Our ‘Golden’ Alumna
5/14/2025
UMSV Makes Holocaust Survivor’s ‘Golden Wish’ of Attending College Come True
We’re kicking our 2025 Commencement Weekend off with exciting news!
The University of Mount Saint Vincent is thrilled to be partnering with our Riverdale neighbors, RiverSpring Living, as part of their all-new ‘Golden Wish’ initiative. Through this new program, RiverSpring Living staff members are granting ‘bucket list’ wishes to senior residents on their campus.
“We found that many of the older adults in our care were so busy raising families, working, putting food on their table, and making ends meet during the depression, so the finer and fun things in life got put on the back burner,” shared Wendy S. Steinberg, Chief Communications Officer at RiverSpring. “So here they are—in their 80s, 90s, and 100s—finally able to enjoy life and have bucket list items fulfilled.”
RiverSpring’s team of ‘Golden Wish Makers’ each talk with residents about what their bucket list items are, and then the whole team meets, discusses the wishes, and sees how they can grant them.
UMSV was proud to partner with RiverSpring to grant their very first Golden Wish on Tuesday, May 13: offering Jacqueline Kimmelstiel—a 97-year-old Holocaust survivor—with the opportunity to go to college.
Jacqueline spent twelve years moving through cities and small towns throughout France. She hid from the Nazis with nuns in a convent at night and later came to the United States in 1947 and worked as a seamstress. In the U.S., she met her husband, who survived Auschwitz. Jacqueline only went to school until she was 12 because of the war. She never went to college—and she admitted that it “truly bothered her” because she loves to learn.
UMSV was able to change that.
With the help of faculty, staff, and students across our campus, Jacqueline was able to experience a ‘day-in-the-life’ of a college student—attending classes, watching a basketball game, and even earning a certificate presented by UMSV’s very own President Susan R. Burns.
Thanks to Associate Professor of English Leonard Nalencz, PhD and Associate Professor of French Séverine Rebourcet, PhD, Jacqueline spent the first part of her morning in class in Founders Hall, reading and reviewing love poems with Dr. Nalencz and speaking French with Dr. Rebourcet—a language she has not spoken in decades, but one that immediately came back to her mind as she engaged in conversation with her professor.
Jacqueline then made her way up the hill to the Peter Jay Sharp Athletic and Recreation Center, where members of the UMSV men’s and women’s basketball teams faced off in a scrimmage (with Jacqueline having been named the honorary coach for the day, of course!) and Jacqueline sitting in court-side seats.
And as if that wasn’t enough excitement, Pomp and Circumstance then billowed throughout the Sharp Center’s speakers as President Burns and the Mount’s team of senior academic affairs leaders began our first-ever “Golden Wish Graduation.” Dr. Burns shared in her remarks:
“Today, we do more than confer upon Jacqueline a special certificate. We acknowledge a dream long deferred, but never extinguished. At the University of Mount Saint Vincent, we share daily that ‘all dreams are welcome.’ We are proud to help make Jacqueline’s dream a reality today.”
At UMSV, we know that education is not merely just about classrooms or diplomas—it is about the values we carry, the questions we ask, and the compassion we show. Jacqueline has been enriched by a life full of values, questions, and compassion. She has long been deserving of this special recognition, but UMSV was proud to be able to finally grant her Golden Wish.
Dr. Burns concluded:
“Jacqueline, the University of Mount Saint Vincent is humbled to now count you among our most distinguished alumni. Your story will live on in our community as a beacon of hope—reminding us all that it is never too late to honor what truly matters. Our graduates live by our motto ‘Teach me goodness and discipline and knowledge.’ Although your time with us on campus was short, you know that the search for goodness, discipline, and knowledge is never complete. We hope that you will build upon what you learned today at the Mount to continue your learning journey—which never truly ends!”
Jacqueline’s name was then read aloud as she received her official certification of completion—marking the fulfillment of her Golden Wish milestone. UMSV could not be more honored and proud to make Jacqueline’s dream a reality.
Watching from the sidelines were several members of the UMSV and RiverSpring teams, as well as two of Jacqueline’s loving grandchildren—who were moved to tears by the ceremony.
The event was so significant that it garnered the attention of local and national media. Check out some of the coverage below!
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New York Post
ABC 7
CBS 2
NBC 4
Fox 5
Spectrum News NY1
News 12 The Bronx
About the University of Mount Saint Vincent
Founded in 1847 by the Sisters of Charity, the University of Mount Saint Vincent offers a nationally recognized liberal arts education and a select array of professional fields of study on a landmark campus overlooking the Hudson River. Committed to the education of the whole person, and enriched by the unparalleled cultural, educational, and career opportunities of New York City, the University equips students with the knowledge, skills, and experiences necessary for lives of achievement, professional accomplishment, and leadership in the 21st century.