Vanessa is a proud 2011 & 2012 St. Bonaventure graduate, completing both her Bachelor’s and her Master’s degrees. She bleeds both brown and Orange, having been a Syracuse fan her entire life and a current season ticket holder. She returned to Syracuse in 2016 and currently works at the Institute for Veterans and Military Families (IVMF) at Syracuse University and is working towards her second Master’s degree at the S.I. Newhouse School of Communications.

She is the spouse of Captain Ryan Marquette, who also hails from Rome, NY, and who is currently serving on his 3rd combat tour as the headquarters company commander overseas in Afghanistan with the 4-31 Infantry Battalion out of Fort Drum’s 10th Mountain Division. Vanessa’s military connections go further back as her grandfathers and great Uncle all served in WWII in the Army and Navy. Her parents, retired Chief Master Sgt. Steven Slachta G’71 and retired Lt. Col. Yvonne Slachta, both served in U.S. Air Force active duty and reserve for over 20 years. Her brother-in-law and nephew also currently serve in the Army and Navy, respectively.

Vanessa also serves as the 4-31 headquarters family readiness group leader and is a member of the VFW Auxiliary. She has received many recognitions for her volunteer work, including the Fort Drum Volunteer of the Month last year. Her proudest military moments were when Ryan took a second command at Fort Drum, decided to go off active-duty and join the Army National Guard enabling him to attend Law School at Syracuse University this fall– with a mission to give back to those who serve. In addition, she was thrilled when her nephew Elijah got the call he was accepted into the Navy.