MS. NEW HAMPSHIRE SENIOR AMERICA 2017,
CATHERINE SZERSZEN

CONGRATULATIONS to CATHERINE SZERSZEN, Ms. New Hampshire 2017!

Catherine Szerszen is a confidently beautiful, accomplished and distinguished school administrator, educator and social worker. Her engaging smile and easy manner help you learn very quickly that her true beauty radiates from within. Gifted in her ability to help others, Catherine finds true fulfillment in life by touching the lives of children; assisting veterans and reaching out to our seniors.

Born the eldest of three daughters, Catherine's ailing father became her role model and "silent hero." He often said, "Catherine, you have the God given ability to make a difference; do what you do best - help other people." So, unconventional as it was, Catherine embarked upon her college career after the birth of her fifth child. While classmates carried their book bags to class, she carried her books in a diaper bag and her youngest daughter in her arms. She graduated Magna Cum Laude with a Bachelor of Science from SCSU; received her Advanced Standing Master degree (MSW) from Fordham while concurrently completing her graduate internship at Yale, specializing in Oncology and graduating with a 4.0 standing. She completed her Sixth Year degree in Educational Leadership at SCSU. She was the recipient of the SCSU Faculty Award for Academic Excellence and was inducted into several National Honor Societies.

Catherine's treasures in life are her strong faith, devoted husband, five loving children and two amazing grandsons. She credits all of her success to the unwavering love and support of her family and to God's generosity in blessing her with a talent to make a difference in the lives of children. She recently retired from a career in education that spanned over twenty-four years with the last sixteen years serving a the Vice-Principal of a high school. Catherine is a social worker who worked with children in hospitals and clinical settings. One of her greatest and most rewarding accomplishments was her role as the Principal of an all boy residential school for boys with extreme social and emotional issues. She works with grieving children to resolve issues of death, loss and bereavement and was an on-call bereavement clinician for school children following the loss of peers or teachers. She was called upon to help students and staff at her school deal with the trauma following the tragedy at Sandy Hook.

Catherine meets with government officials, directors of senior centers and senior citizens to determine their needs and concerns. She met with the Commissioner on Aging to bring these issues to the forefront. She is a spokesperson for the American Cancer Society, speaker on women's wellness, entertainer of veterans/seniors with her Cameo Club, and fundraiser for children's needs.

Each day she lights up the world with her smile, laughter and optimism hoping to make a difference in someone's life. She believes, as Mother Teresa said, "We are not all destined to do great things, but we can all do small things with great love." This is how she leads her life; doing things with great love for her family and fellow man.