News

McNeely Center Names 2022 Entrepreneurs of the Year

Seeing opportunities, exemplifying innovation in launching and leading a venture and applying the Benedictine values central to both the College of Saint Benedict and Saint John’s University in the workplace and in their own lives. Those are the traits which the Entrepreneur of the Year Awards – presented annually by the Donald McNeely Center for Entrepreneurship at CSB and SJU – were created to honor.

In October, this year’s winners were honored in a ceremony at the Metropolitan Golden Club in Golden Valley, Minnesota.

Hudda Ibrahim ’13

CSB Entrepreneur of the Year Ibrahim is CEO of Filsan Talent Partners, a Central Minnesota company devoted to helping local employers attract and retain talent. She also is a faculty member at St. Cloud Technical and Community College and a trainer specializing in topics such as diversity and inclusion, cultural competency and unconscious bias. In addition, she is the author of seven books including From Somalia to Snow, What Color is My Hijab, and Lula Wants to Wear a Badge, published by Diverse Voices Press, a company she co-founded with her husband.

Pat Lynch ’88

SJU Entrepreneur of the Year Lynch is president of Granite Logistics. With offices in Sartell and Minneapolis, Granite Logistics has appeared six straight times (including three times in the top 10) on the Minneapolis/St. Paul Business Journal’s Fast 50 list of fastest-growing private businesses. The steadily growing firm will arrange for the movement of more than 70,000 truckloads of freight and generate over $250 million in gross billings in 2022.

Mary Lenard ’82

CSB+SJU Social Entrepreneur of the Year Lenard is co-founder and former executive director of Giving Voice Initiative, a national nonprofit leading the way in the worldwide development of dementia-inclusive choruses. The organization believes in the power of music to help people with Alzheimer’s live better lives – lifting moods, stimulating cognition and promoting mental alertness. Since inception, over 50 choirs have been established around the world.

Alumnae Board Welcomes New Members

On July 1, the Saint Ben’s Alumnae Association welcomed eight new Bennies to the board of directors. The board represents all alumnae (defined as any student who has spent two semesters at Saint Ben’s). Each brings excitement, enthusiasm and her own perspective on why serving is important.

Fran Walters Davis ’82

“I’m very grateful for all the opportunities that attending CSB afforded me. In addition to giving monetarily, I would like to give of my time and talent.”

Joan Van Grinsven Doss ’13

“I hope to increase engagement of all alumnae, but with a specific focus on out-of-state alumnae.”

Libby Grygar ’19

“I look forward to exploring ways to better reach and communicate with individuals, as well as planning and contributing to engaging events.”

Alexa Bollig Lambert ’14

“I believe by serving on the CSB Alumnae Board I can take all that CSB has instilled in me and share that with current and future Bennies.”

Joanie Borman Olson ’88

“I feel the networking opportunities that are available for CSB graduates through our alumnae are very important. I want to make sure there are ample ways for the alumnae to stay connected.”

Kathy Madison Reed ’92

“I look forward to being part of a community focused on growing alumnae relationships with the CSB institution as well as with other alumnae.”

Sharon Cogley Paulson ’82

“I have a passion for giving back and creating an inviting environment through fundraising events.”

Nicole Schultz ’20

“I want to be able to get into more volunteering now that I am fully settled in St. Cloud. Before coming to CSB, I logged over 400 hours of volunteering.”

Bennies Shine Bright in the Eyes of Fulbright

Kate Schiltz ’22, Sarah Broghammer ’22, Noah Knapp ’22 and Regan Dolezal ’22 Valerie Doze ’21 Brigid Smith ’22 Pedro dos Santos

Not since before the COVID-19 pandemic have Saint Ben’s and Saint John’s had as many Fulbright grant recipients as there are this fall. Six recent graduates earned the opportunity this spring, the most since 2019 – which also was the last time anyone from CSB or SJU earned a research award.

Valerie Doze ’21, who graduated in December 2021 with a double major in biochemistry and German, moved to Gottingen, Germany, in September on a Fulbright open study/research award to work at the Max Planck Institute for Multidisciplinary Sciences. Five others from CSB and SJU – all 2022 grads – received English Teaching Assistant awards. They include Sarah Broghammer (Norway), Regan Dolezal (Czech Republic), Noah Knapp (North Macedonia), Kate Schiltz (Spain) and Brigid Smith (Colombia). Also earning Fulbright honor was CSB and SJU Associate Professor of Political Science Pedro dos Santos. He is the first Fulbright Distinguished Scholar in the history of either school. The award will support his research on political party dynamics, candidate selection and democratic representation in Brazil. The prestigious Fulbright research award for Doze is a well-deserved chance to travel and study. She was supposed to spend the summer of 2020 as an undergraduate research intern at the Johns Hopkins School of Medicine in Baltimore, Maryland. Unfortunately, COVID-related restrictions meant she served that internship virtually, from her home in Grand Forks, North Dakota. “We got sent home in March of 2020,” said Doze, who a month later became the fifth Saint Ben’s student ever to be named a Truman Scholar – securing at least $30,000 in funding for graduate school. “My Truman proposal was all about climate change and public health. I stressed in my Fulbright application that I want to go (to Germany) now versus after I might get a Ph.D., because the pandemic is happening. It’s an opportunity that comes once in multiple generations to work at a cutting-edge research facility at a time when we’re dealing with such a virus.”

Annual College Rankings

How do Saint Ben’s and Saint John’s stack up against the nation’s best?

Washington Monthly

Washington Monthly ranks liberal arts colleges (four-year institutions that award almost exclusively bachelor’s degrees and that focus on arts and sciences rather than professional programs) based on their contribution to the public good in three broad categories: social mobility, research and promoting public service. This year Saint Ben’s was ranked #19 nationally (SJU ranked #54). In Washington Monthly’s “Best Bang for the Buck Colleges – Midwest” ranking, CSB was rated #35 (SJU #92). Both schools also appeared in Washington Monthly’s list of “America’s Best Colleges for Student Voting.”

U.S. News and World Report

Saint Ben’s and Saint John’s tied this year for #94 on U.S. News’ ranking of national liberal arts schools. CSB also appeared at #61 (SJU was #56) on the list of “Best Value Schools.”

Princeton Review

Listed jointly, CSB and SJU were named among the “Best Colleges” by the Princeton Review. No numerical ratings are given to the 388 schools (only about 14% of America’s fouryear colleges) listed.

Money Magazine

This spring, Saint Ben’s was ranked #13 (SJU #10) out of 50 schools in Money Magazine’s “Best Colleges in the Midwest” list. In Money’s nationwide list (ranking 671 schools on education, affordability and outcomes), CSB appeared at #50 (SJU ranked #38).

New Data Science Major Fuses Math and Computer Science

For the past 15 years, the math and computer science departments at Saint Ben’s and Saint John’s collaborated in offering a numerical computation degree.

The idea was to use math, computer science and a third discipline – chemistry or physics, for example – to give students a modern bent on the explosion in data available today and increasing in the future. “Data is the new black gold,” said Bob Hesse, a math professor who is co-chair of the new data science program, along with Imad Rahal, chair of the computer science department. “Numerical computation never had our intended success. We noticed students who pursue the major were selecting courses that anywhere else would be a data science major. So, we realized we should revamp, focus the course selections, and relabel the major as data science.” The data science major is for students who not only want to use the tools but also modify or make new machine learning algorithms. Students who enjoy math, statistics and programming, and want to use all those tools, will find a home in this major.

Give CSB Day Keeps on Ticking

Tuesday, Oct. 18, was a big day in the quest to provide scholarship help for today’s Bennies. It was our 10th annual Give CSB Day – when alumnae, parents, staff, faculty, friends … and even students joined together to raise as much money as possible in 24 hours.

With nine years spent learning to look forward to the fun each year, hundreds of you were ready to step in and shine. And when the clock struck midnight, 829 generous donors had helped us bring in a truly remarkable $486,152 – blowing well past our goal of reaching and engaging 800 donors. Thank you!

Those 829 donors picked a pretty savvy time to make a gift toward Bennie scholarships. Because this year, like the first nine years, all gifts on Give CSB Day were matched 100%! (Ever wonder how that works? You can learn more about the amazing folks who provide those matching dollars on page 37.)

Pathways Program Redefines Graduating With Distinction

Finding a way to celebrate and recognize the entire range and scope of a student’s accomplishments during their time on campus is the impetus behind the Pathways to Distinction program being launched this year by the Office of Undergraduate Research and Scholars (OURS).

Pathways to Distinction allows students to work toward obtaining distinction in one of five different categories. That distinction, while challenging to obtain, is not based entirely on coursework. Rather, the process also takes into account a student’s “extraordinary development and accomplishments” across a variety of areas including “academic, community-based, personal, leadership, global engagement, service and other experiences.” The five categories – Engage Globally, Embrace Difference, Think Deeply, Serve Graciously and Live Courageously – match CSB and SJU’s five Institutional Learning Goals. Members of this year’s sophomore class are the first students being invited to take part in the initiative. The honors will be presented at commencement in the spring of a student’s senior year. “We have said that these goals are our promise to our students for how CSB and SJU will transform them. But now I think we’re truly starting to walk the walk,” said Lindsey Gunnerson Gutsch, the director of OURS, which is part of the new Experience Hub in the Clemens Library. “At the end of the day, Pathways redefines what graduating from college with distinction actually looks like. These distinctions will have real meaning to our students, our alums and future employers of our grads here in the 21st century. “We aimed to create guided pathways that will not only help students be intentional about how they invest their time during their four years at CSB and SJU, but also show them that we are committed to celebrating and honoring their work in and out of the classroom.” Each Pathway enables students to strategically decide how they want to stand out by completing required and elective criteria during their four years on campus, making it possible to award graduation distinctions that are inclusive and accessible to any student. The distinctions are not meant to be easily obtained, and students are encouraged to focus on working toward honors in just one of the five categories. Engage Globally, for example, isn’t just about studying abroad. If that becomes a student’s pathway into earning the Engage Globally distinction, the invitation is for them to dig deeper into how they integrate their experiences from abroad into the community here. That may look like active participation in an aligned student club and engaging in further research on a global topic.

Emily Renner ’24 Plays a Round to Remember

In September, College of Saint Benedict junior Emily Renner played the best single round of golf in school history during the two-day D3 Classic Invite at Emerald Greens in Hastings, Minnesota, hosted by Gustavus Adolphus College. The invite included 17 teams participating from Division III schools in Minnesota, Wisconsin and Iowa.

Renner completed the first round of the tournament with a fairly impressive 2-over-par 75, finishing with three birdies. But on the second day, Renner caught lightning in a bottle and played the best golf of her career, with four birdies and one eagle on the scorecard, to finish the second round with a 2-under-par 71 for a two-day total score of 146. With her second-round score of 71, the lowest score shot during the tournament, Renner earned medalist honors and placed 2nd individually out of 109 golfers. Renner’s round of 2-under-par 71 on a par 73 course is CSB golf’s official lowest round. The previous low round was held by Grace Todora Kinne ’15 in 2011, who shot a 1-under-par 71 at the MIAC Championships at Bunker Hills, which plays as a par 72 course. Renner also set the new 36-hole record, shooting a twoday total of 146. The previous 36-hole record of 149 was shot by All-American golfer Kathryn Hauff Dehn ’12 in 2010. “I was playing pretty well from the start,” Renner said, “but once I eagled the 10th hole my round really shifted gears. I was hitting the ball where I wanted most of the time, which definitely helped as well.” “Emily is a great player for us,” confirmed CSB golf Head Coach Daryl Schomer. “She knew she had a special round going, but she did a good job of sticking with the process, one shot at a time, and staying in the moment.” “Golf is a sport that demands integrity, hard work and many other traits that go hand in hand with CSB’s values. Competing as a Bennie means I get to support everything Saint Ben’s stands for while playing a game I love. That makes me feel extremely lucky,” Renner concluded.

One Crazy Summer

After two summers without Reunion events, the campuses of Saint Ben’s and Saint John’s were ready to celebrate this past summer. So we made up for lost time with two separate weekend events packed with celebration and reconnection.

Bennie and Johnnie alums from graduation years ending in 2 and 7 gathered from June 24-26. Alums from 1 and 6 grad years came to campus from July 8-10.

Jackie Carlson Hayden ’12 Decade Award Winner Jona Turner Van Deun ’92 S. Emmanuel Renner Award Winner

Reunion 2022 (2 and 7)

Total attendance: 1,219 Bennie alumnae: 581 Johnnie alumni: 623 Best represented classes: 1982 (139), 1972 (116), 2017 (97)

Brigid Shea ’82 Distinguished Alumna Award Winner

Giavana Bain Jones ’02 Benedictine Service Award Winner (accepting via Zoom from Bahamas)

Reunion 2022 (1 and 6)

Total attendance: 824 Bennie alumnae: 419 Johnnie alumni: 384 Best represented classes: 1991 (98), 1971 (83), 1976 (74)

Laurie Rivard ’81, S. Emmanuel Renner Award Winner; Deanna Suilmann ’76, Distinguished Alumna Award Winner; Shannon Preston ’11, Decade Award Winner (Dr. Patricia Schmitt Mische ’61, Benedictine Service Award Winner, was unable to attend)