventure man,” said Nichole Gonzalez, executive director for Residential Living and Conduct at the university.

Because his fellow RAs recognized Belfield as a mentor, he was elected to serve as an RA Mentor for his senior year, a new position that began this year. In this role, he served as liaison between the RAs and the professional staff.

Belfield has also been a part of Music Ministry on campus, where he helps to choose the music for Sunday liturgies and plays bass guitar and sings during Mass. On top of all of these accomplishments, he was a founding member of the SBU Running Club. 

Following graduation, Belfield plans to attend Loyola (Md.) University in pursuit of a master’s degree in theological studies. There, he will have the opportunity to continue serving the student body as a graduate assistant for Social Justice and Interfaith Dialogue.

Conheady strongly believes in fostering mutual understanding and bridging cultural divides. It is in this spirit that she participated in a cultural affairs exchange program, applied for a Fulbright, and spent a semester studying abroad in Ireland.

This past week Conheady learned she has been selected for a 2015-2016 Fulbright U.S. Student Award to the Slovak Republic as an English teaching assistant.

Conheady is incredibly committed to human rights, especially for women and people with disabilities. Her honors project, “How the Backlash against the 1970s Feminist Movement Affects College Campuses Today,” addressed a most important and timely topic — rape and sexual assaults on college campuses. The project combined historical research, analysis of current events, and a photo essay. A paper discussing her research has been accepted at a regional conference of Phi Alpha Theta.

Conheady has been on the dean’s list every semester and is a member of Phi Eta Sigma Honors Society, Phi Alpha Theta and Pi Delta Phi and is a recipient of the St. Bonaventure Friar’s Scholarship and Maureen J. Shanahan Memorial Scholarship.

She has been active in many campus activities, serving in leadership positions in several organizations. She served as president of the rugby club and co-editor of the History Department Blog and has been a member of Bonacoustics and Tread Lightly. She also tutored in the Higher Education Opportunity Program and was a tutor at BOCES in Gates, N.Y. 

During the summers of 2014 and 2013, Conheady worked on campus for the Department of State’s Study of the U.S. Institute. In this role, she worked with Latin American students who spent several weeks in the U.S. learning about American history and culture. Along similar lines, she has welcomed high school students and their parents to campus in her position as a student ambassador within the Admissions Office. 

“Shannon believes strongly in making this world a better place,” said Dr. Joel Horowitz, professor of history. “She has worked for environmental causes. She has worked to make the lives of people better through her actions to help autistic children or improve the academic experience of students here at SBU.” 

For example, this year she worked closely with Department of History Chair Phillip Payne to create history labs to offer help to students taking history courses who are struggling. These meetings were particularly beneficial to students who are taking history courses for their core curriculum requirements and who didn’t feel comfortable with the subject matter. 

In this same vein, Conheady captained the women’s club rugby team. Many of her teammates and friends credit her with the survival of the club during a time when it did not have an adviser. She organized their schedule, training and matches. 

Conheady has repeatedly tutored at her local BOCES to work with students with special needs.

“Every time she talks about that experience, she radiates joy and passion to help others succeed,” said Dr. Maddalena Marinari, assistant professor of history. “Shannon truly incarnates everything that Bonaventure stands for. In addition to being an outstanding student and an amazing human being, she is incredibly committed to serving her community and helping others.”

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About the University: The nation’s first Franciscan university, we believe in the goodness of every person and in the ability of every person to do extraordinary things.  St. Bonaventure University cultivates graduates who are confident and creative communicators, collaborative leaders and team members, and innovative problem solvers who are respectful of themselves, others, and the diverse world around them. Named the #3 best college value in the North by U.S. News and World Report, we are establishing pathways to internships, graduate schools and careers in the context of our renowned liberal arts tradition. Our students are becoming extraordinary.    

History Major Receives Prestigious Fulbright Scholarship!

Shannon Conheady received a Fulbright U.S. Student Award to teach English in the Slovak Republic during the 2015-2016 academic year. Established in 1948, the Fulbright Program is the flagship international educational exchange program of the United States government. Shannon will represent the country as a cultural ambassador while she is overseas, helping to enhance mutual understanding between Americans and the people of the Slovak Republic. Congratulations from all of us, Shannon!

History Workshop

Want help with that history paper? How about some tips on preparing for an essay test? How do you figure out what is important in preparing for the final? What does the professor want you to take away from the reading? The History Club and Friedsam Library are hosting a workshop for all students enrolled in history courses to answer these questions and more. Bring your questions and concerns about doing well in a history class to the downstairs Instruction Lab at 8 p.m. Thursday night, Nov. 13. Librarians and history majors will be on hand to offer tips, strategies, and advice.

If you have a particular topic or a suggestion for the workshop email Shannon Conheady (conheask11@bonaventure.edu), Alex McCuminsky (mccumiae11@bonaventure.edu), or Harrison Leone (leonehj11@bonaventure.edu).

History Major Shannon Conheady Writes from Northern Ireland

Whenever anyone mentions Ireland, they almost always define it by its color and its people: “it’s so green,” they say, and “the people are the friendliest in the world.” Well, both of these things are completely true. My first impression of flying over this country was that everything was greener compared to home; the light pollution was almost nonexistent, unlike in the U.S. And the people here are among the kindest people I have ever met; willing to share a story or advice just as long as you’re willing to listen. However, there is a lot more to this island in the Atlantic. I study in the northern part of the island, which still remains part of the United Kingdom.

History Major Shannon Conheady Visits the Tenement Museum in New York City

This summer I had the opportunity to travel to New York City with a group of twenty exchange students from Venezuela, Colombia, and Ecuador, who were taking part in a Study of the United States Institute at St. Bonaventure. After seeing all of the usual sites such as Broadway and Times Square, we travelled to the Tenement Museum in the Lower East Side. The Museum was originally home to thousands of people who lived in rather horrible conditions. The building was sealed off by the landlord after he was shut down and upon the reopening of it, thousands of artifacts from its residents were found. The room that my group visited was home to a Jewish family. The father of the house sewed clothing for a living, working, as many did, from his own household. The house itself had three rooms, all aligned, with only one window. There was one bedroom where the parents slept, one room which housed the kitchen and the children’s bed, and another which had the sewing station.

We went on a moderately hot day, in an age where fans are prominent. They lived in this house with very little air circulation and the stove, which was needed to heat the iron for the clothing, was on all day. I could not imagine the immense heat in that household. The house had several artifacts, including hand sewn dresses, a doll, and an old iron, among many other objects. This visit really opened my eyes to how bad conditions were at the turn of the nineteenth century, though some conditions continue to be this bad in cities. This housing arrangement was ideal for fires, diseases, and early death from smoke inhalation. The idea that people still live in apartments like this, though they may not be called tenement houses, is appalling. Housing is a real issue in big cities where people live in bad conditions because they cannot afford to move out of them. This museum showed me that conditions were horrible for new immigrants from Eastern and Southern Europe to America during this time period, but it also made me realize that people still live in bad conditions and something needs to be done to change it.

A History Major's International Experience on Campus (by Shannon Conheady)

The most common way that we, as students, learn about history is through textbooks and classrooms. It is often said that history is boring and pointless to study. As a student of history I beg to differ: history is all around us and the best way to see that is to interact with it. It happens every day; is your personal day going to make it into the books? Maybe not, but that’s no reason not to give the study of history a second thought. 

This summer I have had the opportunity to work with students from Venezuela, Ecuador, and Colombia through the Study of United States Institutes program, sponsored by the U.S. State Department. The History Department at St. Bonaventure University is hosting one of the institutes on U.S. History and Government. Twenty students are living here on campus for four weeks and have the chance to study, explore, and discover both New York State and United States history. I have also learned much about the cultures of these three countries and their unique histories. I have read about the countries in Latin America throughout my education but interacting with students who originate from these countries has been the best way to actually gain information about the local peoples. For the last three weeks, three other mentors and I have traveled with the students to a variety of locations. We returned from four days in Chicago, Il. last week and will be traveling to New York City soon. The students have participated in various classes on campus relating to the study of U.S. history and government taught by a variety of professors and staff members.

Thursday, April 18, 2013: A Busy Day for History Majors!

Eight History Majors will present their research at the 2013 Arts & Sciences Exposition at St. Bonaventure University. On Thursday, April 18, a reception will be held in the Trustees Room from 11:30 a.m. to about 1:00 p.m., during which our eight students will stand by their posters and answer questions about their research projects. 

Please come by to talk to Colin Bearer, Shannon Conheady, Harrison Leone, Jason Mahar, Alexandra McCumiskey, Colin O'Donnell, and Matt Zaros!

On the same day, at 5 p.m., the History Department will initiate six new students into its national honor society, Phi Alpha Theta. The induction ceremony will take place in the Living Room of University Ministries, and there will be a small reception afterward. Please come and support our new members: Shannon Conheady, Harrison Leone, Jason Mahar, Alexandra McCumiskey, and Maria Swieciki.