Maria Schantz \u201960 MA has been part of the Montclair State community for most of her life. She had good friends, the Bordens, who lived just off Normal Avenue. Her sister, Lois Schantz Sullivan ’58, went to Montclair State. \u201cMontclair State was always in my life,\u201d she shares. \u201cAs a young woman, I often visited my sister when she was an undergraduate on campus. At the time, I had no idea that Montclair State would play such a pivotal role in my life,\u201d she adds. Her nephew, Kieran Sullivan ’01, is also an alumnus. Kieran got married in 2013 and some of his Montclair State friends played music at his wedding.<\/p>\n
Maria stated her career as a public school teacher, then came to Montclair State for her master\u2019s degree in English. Once she completed her degree, she joined the faculty. Professor Leonard Buchner ’37 ’42 MA, who Maria had studied with in her master\u2019s program, asked her to take over some of his reading classes while he was on leave studying at Columbia University\u2019s Teachers College. She started teaching full-time at Montclair State in January of 1964 and stayed until her retirement in 2002. \u201cThirty-eight years of working with dynamic professors and talented students enabled me to grow and to be a part of the growth of my beloved alma mater,\u201d she says proudly.<\/p>\n
Today, Maria is a proud and fully engaged alumna, a professor emerita, former member of the Alumni Association Board, chairperson of the Montclair State Retirees Group and a board member at large for the Emeriti Association. She also is a loyal donor to her alma mater, and member of the Carpe Diem Society, the University\u2019s planned giving society, and the President\u2019s Club, the University\u2019s leadership giving society. \u201cMontclair State has enriched my life immeasurably,\u201d she says. \u201cI hope that by my giving back, more lives will be enriched by the University.\u201d She was awarded an Alumni Citation Award in 1990. \u201cMontclair State always had a wonderful professional atmosphere as well as a quality of warmth and guidance,\u201d she adds. \u201cAs a student, I had excellent faculty. Montclair State always focused on achievement and professionalism and a quality education. It\u2019s important for me to support Montclair State, where I gained so much. It has enhanced my life and I have such positive memories.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cHow thrilling it was to join my mentors, to assist in the development and implementation of a Master of Arts degree in Reading, to become a Professor of Education and the Director of the Reading and Study Skills Center,\u201d Maria recalls fondly. She worked with incoming freshmen and helped to set up Montclair State\u2019s minor in Reading, the first in the state. As Director of the Reading and Study Skills Center, \u201cI had the opportunity to develop literacy programs that made a difference in the lives of many children and young adults,\u201d she says. She helped create an after school reading program for local kids ages 6-18 to help them improve their reading while working with Montclair State students in the graduate Reading program. \u201cWe worked with at least 3,000 kids, helping them to improve their reading,\u201d she adds. \u201cIt was a great experience.\u201d<\/p>\n
Maria stays in touch with many of her former students, former colleagues, and fellow members of the Alumni Association Board. She is the chair of the ÌÇÐÄvlog Retirees Group, which she coordinates with Laura E. Woodson ’73 MA and Gabriella DiVirgilio. \u201cIt\u2019s open to everyone, \u2018from groundskeepers to mindsweepers,\u2019\u201d she says with a smile. \u201cIt\u2019s so nice to be with the variety of people who have contributed to the University in so many ways.\u201d She also serves on the Emeriti Association as board member at large. \u201cIt\u2019s very rewarding,\u201d she says. \u201cIt\u2019s intellectually and emotionally stimulating to stay connected with Montclair State.\u201d<\/p>\n
Maria also is active as a volunteer with New Jersey City University, her undergraduate alma mater, on the Advisory Board for the Weiss Center for Children and Adolescent Literature, as well as with the New Jersey Explorer Children\u2019s Museum, where she serves on the board and works with fellow alumnus Gary Patnosh ’72 ’78 MA and Bruce Beaman. \u201cIt\u2019s a great love of mine and a great cause.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cMy Montclair State experience has enhanced my life academically, professionally, and personally,\u201d Maria adds. \u201cIt has given me the opportunity to do what I love and to share my knowledge with others. In fact, Montclair has had such a positive impact on my life that it is a privilege for me to give back and continue to play an important role in helping to shape the lives of current and future students.\u201d<\/p>\n
Have you thought about your own legacy at Montclair State? Visit\u00a0Planned Giving<\/a>\u00a0or contact Ely Santoni at\u00a0973-655-7298<\/a>\u00a0or\u00a0santonituere@montclair.edu<\/a>\u00a0for more information.\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n