Stanner Hall of Fame

MaryAnn Safrey served as a dedicated educator, teaching students from kindergarten through 12th grade for 40 years. During her daughters’ early childhood years, she served as PTA President and was on her local School Board’s Citizen Budget Committee. She received NY State’s PTA Lifetime Membership Award for Student Advocacy, and worked part-time transcribing law school lectures. Eventually, she returned to a school setting to serve as a school librarian, teaching k-8 library and ELA classes to elementary school students. She moved on to teach Religion and English at Kellenberg Memorial High School while doubling as a Guidance Counselor and Grade Advisor.

After finishing her graduate studies in English Literature and Education, MaryAnn began teaching at Molloy in 1991. She taught across the English curriculum, and was appointed as the first female lay Assistant Principal for Academics in 2010, a position she kept until her retirement in 2020. During her time at Molloy, she created new classes to expand the English Department and further extend the knowledge of Stanners, including leading the expansion of Molloy’s AP Program.

In 2018, MaryAnn was approached by members of the senior class who wanted to create a space to celebrate women at Molloy. Together they created the GERLL Club, which stands for Girls Empowerment for Real Life Leadership. GERLL Club empowers and encourages female Stanners, and helps raise money for the Girls’ Leadership Scholarship Fund, benefiting future young women entering Molloy.

In the midst of her academic career, MaryAnn also published a fictional novella in 2001, attended the Breadloaf Writers Conference at Middlebury College in Vermont, and performed with the Long Island Philharmonic Orchestra in the role of Clara’s mother in The Nutcracker. Currently, MaryAnn writes grants for the US Marist Province, and continues to support Molloy's GERLL Club.

A supportive and skilled leader, Stephen Konchalski ‘62 has known success as a Nationally recognized Canadian basketball coach. After playing at Molloy under Coach Jack Curran, Stephen embarked on a college career at Arcadia University in Canada. While there, he led the Arcadia basketball team to its first ever national title in 1965 and was presented with the Jack Donohue Trophy as the tournament’s Most Valuable Player. Before graduating, Stephen scored a record 1,479 points.

After furthering his education, Stephen began coaching Arcadia University’s junior varsity basketball team for the 1970-71 season, later moving on to serve as assistant coach at Loyola College in Montreal for four years. In 1975, he accepted the position as head coach of the men’s basketball team at St. Francis Xavier University. Stephen was a fierce leader, coaching the team all the way to the national tournament 13 times. He was named Atlantic University Sport (AUS) Coach of the Year six times, and led the team to nine AUS titles.

Stephen went on to serve as the assistant coach of the Canadian Men’s National Team for 15 years, and head coach for three years. He coached the team to two fourth-place finishes in the ‘76 and ‘84 Olympic Games, a win at the World University Games, and a victory at the William Jones Cup in Taiwan. As a mentor coach for the Canadian Junior National Team, he coached the team to gold at the ‘17 FIBA Under-19 World Cup. Stephen’s successes have earned him inductions into the Canadian Basketball Hall of Fame, the St. Francis Xavier University Sports Hall of Fame, the Nova Scotia Sports Hall of Fame, as well as earned him the Frank Baldwin Award for dedication to basketball in Nova Scotia, and the Jean-Marie De Koninck Coaching Excellence Award. His commitment to his teams and to the sport of basketball led St. Francis Xavier University to name their main gymnasium Coach K Court, and the annual X-Men Invitational was renamed the Coach K Invitational.

Stephen Konchalski is the co-founder of the Thomas C Konchalski Foundation, which
was established to honor the memory of his brother Tom, a renowned high school
basketball scout and fellow Stanner Hall of Famer. The foundation provides scholarships
and other assistance to deserving students, embracing Tom’s values of Christian virtue
and charity.

Coach Andrew “Andy” Kostel has been synonymous with Molloy Boys Varsity
Soccer since day one in 1976, nearly 50 years ago. His stewardship has resulted in
numerous championships, the growth of many exceptional athletes, and has added
significantly to the sport of soccer becoming a part of Molloy’s storied athletic legacy.

Coach Kostel has helped make Molloy’s Boys Varsity Soccer team one of our school’s
most successful athletic programs. He has coached Molloy to many titles, including two
New York State championships, 15 New York City championships, and 17 Brooklyn/Queens championships, and three consecutive Metro Bowl championships. Coach Kostel’s outstanding coaching career earned him the distinction of being the first soccer coach inducted into the Catholic High School Athletic Association Hall of Fame in 2010.

Beyond the championship accolades, Coach Kostel has been a positive influence in the lives of countless student-athletes. He has always acted as an advocate for scholar
athletes, with his work ethic and positive attitude serving as a model for his players to
emulate on the field and in the classroom. Coach Kostel’s lessons and values have
positively impacted the trajectory of many of his players, helping them earn scholarships
to colleges and universities that they may have otherwise not attended.

Coach Kostel has been loyal to Molloy, committing nearly 50 years of his coaching career to the development and success of Stanner athletes. In addition, he has served other communities as well, volunteering with youth soccer and little league baseball teams for many years. Professionally, he inspired students and colleagues at Aviation High School in Queens for 30 years, winning a Teacher of the Year Award in 1990 and the Fellicetti Award from Queens College in 2008, recognizing excellence in math mentoring and supervision.

Coach Kostel’s legacy is one of leadership, education, mentorship, and achievement. Generations of students and athletes will forever be grateful for the positive influence he had on them not just during their formative years of high school, but for life.

After joining the United Nations in the 1980’s, Dennis Lazarus ‘71 served a 27-year career full of public service, intent on making our world a better place. Dennis began his
life of helping others in 1978 when he joined the Peace Corps as a volunteer, spending
three years in a South Korean leprosy village. He assimilated into the local community,
providing service and treatments to those in need. His goal was to serve people who had
been discriminated against and neglected due to the nature of their illness. Dennis,
inspired by this experience, then moved on to volunteer at the United Nations, which
turned into a full-time career.

Many of Dennis’s assignments centered on spearheading relief efforts in response to
both natural disasters and war. While with the United Nations Development Programme
(UNDP), he led the natural disaster response to the Gujarat, India earthquake, the relief
program after the Tsunami in Banda Aceh, Indonesia, the evacuation effort during the
India-Pakistan nuclear threat, and established the UNDP office in Afghanistan, along with
countless other achievements. In addition to his full-time responsibilities, Dennis served as the President of the International School Board, including the American Embassy
School in India and the Jakarta International School in Indonesia.

In retirement, Dennis has continued to serve communities and organizations that he is passionate about. He volunteers to provide meals to people in low-income neighborhoods, offers free golf coaching through the “First Tee” program, and is a current member of the Community Advisory Board of NPR’s local station in Charlotte, North Carolina, where he resides. For a time, he also worked with the nonprofit International House to provide services to immigrants and refugees. Some of his most important service during retirement has been with the AARP, where he works with a team to assist with tax filing for people under a certain income bracket. Throughout his life of public service, Dennis has proudly acted as a class agent for Molloy’s Class of 1971, and he continues to give back to his alma mater.

An inspirational teacher, leader, and friend, Joseph McNulty ‘64 was a champion for the
DeafBlind community. During his four years at Molloy, Joseph was part of a championship winning track team, learning that to be a winner, you need to have unwavering dedication and a strong work ethic. Joseph took these ideals in stride, applying them to a life of service, first as a Physical Education teacher at Our Lady of Lourdes RC Elementary School on Long Island, and later as Executive Director of the Helen Keller National Center for DeafBlind Youths and Adults.

While at the Helen Keller National Center, Joseph served in many roles, including Mobility and Orientation Instructor, Residence Director, and Affiliate Coordinator, all culminating in his appointment to Executive Director in 1989. During this time, he served as co-chair of the National Coalition of DeafBlindness, guided the establishment of the National Family Association for DeafBlind, and was on the boards of Mississippi State University's Blindness and Low Vision Program, Perkins National DeafBlind Training Project, and the Education Task Force & Consortium for Citizens with Disabilities. Among his many professional achievements, he was awarded the Anne Sullivan Macy Medal of Honor, secured a six million dollar grant to improve services and technology at the Helen Keller National Center, and visited the White House with DeafBlind children to celebrate National Helen Keller Awareness Week.

Joseph never took a break from helping DeafBlind people. He was entrusted with the
24/7 operation of the center’s residence, and after being promoted, traveled from state to state to help grow a national network of DeafBlind specialists. Joseph helped build
the center into an internationally recognized institution that served thousands, all the
while improving the lives of countless people. Joseph dedicated his life to helping others,
leaving his mark on the world through hard work, commitment, and compassion.