Reunion Weekend

Simon Bruté Medal and Distinguished Young Alumni Awardees

Please join us in congratulation Agnus McGlade Berenato, C'80 and Thomas G. O'Hara, C'64 as the recipients of the 2026 Simon Bruté Medal and Amanda M. Atwood, Esq., LL.M., C'13 and Cassandra Beltran, MSW, MCSW-C, C'13 as the recipients of the 2026 Distinguished Young Alumni Award. We invite you to learn more about their dedication to serving their communities and their mountain home.

Agnus McGlade Berenato, C'80

Throughout her life, Agnus McGlade Berenato has exemplified what it means to be a Mount graduate and to lead a life of purpose and impact. Before arriving at the Mount, she played professional basketball in France and began her collegiate career at the University of North Carolina before transferring to the Mount, where she became a standout varsity player.

At the Mount, Agnus was actively involved in Campus Ministry, the Student Government Association, and served as a resident assistant. As a senior, she was named Small College Player of the Year and was later inducted into the Mount’s Athletic Hall of Fame in 2015. She earned her bachelor’s degree in sociology, received the Distinguished Young Alumni Award, and was awarded an honorary Doctorate of Humane Letters in 1995, followed by an honorary doctorate from Seton Hill University in 2009. She also served on the Mount’s Board of Trustees (1999–2006), received the President’s Medal in 2018, and has delivered Commencement addresses twice at Mount St. Mary’s and once at Seton Hill University.

Agnus went on to a distinguished coaching career spanning more than 30 years. An eight-time Hall of Fame inductee and four-time Coach of the Year, she earned numerous honors including the ACC Legend Award and the WBCA Carol Eckman Integrity Award. She is the all-time winningest women’s basketball coach at both the University of Pittsburgh and Georgia Tech, finishing with 457 career victories and 11 postseason appearances.

Her success was highlighted by winning the 1992 National Women’s Invitational Tournament at Georgia Tech and leading Pitt to back-to-back NCAA Sweet 16 appearances. Her teams were consistently nationally ranked, and her players earned All-America honors, competed in the WNBA, and played professionally in Europe. She also coached and mentored an Olympian and multiple EuroLeague MVPs. At Kennesaw State, she led the Owls to postseason play and coached three consecutive ASUN Freshman of the Year honorees. Notably, 100% of her student-athletes who completed their eligibility graduated.

Beyond basketball, Agnus has made a lasting impact through service and global outreach. A recipient of the Susan G. Komen Terri Chapman Award, she has been a leader in breast cancer awareness initiatives and fundraising efforts. Her commitment to service includes international mission trips with Surgicorps International to Vietnam, Bhutan, and Zambia. During her most recent trip in April 2026, she led a free basketball clinic for 564 boys and girls. She has also supported U.S. troops overseas and served as a Women’s Leader Ambassador through U.S. Embassies in Suriname and Guyana.

Though she retired from coaching in 2021, Agnus continues to inspire as a motivational speaker. She has delivered a TEDx talk and speaks to corporations, healthcare organizations, and student-athletes across the globe. She is most proud of her family—her husband, Jack ’79, her five children, Theresa, Andrew, Joey, Clare, and Chrissy ’18, and her nine grandchildren.

Thomas G. O’Hara, C'64

Over the years, Tom has practiced what it means to be a leader and live a life of significance. His dedication to his career in law and government affairs, as well as his contributions to education and public service, have left a lasting impact on his community.

During his freshman year, Tom was encouraged by Jack Dillon, the athletic director at the time, to meet with Jim Phelan, then the men’s basketball coach, about becoming the manager for the team. Tom went on to manage the team for all four of his years at the Mount, including the NCAA National College Divisions Championship in 1962. In 1964, he graduated from the Mount with a double degree in history and education.

With many paths before him–he considered education and even at one point the priesthood--Tom went down the path that led him to earn his law degree from Georgetown Law School in 1967. Shortly after, he joined the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) as a tax law specialist. While working with the IRS, he found himself working on a case involving Prudential Financial and was offered a job by Prudential. He quickly rose through the ranks and became tax counsel of the company at age 30. In 1980, Tom and his family were transferred to Washington D.C., and tom was appointed the head of Prudential Government Affairs Office. Tom retired in 2000.

Following his retirement from law, Tom devoted his time to the education sector. For two years he taught at Assumption Elementary in southeast Washington, D.C. He has held multiple leadership board roles for various institutions such as the Center City Consortium of Catholic Elementary Schools, Center City Public Charter Schools, and Archbishop Carroll High School. Currently, he serves as chair of the board of Center City Public Charter Schools, where he has been a board member since 2010. He also serves on the boards of Serving Our Children and Oxford House.

His time at the Mount didn’t end after graduation. You could find Tom returning to campus for alumni events and basketball games, catching up with friends and classmates. Tom served on the Mount’s Board of Trustees from 1996-2009. In 2003, Tom headed the presidential search committee resulting in the appointment of Dr. Thomas Powell, as President of the Mount. Also in 2003, Tom was elected Chair of the Board and served in that position for six years. During that period, working with President Powell and the Board, the status of the college was upgraded to university status; the Terrace residence halls were completely renovated; Waldron Stadium, Powell Hall, and the Richard and Mary Lee Miller Family Grotto Visitors Center were built; and we had a yearlong celebration of the Mount Bicentennial. As part of the Bicentennial, the Third Century Scholars program was established, and the Dubois Founder’s plaza was dedicated.

In 1978, he was inducted into the Mount’s Athletic Hall of Fame as a member of the 1962 basketball team. Tom was awarded the Distinguished Young Alumni Award in 1981, The Pride of the Mount in 2002, and in 2009 was presented with an honorary Doctorate of Humane Letters from the Mount.

Tom has a deep-rooted passion for both athletics and public service. From 1965 to 1972, he served as a high school and college basketball referee, in addition to his professional career. Additionally, he served as a councilman in Matawan Borough, New Jersey, from 1974 to 1977. An avid endurance athlete, Tom has completed the New York Marathon four times and the Boston Marathon three times. He has also participated in the annual RAGBRAI bike ride across Iowa three times.

Tom’s lifelong devotion to education, public service and community engagement continues to make a lasting impact on students and families.

Amanda M. Atwood, Esq., LL.M., C'13

Amanda has distinguished herself among her peers in her dedication to support those around her at the Mount, in her community, as well as dedicating the importance of growth for herself so that she may better serve others. As a student athlete, Amanda captained the cheerleading team, represented her fellow teammates through the Student Athlete Advisory Committee, and represented her classmates through the Student Government Association. She welcomed new students to campus as a peer mentor for the Mount Orientation and was a member of the Pre-Law Society.

She graduated with a Bachelor of Arts, having majored in history and minored in gender studies, philosophy, and political science. Directly following graduation, Amanda attended law school at the Charlotte School of Law (CSL), where she earned her Juris Doctor in 2016. She became a member of the Maryland State Bar and began working for the State of Maryland. While working full time, Amanda returned to the classroom and earned her Master of Laws degree in taxation in 2023 from the University of Baltimore School of Law. Through her commitment and growth, Amanda was quickly promoted from an entry level staff tax attorney to lead senior tax attorney, entrusted by the Maryland Comptroller to lead her team to fulfill their duties to the people of Maryland.

During her studies at CSL, Amanda volunteered her time by doing pro bono work through the CSL Expunction & Reentry Project and for Legal Aid of North Carolina. Currently she is a lector at St. Christopher’s Catholic Church and volunteers her time with the church’s preschool program. You can also find Amanda giving back to her community. She has assisted with the Kent Island Beach Clean-Up, reviewed college scholarship applications for the American Legion Auxiliary (Unit 278) Award, and volunteered at Night to Shine, a worldwide celebration through the Tim Tebow Foundation that honors people living with disabilities or special needs. Her deep connection to the Mount has been proven through her continued support as an active alumnus, and she uses every opportunity she gets to pay it forward. She continues to welcome new and prospective students through the Mount Alumni Ambassador program, assists in her class’s Reunion Weekend planning, and most recently spoke at Life After Being a Student Athlete, a panel hosted by the Mount’s Student Athlete Advisory Committee.

Cassandra Beltran, MSW, LCSW-C, C'13

Cassandra Beltran has long been driven by a commitment to serve and uplift her community, a calling that led her to a career in the mental health field. She earned her bachelor’s degree in psychology, during which she demonstrated leadership and service as a Student Government Association representative, resident assistant, and Mount Ambassador. In her senior year, she interned with the Youthful Offender’s Program at the Maryland State Attorney’s Office.

Following graduation, Cassandra worked with youth in residential and school settings before pursuing her Master of Social Work at The Catholic University of America. During her graduate studies, she served as a social work intern at Community Support Services, Inc. and worked as an instructional technician and behavioral therapist at Connect and Learn.

After earning her MSW in 2020, Cassandra joined Frederick Health Hospital as a behavioral health social worker and practiced as a psychotherapist at Anchor Counseling Centers. Through these roles, she identified critical gaps in care for individuals with developmental disabilities and co-occurring mental health diagnoses, shaping her future leadership path.

Cassandra is currently the Co-Owner and Chief Operating Officer of Empowerment for Success, a Maryland Developmental Disabilities Administration–approved provider offering personal support, community development, and respite services. In 2023, she became a Licensed Clinical Social Worker and founded AIM Wellness, LLC, a mental health practice providing therapy, medication management, and case management services both in person and virtually.

With over a decade of experience, Cassandra is dedicated to supporting individuals with developmental disabilities and mental health conditions while actively working to reduce stigma surrounding mental illness. She extends this commitment through community involvement as a member of the Frederick County Rotary Club and a participant in the Frederick County Health Department’s Mental Health Local Health Improvement Planning (LHIP) Workgroup.

Cassandra remains steadfast in her mission to expand access to compassionate, high-quality care and to empower individuals and families to thrive within their communities.

Interested in nomination an alum for the Simon Bruté Medal or the Distinguished Young Alumni Award?

The National Alumni Association invites you to nominate fellow alumnus/a who have a rendered outstanding and meritorious service to the Church, state, nation and our fellow citizens. Nominate a Mount alumnus/a for the Simon Bruté Medal today!

The Distinguished Young Alumni Award recognizes young alumni, who, through hard work, perseverance and education have reached a high level of achievement in their chosen profession. Alumni who are fewer than 15 years postgraduation maybe considered for this award. Nominate a Mount alumnus/a for the Distinguished Young Alumni Award today!