Ava Petrosino ‘26, a Nursing major and Spanish for Health Sciences minor from Norwood, MA, has been named the 2025-2026 Fr. Bernard Holmes, O.S.B., Scholar, providing her with full tuition for her fourth and final year at Saint Anselm. Her nomination for the coveted scholarship– much like the College’s decision to award her with it– is hardly a surprise; Petrosino, through years of advocacy and involvement, has more than earned it. Though she has limited mobility, Petrosino hasn’t allowed her physical ability to limit her collegiate experience, continuously pushing the boundaries that stood before her, not only for herself, but for all students. Advocating for physically disabled and able-bodied students alike, she has consistently proven herself to be an unstoppable force on campus, her ability to lead unmatched and her passion for progress palpable. From the moment she arrived on campus, Ava began constructing a legacy of change. While many students stepped into their freshman year with desperate hopes of belonging, Ava rolled through the doors of JOA with a different goal in mind: making sure that others felt like they belonged, too. That sense of mission, spearheaded by her own experiences with a world not built for her, became a defining theme of her time at Saint Anselm. Rather than accept barriers as permanent, she transformed them into opportunities for growth and advocacy– where others saw impermeable fences, she saw gates waiting to be thrown open. As a freshman, taking part in a panel with 6 other students with disabilities, Ava voiced her concerns directly to campus leadership, drawing attention to the obstacles she faced and proposing solutions that sparked momentum. Since then, the College has made progress toward providing greater accessibility; it’s no longer treated as an afterthought, but a vital component of life on the Hilltop. Future generations of Anselmians, regardless of physical ability, will experience a more inclusive Saint A’s, all because Ava chose to speak up. Her leadership, however, is not, and has never been, confined to accessibility advocacy. As a peer tutor in the Academic Resource Center (ARC), Ava frequently spends her time helping other students discover their academic strengths, sharing her knowledge, and building their confidence. In her role with the Transitions Program, she guides first-year and transfer students through the particularly challenging shift to life away from home, offering her wisdom, encouragement, and reassurance that they belong. She’s been consistently described by peers, professors, and pupils as a reliable, compassionate face on campus, unafraid to advocate for them in moments of difficulty and eager to celebrate with them in moments of success. Further, through her involvement in the Accessibility, Awareness, and Advocacy (AAA) group; the Diversity and Inclusion Innovation Fund (DIIF); and the Meelia Center for Community Engagement, Ava’s impact crosses beyond campus boundaries–the greater Manchester community has felt her presence, too. Mentoring high school students with disabilities, supporting young female scholars with Girls, Inc.; and supporting local families through her participation in Foster and Adoptive Parents Night Out (FAPNO), Ava clearly demonstrates her unwavering commitment to empowering others. That conviction further flows into her future career as a nurse. Through clinicals and coursework, Ava has fine-tuned both her technical and social skills; while she’s mastered the essentials of nursing, like IV insertion and patient assessment, what distinguishes her most among her peers is the empathy born from her own experience as a patient. She consistently pushes for a more inclusive and compassionate approach to healthcare, both in practice and in clinical settings, sharing her message with the broader nursing community at a May 2025 national conference. Petrosino’s particular combination of academic excellence and service– a true embodiment of what it is to be “Anselmian”– makes her the ideal recipient of the Fr. Bernard Holmes, O.S.B., award. The scholarship honors a rising senior with a dedication to aiding others; Ava’s life, work, and leadership are a testament to that spirit. “While the knowledge that I gained here will prepare me to be a nurse,” she said earlier this month, “the skills I learned from being Anselmian taught me how to do so with compassion and strength.” As she looks ahead to her senior year– and the long, successful journey that is sure to follow graduation– Ava shows no signs of slowing down; she continues to mentor, advocate, and inspire others. She enters the “real world” prepared to provide excellent care, guided by an ultimate goal of modeling how differences are a source of strength. Fences, met with courage, can become gates; barriers, met with determination, can become bridges. In every sense, Ava Petrosino is Anselmian: committed to building a more inclusive and compassionate world, one patient at a time.