On Friday, May 8, Sister Marilyn Dunn was among nine individuals honored at the Hands of Hope Gala hosted by One to One Learning at the Nyack Seaport in Nyack, New York.
The event marked One to One Learning’s 29th year of service in Rockland County. The organization empowers immigrants to reach their full potential and lead meaningful lives by providing English language instruction and supportive services. Through One to One Learning's tutoring model, volunteer tutors and students build meaningful relationships that foster learning, cultural exchange, and mutual support, benefiting both students and teachers.
Sister Marilyn received the organization's 2026 Founders Award, which is presented annually to a Sister or Associate of the Dominican Sisters of Sparkill whose life and ministry reflects the vision and values of the congregation’s founders.
In announcing the award, One to One Learning noted that the Dominican Sisters of Sparkill are celebrating the 150th anniversary of their founding. The congregation traces its roots to May 6, 1876, when Mother Mary Thorpe and a small group of women began a ministry dedicated to the care and education of women and children in New York City.
This year also marks a significant milestone for Sister Marilyn, who, together with 10 other Sisters, is celebrating the 70th anniversary of her entrance into the congregation.
Over seven decades of ministry, Sister Marilyn has served in a variety of educational and healthcare roles. From 1959 to 1971, she taught in elementary schools and provided piano lessons to children. Responding to a call to nursing, she attended Misericordia School of Nursing from 1971 to 1973.
Between 1973 and 1983, Sister Marilyn served in several hospital emergency departments. After earning a Family Nurse Practitioner degree from Pace University in 1986, she began what she describes as one of her most challenging and rewarding ministries with East Coast Migrant Health.
From 1986 to 1990, Sister Marilyn ministered to migrant farmworkers and their families in communities throughout New York, Florida, Pennsylvania, and Missouri, using her Spanish language skills to provide healthcare and support.
From 1990 to 2006, she continued her ministry with individuals experiencing homelessness in Goshen, migrant communities in Ossining, and tuberculosis patients in Rockland County. In 2006, she joined Dominican Holistic Health in Sparkill, where she provided healthcare services to members of the congregation.
During the Dominican Sisters of Sparkill's 2026 Chapter gathering, Sisters reflected on their mission to "incarnate preaching by our very lives." Sister Marilyn's decades of service as an educator, nurse, and advocate exemplify that commitment through her dedication to healing, accompaniment, and compassionate care.
For her lifelong ministry and her embodiment of the congregation's mission, One to One Learning honored Sister Marilyn Dunn with the 2026 Founders Award.