The College of Saint Benedict Magazine is published three times a
Editor Greg Skoog (SJU ’89)
Contributors
Sarah Forystek
Dan Genzler
Michael Hemmesch (SJU ’97)
Sara Mohs
Tom Morris (SJU ’89)
Tommi O’Laughlin (SJU ’13)
Heather Pieper-Olson
Frank Rajkowski
Cover Photo Bennie alumnae Bridget Deutz ’13, Hudda Ibrahim ’13, Emily Coborn Wright ’08 and Shelly Bauerly Kopel ’90 are leaders and influencers, impacting the region.
by Tom Morris (SJU ’89).
For as long as I can remember, summers have been filled with a vibrant mix of adventure, renewal and reconnection.
My parents, Clarence and Mary Lou, worked in secondary education, which allowed us to saturate our summers spending time with family, adventuring to new campgrounds and immersing ourselves in summer jobs. (For me, that meant mowing lawns and the early shift at the local cheese factory.)
This year, I watched our Bennies and Johnnies embark on their own summer ventures: participating in collaborative research projects with faculty, learning through internships across the state and country and opening the doors on our campuses to host community events.
It’s a reminder that our community extends far beyond the walls of our buildings. Our community, and our mission, reaches out into the heart of Central Minnesota and beyond.
The College of Saint Benedict and Saint John’s University have always been institutions of the community – institutions that work with and for the community. We believe our strength lies not only on our campuses, but also in our interconnectedness with our surrounding communities.
I have always believed that institutions like ours are at their best when we are in service to the common good. We are constantly working to understand the overlap between the education of our students and the needs of our community. When we find that intersection, we create mutually beneficial partnerships that enrich both our campuses and the broader region.
Through hands-on learning experiences, internships, service projects and collaborative research, our students are empowered to solve society’s most urgent problems. This is mission in action, fostering a sense of belonging and purpose among our students while making a tangible impact on our community.
This commitment to community partnerships is not just a lofty ideal; it’s a core component of our strategic plan. We are actively seeking out opportunities to connect with local and regional partners, to identify their needs and to align those needs with the educational aspirations of our students.
We are increasing our presence in local and regional community initiatives and organizations, fostering partnerships in health care, business and education. By engaging local K-12 students in career areas and the liberal arts, we are extending our educational mission and inspiring the next generation of leaders.
These partnerships are not simply transactional; they are relationships built on trust, mutual respect and a shared commitment to making a positive impact. They are living embodiments of our Benedictine values of community, hospitality and service.
“We believe our strength lies not only on our campuses, but also in our interconnectedness with our surrounding communities.”
I am deeply grateful for the dedication and enthusiasm of our faculty, staff, students and community partners who make these collaborations possible. Your efforts are instrumental in realizing our vision of a more inclusive and welcoming community, one that is actively engaged in the pursuit of the common good.
I encourage you to embrace the spirit of partnership that defines CSB and SJU. Whether you are a student, faculty member, alum or friend of the college, I invite you to join us in building bridges and creating connections that strengthen our community. Together, we can create a more just, compassionate and thriving community for all.
Brian J. Bruess, Ph.D. President, College of Saint Benedict and Saint John’s University
The CSB and SJU classes of 2024 grabbed their diplomas and launched themselves into the future in separate commencement ceremonies on May 11. Later that day, graduates showed off just how excited they were with the growing tradition of a plunge in Lake Sagatagan.
Bennie and Johnnie alums, families and friends gathered on campus in April for the 12th annual RedTalks event in the Gorecki Family Theater on the College of Saint Benedict campus.
The show annually features short, engaging, thoughtprovoking talks delivered by CSB and SJU students and graduates sharing their insight and experience.
This year’s speakers included:
Elizabeth Wold ’25
“Self-Worth: A Lesson in Faith and Boundaries”
Tess Cavanaugh ’27
“What’s for Dinner Tonight”
Canaan Cooper ’25
“Don’t Let Setbacks Set You Back”
Meghan Fitzgerald Bonde ’07
“Ending the Deforestation of Rainforest Minds”
John Murray ’11
“Living Across Borders and Above Walls”
Tom Thibodeau ’73
“Becoming an Ambassador for Goodness”
You can catch up and find out what people are talking about using the QR code here.
This spring, Morgan Van Beck ’24 and Amelia Kahlhamer ’24 were announced as winners of prestigious Fulbright English Teaching Assistant (ETA) awards by the Fulbright U.S. Student Program. They are the 50th and 51st Fulbright awardees from CSB and SJU in just the past 10 years.
Van Beck, a political science and Hispanic studies major with a minor in Latin American studies from Sartell, Minnesota, will get the chance to teach English in Columbia beginning Aug. 1. Kahlhamer is an English and sociology major who grew up near St. Joseph and graduated from Holdingford High School. She will serve her Fulbright ETA in Romania, beginning in September.
The Fulbright U.S. Student Program places recent college graduates as English Teaching Assistants in schools and universities overseas. The ETAs improve international students’ English abilities and knowledge of the U.S., while enhancing their own language skills and knowledge of the host country.
“We really have developed an extraordinary record of success (in applying for and winning Fulbright awards) over the past decade,” said Phil Kronebusch, a professor of political science and coordinator of competitive fellowships at CSB and SJU. “There have been very few liberal arts schools our size producing this many Fulbright students.”
Kronebusch said Van Beck and Kahlhamer are proof that CSB and SJU truly offer students a global perspective – no matter how near or far from campus they’re from. “Morgan and Amelia have both made the most of the opportunities Saint John’s and Saint Ben’s offer to be globally engaged,” he said. “And I think earning a Fulbright is really the culmination of that.”
CSB and SJU students this spring were recognized for their efforts and achievements by inductions into some of the nation’s most prestigious academic honor societies.
Phi Beta Kappa
The 15th cohort of inductees into the Theta of Minnesota chapter of Phi Beta Kappa included 44 Bennies and Johnnies (20 CSB seniors and
two Bennie juniors). Phi Beta Kappa is the nation’s oldest academic society, having been founded in 1776 by several students from the College of William and Mary during the American Revolution. It was originally intended to promote freedom of inquiry and liberty of thought and expression.
Delta Epsilon Sigma
This year saw 23 Bennies inducted into Delta Epsilon Sigma – a national Catholic Honor Society with the
purpose of recognizing academic accomplishments, dedication to intellectual activity and service to others. CSB has been a member of DES since its beginning in 1940.
Sigma Beta Delta
This year marked the ninth cohort of CSB and SJU students inducted into Sigma Beta Delta, the highest national recognition a business, management or administration major can receive at a college or university with a regional accreditation but not a specialized accreditation in business. The 40 inductees (14 Bennies) included 20 accounting majors, 18 global business leadership majors and two finance majors.
Tri-Alpha
The was the second year of inductions for Bennies and Johnnies into Tri-Alpha, the national honor society for first-generation college students. This year’s cohort included 11 inductees (seven Bennies).
Five CSB and SJU faculty members were recognized with top honors at the annual Academic Affairs Awards and Recognition ceremony in May.
The faculty awards went to:
Sister Mary Grell/Robert Spaeth Teacher of Distinction Award
Robert Campbell III associate professor of mathematics
Sister Linda Kulzer Gender Educator Award
Pedro dos Santos professor of political science
Catholic Benedictine Educator Award
Scott Johnson professor of political science
Jennifer Galovich Service Award
Jean Lavigne
professor of environmental studies
Linda Mealey Faculty/Student Collaborative Research and Creativity Award
Ed McIntee professor of chemistry
Learn more about the awards and this year’s winners using this QR code.
Professors emeriti
The following retiring faculty members were awarded recognition as professors emeriti.
Jeff Anderon, peace studies
Charles Bobertz, theology
Kathleen Cahalan, theology
Jeanne Cook, communication
Tony Cunningham, philosophy
Dan Finn, economics and theology
Mary Jepperson, accounting and finance
Brian Johnson, chemistry
Kaarin Johnston, theater
Michael Livingston, psychology
Marina Martin, Hispanic studies
John Merkle, theology
Madhu Mitra, English
Fr. Michael Patella, OSB, theology
Michael Reagan, biology
Vincent Smiles, theology
The 2023-24 academic year marked the first time commencement exercises at both the College of Saint Benedict and Saint John’s University were held on the same day –Saturday, May 11.
The ceremony at Saint Ben’s began with a welcome from LeAnne Matthews Stewart ’87, chair of the CSB and SJU Boards of Trustees. The invocation was then delivered by Cindy Gonzalez ’14, director of Campus Ministry at CSB. Katie Boylan ’99, executive vice president and chief communications officer for Target Corp., delivered the commencement address and political science major Eileen Otto was the student speaker. And the final blessing was provided by Sister Karen Rose, the prioress of Saint Benedict’s Monastery.
This year’s CSB graduating class included 344 undergraduates, as well as 14 nursing master’s and doctoral graduates (the school’s first commencement ceremony to include conferring of master’s and doctoral degrees for nursing!).
Top five majors in this year’s graduating class at CSB were nursing (58), global business leadership (36), biology (34), psychology (32) and elementary education (31). The top five majors in this year’s graduating class at SJU were global business leadership (111), accounting (67), biology (29), communication (24) and exercise and health science (20).
Both campuses were buzzing with activity, laughter and smiles in June as members of graduating classes in years ending in 4s and 9s and others returned to connect with their classmates as part of Reunion 2024.
In all, around 1,300 alums took part in the festivities, despite rainy weather.
“This was a weekend full of joy,” CSB Executive Director of Alumnae Relations Valerie Jones ’94 said. “The questionable weather did not stop Bennies and Johnnies from across the decades from connecting with each other and their alma maters. The oldest CSB alumna in attendance was from the class of 1953, a group of five Bennies from the class of 1959 gathered to celebrate their 65th reunion and the class of 2019 celebrated their very first reunion, meaning alumnae represented more than 65 years of the life of the college throughout the weekend.”
The College of Saint Benedict and Saint John’s University proudly welcomed the two schools’ four Rhodes Scholars back to both campuses this April.
Jervon Sands, a 2023 SJU graduate, became the most recent member of that prestigious group when he earned the honor last fall.
This spring, he was joined on the campuses by Rachel Mullin ’14, who was named a Rhodes Scholar in 2016, Laura McGrane ’91, who achieved the honor in 1992, and Steven Michaud ’67, who became the first graduate of either school to achieve the distinction in December 1968.
Only around 100 students annually earn the opportunity to join peers from around the world in study at the University of Oxford, a collegiate research university in Oxford, England, with a history that dates back as far as 1096.
“Needless to say, we are extremely proud of our Rhodes Scholars,” said CSB and SJU President Brian J. Bruess, Ph.D. “You represent the long and strong heritage of academic excellence and scholarship that has characterized the College of Saint Benedict and Saint John’s University for so many years now.”
The scholars’ visit began with a welcome breakfast at the CSB and SJU Multicultural Center on the CSB campus. Each then met individually with classes before a luncheon in the Founders Room at SJU.
Mass in the Saint John’s Abbey and University Church followed that afternoon, then all four took part in a panel discussion with Bruess that evening in SJU’s Guild Hall.
“It’s been an amazing opportunity to remind ourselves, to remind our faculty and staff, of the impact these two institutions have on ambitious students,” said Heather Pieper-Olson, CSB’s vice president of institutional advancement.
“And to see what that effort can become. It’s been a demonstration to our students who share those ambitions of what their lives can be. And to see that in a multi-generational context, I think, is incredibly profound.”
“To have a single Rhodes Scholar is quite an accomplishment,” added Rob Culligan ’81, SJU’s vice president for institutional advancement. “To have had four over a span of time is remarkable. We start in the 1960s, continue in the 1990s, then on to the 2010s and today. That’s impressive.
“The fact that all four could come at the same time and on the same day was providence,” he continued. “The stars had to align for us to be able to celebrate them
like this. And as they’ve met each other, you see the interest they take in each other’s lives. They’re part of a select club. They’ve had shared experiences.”
Mullin and Sands said coming together with their fellow CSB and SJU Rhodes Scholars was indeed an incredible experience and a celebration of their shared bond.
“We have very different stories, but we’ve all commented on the fact that this community played a role in how we were able to achieve this,” Mullin said. “The role our professors played in nudging us to try things. I think it speaks to the culture of Saint John’s and Saint Ben’s that this success has continued for all these years.”
“Being here with all of the other Rhodes Scholars is a surreal experience because of this multi-generational legacy that I’m now becoming part of,” Sands added. “It’s exciting and it’s also insightful because you’re learning from the best of the best. I’m joining those ranks now and hopefully carrying on that legacy.”
BY | DAN GENZLER
The College of Saint Benedict just wrapped up an outstanding year with a second-place finish in the Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (MIAC) All-Sports competition.
Additionally, the Bennies earned two team conference championships, 11 individual and relay MIAC championships, four individual DIII national titles, five All-American finishes, and six athletes earning special awards from the conference. The Bennies had four teams place in the top three in conference standings and every team finished in the top six. In the MIAC, Saint Ben’s finished tied for first in softball and placed second in volleyball and indoor track and field, while grabbing third place in outdoor track and field. CSB was fourth in soccer, fifth in golf and basketball, and sixth in tennis, hockey and swim and dive.
During a record-breaking career, senior Fiona Smith developed a legacy unmatched in school history. At the 2024 NCAA DIII Outdoor Championship in May, the 16time All-American recorded the program’s first 10,000-meter title with a facility record of 34:27.32. In her final race, Smith finished third in the 5,000-meter in hot and humid conditions in Myrtle Beach, S.C. The two performances by Smith garnered 16 team points, as CSB finished tied for a program-best 11th in the team standings. Smith had four national titles this year, including the 3K and 5K indoors
and the DIII cross country title last fall. Smith is one of three in MIAC history to capture six or more individual DIII national titles. Smith also won three more MIAC individual titles and has a programbest 15 in her career in leading CSB to third place with a school record 136.3 points. CSB had a programbest 13 All-MIAC performances, including one from first-year Sabriya Farquharson, who was named MIAC “Rookie of the Year,” while Smith was the MIAC Outdoor Athlete of the Year.
The Saint Ben’s lacrosse program will be among three teams joining the Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (WIAC) as affiliate members beginning with the 2024-25 academic year. With a 5-0 conference mark (9-5 overall) this year, the Bennies, directed by head coach Patrick Crandall, won their second straight MLC regular-season title and advanced to the playoff championship for a second straight year. CSB has gone 20-8 overall in two seasons with a perfect 12-0 league mark. CSB had eight studentathletes earn All-MLC honors.
Led by third-team NFCA AllAmerican Olivia Tautges, CSB softball this year won a share of its first regular season MIAC championship since 1994. Directed by head coach Rachael Click, CSB finished 26-19, won a share of the conference regular-season title and advanced to the NCAA DIII regional championship. For the third straight year, CSB earned the MIAC Player of the Year with Tautges earning the honor after setting a program record with 15 home runs. Sophomore Ellie Peterson also earned the league’s Pitcher of the Year honor as CSB swept both awards for the first time. Six Bennies were first-team all-conference, while Tautges and Tori Benson, who finished her career with 23 home runs for third all-time, earned NFCA All-Region honors.
BY | DAN GENZLER
For Robin Balder-Lanoue ’91, coaching is about unyielding support – in and out of competition and wherever it is needed.
It is that “family-first” persona that defines the 27-year Saint Benedict head coach, who strives to be wherever her student-athletes need her.
“We have a goal to be a wellbalanced track and field team where we have athletes qualified in every event for the conference meet. We also have an excellent coaching staff to help support our athletes and our team goals,” said BalderLanoue. “The same balance trickles to our goals for each athlete on the team. Our goal is to help each of the women on our team to strive to find her best self in all aspects of her life and to support the others on the team to do the same.”
HONOREES
MIAC COACH OF THE YEAR HONORS
It is that vision that enables BalderLanoue to develop a strong rapport with her student-athletes.
“Robin changes lives through the sport of cross country and track and field. She pushes athletes to believe that they are better than they think possible,” said Meghan Orgeman ’05, who competed for CSB and is head track coach and school counselor at Alexandria High School. “She cares deeply about her athletes as people. She has helped hundreds of athletes believe in themselves, and therefore reach their full potential as athletes and people.”
With each of her student-athletes, Balder-Lanoue’s personal focus provides a sense of belonging and connection, which began from the first day she recruited them. “We take time each week to celebrate everyone on the team and find ways to connect,” said Balder-Lanoue.
For her, coaching is every day, and seemingly every hour. And to Orgeman, she mixes the perfect balance of being fun-loving while also stressing competitiveness and strength.
“As a coach, she will push you beyond what you thought was
possible, and somehow have you laughing through it all. She also loves her athletes with her whole heart,” added Orgeman, who is serving as first-ever female president of the Minnesota Track and Field Coaches Association.
“I can feel the synergy of our team at every practice,” said BalderLanoue. “4:15 each day is a highlight because everyone is excited to give their best and support each other. They leave every practice feeling uplifted by their teammates and coaches. Our team has lived each practice with gratitude and excitement. They also see every meet as an opportunity and a chance to celebrate all their hard work through the week and season.”
Many of those opportunities result from the support of alumnae, whose tie to the future of the program is evident.
“I feel a big piece is our alums communicating what a great experience they had and to make the most of each day. The team feels the spirit and support of the alums,” said Balder-Lanoue. “The messages and gifts have uplifted our team and helped them to see we have something pretty special here.”
BY | SARA MOHS
Madeleine Vargas ’26 says she’s always had a strong faith, though it wasn’t born out of family teachings or formal practice.
“I’ve had a lot of things go south in my life, beginning when I was born,” she says. “I always felt close to God even though I didn’t grow up going to church often. And it just increased as I got older, putting my faith into something greater than myself.”
To express that faith, Vargas had always wanted to be baptized and receive first communion. When she came to Saint Ben’s, the opportunity finally arose through Campus Ministry’s offering of Official Christian Rite of Initiation (OCIA). And through Cindy Gonzalez.
Gonzalez graduated from Saint Ben’s in 2014 with a degree in Asian studies before receiving a master’s from Saint John’s School of Theology and Seminary in 2018. From there, she earned a second master’s in parent and family education from the University of Minnesota in 2022. In 2023, she became the director of Campus Ministry at Saint Ben’s.
As director of Campus Ministry, she works with 24 student campus ministers across five different ministerial teams. Traditionally, the role is more supervisory, but Gonzalez wanted to change that model when she came.
“I talked to many different directors of campus ministries that I knew across the country and a lot of them mentioned that they weren’t student-facing,” says Gonzalez.
“I wanted to be more available to all of our students here and, thanks to my supervisor, (CSB and SJU
Associate Provost for Student Affairs) Mary Geller, I can be. If a student has a need for spiritual guidance of any sort, they can come into my office and have a conversation. If we’re not practicing our Benedictine tradition that way, then who are we? It’s been very uplifting to me in my vocation.”
That vocation played out even further last fall when Campus Ministry distributed flyers inviting students to participate in OCIA. The night before the deadline, Gonzalez received three inquiries. Vargas wanted to receive the sacraments of baptism, first communion and confirmation. Alma Rodriguez ’25 and Julissa Solorzano ’27 wanted to be confirmed.
Gonzalez reached out to each of them and said she would follow up with information on meeting times and who their formation instructor would be.
Their responses caught her off guard.
“Two of the three said, ‘Hold on, we thought you were teaching the class. If it’s going to be someone else, we don’t know if we want to do it.’ Typically, directors of campus ministry don’t teach the classes, because they’re very time intensive. But their response was a no brainer for me,” she admits.
The sacramental journey takes place throughout the academic year, which meant the three – each of whom is working her way through a major in an intensive STEM field –would have to weave the additional time and coursework into their already busy schedules.
As a nursing student, Vargas was nervous OCIA might be too much.
“Cindy said she understands that students live busy lives, and she was going to respect that. She said she would find a time that worked for me and, if I needed to, I could jump out at any moment and do it the following year,” says Vargas.
The group chose to meet every other Friday afternoon for two hours in Gonzalez’s office, with all three students doing all of the sacraments together. They received
a Bible, the doctrine of the Catholic Church – essentially a catechism book – and a copy of the Rule of Saint Benedict.
The sacramental journey follows the liturgical seasons of the Church, beginning in Ordinary Time when the students are considered Inquirers. On Dec. 12, the students transitioned to Catechumens on the feast day of Our Lady of Guadalupe.
“That was very meaningful because all three of the students are Latinas. They identify as such – as do I – so to have them reach that Catechumen phase on that day was very special,” says Gonzalez.
The journey continues through the season of Lent and concludes around Easter. As the liturgical seasons changed, Gonzalez explained the themes and their meanings. She made it clear from the beginning that no question was off the table.
“They could ask absolutely anything concerning Church teachings or the Church … and then also what that means as a Latina, a Latina Catholic, for example. I had to be very comfortable being vulnerable when answering those questions,” she says.
“I think my main takeaway from the very beginning to the very end is that these women are radically welcomed in our Church. This is their home. If they choose to leave for a season and then come back, this is still their home.”
- Cindy Gonzalez ’14
Gonzalez also taught the doctrine through the lens of Benedictine spirituality, so the students could directly see how it could be applied in practicing their faith and living it in their everyday lives.
“I think that’s the beauty of the Benedictine lens and spirituality. We’re not just hypothetically talking about being hospitable people. And I’m not just telling them that I’m praying that this Church opens the doors for them so radically that they feel so immensely loved, but they’re also entrusted to do that for the people that they’re surrounded by. Inquire and listen with the ear of your heart to others in our community. Don’t just expect that for yourself. And when I tell them that they’re women with God-given dignity, they should also see that other Bennies and Johnnies are made with dignity in the image of God. It’s directly applicable. So, when our conversation ended and our time was done for the week, they were entrusted to go on and live what we were talking about as soon as they stepped out the door,” says Gonzalez.
The journey culminated with a Spanish Mass at Sacred Heart Chapel led by Father Efrain
Rosado, OSB, and attended by family members, friends, Sisters and members of the community. Family members drove from Texas, Chicago and Butterfield, Minnesota, to celebrate and witness their loved ones receiving the sacraments.
Solorzano said the best part of being confirmed was realizing that this experience not only brought her closer to God, but she knew she saw a home in everyone who made the OCIA Mass possible.
“Leading up to and during the Mass, I was emotional and felt so loved, realizing that I was able to receive my sacrament next to all of my loved ones. The OCIA Mass was incredibly special since my parents, along with my godparents, drove seven hours from Chicago to St. Joseph just to be present at my confirmation.”
When Rodriguez signed up to receive the sacrament of confirmation, she also hoped to find a sense of belonging. “Throughout the entire process – from gathering the courage to sign up to the day of receiving my sacrament – I was able to recognize that I wanted to be a part of a community that shares similar values, beliefs and faith.”
Vargas says Gonzalez’s energy and the way she conducted the program had a big impact on how she continues to view her faith.
“We can be religious and we can say we have faith, but to have it and to live by it are different. I felt through this past year I’ve lived through God’s words. I’ll take these lessons with me throughout my life,” says Vargas.
Gonzalez gets emotional when she talks about the experience.
“I think my main takeaway from the very beginning to the very end is that these women are radically welcomed in our Church. This is their home. If they choose to leave for a season and then come back, this is still their home. We are a family. We need each other. They were made with dignity, and they are radically loved,” she concludes.
AS BENEDICTINE INSTITUTIONS WITH CENTURIES OF COMBINED PRESENCE AND EXPERIENCES IN CENTRAL MINNESOTA, IT’S NOT SURPRISING TO HEAR SAINT BEN’S AND SAINT JOHN’S REFER TO THE IMPORTANCE OF PARTNERSHIPS AND COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT WITH THE BROADER COMMUNITY. IT FITS PERFECTLY WITH THE ETHOS OF OUR BENEDICTINE VALUES.
BUT WHEN WE GO SO FAR AS TO CODIFY THAT EMPHASIS BY MAKING “PARTNERSHIPS AND COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT” A FORMAL INITIATIVE OF OUR STRATEGIC PLAN – THAT’S WHEN ACTION GETS AMPLIFIED.
“When we’re thinking about partnerships and community engagement in this context, we’re doing so in three ways,” says Heather Pieper-Olson, Saint Ben’s vice president of institutional advancement, and co-lead for this initiative project.
1. We want to be partner-ready. That means working alongside public and private groups in ways that take advantage of each of our resources, expertise and perspectives. When we do that well, we can tackle complex societal challenges, we can enhance our educational outcomes and we can drive innovation.
2. We want to be consistent with our missions. None of us can be all things to all people. But together we can each meet our institutional aims while reaching a broader community in the process.
3. We want community-engaged learning opportunities for our students. These are distinctly high-impact practices and great experiences. They’re showing up in places like our growing relationship with CentraCare and our restructured Honors Scholars program. (Read more about that on page 20.)
When it comes to creating new connections and searching for mutually beneficial relationships in Central Minnesota, the Greater St. Cloud Development Corp. (GSDC) is a very good place to start. Currently, Pieper-Olson, CSB+SJU President Brian Bruess, and Bennie alumna Emily Coborn Wright ’08, senior vice president of growth initiatives for Coborn’s Inc., all sit on the GSDC board of directors.
The more familiar the GSDC staff and board are with CSB and SJU, the better able they are to translate the advantages of our programs, our students and our graduates to local businesses. At the same time, the more connected CSB and SJU are to GSDC, the more we hear about the specific challenges faced by local business leaders – and the better able we are to develop events and programming to address those.
“Having CSB and SJU engaged as regional and community partners enriches education and fuels economic development by aligning research, resources and expertise with the needs and aspirations of our region,” says GSDC President and CEO NeTia Bauman. “We view this as a symbiotic relationship where innovation thrives, businesses flourish and the community as a whole benefits.”
Other organizations like EPIC (Exploring Potential Interests and Careers) are giving Saint Ben’s and Saint John’s even more opportunities to both connect with potential students and form connections with area employers. (Read more about that on page 28.)
But when it comes to mutually beneficial community partnerships for CSB and SJU, our best example is probably one of our oldest: St. Cloud Hospital and CentraCare.
In addition to primary business sector development, GSDC is committed to fostering the startup business climate in the region. They’ve received several recent grants to create new opportunities for wouldbe entrepreneurs, and CSB+SJU will support their efforts with …
• Faculty and students at bi-weekly startup events.
• Hosting a quarterly resource matching event on Sept. 12 in the Haehn Campus Center.
• Help with annual startup pitch competition.
• Support for annual small business workshops.
• Word of mouth promotion to students, faculty and alums!
In February 1886, the Sisters of Saint Benedict’s Monastery opened St. Benedict’s Hospital – which eventually grew to become St. Cloud Hospital. In 1969, the College of Saint Benedict introduced our baccalaureate nursing program. CSB President Dr. Stanley Idzerda at the time noted that “the College of Saint Benedict is the logical institution for this because the clinical facilities (St. Cloud Hospital) and the college are both under the sponsorship of the Sisters of Saint Benedict and are located only eight miles apart.”
Certainly, since our beginnings, there has been a bond between CSB and St. Cloud Hospital. Today, with the hospital a pillar of the larger CentraCare system, that bond continues to grow.
In one program or another, about 260 CSB and SJU students engaged in curricular or cocurricular educational experiences
at CentraCare in the last academic year, and conversations are underway that could significantly increase that number. These unique educational experiences are essential for academic and professional development of our students.
But the programs serve CentraCare as well – showcasing the health care resources available in Central Minnesota and thus providing them a recruiting tool for future practitioners. Beyond that, the narrative practice techniques our students are using in initiatives like the Hospital Elder Life Program (HELP) are measurably improving health outcomes. “Telling your story in that narrative practice framework actually decreases the risk of delirium for patients who are at risk,” notes Pieper-Olson.
In May, the first medical school applications were accepted for the new University of Minnesota CentraCare Regional Campus in St. Cloud. That means expanded and exciting opportunities for CSB, SJU, our undergraduate students, our current graduate students and, perhaps, students in future expanded graduate programs.
The new CentraCare Regional Campus St. Cloud will “focus on educating future physicians who aspire to be great clinicians and leaders across Greater Minnesota.” Manuel Campos, CSB and SJU professor of biology and pre-med advisor, has been working closely with medical school leadership to assist with their recruitment efforts.
Using his decades of experience supporting students with medical school applications, he recently co-led a CentraCare workshop for 40 prospective medical students from rural communities.
“And one of the things they’re learning,” says Pieper-Olson, “is that the best way to develop a rural doctor is to birth one. So, we are eager to leverage our geographic location and our experience in graduating future urban and rural doctors to help develop a pipeline. How can we help build out an educational process that allows for K-12 students in our region to consider medicine – and specifically rural medicine –as an option?”
Campos has some thoughts. He envisions a weeklong summer immersion program for high school students from rural areas. “Let’s show them what a college lab is like,” he says. “But what we also need to do is get them interested in health care and help them understand that these are college pathways they can be successful in.”
The proposal Campos and others are developing would create a weeklong summer residency for rural students.
“Have them come in on a Sunday night and leave on a Friday afternoon,” says Campos. “We have the curricular part each morning here at CSB and SJU. Then, in the afternoon, they go off to CentraCare Plaza to shadow and observe practitioners in different areas.”
It’s a potential program that could inspire the next generation of doctors to serve rural populations. It’s a potential program that could position Saint Ben’s and Saint John’s as a trusted place to start that journey. And it’s just one of many potential programs on the horizon to strengthen and expand our connections to CentraCare and all of our neighbors and partners in Central Minnesota.
Student Health Assistant (SHA) program
The SHA program is a yearlong, student-driven experiential learning and research program for CSB+SJU pre-professional health students (mostly pre-med or prePA) at the Emergency Department of St. Cloud Hospital. Students work side-by-side with emergency department professionals to identify a research project, develop a proposal, submit to the hospital’s IRB committee, and run the data collection and analysis, eventually leading to dissemination. The program involves 25 to 30 students.
Hospital Elder Life Program (HELP)
HELP is a delirium-prevention program allowing CSB+SJU students to round on patients admitted to the St. Cloud Hospital and hold conversations and creative-writing sessions with these patients to offer mental stimulation. Between 75 and 80 students volunteer to staff the HELP program each academic year. These students bridge creative writing to medical practice, allowing them to tie humanistic inquiry to exploring illness, health and the clinician/ patient relationship.
“Your Story”
The Your Story program partners CSB+SJU students with patients at CentraCare’s Coborn Cancer Center. “Your Story” studentvolunteers deliver creativewriting workshops to patient (and family member) support groups at the Healing Center. Additionally, students hold oneon-one creative writing sessions with patients in the Healing Center who want to explore poetry and fiction.
Students who participate in HELP and Your Story often consider our narrative practice minor and can pursue further curricular and co-curricular experiences
through ongoing collaborations with the St. Cloud Hospital and the Coborn Cancer Center. In bridging the gaps between creative writing and medical training, narrative practice students receive a truly interdisciplinary education –unique to the CSB+SJU undergraduate curriculum –and find themselves better prepared to navigate the health, sickness and lives of future patients.
Nursing students start clinical rotations at CentraCare/St. Cloud Hospital during their sophomore year and continue them in their junior and senior years. During an academic year, approximately 140 nursing students do clinical rotations throughout CentraCare.
Six family nurse practitioner students rotate through four rotations within CentraCare each cohort. Master of Science in nursing and Doctor of Nursing Practice: Leadership students rotate through CentraCare as well (four to five per year).
St. Cloud Hospital/CentraCare dietetic internship pre-selection
CSB+SJU nutrition majors with plans of becoming registered dieticians have a strong history of collaboration with the St. Cloud Hospital/CentraCare Dietetic Internship program focusing on medical nutrition therapy. That’s changed some this year, with the new Academy of Nutrition & Dietetics requirement of holding a master’s degree to practice dietetics going into effect. But over the past 10 years, between two and four CSB and SJU students were pre-selected into the dietetic internship.
The Saint Ben’s and Saint John’s classes of 2024 were the first to navigate four years of our new Integrations Curriculum. Not coincidentally, this class also marks the first cohort of scholars to run the full course of our revamped Honors program.
Coursework in the program includes a set of five Honors classes connected by the theme “community.” It involves undergraduate research, experiential learning and developing proposals and strategies for enhancing the common good of the community.
Why community, though? What made it important to build this elite program around involvement, connections and partnerships beyond the campuses?
“From past experience, we know our Honors Scholars will become leaders in their communities,” explains Beth Wengler, Ph.D., director of the Honors Scholars program. “We want to prepare them to make positive change, whether that is in their career, in their church or place of worship, or their volunteer work.”
“The program’s curriculum is intentional in developing students’ awareness of how to use their liberal arts learning,” adds Emily Esch, Ph.D., associate director of the Honors Scholars program.
The final two courses are designed around a student-led research project developed with community partners, like the Stearns Historical Museum, the Great River Regional Library, the Boys and Girls Club, Ana Marie’s Alliance and Habitat for Humanity.
“After years of ‘school’ and writing extensive papers and taking challenging exams, it became easy for me to forget that the work I’m doing is worth more than the grade I receive on it,” says Honors Scholar Brigid Conway ’24. “The Honors
program always grounded me in the sense that I could actually see the culmination of my hard work and the difference I was making in my community.”
“Part of what we’re teaching is not only why the liberal arts matter, but why it matters that you as a community member can take your skills and act as a leader in your community – helping toward the common good,” explains Emily Paup, Ph.D., associate professor of strategic communication studies and Honors Faculty Fellow.
That takes shape in robust classroom discussions, as well as in the cohort’s collaborative project work. “I had accounting majors and biology majors and students applying to law school and students going into the Benedictine Volunteer Corps and students going to medical school,” continues Paup, “but they were all having the same experience in this class. And just seeing the value of those multiple perspectives and experiences all thinking about the same thing –about what it means to be a good citizen – just really exemplifies why the liberal arts matter.”
At the same time, each project is strengthening ties for CSB and SJU within the community.
“From our partners, like the Boys and Girls Club, I heard over and over, ‘Thank you, we did not have the time to do this ourselves.’” says Laura Taylor, Ph.D., associate professor of theology and Honors Faculty Fellow. “They want us out there. Especially when we have students ready to invest the time. And one of the advantages of the way this program is set up is that the students took such pride in their work and truly came at it from a perspective of ‘how is this benefiting the community?’”
“Part of what we’re teaching is not only why the liberal arts matter, but why it matters that you as a community member can take your skills and act as a leader in your community –helping toward the common good.”
Emily Paup, Ph.D. associate professor of strategic communication studies and Honors Faculty Fellow
Partner:
Great River Children’s Museum
Scholars:
Mark Spangler ’24, Fiona Smith ’24, Erin Martin ’24, Ryan Imm ’24, Lauren Funke ’24 and Brigid Conway ’24 —
When the Great River Children’s Museum opens later this year, one of their Meet Your Neighbor stations will feature Nancy Frost Bellmont ’74 –a key part of the first Saint Ben’s team to compete intercollegiately in basketball. That’s thanks to the work of this group of Honors Scholars. Students met and interviewed Bellmont before going on to produce educational content based on her story. They also created a cultural connection kit for the museum, containing lesson plans and resources for children to learn about rules of certain sports, gender inequality in sports, and how sports are connected across cultures. “Knowing that community members and an organization with a strong and admirable mission like the Children’s Museum depends on the work you’re doing adds new weight to our efforts,” says Honors Scholar Erin Martin ’24. “It adds to the fun of it!”
Partners:
Great River Covenants Project and Stearns History Museum
Scholars:
Savannah Supan ’24, Equoia Gibson ’24, Robert Smith ’24, Chiamaka Chijioke ’24, Eileen Otto ’24 and Connor Veldman ’24
This project began during these scholars’ junior years, working with Brittany Merritt Nash, Ph.D., assistant professor of history. Their work was covered on Minnesota Public Radio and eventually resulted in a two-year grant from the National Endowment for the Humanities. So Merritt Nash (and a number of the students) were continuing the research in the interim until this cohort of scholars had the chance to resume the project this spring. The scholars’ original research uncovered more than 100 property deeds in Central Minnesota with racial covenants or clauses intended to restrict the sale and occupancy of properties to certain ethnic groups. Though the covenants have been unenforceable for more than 60 years, their impact remains evident in current society.
The question coming into this spring was what to do with this research and information. “What the students really wanted to do was figure out how to distribute the information to the community and educate the community,” says Laura Taylor, Ph.D., associate professor of theology and Honors Faculty Fellow.
Their project became a three-part series of 10-minute documentary videos, which will potentially become
Partner:
Boys and Girls Club of Central Minnesota
Scholars: Jacob Gathje ’24, Sarah Skrove ’24, Kelly Kieser ’24, Hannah Tatge ’24, Mateo Cisneros ’24, Sara Hoppe ’24 and Elise Sande ’24
Honors Scholars conducted a semester-long community-engaged learning project for the Boys and Girls Club, developing mental health resource training videos for staff and volunteers. The project included the creation of an informational video about social and emotional intelligence, with examples of activities Boys and Girls Club staff can use to support the social and emotional learning of their club members. “Boys and Girls Club were really excited about this,” says Laura Taylor, Ph.D., associate professor of theology and Honors Faculty Fellow advising on this particular project. “They told us they just didn’t have the bandwidth to work on this themselves. And now, they plan on using it as soon as January.”
—
For this project, scholars worked with the Office of First-Year Experience (FYX) to curate an FYX lesson based on extensive research into the ways sexism plays out here at Saint Ben’s and Saint John’s. “We kind of framed our research question as ‘How does sexism present itself uniquely on our campuses because they’re split – geographically and by gender,” says Liz Hamak ’24, one of the group’s scholars. In the fall, the lesson plans developed by the group will be used in FYX classrooms.
The course will introduce a number of instances in the schools’ history, “which will be as surprising to them as they were to us when we read about them in the Record,” Hamak explains. “So it will get them intrigued and talking about what happened and what we can do.”
Beyond that, Honors Scholars used their research to put together an intriguing proposal for a gender resource initiative at CSB and SJU. “This would involve collaboration, education, inclusivity and conversation surrounding gender and sexuality on our campuses,” says Honors Scholar Eliana “Ellie” Schmaltz ’24. “It relates to empowering women, healthy masculinity and creating a safe environment for LGBTQ+ students, staff, faculty and visitors.
“Our initiative would do something that coed institutions won’t do and single-sex institutions can’t do. Coed institutions don’t focus on conversations relating to men, but a women’s college won’t prioritize those conversations either. We have an opportunity by being in between the two.”
Partner:
Boys and Girls Club of Central Minnesota
Scholars: Peyton Kopel ’24, Genevieve Woods ’24, Paige Thompson ’24, Morgan Van Beck ’24, Emilio Hernandez ’24 and Jackson May ’24 —
Scholars developed a set of eight quick, clear training videos designed to help staff make the best use of the organization’s Active Calming Center – a tool designed to help children manage their emotions. Each video contains the purpose of a particular step in the process, proper and improper ways to use the materials in that step, and details on how to best support youth during that step. “The finished videos are so accessible and understandable that I believe they’re going to play in the calming centers, too,” says Emily Paup, Ph.D., associate professor of communication and Honors Faculty Fellow. “So the kids can watch and see, this is what this activity is. So the partner will be able to use these right away, both as staff training videos and also for the kids.”
“Engaging with community partners like this shows us the power of our liberal arts educations,” says Honors Scholar Morgan Van Beck ’24. “As graduating seniors, we know that we are ready to go out into the world and make a difference because we have already done it.”
BY |
The important role the College of Saint Benedict and Saint John’s University play in the fabric of life in Central Minnesota is demonstrated in many ways. But among the most prominent is the impact alums who choose to remain in the area after graduation are making on their communities and neighbors.
That’s especially true for a quartet of CSB graduates: Shelly Bauerly Kopel ’90, Emily Coborn Wright ’08, Bridget Deutz ’13 and Hudda Ibrahim ’13.
Each, in her own way, is helping the area become a better place for everyone.
“I feel so at home in Central Minnesota,” says Coborn Wright, the senior vice president of growth initiatives for the St. Cloud-based Coborn’s grocery chain, which boasts 200-plus retail locations across the Midwest.
She is also the president of the Coborn Family Foundation, which since its founding in 2015 has helped fund a wide range of projects and initiatives in Central Minnesota.
“It’s where my heart is and it’s where my family is based,” she continues. “It’s an amazing
community filled with strong businesses and engaged families, and I want to be part of that.”
“When you look at St. Cloud and the surrounding area, it’s such a close-knit community,” adds Ibrahim, the chief executive officer of Filsan Talent Partners, a diversity and inclusion firm focused on diversity, equity and inclusion training, as well as recruiting diverse candidates to bolster the talent pool of organizations throughout Greater Minnesota.
“It’s a safe place to raise my family, and there are so many rich educational opportunities available here. It’s a place that gives students like myself –refugees and immigrants – the opportunity to immerse themselves in the American educational system in a relaxed place.”
Here is a closer look at each of the four graduates and the difference they’re making in Central Minnesota:
Bauerly Kopel attended Foley High School before studying at CSB where she majored in math and computer science. She also holds a master’s degree from Harvard University and an MBA and Ph.D. from the University of Minnesota.
She served as program director of the Bush Leadership Program at the U of M’s Carlson School of Management from 1994 to 2000, then co-founded consulting firm Venture Allies with her brother, Rick Bauerly (SJU ’91). Rick also founded Granite Partners, a private investment and holding company. Bauerly Kopel served as managing director of Venture Allies until 2012, when she became a partner with Granite Partners.
Granite Partners has created significant impact since its founding nearly 22 years ago, pursuing a mission to grow companies and create value for all stakeholders. The 10 Granite Companies, all niche leaders with close ties to Minnesota, now sustain over 3,200 jobs and have more than $1 billion in portfolio revenue. Bauerly Kopel leads on many initiatives, including partnering with HR leaders from the Granite Companies to bring well-being benefits to team members across the country.
“My passion has always been the intersection of business and people,” Bauerly Kopel says. “Educating, training and development are important ways to help people bring their best selves to work. At Granite, we strive to attract and retain great talent, which means doing whatever we can to help people on their journey to well-being in all facets – whether
it be purpose, financial, physical, social or community well-being.”
Bauerly Kopel also serves as an advisor to Granite Charitable, an innovative nonprofit that enables Granite Partners’ member investors to donate Granite units and subsequent cash distribution streams to benefit community organizations.
In addition to her work through Granite Partners, she served nine years on the Central Minnesota Community Foundation Board (including as vice chair and chair) and 11 years on the Women’s Fund Advisory Board. She currently serves on the St. Cloud Technical and Community College Foundation Board, the Anderson Center Board and the Big Brothers Big Sisters Advisory Committee.
She has also stayed highly involved with her alma mater, serving nearly a decade on the College of Saint Benedict Board of Trustees. Her son Preston was a standout golfer at SJU before graduating in 2021, and her daughter Peyton excelled in tennis and graduated from CSB earlier this year.
“As we heard at this year’s graduation, ‘You may leave Saint Ben’s, but Saint Ben’s never leaves you,’” she says. “The Benedictine values that were instilled in me during my time at CSB – like hospitality, community living and stewardship – are what drives much of my work today. I am grateful to CSB and the broader Central Minnesota region for having been so good to me; I want to give back and support the community as best I can.”
“A lot of these issues we wrestle with in the community can be complicated, and they require not just hard skills and considerations, but also those Benedictine values that are stressed so strongly at Saint Ben’s. That sense of empathy and caring for others.”
- Emily Coborn Wright ’08
It’s not surprising Coborn Wright has become a difference-maker in Central Minnesota. Her family has now been leaving its mark on the local community for multiple generations.
But she says it wasn’t a foregone conclusion she’d join the family business, which boasts nearly 10,000 employees and operates locations across Minnesota, North Dakota, South Dakota, Wisconsin, Michigan and Illinois.
“I considered going elsewhere,” says Coborn Wright, who competed in cross country and track and field at CSB, then began her career in communications in the Twin Cities working for SUPERVALU, the company which then ran Cub Foods and other chains.
“My parents were always supportive of whatever my brothers and I did, and there was never any pressure or expectation that we had to return. I enjoyed my time in the Twin Cities a lot, but I’ve always liked the size and feel of this area. It’s a place where you can really make personal connections and get involved in so many aspects of community life.”
Coborn Wright is certainly doing that, not just in her work with Coborn’s, but also as president of the Coborn Family Foundation, which has provided crucial support to projects like the soon-to-open Great River Children’s Museum in downtown St. Cloud, the Coborn Cancer Center and the athletic field complex at CSB. The foundation has also established scholarship funds at CSB and SJU, as well as other local educational institutions.
She’s also given her time and effort to a number of community organizations, including just recently becoming a board member of the Greater St. Cloud Development Corp.
“Speaking for our company, we want our team to be involved and invested in the community because the community has been so good to us,” she says. “And personally, I find it so fulfilling to have opportunities where I can apply my knowledge and passion to help make a difference.”
In all her efforts, she has drawn on lessons learned during her time at CSB.
“It was entirely foundational for me,” she says. “The liberal arts experience provided me with skills that I’ve been able to apply in so many aspects of my professional and personal life. It fosters your ability to think through problems critically. To evaluate what’s going on and figure out how to solve it.
“A lot of these issues we wrestle with in the community can be complicated, and they require not just hard skills and considerations, but also those Benedictine values that are stressed so strongly at Saint Ben’s. That sense of empathy and caring for others.”
Deutz grew up in Marshall, Minnesota, but was introduced to Central Minnesota while she was attending CSB. Now the region has become home.
“I always tell people that this area combines the best of both worlds,” she says. “St. Cloud has great entertainment, personal and professional opportunities, shopping
options … many of the things I didn’t grow up with in Marshall. But you also have the smaller towns surrounding it – Sartell, Sauk Rapids, Waite Park, St. Joseph. We have access to everything and it’s still small-town-friendly. Plus, you’re right in the center of the state. I’m two hours from home, an hour from the Twin Cities … everything feels accessible.”
Deutz returned to Marshall briefly after graduation, but a call from a fellow Bennie she’d been in the Marketing Club with helped land her a job at a marketing agency in St. Cloud. She worked there for five years before founding her own business – Greenline Marketing – in 2019. Among her firm’s clients is St. Cloud Shines, an organization dedicated to “sharing the stories that make the people, places and events that make living in Central Minnesota special.”
“A couple friends of mine started St. Cloud Shines and I instantly wanted to be part of what they were doing,” Deutz says. “Then, a couple of years later, we became their marketing partner. It’s really about changing the narrative about the greater St. Cloud area and shining a light on all the positive things that happen here and the people who make a difference.”
Deutz also finds time to volunteer for various local organizations while serving as governor of District 8 (Minnesota, North Dakota, South Dakota, Wisconsin) for the American Advertising Federation. She teaches piano and voice lessons and has performed in shows with GREAT Theatre.
“I always tell people I’d rather be busy than be bored,” she says. “I went to a Catholic school in grade K-8, so I get up with values like giving back and showing respect for other people. Those values were just reinforced at Saint Ben’s as I was starting my adult life, and I still try to live up to them today.”
Ibrahim first came to the U.S. as a refugee in 2006, fleeing ongoing conflict in Somalia.
She found a home in Central Minnesota and attended St. Cloud Technical and Community College before transferring to CSB, where she graduated with a degree in English and peace studies. She then earned a master’s degree in conflict resolution at Notre Dame and became a certified trainer through Franklin Covey and Cornell University, as well as the recipient of the prestigious Bush Foundation Fellowship and an Initiator Fellowship from the Greater Minnesota Initiative Foundation.
She is currently completing her doctoral studies in higher education and leadership at Saint Mary’s University (Minnesota).
She is the author seven books including From Somalia to Snow, What Color is My Hijab, and Lula Wants to Wear a Badge, published by Diverse Voices Press, a company she co-founded with her husband. In 2016, she founded Filsan Talent Partners, and is now a sought-after resource when it comes to advancing employment, retention and belonging – delivering workshops and training to business leaders, human resource teams and supervisors.
She too had plenty of opportunities to build her career elsewhere, but was drawn back to Central Minnesota and the chance to help the area’s growing Somali population continue building and expanding its foothold.
“I was offered a job in Washington, D.C., that would have been absolutely amazing,” she says. “Big money in a big city. But I wanted to come back and be here for my community. St. Cloud is an amazing city to call home. There’s such a great local network that exists here. But it’s critical to open that network and those resources to newer members of the community who might not yet have been exposed to it.
“They might not know they can actually attend the Chamber of Commerce meetings on Fridays. There is still a lack of role models here who look like them.”
Ibrahim says making sure everyone can take advantage of opportunities that exist in the area is key to retaining population.
“We need to do a better job of outreach,” she says. “We have people of color in this area who have all the right skills and attributes to be successful. But perception is so important. If people don’t see others who look like them thriving in their community, they’re not going to stay and be invested. They need to feel this is a place where they can raise their children with access to good schools and equitable and safe homes. They need to see success is open to them.”
She says that sense of welcoming is something she experienced as a student at CSB.
“It’s where I learned about hospitality and volunteering and giving back to the community,” she says. “I had professors who were invested in my educational growth. Professors who mentored and challenged me in the classroom – who pushed me to get out of my comfort zone. It’s where I really discovered my passions.”
In 2018, a group of Central Minnesota employers came together because they recognized a piece of their workforce pipeline was missing. What began then as a local hands-on career fair has grown into something both bigger and broader. It’s grown into EPIC: Exploring Potential Interests and Careers.
The goal is to create high-quality career exploration tools and programs that connect secondary education and industry for the benefit of Central Minnesota high school students, by introducing them to the career paths in front of them and the employers along those paths.
Their flagship EPIC Student Day in the fall has grown to attract over 4,500 high school sophomores from 27 school districts, 30 different high schools, in 22 communities and 10 counties. Students are exposed to interactive booths, activities and information from over 150 potential employers.
Students learn about entry-level post-high school positions and employer-trained opportunities as well as careers that call for post-secondary education.
CSB and SJU Dean of Admission Cory Piper recently accepted a position on EPIC’s board of directors. With a board presence, we can not only make connections and monitor trends in demand that could drive future academic programming at CSB and SJU – we can also watch for opportunities for our faculty and students to play important roles in the community.
Manuel Campos, Ph.D., CSB+SJU professor of biology, embraced one of those roles last fall in EPIC Student Day, when the opportunity presented itself to set up a booth for students.
THE GOAL IS TO CREATE HIGH-QUALITY CAREER EXPLORATION TOOLS AND PROGRAMS THAT CONNECT SECONDARY EDUCATION AND INDUSTRY FOR THE BENEFIT OF CENTRAL MINNESOTA HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS, BY INTRODUCING THEM TO THE CAREER PATHS IN FRONT OF THEM AND THE EMPLOYERS ALONG THOSE PATHS.
“We have programming we’ve used for admissions events,” he explains. “We run a mock physiology experiment. Students can do the experiment using their own bodies, collect the data, see the results, come together and get a feel for what the experiment is achieving and what questions it is helping to answer.
“We picked up our equipment and took it on the road. We had a number of data acquisition stations and some computers. And we had hundreds of students come through. And, in the process, we were able to talk with them about Saint Ben’s and Saint John’s and the opportunities for study here.”
“I’m really excited about what we’re able to do through EPIC,” confirms Piper. “It’s a great service for high schoolers in our area and a wonderful fit with our initiative to develop and strengthen community partnerships. And last fall we were able to infuse it with CSB and SJU programming. We had interactive stations talking about things like what it means to be a nurse. Or opportunities in primary and secondary education. We had faculty on site and all our admission counselors there to greet and direct traffic. It was amazing and the possibilities for next year are even bigger.
“We were also able recently to take part in EPIC’s influencer event for parents to help their
student navigate and prepare for life after high school. It’s a great opportunity for influencers to get exposure to industry as well as two-year programs at St. Cloud Technical and Community College and four-year programs at Saint Ben’s, Saint John’s and St. Cloud State University.”
“We have been very blessed that we have post-secondary partners who work together to lift up each other and their programs for our students,” adds EPIC Coordinator Emily Davis.
Davis is quick to point out that EPIC isn’t a college recruiting fair. “It is, first and foremost, an environment for educating students on careers,” she says.
“But along the way, in those organic conversations, students are naturally going to ask, ‘Well, where can I go to school for this?’”
With board participation and faculty engagement, CSB and SJU’s connection with EPIC is positioned to grow. And EPIC itself appears positioned to grow.
“I’ve been a part of a few different business communities in past roles,” observes Davis, “and I have never seen a business community step up and take responsibility like this for helping students in the area explore careers. Local businesses are putting their money behind this in addition to the time and talent it takes to offer this much programming.”
“Part of what I think made Saint Ben’s a good fit for me was the Benedictine values and the culture on campus,” says Stacy Lund. “People talk about that a lot. For me, similar values are the things that brought me to and keep me at Catholic Charities, because it’s really about serving others. Helping meet their basic needs in a dignified way.”
As the director of community services for Catholic Charities in St. Cloud, Lund oversees the Foster Grandparent Program, Senior Dining/ Meals on Wheels, and Emergency Services food shelf, clothing and financial assistance programs. As she summarizes it, “We feed a lot of people in my department. Food and food access is a community need that we work hard to address in Senior Dining and the food shelf.”
Service has been the connecting thread in Lund’s career, which began with a number of roles in college access programs – working with students from traditionally underserved communities. That was rewarding work for the seventh of eight children from a Sauk Rapids, Minnesota, family, and the first to attend a four-year college. Lund remembers friends and classmates in college with fancy cars and parents who were able to take care of tuition. “And that was not my own experience. So I could always relate to the kids I worked with (in college access programs). I felt like I had some experiences to share in terms of trying to navigate and find their own path in life and mentoring and just being compassionate.”
Between family and college and a career filled with opportunities to do good work for people with whom she can relate, life has continued to keep Lund here, serving this area. “Central Minnesota is my home,” she says. “I feel like I know it and I’m proud to be part of it.”
First-year residence hall
Aurora
Favorite class
My first-year seminar. It was titled “Who Are These Benedictines,” and I remember I wasn’t quite sure what it was going to entail. But Sister Linda (Kulzer ’57, OSB) was the professor and that class just gave me so much information about the history of the convent and the Sisters and a real sense of what I was going to be a part of here.
Favorite professor I had a lot of good ones. Sister Lois (Wedl ’53, OSB) was teaching in the education department. Sister Linda was always someone I visited with regularly on campus and really connected with. Just really good people.
Favorite Bennie memory
Being a student-athlete on campus was a big part of my college experience. We had a lot of success in volleyball. My junior year, we lost in the conference tournament to St. Olaf, but qualified for the playoffs and had to go right back and play them the following week in Northfield. If we won, we’d go to California, so we had to pre-pack our bags. We were down, but ended up coming back and winning the match and advancing. We still talk about that when we get together.
1977 Mary Gehlen Seifert recently published Creeps, Cache and Corpses, the seventh book in the Katie and Maverick Cozy Mystery Series. And book number eight is on its way!
1980 Judith Thompson was presented with a Distinguished Service Medal by the Office of the Governor General, Bahamas, July ’23.
1985 Mary Kramer authored the 10th edition of Immigration Consequences of Criminal Activity: A Guide to Representing ForeignBorn Defendants, Feb. ’24. Mary has also led roundtables for the American Immigration Lawyers Association (AILA) to discuss law and policy from the courts impacting criminal immigration law.
1987 Robin Bennett Johnson was elected president of the Minnesota Heating & Cooling Association, Jan. ’24. Robin is the first woman to hold this position.
1990
KRANTZ FUGATE was promoted to associate vice president of marketing & communications for Lutheran Social Services, April ’24.
Margaret Murphy was featured in the Minneapolis/St. Paul Business Journal’s list of 10 Most Admired CEOs for 2024, which recognized her for professional accomplishments, industry leadership and community involvement as a Twin Cities top business/nonprofit leader, May ’24.
1996 Melissa Sturm-Smith accepted a position as senior associate provost for integrated academic student success at Dickinson College, March ’24.
2000
WELCH
was featured in the Minneapolis/ St. Paul Business Journal section for People on the Move, March ’24. Shannon is a benefits advisor at Kraus-Anderson Insurance. ’00
2001 Michelle Koch Rose was featured in the Minneapolis/St. Paul Business Journal section for People on the Move, March ’24. Michelle is director of business development at Horwitz Inc.
2002
graduated from the University of Wisconsin-Stout with a Master of Science in training and human resource development, Dec. ’23. Polly currently works as a business agility consultant in information technology and digital services. ’02
Katie Low Coudron was named Owatonna, Minnesota, Teacher of the Year, May ’24.
2003 Jennifer Bruns Myers advanced to associate professor of exercise science in the College of Kinesiology at Concordia University, St. Paul, June ’24.
2004
JANINE LUHTALA LOETSCHER
litigator for Bassford Remele, was named the winner for Top Women in Construction 2024 by Finance & Commerce, March ’24. Janine was recognized for her work representing contractors, insurers and policy holders in the construction industry. ’04
2007 Grace Brogan had her art featured in the Smithsonian Craft Show, May ’24. Grace is a mixedmedia artist known for her brooms and brushes.
2008 Anna Phelps Clavin wrote a children’s book titled The Brace Space, which focuses on themes of mental health and bravery, April ’24.
2014 Andrea Wojciechowski graduated with her Doctor of Nursing Practice degree with honors and the designation egregia cum laude, Aug. ’23. Andrea currently works as a certified nurse anesthetist (DNP, CRNA).
2016 Amanda Yang received the 2024 Excellence in Advising Award in her role as college transfer counselor for the Dougherty Family College at the University of St. Thomas, May ’24.
2018 Allison Eikmeier Dittberner was hired as assistant director of nutrition services at AnokaHennepin Schools, May ’24.
2021 Leandria Albury was co-author of a recent food access survey article published by the Journal of Hunger & Environmental Nutrition, April ’24. Catherine Jaroszewski completed her Master of Music degree in piano performance and pedagogy at the University of Oklahoma, May ’24.
Share your key moments and milestones with your classmates and friends. Email us at csbalumnae@csbsju.edu. KEEP
1977 Mary Dombovy to John Weymann, Oct. ’23
1993
BETH LENCOWSKI TO STEVE GUIMONT, APRIL ’24 ’93
2004 Kate Eder to John Jones, Oct. ’23
2009 Elaine Coughlin to Brandon Delbow, July ’23
2010 Shannon Pepin to Jeffrey Lundquist, June ’23
2012 Kayla West to Ian O’Connell, Dec. ’23
2013
COURTNEY KELLEY TO STEPHEN GROSS ’13, JAN. ’24 ’13
Rachel Rimmele to Patrick Struzyk, March ’24
Mary Weber to Scott Syverson, May ’24
2014 Ellen Dean to Edward Hansen, May ’23
ANNE SMITH TO EMBER RICHARD, JUNE ’23 ’14
Alice Foran to Nathan Marcy, Aug. ’23
2016 Ashton Arnhalt to Matthew Clevenger, Sept. ’23
Valerie Clintsman to Darin Roth, Oct. ’23
2017 Emily Iannazzo to Jason Parnell, May ’23
Chelsea Rutz to Jack Schulte, Sept. ’23
ELLEN REIDT TO JACK GORMAN ’17, DEC. ’23 ’17
2018 Megan Bartels to Kyle Ramsey, March ’23
Audrey Kristufek to Sean Murphy, Feb. ’24
LAUREN RABE TO BENJAMIN STREITZ ’17, APRIL ’24 ’18
Hanna Skjeveland to Nicholas Duncan, April ’24
2019 Claire Benz to Jason Rodriguez ’19, Oct. ’23
Kathryn Bulanek to George “Max” Hudak ’19, Feb. ’23
Sarah Dischinger to Bryce Polsinger, Oct. ’23
Katherine Hird to Benjamin Frederickson ’19, Aug. ’23
Madison Mikolich to Adam Orn ’20, Aug. ’23
2020 Ashlyn Claseman to Matthew O’Connor, Nov. ’23
Claudia Foster to Grant Girod ’19, June ’23
Jenessa Mohn to John Carpenter ’19, Oct. ’23
Paige Nathe to Adam Lara ’21, June ’23
2021 Claudia Behrendt to Sean O’Riley, June 24
Morgan Belting to Joseph Larson ’21, Nov. ’23
Sophia Marvin to Ross Indlecoffer, Dec. ’23
Olivia O’Gorman to Andrew Boelter, Dec. ’23
2022 Tiffany Robertson-Hall to Michael Toren, April ’24
2024 Rylie Hess to Cooper Hansen, July ’23
2010 Melissa “MJ” Bach & Jacob Hagedorn, girl, Evelyn, April ’24
2011 Megan Buermann Theis & Jonathon Theis, boy, Forrest, April ’24
2012 Shannon Stadelman Effertz & Tyler Effertz ’12, boy, Eden, Feb. ’24
Elise Whitesell Olson & Samuel Olson ’12, boy, Owen, May ’24
You raised your hand then to serve your country. Will you raise it again now to help us celebrate your service and honor the sacrifices of Bennies through the years? Visit the Saint Ben’s Military Honor Roll today at apps.csbsju.edu/csb-military-honor-roll or use the QR code. Add your name if you’ve served, then spread the word to other Bennies in the military.
Thanks for your service!
2013 Leah Shepard Carey & Benjamin Carey ’13, boy, Callum, April ’24
Thelma Gonzalez, girl, Katzaly, April ’24
Kristie Mueller Johnson & Stephen Johnson ’12, boy, Benjamin, April ’24
2014
2014 Kelsey LeClaire Smith & Joe Smith ’12, boy, Carter, May ’24
Anne-Marie Milbert Wold & Patrick Wold ’14, boy, Liam, Sept. ’23
2015 Danielle Vanderhyde Lambert & Thomas Lambert ’14, boy, Thomas, Jan. ’24
CAMBER GIBBONS & PATRICK GIBBONS ’15, BOY, FRANCIS, JUNE ’21
2015 Megan Westlund Osby & Christopher Osby, boy, Crew, Jan. ’24
Laura Backus Steichen & Thomas Steichen ’15, girl, Natalie, Aug. ’23
Melissa McMillan Wildenborg & Matthew Wildenborg ’12, girl, Helen, March ’24
2016 Sarah Roehl Schueller & Alex Schueller ’15, boy, Camden, May ’24
KATELYN PETERSON SCHULTZ & JACOB SCHULTZ ’16, GIRL, DELILAH, MARCH ’24 ’16
Let’s start the conversation now, so your voice can carry on through generations. A legacy gift of any size pays exponential returns. It’s an investment in ambitious, promising women – women who will honor your legacy with transformative, worldchanging impact. Make a bequest through your will or trust, name CSB as a beneficiary, or establish a charitable gift annuity.
2017 Kendra Butkowski McGraw & Joseph McGraw ’17, boy, Patrick, Jan. ’24
Elizabeth “Libby” Pritchard Stanton & Joe Stanton ’16, boy, Jack, April ’24
Ashley Radatz Uphus & Stephen Uphus ’17, boy, George, Aug. ’23
2018 Elizabeth “Libby” Jakubic Ackerson & Jacob Ackerson, boy, Matthew, March ’24
Shelby Nelson Fasching & Jeff Fasching, girl, Josie, Feb. ’24
Lauren Noel Gregory & John Gregory, girl, Emerson, Sept. ’23
Kathryn Traynor Tietz & Luke Tietz, girl, Collins, March ’24
2019 Emeline Brudwick Gillis & Daniel Gillis ’18, boy, Theodore, April ’24
2020 Emily Nelson Hicke & John Hicke ’20, boy, Hayden, Nov. ’23 2023
1944 Bette Behrman Dyrdahl, July ’17
1945 Marcella Rausch McCann, Nov. ’19
1946 Elaine Buhl Aliotta, April ’24
1948 Betty Jean Daniel Backes, March ’24
1949 Jacqueline Poppert Brown, March ’24
Irene Ziegler Gleason, Feb. ’24
Dorothy Mullen Puhr, Jan. ’24
1950 Lorraine Barthel Gresser, mother of Lynn Gresser ’75 & Nina Gresser Writz ’78, May ’24
1951 Naida Thul Colby, Jan. ’24
Sheila Harvey Ostrowski, March ’24
Mary Kathleen Mohs Zappa, Feb. ’24
1952 Rosemary Krumholz Woell, March ’24
1953 Joan Collignon Afonso, Aug. ’22
1954 Lois LaBonne Carlson, Nov. ’23
1955 Mary Boggie, April ’24
Mary Krom Herbert, May ’19
Viola Hoeschen Ware, June ’23
1956 Mary Leahy, March ’24
1957 Jerome Lahr, spouse of Beverly Timmers-Lahr, Feb. ’24
1958 Alvina Feldman Heller, Feb. ’24
John Herder ’57, spouse of Vivian Miller Herder, Feb. ’24
Terrence McKenna ’56, spouse of Mary Ann Simpson McKenna, Feb. ’24
1959 Edward Savoie, spouse of Mary Kay Anfang Savoie, April ’24
1960 Florence “Nonnie” Uhlenkamp Andre, Dec. ’12
Mary Ellen Dwyer Carew, Nov. ’22
Joan Andert Held-Benson, May ’24
Debra Mock Becker, daughter of Alice Held Mock, Feb. ’24
1961 Daniel Carle ’61, spouse of Mary Kay Ketter Carle & father of Julie Carle Salamzadeh ’91, April ’24
MaryAnn Blackfelner Pavel, Feb. ’24
1962 Sharon Growette Rebar, mother of Kathleen Adelmeyer Kasel ’87, Dec. ’23
Gerald Young, spouse of Jacqueline Johnson Young & father of Andrea Young Herzog ’89, April ’24
1963 Janet Coursolle, April ’24
Jane Fuerstenberg Nekali, Feb. ’24
1965 Rose Wieland Archer, Aug. ’17
Dorothy Johnson, Feb. ’15
1966 James Johnsen ’65, spouse of Patricia Magee Johnsen, May ’24
1967 Richard Dawson ’67, spouse of Patricia Vit Dawson, Feb. ’24
1968 Barbara Walrath Casey, April ’24
Sandra Vouk Sakry, March ’24
1969 Richard Beach, spouse of Sharon Zehnder Beach & father of Joan Beach Bettag ’91, April ’24
1970 Francis Roehl ’53, spouse of Rosemary Lang Roehl, May ’24
1971 Janice Klein, Feb. ’24
1972 Geraldine Janson, mother of Ellen Janson Thorson & Georgiana Janson Koska ’78, March ’24
Theodore Wolkerstorfer, spouse of Meredith Enright Wolkerstorfer, Feb. ’24
Roger Zabinski, spouse of Mary Ann Kroetsch Zabinski & father of Anna Zabinski McGee ’05, Feb. ’24
1973 Shirley Olson Bosch, Sept. ’23
1974 Mary Lown, mother of Jean Lown, Dec. ’23
Pamela Woods, Feb. ’23
1975 Cecilia Albury, OSB, March ’20
Mary Kay Gietzen, Jan. ’22
Vernon Boes, father of Karen Boes Oman & Sandra Boes O’Brien ’82, Feb. ’24
Patricia Scott, mother of Janet Scott, March ’24
1976 Elmer Schumer, father of LuAnn Schumer Berg & Debra Schumer ’87, March ’24
Kathleen Graham, mother of Margaret “Peggy” Graham Ferguson, April ’24
Sylvester Theisen ’47, father of Clara Theisen Weitz, March ’24
1977 Carole Watson, Aug. ’19
1978 Shirley Hallberg, mother of Barbara Hallberg Kruse & Mary Ann Hallberg Henke ’87, March ’24
Joanne Zenner Rudy, April ’15
1979 Mavis Collie, April ’20
Margaret McCartney-Cox, July ’17
Malvina Francis Sands, Oct. ’20
1980 Arnold Bain, son of Fiordelisa Bain, Dec. ’23
Joan Johnston, mother of Jeanne Johnston Carlson, April ’24
Cynthia Newbold Damallie, May ’21
Maria Ferguson, Dec. ’23
LaDonna Oberlin, mother of Renee Oberlin Frauendienst, Nov. ’23
Sylvia Elliott Ross, Aug. ’12
Olga Wilson, April ’22
1981 Paul Koebele, father of Jane Koebele Huffman, May ’24
Mary Tadich, April ’24
Angelina Turnquest, Feb. ’23
1982 Joan Menke, step-parent of Mary Menke Adelman, May ’24
Spencer Turner, father of Lisa Turner Roddy, April ’24
Barrett Russell, spouse of Verna Albury Russell, July ’23
1983 Ethel Curry-Clarke, Aug. ’13
Patricia Haggerty, mother of Maureen Haggerty & Kathleen Haggerty Keegan ’85, Feb. ’24
1984 Rosemary Ochs, mother of Lorre Ochs, May ’24
James Sheridan ’55, father of Jane Sheridan Webster-Urbach, Dec. ’23
1985 Robert Nelson, father of Kathryn Nelson Adams, May ’24
Laurie Hennen Haeg, April ’24
Yvonne Heath, May ’24
Jean Hollinrake, mother of Laura Hollinrake, Dec. ’23
Willamae Miller, Dec. ’20
Virginia Murphy, July ’22
1986 Alma Voigt, mother of Joella Voigt Anderson, Feb. ’24
Ronald Jaeb ’54, father of Anita Jaeb Ballard, March ’24
Mary Ellen DeNucci, mother of Mary DeNucci, May ’24
Joyce Nikolai, mother of Karen Nikolai, Julie Nikolai Sullivan ’88 & Rachel Nikolai Durfee ’90, March ’24
Gloria Smith, Nov. ’23
1987 Anna Bonimy, Oct. ’12
Valencia Gibson-Nottage, Aug. ’17
Bernice Roberts Kelly, April ’20
Anne Knowles, Sept. ’13
LaVerne Johnson, mother of Lori Johnson Nevares, May ’24
Corese Brice Woods, Jan. ’15
1988 Lorinda Lodermeier, mother of Mary Lodermeier Baker, April ’24
Cletus Bechtold, father of Geraldine Bechtold, Feb. ’24
Dorothy Joseph, mother of Anna Joseph-Pribyl, May ’24
Lois Klobuchar, mother of Ann Lura Smith, May ’24
Austin Symalla, father of Deborah Symalla & Jennifer Symalla ’97, May ’24
1989 Carol Berg, mother of Christine Berg & Lori Berg Barr ’90, Feb. ’24
Ronald Backes, father of Rhonda Backes Loeffelholz & Brenda Backes ’91, March ’24
Carolyn Hess, mother of Teresa Hess Seifert, May ’24
Joseph Drutschmann, father of Michelle Drutschmann Stanford & Diane Drutschmann Elkerton ’91, April ’24
Thelma Thomas-Rose, May ’21
1990 Julia Ladner, mother of Ann Marie Ladner Blackburn, March ’24
Mathias Miller, father of Ann Miller, April ’24
Paul Quinn, father of Ann Quinn Vance, Feb. ’24
Lawrence Hennemann, father of Theresa Hennemann Winter, March ’24
1991 Herman Bartz, father of Kari Bartz Hollencamp, April ’24
Frank Marvin, father of Virginia Marvin & Catherine Marvin Kirchner ’01, March ’24
Sheralyn McCartney, July ’19
Joseph McGrane, father of Laura McGrane, April ’24
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1991 Jon Theobald ’67, father of Christina Theobald Peterson & Anne Theobald ’02, Feb. ’24
Khaled Slayhi, father of Ida Slayhi Tessmer, Feb. ’24
Madeline Wells, Feb. ’17
1992 Angela Malcolm Bennett, Aug. ’16
Lisa Brettin Henderson, Feb. ’23
Raymond Colwell ’51, father of Patricia Colwell Kerr, Aug. ’23
Jerry Nygren, father of Jodie Nygren Lafeber, March ’24
Doretta Rolle, April ’15
Elaine Saber, mother of Charlene Saber, Feb. ’24
Kathryn “Kay” Ross, mother of Kathryn “Kate” Ross Tinguely, Dec. ’23
1993 Carl Prischmann, father of Leslie Prischmann Flugstad, Dec. ’23
Virginia Hoeschen, mother of Heidi Hoeschen Jackson, April ’24
Laurel Harris, mother of Paula Harris Kays, April ’24
James Schmitt, father of Kelly Schmitt & Kathlene Schmitt Shih ’98, Jan. ’24
1994 Geoffrey Symmonett, spouse of Audrey Symmonett, March ’23
1996 Rosemary Moxey Moss, Sept. ’21
Janet Smith Sands, March ’17
Bessie Williams, July ’22
1997 Deborah Burrows, Feb. ’24
Benjamin King, spouse of Colleen Goggins King, March ’24
Chuck Lauer, father of Joleen
Lauer Krueger & Christine Lauer Sexton ’00, March ’24
DeLaine Moriarty, mother of Joan Moriarty-Welsh, May ’24
Phillip Valiant, father of Melissa Sackett, Nov. ’23
Ann Bentley Frost, mother of Brooke Frost Sorenson, Feb. ’24
Rosena Thompson-Strachen, May ’23
1998 Carolyn Delancy McCartney, Jan. ’15
1999 Daphne Styles, Jan. ’18
William Whetham, father of Jennifer Whetham & Catherine Whetham ’04, Feb. ’24
2000 Vanessa Franklin, Feb. ’24
Christine Egan Kringle, June ’22
Ivy Sears, Aug. ’21
2002 Joseph Fisher, son of Erin Cooney & Benjamin Fisher ’04, Feb ’24
James Low, father of Kathleen Low Coudron, Sept. ’23
Bernadette Arceneau, mother of Cheryl Arceneau Hellermann, May ’24
2003 Dianne Johnstone, mother of Abby Johnstone Kim, April ’24
Katie Rother Slingsby, May ’24
Dennis Ahmann, father of Stacy Ahmann Zachman, March ’24
2004 Rita Verly, mother of Shannon Verly Wiger, May ’24
2005 Eldred Kremer, father of Wendy Kremer Sjogren, May ’24
2009 Richard Brown, father of Helen Brown, May ’24
Louis LeBlanc, father of Laura LeBlanc Hofer & Michelle LeBlanc Birr ’12, March ’24
1 Members of the 2004 London Study Abroad group traveled in May ’24 to celebrate the 20-year anniversary of their semester in London. L to R: Kate Winzenburg ’05, Beth Dahlman ’05, Erin Gulden ’05, Chris Nolan ’05, Sarah O’Donnell Nolan ’05 and Joe Sery ’05.
2 Benedictine Day of Service – Young Alum Community (YAC): CSB and SJU young alums joined together at Feed My Starving Children in the Twin Cities. In total, they packed 203 boxes, which was equivalent to 43,848 meals and could feed 91 kids daily for a year, April ’24.
3 Benedictine Day of Service –Chicago: Volunteers helped pack food for The Greater Chicago Food Depository, a large food bank in the Chicagoland area. Our CSB and SJU alums joined other groups to pack food for 3,220 meals, April ’24.
4 Benedictine Day of Service –Phoenix: A group of 15 alums and friends packaged 1,920 HelloFresh boxes at St. Mary’s Food Bank, which assists seniors in the area, April ’24.
5 Benedictine Day of Service – Twin Cities: At Open Arms of Minnesota, volunteers prepared meals for clients who live with critical illness. They spent time chopping vegetables, scooping food and packaging meals for delivery, April ’24.
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6 Benedictine Day of Service –Omaha: Alums and friends supported the Heart Ministry Center Food Distribution Program, which provides meals to hundreds of families in need, April ’24.
7 Benedictine Day of Service –Mankato: Volunteers supported the Connections Shelter with a cleaning and organizing project. Connections shelter is a seasonal, low-barrier emergency shelter that serves all genders and all family compositions, April ’24.
8 Benedictine Day of Service –Chippewa Valley: Volunteers were invited to bring a nonperishable food donation to be given to the Catholic Charities Sojourner House in Eau Claire, Wisconsin, April ’24.
9 Benedictine Day of Service –Twin Cities: Volunteers assisted Catholic Charities, which serves over 1 million meals and snacks and provides supplies to nearly 20,000 people most in need in the community each year, April ’24.
10 Benedictine Day of Service –Denver: Volunteers packed 2,500 PowerSacks at Food for Thought Denver, providing 10,000 meals for kids and their families. Food for Thought is a 100% volunteer organization, which currently provides PowerSacks to 75 Denver-area schools. April ’24.
Anne Schmidt-Krump ’82 and Paul Krump ’82 have always believed in the value of the College of Saint Benedict and Saint John’s University’s unique relationship.
Now, inspired by the possibilities of Saint Ben’s and Saint John’s newly strengthened commitment to integration, the Krumps are investing in the shared destiny
President Brian Bruess laid out so powerfully in his inauguration address last fall:
“Together, our future at Saint Ben’s and at Saint John’s has never been brighter. Together we can flourish. Together we will flourish.”
The Krumps have made a significant contribution to that luster with a $9 million pledge to be distributed evenly between Saint Ben’s and Saint John’s.
“We chose to split our gift equally because we see Saint John’s and Saint Ben’s as true partners,” says Paul. “Frankly, even way back when we were students, we viewed the schools as inextricably intertwined. Our many interactions with the schools over the last four decades have only strengthened that belief. Now, with the schools under the leadership of a single president,
we are especially excited for new opportunities for efficiency and holistic growth.”
The first $2 million has come as a cash donation, with each institution receiving $1 million. The remaining $7 million is currently held in a charitable testamentary lead trust, with each school scheduled to receive $3.5 million. When combined with their previously pledged $2 million gift – $1 million to each school – currently held in estate insurance, the Krumps’ gift totals $11 million, placing it among the top five largest gifts ever received by either school.
“We chose to split our gift equally because we see Saint Ben’s and Saint John’s as true partners.”
Paul and Anne met as students at Saint John’s and Saint Ben’s as Paul studied business administration and Anne majored in textiles, clothing and housing. Paul went on to serve as vice chairman of global underwriting and claims at Chubb. Anne thrived in a variety of volunteer roles along the way. Individually they both served on the boards of directors for their respective alma maters. Together, they raised three children, including Emily Krump, who went on to graduate from Saint Ben’s in 2006.
“We both learned a good deal while serving on the boards,” says Anne. “We learned a fair amount about the distinct nuances of higher education and how the schools strive diligently to be more meaningful to the changing needs of the students. For me personally, the opportunity to be a trustee was another enriching experience on the campuses. I first came to know the schools as a student, then as a parent of a student, and finally as a trustee.”
“Paul and Anne are an inspiring and big-hearted couple who have contributed to our campuses for many years and in many ways,” President Bruess explains. “We are so grateful for their remarkable dedication and
“Our hope is to inspire the CSB and SJU community to continue to stay involved. Help where you are able and spread the good news about our campuses!”
pace-setting generosity. The timing and impact of their gift couldn’t be better as the two schools continue to come together in strong integration and as we embark on our new strategic plan.
“The Krumps know us well, and they embrace and support who we have been, who we are and who we want to be – our past, present and future.”
“We were both impressed by the selfless service of the Benedictines during our time on campus,”
concludes Paul. “We appreciated how much their service directly subsidized the cost of our education. Now we’re both proud and humbled to be able to pick up that torch and play that role in making both these schools more affordable for this generation.”
“Our hope is to inspire the CSB and SJU community to continue to stay involved,” says Anne. “Help where you are able and spread the good news about our campuses!”
You can learn more about the transformational impact of philanthropy at the College of Saint Benedict by contacting Heather Pieper-Olson, vice president of institutional advancement, at hpieperolso@csbsju.edu or 320-363-5964
The Alum Referral Scholarship is a $1,000 scholarship (renewable for four years, totaling $4,000) available to deserving prospective Bennies and Johnnies. And all it takes to qualify is your recommendation.