By David Nathan

Nicole Ruggiero Daley ’08 credits Lasell faculty invested in her success for turning her affinity for shopping and numbers into a unique course of study—fashion merchandising major and mathematics/accounting minor—and a fulfilling career.

The former Lasell soccer player relies on her retail and math know-how in her senior role as a retail intelligence executive at SPS Commerce, where she leads a team of analysts that helps companies use data to solve business problems.

“There is a culture of community and succeeding together that makes Lasell a special place,” Daley says, listing professors Jill Carey, Neil Hatem, and the late Rick Frederics as being particularly supportive. “I felt cared for at Lasell.”

That affinity for Lasell prompted Daley to create her will through FreeWill, the University’s gift planning partner, and include a provision for a generous estate gift to support the women’s soccer team.

“We had been thinking about a will and then I received an email from Lasell about FreeWill with an option to make a gift,” says Daley, who has two children, Taj, 3, and Asa, eight months, with husband Lu. “It all fit together perfectly.”

She designated her gift to the women’s soccer team because of the life lessons she learned about teamwork, commitment, self-sacrifice, and caring for one another from Coach Vito La Francesca when he took over the program during Daley’s senior year.

“The culture had been that you showed up and did your best,” Daley remembers. “Vito took it to another level. I really appreciated him.”

Daley also appreciated her close friend group—Allison Peck Recklet ’08, Christina Rossi ’08, and Chelsea Comeau ’08. They met at Lasell Day for accepted students during their senior year of high school, roomed together for much of their undergrad careers, and still get together for vacations.

“I cherish my former teammates for their friendship, the memories we made together, and the lessons I learned,” Daley says. “I want future student-athletes to be able to have those same special experiences for many years to come.”