FA L L 2 0 1 7 M A G A Z I N E
Our lights shine brighter together
FULFILLING
our promise of community
INSIDE • Remembering Colman p. 10 • Calling All Benedictine Communities p. 14 • Becoming Community p. 18 • Reunion Recap p. 24
IN THIS ISSUE
14
18
24
10 FEATURES
10 Remembering Colman 14 Calling All Benedictine Communities
18 Becoming Community 24 Reunion Recap
DEPARTMENTS
1 Message From the President 2 Worth 1,000 Words 4 News 30 I’m a Bennie 31 Class Notes 38 Bennie Connection 41 Generosity
The College of Saint Benedict Magazine is published three times a year by the office of Institutional Advancement. EDITOR Greg Skoog (SJU ’89) ASSISTANT EDITOR Bridget Sitzer Nordlund ’08 CONTRIBUTORS Ellen Bartyzal ’18 Mike Killeen Kristin Sawyer Lyman ’00 Tommy O’Laughlin (SJU ’13) Leah Rado Courtney Sullivan CONTACT College of Saint Benedict Magazine Institutional Advancement 37 South College Avenue St. Joseph, MN 56374-2099 For address changes, please call 1-800-648-3468, ext. 1 or email csbalumnae@csbsju.edu Affirmative Action/Equal Opportunity Employer The mission of the College of Saint Benedict is to provide for women the very best residential liberal arts education in the Catholic and Benedictine traditions. The college fosters integrated learning, exceptional leadership for change and wisdom for a lifetime.
A MESSAGE FROM THE PRESIDENT
A Benedictine
Imperative It seems to me that chapter 72 of the Rule of Benedict has never been more important. A section of that chapter reads: “...anticipate one another in honor (Romans 12:10); most patiently endure one another’s infirmities, whether of body or of character; vie in paying obedience one to another – no one following what she considers useful for herself, but rather what benefits another.” As you know, we speak often about community at Saint Ben’s. What is so compelling about chapter 72 is that, on the one hand, a community is required to welcome and receive you as you are: you can be fully yourself and anticipate a warm and joyful reception. At the same time, you are compelled to welcome and receive others as they are. In the same way that we receive this gift of patient and unconditional love, we must extend the same. What this means is that at this moment in time we have to make sure that we’re truly delivering on our Benedictine promise of community. It’s up to each of us to make sure that every student feels that she belongs; that she has a voice; that she has a right to be here and a right to the full education we offer. Our call to dwell in community is enhanced by our need – our Benedictine obligation – to be an inclusive community. That means enrolling the students who will advance our heritage of excellence – whoever and wherever they are. It means opening ourselves up to being transformed by our students. It means exploring our programs and policies and practices with an eye toward inclusive community.
“
It’s up to each of us to make sure that every student feels that she belongs; that she has a voice; that she has a right to be here and a right to the full education we offer.”
CSB was founded on the premise that women deserve a full college education. And the women who deserve that education come from all corners of the world and all walks of life. Recently I had the chance to sit down and talk with one of my favorite people, Josephine Zehnle Terwey ’39, from Long Prairie, Minnesota. She told me the story of her summer in Harlem in 1937, when she met, encouraged and inspired the first American students of color to attend Saint Ben’s. I encourage you to spend a few minutes and watch highlights of our conversation at csbsju.edu/csbserves.
There’s always interesting conversation, and a mischievous smile or two, when President Hinton gets together with Jo Terwey ’39.
As Jo describes it, this campus was ready to welcome all students. It sounds very Benedictine. You see, what I think Benedict was describing in chapter 72 is inclusion. As we are, we are welcomed. So my language of inclusion is very intentional. Every young woman we serve and every person who works here desires and deserves to be included in this community. To have a voice; to be treated with respect; to be valued; to be included. It is our greatest opportunity, and a Benedictine imperative, that we respond accordingly.
Mary Dana Hinton College of Saint Benedict President
After the passing of our dear S. Colman, I had a chance to go back and read through copies of some of the convocation welcomes she gave during her term as president. Reviewing her words, the handwritten edits on her speeches, the underlined words she wanted to emphasize and those that were crossed out, it felt as if I'd had one last conversation with Colman. On page 10, I'll share some of what I found and others will share some of their special stories of this woman who touched our whole community.
Fall 2017 | 1
WORTH 1,000 WORDS
2 | College of Saint Benedict Magazine
TOP OF THE WORLD During her semester in South Africa last spring, Anna Lindstrom ’18 from Sartell, Minnesota, got the chance to climb Table Mountain. “The hike up was strenuous,” she admits, “but once at the top the views of Cape Town were definitely worth the hike.”
Fall 2017 | 3
NEWS
CSB Receives Service Enterprise Designation
Junius Named CSB Entrepreneur of the Year On Sept. 27, in a ceremony at the Metropolitan Ballroom in Golden Valley conducted by the Donald McNeely Center for Entrepreneurship, Megan Junius ’99 was named the 2017 CSB Entrepreneur of the Year. Junius leads Peter Hill Design in Minneapolis, a full-service and award-winning creative design and marketing firm. She had 10 years of experience with the firm and mentorship by original founder, Peter Hill, when she took over ownership in 2011.
Angie Krtnick Complin ’04 is one of many alums who volunteer at Career Fair.
This summer, after a lengthy application and review process, the College of Saint Benedict was certified as a Service Enterprise by the Points of Light Foundation – the world’s largest organization dedicated to volunteer service. With this designation, Saint Ben’s joins a prestigious group of nonprofits committed to effectively delivering on our missions by strategically engaging volunteer time and talent. Saint Ben’s is the first college in the nation to achieve this distinction. The Service Enterprise designation requires developing and implementing a comprehensive system of best practices in volunteer management that touch every department. Research conducted by the TCC Group, a national program and evaluation firm, found that organizations operating as Service Enterprises outperform 4 | College of Saint Benedict Magazine
peer organizations on all aspects of organizational effectiveness, and are more adaptable, sustainable and capable of scaling their work. “One of the ways for us to continue to be here in the long term and continue to increase accessibility is to be really good stewards of our resources,” said Valerie Jones ’94, executive director of alumnae relations. “Inviting volunteers to be engaged in our work and in our mission in a deeper, more meaningful way is an act of preservation and growth.” If you’d like to participate and help out, there are dozens of ways to do it. For starters, check out some volunteer opportunities at csbsju.edu/volunteer.
Since then, her curiosity and business acumen have brought the firm to a new level. In 2014, she was one of 15 Twin Cities graduates of the National Small Business Association’s Emerging Leaders program. In 2015, she was an honoree of The Minneapolis/St. Paul Business Journal’s Women in Business Award. Putting to use the power of the liberal arts, Junius received her Bachelor of Arts degree from CSB in art, including a semester spent at Richmond, the American International University in London. Her collaborative leadership style has helped produce strong, creative results for clients of all sizes. In the same ceremony in September, Scott Becker ’77, founder and managing partner of Northstar Capital, LLC, was named SJU Entrepreneur of the Year and Peter Rothstein ’88, founding artistic director of Theater Latté Da, was named CSB/SJU Social Entrepreneur of the Year.
NEWS
CSB Appoints Four New Members to Board of Trustees On July 1, Corie Dumdie Barry ’97, Angie Krtnick Complin ’04, S. Susan Rudolph ’65, OSB, and Margaret “Margie” Engerski Wiehoff ’84 were all appointed to the College of Saint Benedict Board of Trustees. The CSB board consists of 36 members, which includes three ex-officio members: Complin, Rudolph and CSB President Mary Dana Hinton. With the exception of the ex-officio members, CSB trustees serve three-year terms and are eligible to serve three consecutive terms. Barry, who graduated summa cum laude from CSB with a degree in accounting and business management, is the chief financial officer of Best Buy Company. She served on CSB’s Alumnae Board from 1997-2005, and delivered the 2017 CSB Commencement address. Complin is the current president of the CSB Alumnae Board and has served on the Alumnae Board since 2009. She received a degree in accounting from
CSB, and has been the talent director for Granite Equity Partners LLC since March 2016. Rudolph was installed on June 4 as the 17th prioress of Saint Benedict’s Monastery. She graduated in 1965 from CSB with a degree in elementary education. Wiehoff, who graduated with a degree in government from CSB in 1984, is president of the John and Margie Wiehoff Foundation and a community volunteer delivering Meals on Wheels and for the Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS) Association.
Corie Dumdie Barry ’97
Angie Krtnick Complin ’04
Susan Rudolph, OSB ’65
Margie Engerski Wiehoff ’84
Thanks to You! Fiscal year 2017 (July 1, 2016 – June 30, 2017) was a very big year for giving to the College of Saint Benedict. Between the steady, reliable contributions coming in each month from Saint Ben’s Sustainers – the adrenaline-fueled one-time gifts from those swept up in the excitement of Give CSB Day last November – and the remarkable generosity of folks like the anonymous donors who gave a $10 million gift last year – it was our biggest year ever. Thank you.
19,771,646
TOTAL GIFTS & PLEDGES
2,525,681
THANK YOU!
BIGGEST DAY OF ONLINE GIVING
IN HOURS 422,136 24RAISED RAISED IN ANNUAL OPERATING & SCHOLARSHIPS FOR STUDENTS
5,763
TOTAL
DONORS
1,078 DONORS PARTICIPATED
170
YAPC
MEMBERS
WITH AN
You make this happen. When you make a gift at givecsb.com, your dollars go to support the scholarships on which over 90 percent of current Bennies rely. You help make a Saint Ben’s education feasible for women who wouldn’t otherwise be able to afford it. You make inclusivity happen in the class of 2021 and beyond.
IT WAS A RECORD BREAKING YEAR
AVERAGE GIFT OF
306
Fall 2017 | 5
NEWS
Move-In Day Celebrates New Beginnings
Thursday, Aug. 24, was movein day for the class of 2021. As always, it was a delightful mélange of excitement and anxiety, laughter and tears, unbridled chaos and orchestrated precision.
6 | College of Saint Benedict Magazine
First-time, new entering student enrollment for the class of 2021 totaled 519. That’s nine more than our goal for the year. It brings total enrollment to 1,915 at Saint Ben’s – 12 more than this year’s goal. The class of 2021 includes students from 23 states and four foreign countries. American students of color make up 16
percent of all first-time new students. International students represent three percent of new students. Meanwhile, the mean ACT score for our new class of 2021 was 25.1. Their average score ranked among the top quintile of all test takers nationally. In fact, one in six new Bennies achieved ACT scores in the top five percent nationally.
NEWS
CSB Joins American Talent Initiative In September, the College of Saint Benedict was one of 15 private and public colleges invited to join the American Talent Initiative (ATI). ATI aims to substantially expand the number of talented low- and moderate-income students attending undergraduate institutions with exceptionally high graduation rates (schools with six-year graduation rates consistently above 70 percent). CSB is part of the third round of schools invited to join the initiative, now totaling 83 schools. The University of Minnesota and Carleton College are the only other schools in Minnesota who are currently part of ATI. “It is an honor to be invited to join these outstanding schools as we seek to improve educational equity in the United States,” CSB President Mary Dana Hinton said. “ATI provides a venue for us to learn with other schools that seek to ensure all young people have access to a high-quality education.” “Last year, 40 percent of all new CSB students received a need-based federal Pell Grant or Minnesota state grant,” said Jon McGee, vice president of planning and strategy at CSB and Saint John’s University. “Nearly one-third of our new students were the first in their family to attend a four-year college.
• Recruiting students from diverse socio-economic backgrounds through robust outreach; • Ensuring that admitted lowerincome students enroll and are retained through practices that have been shown to be effective; • Prioritizing need-based aid; and • Minimizing or eliminating gaps in progression and graduation rates between and among students from low-, moderate- and highincome families. ATI is funded through an initial $1.7 million, multi-year grant from Bloomberg Philanthropies. This initiative is co-managed by the Aspen Institute’s College Excellence Program and Ithaka S+R.
“The American Talent Initiative provides us with a terrific opportunity to amplify and extend our commitment to talented lower-income and historically underrepresented students,” McGee said. Recent research suggests that at least 12,500 high school seniors per year have SAT scores in the top 10 percent with 3.7 grade-point averages or higher – and do not attend the colleges where they have the greatest likelihood of graduating. CSB and the other schools participating in ATI will further the national goal of developing more talent from every American neighborhood by:
Fall 2017 | 7
NEWS
Mary Hinton to Chair MPCC Board Kosobud is NCAA Woman of the Year finalist BY | LEAH RADO
Allison Kosobud ’17
In June, CSB President Mary Dana Hinton was elected chair of the board of the Minnesota Private College Council and the Minnesota Private College Fund, effective July 1. The Minnesota Private College Council advocates on policy issues and serves members’ shared needs. The Minnesota Private College Fund is a separate nonprofit that raises funds for need-based scholarships and operating support. The two nonprofits share the same board members and represent the same 17 nonprofit colleges and universities:
8 | College of Saint Benedict Magazine
Augsburg College Bethany Lutheran College Bethel University Carleton College College of Saint Benedict College of St. Scholastica Concordia College, Moorhead Concordia University, St. Paul Gustavus Adolphus College Hamline University Macalester College Minneapolis College of Art and Design Saint John’s University Saint Mary’s University of Minnesota St. Catherine University St. Olaf College University of St. Thomas
Life is all about balance – especially for collegiate student-athletes. Allison Kosobud perfected a balancing act that included three sports, academics and community service early in her college career, and that sense of balance earned her a spot among the top 30 studentathletes in the NCAA. Kosobud, a four-year member of the College of Saint Benedict cross country and track and field teams and a 2017 CSB graduate, was one of 30 finalists for the prestigious NCAA Woman of the Year Award. The NCAA released the names of the 10 finalists from each division on Sept. 6. “There are so many remarkable student-athletes at our school, in our conference, and across the country, so I am very honored and humbled to be among the top 30,” Kosobud said. “I would not be where I am today without support from my coaches and from CSB.”
NEWS
ATHLETICS
The Woman of the Year program honors not only athletic excellence, but also the academic achievements, community service and leadership of female athletes across the NCAA. A nominee must have completed her intercollegiate eligibility in her primary sport by the end of the 2016-17 competitive season, received her undergraduate degree prior to the conclusion of the summer 2017 term, and have a minimum cumulative GPA of 2.5 on a 4.0 scale. Kosobud found plenty of success in both cross country and track as a senior, but it was her ability to succeed in all facets – athletics, academics and other extracurricular activities – that earned her a spot in the top 30. The Brainerd, Minnesota, native – who took fifth to earn All-American honors in the 800 at the NCAA Indoor Championships – became the first CSB track and field athlete to earn CoSIDA Academic All-America honors since 1996 after maintaining a 3.90 GPA. She was a Trustee Scholar (the highest merit scholarship a student can receive at CSB) and was inducted into Phi Beta Kappa in 2017. Allison was an integrative health science major and also served as a mentor for
a young child in St. Cloud through Big Brothers Big Sisters for four years. Additionally, she was the director of the Dream Team, a sleep advocacy group on campus. “Balance is important as a runner. I believe this idea of balance is necessary in life, too, and Saint Benedict has allowed me to achieve just that,” Kosobud said in her personal statement in the NCAA Woman of the Year nomination process. “This school has taken me as I am and developed me as a whole person. I did not have to partition off parts of my life in order to participate in everything I wanted to do, and I did not feel limited in my options because of being in sports.” This marks the second time in the past four years that a CSB graduate has been one of the 30 finalists for the award. Colleen Bouchard ’14 made it to the top 30 in 2014 following a successful senior campaign with the Saint Benedict soccer team. On Oct. 22, at a banquet in Indianapolis, Kosobud and the rest of the nominees were honored, while Lizzy Christ, a soccer player from Division III Washington University in St. Louis was named the 2017 Woman of the Year.
ALLISON KOSOBUD ’17
ATHLETIC HIGHLIGHTS • 1 All-American honor (track and field) • 2 top-10 times in CSB history (cross country) • 4 USTFCCCA Academic honors (cross country and track and field) • 4-time MIAC Champion (track and field) • 5-time National Qualifier (track and field) • 6 All-Region honors (cross country and track and field) • 7 School records (track and field) • 9 Academic All-MIAC honors (cross country and track and field) • 9 All-MIAC (cross country and track and field) • 13 All-MIAC Honorable Mention (track and field)
Fall 2017 | 9
Remembering
COLMAN Received into the novitiate at Saint Benedict’s Monastery
Arrived at CSB (first-year class president) 1927
1945
Born in Roberts, Wisc.
1946
1947
Entered Saint Benedict’s Monastery
10 | College of Saint Benedict Magazine
Inducted into Delta Epsilon Sigma (national Catholic honor society) 1948
Made first profession at Saint Benedict’s Monastery
1949
Made perpetual monastic profession at Saint Benedict’s Monastery
Taught English at Pierz HS (Pierz, Minn.)
1951
1953
1950 Earned BA in English and speech at CSB (class of 1949)
1950-52 Taught English at Cathedral HS (St. Cloud, Minn.)
Professor of Theater (Chair of Theater and Dance Dept.) 1954
Earned MFA in theater and English at Catholic University of America
1954-74
1960
Named a CSB Pennies for Passage award winner to study theater at the University of Birmingham in Stratford-on-Avon
S. Colman (Dolores) O’Connell ’49, OSB PRESIDENT EMERITA OF THE COLLEGE OF SAINT BENEDICT, DIED ON SATURDAY, SEPT. 30, AT THE AGE OF 90.
S. Colman was the 11th president of the college, serving from 1986 through 1996 — immediately succeeding her dear friend and CSB classmate S. Emmanuel Renner ’49. She was an educator, an administrator, a visionary leader and a tireless advocate for the college. In 1954, S. Colman received her master’s degree in English and theater from the Catholic University of America. At that point she returned to CSB where she taught in the Theater and Dance Department, serving as department chair from 1954-74. In 1979, Colman earned her doctoral degree in higher education from the University of Michigan.
BARB CARLSON Former Vice President of Institutional Advancement at the College of Saint Benedict
“Wise as she was, Colman had scant knowledge of some rather common activities. We once attended a CSB basketball game (an unusual occurrence). She sat there saying ‘Shoot, shoot!’ and finally turned to me in frustration, asking why they weren’t shooting. She thought they should be shooting all the time. I had to explain the difference between playing basketball and playing the violin.”
After her time as president, Colman continued to serve the college she loved, working in Institutional Advancement until she died. “She was in the office on Friday, as she was every day,” says Associate Vice President of Institutional Advancement Heather Pieper-Olson. “We had some coffee and talked Puerto Rico and politics. She made plans for a weekend filled with events and a week filled with donor visits…. She left the office with a smile and ‘goodbye, dear.’ ” S. Colman touched many lives and left behind many memories in her 70+ years in this community. Here are just a few of them. S. COLLEEN QUINLIVAN ’88, OSB “My relationship with Colman began when she accepted my request to be her Benedictine Prayer Partner when I was a student. In her first year as college president, Colman thought she was agreeing to host me at Mass or Morning Prayer a couple times a year. What she did not realize was that I was exploring the possibility that I had a religious vocation and would claim a space next to her at Morning Prayer for my two final years of college.”
CSB Director of Alumnae and Parent Relations and the Annual Fund
CSB Director of Planning
1974-77
1979-84
1977-79 Earned PhD in Higher Education at the University of Michigan
Participant in Minnesota student-behavior study for Association of Catholic Colleges and Universities 1980-82
1982
Consultant and evaluator for a project on faculty development for a consortium of Minnesota colleges
Consultant and evaluator of faculty development program at Augsburg College 1982
Participant in a study of the future of private higher education by the Minnesota Private College Council
1983-85
1984-86 CSB Executive Vice President
CSB President 1986-96
Member of Board of Trustees, College of Saint Benedict 1987-90
Member of Board of Directors, St. Cloud Area Chamber of Commerce
1988-96
1990-96 Member of Board of Directors, Minnesota Public Radio
Fall 2017 | 11
RITA KNUESEL ’75
ANNE DOYLE SMIT ’72
Provost Emerita
Theater and Speech Communication double major
“S. Colman’s legacy will live on forever. She held many leadership positions at the College of Saint Benedict, but her role as president stands out as most significant. S. Colman led with total enthusiasm, passion, joy and altruism. She understood the need for women’s development in and outside the classroom as she led her cabinet and community at large in delivering the best liberal arts, residential college experience in the rich Benedictine, Catholic tradition. S. Colman inspired confidence because of her keen intellect, purpose and sheer love for the college and her students, faculty and staff. A super-smart leader with a quick wit, S. Colman will be missed, but her impact on the college and higher education at large will live on forever.”
“With her wonderfully expressive face, Colman personified the role of an ‘active listener.’ As you spoke, her responses made you feel that her attention was on you alone. She might lift her chin slightly, her head tilted to one side, one finger tapping her lips as she focused her attention on you. Or, there was an opposite expression of active listening – the times she avoided eye contact altogether, cupping her chin in her hand, but looking intently at the floor as though she could hear your words more clearly by listening alone. ‘Aha!’ she would say to one idea, and ‘Oh, do you really think so?’ to another (not imposing the certainty that you were wrong in your view – just introducing the concept that perhaps if you thought about it again, you might come up with a different perspective).”
KIA MARIE LOR ’13 “S. Colman was my Benedictine Friend when I first arrived at CSB in 2009. I remember my first time attending Sunday Mass. I was shy. I didn’t know what to expect because I didn’t grow up with the Church. S. Colman waited for me outside the chapel for us to walk in together. She was very patient with me every step of the way and explained what was happening, why and how to participate in it. At that time, my faith was still young and undeveloped. S. Colman’s love and respect toward God inspired me. Fast forward: I relocated to Philadelphia for graduate school. I was lost and confused in a new city where I didn’t have any friends or community. I reached out to the Church communities in Philly and was able to connect with new friends in a new city through fellowship. Had she not been my Benedictine Friend, I don’t think I would have such a healthy relationship with God.”
MARY DANA HINTON President of the College of Saint Benedict
“In Colman’s 1991 Convocation address she shared with students these words, words that perhaps best pay tribute to her, her legacy and her impact on each of us. Twenty-six years ago, Colman read Stephen Spender’s poem entitled, The Truly Great: I think continually of those who were truly great. Who, from the womb, remembered the soul’s history Through corridors of light, where the hours are suns, Endless and singing. Whose lovely ambition Was that their lips, still touched with fire, Should tell of the Spirit, clothed from head to foot in song. And who hoarded from the Spring branches The desires falling across their bodies like blossoms. Near the snow, near the sun, in the highest fields, See how these names are fêted by the waving grass And by the streamers of white cloud And whispers of wind in the listening sky. The names of those who in their lives fought for life, Who wore at their hearts the fire’s centre. Born of the sun, they travelled a short while toward the sun And left the vivid air signed with their honour.
MATT LINDSTROM ’97 Professor of Political Science
“I had the chance to be with S. Colman on a few fundraising calls over the years. And one thing she had was a collaborative approach with donors. She would always ask folks to ‘consider a gift.’ She said, anyone will be willing to ‘consider’ something. So she’d never ‘ask’ for a gift – she was more interested in engaging in the conversation and giving people the opportunity to become engaged with the college and coming to the aid of our students.”
Member of Board of Trustees, Central Minnesota Community Foundation 1991-92
1991-97
Chair of Minnesota Private College Council, Fund and Research Foundation
Member of Board of Directors of Neylan Conference (an association of colleges founded by women religious) 1992
1992-96
Chair, Government and Education Division, United Way Annual Fund (St. Cloud, Minn.)
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To our truly great one, Colman O’Connell. You fought for our life; your heart was the fire’s center and now you travel toward the sun. We all breathe in the air of your love and your honor. Colman, we love you. We will miss you.”
Member of Board of Directors, National Association of Independent Colleges and Universities (NAICU)
1993-94
1994-96
Co-Chair of Association of Benedictine Colleges and Universities
Assistant program director for Greco/Roman study abroad semester (CSB/SJU) 1995
KARE11 TV’s Woman of the Year
1996
Member of Board of Overseers, St. Meinrad’s Seminary and School of Theology (St. Meinrad, Ind.) 1996
1997-01
The coffee shop in the Haehn Campus Center is named “O’Connell’s”
Member of Board of Minnesota Council for Economic Education, University of Minnesota
1997-01
1997-01
Member of Board of Trustees of Leaven Center (Eden Prairie, Minn.)
1997-04
Member of Klinefelter Council (St. Joseph, Minn.)
THINGS I LEARNED FROM COLMAN O’CONNELL, OSB By Maureen Opitz, former Director of Donor Relations at the College of Saint Benedict
• Vegetables should never be served naked. Have a heart; at least give them some butter. • Speaking of butter, get rid of those little wax paper wrappers. It sends the message that one patty is an appropriate helping. • Speaking of appropriateness, never slurp your soup – but it is comely to consume oysters with an appreciative slurp. • Speaking of oysters, forget the old rule about only eating oysters in months containing R’s. You can eat oysters whenever Jack Riebel* says you can. • Speaking of Jack and other men, call them darling and let them know they are splendid. • Speaking of speaking, when speaking at an event with several other speakers, the one who speaks the least is the winner. • Speaking of events, never eat dessert unless it is one of Marilyn Obermiller’s** pies. • Also speaking of events, when splendid gentlemen bring you a drink, tell them that Jameson requires only one ice cube and not water. • Never let anyone remain in doubt about your opinion. Body language and Irish aphorisms are the best way to do this and, of course, bring the most pleasure to everyone.
* J ack Riebel is the James Beard-nominated chef and co-owner of The Lexington in St. Paul, and the son of Joan Riebel ’64. ** Marilyn Obermiller and her husband, Bob, are wellknown leaders in the St. Cloud community. Bob is a former CSB trustee.
Member of Board of Trustees, Loras College (Dubuque, Iowa)
Member of David Preus Awards Council, Luther Seminary (St. Paul, Minn.)
1997-06
1997-11
1997-11
Member of new administrators advisory council for Assoc. of Catholic College and Universities
1998-01
Trustee of Saint John’s Preparatory School 1998-11
Member of the Regent Candidates Advisory Council, State of Minnesota
CSB Senior Development Officer 2001-05
2005-Pres.
CSB Vice President of Institutional Advancement
Outstanding Contribution to Philanthropy Award from the Association of Fundraising Professionals
President’s Award for philanthropy from Central Minnesota Community Foundation
2008
2010
2006
Lumen Gentium Award from Saint John’s Preparatory School
2008-Pres. Regent Emerita of Loras College (Dubuque, Iowa)
2014 Saint John’s University President’s Medal
Fall 2017 | 13
calling all benedictine communities
BY | LARRY GOODWIN AND MARY DANA HINTON
This summer, the Association of Benedictine Colleges and Universities (ABCU) held a special conference at Saint Ben’s and Saint John’s, commemorating their 25th anniversary. Staff, faculty and administrators from Benedictine colleges and their sponsoring communities across the U.S. and Canada attended to discuss Educating in the Benedictine Context. One of the prime-time highlights of the weekend was the Friday evening panel presentation on what it means to educate in the Benedictine context – featuring Larry Goodwin, President Emeritus of the College of Saint Scholastica and our own President Mary Dana Hinton. Their remarks, excerpted on the following pages, centered on notions of inclusion and community.
What does inclusive excellence mean? For many people, excellence means “the best and the brightest,” and so is, by definition, an exclusionary term. Indeed, one sure way to raise a school’s standing in US News rankings is to turn away more and more students. Inclusive excellence turns that definition on its head. I very much like the way Arizona State University puts it: We define excellence, not by whom we exclude, but by whom we include and how well they succeed. Inclusive excellence does not mean that everyone deserves an “A.” Rather, it means that college success rates should reflect differences in ability or effort, not differences in income, race or ethnicity. Inclusive excellence does not refer to equality of outcomes, but to equality of access and opportunity for all students. That’s the ideal. The strongest argument for inclusive excellence is that our Benedictine tradition absolutely requires it. A community that is committed to the transformation of persons must itself be open to transformation.
This is such an important point. For years our schools have been inviting, welcoming and supporting students from diverse backgrounds. These are necessary steps, but they are not enough. Now we need to move to the most difficult stage, transformation. As S.M. Miller, professor emeritus of sociology at Boston University puts it, “Inclusion requires transformation of the institution, rather than simply adding in the excluded.” A transformed community – this is what our Benedictine mission requires of us. “We must change ... structures to serve students rather than trying to change students to fit existing systems.” * What do we need to do to transform our schools into communities of inclusive excellence? Here are three things we can do: First, we need to find our blind spots and correct them. In my last years as president, I met regularly with some of our international students and domestic students of color, because I really wanted to understand their experiences.
Some of what they reported was painful to hear. “I feel that I don’t fit in.” “It’s hard being a student of color at a predominantly white school.” “I have to put on my mask when I leave my room.” Our higher education systems have been designed by people like me who succeed in them. But they don’t serve everyone well. Those of us who benefit from the current structures have a hard time seeing how they can discourage or even alienate others. We need to identify our blind spots, and then change our policies to benefit everybody. Second, we need to change the assumption that academic excellence means treating everybody the same. I grew up believing that excellence, like justice, should be blind…. We have standards, and if some people cannot achieve them, they must try harder. I saw the world as a meritocracy where people are rewarded for their efforts. But imagine a situation where we expect everyone to be able to see over a fence. The taller people can already see over it, but the shorter people cannot – no matter how hard they try. We ought to provide them boxes to stand on. In this case, treating people fairly means treating them appropriately, not treating them equally. We will not realize equality of access and opportunity by treating all students as though they are the same, because they are not the same. If all students are to have a realistic chance at success, some students will need educational boxes so that they can see over the fence. Treating people differently is not compromising quality or standards. In the end, students have to meet the standards, but first we need to get them all on a level playing field. Third, we need to change our expectations. We label some students “disadvantaged” or “at risk.” What fears do these labels reinforce for students? What expectations do they set? We need really to believe in our students – more, perhaps, than they believe in themselves. The University of Texas conducted an important experiment. The school identified the students in its entering class who fit the profile of “least likely to succeed in college.” Like many schools, Texas created a special
Larry Goodwin, Ph.D. President Emeritus (1998-2016) College of Saint Scholastica
program for these students. But, unlike other schools, the university radically changed its messaging to the students. The students least likely to succeed were not told that they were being placed in a remedial program; rather, they were invited to join the University Leadership Network. The message they heard was that they had been selected, not because the university was worried that they would fail, but because it was confident that they could succeed. All the program requirements reinforced this expectation: they had extra instruction each week because they were part of a community of promise; they were expected to wear business attire to class, to participate in community service and internships, and to move into leadership positions on campus. In exchange, they earned scholarships. Over and over, these “at-risk” students were told that it was really possible for them to succeed and excel. As a result, many of them did … because the school believed in them. The University of Texas understood something important. The previous experiences of these students affected their readiness to learn, not their ability to learn. Get them ready, and their abilities will flourish. *
From America’s Unmet Promise: The Imperative for Equity in Higher Education by Keith Witham, Lindsey E. Malcom-Piqueux, Alicia C. Dowd and Estela Mara Bensimon.
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Our goal at the College of Saint Benedict is not just to educate young women about academic disciplines or content areas, but we believe that equally important is educating young people about developing their moral character; their Benedictine nature. It is only when we combat ignorance with knowledge and hatred with understanding that we can begin to see progress with the critical issues of racism, poverty and social injustice. Mary Dana Hinton, Ph.D.
President College of Saint Benedict For 1,500 years, Benedictines have recognized the transformative power of community. At a time when national turmoil and strife create dichotomies throughout many facets of community, how do we illustrate our compact with one another? How do we respond when young people tell us they don’t feel at home on our campuses? How do we navigate the realization that our work is not to insulate our students, nor ourselves, from the happenings of the world, but to help them learn how to encounter, respond to and, when needed, transform those realities from within our Catholic and Benedictine context? What does that look like for us as leaders on our campuses and for our students? What it means to educate in the Benedictine context today is that we should be at the forefront of this conversation and expanded dialogue. Educational institutions, locally and globally, continue to grapple with issues of inclusion: welcoming the rich and essential diversity needed to make our institutions and communities thrive.
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I argue that in the same way that we look to education to help drive improved economic outcomes and social mobility, we must also look to educational institutions to drive communities to reach their potential in the face of great change and complexity and to facilitate difficult conversations. These are the critical issues of our time that demand a Benedictine response. Each of us has to engage beyond our comfort zone. I had to learn that my most important conversations likely weren’t with my friends but with those who neither know nor understand my worldview. Minimally, talking with my detractors forced me to expand my worldview, taught me patience and, on some occasions, may have changed my perspective or theirs. We don’t like to be uncomfortable and some may think they have reached a point in their lives and career that should not demand discomfort. That these issues aren’t about us. But some of our students live in this zone of discomfort on our campuses. Don’t we owe it to them to push our own boundaries to help them explore theirs? As Benedictine campuses, we have a unique call to engage in this work. The Rule calls us to “Listen … with the ear of our heart.” Our commitment to community
resonates throughout all that we do at our institutions. There’s no doubt. But today we exist in a moment when we have to do more. It’s not about what’s wrong; it’s about what’s next. We have to define and express community in an inclusive, Benedictine way that welcomes, recognizes and engages all. Chapter 53 of The Rule of Benedict provides clear guidance for us: “All guests who present themselves are to be welcomed as Christ, who said: ‘I was a stranger and you welcomed me’ (Matthew 25:35).” This guidance extends to all those who seek our hospitality, regardless of their background. We have to listen to those unlike us. Listen. And be silent when the listening is uncomfortable. If we don’t address issues of inclusion, whether they are economic, racial, political, religious or otherwise, we cannot fulfill our Benedictine and Catholic mission of bringing people closer to God. Without diverse voices and representation, and without our students equipped to go out into the world and transform it, we cannot fulfill our mission. Our Benedictine values and mission define who we are, how we shape our learning experience, and how we express our place in the world. We have to make this real on our campuses, for every student. In times of change and uncertainty, it is important that we revisit and renew our commitment to serve as courageous leaders and passionate advocates for all.
“
e have to listen to those W unlike us. Listen. And be silent when the listening is uncomfortable. If we don’t address issues of inclusion, whether they are economic, racial, political, religious or otherwise, we cannot fulfill our Benedictine and Catholic mission of bringing people closer to God.”
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becoming munity BY | GREG SKOOG (SJU ’89)
“
At CSB/SJU, community is not an adjective to describe our schools, but a way of life where all members are welcomed and accepted for who they are as a person. Our community is made up of an array of backgrounds from different places around the world that make our campuses a unique place. When one member of our community stumbles, we rally to help get them back on their feet. No one is alone in our community; we stand together, making sure to actively live out our Benedictine values to anyone we may encounter.” - 2016 CSB/SJU Senior
For many of us, this is the vision we have of “community” at the College of Saint Benedict and Saint John’s University. Statements about community here are frequent, powerful and sincere. But are they completely accurate?
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Not all students share that powerful experience of feeling part of a community. And as long as they feel systematically excluded in this community, we fail to achieve our overall mission.
“
I think there is a general sense of community here, but at times it rings quite hollow. I feel like there are still many groups of people who seem somewhat marginalized... People don’t really seem to broaden their ‘community’ at this school; they hang around with people who look like them, talk like them, have similar beliefs. This isn’t surprising, but the idea of a totally integrated community in this place just isn’t totally true all of the time.” - 2016 CSB/SJU Senior
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becoming munity Room for improvement What’s behind this disconnect? Part of the challenge is that our current language of inclusion implies that those on the outside will join those already on the inside and adopt or adapt to already established norms. Instead, if we’re going to be truly welcoming, it’s up to us to develop a model for community formation that’s based in transformative, rather than additive, inclusion. The overwhelming majority of CSB and SJU students identify “community” as a word that characterizes the colleges and their experience. Eight in 10 indicate that they found a community here to which they belong. While those numbers are encouraging, they also mask important differences among students that suggest we have work ahead of us:
38
%
vs
61% 34% 66% vs
Students of color were significantly less likely than white students to select “inclusive” as a descriptive adjective. Overall, only 57 percent of all students selected “inclusive” as a word to describe the colleges.
75
%
vs
92
%
Students of color were significantly less likely than white students to select “community” as a word to characterize CSB and SJU.
Nearly two-thirds of white students described the sense of campus community as excellent, compared to just 34 percent of students of color. Students of color were half as likely as white students to indicate they were satisfied with the overall diversity of the colleges with respect to background and social identities. Similarly, only 42 percent of students of color agreed that “students here actively engage with other students whose race or ethnicity is different than their own,” compared to 62 percent of white students.
For Elizabeth Rojas ’17, these numbers match with her experiences as a first-generation Latina college student. “I love CSB/SJU because it’s become my second home, away from Los Angeles. It’s the place where I found my passion for social justice,” she says. “Unfortunately, that passion grew here when I was constantly asked, ‘Where are you from?’ It’s a question based on that person’s curiosity of your perceived race and it’s usually followed with interrogation about your birthplace and family origin if the first answer isn’t satisfactory.”
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Making strides
Everyone, speak up
So what’s to be done? Actually, significant efforts are already underway. In the 2016-17 academic year, CSB and SJU faculty engaged in some dynamic curricular and pedagogical experiments with help from two grants from the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation. (Statistics cited on these pages were drawn from surveys and analysis completed as part of these Mellon grants.)
Bringing more voices to the table should improve the discussion, right? But what if fear of offense begins to silence other voices? How do you facilitate a robust classroom discussion in an inclusive community? Charles Wright, CSB/SJU associate professor of philosophy, manages it every day.
One grant focused on professional development for humanities faculty and addressed teaching, advising and engaging our increasingly diverse student body. The other grant went toward professional development for faculty teaching FirstYear Seminar, to enhance our ability to meet the needs of first-generation students and American students of color.
“I admit my mistakes,” he says. “I’m not going to presume to have all the answers.”
The results have been encouraging. More students (and students of color in particular) report that most or all of their faculty… • Make them feel valued by regularly seeing student potential (up 15% from 2016). • Take personal interest in individual student development (up 10% from 2016). • Genuinely care about academic success (up 15% from 2016). • A re open to diverse viewpoints in class (up 8% from 2016 for white students and up 25% for students of color). • Place value on difference (up 8% from 2016). • Have improved methods of encouraging collaboration across differences (up 10% from 2016). Meanwhile, faculty feel better prepared to address diversity issues in 2017 as… • T he percentage describing themselves as “well-prepared” has risen (up 11% from 2016). • The percentage indicating they feel “very well-prepared” to teach in a diverse environment has risen (up 7% from 2016). • The percentage reporting using teaching techniques that nurture an inclusive classroom environment has risen (up 14% from 2016). • Six in 10 indicate they have changed their pedagogy to encourage interaction among a diverse student body. “CSB/SJU students have the potential to become inclusive, understanding and conscious citizens who listen to the stories of their community members, realize the injustices and strive for equality,” Rojas believes.
Starting a good conversation means making sure students feel supported enough to speak. “When somebody says something in class, I try to find the ‘truth’ behind it,” says Wright. “That’s a vague word. I try to find good reasons and sense behind whatever someone might say. That might involve transforming it or calling attention to what good reasons there might be behind what someone says. “ I want my students to know that, whatever they say, I’m going to try to find something in it to endorse. What’s the truth, reason and good sense behind it.”
Support and encouragement are great. What about correcting and moderating? Wright pauses to think. “I’ve never had any really outrageous takes in one of my classes. I try to never say to anyone, ‘No, that’s just wrong.’ I don’t think I’ve said that a dozen times in 20 years. And that’s usually when there’s just a concrete historical disconnect. “And only once – two philosophy majors – have I had a shouting match in one of my classes. I had to take them out in the hall and get them to cool down.” What it comes down to is reading the room and working with the students you have. “In Political Philosophy,” Wright recalls, “I had four men of color in the class. Now, I know that students of underrepresented groups frequently get tired of having to represent for their whole group and explain things to the majority. So when we broke into discussion groups, I decided to spare them that and I paired the four of them together into their own group. They would be free to start the discussion wherever they were comfortable, without having to bring anyone up to speed. “I was questioned on it. ‘Why the segregation?’ So I explained my reasoning, and that generated some good discussion. In the end, the students of color came to their own conclusion. They said ‘I think we’re ready for this.’ They chose to integrate the groups, knowing some of that role would fall on their shoulders. But they were choosing that.”
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becoming munity
Once a Bennie, always a Bennie These efforts at inclusion can’t (and don’t) end at graduation. This spring – and again this fall – the CSB/SJU Young Alum Committee (YAC) held training sessions focused on helping to make sure the organization is as supportive and inclusive as possible. “ We felt it was important and necessary to heighten our awareness and consideration of inclusivity on the YAC and as CSB/SJU volunteers,” explains Molly Reger ’14, YAC co-chair for 2016-17. “Often it’s easy to get caught up in the planning of events and coordinate all the details.... But it seems we were missing a crucial aspect of ensuring that the needs of all CSB and SJU alums were considered.”
The training involved a process of raising awareness and acknowledging some blind spots. That meant “thinking about
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activities and venues that might restrict people from attending,” explains Devin Roll (SJU ’14), YAC co-chair for 201718. If an event is held in a bar, is that uncomfortable for alums who don’t drink or have young children? If an event is held in a church, is that an uncomfortable setting for alums of other faiths? Another key outcome of the sessions has been the development of a “student-toalum volunteer” role. “They’ll be focused on helping students transition into alums,” says Roll. “They’ll reach out to the Joint Events Council and the senates, as well as to affinity groups on campus, so we can determine how to better support and engage those groups.”
Someone has trod this path before you In addition to strengthening our alum community as a whole, engaging with alums of color has the potential to serve current students of color. Brandyn Woodard, director of Intercultural and
International Student Services, saw that opportunity taking shape last year. In collaboration with colleagues in Career Services, Academic Advising, Experiential Learning and the CSB and SJU Alum Offices, he helped organize Reaching Back, Moving Forward – a networking event connecting students of color with successful alums of color. “The primary goal was for our current students to see that someone has trod this path before you,” says Woodard. “The secondary goals were to make students feel like they have someone with whom they can connect as an ally in the future and to get the alums reconnected to these institutions so they can see how things have changed since they were students here.” The 2016 event, held in conjunction with Career Expo, was a definite success and was repeated this fall on Nov. 7, in advance of this year’s Career Expo.
Inclusivity matters because... It leads to growth “We serve people better when we have more voices at the table. You can’t be threatened by that. When our CSB/SJU students go into the world, they need to be the ones starting those conversations. How can we grow today? That’s a lost art and a difficult thing to master.” - Jennifer Fontaine Modeen ’94 School social worker, District homeless liaison, District foster care liaison, Grand Forks, Public Schools
It’s our heritage
Next steps All the conversations, programming and pedagogy happening around “inclusion” in our community today are effecting first-order change – raising awareness. And they’re working. But the next steps are transformative. To that end, we’re working to create an inclusion eco-system. The work of inclusion has to be comprehensive and demands that we look at multiple dimensions and perspectives. Certainly, economic diversity is and will remain a key consideration, as will culture and ethnicity. But when we think and speak of inclusion, we need to think about geographic, spiritual and ability diversity. Sexual orientation and gender identity, along with diversity of thought and perspective equally merit our attention. We will continue to challenge ourselves to ensure we are nurturing a community that is culturally competent and striving toward inclusive excellence. We can do this work. We have been doing this work. We are an inclusion eco-system in our spirit. Now, we just have to intentionally move it to the foreground. To make sure every student feels like she belongs here.
“Three sculptures carved by Joe O’Connell stand in the Gathering Place that welcome friends and strangers to Saint Benedict’s Monastery. They depict in sturdy limestone the essential values of the Benedictine sisters who founded the College of Saint Benedict. They’re titled “Community,” “Prayer,” and – my favorite – “Work.” In this sculpture, a Benedictine sister buffeted by storms holds a child in sheltering arms. In those early days the sisters sheltered and taught the children of German immigrants who were struggling to make a living, learn English, and win acceptance in this new country. Then as now, the Rule of Benedict and the Gospels guided their actions: Look for God in the neglected, the sick, the lost, the strangers. And especially, “Never turn away when someone needs your love.” As Benedictine sisters pray the Divine Office, not just for ourselves but with and for the world, we ask ourselves who is being buffeted by storms now and how we can best offer the shelter of acceptance and friendship.” - S. Mara Faulkner, OSB ’62 Professor Emerita of English
Voices matter “As a student attending the COP21 conference in Paris in December 2015, I witnessed first-hand just how marginalized populations are disproportionately impacted yet rarely included at the table when policies are being negotiated. Marginalized populations are those who have the smallest carbon footprint, but due to their socioeconomic status, geographic location, gender and age, they are the ones who experience the worst effects of climate change.” - Olayemi Fadahunsi ’18 Maplewood, Minnesota
It fixes messes “As human beings, there are times we make a mess of things, and some of those times the catalyst is letting our differences divide us, whether intentionally or not. I find that asking probing questions, involving people in the conversation versus telling them why they ‘should be’ open-minded to others has a greater impact and better results. In these conversations that are often in reaction to a situation, I find that inclusivity is demonstrated by inviting people into the conversation.” - Theresa Coskran ’94 Human resources manager, Enterprise Holdings Fall 2017 | 23
RE CAP Reunion 2017 was packed with over 1,600 Bennie and Johnnie alums across both campuses. Good friends gathered to celebrate their connections with each other, with their college and with this community we share.
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REUNION AWARD WINNERS
Jackie Boucher ’87 Distinguished Alumna Award The most successful people approach their careers with a blend of intellect and heart. It would be difficult to find someone who embodies that blend more wholly – or literally – than Jackie Boucher ’87, MS, RD, LD, CDE. This year’s Distinguished Alumna Award winner is a scholar, advocate and executive whose research and leadership has effected profound change in the health care arena. Jackie serves as president of Children’s Heartlink, which partners with organizations to train medical teams, provide education and transform health care in underserved parts of the world. Jackie joined Children’s Heartlink after eight years with the Minneapolis Heart Institute Foundation (MHIF), and she continues her work with MHIF on initiatives to prevent coronary heart disease and diabetes, including the high profile Heart of New Ulm project.
Jackie’s job description only scratches the surface of her impact. She has volunteered with the American Diabetes Association for more than two decades and is active with a number of advocacy groups. She is a respected and prolific researcher, writer and speaker, credited with 75 journal publications, 150 articles, several book chapters, and more than 100 presentations. She is also the recipient of numerous regional and national awards. Jackie earned a degree in dietetics from Saint Ben’s as well as an M.S. in nutrition from the University of Minnesota and four additional licensures/certifications. She has continued her relationship with Saint Ben’s as a volunteer, mentor and donor.
We have the strength to do the impossible in the face of daunting odds, declaring our strength, our worthiness and our certainty. We discern what we need and we move forward, setting aside our wants but always knowing that through our diligence, your gifts and support, and the grace of God we will be better and stronger as a result.”
Mary Dana Hinton CSB President
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REUNION AWARD WINNERS
Megan Peterson Christofield ’07 Decade Award
The Decade Award is reserved for alumnae who have demonstrated, among other things, global consciousness during the 10 years since graduation. Megan Peterson Christofield met that criteria long ago. By the time she graduated from Saint Ben’s, Megan had already collaborated with fellow classmates to organize an experiential learning trip to Uganda. The trip turned out to be the first of many to Uganda for Megan – and for the school. (The trip that Megan helped spearhead is now regularly offered through the college.) After graduation, Megan joined the Peace Corps and was, coincidentally, assigned to Uganda. After completing her Peace Corps service and obtaining a master’s in public health from Johns Hopkins University, Megan began working for Jhpiego, a global nonprofit that works to prevent the needless deaths of women
We celebrate the impact Bennies bring to your professions, your communities and your homes. We … celebrate the profound connections you’ve created with each other and with this truly special place.”
Kathy Hansen
Vice President of Institutional Advancement
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and their families. As one of Jhpiego’s technical advisors, Megan is tasked with improving access to reproductive health care and resources for women and families in developing countries – including (you guessed it) Uganda. Megan describes her role as a knowledge broker, working closely with colleagues abroad to employ the latest evidence for improving women’s care, and in turn collecting successful practices for refinement and application elsewhere. She travels internationally and regularly meets with high-ranking international government officials to support efforts of sustainable, life-changing program development. Spurred by that first trip as a student at Saint Ben’s, Megan’s passion for global health has taken her around the world – and put her in a position to change that world for the better.
REUNION AWARD WINNERS
Kimberly Ebert Colella ’82 Benedictine Service Award
The Benedictine Service Award is intended for individuals who make a significant impact on those around them. For Kimberly Ebert Colella ’82, “significant impact” might not be strong enough. The owner of Body Sacred Therapy, Kimberly is a healer in every sense of the word. She is a professionally trained practitioner of a breadth of massage and therapeutic modalities. With offerings including individual coaching, massage therapy, classes, retreats, photography and writing, Kimberly’s goal is to help others birth their spirit more fully into the world. While “birth” is a central component of Kimberly’s work – she also serves as a birth doula – she openly embraces its opposite. Since 2004, Kimberly has
partnered with Lasting Gifts, an organization that offers a comprehensive manual to aid in the process of planning for unexpected illness or death. She is co-author of Lasting Gifts: Living With Intention, Dying in Peace. Her diverse talents and pursuits carry a common theme: A desire to embrace God’s presence in every aspect – and through every phase – of life. Kimberly’s work has global impact, bringing her spirit of service to initiatives in Mexico, India and South Africa. A current resident of Washington, Kimberly is the 2010 laureate of the Greater Tacoma Peace Prize, which included the opportunity to attend that year’s Nobel Peace Prize festivities in Norway. Kimberly also received the 1992 Decade Award from Saint Ben’s.
As Bennies, I hope your time on campus, back home again, gives you time to step back, pause, and see what this incredible institution has shown you…. I hope all of you take this time together to find the grace in your imperfections and embrace being your best. Because that is more than enough.”
Angie Schmidt Whitney ’97
Director of Experience and Professional Development and alumnae speaker
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REUNION AWARD WINNERS
Telzena Coakley ’62 S. Emmanuel Renner Service Award Among many unique elements that enrich the Saint Ben’s community: Our extraordinary relationship with the Bahamas. This robust partnership, which has drawn many Bahamian students to Saint Ben’s, is largely attributable to one woman: Telzena Coakley ’62. Telzena co-founded Saint Ben’s Bahamas Extension Program in 1974 and worked tirelessly to foster connections between the Benedictines of Saint Ben’s and those of St. Martin Monastery in the Bahamas. Under Telzena’s guidance, the relationship between these communities (climatically disparate but equally warm in spirit) flourished. Telzena served as a developer, student recruiter, program director and part-time lecturer for Saint Ben’s from 1974 to 1990. Telzena majored in history at Saint Ben’s while S. Emmanuel Renner chaired the department, and Telzena later worked closely with
S. Emmanuel while running the extension program. It is fitting that Telzena received the S. Emmanual Renner award, which is not given out annually, but rather reserved for the college to present to those who have gone above and beyond in well-rounded service to Saint Ben’s. Telzena received the Saint Ben’s Lumen Vitae Award in 1992 and the President’s Medal in 2010. In 2013, she accepted the Saint Ben’s Centennial Circle of Sisters Award on behalf of all Bahamian alums. Through retirement, Telzena’s dedication to Saint Ben’s lives on. She organized the Saint Ben’s centennial gala in the Bahamas, and over the years she has hosted several Saint Ben’s staffers, faculty, presidents and visiting student groups in her home in the Bahamas.
Lord, we ask you to join us here today as we gather with friends to celebrate this special place and the role it’s played in each of our lives. We thank you for this beautiful campus and for the chance to experience it again and remember the lessons we’ve learned.”
Josephine Zehnle Terwey ’39 Offering the blessing during Reunion Kick-Off
NOTE: Be sure to watch Mary Hinton’s conversation with Jo and her stories of Saint Ben’s in the ’30s at csbsju.edu/csbserves. 28 | College of Saint Benedict Magazine
Class Conversation 1967
50 years suddenly doesn’t seem that long ago when you’re back on the Saint Ben’s campus surrounded by the women you once called classmates. That was the general sentiment from the class of 1967 as they gathered together for their 50th Reunion Class Conversation. Coffee and rhubarb pie in hand, one story sparked another and the memories and laughter never stopped flowing. The past few decades had no effect on the connectedness of a class that still feels the sting of being the last senior class with a weekend curfew. “I’m not sure which rule I broke more – the curfew or the one against pants,” remarked one alum, to an eruption of laughter. The stories ranged from reminiscing about gathering around the lone TV in Mary Commons to sharing knowing glances as tricks for staying up late to study without getting caught were shared. (Hiding in the closet with a flashlight was a popular choice.) Regardless of the topic, the high regard for Saint Ben’s and each other was a constant theme.
Essential CSB characteristics As the conversation weaved from impactful professors to worries about loved ones in the Vietnam War, the class grounded itself in a profound discussion about how their faith was developed and challenged during their time as students.
“The theology classes gave us an adult outlook on religion,” commented several alums. “And we became part of the Benedictine family.” “I took a different religious path after college,” remarked another, “but the role model the Sisters provided – they were so dedicated and never for personal advancement – stuck with me my whole life.” The class also spoke about the broad exposure they had to a wide variety of subjects and how that experience has made them lifelong advocates for the liberal arts. They’re energized by the firm commitment Saint Ben’s has made to that way of learning. “Saint Ben’s didn’t just prepare me for a job, they prepared me for life,” said one alum to a murmur of agreement.
Continuing the tradition While each woman in the room had different experiences and pursued varying paths after graduation, they agreed that the continued sense of community is something uniquely Saint Ben’s. And when the final question, “What would you do differently if you could go back and do it all again?” was posed, the conversation wrapped up much the same way it had started – with an eruption of laughter. “Study!” answered someone, without missing a beat.
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I’M A BENNIE
’00 BRIANNE ERPELDING HERN STAY TRUE TO YOUR “WHY” When BriAnne Erpelding Hern was a high school senior in Little Falls, Minnesota, her visions of college centered on “big” and “far away.” But after touring Saint Ben’s, she “quickly saw the beauty in the St. Joseph community. I was appreciative of the kindness of the students and amazed by the academic offerings at Saint Ben’s. I think I was almost as shocked as my mother to admit that Saint Ben’s was a great fit for me.” She studied elementary education and competed on the Blazer track and field team. After graduation, she went on to become a junior high math teacher for 12 years. She then spent four years as an assistant principal at Madison Elementary in St. Cloud before becoming the principal at Lincoln Elementary, also in St. Cloud. This is her second year in the position. “I now see that my role as principal has allowed me to have a great impact on the community in which I work. My big-picture view gives me
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opportunities to understand barriers in the lives of my students and their families, and work diligently to impact systems changes that result in increased access and opportunity for all. As a former classroom teacher, I’m keenly aware of the huge responsibility involved in working with children, especially children who face many challenges in their lives. Because of this, I understand the importance of gratitude, humility and grace when supporting the work my amazing staff takes on with our students each day. I have dedicated my career thus far to removing systemic barriers to successful education of the whole child, in turn, creating a bridge between home and school for our families.”
Major at CSB Elementary education, with a concentration in mathematics
First-year residence hall Regina-J
Favorite course/professor S. Lois Wedl was the perfect choice for Intro to Education. She was always so positive and encouraging!
Favorite Bennie memory So many things! The quiet rides on the Link to 8 a.m. classes at SJU; the hours spent with my track and field teammates at practices and meets; late-night study sessions in the Regina basement; the food; walks on the trails to the chapel at SJU; art performances at the BAC….
As a former math teacher, do you think it’s important that more women explore STEM fields? Quite honestly, I think it’s important for women to explore any field that interests them. I developed an interest in math and science as a young girl and was fortunate to have teachers and professors who encouraged that love. My hope for girls and young women is that they feel represented in
their chosen careers, that their voices can be heard and that they are able to contribute without obstruction from barriers placed on them by society.
What advice would you give to aspiring teachers? Always stay true to your “why.” Write it down and make sure that all of your work with children feeds your why. Personally, I became an educator to provide access and opportunities for all children to grow and learn. There will be many times in your career that your why will be challenged, exhaust you or even give you second thoughts. Whenever I am feeling this way, I come back to my why statement to center myself in the work. I can honestly say that when I stay true to this I experience a tremendous amount of satisfaction knowing that my work matters to the lives of so many children and families.
CLASS NOTES
Sally Koering Zimney was one of 16 1999
MILESTONES 1965
featured speakers at STORY 2017, a two-day conference Sept. 21-22 in Nashville, Tennessee, for makers, creators and artists who tell stories in a variety of media, industries and settings.
S. Susan Rudolph, OSB, is the new prioress at Saint Benedict’s Monastery in St. Joseph, Minnesota.
1975
MARY PETTIS
’75
was awarded the designation of Living Master by the Art Renewal Center (ARC). This designation is given to dedicated realist artists who express our shared humanity through the visual arts and who have mastered the building blocks of great art. Mary traveled to Barcelona to receive an award at the ARC International Salon, and her painting, “Minnehaha Falls in Winter,” will be exhibited at the European Museum of Modern Art.
Krista Cleary Carroll’s company, Latitude, 2000 was named by Minneapolis/St. Paul Business Journal as a 2017 Best Places to Work honoree in July ’17.
Bonnie Wittkop Jordan is an information 2001 specialist at Cleary Gottlieb Steen & Hamilton LLP in New York, supporting the corporate governance and mergers and acquisitions practice groups.
Greta Bjerkness was selected as a 2005
Minnesota 2017 Rising Stars attorney by Super Lawyers, a rating service of outstanding lawyers from more than 70 practice areas who have attained a high degree of peer recognition and professional achievement. She is a real estate attorney who works with alternative dispute resolution at Wilford, Geske & Cook, P.A. in Woodbury, Minnesota.
Ann Horstmann Bajari, treasurer at the 1980
Minnesota Public Health Association, was selected to join the nursing board at the American Health Council, April ’17.
1982
haron Brin Hathaway had her art S exhibition, “Tranquil Landscapes,” presented by the Geary Gallery of Darien in Connecticut, March ’17.
1986
renda “B” Kyle is the president and B chief executive at St. Paul Area Chamber of Commerce in St. Paul, Minnesota.
1993
andra Longhorn is a 2016 recipient of S the Porter Fund Literary Prize and teaches in the Arkansas Writers M.F.A. program at the University of Central Arkansas where she directs the C.D. Wright Women Writers Conference. She was recently featured at the Ozark Poets & Writers Collective, Feb. ’17.
was recognized with a 2017 Breaking Barriers Award in conjunction with the 31st annual National Girls and Women in Sports Day for her work to expand intramural and recreational opportunities for women at the College of Saint Benedict. She’s also been an advocate for the LQBTQ community, developing diversity and inclusion initiatives as well as working to create policies and facility accommodations and modifications for transgender students, Feb. ’17.
Jessica Handwerk Wildes is director 2008 of communications and marketing at the Museum of Wisconsin Art in West Bend, Wisconsin.
Andrea Carrow Morsching is a Southeast 2009 Asia healthcare business development manager at 3M in the Twin Cities.
Bridgette Powers made her first monastic profession in July ’17 and is now S. Bridgette Powers, OSB. Erin Herberg Sinner was named 2017 2010
Teacher of the Year at Davies High School in Fargo. She teaches language arts.
Hallie Jackson Johnson is a referral and business development coordinator at ACMC Health in Willmar, Minnesota. Abbey Brau successfully biked over 4,200
miles across the United States with a team of 20 cyclists, all living with Type 1 diabetes, to raise money and awareness for Beyond Type 1, an international nonprofit dedicated to education, advocacy and a cure for Type 1 diabetes. A film crew followed the group and created a documentary, which is expected to air on World Diabetes Day, Nov. 14.
Grace Mevissen is the social studies 2011
elementary department chair and a fifth-grade teacher at Minnetonka Public Schools in Minnetonka, Minnesota.
Alexandra Diemer is the associate director of student programs at Round River Conservation Studies in Salt Lake City, Utah.
’05
MACKENZIE LOBBY HAVEY,
MARCIA MAHLUM
primary (3-6) teaching diploma from the Montessori Center of Minnesota in May ’17.
Anna Hoeschen is a writer at StoneArch Creative in Minneapolis.
1996
’96
Bernadette Martens Chapman and her husband, Clayton Chapman, delivered the 2017 CSB Renaissance Lecture as part of the Week of Sustainability in April ’17. The Chapmans spoke about their experience as owners of The Grey Plume which was named America’s greenest restaurant in 2015.
2007 Lauren Sitarz received her Montessori
writer and instructor in the physical activity program in the School of Kinesiology at the University of Minnesota, will have her first book, Mindful Running, published by Bloomsbury Sport in Oct. ’17.
Heather Parker Plumski is vice president/ senior credit risk manager at Stearns Bank in St. Cloud, Minnesota. Abby Campbell is a project manager in 2006
the Center for Communicable Disease Dynamics at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health in Boston.
Heather Johnson earned a master 2007
of education in higher education administration from Texas Tech University in Lubbock, Texas, May ’17.
’11
LISA PITZ RIESBERG
completed a Ph.D. in medical microbiology and immunology at Creighton University in Omaha, Nebraska, May ’17. She is pictured here with her twin boys, Oliver and Orion, born Nov. ’16.
For complete news and notes from classmates and to post your notes, go to BenniesConnect: www.csbalum.csbsju.edu or email us at csbalumnae@csbsju.edu. Fall 2017 | 31
CLASS NOTES
Jocelyn Sullivan earned a juris doctorate 2012 degree from Gonzaga University School of Law’s Accelerated Law Program in Spokane, Washington, May ’17.
Amanda Bednar is an environmental coordinator for the City of Elk River in Minnesota. Breann Kluck Butts graduated from 2013
the Mayo Clinic School of Medicine in May ’17 and began her pediatrics residency at Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center in June ’17.
Carol Giron is an education program 2014
assistant at United Friends of the Children, a nonprofit dedicated to empowering current and former foster youth on their journey to self-sufficiency in Los Angeles.
Sara Buermann earned a doctor of physical therapy degree from St. Catherine University in St. Paul, Minnesota, May ’17. Beth Leipholtz published an article in 2015 the Washington Post on how she and her partner manage their school loan debt, Jan. ’17.
Yoonyoung “Stella” Kim is an 2017
administrative assistant/special projects manager at Central Power Distributors in Anoka, Minnesota.
MARRIAGES Shana Bischof to Joseph Willenbring, 1998 June ’17
Amy Marc to Benjamin Clasen ’00, 2001
ASHLEY BARTOLETTI TO MILES LEVY, AUG. ’16
’09
Nov. ’16
2007 Kelly Prosen to TJ Hara, Oct. ’16 Adrianne Racek to Joseph Mallen, May ’16 2008
Amy Bauer to Daniel O’Connell, July ’17
Erin Olufs to Cody Ching, June ’17
Holly Woltjer to Dain Pinger, June ’17
Jeannette Weber to Kyle Baker, Aug. ’16
Kate West to Michael Venturini, Oct. ’16
Laura Franklin to Tony Erchul, May ’16 Mackenzie Ludowese to Connor Rooney ’12, Sept. ’16
Mallarie Scherer to Brian Zawacki, May ’17
Tara West to Kurt Bickler, June ’17
Jenna Haler to Eric Peterson, Jan. ’17
Louise Bilek to Stephen Walker, June ’17
Andrea Carrow to Kirby Morsching, April ’17 2009 Callie Harp to Jacob Koehler ’10, Jan. ’17 2010 Lisa Coonrod to Kevin Saunders ’11, 2011 Feb. ’17
Brittney Helmbrecht to Alex Schoephoerster ’11, July ’16
YOU THINK YOU LIKE SAINT BEN’S, BUT DO YOU
REALLY?
The main CSB/SJU Facebook page is wonderful. But are you missing out on a whole stream of alumnaespecific content on our Alumnae Association’s page? Make sure to Like us and discover the latest alumnae news, information, events, photos and stories from Saint Ben’s.
Katie Jedlicka to Jake Sieve ’11, July ’17
FACEBOOK.COM/SAINTBENSALUMS 32 | College of Saint Benedict Magazine
CLASS NOTES
’11
ZHENG WANG TO ROBIN BRUSEN, MAY ’17 Stephanie Gibbs to Erik Swanson, June ’16 2012 Alison Tsuchiya to Clay Theiler, June ’17 Andrea Tobias to Lars Mattison, July ’17 2013
Abby Gauer to Joel Schendel, Dec. ’16
Michelle Jacobs to Kevin Beach ’13, June ’17
Miriah Hoffman to Andy Reisdorf, Jan. ’17
Madeline O’Brien to Anthony Wieneke ’14, 2014 July ’17
Nicole Kirkvold to Joshua Edward, June ’16
Julie Hulstrand to Ryan Kidrowski, July ’16 Melissa Stuckey to Preston Hardy ’14, May ’17 Hannah Laudenbach to Jamie Kurkowski, June ’17 Jenna Laufers to Michael Palmiscno 2015 ’13, July ’17
Kori Kruger to Cody TerMeer, June ’17
Elizabeth Fischer to Mitchell Fader ’15, June ’17
BRITA THIELEN TO MARK MADLAND, JUNE ’17
’11
Jessica Raboin to Fabian Schueller, Dec. ’16
Alyson Pulvermacher to Adam Happ ’15, 2016 July ’17
Amy Bechtold to John Gans ’13, June ’17
Fall 2017 | 33
CLASS NOTES
2016
Megan Klapperich to Chris Stahl, June ’17
Rachel Schlumpberger to Michael Pangrac, Jan. ’17 Mariah Zamzow to Brian Burroughs ’17, 2017 May ’17
Megan Flynn to Luke Morrey ’17, July ’17
BIRTHS / ADOPTIONS Amy Hoelmer Colin & Marc Colin, girl, 1999 Annaliese, June ’17
Kristi Frank Miller & Luke Miller, boy, 2001 Max, June ’17
Anne Ceronsky Warrington & Tom 2002
Warrington ’02, girl, Insley, April ’17
Michelle Minke McCambridge & Cameron McCambridge ’03, girl, Rowan, June ’17 Kristin Erickson Kraemer & Michael 2003 Kraemer, girl, Claire, June ’17
Anna Kokesch Reeve & Eric Reeve ’03, girl, Greta, May ’17 Natalie Scheidt Zeigler & Carl Zeigler, boy, William, April ’17 Lindsey Hoffman Sheveland & Adam 2004
Sheveland ’04, girl, Sydney, March ’17
Jill Ryan Czeck & Jonathan Czeck, boy, Benjamin, April ’16 Katherine Engelman Stonestrom & 2005
BIG BAD VOODOO DADDY WILD & SWINGING HOLIDAY PARTY December 8 • 7:30pm Escher Auditorium, CSB THE REMINDERS
FEAT. DJ MAN-O-WAX & AMIRAH SACKETT
Patrick Stonestrom, girl, Solveig, Jan. ’17
Megan Glady Evens & Chris Evens, girl, Shelby, Aug. ’17 Kelly Koenig Hiestand & Nate Hiestand ’03, boy, Spencer, April ’17
Melissa Petterssen Kaiser & Edward Kaiser ’03, boy, William, May ’17
January 26 • 7:30pm Escher Auditorium, CSB JESSICA LANG DANCE February 2 • 7:30pm Escher Auditorium, CSB SYNDEE WINTERS LENA: A MOMENT WITH A LADY February 10 • 7:30pm Escher Auditorium, CSB
’08
TO ORDER CALL (320) 363-5777 OR VISIT CSBSJU.EDU/WOW
34 | College of Saint Benedict Magazine
JESSICA BAUER FRANTA & DANIEL FRANTA ’10, GIRL, EVELYN, MAY ’17
CLASS NOTES
’08
KRISTI CURRY HILL & JEFF HILL, GIRL, TAMARA AND BOY, TYJUAN, APRIL ’16, AND GIRL, SADIE AND BOY, DEACON, AUG. ’16 Claire Hoolihan Philippe & Jonathan 2006 Philippe ’06, boy, Henri, Dec. ’16
Molly Moriarty Rusin & Spencer Rusin, 2007 girl, Claire, May ’17
Brittney Johnson Braegelmann & Jeremy Braegelmann, boy, Dominic, June ’17 Brooke Wheeler Hardie & Jason Hardie ’06, girl, Lily, April ’17
2008
Susan Lipp Cox & Taylor Cox, girl, Terese, July ’17
Kimberly Murphy Ellingboe & Erik Ellingboe ’08, boy, Cooper, May ’17 Julie Seifert Kluever & Kyle Kluever ’06, boy, Miles, April ’17 Kathryn McMurray & Dan Haller ’09, boy, 2009 Thomas, May ’17
Jennifer Richter Bibeau & Andrew 2010 Bibeau, boy, Oliver, May ’17
Jenny Dahl Reicks & Justin Reicks, boy, Henry, Aug. ’16 Ashley Brown Geotzke & Matthew Goetzke ’10, girl, Rowen, July ’17
’08
CHELSEY KNABE NOVOTNY & TRENT NOVOTNY ’09, GIRL, ALEXIS, MAY ’17
Kimberly Delarosa Allex & Preston 2011 Allex ’09, girl, Lorna, June ’17
Lisa Pitz Riesberg & Josh Riesberg, twin boys, Oliver & Orion, Nov. ’16
Fall 2017 | 35
CLASS NOTES
Samantha Drusch Aubart & Samuel 2012
Larry Charbonneau, spouse of Kathryn 1964
Joan Krebsbach Gresser, mother of 1982
2013
1969 Caroline Peters Kluge, May ’17 Philip Grant, father of Elizabeth 1970
Donald Tembreull, father of Cheryl Tembreull Bootes, May ’17
Aubart, girl, Amelia, May ’17
Amanda Zierden & Troy Rosengren, boy, Cohen, Aug. ’17
Anderson Charbonneau, May ’17
Grant Frerich, May ’17
Rose Walker, mother of Sharon 1973 Walker Kemp, March ’16
1975 Mary Ellenbecker Johnson, July ’17 1976 James Fergle, Jr., father of Lori-Jo Fergle, July ’17
John Franta ’53, father of Catherine 1977
Franta Schwarz, Jeanne Franta Burtzel ’79, Karen Franta van der Hagen ’80, Janet Franta ’85 & Jane Franta Odenthal ’89, Feb. ’17
Marjorie Goodrow, June ’17
Lee Torborg ’51, father of Barbara 1978 Torborg Melsen, Karen Torborg Morris ’83 & Lynn Torborg Rothstein ’88, May ’17
’08
GINA ATHMANN LOMHEIM & KRIS LOMHEIM, BOY, HARRISON, JUNE ’17
Orville “Beno” Kofstad, father of 1979 Diane Kofstad Klersy & Sharon Kofstad-Spies ’80, May ’17 Richard Owens, father of 1980 Nancy Owens, Jan. ’17
Joseph Gorman Kasper, father of Jayne 1981 Kasper Lammer & Martha Kasper Schultz ’83, May ’17
DEATHS
Michelle Gresser Walston, July ’17
Roy Lundberg, father of Betsy Lundberg Quigley, June ’17
1986 Catherine Millerbernd, June ’17 Iona Oosterhuis, mother of 1989 Connie Oosterhuis, April ’17
Mary Russell, mother of Margaret 1996
“Molly” Russell Rubbelke, May ’17
Richard “Fred” Lentz, father of 1997
Michelle Lentz Kimman, June ’17
John “Bucky” Yanez, father of 2001
Emily Yanez Suedbeck, May ’17
Richard “Dick” Wilson, spouse of 2002 Patricia Wilson, Feb. ’11
Kathryn Frandson, mother of 2003
Mary Frandson McTeague, May ’17
Linda Burbach, mother of Mechelle Burbach Nickolaus, May ’17 Robert Vissers, father of 2006
Krista Vissers Teigen, July ’17
Jenny Rapatz-Harr, mother of 2012 Natasha Harr, June ’17
Mary Grega, mother of Elizabeth 2013
Bernice Davich, mother of Mary Davich Farrell, May ’17
Grega Eidenschink, June ’17
CORRECTIONS, WITH OUR APOLOGIES In this section of our Summer 2017 issue, we incorrectly listed Martha Barringer ’76 and omitted her mother, Elizabeth Freeman Barringer ’48 (who passed away in April ’17). We send our condolences to Elizabeth’s family and friends and our apologies to Martha and her family and friends. Also in this section of our Summer 2017 issue, we observed the passing of John Franta (SJU ’53), but incorrectly listed the class year of his daughter Karen Franta van der Hagen ’80 and incorrectly identified his daughter Jane Franta Odenthal ’89. We sincerely apologize to the Franta family for these errors.
1946 1948 1949
Lucille Hebert Hendrickson, July ’17 Elizabeth Freeman Barringer, April ’17 Kathleen Kalinowski, OSB, June ’17
Stanley Borys, spouse of Irene Gleesing Borys, May ’17
Dorothy Fish Murtha, June ’17
Joan Slight Provencio, June ’14 1955 1957 Maureen Bear Harmon, March ’17
Keep the connections alive at facebook.com/SaintBensAlums 36 | College of Saint Benedict Magazine
WE’RE HERE FOR YOU! Who’s got more than 23,000 friends willing to offer advice, lend a helping hand and keep them up-to-date on their beloved college home? You! That’s who. Your Saint Ben’s connections never have to fade away — keep them growing strong and find us online today!
www.facebook.com/SaintBensAlums
Search www.linkedin.com/groups/64647
www.csbalum.csbsju.edu or email csbalumnae@csbsju.edu
CLASS NOTES
HAVE YOU HEARD ABOUT PLANNED GIVING? These alums are opening the conversations that can have a generational impact. Making a gift provision through your estate plan is a remarkably simple way to make a lasting impact. There are easy strategies that don’t require creating or revising a will. Members of the Legacy Committee are engaging in conversations with alumnae and friends of Saint Ben’s to help them reflect on how to make an impact through a charitable bequest. Give us a call to learn more.
“As a volunteer with the Legacy Committee, I help alums to remember how Saint Ben’s shaped their values, relationships and professions. Giving back is a legacy that makes such a difference to these young women, who will continue the legacy for others.” - Denise DeVaan ’75
Contact Gigi Fourré Schumacher ’74, senior planned and principle gifts officer, by calling 320-363-5480 to learn more.
BRING HOME THE
NEXT GENERATION INTRODUCE US TO THE STUDENTS IN YOUR LIFE:
SPREADRED.COM Schedule a campus visit: csbsju.edu/visit
Fall 2017 | 37
BENNIE CONNECTION
1 1
1. The CSB and SJU athletics departments, CSB and SJU alum offices and the Intercultural & International Student Services office partnered together to host a “Welcome Back to Campus” dinner for student athletes on March 20. The program included a panel of distinguished alum athletes who spoke about their athletic careers as well as their backgrounds and experiences as members of the LGBTQ community and their time as students at CSB and SJU. Pictured from the panel are Colleen Carey ’94, owner/founder of See47 Productions; Shelly Boyum-Breen ’96, children’s author/speaker; and George Mauer ’88, musician, collaborator, philanthropist.
3 38 | College of Saint Benedict Magazine
2. Former CSB nursing students Lynnette Norberg Blem ’77, Mary Nordstrom Gruber ’77 and Marg Volz ’77 reunited and reminisced during a recent tour of the newly renovated Guy & Barbara Schoenecker Nursing Education Suite at Saint Ben’s. 3. CSB/SJU class volunteers Sophie Kem and Stephen Gross gathered the class of 2013 on Tuesday, June 27, at Urban Growler in St. Paul for a chance to unwind and reconnect. A great time was had by all who attended! 4. E mily Tohal Chaphalkar ’07, Ellen Newkirk ’13, Sydney Klinker Andringa ’13 and Tara Maas ’14 have all come home to Saint Ben’s! All four currently work in the Institutional Advancement office.
2
4
BENNIE CONNECTION
5. Several Bennie friends from the class of 1981 took time out from a golf event to capture a photo together. Front row, L-R: Jane Winum Pahl, Mary Jo Merickel Gross, Colleen Lilly, Cheryl Appeldorn, Patty Klein Meyer, Pattie Frie Mattos. Second row: Shelli McCue, Ann Berendt Deasey, Mary Witt Rynda, Sally Hawkins. Third row: Michele Pogorelc Mutch, Julie Torborg Hussey, Laurie Rivard, Sue Baldwin Groves, Nancy Roberts Friendshuh.
5
6. Kristine Witt ’04 hosted a Bennie baby shower in May for her friend and CSB first-year roommate Katie McCarney Campbell ’04. From Katie: “We all agreed that, with such a great group of alums in the room together, we should take a picture and send it to CSB…. Friendships that last a lifetime!” Pictured clockwise from far left: Anne McCarney ’02, Kate Eder Edrey ’04, Roxanne Tchida Haggerty ’04, Jenny Holtorf Kehr ’04 (with future Bennie, Eleanor), Dr. Kathryn Enger Enke ’05, Jackie Nelson Ruprecht ’05, Kelly Booth Rud ’05, Anna Koktan ’04, Dr. Megan Baxter Iliev ’04, Katie McCarney Campbell ’04, Dr. Maria Kraemer Schwartz ’04. Not pictured: Kristine Witt ’04 (the host who took the photo), Dr. Laura Cudzilo-Kelsey ’04 (who sent a letter from Omaha to be there in spirit). 7. The class of 2015 got together on June 27 for a social event at alumowned Sisyphus Brewing in Minneapolis. Pictured here are Kelly Hanlon, Mariah Leeden and Cassie Yurick, enjoying the evening together. 8. Bennie friends and family of Telzena Coakley gathered at Saint Ben’s in June to honor her as a recipient of the S. Emmanuel Renner Service Award. Pictured with the award from front row, left to right: Alfreda Cooper ’77, Marilyn Darville, Telzena Coakley ’62, Mary Hinton (CSB president), Sharon Lockhart, Telzena Shervette Coakley, Dorothy Coakley Lockhart ’77. Back row, left to right: S. Ann Marie Biermaier ’69, OSB, S. Theresa Schumacher ’69, OSB, Evelyn Alfred, Stephanie Ferguson, Tiya Coakley, Helen Kwan, Jean Bain ’83, Sade Lockhart-Bain ’19.
6
7
8 Fall 2017 | 39
ARE YOU A
SUSTAINER? Being a Saint Ben’s Sustainer means that you stand up on a recurring basis for today’s Bennies. It means you know the importance of giving to fund the scholarship help on which over 90 percent of our students rely. It means you understand the impact that women’s education has – today and tomorrow.
Being a Sustainer provides a steady, predictable stream of giving.
Don’t get us wrong. We love a nice lump sum as well, but predictable Sustainer gifts help us plan for the scholarship support Bennies need.
It takes less time than you’d spend ordering a customized dog sweater.
Becoming a Sustainer is fast.
That makes being a Sustainer easy for you – and important for us. Year to year, 90 percent of Sustainers feel satisfied enough to continue their support. Our overall donor retention rate is under 75 percent.
There’s no need to remember anything.
Just like a good rotisserie oven, you can set it, and forget it!
Being a Sustainer is, well, sustainable. Less paper, less postage, fewer administrative costs ... That means more dollars end up where they’re really needed – helping Bennies.
LEARN MORE AND BECOME A SAINT BEN’S SUSTAINER TODAY!
GIVECSB.COM
40 | College of Saint Benedict Magazine
GENEROSITY
?
“
I think the Benedictine values provided our family with a great foundation.” Sharon and John Hite (SJU ’82)
- Katie Hite Hansvick ’12
A Family Tradition BY | GREG SKOOG (SJU ’89)
John (SJU ’82) and Sharon Hite are supporters of both CSB and SJU. “We became really committed to supporting CSB when we saw the outstanding experience and education our daughter Katie (Hite Hansvick ’12) received there,” says Sharon. John and Sharon had fond memories and good impressions of Saint Ben’s, but were extremely impressed with the facilities, the mission and the leadership when Katie arrived on campus in 2008. “There was an air of confidence at the school that they could compete with any liberal arts school out there,” John recalls. That palpable air of confidence and the way it’s absorbed by our students blends well with another of the Hites’ charitable priorities: Cristo Rey Jesuit High School in Minneapolis. “Cristo Rey has an amazing program to give economically disadvantaged students a rigorous college-prep education,” observes John. “And Saint Ben’s has a very supportive history and culture of supporting first-
generation students…. Education is an incredible investment from a returnon-investment perspective, and we like to put our money where it will get the greatest return possible.” Today, John and Sharon’s tradition of giving is being carried on by Katie – already a faithful donor and strong member of the Young Alumnae President’s Circle. “For as long as I can remember, my parents have graciously demonstrated the importance of generosity,” says Katie. “I think the Benedictine values provided our family with a great foundation. A balanced life, built on faith and generosity, can open the door to wonderful experiences and opportunities.” “We made sure that we modeled and talked about generosity and charitable giving,” recalls Sharon. “We talked about our blessings and privileges as gifts from God. And when we give, we’re sharing God’s blessings to us with others.” As Katie and her brother Johnny (SJU ’14) grew into high school and college, John and Sharon would talk to them about their
giving and even let the children direct some of that giving to charities they selected. When Katie graduated and started her career, “we made sure that generosity and giving were at the top of her budget and not at the end,” says John. “She and her husband Seth continue to build on the budgeting habit and practice, and we’re confident that Johnny and his fiancee Sydney will start giving now that he’s finished law school and started his career.” Getting that early start and then following through is a conscious practice that has grown into a family tradition for the Hites. “Generosity and charity are much easier and more fun when you live below your means and make it a priority,” John concludes. “Start early and make generosity a habit before you’re influenced by our consumer culture and develop bad financial habits.”
Visit givecsb.com and start creating a tradition of your own today.
Fall 2017 | 41
NONPROFIT ORG U.S. POSTAGE PAID TWIN CITIES, MN PERMINT NO. 93723
INSTITUTIONAL ADVANCEMENT 37 South College Avenue St. Joseph, MN 56374 CHANGE SERVICE REQUESTED
2018 COLLEGE OF SAINT BENEEDICT | SAINT JOHN’S UNIVERSITY
If your graduation year ends in a 3 or an 8, mark your calendar NOW.
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JUNE 22-24
Watch for more information coming soon.