SUMMER 2019 MAGAZINE
Looking for
answers Curiosity drives research at CSB
We stand together Check out our progress toward our $100 million goal. Then stand up with us and shine for today’s (and tomorrow’s) Bennies!
IN THIS ISSUE
10
18 FEATURES
10 Celebrating the Questions 14 Small Wonders; Big Trauma 18 Searching for Answers 22 Getting Together for Reunion 2019 26 Illuminating Lives Campaign Update
14 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 Margaret Arnold CONTRIBUTORS Ellen Hunter Gans ’05 Sara Mohs Tommy O’Laughlin (SJU ’13) Leah Rado COVER PHOTO Focusing on Ardolf Science Center. Photos by Michael Becker and Tommy O’Laughlin (SJU ’13). 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
Nurturing Curiosity
and Creating Wonder Being curious is an inextricable part of being human. In fact, it’s likely that the first question we each ever posed was, “Why?” This sense of curiosity is what enables us to understand and, ultimately, navigate the world around us. An essential partner to curiosity, I think, is imagination. A great imagination is what enables us to ask why and then envision a new way of being in the world; a new cure for a disease; a new vision of what could be. Combined, curiosity plus imagination yields wonder. And wonder is what we excel at creating and nurturing at the College of Saint Benedict. Each student we admit is a work of wonder: she is curious (as are we) about what she can and will become, and we nurture her (and she our) imagination as she grows in our Catholic and Benedictine, liberal arts community. The holistic development of young women begins not only with academic content, but with a relentless exploration of “why” and an unquenchable imagination. Each and every day, we seek to invest in, nurture, support and reap the outcomes of wonder. Recent Bennies have often heard me quote e.e. cummings, who wrote: “We do not believe in ourselves until someone reveals that something deep inside us is valuable, worth listening to, worthy of our trust, sacred to our touch. Once we believe in ourselves we can risk curiosity, wonder, spontaneous delight or any experience that reveals the human spirit.”
Combined, curiosity plus imagination yields wonder. And wonder is what we excel at creating and nurturing at the College of Saint Benedict.” By nurturing curiosity and wonder, we signal our belief in others and reveal the inherent worthiness of all those we encounter. This edition of the College of Saint Benedict Magazine is a grand celebration of the nature and importance of curiosity on our campus and beyond. It is a privilege to do this work and to share it with you.
Mary Dana Hinton College of Saint Benedict President
A Special Note of Gratitude On Aug. 1, 2019, Michael Hemesath (SJU ’81) stepped down from his role as president of Saint John’s University – a position he held with distinction for seven years. You can read more in the News section on page 4. Saint John’s and Saint Ben’s are both better institutions because of the care and concern Michael exhibited for our shared mission over the past seven years. Whether the two of us were teaching our class, traveling the globe, working with faculty and staff, visiting alums or celebrating commencement, I am truly grateful for the many good times he and I shared. As he and his family explore new horizons, please join me in sending the cheers and best wishes of our community with them.
Summer 2019 | 1
WORTH 1,000 WORDS
WELCOME! The view from the plaza just outside the Malone Admission Welcome Center at Schoenecker Commons makes a pretty inviting first impression for prospective Bennies and Johnnies. In the spring, bright red tulips frame the iconic dome of the Sacred Heart Chapel.
2 | College of Saint Benedict Magazine
Summer 2019 | 3
NEWS
SJU President Michael Hemesath Steps Down Michael Hemesath (SJU ’81), president of Saint John’s University since 2012, has stepped down as president, effective Aug. 1, 2019. Under his leadership Saint John’s University experienced a number of notable accomplishments including the renovation of Alcuin Library and the construction of the Dietrich Reinhart Learning Commons and The Saint John’s Bible Gallery, the expansion and renovation of SJU’s athletic facilities, the successful completion of the Forward Ever Forward capital campaign, a smooth transition to lay leadership, the continuing commitment to Catholic and Benedictine values, a deep
commitment to the enduring value of a liberal arts and sciences education, a new reunion model coordinating with the CSB Reunion, and a strategic re-envisioning of the School of Theology and Seminary. “It has been the greatest privilege and honor of my academic life to serve my alma mater and this community for the last seven years as Saint John’s first lay president,” wrote Hemesath in an announcement to the campus community. “Thank you to each of you who have helped make this experience so exceptional for me and my family.”
According to Dan McKeown, newly elected chair of the SJU Board of Trustees, Saint John’s will be building on a strong foundation in its search for a new president. “We are financially stable, we have a dedicated and loyal alumni and donor base and we have a reputation for excellence among liberal arts universities. President Hemesath has contributed to all these strengths.” The board will select an interim president while it determines the best course to recruit a permanent replacement.
Seven CSB/SJU Grads Receive Fulbright Awards The remaining five students received Fulbright English Teaching Assistant (ETA) awards.
CSB/SJU Fulbrights, L to R: Marisela Weber, Michael Thompson, Jackson Erdmann, Ali McGraw and Danica Simonet. Not pictured, Jessie Thwaites and Steven Lemke.
Seven College of Saint Benedict and Saint John’s University graduates have received awards from the Fulbright U.S. Student Program, sponsored by the Department of State and the J. William Fulbright Foreign Scholarship Board. Jessie Thwaites ’19, a physics major from Littleton, Colorado, received an Austrian Fulbright-Marshall Plan Award for research in Graz, Austria. She applied to work at the Austrian Institute for Space Sciences and will be in Graz for nine months, beginning in September. Steven Lemke ’08 is a former apprentice of Richard Bresnahan in the Saint John’s Pottery. He has just earned an MFA degree from the University of Notre Dame and been awarded a 2019-20 U.S. Fulbright Open Study/Research Fellowship to the former Czechoslovakia. 4 | College of Saint Benedict Magazine
The Fulbright U.S. Student Program places recent college graduates as English Teaching Assistants in schools and universities overseas. The ETAs improve international students' English abilities and knowledge of the U.S., while enhancing their own language skills and knowledge of the host country. ETAs may also pursue individual study/research plans in addition to their teaching responsibilities. Since 2013, 35 students or graduates from CSB and SJU have earned Fulbright ETA awards. Ali McGraw ’19 Elementary education • Darwin, Minnesota ETA award to Hamburg, Germany. “This program is important to me because it is giving me the opportunity to become more of a global citizen and an advocate for education,” McGraw said. Danica Simonet ’19 Peace studies and German double-major • Northfield, Minnesota ETA award to Hamburg, Germany. Simonet has traveled to Germany before, most recently in December and
January as part of the Extending the Link documentary team. “I hope to be completely fluent by the end of my year in Germany,” she said. Marisela Weber ’19 English • St. Paul, Minnesota ETA award to Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India. Weber visited India for filming the 2018 Extending the Link documentary. “My admiration and appreciation for the country grew. I yearned to travel in order to learn more about India,” she explained. Jackson Erdmann ’19 Global business leadership • Rosemount, Minnesota ETA award to Malaysia. Erdmann, the Johnnies starting quarterback, will play football in the fall before leaving in January. “I was looking at a couple of different (Fulbright) programs that had a start time in January, so it’s a good fit to my schedule,” he said. Michael Thompson ’19 Biology • Edina, Minnesota ETA award to Greece. Thompson was a part of the Greco-Roman study abroad program in fall 2017. “I am currently (Spring 2019) in an ancient mythology course, and I am looking forward to seeing the connections of mythology and history in Greece,” he said.
NEWS
New Officers, Members and Committees for CSB Board of Trustees On July 1, three new voting members and an ex-officio voting member were appointed to the College of Saint Benedict Board of Trustees. On July 1, Barbara Schmid Brandes, CEO of Lumber One Avon Inc., in Avon, Minnesota, took over as new chair of the CSB Board of Trustees. Brandes has served on the CSB board since 2014, most recently as vice chair and as chair of the Building and Grounds Committee. Dan Scott, a partner at Stinson LLP in Minneapolis, became the CSB Board’s vice chair. Scott has served on the board since 2013, most recently as board secretary and chair of the Trusteeship Committee. Jona Turner Van Deun ’92, Vice President for Small Business Engagement at the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, is the new CSB Board secretary. She has been a member of the board since 2016. Meanwhile, three new voting members and an ex-officio voting member were appointed. The CSB board consists of 30 members, plus three ex-officio members. With the exception of the ex-officio members, CSB trustees serve three-year terms and are eligible to serve three consecutive terms for a total of nine years of successive service. Lynn Skaja Myhran ’89 earned a bachelor’s degree in management and a minor in psychology from CSB and is a retired senior vice president of human capital for Optum, one of the fastestgrowing divisions of UnitedHealth Group. This summer she served Saint Ben’s as a class reunion ambassador. Joseph M. Nemmers, Jr. attended Saint John’s University before earning a bachelor’s degree in history from Arizona State University. He is an executive with
more than 35 years of experience in the medical device and pharmaceutical industries. Since June 2017, he has served as an advisor to Pirouette Medical, LLC. His late wife, Kathleen Christenson Nemmers, was a 1977 CSB alumna. LeAnne Mathews Stewart ’87 earned a bachelor’s degree in accounting from Saint Ben’s and a Master of Business Administration in finance, marketing and multinational management from the University of Pennsylvania’s Wharton School of Business in 1997. She was a director of Hinky Dinky Supermarkets, Inc., and treasurer of GTL Truck Lines, Inc. Stewart is a current member of Saint Ben’s Illuminating Lives Campaign Steering Committee and previously served as a CSB trustee from 2005 to 2014. Maria Stanek Burnham ’01 joins the board in an ex-officio capacity as the presidentelect of the CSB Alumnae Association. Burnham holds a bachelor’s degree in English with a minor in secondary education from CSB and a master’s degree in curriculum and instruction from the College of St. Scholastica. She is a language arts teacher at Sauk Rapids-Rice High School. In addition to the existing CSB and coordinated board committees that guide the board’s work, this year four new committees have been created: External Engagement; Student-Centered Teaching, Learning and Development; Strategic Resources and Business Infrastructure; and College for Women: Mission, Vision and Strategic Directions.
Cashman Comes to CSB as New Development Officer In June, Cynthia Cashman joined the CSB Institutional Advancement team as a senior development officer. She is passionate about higher education and is enthusiastic about focusing her talents and experience on working closely with donors to help the college reach our $100M Illuminating Lives campaign goal. Cashman comes to us most recently from the Minnesota State Fair Foundation, where she served as the executive director. Before joining the team at Minnesota State Fair Foundation, Cashman was the chief development officer at the University of Minnesota’s College of Food, Agricultural and Natural Resource Sciences from 2004 till 2007. She has extensive experience in non-profit fundraising, previously holding positions at Hamline University, YMCA of Metropolitan Minneapolis and the Minnesota Medical Foundation. Cynthia, a graduate of Bemidji State University, is also the president-elect of BSU’s Alumni and Foundation Board. She and her family live in the Twin Cities.
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NEWS
Class of 2019 Joins the Ranks of Bennie Alumnae
A total of 406 new Bennie alumnae crossed the stage during the 104th commencement ceremony on May 11. Senior class speaker Maren Koester, a psychology major from Bloomington, Minnesota, was clear about what this occasion meant. “For me, this is what I am celebrating today. I am celebrating finding my place of comfort and making
Saint Ben’s a home. I am celebrating the friends I have met, the faculty I have learned from and the challenges I have faced. But most importantly, I am celebrating how Saint Ben’s manifested the confidence and courage to be myself.”
Mayo Innovation Scholars Research Cancer Predictors Biochemistry major Will Gillach from Lindstrom, Minnesota, communication major Madelyn Zinken from Big Lake, Minnesota, global business leadership major Mary Gaytko from Minneapolis and biochemistry major Ellen Arnold from Kimball, Minnesota, presented project research on a biomarker approach to predicting cancer as part of the Mayo Innovation Scholars Program (MISP). colleges, under the guidance of select master’s-level business students. Students in this collaborative program work at the interface of science, medicine and business. Through teamwork, they learn the practical aspects involved in bringing an idea to the marketplace.
L to R: Kathryn Greiner ’92, Will Gillach ’19, Madelyn Zinken ’19, Mary Gaytko ’19 and Ellen Arnold ’19
The interdisciplinary program provides research opportunities to teams of undergraduates from Minnesota private
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The CSB and SJU students worked as a team on the project on campus throughout the 2018-19 academic year. They presented their findings in March at Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota, and in a written report. On average, each student put in roughly 175 hours of work during the program.
The students were supported by Kathryn Greiner ’92, a CSB alumna and MBA student at St. Catherine University, St. Paul. CSB/SJU faculty members Lisa Lindgren, associate professor of global business leadership, and Jennifer Schaefer, associate professor of biology, served as project advisers. Lindsey Gunnerson Gutsch, program coordinator in the Student Success Center at CSB and SJU, provided administrative support.
NEWS
Phi Beta Kappa Inducts 57 CSB/SJU Students
Thirty students from the College of Saint Benedict were inducted into the Theta of Minnesota Chapter of Phi Beta Kappa on April 24. Twentyseven students from Saint John’s University were also inducted.
A total of 47 seniors and 10 juniors were selected by faculty members at CSB and SJU who are members of Phi Beta Kappa. Students are chosen based on grade-point average (3.85 for juniors, 3.65 for seniors) and must be a liberal arts and/or sciences major. The selection committee also looked
at the breadth and depth of the student’s program and other achievements, such as a thesis or other research; interest in other cultures or languages; extracurricular activities; and academic performance.
CSB Works Toward Carbon Neutrality Saint Ben’s was one of three colleges in Minnesota selected to receive free energy planning services from Ever-Green Energy, St. Paul.
neutrality options available on campus and within the broader community.
CSB earned the honor through EverGreen Energy’s Roadmap to Carbon Neutrality program. Also chosen for the pilot program were the University of Minnesota-Morris and the University of St. Thomas.
Ever-Green Energy launched the Roadmap to Carbon Neutrality program to help higher-education leaders create actionable plans to make their sustainability and carbon neutrality goals a reality.
The program will allow CSB to evaluate existing campus energy programs, profile future energy consumption scenarios and develop a comprehensive list of all energy-related carbon
Ford Earns Payne Fellowship Niesha Ford ’17 is one of 10 people to receive a Donald M. Payne International Development Graduate Fellowship for 2019. The Payne Fellowship provides up to $96,000 over two years for graduate school, internships and professional development activities. At the conclusion of the two years, the Payne Fellow will begin a career in foreign service with the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID). Ford – a native of Hayward, California – joined the Peace Corps and worked in Rwanda as a maternal and child health volunteer after majoring in biochemistry at CSB. During her stay in the African
country, a fellow Peace Corps volunteer suggested Ford look into a Payne Fellowship. Ford begins graduate school Aug. 21 at the Tulane University School of Public Health and Tropical Medicine. After she completes graduate school, she will be sworn in as a foreign service officer with USAID. “Just like the Peace Corps, I am flexible about where I get placed,” Ford said. “I’ve come to find that every country has hidden gems waiting to be discovered.” Summer 2019 | 7
NEWS
The Record Places Second in General Excellence Sports Editor Brett Zallek, Managing Editor Brandon Spratt and Variety Editor Jack Wozniak combined to write an Oct. 19 two-page tribute to John Gagliardi, which captured first-place in the Sports Story category. Variety Editor Kathryn Bulanek finished second in the Feature Story category for her April 13 story on “sneakerheads” – students who collect sneakers. Photo Editor Jillian Schulz captured two awards in the News Photo category, placing fifth for her Oct. 5 photo of the CSB/SJU crew team and sixth for her Nov. 16 photo of a car fire.
Members of The Record staff visited the studios of CBS-affiliate WCCO in Minneapolis. From left, members included Nick Swanson, Lydia Farmer, Brandon Spratt, Cullen Trobec, Jack Wozniak, Jillian Schulz and Ben Pults
The Record, the student newspaper at the College of Saint Benedict and Saint John’s University, captured a second-place award for overall excellence in the Four-Year Newspaper Weekly category at the Associated Collegiate Press’ Best of the Midwest College Journalism Convention in February. In addition, writers, photographers and editors from The Record earned seven individual awards.
Zallek captured two individual awards, placing fifth in the Sports Story competition with his Nov. 30 story on “Alaskan Ice” and seventh in the Single Page Design category for his page 12 layout in the Oct. 19 issue, which featured the SJU football team beating St. Thomas 40-20. Spratt captured a seventh-place award in the Editorial/Commentary category with his Oct. 5 sports column on the retirement of Minnesota Twins first baseman Joe Mauer.
Gonzalez-Barragan Named Newman Civic Fellow Campus Compact is a national coalition of colleges and universities committed to the public purposes of higher education. Through the fellowship, Campus Compact provides a variety of learning and networking opportunities, including a national conference of Newman Civic Fellows in November in Boston in partnership with the Edward M. Kennedy Institute for the United States Senate.
Lesly Gonzalez-Barragan ’20, along with Michael Syverud ’20 from Saint John’s University, has been named a 2019-20 Newman Civic Fellow by Campus Compact. 8 | College of Saint Benedict Magazine
Gonzalez-Barragan, a rising senior from St. Paul, Minnesota, is a political science and theology double-major. She is a student leader who has “used her deep passion for authentic social engagement in Latinx ministry and Catholic social justice work,” said CSB President Mary Dana Hinton.
Recently, Gonzalez-Barragan shared her Bennie story with alumnae, donors and friends of Saint Ben’s at a number of Illuminating Lives campaign events. “As a young Latina member of the Catholic Church in the United States, I know that Latino youth have been overlooked both in society and in the Church,” Gonzalez-Barragan said. “I found that providing ministry to Latino youth opened doors of opportunity that went well beyond the pews and had the possibility to break through society’s stereotypes, and the stereotypes that we Latino youth hold of ourselves.”
Under Pressure Practice pays off in expanding golfers' comfort zones BY | LEAH RADO
L to R: Madeline Pagel ’19, Hannah Moen ’19, Natalie Amundson ’19 and head coach Daryl Schomer
Natalie Amundson ’19
A typical practice for the College of Saint Benedict golf team is about what one would expect: putting, chipping, some long drives at the range and then playing a few holes to put all those skills to use.
“The one thing she improved at the most is that she became more mentally strong,” Schomer said. “As a first-year, when things weren’t going well, panic could set in once in a while. But I think she learned to really roll with it.”
For the past several years, however, head coach Daryl Schomer has added an intangible aspect to each practice to help his team improve: pressure. Sometimes, each golfer has to make 25 straight putts on her own – and call a coach over to watch her make the last five. Other times, the entire team will do a drill, and if one player misses a putt or doesn’t place a chip correctly, everyone starts over. “I thought it was important to implement the simulation of pressure and competing and what you’ll feel on the course over the weekend,” said Schomer, who recently wrapped up his eighth season with CSB. “I like to put as much pressure as I can on them so when we’re competing Saturday and Sunday, it feels like another day of golf and not something different.” Those simulations of pressure and tournament-type situations seem to be working. After five straight middleof-the-pack finishes at the MIAC Championships – including sixth in
2016-17 – Saint Benedict placed second in 2017, and again in October at the 2018 MIAC Championships. “Daryl increased our focus on executing in high-pressure situations,” said senior Madeline Pagel, who finished top 15 in the MIAC as a junior and senior. “Increasing our confidence and composure under pressure helped us reduce strokes and finish better in tournaments.” At the 2018 conference meet, the ability to play under pressure played to Saint Benedict’s advantage as the Bennies took second with a 970 – one stroke ahead of third-place Gustavus. Those drills also helped senior Natalie Amundson, who finished top 10 in the MIAC in each of her four seasons. She is the second golfer in CSB history and 16th in MIAC history to accomplish the feat. Schomer said that Amundson has always been a fundamentally strong golfer, but that her mental game has gotten stronger each year.
Amundson – the team’s MVP in each of her four seasons and winner of the MIAC’s Elite 22 Award as a sophomore – graduated in May with a bachelor of science degree in nursing and the school record for golf scoring average in a career: an impressive 79.6. “I know I am more confident and cool under pressure in my nursing skills because of the tournament moments I have had the opportunity to compete in that pushed me outside my comfort zone,” Amundson said. “When the time comes to look at graduate school, I know I will have the courage to go after my professional goals and also to connect with mentors who can help me accomplish my dreams, because I have stepped outside my comfort zone before as an athlete.”
LOOK AT HER GO • #BENNIENATION and gobennies.com. Summer Summer 2019 2019 || 99
BY | ELLEN HUNTER GANS ’05
On a sunny day in April, Professor Parker Wheatley’s senior capstone course presents their final projects. According to the syllabus, these projects are the culmination of a few months’ worth of planning, hypothesizing, quantitative research and writing. But on this day, there’s a much broader developmental arc in play. These students are showcasing the quantum leap that occurs over their entire tenure here — not just in finite knowledge, but in their intelligence, capacity for reasoning and perspective on the world. If you sat in on these presentations, you’d see one Saint Ben’s student addressing gender gaps in education and their effect on economic activity and development in the United States. Another student takes a global view, exploring whether economic development has a positive or negative effect on labor force participation among women. Their research findings are important. But those data are just part of the story. Most important, perhaps, is the curiosity and competence at the core of these presentations – elements that will serve these students far beyond this spring day, this semester and their time at Saint Ben’s.
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t Saint Ben’s, the most successful students leave with more questions than answers. And we wouldn’t have it any other way. Indeed, our value as an institution doesn’t lie in test scores or rankings or the advancement of research (though we shine in each of these areas). Rather, our true value stems from the way in which the women who spend time here seem uncommonly positioned for a lifetime of thinking critically, challenging the status quo, solving problems and, yes, asking questions. The choice to put questions on a pedestal requires taking a bit of a longer view. To be clear, we’re incredibly proud of the shortterm impact that a degree from Saint Ben’s has. Within a year of graduation, typically 80 percent of our students are employed
full-time or volunteering full-time (with the other 20 percent choosing to continue their education). In any economy, job placement is critical – and in a competitive educational landscape, those are the type of results that grab headlines and satisfy society’s increasingly insatiable collective hunger for instant gratification. It’s tempting, and all too common, to curate curriculum and services in a way that caters to those headlines. But these women didn’t come here for headlines about the school. They came here to create their own headlines and write their own stories. And while Saint Ben’s might be a critical chapter in that story, it’s only important because of how it sets up what comes later.
“The mind is not a vessel that needs filling, but wood that needs igniting.” - Plutarch’s Moralia
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Celebrating the questions
rofessor Noreen Herzfeld knows a thing or two about opening a new chapter. She started teaching in the Computer Science Department at Saint Ben’s and Saint John’s, with a focus on formal logic. Her area of expertise was as black and white as it gets. But then she developed an interest in artificial intelligence and began to wonder why we as a society wanted to create a humanlike, artificial version of ourselves. “I realized that as a scientist, I really couldn’t answer that question. It was a question for the humanities, best addressed through philosophy and theology,” she says. While she was already an accomplished academic and well-respected teacher, her curiosity drove her to continue on her own developmental arc. She started by sitting in on a few graduate-level theology classes at Saint John’s and, “The next thing I knew I had not only finished a master’s degree but was off to Berkeley to get a Ph.D. in theology.” Along the way, she also received a Fulbright scholarship and taught in Bosnia. Today, Dr. Herzfeld is the Reuter Professor of Science and Theology at the College of Saint Benedict and Saint John’s University, teaching both theology and computer science (and, for the record, she sees more overlap than conflict between the two). And she’s nowhere near finished asking questions. That’s because, even with a second set of advanced degrees in a different subject, it’s still not a finish line. For Dr. Herzfeld, even the acquisition of knowledge is secondary to the value of simply exploring. And that, in itself, is a developmental arc that she never could have predicted.
“It was curiosity that brought me here, and that curiosity didn’t bring answers but rather a whole new set of questions.” – Professor Noreen Herzfeld 12 | College of Saint Benedict Magazine
“I originally went into computer science precisely because everything was cut and dried,” she says. “You could prove it. It was right or it was wrong. It wasn’t until I started teaching that I got into these broader, messier human questions that I had been trying to avoid. It opened me up to a whole new world and a whole new field. It was curiosity that brought me here, and that curiosity didn’t bring answers but rather a whole new set of questions.”
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n Dr. Wheatley’s senior capstone class, he’s looking for evidence of thorough and thoughtful research. Black-and-white findings are part of that. He is, after all, an economist. But Wheatley himself has experienced a developmental arc, becoming increasingly interested over the years in the shades of gray found in behavioral economics. And he’s certainly looking for more than black-and-white answers from his students. He wants to see how they’ve evolved in their capacity for – and willingness to indulge in – curiosity. Because that arc, of course, is much larger (and ultimately much more valuable) than even the best-researched senior capstone project. Wheatley has a unique perspective on the arc his students are on, having taught several of these students in their FirstYear Seminar and again during this class, which closes out their time here. “When they were in First-Year Seminar, these were bright students – but they were often simply trying to check the boxes and hit the requirements.” Today, he says, “They’re the authors of their future learning. Of course, we want them to have a great first job, and they’re well-prepared to take that job. But that’s secondary. They’re going to have to be constantly developing throughout life.” Consider the distinction between knowledge and wisdom: Knowledge is enclosed. Wisdom is limitless. It doesn’t operate in a vacuum; it’s not static; it’s constantly developing based on experiences. At Saint Ben’s, classroom study blends with lab work, applied research, projects, internships and global study to illuminate the path from knowledge to wisdom.
ssistant professor of chemistry Annette Raigoza is committed to helping students follow the path from knowledge to wisdom. Dr. Raigoza completed postdoctoral research at a research university with more than 50,000 students. She’s engaged in scholarship that’s advancing what we know about how organic molecules interact with surfaces. But when it came time to select a teaching position, Raigoza wanted to be somewhere where her impact would go far beyond research findings. Here, it’s the process behind the measurements that lights up her experience as a teacher. “One of the reasons I came to an institution like Saint Ben’s is because I wanted to work closely with undergraduate students, mentoring them and working closely with them on projects,” she says. “The time they spend in the lab is important, making samples and conducting experiments. But what’s most beneficial is collaborating with them as they work through the analysis. That’s where they go beyond the data to ask, What does this mean in the context of the project? If something’s wrong, how can I troubleshoot it? If it’s working, how can I make sense of it and communicate the results?” Because, of course, Raigoza’s students are making meaningful contributions to her research, and spearheading their own projects. Yet few of them will continue those specific projects beyond graduation. Some of them won’t even enter the field they studied. And that’s okay. In fact, it’s exciting. Because they’re not only ready to make a sample. They’re ready to make a life for themselves.
It’s worth repeating: The degrees earned at Saint Ben’s are specific to a field or fields of study. And yet, “I majored in computer science” or “I studied chemistry” is a bit like saying “I am a Bennie.” It’s factual, but it’s the tip of an iceberg and belies all the depth and nuance that lies beneath. That’s what’s so extraordinary about a liberal arts degree in general, and a Saint Ben’s degree in particular. The true value of diplomas earned here is in what’s unspoken. Under “Bachelor of Arts” or “Bachelor of Science,” what would yours read?
Celebrating the questions
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• Fearless questioner. • Critical thinker. • Passionate advocate. • Courageous leader. • Bold adventurer. • Limitless pursuer of wisdom. •O wner of a calling to help others, and the humility to ask for help myself.
“The time they spend in the lab is important, making samples and conducting experiments. But what’s most beneficial is collaborating with them as they work through the analysis.” – Assistant Professor Annette Raigoza
Summer 2019 | 13
SMALL WONDERS
TRAUMA UNCOVERING THE EFFECTS OF NICU EXPERIENCES BY | SARA MOHS
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Becoming a new mom can be the most magical time in a woman’s life. But, for a growing number of women, that storyline takes an unexpected and even traumatic turn when their babies are born acutely premature or ill. “Moms prepare for the birth of their child with a certain mindset,” says MacKenzie Kelley ’16. “They think they might be in the hospital for a day or two and then go home. They’re anticipating feeling this deep connection with their baby. Then, when the baby is born so young and fragile or critically ill, they can’t do that skin-to-skin time right away. That makes connecting with their baby difficult. The whole story has now been flipped upside down.” Those stories were the focus of MacKenzie’s doctoral research in occupational therapy (OT) at St. Ambrose University (Iowa), which she completed last August. But, the journey of her research began much earlier. As a Saint Ben’s biology major, MacKenzie felt especially drawn to women’s health and pediatrics. And, she says her liberal arts education was a perfect segue to OT. “My liberal arts background gave me a holistic mindset that also applies to OT because we talk about the physical, neuro-motor and psycho-social factors of patient care. Having a well-rounded background played right into the OT domain,” says MacKenzie.
Summer 2019 | 15
About the Research When MacKenzie began thinking about her doctoral research at St. Ambrose, she knew she wanted to choose a topic that would ultimately support new moms through OT. That’s when she noticed two parallel birthing trends. During the last 10 years, new technology and medical advancements have enabled more mothers to conceive and/or prevent miscarriage, which means more high-risk pregnancies and more premature births needing neonatal intensive care. At the same time, advancements in technology and medicine have also decreased mortality rates of premature infants. As a result, more premature babies are being born earlier and surviving longer, creating an increase in Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) experiences. “We have babies who are born as young as 23 weeks and are surviving. That wasn’t the case 10 years ago,” says MacKenzie. Having a baby born prematurely creates a number of stressors that can be traumatic for new moms and families. First, it shatters the idyllic storylines these new mothers have internalized about the birth. As they try to cope with the trauma of letting go of the infant they thought they were going to have and accepting the infant they do have, MacKenzie says the situation is further complicated by the NICU’s medically complex setting. “NICUs are designed to provide the highest quality of care for the infants, but it’s not conducive to the family structure. They are very trauma-inducing and stressprovoking,” she adds. Unfortunately, these stresses don’t end when the mothers and babies go home. MacKenzie says the trauma that takes place in the NICU often interrupts a mother’s ability to establish routines and roles and participate in daily life activities even after she returns home. To find out how much that stress affects a new mom’s mental health, MacKenzie’s research involved identifying themes that surfaced during interviews she conducted with mothers post-NICU 16 | College of Saint Benedict Magazine
SAINT BEN’S GAVE ME THE COURAGE AND STRENGTH TO BE A WOMAN IN SCIENCE AND TO BE A BOLD LEADER. IT TAUGHT ME TO CHASE AFTER MY DREAMS.” – MacKenzie Kelley ’16
SMALL WONDERS
BIG TRAUMA
Prepped for Success about their experiences caring for their children during the NICU and at home. The methodology, called qualitative phenomenological study, included a sample of 10 mothers with children under five years of age. “I picked a qualitative phenomenological study because I wanted to have in-depth conversations. I didn’t want to do a survey where I wouldn’t get the face-to-face time, because this is a more vulnerable topic for women to discuss. There’s a lot of value in being able to tell their story from start to end. I wanted to know what brought them to this point,” she says. In the 60- to 90-minute interviews, MacKenzie asked mothers about their day-to-day NICU experience, if and how the experience set them up for their transition home, their current confidence level in caring for their child and how compliant they think they’ll be with home programming based on the amount of time they had to prepare. The themes that emerged from her research included relationship challenges, difficulty finding their own routine, feeling overwhelmed and isolated, fear of outside childcare and frustration with the absence of any orientation process when they arrived in the NICU. The most prominent theme was lack of self-care, which affected 10 out of 10 new moms. MacKenzie explains that self-care for postNICU moms is different from how we may typically define it. “This isn’t getting your highlights done or treating yourself to something extra. This is showering and getting dressed and changing clothes. These are basic self-cares and wellbeing,” she notes. The cumulative effects of these stressors can lead to perinatal mood disorders, which often impact the child. MacKenzie says literature shows that having a mother who’s showing symptoms of perinatal mood disorders has an effect on the infant’s mental health and the mother’s ability to care for the infant. “When a mom is feeling upset and overwhelmed, she’s going to have less
time to be intentional about the way she engages in developmental play with the baby. Then the baby isn’t being set up for success. That’s not any fault of the mom. It’s a lack of services that should have provided her with proper care and education,” she says. Based on her research, MacKenzie hopes to create action steps that can be implemented earlier in the NICU experience that will lessen or prevent some of the stress new moms will experience. That could include providing NICU orientation for new moms, creating support groups during and after the NICU experience and implementing routine depression and anxiety screenings for moms post-NICU. She also hopes to use her research to help influence policy reform for increased mental health services. “I want to help close the gaps of maternal mental health and how we respond as therapists in the clinic versus being on Capitol Hill and supporting legislative changes. To make change in policy, there really has to be an identified problem to the current service delivery method, so I’m hoping to publish my research to support that OTs have a role in this area and I’m hoping my evidence will help make that happen,” says Mackenzie.
Reflecting on her role as a researcher, MacKenzie says Saint Ben’s prepared her more than she could have imagined for graduate school and its work load. “Having the opportunity to write scientific papers in the biology department while learning the ins and outs of data analysis really gave me a leg up on starting my own research project and the process of writing a manuscript. My grad school classmates even remarked on how easy it came for me. I didn’t have this big learning curve on how to study for both practicals and tests. I had already been doing that at Saint Ben’s,” she says. She also attributes her success to the exceptional curriculum in the biology department and the high-level course work that better prepared her for life after Saint Ben’s. “Saint Ben’s gave me the courage and strength to be a woman in science and to be a bold leader. It taught me to chase after my dreams,” she concludes.
This spring, MacKenzie finished her last semester and received her doctorate in occupational therapy from St. Ambrose. She’s disseminated her research on “Role Adjustment, Mental Health and NICU Experiences of Mothers” on two national stages – the American Occupational Therapy Association national conference in New Orleans and the National Association of Neonatal Therapists conference in Phoenix – and has recorded an episode for the national OT podcast, Glass Half Full. Now that she has graduated, MacKenzie plans to become a certified neonatal therapist and work in the NICU helping parents in those early stages of bonding with their infants. Her goal is to help them establish roles and routines that will be conducive to the health of both the infant and the parents. Summer 2019 | 17
SEARCHING FOR ANSWERS ...
On April 25 this year, 792 Bennies and Johnnies presented 389 different projects during the annual Celebrating Scholarship & Creativity Day. Projects like the ones recapped here spanned all departments and brilliantly showcased the value of a liberal arts education. It was a day filled with students sharing the discoveries of a semester (or, as you’ll read here, sometimes much longer) of searching for answers to the questions that drive them.
A bit of scheduling advice: Mark your calendar for next April 23 and join us on campus for the 20th edition. Listen closely and stick around for the Q&A sessions, since you’ll probably have some probing questions to ask. Bennies are like that.
CHANGE AGENT Augie Witkowski ’19 defines a catalyst as “a recyclable compound that can be used to increase the rate of an overall reaction, driving it toward product conversion.” Merriam-Webster offers a second definition: “an agent that provokes or speeds significant change or action.” That sounds a lot like Augie. During her time at Saint Ben’s, she was the driving force behind some long-term research. And looking to the future, she has big plans to change the world. This spring at Celebrating Scholarship & Creativity Day, Augie presented her research in Development of Anthranilic Acid Based Thiourea Catalysts. “We tested the thiourea catalysts for catalytic activity in the nitroaldol reaction. Essentially, we used these compounds in a reaction to see if their presence improved the yield of the reaction or decreased the amount of time the reaction took while removing the need for potentially hazardous conditions.” In lay English, experimenting with different catalysts is a search for ways to make manufacturing processes quicker, safer, less expensive and/or more efficient. “Ideally, our catalyst could help in the synthesis of a natural product or pharmaceutical with a problematic step of the synthesis,” Augie continues.
Her research has been a fundamental part of most of her undergraduate experience. “I started working on this project during the fall semester of my sophomore year,” she says. “So I have been working on this for six semesters. I also worked on the project over the summer following my sophomore year.” Chemistry Department chair Dr. T. Nicholas Jones helped her early on with mapping out a good place to start experiments. “And, as things have either worked or not, we have changed the plan for the project,” Augie explains. “The next steps should hopefully be completed this summer as two other CSB students will be continuing to work on this project. Hopefully, the group should be able to publish a paper soon.” Augie meanwhile, will have moved on to graduate school, pursuing her Ph.D. at the University of Oregon (UO). She’ll be helped in that by an ARCS Foundation Award. The ARCS Foundation is a group of philanthropic women volunteers dedicated to advancing science and technology by providing financial awards to academically outstanding students in science, engineering and medical research. “As an ARCS Scholar, I’ll be given an extra $6,000 a year for the first three years of
Augie Witkowski ’19
my program,” she says. “I was nominated by faculty at UO based on my visit, application and undergraduate record.” With her Ph.D., she hopes to continue researching as well as teaching. Beyond that, though, “I want to use chemistry as a tool to find solutions to many of the environmental problems that are facing society today. Mainly, I would like to work on replacing fossil fuels as chemical feedstocks – and any other project that can help us reduce our carbon footprint.”
THERE’S NO TELLING WHERE AUGIE WILL GO. BUT WHEREVER SHE ENDS UP, SHE’S CERTAIN TO CAUSE A REACTION.
Sarah Dischinger ’19
BEYOND THE MASCULINE James Earl Jones is great. But he’s not God. Growing up in the Catholic Church, Sarah Dischinger ’19 was never completely comfortable with the idea of a simply male God. “That didn’t make sense to me,” she recalls. “But that’s the only experience of God that the Church showed me – I had this resounding voice of James Earl Jones as God in my head.” In completing her degree this spring at Saint Ben’s, Sarah felt driven to complete a capstone research project. As a double major in both theology and gender studies, she was inspired to explore the intersection of her majors. “I employed Cynthia Enloe’s concept of ‘feminist curiosity’ in conjunction with theology to explore different metaphors of God that move outside a patriarchal context,” Sarah explains. “I hold that by imagining God outside of patriarchal and masculine models there will be more space for relationship with the Divine and for a more liberated view of gender.” For starters, Sarah notes, the Catechism of the Catholic Church encourages her thesis. According to the Catechism, “God transcends all creatures. We must therefore continually purify our language of everything in it that is limited, imagebound or imperfect, if we are not to confuse our image of God.”
An exclusively male image of God is inconsistent with the Bible as well: Can a woman forget her nursing child, or show no compassion for the child of her womb? Even these may forget, yet I will never forget you. – Isaiah 49:15 (NRSV) You were unmindful of the Rock that bore you; you forgot the God who gave you birth. – Deuteronomy 32:18 (NRSV) These nursing mother references are found several times in both the Old and New Testaments. “God in the ‘mother giving birth’ metaphor is seen as a lifegiving and powerful force,” says Sarah. “This power is derived from love rather than domination and sustains power through life and love, rather than death.” To clarify, Sarah explains, “Masculine models of God are not wrong … but we have used them too prolifically. The way we speak about God has power. And the way we view God affects the way we create relationships with God.” In her research, Sarah sought new models of God-talk. She looked for models that promoted that truly anyone, regardless of race, gender identity or sexuality is able to see themselves in the imago dei – the image of God.
One of the most compelling to her is the notion of a “trans-God” proposed by B.K. Hipsher; an image of God that “transforms our ideas about our fellow humans and ourselves, one that transcends all we know or think we know about God and about humanity as the imago dei.”
IN THE END, “I SEE LIMITS IN ALL METAPHORS,” SHE SAYS. “AND I THINK THAT’S AS IT SHOULD BE – NO ONE METAPHOR CAN ENCOMPASS GOD.” She encourages mixing in models in our personal sphere and liturgical sphere; teaching and making it known that God isn’t a human being – isn’t a man. “It’s crucial that we begin to incorporate these ideas in congregational and educational settings in order to express the true transcendence of God.”
Summer 2019 | 19
BITTERSWEET STRATEGY Hypertension is a significant problem. Out of 216 million U.S. residents studied, 17.9 percent had a diagnosis of hypertension, diabetes or both. Between 2000 and 2013, the prevalence of hypertension in Americans 65 and older jumped from 56.3 percent of the population to 71.3 percent. It’s currently the eighth most expensive medical condition in the U.S.
THE GOOD NEWS IS, THERE’S CHOCOLATE. Scientists have already discovered the antihypertensive effects of dark chocolate, primarily related to the antioxidant flavonoids it contains. In fact, dark chocolate contains more flavonoids than other plant-based foods (beans, apricots, tea…). Those flavonoids improve the body’s ability to vasodilate arteries and veins. And they increase the amount of nitrous oxide in the body, which decreases the risk of artery-clogging atherosclerosis.
For a team of Bennie nursing students interning at a long-term care center in Alexandria, Minnesota, this presented an opportunity. Students noted that in their particular neighborhood of the facility … • 1 9 of 38 residents had primary hypertension. •F or 13 of those 19, that primary hypertension was uncontrolled. • Those 19 patients were taking an average of 1.47 anti-hypertension medications (ranging from 0-4). • 8 of the 19 were on special diet programs. Discussions with facility management revealed that hypertension leads to significant costs – for the residents, for their insurance companies and for the facility itself. There are frequent hospitalizations and emergency room visits, as hypertension can put patients at risk for heart attacks, strokes,
congestive heart failure, chronic kidney disease and more. Residents are being prescribed multiple medications (with challenging interactions and side-effects). They’re fed specialized diets and they’re encouraged to take part in exercise programs and physical therapy (which can all be met with varying degrees of resistance by the residents). Is chocolate an underused nonpharmacological tool? The six Bennies developed a hypothesis, worked with facility staff and implemented an experiment to find out. Residents who participated in the study were given one square of 72-percent cacao dark chocolate once daily at lunchtime for a total of three weeks. Consent forms were obtained from each participating resident. Chocolate was divided up into baggies for each participant. And dietary aides signed a form each time a resident ate their chocolate, to ensure consistent participation. The students checked in with dietary staff weekly while also collecting blood pressure data for the participating residents. The results? After three weeks of chocolate and a total of six weeks of monitoring, systolic blood pressure levels were lower for seven of the nine participants. It’s clear that long-term care facilities need to consider different methods of managing hypertension. Hypertension costs currently range from $7 billion to $15.5 billion per year in the United States. Impacting that one condition can have far-reaching effects like … • Reducing injuries from falls. • Minimizing emergency room visits. • Decreasing staffing needs. Finding those methods is going to take practical, big-picture thinking like the kind shown by this cohort of six new Bennie nurses.
L to R, top to bottom: Marin Jaszewski, Stephanie Brenk, Madison Stace, Amanda Graff, Marissa Tuccy and Hannah Glynn, all class of 2019
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SEARCHING FOR ANSWERS...
BAYT JADEED – SEEKING HOME – NEUES HEIM No matter how you say it, the search for a sense of home is a universal human drive. For Danica Simonet ’19 and the crew of this year’s Extending the Link documentary, it’s a drive worth exploring. Danica went on to take her experiences as co-director of the film Bayt Jadeed and couple them with her academic work to develop her senior German capstone project – focusing on the similarities and differences of the resettlement and integration processes in Minnesota and Germany.
“SPECIFICALLY,” SHE SAYS, “I FOCUSED ON HOW FACTORS OF RELIGION, CULTURAL PRACTICES, EDUCATIONAL ATTAINMENT, AGE DEMOGRAPHICS AND NATIONAL IDENTITY PLAY A ROLE IN THE CREATION OF A NEWLY FORMED SENSE OF IDENTITY AND SENSE OF HOME FOR BOTH MIGRANTS AND RECEIVING COMMUNITY MEMBERS.”
While working on an internship with the (now defunct) New American Services program of Catholic Charities, Danica noted how U.S. immigration policies prioritize economic integration. “Many clients I worked with would enter the job market within a month or two of being resettled in the United States,” she says. On the other hand, in their first or second month of resettlement, many Syrian and Iraqi migrants in Germany are still waiting for their residency. “Once they get their residency,” Danica says, “migrants there are admitted into integration courses, which include German language, history, job training and job searching. This can sometimes take three-to-five years, as opposed to the three months of integration services migrants receive in the United States.” Another area of distinction she notes is in the location of housing. In the United States, immigrant communities – for a number of reasons – are frequently segregated into certain neighborhoods. “Contrarily,” she observes, “I saw in Germany how cities prioritize integration of groups from different backgrounds. Perhaps this comes from an understanding of the negative consequences of ghettoization, stemming from Germany’s history?”
Danica Simonet ’19
On the part of receiving communities, she acknowledges there is a growing level of fear in both Minnesota and Germany – though she attributes different causes. “In Germany, I witnessed receiving community members feeling as though too many newcomers were resettled at once, and that the government should have had a better plan before migrants reached Germany. Contrastingly, I witnessed more Minnesotans fear the loss of reliable jobs. In both contexts, receiving community members were afraid of losing their sense of home and their cultural identity.” Danica concludes by noting next steps on both a macro and an individual level. “Ultimately, we do need to address the root causes of forced migration, which are fundamentally global economic inequality and unequal distribution of power globally. And we need to address our changing planet to ensure people have land on which they can make a living.” But individually, she observes that “in both Germany and Minnesota, I saw how impactful it is for local community members to engage in volunteering services. This helps both newcomers and the receiving community to gain a sense of belonging and home.”
Summer 2019 | 21
2019
RE CAP Over 1,400 Bennie and Johnnie alums packed both campuses in June for Reunion 2019. Good friends gathered to celebrate their connections with each other, with their college and with this community we share. 22 | College of Saint Benedict Magazine
P
COLLEEN CORRIGAN ’94 Distinguished Alumna Award W e defy every expectation when we accept a young woman based on her potential and then devote the faculty, staff and other resources needed to help that young woman exceed every aspiration and expectation she held for herself.”
Mary Dana Hinton CSB President
Lord, we thank you for the blessings you’ve shown to Saint Ben’s through the years as we make our way through our second century. Bless each of us in our time together and keep us all one in your love.”
Josephine Zehnle Terwey ’39
Offering the blessing during Reunion Kick-Off
When Colleen Corrigan ’94 was eight years old, an uncle returned from a trip to Australia with a t-shirt for Colleen. The notion of such a far-off place opened a sense of possibility in her mind. Today, that sense of possibility is playing out on a global scale. Colleen is currently based in Cambridge, England, as a Senior Programme Officer with the United Nations, focused on protected areas and international environmental policy. This work perfectly blends Colleen’s dual passions: working with – and for the benefit of – people and the environment. It was a long and fascinating road to get here, and that suits Colleen perfectly: “I think it’s so important to trust that you are capable, to stay open to possibility, and let your story unfold,” she says. And unfold it did. Colleen’s multinational, multifaceted career has included teaching in Belize, working in the Nevada desert, researching dolphins in Florida, serving as a national park ranger in Maine, working on rural
conservation programs with farmers in Bolivia and Ecuador, collaborating with native Alaskan communities on sea otter biology, and managing a global partnership for large conversation NGOs at the Nature Conservancy. Colleen charted her course with trust, ambition and a continued openness to possibility. Her doctoral dissertation – and the primary focus of her work today with the United Nations – centers on the link between what’s happening at the global level in terms of environmental policymaking and the impact of those decisions on local and indigenous communities. Colleen’s work is urgent, complex and has impossibly high stakes. Eight-year-old Colleen would have been wide-eyed. But the global community can rest assured that these Really Big Questions are being addressed by someone who is exactly where she is meant to be.
Summer 2019 | 23
DANIELLE LIEBL ’14 Distinguished Alumna Award Receiving the Benedictine Service Award only five years after graduation is impressive, to say the least. But then, Danielle Liebl ’14 herself is nothing if not impressive. As a first-year student at Saint Ben’s, Danielle founded DIFFERbilities Experience. This club brought together students with and without disabilities from CSB/SJU as well as local high schools and offered unified sports through Special Olympics. Danielle, who herself has cerebral palsy, was committed to helping people “realize that they aren’t all that different.” By the time Danielle was a senior, DIFFERbilities Experience had 200 active members – plus a waiting list. DIFFERbilities Experience held events, brought in speakers and even created a program for preschoolers. As a senior, Danielle won the Peace First award, a prestigious national grant that allowed her to turn DIFFERbilities Experience into a formal nonprofit organization. Danielle ran the nonprofit after graduation while holding down a full-time job. Her
work with DIFFERbilities Experience kept getting noticed. She was invited to speak at the White House, and she wrote such important curriculum for high school and college students pertaining to youth leadership and inclusivity that Special Olympics wanted not only to adopt the curriculum but merge with DIFFERbilities Experience. The timing of the merger was perfect – DIFFERbilities Experience would gain the resources and operational support of a major organization, while Danielle could open a new chapter. She headed to law school, and today she works for a law firm in California and remains committed to her mission of bringing people together and “confronting the fears around people with disabilities.” She dreams of promoting inclusivity on a grand scale, working within corporations to help them be part of the solution. Danielle has already made an indelible impact, and she’s just getting started.
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Bennies, you get to choose how you show up, how you respond and how you are present. If at any time your choice does not serve you or allow you to be your best self, simply come back again to make a different choice. Your greatest power is your power to choose.”
Valerie Jones ’94 Alumna Speaker
We were so fortunate to be at a women’s college where we were so nurtured and encouraged. We never even knew to doubt ourselves. We felt we could do anything and so we did do anything. I have never felt that I couldn’t do what I wanted to do.” Overheard during the class of 1969’s Golden Anniversary Class Conversation
ANDREA CARROW MORSCHING ’09 Decade Award
Andrea Carrow Morsching ’09 is on a constant quest to push the boundaries of her comfort zone in order to make an impact. After growing up on a farm, she attended Saint Ben’s where she founded Extending the Link, a program that empowers students to highlight global under-told stories through documentary filmmaking. She also completed a May term in Spain, semesters abroad in Guatemala and Venezuela, and additional programs in China and Dubai before moving to Mexico for a Latin American Business Development lead job after graduation. Andrea then returned to Spain for an MBA at one of the world’s top business schools (IE Business School), where she focused on strategy and corporate finance. Today she’s living in Singapore as a Southeast Asia business development manager for 3M’s Health Care team. Andrea aims high, and she delivers. “Even if I don’t have all the answers but I believe I can make
a positive impact toward the company’s mission or goals, I will be willing to dive in, figure it out, find best practices and ask for help,” she says. “So many people have supported me along the way.” She’s also committed to supporting others. In addition to her legacy with Extending the Link, Andrea served on a nonprofit board of directors for an organization (Luminarias) that connects vulnerable Guatemalan girls to educational opportunities. And she wants to inspire others to take bold risks, seek support when they need it and never shy away from owning their accomplishments. And, of course, to keep expanding their comfort zones.
CLASS OF 1964
S. Emmanuel Renner Service Award The class of 1964 has remained deeply connected to the school, individually and collectively, giving generously of their time, talent and treasure. So much so, that for the first time ever, an entire graduating class has been honored with the S. Emmanuel Renner Service award. The S. Emmanuel Renner Service award is not bestowed every year; instead, it’s reserved for those who have gone far above and beyond with exceptional service to Saint Ben’s. Several members of the class have held formal leadership roles with Saint Ben’s, serving as trustees and on the alumnae board. They also have a number of active class representatives and an enthusiastic reunion planning committee. This group has been heavily involved in fundraising for Saint Ben’s, chairing committees and diving in when they could lend strength to a cause. In the summer of 1999, the class of 1964 lost one of their own. To honor her, the class formed a scholarship
for women at Saint Ben’s studying theology. To date, the scholarship has been awarded to 11 women. In addition to formal roles and fundraising efforts, these women have made a point to show up, literally and figuratively. They volunteer at events. They write cards. They mentor current and former students. They provide encouragement and information to prospective students. They pitch in on move-in day. They speak at events. They also show up for each other. They turned their reunions into multifaceted events – memorials of lost loved ones and milestone birthday celebrations. The gusto with which they honor their losses and their joys, and the passion they bring to their service to Saint Ben’s, has inspired innumerable other alumnae. And, as one class member puts it (with a wink): “We’re not done yet!”
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WE STAND FOR THIS ...
TOGETHER During the 2018 Benedictine Heritage Tour to Saint Walburg Abbey in Eichstätt, Germany – the monastery from which our founding sisters came – CSB President Mary Dana Hinton had a conversation with Mother Franziska Kloss. At the time, Mother Franziska was the abbess of Saint Walburg – only the fifth abbess since Mother Benedicta Riepp and her charges left for America. When the topic of conversation turned to women in leadership and the importance of supporting and believing in the ability of women, Mother Franziska’s tone turned full and clear as she pounded the table and declared, “I stand for this.”
Today, as we rally together in support of the Illuminating Lives campaign, it seems appropriate to ask ourselves, “What do we stand for?” We’ve grown closer to our $100 million goal, having raised over $85 million at the end of June. Alumnae, parents, friends and benefactors are coming together and declaring that we do indeed stand for this. We stand for providing access to quality education to deserving young women. We stand for improved learning in 21st century academic spaces. We stand for building confidence by providing the full range of Saint Ben’s experiences to as many of our students as possible. WILL YOU STAND WITH US AND HELP ILLUMINATE THE NEXT 100 YEARS FOR SAINT BEN’S AND THE WOMEN WHO BECOME BENNIES? Visit our campaign website at csbilluminatinglives.com, or check out some of the suggestions on the next page.
JUNE 2019 CAMPAIGN UPDATE CAMPAIGN PROGRESS ACTUAL $86,836,708
GOAL $100,000,000
ILLUMINATING LIVES CAMPAIGN PROGRESS (BY PRIORITY) ENDOWMENT GIVING ACTUAL $52,662,183
GOAL $63,000,000
ANNUAL GIVING ACTUAL $23,052,293
GOAL $25,000,000
FACILITIES GIVING ACTUAL $11,122,232
GOAL $12,000,000
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Actual (as of 6/30/19)
Goal
LIGHT IT UP What can you do to lend your light to advance the goals of the Illuminating Lives campaign? Here are five practical ways to get involved.
SHOW UP
SET UP
A whole set of campaign events is coming to locations around the country. Watch our website at csbilluminatinglives.com to learn when one is coming to your area. Then show up! It’s a chance to reconnect with the college, meet some like-minded alums and friends and get familiar with the important goals of the campaign and its progress.
Consider leaving Saint Ben’s a gift in your will or estate. It’s very easy to do. And, if you’re like most people, starting that process will be a great first step in organizing some important things that you may have been putting off.
TALK THEM UP
When you turn this page, you’re going to learn more about an initiative designed to capture and preserve stories from CSB alumnae from all generations. Bennie Conversations is close to hitting its first milestone of 100 conversations! By telling our stories, we’ll celebrate and document the impact this college has had on its students – their families, their businesses, their communities … the world.
Who understands better than an alumna like you the transformational impact a CSB education can have on a young woman? The Illuminating Lives campaign is expanding access to that impact to deserving students everywhere. You’ve seen it. So say it. Tell someone about why these young women are worthy of investment. Need inspiration? Go to csbilluminatinglives.com and scroll down to watch the campaign video everyone talks about after attending a campaign event.
SPEAK UP
STEP UP Every annual gift, facilities investment, endowed scholarship commitment and documented will or trust bequest helps us reach our $100 million goal. Visit csbilluminatinglives.com today, learn more and give!
Summer 2019 | 27
DOLAN FAMILY ENDOWED SCHOLARSHIP FOR FIRST-GEN STUDENTS Terry Dolan, chief financial officer of U.S. Bank and chair of the College of Saint Benedict Board of Trustees, and his family, established the Dolan Family Endowed Scholarship, a $1 million scholarship fund for first-generation college students. Excerpts from Dolan’s remarks at recent Illuminating Lives campaign events speak to his family’s journey and desire to give back to an institution dedicated to the transformation of young women in the form of an endowed scholarship fund.
In my field, I have a vested interest in promoting leadership that reflects the demographics of our customer base. The world needs women leaders, and Saint Ben’s excels at producing them. There’s a demographer named Dr. Jim Johnson, who has done considerable work in disruptive demographics and the need for individuals to be able to “re-make” themselves several times during their careers. He has identified several characteristics he considers necessary for success in the future:
My journey with Saint Benedict’s started 10 years ago as the proud father of a 2013 Bennie. Based on her experience, I deeply value the sense of community … during critically important years of transformation. I saw Hannah grow tremendously in confidence during her four years. I attribute that to the powerful single-sex residential life experience, the Benedictine influence and an environment that enables women to find their voice with confidence.
• • • • •
My career has made me a strong advocate for sound governance and financial stewardship. And Saint Ben’s delivers that. According to analysis by U.S. News and World Report, the College of Saint Benedict is rated number one among national liberal arts colleges for operating efficiency, which means that your charitable gifts are stretched further at Saint Ben’s than at any other college in the country. When you choose to invest your philanthropy in Saint Ben’s, you can be confident that you’re seeing a healthy return on that investment.
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Analytical reasoning Entrepreneurial acumen Contextual intelligence Soft skills and cultural elasticity Agility and flexibility
All of these characteristics are central to a liberal arts education. So, while professional degrees might seem appealing when focused on getting that first job out of college, the true keys to longer-term success are the skills you learn at a liberal arts school. Saint Ben’s shines on both fronts. I invite you to join me in supporting the Illuminating Lives campaign by investing in the life-changing power of a Saint Ben’s education – an education that prepares young women to think critically, lead courageously and advocate passionately.
Nearly 100 Bennie Conversations Shine Light in Alumna-to-Alumna Interviews
SNIPPETS OF CONVERSATION
JOIN THE CONVERSATION Bennie Conversations: How She Shines is an initiative designed to capture the individual impacts of our collective light. As Bennies, we know the impact of daring to shine. We’ve seen it in the sisters who lit the spark more than a century ago. And we’ve seen it in the generations of alumnae who’ve fanned the flames of lifelong learning. Since it was launched in February, Bennie Conversations has held nearly 100 alumna-to-alumna interviews. Our hope is to celebrate and preserve these moments that define a Bennie. Now we have another opportunity to shine – by reaching the next milestone of 200 Bennie Conversations.
CAN YOU HELP? To reach our goal and record 500 alumnae conversations, we’ll need help. Lots of help. • W ill you honor this effort by telling your story in an alum-to-alum interview? • Do you have the curious spirit to gently draw these stories out of fellow alumnae as an interviewer? • Let us know where we should look – who are the Bennies you know who have stories we should all know? • Nominate a Bennie you know who has the listening ear to be an interviewer for Bennie Conversations. Reach out to learn more and volunteer by emailing Abby Hansen ’12, CSB engagement officer, at ahansen001@csbsju.edu.
FOLLOW THE STORY Throughout the Illuminating Lives campaign, as we compile Bennie Conversations and other sparks of Bennie illumination, we’ll be posting them on the campaign website at csbilluminatinglives.com – under the How She Shines tab! Come back to visit often to hear from more Bennies like Lois.
Lois Liners ’46, a social work major, participated in a Bennie Conversation with Tara Maas ’14 in Watertown, Wisconsin, in April. Lois was married to Dr. Robert (Bob) Liners (SJU ’49), who passed away in 2016. They are the parents of Mary Liners Schuett ’75 and grandparents of Sarah Kersbergen Ruiz ’05. Lois and Bob, a dentist, spent their retirement doing over 65 mission trips, bringing dental services to 12 countries. “Saint Ben’s showed me that I could (find my place in the world), because it gave me the opportunity to actually speak out, to actually be part of it. I don’t even know if they have the junior league of women voters anymore, but (Saint Ben’s) made me really more aware of the political and spiritual world, and not that it’s just an everyday life. Life encompasses so much more than what you have in your own little area. “Saint Ben’s gave me a lot of opportunities to speak – to do public speaking. And Sister Mariella (Gable)’s advocacy for writing was important. If you can write … even now I love to write letters and I learned how to do that at Saint Ben’s. “If you had to list the things in my life that were most important to me, Saint Ben’s would be right up there on the top. It somehow defined who I was; who I wanted to be.”
Summer 2019 | 29
I’M A BENNIE
Allison and the Health Care 101 panel: Julie Mayers Benson ’90, Thomas Hansen (SJU ’10), Matthew Pope and Aaron Sinner (SJU ’11)
ALLISON STEEN ’16 HEALTH CARE 101 Two years ago, Allison Steen had a fairly serious medical scare. One of the scariest parts though, turned out to be navigating the health care system. Not long after, she found herself talking about the experience with Ashley Winden ’16, whose fiancé Jack Hansen (SJU ’16) was fighting both cancer and the health care system. “The discussion left us thinking how we felt ill prepared dealing with the health care system, especially as young adults,” she explains. “Why weren’t we better prepared? We were never educated. Hence the reason for Health Care 101.” As a consumer, Allison saw the problem. As a former Entrepreneur Scholar, she had the initiative to tackle it. As a Bennie, she had the calling to act. So she did.
30 | College of Saint Benedict Magazine
She worked with Ashley and Jack, as well as George Dornbach (SJU ’18). They enlisted the help of Val Jones ’94 and her team in the CSB Alumnae Relations office. She looked to her friends, worked her network and put together Health Care 101. “Through the Entrepreneur Scholars program, we were taught to seek out answers to unknown questions,” Allison says. “We learned the power of thoughtful communication, persistence and courage to ask for help.” They assembled a panel of health care experts including Julie Mayers Benson ’90, M.D., Thomas “Dutch” Hansen (SJU ’10), M.D., Aaron Sinner (SJU ’11) from MNsure and Matthew Pope from UnitedHealthcare. And they planned an event for young alumnae/i that included food and beer at Sisyphus Brewery in Minneapolis. (That’s called knowing your market.)
Five main questions were used to facilitate the conversation. They ranged from “Where do we even start?” to “How do I advocate for my health?” “It was a space where people could candidly ask questions to a broad range of experts,” Allison says. “They put a real face on the complex term health care. “The event’s goal was to help young alums feel empowered and educated to go out into the world of health care and advocate for themselves,” she concludes. “And I believe it did just that. I don’t believe this is the last of this conversation.” So what aspects of adulting confound you? Finance? Home ownership? Car buying? Bet you’re not alone.
Major at CSB Global business leadership, with a focus in entrepreneurship and a minor in econ
First-year residence hall Corona K
Favorite course/professor The Entrepreneur Scholar courses with Paul Marsnik
Favorite Bennie memory On the Saint Ben’s Dance Team, we had a ritual of a huddle, prayer and cheer before going out to perform. All the women holding and squeezing hands, we would look around at each other and know we were in it together. What a sense of community!
CLASS NOTES
| MILESTONES
Tasha Hetrick Ward was recognized as 2005
one of five Public Health Heroes by the Pierce County Wisconsin Public Health Department. As part of National Public Health Week, the department selected the five for their work in preserving, protecting and promoting the health of Pierce County residents, April ’19.
Pam Edington is on the Board of Directors 1975 for Hudson Valley Hospice, Hudson, N.Y., Feb. ’19.
Gwen Raitor Neal is recognized by the 1976
Continental Who’s Who as a Pinnacle Professional in the field of law, Jan. ’19.
Susan Lynch Vento was appointed to the Metropolitan Council by Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz in March 2019.
2 006
L isa Eng-Sarne is a member of the West St. Paul City Council, St. Paul, Minn., Jan. ’19.
2009
arah Biro Hawkins is now Project S Manager at the Metropolitan Library Service Agency (MELSA) in St. Paul, Minn.
2011
J ackqueline Tulloch Brockway recently opened a tasting and event room at her family’s Next Chapter Winery in New Prague, Minn. The tasting room started with just pizza and wine and has now grown to a full menu developed by Brockway.
Susan Funk Jepson received a 2019 1979
TRUST Award at the annual Women’s Heath Leadership TRUST Forum, March ’19.
Kathleen Flynn was awarded the 1985
Minnesota Elementary School Principals Association 2019 Division Leadership Award, Feb. ’19.
Irma Mayorga published 1988
“The Panza Monologues,” Jan. ’14.
exhibit at the Edwardsville Arts Center in Edwardsville, Ill. The exhibit featured nine artists from around the world in a wide range of media but with one common thread – each artist uses materials to explore the idea of place.
Terri Giyan Kallsen, executive vice 1990
2013
Paulette Wojtalewicz Marty published 1992
“Contemporary Women Stage Directors: Conversations on Craft,” March ’19.
1993
Cami Zimmer was awarded the Connected World’s Magazine Women of M2M Award, joining other women leaders in the Internet of Things (IoT) industry from Microsoft, Intel, Cisco, Verizon, AT&T, Cargill, GE and more, Feb. ’19.
Corrie Dumdie Barry was appointed CEO 1997 at Best Buy, beginning June ’19.
1999
Psychologist Jennifer Neegaard Flinn joined Carris Health in March ’19.
2001
nne Fishman LaFlamme received a 2019 A TRUST Award at the annual Women’s Heath Leadership TRUST Forum, March ’19.
2003
ichelle Johnson is the principal in M Healthcare Practice at Witt/Kieffer, March ’19.
2004
rianna Zuber Green opened a law firm, B Zuber Law, in Glenwood, Minn., Feb. ’19.
2005
alie Rider was featured in an K Independent Lens documentary titled “My Country No More,” Jan. ’19.
2006
Kelsie Ward recently curated an art 2012
Kate Hendricks Reschenberg is the executive director of the Economics Club of Minnesota, April ’19. president of Investor Services at Charles Schwab, was recently named the 2019 Financial Woman of the Year by Financial Women of San Francisco (FWSF). FWSF is a 400-member organization of professionals in finance and financial services and this award is the organization’s highest honor. April ’19.
| MARRIAGES
Hudda Ibrahim was chosen as one of 24 visionary leaders to be awarded a 2019 Bush Foundation Fellowship. Ibrahim, who is president and CEO of Filsan Talent Partners and an instructor at St. Cloud Technical and Community College, will be provided up to $100,000 over 12 to 24 months to pursue learning experiences that will help her develop leadership skills and attributes, March ’19.
2015
elly M. Benitez earned a Master of K Science in counseling psychology from Mount Saint Mary’s University, Dec.’16.
2016
Alison Gunter was recently crowned Aurora, Queen of Snows at the 2019 St. Paul Winter Carnival. She is the third woman from Clara City, Minn., to be crowned with this title. Gunter has also been crowned Miss Clara City in 2012 and was a 2014 Aquatennial Princess.
’06
ABBY CAMPBELL TO SHANE SHUCHENG WONG, JULY ’18
Lisa Sarne to Chad Michael Eng, April ’12
Niesha Ford received a Payne Fellowship 2017 for graduate school and work in the U.S. Foreign Service, April ’19.
Amy Fursa was one of 110 candidates recently recognized with the 2018 Elijah Watt Sells Award for being in the top 0.05 percent of CPA exam takers, April ’19. Precious Drew & Lucy Cervino, 2018
co-founders of Perk: The Natural Beauty Lab, were featured in The Orange County Review for the use of coffee grounds in their exfoliating scrub, March ’19.
Grace Kilgore was featured in the Forest Park Review for her social work internship with the Forest Park Public Library, Feb. ’19.
’06
BLANCA MUNGUIA TO JON GUIMONT, JAN. ’19
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. Summer 2019 | 31
CLASS NOTES
2012
2007
Samantha Fischer to Jon Krause, Dec. ’18
’13
J ENA WIEHOFF TO PHILIP ORZECHOWSKI ’11, AUG. ’18 2013
Sarah Harter to Collin Arneson, April ’18
Kyra Knoff to Keith Ischer, Jan. ’19
Michelle Pokorny to Isaak Jones ’13, Oct. ’18
2014
HEATHER JOHNSON TO JOHN GRIFFIN, NOV. ’18
2010 2012
’07
Laine Rajkowski to Samuel Hines ’14, Dec. ’18
2015 Carolyn Bedford to Michael Torgerson ’15, May ’18
Jordan Doetkott to Austin Van Beck ’16, Aug. ’18 Natalia Gall to Tanner Wright ’15, Dec. ’18
Shannon Moore to Jimmy Krizka, Oct. ’18
Kaitlyn Nelson to Joseph Rydeen ’13, July ’18
Tara Serbus to Jake Arnold, Jan. ’19
Alyssa Whitesell to Wesley Blake, July ’18
2017
Hannah Brink to Adam Willard, Sept. ’17
Hallee Curtis to Kyle Olson ’17, July ’18
Kasey Kane to Alexander Charbonneau ’17, Aug. ’18
Maggie O’Donnell to Matt Dreier, July ’18
’12
ELIZABETH “LIBBIE” ROBERTS TO MATT RAUHAUSER, AUG. ’18
32 | College of Saint Benedict Magazine
CLASS NOTES
| BIRTHS / ADOPTIONS
2003
2007
2000
ate Johnson Doubler & Luke Doubler K ’03, boy, Johnny, Jan. ’19
egan Mastrian Young & Andrew Young, M girl, Emily, Dec. ’18
2004
ngie Krtnick Complin & Dan Complin, A boy, Chase, Feb. ’19
2008
J olene Fischer Gerads & Robert Gerads ’08, boy, Xavier, Jan. ’19
S hannon Coen Koenig & Dustin Koenig, girl, Lena, Jan. ’19
2005
atherine Silus & Benjamin Brinkman ’05, K girl, Hazel, May ’18
ndrea “Annie” Clintsman Rivard & A Matthew Rivard, boy, Oscar, Aug. ’16, girl, Vivian, June ’18
Grazzini ’01, girl, Sienna, Oct. ’18
2006
ndrea Meuleners Henle & Steve A Henle ’06, boy, Benjamin, Jan. ’19
arah Skytte Rothstein & David S Rothstein ’08, girl, Michelle Mae, Feb. ’19
ana Kelly Fitzpatrick & Matthew D Fitzpatrick, girl, Ani, April ’19
E rin Zrust Quinn and Casey Quinn, girl, Julia, Dec. ’18
my Bowen Halverson & Michael A Halverson ’01, boy, William, Jan. ’19
Naomi Nakada Lynch & Brian Lynch ’98, girl, Kiwa, Jan. ’18
Deidra Burgoyne Heuring & Jason 2001 Heuring, boy, Samuel, Feb. ’19
Shannon Hogan Grazzini & Anthony
2002
’08
’04
BETH BLONIGEN BERGFIELD & MATTHEW BERGFIELD, BOY, JACK MATTHEW, JUNE ’18
talk LET’S
The choice is yours. Your legacy is in good hands.
ARAH ROTH VON RUDEN & S ANTHONY VON RUDEN ’08, GIRL, CHARLOTTE, SEPT. ’18
Let’s start the conversation now, so your voice can carry on through generations. A legacy gift of any size pays exponential returns. It’s an investment in ambitious, promising women – women who will honor your legacy with transformative, world-changing impact. Make a bequest through your will or trust, name CSB as a beneficiary, or establish a charitable gift annuity.
Contact Gigi Fourré Schumacher ’74 at gschumach001@csbsju.edu or 320-363-5480 and learn more.
Summer 2019 | 33
CLASS NOTES
2009
Elizabeth Haagenson Dirkes & Trent Dirkes ’09, boy, Soren, May ’19
2011
Kristy Kingsley Ford & Webster Ford ’06, boy, Isaac, April ’19
Jessica Lockner-Kotek McKeown & Conor McKeown ’09, girl, Sylvia, Jan. ’19
Brittney Helmbrecht Schoephoerster & Alex Schoephoerster ’11, boy, Lincoln, Jan. ’19
Jennifer Mike Rhein & Jacob Rhein, girl, Nora, Jan. ’19
2013
elanie Miesen Griffith & Troy Griffith, M girl, Harper, May ’18
Samantha Novitsky Vaith & John Paul “JP” Vaith ’11, girl, Marley, Feb. ’19
2013
M eghan Simmet Hermes & Daniel Hermes ’13, boy, Rory, Sept. ’18 J ennifer Strege Lillehaug & Jacob Lillehaug ’13, girl, Annaleise, June ’16
2010
nna-Lisa Rustad DeVaan & Brady A DeVaan ’10, girl, Ella, Dec. ’18
J ennifer Dahl Reicks & Justin Reicks, girl, Claire, June ’18
2011
’13
GINA ATHMANN LOMHEIM & KRIS LOMHEIM, GIRL, MADELYN, MAY ’19
arolyn Chock O’Laughlin & Tommy C O’Laughlin ’13, boy, Charlie, March ’19
ndrea Hansel Olmscheid & James A Olmscheid ’11, boy, Oliver, Feb ’19
risten Beste Tschida & Jason Tschida, K girl, Madelyn, Jan. ’19
Katherine Zuroski Koehler & Tommy 2014 Koehler ’14, boy, August, Dec. ’18
A shley Welters Kruse & Brandon Kruse, girl, Ava, March ’19
’14
ALUL YESAK & JOSEPH NELSON ’14, GIRL, ELHANAN, MAY ’18 Caitlyn Schaeffer Thompson & Joseph 2016 Thompson ’14, boy, Harrison, June ’18
Hannah Brink Willard & Adam Willard, 2017 boy, Cullen, April ’19
| DEATHS
’11
ATHERINE WINDSCHITL BROLSMA & MATT BROLSMA ’11, BOY, K FREDERICK, FEB. ’19 34 | College of Saint Benedict Magazine
1947 1948
Paula Reiten, OSB, March ’19
1950
Rosemary Plakut Ferber, March ’19
L ila Diemert McDermott, mother of Margaret McDermott Kubeczko ’77, April ’19
E lizabeth “Betty” Esser Schwamberger, mother of Mary Schwamberger Lehn ’92, Feb. ’12
CLASS NOTES
Gloria Schleper Enger, mother of Anne 1953 Enger Anderman ’80, Feb. ’19
Jeanette Wright Schmall, mother of Jamesine Schmall Leigh ’80, Jan. ’19
Juliana Welle Verzuh, April ’19
Rosanne Maddy Hendrickson, mother of 1955 Mary Hendrickson-Nelson ’86, May ’18
Helen Cernhous Heisler, mother of 1956
Patricia Heisler Azman ’85, March ’19
Charlotte Hilgers Miller, March ’19
1957 Angeline Dufner, April ’19 1958 Rosalee Hosie Schreiner, March ’19 Judith Ehlenz Collins, March ’19 1959 1963 Clare Shadeg, OSB, Feb. ’19 1964 William Connelly, spouse of Carol Hughes Connelly, Feb. ’19
Ann (Virginia) Arceneau, OSB, March ’19 1965
Mary Breiter Nolan, May ’19
Jake Froehle ’03, son of Eileen Sullivan 1966 Froehle, March ’19
1971 Julianne Carpentier, mother of
Nancy Carpentier Roering, Susan Carpentier ’72 & Paulette Carpentier Siedow ’74, March ’19
1972 Lorraine Sitarz, mother of Judith Sitarz, April ’19
THEY WANT TO KNOW! Your friends – your classmates – Bennies who’ve never met you. … They want to know about the important moments and milestones in your life. So let us know so we can let them know. Tell us about your promotions, awards, babies, weddings and loved ones whom you’d like folks to remember. It’s not bragging, it’s just sharing. Register in BenniesConnect at www.csbsju.edu/csb-alumnae to stay up-to-date all around. Or simply email csbalumnae@csbsju.edu.
1973 Dr. Raymond Wallace Scallen, father of Ann Scallen Block, Feb. ’19
Joyce Dinndorf, mother of Beth Dinndorf, April ’19 Robert Melcher, father of Kathleen Melcher Mummert, Mary Melcher Mans ’75 & Anne Melcher Leuthner ’79, April ’19 Dolores Nystrom, mother of Betty Nystrom & Patricia Nystrom Nelson ’83, March ’19 Robert Soukup, father of Barbara Soukup Stalley, May ’19 Judith Steele Goetemann, mother of 1974 Elisabeth Goetemann Scholes ’82, Feb. ’19
Ellery Bresnahan, father of Joan Bresnahan Lasslo, Katherine Bresnahan Bruckbauer ’80, Mary Bresnahan Franta ’82, Susan Bresnahan Schwieters ’84 & Teresa Bresnahan Rene ’85, Feb. ’19
1975 Therese O’Brien, mother of Charlene O’Brien Kelzer & Paula O’Brien Germscheid ’82, March ’19
1977 Neil Katner, father of Susan Katner & Anne Katner ’82, April ’19
Tom Leimer ’50, father of Ann Marie Leimer, Jan. ’19
1978 Elaine Duffy, mother of Elizabeth Brand Arellano, April ’19
Grace Bartels, March ’19
THERE’S POWER IN CONVERSATION Bennie Conversations: How She Shines is an initiative to capture and preserve what it means to be a Bennie through hundreds of recorded one-on-one interviews. Your stories – funny, sad, heroic, relatable – showcase the impact each of us has when we let our lights shine.
Contact Abby Hansen ’12 at ahansen001@csbsju.edu to learn more about … • volunteering to tell your story. • v olunteering to interview other Bennies. • s uggesting Bennies with great stories to share. • s uggesting Bennies who are easy to talk with to become interviewers.
Summer 2019 | 35
CLASS NOTES
1979 Charles Hansen, father of Susan Hansen
1985 Raymond Foslid, father of Mary Foslid
1991 Maria Meyer, mother of Lorraine Meyer
1980 Mary Elizabeth “Betty” McDowall, mother
Alvin Houle, father of Dr. Barbara Houle, March ’19
Mary Lawrence, mother of Michelle Lawrence Sittlow, April ’19
1981 Norbert Schleppenbach, father of Jeannie
Elaine Michels, mother of Julie Michels, Jan. ’19
David Tode, Sr., father of Michelle Tode Stenbeck, Feb. ’19
John Musech, father of Christine Musech Geist, April ’19
1986 Leonette Lanners, mother of Kathleen
1992 Ethel Euteneuer, mother of Cynthia
James Leinen ’51, father of Kathryn Leinen Manecke, Murphy Leinen Lund ’85 & Michala Leinen Klein ’92, Jan. ’19
Marlys Toogood, mother of Ann Toogood Garrett, Feb ’19
1993 Katherine Welter, mother of Shana Welter Holliday, Feb. ’19
Ruthann Holetz, mother of Kristine Holetz Martinson, May ’19
Darlene Leitzke Heinecke, mother of Brenda Heinecke Lockwood, Jan. ’19
1988 Elizabeth Gergen, mother of Sue Gergen,
John Bendix ’57, father of Katherine Bendix Youngberg, Jan. ’19
1989 Alphonse Ellering, father of Patrice
1994 Robert Kilian, father of Molly Kilian
John Uldrich, Jr., father of Catherine Uldrich Glynn, Jan. ’19
1995 Elaine Allen, mother of Kathryn Allen Martin, Nov. ’18
Sauer, March ’19
of Mary McDowall, May ’19
Schleppenbach Fleck, April ’19
Daniel Conlon ’59, father of Colleen 1982 Conlon, May ’19
Ellsworth Schultz, father of Jane Schultz Ruprecht, Feb. ’19 Mary Jane Greising, mother of Elise Greising Vollbrecht & Mari Greising Payton ’90, May ’19
1983 Ronald Rolfes, father of Ronda Rolfes Dever, Feb. ’19
Rajah Kolb, mother of Melanie Kolb Schmidt & Amelia Kolb Daniels ’91, March ’19 Pam Bot Haukum, Oct. ’15 1984 Nancy Hoffner, mother of Julie Hoffner Meyer, April ’19 Wendy Ungar, mother of Christine Ungar & Jennifer Ungar Lasswell ’86, April ’19
Blazanin, March ’19
Lanners Carruth, May ’19
Jan. ’19
Ellering, Jan. ’19
Karen Utecht Harbeck, May ’19
Charles O’Malley father of Janine O’Malley Lortz, Jan. ’19
1990 Paula Pendleton, mother of Virginia Pendleton Hsieh, Jan. ’19
Ellsworth Schultz, father of Deborah Schultz Kawlewski, Feb. ’19
Rita Lahr, mother of Mary Lahr, May ’19
Diane Drutschmann Elkerton, Nov. ’18 1991
Mejia-Green, April ’19
Euteneuer Bautch, March ’19
Lindenfelser, April ’19
William Sullivan, father of Megan Sullivan Rees & Mara Sullivan Arakelian ’00, March ’19 Katherine Weber, mother of Melissa Weber, March ’19
1996 Richard Olmscheid, father of Tanya Olmscheid Johnson, Feb. ’19
1997 William Lynch, father of Anne Lynch, May ’19
Dolores Hatlestad, mother of Jennifer Hatlestad Reyes, March ’19
Life is better when
BenniesConnect When Bennies connect, old friendships thrive and new friendships blossom. Use BenniesConnect to submit class notes, update your address, check on a friend and plant the seed for more meaningful connections— both personally and professionally. To register, go to www.csbsju.edu/csb-alumnae and click on the BenniesConnect link.
36 | College of Saint Benedict Magazine
CLASS NOTES
1998 Warren Nikodym, father of Jill Nikodym Schumer, March ’19
1999 Larry Molenaar, father of Grace Molenaar Baltich, April ’19
2001 Rita Condon, mother of Christine Condon, April ’19
2002 Valentine Arceneau, father of Cheryl Arceneau Hellerman, May ’19
Kazimierz Roslik, father of Angelina Roslik, Feb ’19
2005 Deborah Landwehr, mother of Melody Landwehr, Feb. ’19
Ronald Nordstrand, father of Amy Nordstrand Sik, April ’19
2006 Dr. Bernard Williams, father of Danielle Williams Thelen & Megan Williams Mulheran ’08, March ’19
Craig Wurm, father of Stacy Wurm, Feb. ’19
2008 Ralph Petersen, father of Amanda Petersen, Jan. ’19
2010 Margaret Olsem, mother of Jessica Olsem Laleman, Sept. ’18
2015 Jon Noreen, father of Darby Noreen, Feb. ’19
2018 Larry Peterson, father of Michelle Peterson, May ’18
YOU THINK YOU LIKE SAINT BEN’S, BUT DO YOU
REALLY? CSB and SJU on social media are great, but the CSB Alumnae Association has a whole stream of alum-specific content to keep you up-to-date and connected. Like and follow us everywhere!
facebook.com/SaintBensAlums linkedin.com/groups/64647 twitter.com/saintbensalums instagram.com/csbsju/
KNOW SOMEONE WHO’LL
LOOK GREAT IN RED? Referring a student is one of the best ways you can help build the CSB/SJU tradition. If you know a high school student who would make a great Bennie or Johnnie, let us know by filling out the Student Referral form on our website. As an added bonus, we’ll send them a voucher for a t-shirt that they can redeem during a campus visit.
Go to www.spreadred.com to help dress someone for a lifetime of success.
Summer 2019 | 37
BENNIE CONNECTION
1
2
3 1. M elissa Koop ’17 joined other Bennies and Johnnies to lend a helping hand at ICM Food Bank in Phoenix, Ariz., for Benedictine Day of Service, May ’19. 2. Bennies from the class of 1981 held a 60th birthday celebration in March. Around the table, L to R: Joann Link Landkamer, Carol Stahler Cole, Patricia Lynch, Jacqueline Lantry, Kathleen McNamara, Carol Zrust Hagebak, Ann Price Fleming, LuAnn Thomas Wood, Leslie Hendricks Masterson, Lisa Brewers Walther. Back row, L to R: Ann Lynch Ruschy, Gretchen Roth Kittok, Rebecca Bergner Coborn, Kathleen Will McKeown, Monica Engel Marx, Rebecca Bruggeman Harkman, Kathy Melsen Eagan, Cathy Super Buggy. 3. RedTalks was held in April and was, again, a big success! Presenters and organizers included (front row, L to R) Frank Zellner ’15, Megan Russell ’18, Hannah Windschitl ’20, Erin McGlinch ’17, Precious Drew ’18; (back row, L to R) Brandyn Woodard, Glen Werner ’93, Nomin Angarag ’18, Elizabeth Streefland ’87, Jeff Muntifering ’99, Ryan Graham ’21. 4. B arbara Wagner ’01 represented CSB at the inauguration ceremony of John E. Cech, 18th president of Carroll College in Helena, Mont., April ’19.
38 | College of Saint Benedict Magazine
4
BENNIE CONNECTION
5 5. A PLEN seminar on Women in Global Policy in Washington, D.C., during May was a great opportunity for ambitious students to connect with Bennie alums with a passion for cultivating women’s leadership in public policy. L to R: Meghan Ortizcazarin ’19, Cindy Umana ’20, Jona Van Deun ’92 (CSB trustee and PLEN board member), Morgan Carlson ’21 and Jenny Nord Mallard ’94.
6
6. T wo couples at this summer’s reunion were celebrating not just 50th class reunions, but also their 50th wedding anniversaries! L to R: Dave Thorman (SJU ’69), Dodi Coursolle Thorman ’69, Kathy Waddick Setzer ’69 and Mike Setzer (SJU ’68). 7. Joyce Windsperger Rubio ’71, Cassandra Roline ’17, Halie Nettleton ’17, Amy Anderson, Tracy Sterk ’94, Stephanie Wells ’94 and Joe Mahowald ’17 spent time helping youth at Cookie Cart in Minneapolis, Minn., for Benedictine Day of Service, May ’19.
7 Summer 2019 | 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
?
Bennie economics majors started reaping the advantages of the CSB Economics Endowed Scholarship Fund. The lesson continues … Toward the end of last fiscal year, John made a gift of some appreciated stock. And, ever the economics professor, he’s happy to explain the advantages, in case you find yourself in a similar situation. “First,” he says, “the usual caveat is that every individual’s tax situation is different, so you need to always check with professional accounting, tax and/or financial advisors. But generally, making charitable gifts of appreciated non-cash assets offers tax advantages.
Economic Advantages BY | GREG SKOOG (SJU ’89)
When John Olson, professor emeritus of economics, joined the faculty of the CSB/SJU Economics Department in fall 1985, he knew that the department – like the field – suffered from a significant gender imbalance. He and his colleagues worked hard at repairing that, and had some success. But as those numbers grew, another disparity became apparent. “Each spring, the department solicits applications from students and a faculty committee recommends scholarship awards to recognize academic achievement,” John recalls. “Initially, there were only some paltry amounts available to CSB students.”
In the late 1990s, John and Professor Emeritus Joe Friedrich (SJU ’64) worked with the CSB Institutional Advancement team and the family of former Trustee Dennis Watkins to designate the Dennis Watkins Scholarship in Economics, which is usually awarded to the best junior CSB economics major for her senior year. It was a good start, but it was just a start. “Early on in my career at CSB/SJU, I was told there was a CSB Economics Endowed Scholarship Fund for designated gifts from alums and other donors,” John says. “But the balance in the fund was small – well below the necessary minimum required to make awards.” So each year, John made gifts to that fund, and encouraged faculty colleagues and econ alums to do the same. In spring 2018, the first awards were made and
“The advantage of giving appreciated stock in lieu of cash is that it legally avoids capital gains taxation. While those capital gains taxes are 0 percent at low income levels, they can be 15 percent, 20 percent or greater at higher income levels. If you sold the appreciated stock to give a cash gift, the net amount of your gift would be reduced by the amount of capital gains taxes you have to pay to the IRS. Further, in Minnesota and many other states, those capital gains are also included in your state taxable income, so you pay state income tax on them. And on top of that, since your cash gift is smaller, any tax advantage you may receive from taking an itemized deduction for your gift is also correspondingly smaller. But if you make a charitable gift of the appreciated stock, there are no capital gains taxes to be paid and you get its full value as a possible itemized charitable deduction.” So making a gift of the stock might be the best choice. Especially since, as John points out, making a gift of appreciated stock is remarkably easy. A simple conversation with a development officer at Saint Ben’s can get it started.
To find out more about working with others to create a scholarship supporting students in your major or making a gift of appreciated stock to Saint Ben’s, contact Malik Stewart, CSB development officer, at 320-363-5170. Summer 2019 | 41
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October 5 DON’T MISS IT!
19 Mark your calendar and make plans now to join us. All classes, all ages, all day – it’s going to be a perfect chance to reconnect and reminisce. Get your red ready now!