Interview with: BRIDGET FOY-POMERANTZ
Marist College
Poughkeepsie, NY
Transcribed by Lily Jandrisevits
For the Marist College Archives and Special Collections




Transcript: Bridget Foy-Pomerantz

Interviewee: Bridget Foy-Pomerantz
Interviewer: Jan Stivers and Gus Nolan
Interview Date: 1 February 2024
Location: James A. Cannavino Library

Topic: Marist College History

Subject Headings:
Foy-Pomerantz, Brisget
Marist College Alumni



Marist College (Poughkeepsie, N.Y.)



Marist College (Poughkeepsie, N.Y.)--Social Aspects



Marist College. School of Science

Summary: Bridget Foy-Pomerantz talks about her early life growing up in Chappaqua, New
York before attending Marist College, where her father, Linus Foy was the former president. She
talks about her experience on the softball team and as a biology major before attending medical
school for osteopathic family medicine. Bridget continues to practice and teach osteopathic
medicine. She reflects on different professional and academic experiences and gives advice for
prospective medical school students as well as for the future of Marist.











Gus Nolan (
00:00
):
Before we even start, let me just say this. We record this, see, and anything we don't like, we take away
[laugh].
Jan Stivers (
00:13
):
That's not true [laugh].
Gus Nolan (
00:15
):
But you will see it eventually we transcribe it.
Bridget Foy-Pomerantz (
00:22
):
Okay.
Gus Nolan (
00:23
):
And then it's in written form and so it can be used. Okay. So is it on now? So today is February 1st.
Thursday. And we have the great privilege of introducing for an interview, Bridget Foy-Pomerantz.
Bridget Foy-Pomerantz (
00:45
):
Pomerantz. Yeah.
Gus Nolan (
00:46
):
Pomerantz. Okay. Who is a graduate of Marist and the daughter of the second president. And, also while
a graduate, while a student of Marist one of the outstanding athletes in women's softball. We'll talk
about that in time. Okay. Bridget, let me just show you or explain how this goes. There's really like four
parts to it. There's your early life. Where are born or brought up, elementary school, high school. And
then we go to college. Where did you go to college? Why did you go there? And what did you study?
And so and so on. And then there's after college. Graduate school, the selection of graduate school, your
ambition. What did you want to be? And stories related to that. And then, finally an overview. Looking
back, you know, successes, disappointments, changes, made, changes hoped for, ideals for the future.
What do you see on the horizon? We introduce the subject by starting. And then either Jan, who is a
retired psychology professor here, asks the more important questions. I ask the ones that I'm familiar
with. Like, how old are you? Not really, but, [laugh] where were you born? And something about life in
general. So, let's start with that. Introduce something about your early life. Where were you born and
place and family growing up reminisces of that. What would you say?
Bridget Foy-Pomerantz (
02:33
):
Okay. So, born in Poughkeepsie at Vassar Hospital. And I'm the youngest of two children. My older
brother's two years older than me, and it was the family of four. We were here until 1979 when we
moved down to, so I was three when we moved. I don't remember a whole lot. I remember-- I have little
bits and pieces of living. We lived over on Dwight Street in Poughkeepsie. My parents always talked
really fondly of Dwight Street, and that's like, you know, almost like their first time together as we were
as a family. And then we moved down to Chappaqua, New York, which is in Westchester when I was
three. I obviously have way more memories of that.
Gus Nolan (
03:20
):


How old were you when you moved?
Bridget Foy-Pomerantz (
03:21
):
I was three.
Gus Nolan (
03:22
):
Oh, okay.
Bridget Foy-Pomerantz (
03:23
):
Yeah. So I was young. And we lived there right in the, not far from the heart of town of Chappaqua until
my parents, you know, sold the house in 2006. So that was a good long time. Yeah, so I did my
elementary school in Chappaqua in the 80s. So, yeah.
Gus Nolan (
03:47
):
Growing up in Chappaqua, did you participate, where the events for teenage for grade school children
to participate in some things?
Bridget Foy-Pomerantz (
04:01
):
Sure. Yeah. We had a pretty robust, like our town hall and our town had a lot of organized programs for
kids. So we, my dad actually took on coaching softball. He coached us in soccer. He coached us in
basketball. So I think he, I remember him leading us, you know, he was the coach for these little kids, for
my brother, and for me growing up, even through middle school. You know because we had, they had
organized programs up until, through eighth grade, I guess. And that's how I, you know, that's for me,
that's where I gained my love of athletics and sports and being active.
Gus Nolan (
04:45
):
Was your father still at the college in those years?
Bridget Foy-Pomerantz (
04:48
):
No. So in 1979 he left the college.
Gus Nolan (
04:51
):
I see.
Bridget Foy-Pomerantz (
04:52
):
And that's why we moved down because he had gotten a job with Boyden International in their, oh
what was his title? He was in the finance. You know, he was not, it was an executive search firm, but he
was not involved in that. He was more on the sort of financial math portion of things for that. And they,
that was-- he commuted for, we were walking distance from the train in Chappaqua, and he could
commute--.
Gus Nolan (
05:21
):
Into the city.


Bridget Foy-Pomerantz (
05:21
):
Into the city every day. So that was that was the impetus for moving down there when he got that
position. That's why we moved there so we could walk to the train. They took us to the city all the time.
We grew up going into New York City regularly.
Gus Nolan (
05:35
):
How about summer vacations? How was that spent?
Bridget Foy-Pomerantz (
05:38
):
Summer vacations. We usually-- they discovered the Jersey Shore. I think they had friends who had gone
there. I want to say again, early 80s. Maybe '81 or '82. Long Beach Island, New Jersey, which is one, like
little subset of the Jersey Shore. And they loved it, and we loved it. And we would rent, they would rent
a little house back then, you'd get like a little, you know, little two bedroom cottage. It's changed now,
but, and we would go at least usually two weeks every summer. And that was our vacation. Yeah.
Gus Nolan (
06:10
):
Okay.
Bridget Foy-Pomerantz (
06:10
):
And then we'd also go skiing. We learned to ski from dad, and he would take us skiing in the winter. So
mom did not ski.
Gus Nolan (
06:18
):
Any other interests in grade school coming up? Did you do music or do art or anything?
Bridget Foy-Pomerantz (
06:25
):
Yeah, I also, through our town, they had dance lessons. So I took ballet and modern dance for years and
years. And, then once I sort of got more into high school, and it was really more into athletics, the dance
kind of went to the side. And I also played the piano. There was a lady down the road who taught piano,
and I started taking with her, I was nine when I started taking, playing piano.
Gus Nolan (
06:52
):
And then where did you go to high school?
Bridget Foy-Pomerantz (
06:55
):
Went to high school at Horace Greeley High School, which was our, the public school in Chappaqua. So,
and that was a very good experience. It was an interesting high school in that it was like an open campus
almost. I think they modeled it after some sort of California, you know, there were several different
buildings with lots of overpasses, almost like a college in a way.
Gus Nolan (
07:18
):
How big a student body, would you think?
Bridget Foy-Pomerantz (
07:21
):


We had 210 in our class. So it was probably about a little under a thousand total for the school. And they
were very, the thing about where we were, they were very college driven. So it was, it was almost like--
not, it wasn't an official preparatory school, but the resounding theme for even--. I had friends in middle
school who were already planning their Ivy League track. When they were-- you know, so that was like,
it was competitive academically. And it was very, you know, where are you going to school? What are
you going to do?
Gus Nolan (
07:54
):
What were your favorite subjects in high school? What did you not like [laugh]?
Bridget Foy-Pomerantz (
08:01
):
Social studies I remember not really having a big interest. And now as my kids are learning social studies,
I find it fascinating. Like, oh, why didn't I, you know? I think I was, I was very good at math so I enjoyed it
because it was beginning, middle, end. You know, you knew your answer right away.
Gus Nolan (
08:19
):
Had a little help with that ( ).
Bridget Foy-Pomerantz (
08:20
):
I did. Yeah. I did. And I loved French. I took French all throughout--.
Gus Nolan (
08:25
):
Oh, really?
Bridget Foy-Pomerantz (
08:26
):
Middle school and high school. Yeah.
Gus Nolan (
08:28
):
Parlez-vous francais?
Bridget Foy-Pomerantz (
08:33
):
Un peu [laugh]. Little bit.
Jan Stivers (
08:37
):
So you interest in the sciences wasn't really apparent in high school?
Bridget Foy-Pomerantz (
08:40
):
Not particularly. It was, I'm trying to think. Now I'm going back. What were my science classes? I did
have-- no, I guess that's not true. I did have a really great biology teacher and chemistry. Yeah. And then
I took, advanced placement biology as a senior. So it was there. It wasn't, you know, I was good at it, and
I enjoyed it. Same thing with math. It was like, you learned it, you knew your answer. You know, there
was a very definitive, as opposed to more of the, like the English and--. I loved writing, I loved creative
writing, but it was not, you know, I think I found it a little daunting when you were in the academics
portion of things. Yeah.


Gus Nolan (
09:19
):
How about reading? Novels?
Bridget Foy-Pomerantz (
09:20
):
I love to read. Yeah. I was a reader for sure.
Gus Nolan (
09:24
):
Yeah.
Bridget Foy-Pomerantz (
09:25
):
Yeah. My dad was a huge reader, and my brother was too. My mom was too. So we sort of all grew up
reading a lot, you know, for fun.
Gus Nolan (
09:34
):
And mostly in fiction or historical, or--?
Bridget Foy-Pomerantz (
09:38
):
I did, yeah. Mine was all fiction. Yeah.
Gus Nolan (
09:40
):
Anything about high school do you want to add, or up to now?
Jan Stivers (
09:49
):
Well, I certainly know that the reputation of your high school, sterling, it's one of the outstanding high
schools in the United States still. And it certainly was at that time too.
Bridget Foy-Pomerantz (
09:59
):
Yes. Yeah.
Jan Stivers (
10:00
):
What was that like for you?
Bridget Foy-Pomerantz (
10:02
):
It was, it was tough. You know, I enjoyed high school, but it was, I, there was always that little bit of
anxiety and pressure--. Not, I mean, I would say not from my parents. They were very much like, do your
best. That's what we ask for. Wherever you wanna go, that'll be fine. But it was the other, you know,
there wasn't--.
Jan Stivers (
10:23
):
The peer.
Bridget Foy-Pomerantz (
10:24
):
The peer, the peer group was a little bit daunting.


Jan Stivers (
10:28
):
Intense.
Bridget Foy-Pomerantz (
10:29
):
Intense. And not only on the academic side, but also socially. There was, and I don't know if it was the
timeframe where we were like in the 80s and the 90s, but it was there, you know, bullying and so forth
wasn't a big, you know, that was just sort of the norm and people talking about people, and like, all of
that was just, I did not enjoy that. So there was, yeah. But once I found my way through the, once I, you
know, I was driven to get on the varsity basketball team, you know, as a sophomore. Same with once I
discovered softball. And I really realized I was pretty good at that. That really kind of helped me find my
way socially and just, yeah. Yeah. But I was also pretty proud of sticking with it, you know, I always kind
of looked like I saw these kids who are just so driven and, you know, I was not like at the head of the
class, but I did fine. But there was always a sense that you weren't quite good enough, you know? But,
looking back, I said, wow, you know, we did great. It was, and I'm very grateful. They did really prep us
for college. I felt like when I hit college, I was very-- my study habits were intact. I had great note taking
ability, all of that. So, you know, I'm grateful.
Gus Nolan (
11:50
):
Was there ever a time when you did actual work for the summer or holidays or--?
Bridget Foy-Pomerantz (
11:58
):
Yeah, my first job, and I did that through most of college, is I worked, the town had a little day camp for
three to five year olds. And I was a camp counselor there for many years. And I loved it. I remember
thinking, I can't believe this is a job, because, you know, it was so much fun. And that's where I realized I
liked working with children too.
Gus Nolan (
12:22
):
Oh, that's a good insight. I never thought of even asking the question. I just took for granted. You didn't
have to work you didn't want to work.
Bridget Foy-Pomerantz (
12:30
):
Yeah. No, we did. And then my dad also had, both my brother and I, Peter more than me, but in the
summertime, and when he was home from college, we worked at his office. So we had, like, I had a data
entry job, you know, which I was very grateful for. But it was, I realized it was so boring. And I realized
that was actually good because I realized I could not sit in a office nine to five just doing office work. And
Peter did a lot more. That's where he really, I think he had a love of computers, and he did a lot of more,
not more important, but he was actually involved in a lot of computer stuff.
Gus Nolan (
13:07
):
Yeah. Well, you got introduced to computers early on, and your dad did here.
Bridget Foy-Pomerantz (
13:13
):
Yes. He was a ahead of the game. You know, we always had at least some kind of computer at home.
Even in the 80s.


Gus Nolan (
13:24
):
Okay. Coming to one of the big issues, I was talking about going to college. How was that decision
made? Or was it a foregone conclusion?
Bridget Foy-Pomerantz (
13:37
):
So I, you know, when we were growing up, I'm sure from zero to three, but even after we'd always come
up and we always had something going on here. We spent a lot of time here. You know, I feel like a lot
of my parents' friends were our family. We didn't have a huge actual family or an extended family, but
we came here and it was, this always felt like home, you know, coming back and seeing friends and so
forth, or coming to events at Marist. So in my mind, I always sort of felt like this was going to be where I
ended up. And I was comfortable with that. But my parents, especially my dad, wanted me to look at
other places. So I did apply elsewhere. And we did look at a couple of different colleges. And again, from
the high school standpoint, a lot of my peers had never heard of Marist. And at the time, I don't think-- it
was as much smaller college. And it was like, oh, Marist, why are you going there? Where's that? Why
don't you go to, you know, why aren't you applying to Harvard and da da da da. So that always, again,
made me feel kind of bad. But I knew I wanted to come here. And finally I sat with a great guidance
counselor when I was applying as a senior because I wanted to do early decision, or I didn't know what
really, what I was going to do. And she said, well, how would you feel if you got early decision to Marist
and you were set to go there? And I said, I would be so happy. And so, and she's like, well, that's the
answer. Just do it. And finally, someone had said, it's an okay thing to do. And I was thrilled. And I
applied for early decision and got in, and that was that. And I've never regretted that. Yeah.
Gus Nolan (
15:15
):
What did you major in?
Bridget Foy-Pomerantz (
15:18
):
So, I, my first major was environmental science. I thought I was going to do something with that or, you
know, because I loved science and I loved animals. And I'm not sure I really had a great understanding of
where I was going to go with that. And after the first year, I realized I didn't quite, it was-- some advisors
had also said, you know, if you're not quite sure what you're gonna do, change to biology because then
you have a little bit of a bigger opportunity for different things down the road.
Gus Nolan (
15:46
):
Who was teaching when you went to--?
Bridget Foy-Pomerantz (
15:48
):
Oh Lynch, Dr. Lynch. And that was a great class. Oh my gosh.
Jan Stivers (
15:53
):
Richard Feldman.
Bridget Foy-Pomerantz (
15:54
):
Yes. And Richard Feldman was my advisor. All through, I kept him as my advisor, even when I left
environmental science.


Gus Nolan (
16:02
):
Did ( ) take you in biology?
Bridget Foy-Pomerantz (
16:04
):
Yes. Yeah. So he was, he was sort of like the informal advisor once I went to biology. He was my-- he was
integral in a lot of different decisions. So I had Dr. LaPietra for chemistry. I had Dr. Menapace for organic
chemistry. And everybody was terrified of him because he, you know, he had such a, he towed a very
hard line. And you had to, it was-- a lot of people fell off in organic chemistry. But I loved it. You know, I,
and I took, I took one organic chemistry, Intro to Organic Chemistry with Dr. Molloy. So, it was just, it
was like the dream team. You know? I had so many great experiences and so much from all of them, and
Yeah. So once I hit biology, I didn't quite know what I was going to do. I had, you know, ideas of physical
therapy. I actually spent time at Chris Campilii's office to do some hours there. And then at some point,
you know, just talking with other friends and so forth outside of the college, high school friends that I
actually stayed in contact with. And I realized I really did want to pursue medicine. And that's when I
decided to become pre-med.
Gus Nolan (
17:19
):
Well, back up to the biology. Lab experiences. Did you have many lab experiences?
Bridget Foy-Pomerantz (
17:27
):
Yes. Yes.
Gus Nolan (
17:28
):
Because that was kind of a big point in many of the students here, a lot of time in the lab. Yeah.
Bridget Foy-Pomerantz (
17:35
):
A lot of time in the, oh my gosh. Yeah. A lot of time. It's all coming back to me now. Yeah. All the time.
We spent in the basement of Donnelly dissecting cats and sharks.
Gus Nolan (
17:44
):
And the unity in the group that was there.
Bridget Foy-Pomerantz (
17:47
):
Yes. Yeah. And, you know, as the years, years went on, like that group, because some people in science
either took different paths or they-- the group just got smaller. So there was like maybe ten of us who
kind of went through all the way. And we were in all, all the classes we were in together. So there was
that sort of like, collegial sense.
Gus Nolan (
18:07
):
So one subject I'm dying to introduce and here it comes. What about softball?
Bridget Foy-Pomerantz (
18:12
):
Yeah. So softball's an interesting, you know. I sort of fell into it in that it was one of those things I had no
intention of playing for Marist because they were division one. And I didn't really want to devote all my


time to that. And I had no, you know, I didn't think I was good enough really to get a scholarship or
anything, nor did I really want to do that. But at some point, I don't know how it, I don't remember how
it happened, but my dad had contacted somebody, or somebody was coming down towards one of the
assistant coaches who wanted to just take a look. So who knows what kind of conversations. So we met
him at a, like, at some... It might have even been my high school, I don't remember where we met him,
some park. And I pitched a little bit for him, and he said, well, you're great. We have room for you. If
you'd like to become a walk-on, you can walk on. I said, okay. You know, it was like, walk-ons typically in
a division one, don't play much. It was more of like, you know, I think I wrestled with it a little bit, and I
said, well, this is a great opportunity. I can keep playing. I'm sure I was encouraged by my parents to do
so, especially my dad. So I did. And that was really interesting too, because the intensity of being in a
division one program is so-- I don't think I realized how, you know, a lot of those women were there to
play softball. And that's, you know, that was, plus all that learning that they got. But it was like a full-
time job. It was wonderful. I mean, I've never been fitter. I've never been more disciplined. And it was a
double-edged sword, you know. It kind of took me away from a lot of the freshmen and sophomore
activities because my time was always taken up by softball. But then I was not a big partier. I was not
interested in that. So that sort of gave me a nice, out to kind of say, well, I don't want to participate with
all that stuff. I just want to do this. So that was, you know, the practices all of that was, it was a great.
And the, you know, the group of women was just amazing to be with. And to have that experience. Once
I was done, once I finished sophomore year, I had played a fair amount freshman year, sophomore year,
not so much. And I really, that's at the end of sophomore year, I decided I wanted to go to medicine and
become pre-med. And then I really, I felt like I really had to make a decision. How much did I really want
to stick with softball? Because at the time, consuming major event, I mean, there were classes that you
could not take if you were an athlete. So it's like, and at that point, I said, you know, I'm going to retire.
Gus Nolan (
20:50
):
There's a Circle out there in the archive someplace.
Bridget Foy-Pomerantz (
20:56
):
Yeah.
Jan Stivers (
20:56
):
You know the one.
Bridget Foy-Pomerantz (
21:00
):
So that story, I was, you know, I was second or third string pitcher. So I did a lot of sitting, you know,
which is fine. Again, the level of these games are so much, it was kind of like, I don't know if I want to get
in there, but our star pitcher, who they had recruited out of California, who was just phenomenal, came
down with the chicken pox in the spring. So she was out of commission for I guess a good two or three
weeks. And it was like, well, guess what? Now you're pitching every game. And...
Jan Stivers (
21:30
):
Wow.
Bridget Foy-Pomerantz (
21:32
):
Yeah. So that was, I don't think they expected that. I certainly didn't. And so I had to, you know, and, I
sort of stepped up. And I held my own. I think we did okay. You know, we had an amazing, you know. I


wasn't really doing a lot of striking out of people, but we had a great field that, you know, we managed.
And I think that's when I stepped in and we actually won a couple games. The Circle picked it up [laugh],
and there's an article--.
Gus Nolan (
21:59
):
As Foy goes, so goes Marist [laugh].
Bridget Foy-Pomerantz (
22:02
):
Yeah, something...
Gus Nolan (
22:02
):
Now I remember your dad. I don't know, I guess though you spoke of it as part of your thinking too. But I
remember he was talking to me about, you were going to have to make a decision. You know, if you
were going to be interested in medicine, you need more time in the lab and more time in the--.
Bridget Foy-Pomerantz (
22:21
):
Yes, exactly.
Gus Nolan (
22:21
):
And so, I don't know if he ever spoke to you about it or you made all that by yourself, because it seems
that you knew that had to happen.
Bridget Foy-Pomerantz (
22:31
):
I'm sure. You know, I don't remember specifics, but I always, you know, I bounce this stuff off my
parents all the time, and I'm sure they, you know, I'm sure they were encouraging and helped me make
that decision. But, you know because also you don't want to disappoint your parents. And Dad was so
proud of me being on that softball team, so. I think part of it was like him saying, yeah, it's okay. You do
what you need to do.
Gus Nolan (
22:55
):
You did it on your own.
Bridget Foy-Pomerantz (
22:56
):
Yeah. And I think once I, I was relieved after that.
Gus Nolan (
23:00
):
Can I introduce social life? Did you have--.
Bridget Foy-Pomerantz (
23:02
):
Sure. Yeah.
Gus Nolan (
23:03
):
Did you live on campus?


Bridget Foy-Pomerantz (
23:08
):
I did. Yeah. So I lived in Leo on the second floor of Leo the first year. And I met a great group of girls. My
roommate who became my, I have lost touch with her. But there was other girls that I'm still in contact
with. Like I said, I didn't, and we were, none of us were a huge amount of like, going out and partying. I
think every once in a while you'd go out. But it was not, we weren't, you know, we were more going to
the mall, going, you know, going to the movies and so forth. So Leo, and then sophomore year, we were
the first ones to live in the Midrise when it opened. Yeah. So that was big excitement because we had
new everything, new rooms, new bathrooms. Everything was clean and--.
Gus Nolan (
23:58
):
And new views. Had the--.
Bridget Foy-Pomerantz (
23:59
):
New views. You could walk in your pajamas to the cafeteria. You didn't have to go outside. That was a
big-- especially when winter is so cold and you had to walk across campus. So that was really fun. And
we were in a suite, so it was like you had a group of girls who were all kind of in an apartment really,
which was nice. And then I lived in the upper town, we called them the upper town house, the upper
new townhouses, which are now, I think, well they're older, but they're across from the Foy
townhouses, those, that little group of buildings. And then senior year I lived in the Foy townhouses,
which were not, they were called the old townhouses.
Jan Stivers (
24:37
):
They weren't called the Foy Townhouses then?
Bridget Foy-Pomerantz (
24:39
):
No [laugh].
Jan Stivers (
24:41
):
That was probably good [laugh].
Bridget Foy-Pomerantz (
24:41
):
Yeah. Yes. Exactly. Yeah. Not a lot of people knew my connection, unless I told them. Which, you know, I
was also, when I came in, I wanted that, I wanted to just be an anonymous. I didn't want people to think
I had special treatment or--.
Jan Stivers (
24:53
):
Right. Or that you were legacy in some way.
Bridget Foy-Pomerantz (
24:55
):
Yeah, yeah. So, you know, and then those friends who knew were, thought it was cool and so forth.
Yeah.
Gus Nolan (
25:02
):
Although your father was no longer president, he was still on the board, right?


Bridget Foy-Pomerantz (
25:07
):
I believe so, yes. Yeah.
Gus Nolan (
25:09
):
Because I remember a couple of cases that came up, actually unfortunate things of suits that people had
raised. And I remember him talking about the amount of money people have to go through to even raise
an issue, you know? You have to get a lawyer, you have to write out the documents, you have to pay for
them, and so on. And he was getting these, as all the board members were. But, you know, it was just a
matter of being informed. And he just, you know, kind of sharing that. It's not all fun [laugh].
Bridget Foy-Pomerantz (
25:43
):
No, no, no, no.
Gus Nolan (
25:45
):
Yeah, so that's pretty much the part of college life that I was interested in.And so, uh, we'll get to other
things a little later on, or maybe soon.
Jan Stivers (
26:03
):
Okay, I'll take over. And for the record, I'll let them identify my voice. My name's Jan Stivers, and I'm
Gus's assistant in this program. Did you want to-- so we're going to, my questions focus on your
professional career. Did you wanna say anything more about your decision to become a physician?
Bridget Foy-Pomerantz (
26:21
):
A physician? Yeah. So I think, and that's where, just being here, they, you know, I had an interest in
medicine just from like a, I don't even remember, I guess just as options, you know. And I think working
with Dr. Feldman helped me kind of determine that. And talking with other, other friends who were, and
other... How many of us were there in the biology program? Several were already pre-med. So I think
talking to them also and their goals. But one of the things that Marist was really good at was having a
connection to the osteopathic school down in Long Island. So I had never even heard of osteopathic
medicine or what that was, or even, you know, that it was an option. So they had graduates from Marist
who were in the program down there, come back and give us informal talks. And then it opened my
eyes, like, wow, this is a whole, you know, osteopathic medicine is the same as regular allopathic
medicine, but it's more preventative care based, holistic, there's hands-on care. It's primary care based.
Like, the whole philosophy was just fascinating to me. And the fact that you could still get your license
and go through the same channels to become a board certified doctor. And at the time, I will say it was,
it was a little bit less competitive to get to an osteopathic school because it was less well known and a
little bit more looked down on, you know, in the 80s and 90s, people were sort of like, what's that? You
know, what are DOs? So somebody coming from Marist probably had a better opportunity. Not that we,
you know, at that time I think we weren't as well known a school, so you weren't, our pre-med program
wasn't, you know, it was tougher to get into the more competitive medical schools. So that's really what,
you know, I realized it was a great option. It kind of aligned with what my thinking was. And we had
successful graduates come from Marist to do that. So one of, the first year I applied, I actually did not
get in. I had already put my-- you have to put your applications in pretty early. So I had applied to all
these allopathic schools as I was learning about osteopathic school. So I was late to the game, and I did
not get into the MD schools, which looking back was a blessing because that gave me time to figure out
that this was not the way I wanted to go. And one of our-- one of my colleagues who, you know, same


thing. We were sort of like going along in the same path all the way. He ended up getting into NYCOM,
the New York College of Osteopathic Medicine. So, when I graduated, he had already gone. So then
when I applied, he was there and we were, we stayed connected. I went and stayed at his apartment
when I did my interview. He gave me all the ins and outs, and it was really nice to have that Marist
connection. And it also gave me a year, because that gave me a year of, oh my gosh, what am I gonna
do? And I applied to the Marist Volunteer Program and did that for a year.
Jan Stivers (
29:24
):
Where were you?
Bridget Foy-Pomerantz (
29:25
):
I was in the South Bronx at Sacred Heart Elementary. And I taught pre-kindergarten [laugh]. Yeah. They
had an opening. And I said, well, I did the Tots Camp for so many years. I did have that love of little kids.
Yeah. So for a year, I was a pre-kindergarten teacher, which they had, um, they had one pre-K teacher
already. And this expanded their program so they could expand their, you know, we had twenty kids
who--.
Jan Stivers (
29:52
):
That's a lot of PreK kids.
Bridget Foy-Pomerantz (
29:53
):
It's a lot of kids. It is. And it was amazing. And I had, the woman who was the assistant to the pre-K
teacher came to my classroom, and she was just amazing. So it was like the two of us really. That was,
you know, it also--.
Jan Stivers (
30:09
):
A good year.
Bridget Foy-Pomerantz (
30:09
):
Oh an amazing year. And I lived with, we lived in Mount Vernon, New York, and there were four of us
women all from all over the country. And we lived with two Marist brothers who, and we lived in
community in, they had purchased or rented, I don't remember. They must have purchased it. It was this
big old house that used to be part of a religious order of nuns, the Marinal sisters. So I lived there for a
year. And that was just fascinating.
Jan Stivers (
30:42
):
What a great experience To live in community.
Bridget Foy-Pomerantz (
30:44
):
Yes. And it really, you know, again, we weren't far from the city, so we'd go into the city a lot. There
were three of us at Sacred Heart, and then one woman was working at St. Anne's in the high school in
Manhattan. And yeah. It was great because it was just something different. It gave me time to clear my
mind and figure out what I really wanted to do. And as much as I loved it, I realized I didn't want to teach
either. Like, I didn't want to do this my whole life. And that year I had applied to osteopathic school.


Jan Stivers (
31:21
):
I'd like to hear a little bit more about how your own values and beliefs align with the principles of
osteopathic medicine.
Bridget Foy-Pomerantz (
31:30
):
Sure. Yeah. So I think, um, you know, I, and it kind of goes along with what I sort of do now, which is
taking care of more of the underserved population and, and sort of the disadvantaged and so forth. So I
think looking, you know, looking at medicine and just, especially osteopathic medicine, the goal is to
maintain health as opposed to fixed disease. And looking at the person as a whole and mind, body, spirit
are all interconnected. That's one of the tenets. So it just, you know, that always spoke to me as
something that just made sense. Like when we're treating people, it should be it whole person and
everything that's going on. Their social determinants, their lifestyle, their family, but also their medical
history, their family history, and all of that. So it just, you know, I think there was something that struck
me that, that made a whole lot more sense than just going in and specializing in one thing.
Gus Nolan (
32:28
):
Do you see an interplay between the mind and the body in terms of the mind I mean thinking you're sick
and you're not really sick, you know?
Bridget Foy-Pomerantz (
32:37
):
Absolutely. Yeah. And there's a huge connection. I think we're just beginning to explore that now. You
know, you have to be careful because you don't want to attribute illness to people's-- you know, but at
the same time, there's so much to be said for the mental state and mental health and how that affects
people somatically in their body. There's definitely a connection. Yeah.
Gus Nolan (
32:58
):
I think that attitude has a lot to do with getting well.
Bridget Foy-Pomerantz (
33:02
):
A hundred percent. Yeah. And we see that a lot. I think that's also why, you know, going through med
school, and then I was really drawn to family medicine because of that, because you're treating the
whole family, the whole dynamic. And also the osteopathic tenants sort of lend themselves to primary
care and being sort of the captain of the ship for people's healthcare, you know.
Gus Nolan (
33:25
):
Where do you do this?
Bridget Foy-Pomerantz (
33:27
):
Right now I am working for the Institute for Family Health, which is a federally qualified health center. I
am in Hyde Park, New York. For years I was in New Paltz, but now I'm at the Hyde Park office.
Gus Nolan (
33:41
):
And do people come into the office and you examine them and--?
Bridget Foy-Pomerantz (
33:48
):


Yes. Everything. Yeah. So people come in for their primary care. So we take care of everything that they
need, their screenings, their, you know, their chronic medical conditions, helping them get to services
they need for us, a lot of times that's getting them insured, getting them affordable transportation to
their appointments, getting the, you know, we have a whole team that works. Not just on the medical
stuff, but on the whole helping people get where they need. Especially because they--.
Gus Nolan (
34:17
):
You write prescriptions as well?
Bridget Foy-Pomerantz (
34:19
):
Yes. Yeah. We do it all.
Jan Stivers (
34:23
):
I'd like to ask about your responsibilities now for medical education.
Bridget Foy-Pomerantz (
34:27
):
Oh, yeah.
New Speaker (
34:27
):
I understand that this is something that--.
Bridget Foy-Pomerantz (
34:29
):
Yeah, so I was going to say, I have a, a practice where I see patients, but we also teach. So, I did my
residency with the Institute for Family Health in Kingston. From 2003 to 2006. That's where I did my
postgraduate training after medical school. And then I left for a couple years to join a private
practitioner. And then after my, I had my first child, I came back to the institute because I missed the
teaching and the residents. So for about twelve years, I was core faculty for the residency program. So, I
did a lot of teaching, recruiting residents, especially on the osteopathic side. So they have a lot of
osteopathic residents as well as allopathic. So that was--. And we did inpatient, so hospital work as well
as outpatient work. It was really kind of trying to foster the family-- a new generation of family
practitioners coming in.
Jan Stivers (
35:32
):
So this would be classroom instruction as well as clinical instruction?
Bridget Foy-Pomerantz (
35:37
):
Yeah. So we would have, usually the classroom instruction was just one day a week. So there was
lecture based, you know, prep that we were doing, but most of it was hands on in the office. So, and I
still do that. So one day a week I go to New Paltz and I, what they call precept. So I'm there, we'll have
anywhere between two and four resident docs who are seeing patients. And then I'm supervising them.
So they come, they tell me about the patients. We talk about the plan. We correct them on the plan if
they need to. I'm signing all the prescriptions for the really new residents. I go see the patients with
them at some point. And I really enjoy that. It's tough work, you know. because not all adult learners are
the same. And, you know, we have different challenges, but it's still something that I think keeps me
fresh, keeps me learning. And it a nice break too, from just regular practice


Gus Nolan (
36:30
):
On a given day, excuse me, on a given day how many patients do you think you would see?
Bridget Foy-Pomerantz (
36:38
):
Anywhere in a regular, like eight hour day, anywhere between like twenty and twenty-five. Which is part
of the--.
Jan Stivers (
36:45
):
It's a lot.
Bridget Foy-Pomerantz (
36:46
):
It's a lot and that's one of our main--.
Gus Nolan (
36:47
):
Does Medicare interfere with this?
Bridget Foy-Pomerantz (
36:49
):
Not Medicare so much. It's more, it depends on who you work for. So our institution tends to want us to
see patients every fifteen minutes.
Gus Nolan (
36:59
):
I see.
Bridget Foy-Pomerantz (
36:59
):
Depending on where you are in different practices, that's changing. And a lot of practices are now every,
you know, seeing a patient every 30 minutes, which makes more sense. So if there's one downfall to
medicine, you know, it's not all, it's not all great. One of the things we're always fighting with is, you
know, the drive to see more and more people. You know, the quality of care goes down. So that's one of
the things we're trying to work on. You know, the, the corporate portion and the, you know, the
administration portion of medicine. And then those of us in the trenches kind of trying to--.
Gus Nolan (
37:31
):
One of the big complaints out in ( ) as it were now, is the wait in the emergency room.
Bridget Foy-Pomerantz (
37:40
):
Oh yeah.
Gus Nolan (
37:40
):
You know, people go in there, six hours and eight hours before they're seen.
Bridget Foy-Pomerantz (
37:45
):
Yes.
Gus Nolan (
37:46
):


I guess it's just lack of people, doctors to see them, you know,
Bridget Foy-Pomerantz (
37:52
):
Doctors, staff. Yeah.
Gus Nolan (
37:54
):
And more and more people living longer [laugh] and coming in with these--.
Bridget Foy-Pomerantz (
37:59
):
Plus, and emergency medicine has one of the highest burnout rates for doctors. It's probably one of the
worst to go into. People love it because of the, when they come out of medicine, because it's exciting.
Jan Stivers (
38:11
):
Stimulating.
Bridget Foy-Pomerantz (
38:11
):
It's stimulating. It's all this stuff. But I, you know, I don't know any of my colleague ER doctors who
aren't, you know, super happy with their job because especially after the pandemic. I mean, it really
ruined a lot of people's motivation. So a lot have left completely medicine, or at least their specialty. So
that's why you're seeing and we're feeling it, you know.
Jan Stivers (
38:37
):
You were talking about the conflict between administrators and the people in the trenches and the
corporate push. How else has medicine evolved and how has has that evolution impacted you?
Bridget Foy-Pomerantz (
38:55
):
Oh, that's a great question. And we, you know, we talk about this especially at the resident level, or, you
know, the resident teaching level, because twenty years ago when I did my intern year, you know, you
were expected to, especially in the hospital, have twenty or thirty patients you were following. You
might've had a senior resident who was helping you or an attending, but it was not, it was sort of the
expectation that you were gonna--. You know, residency was grueling. It was hard. It was tough. There
was not a lot of compassion for the interns in the residency. It was almost like you were just a soldier
there. And that has changed dramatically. I mean, I think they're looking more at resident wellness.
Jan Stivers (
39:42
):
Oh, that's great.
Bridget Foy-Pomerantz (
39:43
):
The hours have changed. Even when I came in, the hours had improved. There were only hour limits, but
they were still pretty tough.
Jan Stivers (
39:51
):
I think there's been legislation.


Bridget Foy-Pomerantz (
39:52
):
There has been, yeah. Because of things that have happened. So now, I mean, the residents really do
have a less of a burden. But the other portion of that, as we're, you know, a lot of us are aging out and
looking at the new group coming in there, there's a little bit of a different attitude of more of like shift
work. You know, I come in, I do my job, I leave where those of us who were at that time training, you
know, you stayed after you did everything you could for your patients. You know, especially in primary
care, you're doing all this extra, you have ownership of your patients. I think we're seeing a little bit of
less of that. I don't want to speak across the board, but it's just a different attitude
Jan Stivers (
40:32
):
In college faculty too.
Bridget Foy-Pomerantz (
40:33
):
Is that right? Yeah. I was wondering if it's just the generation that's coming through, and I don't want to
sound like somebody who's like, well, we, you know.
Jan Stivers (
40:39
):
And maybe they're right to put some boundaries on things.
Bridget Foy-Pomerantz (
40:42
):
A hundred percent. Absolutely. Yeah. Yeah. The residents often add, we were just talking, I was in the
hospital this past weekend, and one of the residents wanted to know what it was like when I was an
intern.
Jan Stivers (
40:52
):
Back in the old days.
Bridget Foy-Pomerantz (
40:52
):
Well, I had to do the, you know, walk uphill both ways in the snow. And I said, but that didn't mean it
was good. It didn't, I got a lot of experience and I felt like I could handle a lot. But nobody cared about
our wellness. You know, they just had a wellness retreat for the residents. They have days where they
can leave early, everybody takes a turn so they can go to the bank, they can go to their doctor's
appointments. That was not in our vernacular. So yeah.
Jan Stivers (
41:19
):
I want to shift a little bit and ask about your decision to remain in the Hudson Valley. And of course I'm
glad that you did.
Bridget Foy-Pomerantz (
41:25
):
Yeah. So during this time, I should have left him out of it. But right at the end of my, right before I
graduated, I met my husband. At the time--.
Jan Stivers (
41:35
):
Graduated from Marist or from--?


Bridget Foy-Pomerantz (
41:37
):
Graduated from Marris. So he, my husband's Jason Pomerantz and his dad, Bob Pomerantz worked here
for, gosh, I don't want to say the wrong amount of time.
Gus Nolan (
41:49
):
More than twenty years.
Bridget Foy-Pomerantz (
41:50
):
I was going to say more than twenty years.
Gus Nolan (
41:51
):
I offered him a job in public speaking.
Bridget Foy-Pomerantz (
41:53
):
Oh really [laugh]?
New Speaker (
41:54
):
On the occasion I was, he gave such a wonderful talk when he was here.
Jan Stivers (
42:00
):
What did Bob doi?
Bridget Foy-Pomerantz (
42:01
):
He was an electrician. So he worked in the maintenance and electrician and, you know, he was pretty
high up in the department. So he lives over across the river in Kerhonkson. And his, he has two kids and
his son, who's now my husband came as a commuter. So he was, he commuted and was an accounting
major. And is the first college graduate in his family. So we met at River Day [laugh]. We had, it turns out
we had mutual friends because we had, had a little group of friends that were friends with a group of
guys also in the old townhouses. And they were accounting majors. So it was like one of those things
where we just kind of came together, met, and then we met again around senior week because he was
off, you know, he wasn't on campus, so we're not seeing. So, we ran into each other senior week and
hung out a little bit. And the rest is history. After that I left. And, you know, we started dating after that.
So, that being said his family has been in Ulster County forever. My parents were still at that time in
Chappaqua. And when I was looking at to train, once I realized I wanted family medicine, I realized the
city program. I loved New York City, but the city programs for primary care are excellent in their own
way, but not really what I was looking for. I wanted someplace where I could do more, do a lot, be ready
for anything more family medicine. And when you look at that, it's really more the community based
rural places. And I had trained, done a bunch of rotations up here as a medical student because they had
those. And you know, it was one of those things. I knew the residency, I knew the people here. I knew
the faculty. So, and Jason's family was nearby. And my family really wasn't that far. So it made sense. So
once I trained here, and we moved to Kingston, New York for three years, and he got a job working for
Heritage Energy at the time in their accounting department. And he was there from 2003 until they
were taken over by Perico Energy, gosh, a long time. So he was with that group. He was with Heritage at
least thirteen or fourteen years, maybe fifteen. So once he was established there and I graduated, I was
like, okay, you know, we had thought about, my parents were still in Westchester and they were aging.


My mom had a lot of medical problems. So it was, it kind of made sense to stay nearby to them. But
when I looked at that time for jobs in Westchester, it wasn't like it was now. There weren't just big
groups where you could just apply and get the recruiter and get your job. It was harder. And it didn't
seem like it really spoke to what I was trained to do. And that's when I found, I worked for Family. First
Dave Kerner, who was a private practice down in Fishkill, and he was a DO, and he took me on for a
couple years. And that was a wonderful experience. But again, he had a bunch of colleagues who were
all in primary care, all in private practice. And they were all selling. They could not, you know, these
were guys who were in twenty years of practice and they couldn't keep the lights on or they couldn't
take, you know, they weren't taking home paychecks. They were, you know, insurances were
withholding money. They were not getting paid for their services. So he sold to Health West at that time.
And that's when I sort of, I was pregnant and I could kind of see the writing on the wall that it was not, I
did not want to join. So that's when the institute... So at that point, we really kind decided to stay in the
area and that's when my parents had sold their house and they moved up back up to Poughkeepsie.
Yeah. So that's, after that. It was like, once we were established here, it was a great place to raise your
kids.
Jan Stivers (
45:54
):
That's interesting because you've got multiple reasons.
Bridget Foy-Pomerantz (
45:57
):
Yeah.
Jan Stivers (
45:57
):
Plus it's beautiful.
Bridget Foy-Pomerantz (
45:59
):
Plus it's beautiful. Yeah. Plus it's a beautiful place to be.
Gus Nolan (
46:04
):
I'll change the page a little bit.
Bridget Foy-Pomerantz (
46:06
):
Okay.
Gus Nolan (
46:06
):
Besides being a doctor, you're a mother.
Bridget Foy-Pomerantz (
46:09
):
Yeah.
Gus Nolan (
46:09
):
How did that work [laugh]? Taking care of your children--.
Jan Stivers (
46:14
):


Work being a key word.
Bridget Foy-Pomerantz (
46:16
):
It was tough. It was really tough.
Gus Nolan (
46:18
):
Did you hire a nanny or something?
Bridget Foy-Pomerantz (
46:19
):
No, and that's, you know--. When I came back to the institute, although I was sort of one of the program
directors and having a practice, technically in quotation marks, I was part-time. So I had three days a
week. One of the days was like a twelve hour day. But I always worked three days a week and had two
days off during the week, even though I was taking call and so forth, and doing a lot of my days off. So,
and then Jason worked full-time. I, you know, it's a great question. How did we do it? We did it because
you know, by then my parents-- my dad was around, but he was not, you know, he's--.
Jan Stivers (
46:54
):
He doesn't do childcare.
Gus Nolan (
46:55
):
Oh no. I have a little stories about, you know, dad taking care of the kids. And they in the learning stage,
you know, the school was coming in the door running and getting the book and pointing out to your dad
that this is a picture in the book, the same as, you know [laugh] correlating between the school bus and
what her book was, you know, showing, you know.
Bridget Foy-Pomerantz (
47:18
):
Yeah, oh, he was around for sure. You know? Yeah. And they love, you know--.
Gus Nolan (
47:21
):
Picked him up from the school bus or something. You know, he told me these stories, you know.
Bridget Foy-Pomerantz (
47:25
):
Yeah, absolutely. Yeah because he lived with us from 2013 to 2015. Yes, indeed. So, but yes, so we didn't
have a nanny or anything, but Jay's parents were very helpful on our day. You know, they were very
integral in coming up, but they were still like an hour away, you know? So it was still, I look back and I
say, gosh, I wish I had worked less.
Gus Nolan (
47:46
):
Oh, well, yeah.
Bridget Foy-Pomerantz (
47:47
):
Everything worked out.
Gus Nolan (
47:49
):


I was going to say, yeah. It's amazing how things do come together and work out, you know?
Bridget Foy-Pomerantz (
47:53
):
Yeah, they do. Yeah.
Jan Stivers (
47:55
):
Well, so do you have advice for Marist students who might be considering medicine, especially women?
Bridget Foy-Pomerantz (
48:01
):
Oh, yeah. So, gosh, definitely consider it. You know, definitely consider osteopathic medicine and look
into that because that is just such a-- it much more popular now. Much more competitive now, but an
excellent track to get into medicine and any specialty. I put, I chose primary care, but osteopathic
medicine is--. You can subspecialize to--.
Jan Stivers (
48:29
):
OBGYN.
Bridget Foy-Pomerantz (
48:29
):
Absolutely. Yeah. Surgical subspecialties, all of it. So it's a great opportunity. Yeah. But go in with eyes
wide open, you know, I think it's, make sure you spend time if you can, with a practicing physician.
Sometimes we'll take on, you know, college students just to kind of let them follow us and see what it's
like. I don't think I had a great understanding. Everybody thinks I'm going to be a doctor. I'm going to be
helping people. I'll make a good living, whatever. But medicine has changed so much, you know, in the
course of the years. Really going in with eyes wide open and making sure that's-- once you're in it, you
really are. There's, I don't want to say there's not much else you can do, but once you've come through
that expensive and very lengthy time to become a physician, if you decide you don't like it, there's not
much else to pivot to. It's hard because you're not really trained to do anything else. So that would be, if
you're interested in it absolutely make sure you're talking to as many medical students as you can. If you
can get into, talk to some residents, to some practicing physicians, to really--.
Jan Stivers (
49:38
):
To shadow.
Bridget Foy-Pomerantz (
49:38
):
To shadow, to get a good sense of what you're going into.
Jan Stivers (
49:43
):
As you look back, is there anything you wish you had known then, or anything you wish you had done
differently?
Bridget Foy-Pomerantz (
49:50
):
Oh gosh, that's such a great question. You know, and sort of off of that, I think I was probably one of
those people who were like, medicine sounds like a great idea to come into. I don't think I knew exactly
what the nuts and bolts of it were. I don't think I would've done anything differently because when I
look back at the path, it really was exactly where we were all supposed to be. You know, I think I picked


everything as I should, but I do often wonder, what if I subspecialized? What if I ended up in the city?
You know? And I, especially on days, which are really tough, you know, we take care of a lot of people
with mental health issues. We take-- there is just so much complexity in what we do in the course of a
day. And, we as practitioners get beat up a lot, you know, from all ends. So there are days I go, gosh, I
wish I had, you know, subspecialized.
Jan Stivers (
50:45
):
Because you are often treating people who have avoided treatment.
Bridget Foy-Pomerantz (
50:49
):
Yes, exactly. And have a big distrust of the medical field, or have other issues that, you know, we have to
kind of navigate around. So on those days, I think I may go back and say, what if I did something else?
Jan Stivers (
51:02
):
Dermatology.
Bridget Foy-Pomerantz (
51:04
):
Dermatology. But, all in all, I don't think there's much I would've done differently.
Jan Stivers (
51:10
):
That's great. That's great. Gus?
Gus Nolan (
51:12
):
I have a question. Again, turning the pages, what would you say about the future of Marist as you see it
now? You know, where do you think we'll be ten years from now? Will we be here?
Bridget Foy-Pomerantz (
51:26
):
Yeah. Oh, definitely. I'm just amazed, you know, when I see, I'm more involved with the School of
Science now. When I took a tour earlier last year, unbelievable. I hadn't been back in so long. I could not
have even fathomed, you know what the services and the resources that they have now. Not that we
had a bad, I mean, we got so much out of our education, but I think the plans for the future, I think that,
that the school's just going to continue to expand and the students here are just going to have absolute,
you know, wonderful opportunities once they leave. So I see it continuing to grow, continuing to grow
and continuing to thrive really.
Gus Nolan (
52:13
):
Well, would it become less Marist though? Would it become more--.
Bridget Foy-Pomerantz (
52:17
):
I hope not. I don't think it has, you know, I don't think it has so far. I still feel, you know, whenever I
come back here, I still feel like the Marist spirit--.
Gus Nolan (
52:26
):
Tradition. Yeah.


Bridget Foy-Pomerantz (
52:27
):
And tradition is still here, and I think that's pretty remarkable considering how much it's grown. And--.
Jan Stivers (
52:32
):
Do you remain active, like with Alumni Affairs?
Bridget Foy-Pomerantz (
52:36
):
Yeah. And I actually was just appointed to the School Science advisory board last year. So I'm coming
back more to do that. But yeah, I haven't done many alumni events, but informally the kids love coming
to basketball games.
Jan Stivers (
52:54
):
Oh, that's so nice.
Bridget Foy-Pomerantz (
52:54
):
Yeah. We were just here a couple of, and they, you know, even my fifteen-year-old was like, oh, when's
the next Marist game? She was just asking yesterday. So I said, I'll look at the schedule, you know? So
we still love coming back and just being here.
Jan Stivers (
53:09
):
That's great. That's great.
Gus Nolan (
53:13
):
Is there anything we didn't say that you wish we did say [laugh]?
Bridget Foy-Pomerantz (
53:20
):
Gosh, no we covered a lot. Yeah.
Jan Stivers (
53:25
):
We didn't hear too much about your mother and your brother.
Bridget Foy-Pomerantz (
53:28
):
Oh, yeah.
Jan Stivers (
53:28
):
So anything else you'd like to tell us?
Bridget Foy-Pomerantz (
53:30
):
Yeah, so yeah, of course. My brother is also a graduate of Marist and I think it was a little more slam
dunk for him when he was-- he went to, he did not go to Horace Greeley. He went to JF Kennedy
Catholic High School for various reasons. And he had a great experience there. But he was, I think he
was always like more dead set on going to Marist. So he came ahead of me. And what was-- actually
looking back now, as a freshman he was a senior, so that was wonderful.


Jan Stivers (
54:00
):
That was nice. Yeah.
Bridget Foy-Pomerantz (
54:01
):
Really, really nice because he and I have always been close. We still are. So to have your senior brother
on campus with a car, you know. He would show up with his friends every so often. That made you feel
cool, like, you know, as a freshman, but also it made you feel like somebody was here. So yeah, I think
that was, that was really important to have.
Jan Stivers (
54:24
):
That's great.
Bridget Foy-Pomerantz (
54:24
):
Yeah. And he went on to law school and he's down in New Jersey. And I think he has just, he has a great
group of friends that he is super close with from Marist still. So, yeah, and my mom, she was always, you
know, always there, always supportive. And you know, part of the, you know, it was like, she was part
and parcel of the Marist--.
Jan Stivers (
54:51
):
Experience.
Bridget Foy-Pomerantz (
54:52
):
Experience too, you know? And I think, she just, my parents just loved coming back because I think all
their friends were here and all, you know, their life was here. So it was really cool looking back, looking
as we'd come back to see them just be here and have all that. Because I think in Chappaqua they never
quite got the, you know, my dad was working all the time. I don't think my mom ever quite got that
group of friends like she had up here. So coming back here was always so pleasant and nice. And like I
said, it sort of felt like home. So.
Gus Nolan (
55:22
):
Many happy experiences I've had with the family. Like after Christmas, you know, the midnight mass
and after that we used to have those ravion or some of other thing like that. We used to have these,
your brother, your father ran them for a while. And I had one or two and--.
Bridget Foy-Pomerantz (
55:41
):
Oh, yeah. I heard about all sorts of great parties. There's pictures too [laugh].
Jan Stivers (
55:46
):
Can be used for black mail.
Bridget Foy-Pomerantz (
55:48
):
I know [laugh]. But it sounded like it was such a fun time, you know, they were always--.
Gus Nolan (
55:53
):


Yeah. I remember your brother talking about your father at the funeral there. Yes. It was eulogy, if that's
the word to use. Talking about his father being, he thought everybody's father was a president.
Bridget Foy-Pomerantz (
56:08
):
Exactly [laugh].
Gus Nolan (
56:09
):
Yeah. And he was surprised to find out this is a rather unique experience, you know.
Bridget Foy-Pomerantz (
56:14
):
Right. Yeah. It was just part of what we grew up with, same. It was like, oh, wait, this is a very unusual
situation we have. And something I'm very blessed to have been a part of.
Jan Stivers (
56:26
):
I think it's also great to have thought that this is typical.
Bridget Foy-Pomerantz (
56:30
):
Yes.
Jan Stivers (
56:30
):
And not to have felt this--.
Bridget Foy-Pomerantz (
56:33
):
That it was in a special way.
Jan Stivers (
56:34
):
That you were in any way different.
Bridget Foy-Pomerantz (
56:35
):
Exactly.
Gus Nolan (
56:37
):
Well, I think I'm going to say, as far as I'm concerned, I just can't thank you enough. This will goi down as
one of our chief achievements in our history. Talking to, what you had to say, the way you said it, your
whole feeling about it has given me an uplift to carry on ( ) when there's very few ( ) bout there that I
can go to.
Bridget Foy-Pomerantz (
57:03
):
Oh, well that makes me feel so good. I mean, to have people interested in our, in my story just makes
me thrilled.
Jan Stivers (
57:11
):
Well, we think of it as a Marist story [laugh].


Bridget Foy-Pomerantz (
57:13
):
Absolutely. Yeah. And it is. It is. It's my story. But it is, it's a Marist story.
Bridget Foy-Pomerantz (
57:17
):
Yours absolutely is, it really is.
Bridget Foy-Pomerantz (
57:19
):
Thank you for letting me--.
Jan Stivers (
57:22
):
You do Marist proud. You really do.
Bridget Foy-Pomerantz (
57:23
):
Aw, thank you. Thank you for letting me go down memory lane. Yeah.
Gus Nolan (
57:28
):
I don't know whether it was for you or for your brother, but the god father couldn't be here for the
ceremony, and so I stepped in as being the god father at the baptism of--.
Bridget Foy-Pomerantz (
57:41
):
I think it was Peter. I think it was Peter. I'm trying to think of who his--.
Gus Nolan (
57:44
):
The residents over there where the Marist fathers had a special, you know, I just, I never forgot that,
you know, that I saw you guys from the infant stage here.
Bridget Foy-Pomerantz (
57:58
):
You did. You did. Yeah.