Dated - February 18, 2016
Dear Colleagues,
As you may already know, Dr Sandra Bonetto, Senior Administrator/Access & Disability Officer in the Student Services Office is bidding farewell to RCSI. Sadly, Sandra’s last day in the College is tomorrow, Friday 19th February.
Sandra joined the college in 2004 as a Personal Assistant to one of our disabled students, Dr David Leydon. Sadly David fell ill and passed away. He was awarded his PhD posthumously. Sandra then joined the Admissions Office for a short period before moving to Student Services where she has spent the past decade. Her initial role as a Student Services co-ordinator involved supporting the many clubs and societies where her warm engaging personality made her very popular with the student body. In 2007 she was appointed to Senior Administrator and in addition to managing the Disability Support Service, Sandra was also responsible for the delivery of peripheral accommodation servcie for Medicine and Physiotherapy students. As many will know, when students go out on clinical rotations, RCSI provides accommodation outside Dublin and at any one time there are several hundred students rotating around hospitals the length and breadth of the county. Sandra’s attention to detail and commitment to delivering a quality service ensured that no student ever ended up homeless; although Sandra may have picked up a few grey hairs along the way!
Armed with her background in Philosophy (which includes a PhD), her deep understanding of the student body and her lively, infectious spirit, Sandra has played a key role in the development of the Student Services in the College over the past decade. This included a major contribution to the successful quality review of the office in 2011.
Sandra has decided to return home to her native Germany, with her husband Gordon, to follow the path of writing, researching and teaching. She will be sadly missed by both staff and students alike and in particular the Student Services team. We wish her every success with her future endeavours and have no doubt she will make a lasting impression back home in Germany.
While it is Sandra’s preference was not to have a large or formal farewell, you may wish to send her an email message sbonetto@rcsi.ie or drop in to see her in person before she leaves. We will also be raising a glass (or two) to Sandra tomorrow evening in the Swan Bar from 5pm and all are welcome to join us there.
Just bring a few tissues as they may be necessary…
Best wishes for the future Sandra, from all of the Student Services team!
Regards
Philip Curtis
RCSI Student Services