Teresa Meighan Hacunda ’76

Things have a way of coming full circle for Teresa (Terri) Meighan Hacunda ’76. More than 40 years have passed since Teresa graduated from Colby-Sawyer, but she is still involved in the college as a member of the President’s Alumni Advisory Council (PAAC) as well as being a generous donor to the college’s endowed scholarship program.

“I am a strong proponent of education, and even though we don’t have children, we have been supportive of our nieces, nephews and godchildren with their academic explorations and successes," Terri said. "I was the first in my family to go to college, and the support I received financially from Colby-Sawyer was wonderful. Without that help, I wouldn’t had been able to attend the college.”

Terri entered Colby-Sawyer in 1974 and focused on legal secretarial studies. The magna cum laude graduate likes to reflect on her time on campus, especially when she was elected as president of Shepard Hall. “The whole process of being nominated and elected by people in your dorm and then being surprised with a special ceremony was truly heartwarming and wonderful,” she said.

After graduation, Terri moved back to Quincy, Mass., and married her high school sweetheart, Peter Hacunda. They moved to Northampton, Mass., and Terri accepted a position at Smith College and earned her bachelor’s degree in economics there in 1987. With her degree, Terri went on to become the director of Sales and Marketing at Tyco Healthcare (later known as Covidien), working for them in England and the States for 27 years. She finished her career there as Vice President of Civic Affairs after stints as Business Development Director and Vice President of Global Marketing.

Terri has also come full circle with her work at Smith College and served as the chair of the nominating committee of its Alumnae Association from 2014 to 2018.

Teresa is enjoying retirement with her husband in Providence, R.I., but keeps busy with her community involvement, which includes serving as a mentor for Year Up Rhode Island. “I have been a repeat mentor in this year-long program for young adults 18-24 who combine academics and paid internships for a year, leading to great jobs in the professional world,” she said. Terri is also the board treasurer for the Federal Hill House Association in Providence.

So what is next for Teresa Meighan Hacunda? Well, she is coming full circle once again. When she and Peter were thinking about moving to a college town, they were surprised to see the first home they owned in Northampton on the market. They decided to take a look and ended up buying the home they lived in several years ago. Once again settled in Northampton, Terri hopes to continue her passions for traveling, volunteering, watching sporting events (Celtics and Red Sox, especially) and listening to live music.