When Michele Torchia Feltman ’82 was in her thirties, she and her husband Rick were thinking ahead. “Like many parents, we wanted to have a plan in place for our daughters,” she says. “Our financial advisor also prompted us to consider our values when planning for the long-term management of our assets.”

For Michele, those values were centered in the College of Saint Elizabeth and our sponsors, the Sisters of Charity of Saint Elizabeth. Michele first encountered the sisters at Marylawn of the Oranges High School. “I received an extraordinary education there,” she remembers. “The teachers were kind and supportive, and the students were wonderful.”

Michele’s decision to attend the College of Saint Elizabeth was organic, as she was already comfortable with the philosophy and values of the Sisters of Charity, as well as the close community they fostered.

Remembering her mentors
“Coming in as a freshman, I already knew I wanted to go to medical school,” Michele says. As a chemistry major who was also in the Honors Program, Michele enjoyed wide flexibility in her course selection. “From the beginning, Sr. Marion José Smith was a mentor in my research and development as a chemist.”

Chemistry professor Sr. Elena Colicelli, as well as English professor Dr. Kathleen Hunter, were also role models. Michele was an active, involved student who forged lifelong friendships while she was at the college. “My friends from Saint E’s and I text each other every morning,” Michele says.

Michele fulfilled her dream by earning her Doctor of Medicine (MD) at the University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey (UMDNJ) in 1986, as well as a Master in Public Health from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill in 2011. An obstetrical and gynecological physician for more than 30 years, Michele is currently a medical director for United Healthcare.

An early commitment fulfilled incrementally
“My husband and I have always felt very fortunate and wanted to give back,” Michele says. In that initial planning with her financial advisor, Michele took out a $50,000 whole life insurance policy and designated the College of Saint Elizabeth as both the holder and beneficiary of the policy.

Michele’s gift to the College of Saint Elizabeth has also been a gift to her daughters. “It has helped my daughters to see me invested in my alma mater,” Michele says. “I’m so grateful and feel so good about this gift. It’s a hug and a thank-you that will be handed to the college when I’m gone.”