Written by: Elin Eaton '27

Sacred Heart Greenwich's Alumnae Media Network hosted an Alumnae Lunch and Learn on March 3rd featuring Grace Sutherland '16 and Roxanne Kassapidis '19. Both women have carried their filmmaking skills from King Street to their current jobs. 

Grace attended the University of Southern California where she received a Bachelor of Arts in Journalism. She is currently living in New York City and has a robust background in media strategy, corporate communications, and financial media relations, all of which have contributed to her success in her current role. She is employed at Edelman Smithfield, a renowned global financial communications firm specializing in the financial markets and strategic communications. 

Roxanne Kassapidis attended New York University's Tisch School of Arts where she received a Bachelor of Arts in Film and Television. She interned at the International Emmy Awards. She currently works as an Editor/Assistant Editor at Diagonal Media, a production company specializing in corporate and documentary-style videos. 

Both women shared their valuable knowledge of the film industry, while reflecting on how Sacred Heart Greenwich shaped them into the professionals they are today. They also discussed how the Sacred Heart Greenwich filmmaking and media studies program equipped them for their current careers and the internships they held prior to securing full-time employment. 

Student moderators Madeline Beaudry '27 and Ana Pizzinbono '27 thoughtfully curated questions designed to prompt insightful responses from Grace and Roxanne, enriching the audience’s understanding.

Roxanne explained that her love for film started at a very young age. She said, "I have always loved film. When I was younger I basically started out making trailers on iMovie and little movie projects. I have also always loved watching films and going to the movie theater. I would always watch films with my mom. I was also always very fascinated with storytelling and the creative aspect of it all. So when I came to Sacred Heart, getting into the film program and learning about it, learning how to storytell really made me love it.” 

 Later in the program, Grace expressed her gratitude for her experience working as anchor on "Today From The Heart" and having the opportunity to interview Congressman Jim Himes while a senior at Sacred Heart Greenwich. She said these early opportunities inspired her to be successful and passionate in her career today. 

"Coming to Sacred Heart and just having everything at your disposal and being in broadcast is what really inspired me to go into what I am doing now, and I do more finance media now, but just using the broadcast studio and running around and making movies here and doing Today from the Heart and everything was definitely what helped me to find what I am passionate about,” Grace said.

Both alumnae showed the crowd of more than 100 students that they still wear their Sacred Heart rings every day. They said that the connections with other Sacred Heart alumnae are invaluable and encouraged students to stay in touch with not only their high school friends but the people they will meet in college who can be important networking resources in the future. 

Director of Media Studies, Design & Innovation Ms. Ellyn Stewart said, "It is inspiring to see how our young alumnae are using the media tools they learned at Sacred Heart Greenwich to make a positive impact in the world. It is interesting to see how our alumnae are applying their media skills not just to careers in television and film, but applying their storytelling and creativity to careers in other fields such as finance, law, and business. I am incredibly grateful to Grace and Roxanne for sharing their wisdom with the next generation of filmmakers."

Overall, both Grace and Roxanne shared insightful and passionate responses, offering a genuine reflection of how Sacred Heart Greenwich shaped them into the individuals they are today and equipped them for success in the real world.