Wooten Family Traditions

Sheila Wooten ’85 and her family – husband Vincent ’86 and daughters Leila ’16 and Nadia ’22 – give new meaning to the term, “Bloomfield College of Montclair State University family.”

Not only do all four of the Wootens sport Bloomfield College degrees, Sheila is Deputy Director of Athletics and Recreation on Montclair’s campus while also serving as Director of Athletics at Bloomfield College, and Nadia is a Residential Communication Specialist on Montclair’s Residence Life team.

As a student, Sheila made her mark as one of the College’s premier athletes in school history, excelling as a three-sport athlete in basketball, softball and volleyball. A two-time All-American, she was also the first Bloomfield College female athlete to score 1,000 career points and grab 1,000 career rebounds. In 1990, she was inducted into the Bloomfield College Athletics Hall of Fame.

Sheila, who completed her degree in accounting, and Vincent, a business major, married and started a family. She stayed on at Bloomfield to coach, and Vincent launched a successful career in the insurance industry.

By 1998, Sheila was guiding the Bloomfield College Women’s Volleyball team to their best season ever and to a Central Atlantic Collegiate Conference (CACC) Tournament championship. That year, she was appointed Director of Athletics. During her tenure in Bloomfield athletics, she earned CACC Coach of the Year honors three times and was twice named CACC Athletic Director of the Year.

Sheila was also instrumental in Bloomfield College’s bid for NCAA membership, securing provisional membership as an NCAA Division II institution in 1998 and full NCAA membership – with 11 competitive CACC and Division II sports – in 2002. Always in tune with the times, Sheila introduced esports to the campus. In 2020, she was named Dean of Students.

When Bloomfield College became part of Montclair, Sheila took on the dual role of Deputy Director of Athletics and Recreation on Montclair’s campus while also serving as Director of Athletics for Bloomfield College.

Vincent’s career progressed quickly as well, through roles as a Senior Casualty officer for MDA Corporation, a Casualty Specialist for Progressive Insurance Company, a Senior Bodily Injury Adjustor for JBA and Associates and a Casualty Claims Examiner III for Avis Budget Group.

Sheila’s career meant that the family spent a lot of time spent – and a lot of fond memories collected – on the Bloomfield College campus.

“We grew up on campus,” Leila recalls. “I especially remember the barbecues in the fall and spring – so many people came out for them! It was a lot of fun. And the graduation processions down Liberty Street were always beautiful.”

Nadia agrees. “Being at Bloomfield College felt like being surrounding by family,” she says.

Leila originally chose Bloomfield’s nursing program when it was time for college. She soon found her true talent in mathematics, however, while tutoring her teammates on the Women’s Volleyball team. In addition, she was selected for the College’s prestigious McNair Scholars program, which prioritizes academic rigor and research, and served as a resident advisor. Today, she is bringing her passion for mathematics to the students at Hoboken High School, and to Bloomfield College undergraduates working their way through college algebra.

“Being a resident advisor is a lot – and it was great preparation for teaching,” Leila says. “I had to manage a staff, plan and lead coaching sessions with incoming students, and coordinate a lot of administrative details. Public speaking classes and the McNair Scholars program helped me hone my research and presentation skills, which also makes me a stronger teacher.”

Nadia, on the other hand, did not plan on a Bloomfield College degree. In fact, she was studying education and playing basketball at American International College in Massachusetts when the pandemic hit. She returned home and enrolled at Bloomfield to complete her degree, switching her major to psychology in the process. In her current role as a Residential Communication Specialist, Nadia keeps Montclair students informed about and engaged in University life.

“Bloomfield College turned out to be the best experience,” Nadia says. “I got so much more from learning in smaller classrooms. I was excited to go to class! I’m still in touch with some of my professors.”

When Nadia and Leila became Bloomfield undergraduates, mother and daughters decided that they wouldn’t advertise the family relationship. “That didn’t last long though,” Sheila says with a laugh. “They were always in the gym and at games, and pretty soon they were coming by the office pretty often to say hello.”

When asked about what had changed about a Bloomfield College education over the course of 30-plus years, the Wootens instead emphasized what remained the same: a strong sense of community.

“The relationships you form in college are important,” says Vincent, who is currently serving as a mechanical inspector for NJ Transit. “Studying and interacting with such a diverse group of people teaches you a lot about how to communicate going forward.”

Sheila points to the lifelong colleagues and friends she has gathered over the years. “I started at the bottom and worked my way up,” she says. “Those relationships gave me a lot of support as my career grew.”

“You always knew that the faculty and staff cared,” Nadia adds. “Everyone deserves the college experience that Leila and I had at Bloomfield.”

In 2025, Sheila was inducted into the CACC Hall of Fame, honoring her many achievements and contributions to college athletics. But if you think that is her proudest moment as a higher education athletics professional, you would be wrong.

“Watching my children graduate from my alma mater was really special,” she says, noting that she was able to present Nadia with her degree. “What could top that?”