Dawn Jones Anuszkiewicz '88, President of Good Samaritan Medical Center

Dawn Anuszkiewicz was recently named president of Good Samaritan Medical Center in Lafayette, CO after serving as COO of Reading Hospital in Reading, PA. 

What was the path you took to get to where you are now?
After obtaining my BA in Psychology and running a group home for intellectually disabled adults I sought to strengthen my business acumen, obtained my Masters in Health Service Administration and began working in the acute care / hospital space.

What made you choose to attend Stuart?
I was looking for a high school opportunity that would challenge me and create opportunities for participation in multiple extra curricular activities.

How did being at Stuart help prepare and guide you for the path you chose after graduating?
Goal 3 resonated with me from high school on - the provision of health services to a community is something I am passionate about.  My hospital career has been in teaching hospitals in urban settings and this has allowed me to create programs that provide access to high quality care regardless of one’s social and economic status. 

What advice might you give to current students?
Get involved, step out of your comfort zone, raise your hand, and ask for opportunities.  If you wait for someone to ask you to participate you will be left on the side lines.  The worst thing is that you will be told is no. 

How has attending an all girls school impacted your career, day to day life, and your current self?
I believe an all girls school prepared me to be a leader.  In an all girls school - everything is done by girls - there is not the implicit bias that pushes girls into gender normative roles.  Every class officer role, club leader, backstage crew member, athletic star, valedictorian, was a girl.  This was so important to me that I made sure my daughter had a Sacred Heart education.  First in New Orleans and now at Bryn Mawr.  

What is your favorite Stuart memory?
There are so many, Ring Day, Martin House summer volunteer week, Freshman retreat, upper school lounge with the different areas for the grades, the list really is endless. 

How do you see Stuart having shaped your leadership skills?
The academic rigor of Stuart really started fundamentally developing my leadership skills.  To be successful as a student you needed to work hard, personally, but due to the small class sizes and the skill of the faculty, you were challenged to grow personally and to learn from your peers and ask for help and support.  That comfort in being a novice and asking for help, placing trust in your peers and having them place trust in you - really are the foundations of leadership.

What were your favorite classes offered at Stuart?
While the one I struggled the most in, it was also the one I learned the most in - English.

If you participated in any extracurricular activities, what were they and how do you see them having played a role in your life after graduating?
Field Hockey, Lacrosse, Musicals and plays(on and back stage), various clubs, model UN.  Team work, practice, and listening - all skills honed in extracurricular activities

How did Stuart shape you both individually and academically?
Stuart challenged us each academically and individually - having risen to that challenge I knew I had what I needed inside to be successful. 

How has your time at Stuart made you unstoppable?
Stuart provided me with the foundation I needed to know I could accomplish almost anything if I worked hard enough and asked for help when needed.

If you were a Stuart athlete, what sport did you play? How did your time as an athlete influence your life and path later in life?
Field Hockey and Lacrosse - my time on the teams taught me teamwork, how to support my teammates when they needed support and accept support when I was struggling.