St. Ed's: St. Edward's University Magazine, Spring 2021

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ST. EDWARD’S UNIVERSITY MAGAZINE

Spring/Summer 2021

first look

Snowpocalypse St. Edward’s managed a coldweather crisis with creative thinking and a spirit of service.

Twice this winter, the hilltop has been blanketed in snow. The first snowfall, on Jan. 10, saw joyful students — and dogs — sledding down the hill below Main Building. The second, a weeklong event that began Feb. 14, wreaked disaster across Texas. On the hilltop, classes were canceled for seven days.

St. Edward’s never lost electric power, but campus was in a part of the city that spent days without water.

When the taps went dry, university staff sprang into action, collecting bottled water from the vending machines and raiding (with permission) the bookstore, Jo’s Coffee and the Grab & Goat, as well as offices that had water coolers. Caroline Wallace ’11, deputy director of the Texas Craft Brewers Guild, put out a call to local breweries, which had water on hand. Within hours, Meanwhile Brewing, Blue Owl Brewing, Independence Brewing Co., St. Elmo

Brewing Company and Nomadic Beerworks began filling buckets.

Campus residents had access to both bottled water and coolers they could use to fill their own containers. Unsurprisingly, the sustainability-minded students prioritized filling their own reusable bottles.

Conditions were challenging, but everyone pitched in to help.

When icy roads made driving home treacherous, Residence Life provided University Police Department officers an apartment where they could nap and shower between shifts. The facilities staff worked 10 days straight to de-ice roadways, repair broken pipes and get the boiler system back online. “Our priority was to make sure the students were taken care of and to get this place back up and running as quickly as possible,” says Jim Morris, associate vice president of University Operations. “These are the times that you see people at their best.”

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BEST & BRIGHTEST

The American Dream At St. Edward’s, Arrian Ebrahimi ’21 developed empathy, discipline and policy expertise for a career in public service.

BY SAMANTHA MENDOZA ’15 PHOTOGRAPH BY SHELBY KNOWLES

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ARRIAN EBRAHIMI ’21 is a creature of

habit, even in the midst of a global pandemic that has disrupted the daily routines of students around the globe. Each day, at his family home in Silicon Valley, Ebrahimi wakes up at 4:45 a.m.; goes for a morning run in accordance with the training plan from his St. Edward’s cross-country coach; begins his virtual internship for a Washington, D.C.–based lobbying group by 10 a.m.; and spends the rest of the day alternating between his intern duties, virtual classes and his passion project: coordinating educational panels about judicial independence.

“I’ve always sought to be proactive,” Ebrahimi says. “If you want to distinguish yourself, you can’t just rely on other people.”

Ebrahimi has been distinguishing himself from others — including his own family — for years. His father and many of his other relatives are engineers and encouraged him to follow in their footsteps. Any other career path or fields of study, his father would tell him “in the most fatherly, caring way possible,” may as well have been underwater basket-weaving. But at a leadership conference for high-school students, a mentor gave Ebrahimi some advice: “I don’t care if you become the next dot-com millionaire or pro-sports athlete. I care if you make a difference in people’s lives.”

“Those two sentences stuck with me,” Ebrahimi says. They committed him to forging his own path in public service by attaining a Holy Cross education at St. Edward’s.

As an Economics and Political Science double major, Ebrahimi has challenged himself and immersed himself in the study of antitrust law. But his activism has had the biggest impact on his life.

“Service at a school with a Holy Cross focus is like a microcosm of social justice work at the national level,” he says of his involvement with the Student Government Association, as the university has been shaped by the Black Lives Matter movement. “It’s forced me to understand how to put myself in others’ shoes.”

His ability to practice empathy and play a role in community-wide change has been strengthened by his diverse off-campus experiences. Through a combination of guidance from the St. Edward’s Office of Fellowships and his own persistence, Ebrahimi has completed multiple internships: at law firms, with elected representatives and with national lobbying organizations.

While working for U.S. Representative Lloyd Doggett, Ebrahimi spoke with constituents in East Austin, allowing him to broaden his perspective on the city.

“My education happened not just at St. Edward’s, but also in the entire city of Austin,” Ebrahimi says. “Austin is diverse.

The doors are open here.”

Ebrahimi’s parents fled the Iranian Revolution of 1979, passing on to him painful memories of chaos, confusion and hopelessness. “That mindset has stuck with me since I was young,” Ebrahimi says, “and has instilled in me an appreciation for institutions and their ability to create incremental change.”

In his desire to be a part of creating that change, Ebrahimi became a Texas Civic Ambassador at The University of Texas at Austin, Annette Strauss Institute for Civic Life. The role allows him to work on an issue he cares deeply about: preserving the independence and integrity of the U.S. judicial system. This past fall, he organized a panel of statewide leaders discussing the Texas judicial selection system.

His interest in exploring the intersection of policy and technology led him to his current internship at the D.C.–based Semiconductor Industry Association. He’s gained real-world experience in one of America’s biggest export industries by examining economic and trade policy, which he learned about through a course on industrial organization. “The tech sector is defined by increasing consolidation, so antitrust (and the adjudicative institutions that enforce it) will shape the technological world of the 21st century,” he says. “Antitrust policy will determine what is fair and unfair and how we can regulate monopolies.”

Despite his internship being virtual due to Covid-19, it’s given him the knowledge and preparation he’ll need to reach his future goals: go to law school, become an antitrust prosecutor with the Department of Justice, and one day, “if there is value for me to provide,” serve his community as an elected official. “It would be the biggest honor I could imagine for the son of immigrants to be entrusted by his community to be a representative,” he says.

Wherever his future might lead him, he will draw on the Holy Cross education he earned at St. Edward’s. “It’s the kind of educational environment that teaches values,” he says, “and welcomes you with open arms.”

Editor

Frannie Schneider Art Director

Helen Elliott Vice President for Marketing and Communications

Christie Campbell Designer

Marissa Nicholas Photographer

Chelsea Purgahn Writer

Robyn Ross Creative Services Coordinator

Venetia Abron President

George E. Martin, PhD

On the Cover

Kristin Moore ’13 painted Main Building on a wood panel with oil.

Moore’s work strives to capture the mood and memories of special places. After moving to Los Angeles, the experience of living outside her home state of Texas sparked a sense of wanderlust. A longing for endless landscapes and wild sunsets was juxtaposed with a desire to portray the architecture of the cities around her.

St. Edward’s University Magazine is published by the Marketing Office for alumni and friends. ©2021 St. Edward’s University. Opinions expressed in St. Edward’s University Magazine are those of the individual authors and do not reflect the views of the university. Inquiries to the Editor: frannies@stedwards.edu.

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Jackson Wagner ’21 (left) spent six months sending near-daily bug reports to the team at Worldwalker Games after the founders spoke to one of his classes.

“Jackson was our No. 1 source of feedback,” says Nate Austin (right), owner of the Austin studio.

“He was just doing this on his own time.

Creating the internship was a natural next step.” Wagner will start full time with the company after he graduates.

AUSTIN CONNECTION

A Mythical Odyssey Jackson Wagner’s journey at St. Edward’s has taken him from student to credited video-game designer.

BY MYRKA MORENO ’19

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THE FIRST VIDEO GAME

Jackson Wagner ’21 played as a kid was Nemesis of the Roman Empire, a real-time strategy game set in the Punic Wars. The game was fun, but what really captivated him was how there was always a lesson, paired with history and storytelling.

As he got into high school, Wagner realized he could turn his hobby into a career. He was drawn to the Video Game Development major at St. Edward’s because of both the university’s location in Austin and the broad focus of the major. “Austin is just a great place for video games,” Wagner says. The city is home to roughly 140 studios, which range from major industry players to niche studios.

The team from one of Austin’s independent studios, Worldwalker Games, visited Wagner’s First-Year Seminar in Visual Studies class, which exposes students to creative professions through guest speakers.

Wagner introduced himself to the team after class and followed up to let them know he enjoyed their presentation. Nate Austin, the owner and lead developer, offered Wagner the opportunity to test an alpha-build of their forthcoming game, Wildermyth.

Wagner spent the next six months testing the game and sending bug reports to the team. His dedication paid off: An internship soon followed.

“I was already drawn to it,” Wagner says of the tactical role-playing video game. “I just fell head-in.” Wildermyth reminded Wagner of the tabletop game he grew up playing, Dungeons & Dragons. Wildermyth includes all the creative storytelling aspects Wagner loves and plenty of combat challenges.

During his internship, Wagner designed, wrote and planned strategies for Wildermyth, all of which he is credited for in the completed

game. In August 2018, Austin offered Wagner a position as lead quality assurance analyst.

Wagner has been working with the studio part time during the academic year and full time in the summers ever since. He’ll start full time with the company when he graduates from St. Edward’s in May. Wildermyth had a soft launch in November 2019 on Steam, an online game distribution platform that Wagner has been using since middle school. “To see a game on the front page of Steam that I worked on blew me away,” he says.

Wagner continues to draw inspiration from the games that he played as a kid, like Nemesis of the Roman Empire. Because of his first video game, he knew a lot about the Punic Wars before learning about them at school, and he’s been drawn to educational games since. It’s that experience he wants to create for the next generation.

PURSUITS

Learning Experiences Students at St. Edward’s fully embrace the world around them.

Maya Boehm ’21, Religious and Theological Studies and Global Studies The study abroad experience:

Boehm spent three months in Fall 2019 at the Chinese University of Hong Kong.

The education she didn’t expect:

When Boehm arrived, student-led pro-democracy protests were occurring all over Hong Kong. Boehm had attended hours-long protests in Austin before, but in Hong

PHOTOGRAPH BY INTI ST. CLAIR

Cody Dzurisin ’20, Marketing How he’s applied his classes:

Dzurisin first interned at the Austin startup myHouseby, an interactive house design website where customers can design their new-construction home.

Next, he interned with Found Texas, a marketing agency launched by Matt Wolski ’13. At both companies, Dzurisin built email campaigns, developed his client’s voice on social media,

scheduled posts and engaged the community by responding to comments.

His career goal: Dzurisin wants to pursue digital marketing in the tech industry. He prefers fast-paced environments that emphasize innovation, where he’s learning on the fly. “I always tell myself that I’m comfortable with being uncomfortable,” he says.

Kong, the demonstrations continued for months, shutting down the city and making them impossible to ignore.

How she changed: “This was the first time I really had to think about: What does it mean to fight for freedom? What does it mean to have freedom? It was the most beneficial and heartbreaking experience,” she says.

“What does it mean to fight for freedom? What does it mean to have freedom?”

MAYA BOEHM ’21

Kadija Samura ’20, Global Studies Her visit to East Africa:

The summer after her freshman year, Samura spent two months in Uganda. She wanted to learn more about how aid is delivered to postcolonial African societies.

The experience highlighted meeting people where they are rather than

importing solutions to problems.

Her time in Ghana: Her junior year, Samura was selected as a Boren Scholar, an award for students who plan careers in public service.

She dedicated her summer to learning Asante Twi, which is spoken in the West African

nation of Ghana.

She spent most of the academic year in Ghana studying urban and rural school systems.

Her big questions:

Samura was troubled by the legacy of colonialism she saw in the countries she visited in Africa. In Ghana, her research revealed a Euro-

centric approach to education in some schools and a need for more culturally relevant instruction. “Because of colonialism, what has occurred is a cultural memory loss,” she says. “This part of history is essential for us to revisit and open a conversation.”

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MY HILLTOP

Infinite Potential

Life on campus undoubtedly looks different this year, but Taylor Huey ’21 is making a big impact.

BY ROBYN ROSS

SEVERAL MORNINGS A WEEK,

Post-graduation, she is Taylor Huey ’21 starts her day considering becoming a patent with a 2-mile run around Lady lawyer, a profession in which Bird Lake. It’s a practice she a STEM background is helpful. began last spring, when she was Patent lawyers need to underback home in Dallas and went stand the mechanics behind for jogs around her neighbornew tools or technologies to hood just to get out of the house. know what distinguishes them On Zoom calls, she and her from existing ones. friends discovered they were all Huey is also the vice presidoing the same thing, so they dent of the Student Government decided to keep up their habit Association and serves on together when they returned to several university committees, Austin. The run clears her mind including the Natural Sciences for the day ahead.

Advisory Board and the PresA Mathematics major, Huey is ident’s Taskforce on Systemic conducting math research and Racism. She says the university supports other students as a has helped her gain the confiteaching assistant for Calculus dence to advocate for subjects and as a Math Lab tutor. She that matter to her. “I’m more of tells them how she, too, was a quiet person, and St. Edward’s intimidated by calculus as a really calls me to speak up and college freshman. speak out about issues that I She dreaded going to her care about,” Huey says. calculus class because she was Covid-19 has reshaped Huey’s afraid she wouldn’t do well. But college experience, but she says she ended up enjoying the class, the most significant impact partly because she’d worked so of the pandemic is a collective hard to master the material. societal epiphany.

She now shares her strategies “The problems that Covid has — work on assignments every highlighted — students without day, do the homework early, ask access to the internet or a questions — with the students laptop, students who also had she coaches. to work and provide childcare “People think that they’re — have always existed, but now either naturally good at math or that they affect people of all they’re not, so I start by trying income levels and races, they’re to dispel that myth,” Huey says. getting more attention,” “Usually telling them my own she says. “I hope that, once story is helpful. If they’re not the pandemic is over, we conunderstanding the material, tinue being more empathetic they may need to put more as a society and look for ways effort in, but I also need to try to help people who are harder to help them and explain in a way that they understand.” disadvantaged.”

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Huey runs with friends, including Athina Castañon ’21, around Lady Bird Lake several times a week.

As vice president of the Student Government Association, Huey serves as chair of the senate and facilitates meetings between students and the administration.

At least once a week Huey studies at Mozart’s Coffee, which has plenty of outdoor deck space and fresh air.

The Math Lab is operating virtually this year, but Huey takes her laptop to the physical classroom to write problems on the board and explain via Zoom.

As a math tutor and calculus teaching assistant, Huey works hard to dispel the myth that people are naturally good or bad at math.

Huey restocks a campus bathroom with pads and tampons. The SGA initiative helps students who can’t afford the supplies or need them unexpectedly.

Huey takes a break in the Munday Library. In addition to classes, she’s working on her Honors thesis, which analyzes deaths in custody in the Texas prison system.

On Sundays, Huey and her friends relax in Zilker Park. “We’ll bring our laptops and say we’ll get work done, but we usually don’t,” she says.

Huey and other members of the Black Student Alliance assemble Thanksgiving wellness kits for people experiencing homelessness.

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Reagan Dykes ’23 and Jazmine Collins ’23 process evidence at a mock crime scene set up by Associate Professor Casie Parish Fisher for their Crime Scene Investigations course.

THINKING BIG

THE SCENE OF THE CRIME Students in Casie Parish Fisher’s class process mock crime scenes using a mix of virtual reality and in-person labs.

BY LISA THIEGS

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YOU’VE JUST WALKED INTO a hotel room.

As you slowly scan the room, you notice an open suitcase by the door, a half-consumed bottle of beer on the desk, a container of pills by the television … and a dead body on the bed.

This is the setting for a virtual crime scene in Associate Professor of Forensic Science Casie Parish Fisher’s Crime Scene Investigations class, where students use virtual reality (VR) goggles to investigate the evidence that could be found at a real crime scene.

Parish Fisher uses two 360-degree cameras to shoot footage of mock crime scenes — dead body (typically a willing student or staff member) and all — in real places. Then she uploads photos and videos to a website.

Students use both visual and audio cues to interact with and process the mock crime scene. As they move around the virtual crime scene with VR goggles or on their computer, they can click on hotspots — bubbles of information that have embedded 360-degree photos, case information and

instructions on how to proceed with the investigation.

“They often want to know what happened,” Parish Fisher says. “But I tell them all the time: It’s not your job to find out who did it. It’s your job to assess what you see, properly package it and preserve it, and get it to the laboratory for analysis.”

Parish Fisher is no stranger to investigations. As a college student, she often rode along to accident scenes with her father, who worked in law enforcement. As a professional, she has worked for the Austin Police Department’s crime scene unit, as well as the Texas Department of Public Safety’s crime lab.

“I try to be very up front with my students as to what they can expect in the field,” she says. “I still do law enforcement training and interact with agencies all over the state to keep up with the changes that are happening. I want it to be as close to the real world as possible.”

She also makes sure her students know that what they see on television isn’t always

an accurate representation of the real world. For one of their projects, students work as a group to analyze forensic-based shows like CSI and Bones. They find a quote or a scene that is either accurate or inaccurate and support their analysis using information from their practical crime-scene processing and investigation textbook.

Although the world has changed significantly in the last year, the pandemic precautions have reinforced what Parish Fisher was already teaching in her classes. “This is really not out of protocol for what we would be doing normally,” she says. “When you’re working a crime scene, you’re expected to wear a mask and use gloves for anything that you touch. I like for my students to get used to writing in gloves because when you’re on a scene, you have to take handwritten notes, and you have to write with gloves. The sooner your hands get accustomed to having those on, the better.”

Parish Fisher hasn’t yet seen the VR technology being widely applied in the field, but its use in the classroom could soon become

more widespread — and not just in her Crime Scene Investigations class. She’s had discussions with other professors at St. Edward’s who have shown interest in using it in math courses to look at 3D shapes, or in mock trial courses to let students take a 360-degree look inside a courtroom.

“At St. Edward’s, with teaching being at the forefront of what we do, I think we’re always trying to push the envelope and really be on the cutting edge, with our teaching styles and what we’re presenting in the classroom,” she says.

The students in the Crime Scene Investigations class move seamlessly between learning in the VR world and learning in person with patience, flexibility and an eagerness for more knowledge — all important qualities for a crime scene investigator. “They learn pretty quickly that it’s not glamorous work,” Parish Fisher says. “But if you love it, you’re hooked on it for life, and you love the thrill of going into work and never knowing what you’re going to see that day.”

Crime-scene evidence collection involves meticulous attention to detail, which Isabel Jaimes ’23 (top center) and Marcus Hill ’23 (bottom) practice in the in-person lab portion of their course.

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TAKE ON YOUR WORLD

A Master Class in Mission & Leadership More than 21 years ago, George E. Martin was inaugurated as president of St. Edward’s University. On the eve of his retirement, we asked those who have worked with him to reflect on the legacy he leaves.

“George Martin knew that the key to the university’s long-term sustainability was increasing the size of our enrollment. His vision has led to the great success we have had over the last 20 years. Most importantly, he achieved that while staying true to our mission of educating the hearts and minds of a diverse population and emphasizing the quality of our teaching.”

Carolyn Lewis, Member of the Board of Trustees for 28 Years

“Dr. Martin can see things that don’t yet exist but are needed to manifest the mission for years to come. He leads throughout the challenges of today, while bringing about a future that doesn’t yet exist.”

Lisa Kirkpatrick, Vice President for Student Affairs Kirkpatrick arrived at St. Edward’s in 1994 as an area coordinator for Residence Life.

ILLUSTRATION BY LUKE WALLER

“As important as Dr. Martin’s impact and legacy, are the kindness and care with which he approached not only his work but also every member of our community.”

Jason Callahan, Professor of Mathematics Callahan joined St. Edward’s in 2009.

As Dr. Martin prepares to depart his presidency, much will be said about his remarkable leadership. His warmth of heart, generosity of spirit, decency and goodness — so aligned and attuned to the mission of this university — have guided him and us.

This alignment of leader and mission is evident in his belief in the personal transformation that a St. Edward’s education provides its students. The St. Edward’s mission is also his personal mission.

Thank you, Dr. Martin, for transforming this great university with heart and goodness and love.

St. Edward’s, and all of us, are better for it.”

Tracy Manier, Vice President for Enrollment Management Manier arrived at St. Edward’s in 1997 as an admission counselor.

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“Shortly after Dr. Martin arrived at St. Edward’s, he asked me to chair the facilities committee of the board.

We hardly knew each other, and I was wary. ‘Exactly what kind of buildings do you want to build at St. Ed’s?’

I asked him.

‘Beautiful ones,’ he replied.

With that quick exchange and throughout the 20-plus years that followed, I have had the privilege of taking a master class in leadership taught by George Martin.

George had very high standards for performance

from everyone around him.

Unfailingly, in my judgment, he selected the best architect for every building or project we approved. But he approved only after he asked a series of key questions of the architect, the consultants, the staff, and yes, me, too. We all had to answer cogently and concisely. We have a beautiful campus to prove my point.”

Melba Whatley, Member of the Board of Trustees for 25 Years

“Showing us how to lead would have been informative, but not inspiring. George has been a transformational president because his service has revealed to the entire community why they should devote themselves to their ideals. He has unfailingly maintained his passion and commitment for 21 years. He has taken moments of inspiration and turned them into a lifetime of service. He has given us all a profound example of a rich and deeply meaningful life.”

Steve Shadowen ’80, Chair of the Board of Trustees Member of the Board of Trustees for 9 Years

“I don’t think there is anyone in higher education today who understands the role and challenges of Catholic Holy Cross higher education in the 21st century better than George Martin. Time and time again, over the past 20 years, he has brought major issues to the trustees and the entire St. Edward’s community, which has made it possible for the university to navigate these uncertain times.”

“ “ One of Dr. Martin’s most enduring legacies is his dedication and commitment to raising the social mobility of firstgeneration and minority students. They arrive with socioeconomic disadvantage and go on to earn Fulbrights, graduate with distinction, and gain acceptance into prominent graduate programs.”

Lorelei Ortiz, Professor of Management Ortiz joined St. Edward’s in 2002.

Dr. Martin put St. Edward’s University on the map. Back in 1999, he understood how special this university was.”

Nicole Treviño ’99, Associate Vice President for Student Success Treviño arrived on campus as a freshman in 1995 and started her career in Residence Life after graduation.

“George Martin’s biggest impact, by far, has been his emphasis on our Holy Cross heritage. We would always conduct a reality check based on our adherence to mission. God bless him for that.”

Bill Quinn, Professor of Biology and Computer Science Quinn joined St. Edward’s in 1983.

“

Brother Richard Daly, CSC, ’61 Member of the Board of Trustees for 37 Years

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OUR

MISSION A BEAUTIFUL AND I N S P I R AT I O N A L G I F T

BY GEORGE E. MARTIN, PHD PRESIDENT OF ST. EDWARD’S UNIVERSITY ILLUSTRATION BY SIMON PEMBERTON

IN THIS 200TH ANNIVERSARY year of the founding of the Brothers of St. Joseph by Father Jacques-Francois Dujarié, I agreed to a request to write reflections on our Holy Cross mission and its impact on the university. The Brothers of St. Joseph became known as the Congregation of Holy Cross shortly after Father Dujarié, unable to continue his leadership of the Brothers because of illness, entrusted the Brothers to Blessed Basil Moreau, CSC. From Father Moreau and the congregation he led, we received the mission which guides us today.

Every day since joining St. Edward’s University as its president in 1999, I have spent a few minutes, sometimes much longer, thinking about, or discussing with others, how university decisions and policies align with our Holy Cross mission. Our mission is our navigational chart to the goals for which we were created. At times, modifications need to be made to university policies and structures as we encounter unanticipated events or significant environmental change, but our mission’s ultimate objectives remain constant.

Father Moreau suggested that we, “Consider the greatness of your mission and the wonderful good you can accomplish.” His words should inspire all of us each and 14

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every day, no matter what challenges we are facing — small and personal ones, or those that disrupt national and world structures.

Our Mission: Our Greatest Strength A university’s greatest strength is its mission. Mission is more important than a strategic plan, an endowment, an academic reputation, a balanced budget or a national ranking. It is the prism through which an institution identifies its strategic goals, defines educational and organizational policies, and prioritizes the allocation of resources. It orchestrates the quotidian rhythms of a university as it engages students in intellectual inquiry and creates programs that promote an understanding of the social and economic issues confronting our nation and the world, while designing ways that students may actively address them.

The St. Edward’s University mission is a gift from our founders and a continuation of the educational work of the Holy Cross Congregation. It calls us to serve God as we educate the hearts and minds of students in the cause of establishing social justice in the world.

A Call to Excellence “Education is a work of resurrection; it is meant to be a liberation from the darkness of ignorance; it is meant to be a vehicle for the transformation of society; and it is meant to be a process that helps to make all things, especially the persons engaged in it, new.”

—Blessed Basil Moreau, CSC

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OUR HOLY CROSS MISSION is an expression of religious faith and a commitment to serve God. It obliges us to pursue excellence in all we do and challenges us to align our strategic goals with higher levels of achievement. How can we advance the cause of social justice in the world through our students? This is the question that must be answered over and over again, year to year, decade to decade. Each time we try to answer it, we find ourselves in an unfamiliar environment with new experiences, changed conditions and the need to adjust.

If we are to succeed, each adjustment requires soul-searching honesty, flexibility and agility, while remaining committed to fundamental values. No event has

demonstrated this more than the Covid-19 pandemic, but there has also been World War II, the Great Depression and the Great Recession; we are always adjusting and always evolving.

Graduation Rates: A Measure of Excellence Thinking back to 1999, the primary question facing the university was how to improve the graduation rates of our students.

Graduation rates are minimal goals of excellence for institutions of higher education. Yet our graduation rates at the time were disturbingly low — a six-year graduation rate of 42% and a four-year graduation rate of 29%. Reorganization, improved

mentoring and tracking helped us to reach Academic Challenge: a historic peak six-year graduation rate of Elemental to Excellence 69.5% in 2015. But even as we reached it, Even as we were improving graduation we saw some troubling indications of rates, we looked for other ways to achieve future slippage back to mid-60s percentexcellence. We began to ask whether or not ages. A whole new generation of students we were sufficiently challenging students in an age of frozen wages, increasing so that they could realize their full potential. bifurcation of wealth and greater Early in our efforts to increase the size economic inequality was encountering of the student body, we invited a marketing unanticipated obstacles to college firm to conduct focus sessions with stucompletion. In response, we launched the dents, faculty and staff. The firm’s research Student Success Initiative and saw our revealed that our community saw itself as six-year graduation rate swing upwards in “nurturing,” a characteristic cited by both 2020 to 67% and our four-year graduation faculty as part of their approach to sturate reach a record high of 55.5%. As we dent learning, and students reporting how emerge from the pandemic, we need to set our sights on the next target for excellence, supportive and understanding faculty and a graduation rate of 75%. advisors were. “Nurturing” became a word ST. EDWARD’S UNIVERSITY MAGAZINE

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and a theme that figured prominently in the university’s marketing, and the campaign achieved impressive success in growing the number of traditional undergraduates.

But the word “nurturing” nagged at us as we engaged in deeper analysis of the student experience at St. Edward’s. We noted that an alarming number of highperforming students complained that they were insufficiently challenged and were transferring out of the university before graduating. The number of students competing for prestigious national and international awards was disappointingly small, and we could claim very few winners. Nurturing is fundamental to a Holy Cross education, but to fully accomplish our educational objectives, it must be combined with challenging students to identify stretch goals, thereby raising their aspirations and realizing their full potential.

We made the decision to create a dynamic Office of Fellowships that would reach out to students in their freshman year; alert them to competitive national and international awards; and connect them to preparatory opportunities in research, internships, study abroad and community service.

These awards add much value to students’ résumés as they apply for postgraduate employment or for admission to prestigious graduate and professional schools.

The Office of Fellowships guides students through a process in which they compete for awards early in their sophomore year.

These early efforts to win awards lay the foundation for success in junior and senior year competitions for graduate and postgraduate awards. Even when students don’t win the awards they seek, the learning experiences of their efforts are invaluable.

Since 2008, students have won more than 200 prestigious national and international awards, including 70 student Fulbrights, a Truman Scholarship and 71 Gilman Scholarships. These awards are stepping stones to acceptances into the most prestigious graduate and professional programs in the world, acceptances that our students win in impressive numbers each year. They add value to the reputation of our university and to every graduate’s diploma. They testify to the exceptional quality of the classroom experience at St. Edward’s, led by an extraordinarily talented and dedicated faculty.

A university’s reputation can open corporate doors: Each year, more and more of our students are invited to join the ranks of Apple, Google, Microsoft, Dell, KPMG, Goldman Sachs, and other prestigious organizations, often as members of their premier recruitment programs. An award-winning reputation attracts more students, helping us to fulfill our mission to 16

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educate as many students as possible in the St. Edward’s, Holy Cross tradition.

Leaders for a Changing World Father Moreau is often depicted as a quiet and humble man, and I believe he was. But he was also a man of deep faith who believed he was called by God to undertake his missionary work. He embraced that calling, resolutely introducing the word of God and the cause of social justice to France and beyond, through deploying missionaries abroad to Algiers, the United States and Asia. His objective, as is ours, was to change the world.

Our graduates are becoming part of the most prestigious universities and corporations of the world and, consequently, have opportunities to influence decisions and policies that impact multiple sectors of society and the economy. Their Holy Cross education at St. Edward’s makes them mindful of the importance of social justice to good policymaking. As the majority of St. Edward’s students are female, and we are a Hispanic-serving and a majority-minority institution, the numbers of Hispanics, minorities and women among our graduates are proportionally higher than at other institutions, and their numbers have grown significantly over the last 20 years and will continue to grow in the next decade. Our students are a force for changing the world. They know first-hand the problems that need to be addressed and corrected and will be able in the future to open doors to others like themselves so that together they can have a growing influence on our political and economic structures.

A Reputation for Excellence Reputation flows from mission and is fundamental to a university’s success. It helps to attract students, talented faculty and staff, and donors. It adds value to a diploma.

It also corroborates an institution’s claim to excellence with measures of quality determined by outside organizations over which the institution has no influence.

Accreditations validate reputation. That is why the university maintains accreditations such as those from the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges (SACSCOC) and the Council for Accreditation of Counseling and Related Educational Programs (CACREP), and why we are now in the final stages for accreditation by the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB).

In a similar way, rankings affirm the quality of a university. Hence, we celebrate our rank of No. 8 for the second year in a row in the U.S. News & World Report listing

of Best Regional Universities in the West.

We applaud our national standing among master’s institutions that are top producers of Fulbright student winners: for the past 11 years being included in the list of top-10 producers, twice ranking No. 1.

Building for Mission In service to our mission’s call to excellence, the university must provide facilities and a physical environment of the highest quality.

The John Brooks Williams science complex is an example: The university needed to replace outdated facilities in order to provide students with the laboratories for 21stcentury science. Trustee Hall provided faculty and students with modern classrooms to replace the worn-out dormitory rooms of André Hall that had been converted into classrooms. As the student population grew over the last two decades, so did the need for student residences and offices for a larger faculty. Moreau Hall was followed

by Dujarié Hall, the three buildings that compose the Residential Village, and the St. André Apartments.

Mindful of our environment, the university repurposed buildings when possible.

Thus, Fleck Hall science laboratories became modern classrooms, and an additional floor of meeting and reception rooms was added on to what once was its roof. Doyle and Premont halls were converted into office buildings and were joined by a new building for the expanding School of Behavioral and Social Sciences, creating a pleasant courtyard on the northwest side of campus.

The iconic Munday Library, a research center for the 21st century, made possible by the generosity of Bill and Pat Munday who provided all the funding, opened in 2013.

Motivated by their own awareness of the interconnectedness of the world and the need for understanding and cooperation to bring about peace and justice in the world, the Mundays created a library that brings the rest of the world onto the St. Edward’s campus.

As the number of students grew, so did the need for more square footage devoted to health and wellness, a need addressed by the construction of the Health & Counseling Center and the Recreation and Athletics Center. Existing buildings, such as Main Building and Holy Cross Hall, deteriorating from decades of use, underwent complete interior and exterior renovations, enhancing their beauty and aligning them with today’s needs. In all, 27 buildings were built or completely renovated in the last 20 years.

Then there is technology, ever and increasingly present, seen and unseen, and essential to modern education and

all university operations. The university has invested tens of millions of dollars in technology in the last decade. Without current technology, the university could not maintain the quality of our academic instructional and support programs.

It’s impossible to imagine how we could have served our students during this pandemic-traumatized chapter in our history without the long-term investment in technology and the extraordinary Instructional Technology team that supports our faculty and students.

The university committed to beautifying the campus, planting more than a thousand trees and creating pleasant outdoor gathering spaces. Many of the diurnal experiences of campus life take place as we walk to and from buildings or stop to enjoy a cup of coffee or to share an outdoor lunch with friends. Our beautiful campus adds much to these activities and our quality of life.

Serving All Students “If at times you show preference to any young person, it should be the poor. ... If you show them greater care and concern, it must be because their needs are greater and because it is only just to give more to those who have received less. You must be ‘all things to all people,’ like Saint Paul — little with the little, great with the great, seeing in all only the image of God imprinted within them like a sacred seal that you must preserve at all cost.”

—Blessed Basil Moreau, CSC

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INSPIRED BY OUR Holy Cross mission, St. Edward’s strives to make it possible for students of every economic background to be part of the university. The university is committed to making significant investments in innovative and supportive programs for low-income students so that they are sufficiently represented in the student body. Our mission places us in the forefront of American higher education efforts to serve low-income students, both because we started earlier than most institutions, and proportionately our dedication of resources to low-income students significantly exceeds that of most other institutions.

Most notable is our College Assistance Migrant Program (CAMP), which serves migrant students. It has received significant recognition over the decades, including two featured stories on national network news channels. St. Edward’s is one of only four pioneering institutions that introduced CAMP 49 years ago. Ours is the only one of the original four that still exists and the

“Christ was anointed to bring good news to the poor. ... Our efforts, which are His, reach out to the afflicted and in a preferential way to the poor and the oppressed. … We stand with the poor and the afflicted because only from there can we appeal as Jesus did for the conversion and deliverance of all.”

CONSTITUTIONS OF THE CONGREGATION OF HOLY CROSS

only one that still supports students beyond their freshman year to graduation. Students receive tuition and housing support, free tutoring and counseling. They also have opportunities to participate in internships, summer research and study abroad through the Luci Baines Johnson–Ian Turpin Scholars program. Graduation rates for CAMP students match those of our overall student population, exceeding both Texas and national graduation rates.

The McNair Scholars Program for first-generation, low-income students who wish to pursue graduate studies dates back to 2003. It has 212 alumni and an amazing success rate: 18 PhDs, 3 Doctors of Physical Therapy, 2 Doctors of Pharmacy, 1 Doctor of Veterinary Medicine, and 83 master’s degrees to date. Currently, 29 students are pursuing doctorates, nine students are enrolled in master’s degree programs, and one is in medical school.

The Bill and Pat Munday Scholarship makes it possible for almost 150 students a year to attend St. Edward’s and go on to distinguished achievements after graduation.

The Mundays have shown their generosity

and faith in St. Edward’s through almost $50 million in donations, and our community is deeply grateful.

The university’s admission and retention policies illustrate our commitment to opening doors to all students and to supporting their successful journey to graduation. More than 41% of our students receive Pell grants, federal aid that goes to the lowest-income students. The university awarded scholarships and financial aid grants from annual revenue to 98% of freshmen and 87% of transfer students, at a cost of $79 million, in Fiscal Year 2020. The average net tuition for students receiving institutional grants in 2020 was $16,907.

In a world where only 40% of Americans are able to cover an unexpected $1,000 expense, many of our low-income students experience major life disruptions when faced with urgent needs for help with much smaller costs such as a car repair or a visit to a doctor. These events can result in a student missing days of school and possibly needing to withdraw. To address such emergencies, the university established the Hilltoppers Overcoming Obstacles Fund (HOOF), which has been instrumental in increasing retention rates.

Family financial planning for higher education has also changed dramatically in an economy that has seen almost no significant increases in wages for 20 years.

Parents and students make plans for accumulating as many higher education credits as possible before leaving high school. They take advantage of programs such as advanced placement and dual credit courses.

In addition, many students consider a twoplus-two path to a baccalaureate degree, attending a community college first and earning an associate degree, then transferring to a four-year institution for two years to complete their baccalaureate degree.

This new reality has required us to adjust policies to continue making it possible for working-class and middle-class students to become part of the St. Edward’s community.

The Evolution of Higher Education Father Moreau sought to save souls through education. That is why he tried to extend his reach beyond France to other countries and continents, and why he tried to serve as many students as possible. While we are not trying to convert any of our students to Catholicism and, to the contrary, embrace people of other religions and facilitate their religious observances on campus, we are missionaries of education for social justice and for equality of educational opportunity.

Thus, just as Father Moreau tried to reach as many souls as possible, we try to provide ST. EDWARD’S UNIVERSITY MAGAZINE

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a transformational, personalized educational experience to as many students as possible, while optimizing the number of economically disadvantaged students in our hilltop community.

The determination of how large a university we can and should be changes with environmental developments, periodic assessment of how well we are fulfilling our mission, and the amount of resources available. I remember much consternation voiced in our community in 1999, when we announced our intention to double the size of our full-time, undergraduate population from 1,800 students to 3,600 students. It took many years and much creative energy to overcome unforeseen obstacles.

Trouble started just a few months after our announcement; the Tech Bubble burst in 2000, spreading droplets of disruption throughout the economy. Just eight years later, the Great Recession descended on our country, creating a financial crisis second in severity only to the Great Depression that lasted from 1929 to 1933. Accompanying these events was a national, 10-year

are true to our missionary zeal for social justice and serving the disadvantaged, we will discover the way forward, which inevitably will be different from our past.

If we are to honor Father Moreau’s international vision, the way forward must also include the restoration of the global opportunities that were shut down by the pandemic. Currently, we can neither send students abroad, nor can we welcome students from other countries to our campus.

Holy Cross has long known the value of sharing knowledge and values with other peoples. As an academic community, St. Edward’s is keenly aware of the need for students to experience other cultures, on campus and through study abroad, if they are to be educated for the interconnected and interdependent world of the future.

Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Our Holy Cross mission exhorts us to meet people where they are, to welcome their life experiences and recognize the legitimacy of their perspectives by integrating them

“There are networks of privilege, prejudice and power so commonplace that often neither oppressors nor victims are aware of them. ... Our mission sends us across borders of every sort … no culture of this world can be our abiding home.”

CONSTITUTIONS OF HOLY CROSS

decline in the college-going population in the United States, a trend that started in 2008. Yet despite these many challenges, we exceeded our goal of doubling undergraduate enrollment for the first time in Fall 2015.

Our student numbers dipped slightly below 3,600 in Fall 2019 and, of course, nothing is normal in 2020–2021.

As we make adjustments to recover growth, the Covid-19 pandemic is tearing our economy apart and will leave behind great economic, social and political disruption. Planning for the post-pandemic era will require a methodical, strategic analysis of how we preserve our mission and optimize the size of our student population and the percentage of economically disadvantaged students included in it. If we 18

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into the educational dialogue that defines the university and prepares students for their future.

St. Edward’s officially became a Hispanicserving institution in 1990. In 2016, we became a majority-minority institution.

The faces of our students have changed over the years, reflecting the increasing diversity of our country. This diversity enriches the educational experience of all students and better prepares them to lead our society in the future.

Diversity among students has created a need for greater diversity among those who serve them. While diversity within the ranks of administrators, staff and faculty has not increased at an ideal rate, the university has made significant progress

and is committed to accelerating the rate of change moving forward.

In July of this year, the university will welcome Dr. Montserrat Fuentes, the first Hispanic woman to serve as our president.

She is extraordinarily accomplished in both her academic and administrative achievements and ready to lead the university beyond the pandemic and through the next decade.

In 2015, the St. Edward’s Board of Trustees introduced changes to its bylaws that are accelerating turnover among its members and facilitating the recruitment of younger, more diverse classes of trustees. Eight new trustees joined the board in 2019–2020 and 2020–2021; all are under 50 years of age, and there are five people of color that include the first Moreau Scholar, the first CAMP student and the first McNair Scholar ever elected to the board.

New realities require new structures and policies. All St. Edward’s employees, including the president and members of the Board of Trustees, are required to take diversity training. The “Great Colleges To Work For” and the “Campus Climate” surveys are scheduled regularly, and their findings, along with the “Equity Scorecard,” are shared with the university community.

Four years ago, the President’s Advisory Council for a Respectful, Inclusive Community was established. It includes 26 voices drawn from students, staff, faculty and administrators, and reflects community groups traditionally marginalized. Each year it makes recommendations to improve the way we serve all members of our community. To date, the council has made 12 broad recommendations. These recommendations were approved and have generated 27 initiatives; 16 are completed, and 11 are in progress.

Last September, after brutal killings of Black men and women (including George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, Atatiana Jefferson, and Eric Garner), the President’s Task Force on Systemic Racism was created and is designing six educational events about structural racism and ways to eliminate it in American society. The first event occurred in December, “Mental Health: The Intersection of Racism and Trauma”; the second in February, “Racial Healing Circle”; and the third will be held in April, “Competence to See, Courage to Act: Racism, Anti-racism and You.” Other events are being planned for later this spring, and the task force is inviting our community to share personal reflections on systemic racism for posting on the university’s website.

We are also called by our mission to provide equity for all members of our community in our compensation and

benefits programs. A long-term commitment of the university is providing high-quality health insurance at the lowest possible cost. One way we do this is by calibrating employee insurance rates to salaries, so those with lower salaries pay lower rates. We also maintain competitive salaries; the university has given annual raises almost every year since 2000, sometimes at rates as high as 6%. The only year we failed to give a raise was this year, a consequence of the pandemic. There is still an ongoing national argument over a $15 minimum wage; St. Edward’s, however, saw the need early and established the $15 minimum wage in October 2016.

Preserving Our Legacy and Our Future One winter night in the year 2000, I invited three Brothers of Holy Cross to dinner in downtown Austin. We — Brothers Richard Daly, Richard Critz, Stephen Walsh and I — were already developing a friendship as they supported me in my first year of learning about Holy Cross and St. Edward’s.

It had become apparent to me that the St. Edward’s community was special and distinctive among Catholic colleges and universities, and that the reason for this could be traced directly to the Brothers and their leadership of the university.

Beginning in 1948, when Brother Edmund Hunt, CSC, became the first Brother-President of the university, St. Edward’s assumed a distinct culture that was shaped by a charism unique to the Brothers of Holy Cross. Brothers were everywhere on campus, in the president’s and deans’ offices, teaching in the classrooms, and constituting a significant part of the student body. They were woven into the fabric of the university community, and through love, caring, generosity, and humility; by example of their spirituality, lived every minute of every day; and by meeting all people where they are, in the Holy Cross tradition; they converted the whole community to their ways and their values. No preaching, no institutional programming was necessary. Everyone experienced Holy Cross every day, throughout the day, and knew firsthand what was meant by a transformative education.

Life at the university changed in the final decades of the 20th century. The number of Brothers on campus declined significantly, and there were no indications that this decline would be reversed.

That night at dinner, I waited until just before dessert to raise two questions: How do we keep the conversation going about what it means to be a Holy Cross institution carrying on the vision of Father Dujarié and

Father Moreau? How do we keep the conversation part of the university’s circadian cycles, just as when we had large numbers of Brothers in our midst?

By the end of the evening, we agreed that we could not duplicate life with an abundant number of Brothers, but we could reinvent it and build on the energy and resources of all educational institutions sponsored by the Brothers through a national (and eventually international) center that would be sponsored by St. Edward’s but be overseen by a board of directors selected by member institutions. The board would determine annual goals and design conversations that would celebrate achievements, monitor ongoing developments and environmental changes, and support additional initiatives to enrich dialogue about what it means to be a Holy Cross institution. Thus, the Holy Cross Institute at St. Edward’s University was born.

Brother Stephen volunteered to arrange meetings with school leaders and Brothers’ communities in other parts of the country, and we traveled together to share our ideas and to measure support for them. We were met by more doubts than explosive bursts of enthusiasm but, with time and continuing dialogue, appreciation for the concept increased. Contributions to fund the initial operations and convocation began to appear and, with them, expressions of growing support. The first annual convocation was a huge success. Each year that followed saw an expansion of participants. In less than a decade, the institute became international, as the annual convocation welcomed members from Asia, Africa, South America and Europe. Today, Dr. Marco Clark, the new executive director of the Holy Cross Institute, is in ongoing conversation with Holy Cross institutions around the globe, all of whom are part of our annual convocation and participate in the virtual bi-monthly lecture series hosted

by Dr. Clark.

On campus, faculty groups read about the history of Holy Cross and discuss the writings of Father Moreau. Dr. Clark and Father Peter Walsh, CSC, director of Campus Ministry, share daily reflections and historical information about Holy Cross. The university’s website provides information about Holy Cross, such as this year’s celebration of the 200th anniversary of the founding of the Brothers of Saint Joseph, the original name of the Brothers of Holy Cross.

The conversation about Holy Cross and the legacy of the Brothers is sustained and robust. We celebrate our past, plan our future, and remain faithful to the mission bequeathed to us by Father Moreau.

In Memory: The Brothers of Holy Cross We have added informative visual reminders of our Holy Cross legacy throughout campus for members of our community to experience every day, and for campus visitors to learn about the historical contributions of the Brothers of Holy Cross to the St. Edward’s community. In honor of the Brothers’ 200th anniversary, we will formally open and bless the Brothers of Holy Cross Garden on April 15, as part of the 15th international convocation sponsored by the Holy Cross Institute. There are three remaining 20th-century buildings that memorialize Holy Cross in the university’s history: Sorin Hall, Holy Cross Hall and Fleck Hall. Since 2000, the university has added Moreau Hall; Dujarié Hall; LeMans Hall; Hunt Hall; the Brother Stephen Walsh, CSC, Campus Ministry Building; and the St. André Apartments. Currently, we are adding nine historical plaques to be placed in front of the buildings. A stroll across campus will now provide multiple opportunities to learn and reflect on the history of Holy Cross at St. Edward’s.

Our Mission Is Our Future “Never look back. Always walk ahead until you are in possession of the glory of God.” —Father Jacques-Francois Dujarié “Those who teach justice to many will shine like stars for all eternity.” —Daniel 12:3 (Quoted in Christian Education, Blessed Basil Moreau, CSC)

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THE HISTORY OF the Congregation of Holy Cross and St. Edward’s is filled with seemingly insurmountable challenges: fires, tornadoes, severe financial struggles. Yet out of each trial, the university emerged stronger, larger and financially sound. The Brothers never lost hope and remained confident as they trusted in Providence. I am unable to count the number of times I have heard a Holy Cross Brother, in casual conversation or in a formal presentation, express his trust that God will provide.

God is still with us, and so too is the inspiration of Holy Cross. Just as our mission has guided our past, it will guide and assure our future.

Martin will retire from St. Edward's University on June 30, 2021, at which point he will become president emeritus and the Reverend Edward S. Sorin Professor of Leadership.

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THE

RIPPLE E F F EC T Generations of graduates of St. Edward’s have left their mark on the world. Whether they’ve launched businesses, changed policies, created art or discovered cures, they have used their education to make a difference. As the university honors President George E. Martin’s time as president, we recognize 200 alumni from the past two decades who are making lasting impacts on our communities.

BY SAMANTHA MENDOZA ’15 AND ROBYN ROSS

ILLUSTRATIONS BY SOL COTTI PHOTOGRAPHS BY CHELSEA PURGAHN

Through these alums’ work — and that of all Hilltoppers — the Holy Cross mission continues to transform hearts, minds and lives around the globe. “I get to continue living the Holy Cross mission of valuing the dignity of the human person,” Mariana Sarmiento Riaño ’20 says.

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Mariana Sarmiento Riaño ’20, Political Science, is the executive assistant to the chief advocacy officer for the Refugee and Immigrant Center for Education and Legal Services.

Charles Rogers ’09, Communication, is a writer, director, filmmaker and television producer. His television series Search Party, now in its fourth season, is on HBO Max.

Shelby Henderson ’09, Entrepreneurship, is owner of O’Glory Catering Company, which specializes in Southern cuisine infused with other regional flavors.

After eight years of touring with Cirque du Soleil, Jordyn Campbell ’12, Theater Arts, is now working in film as a background costumer for Warner Bros. Productions.

Luis Becerra III ’07, Kinesiology, earned a master’s degree from Sul Ross State University and is the athletic coordinator and a coach at Austin Eastside Memorial High School.

Jonathan Molineaux ’13, Global Studies, is a fisheries biologist with the National Marine Fisheries Service under the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.

Lauren M. Leining ’13, Psychology, is a doctoral student in epidemiology and global health at the University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston School of Public Health.

Samantha Mendoza ’15, English Writing and Rhetoric, is the chief multimedia storyteller at Building Tomorrow, which supports access to education in underserved parts of Uganda.

After being diagnosed with cancer, Tony Laudadio ’06, Communication, launched the Tony Foundation, a nonprofit that assists families in which someone has cancer.

Last year’s Alumni Achievement Award winner, Sonia Hurtado ’04, Accounting, is a special agent with the criminal investigation division of the IRS.

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THE EDUCATORS

Matt Abbott ’03, Management, had just completed his master’s in Public Policy when he had an experience that would change his life: A friend invited Abbott to visit the school where he was teaching. Abbott was struck that the upper-level math classes were filled with white students, while the other classes were more diverse. “I thought, ‘This is crazy,’” Abbott says. “We can do better.”

The invitation, it turns out, was

a trick: Abbott’s friend wanted to sell him on becoming a teacher. It worked.

Abbott became certified, taught for a few years, and worked his way up to superintendent of Wayside Schools, where he oversees a network of five charter schools serving more than 2,000 students in Southeast Austin, many of whom are Latino English-language learners.

“The communities we serve have been oppressed for generations,” Abbott says.

“If you’re a person of color in poverty, you have less than a 10 percent chance of graduating from college in Central Texas.”

Abbott oversees the school’s strategic direction and strives to create a “current toward college” by normalizing student success and college achievement in underserved communities.

As Covid-19 kept students at home, Abbott oversaw the school’s provision of community care packages, ensuring that all households had hot meals, computers and internet access.

“I operate with a social justice mission, and that comes from my education at St. Edward’s,” Abbott says.

“It’s where I learned our responsibility as human beings to make the world a better place.” —S.M.

J.J. Riehl ’02, MAHS ’04, is the head women’s basketball coach at St. Edward’s. “St. Edward’s helped me develop compassion and empathy and the ability to meet people where they are,” she says. “The Holy Cross mission emphasizes working through collaboration: understanding that we are all coming from different experiences and environments, and we have to embrace that.”

EDUCATING HEART & MIND As a young child, April Lord Ruzicka ’06, Communication, was one of the first students to attend Summerfield Academy, a preschool in Spring, Texas, with a literature-based curriculum. She now owns the school, which is licensed for 144 students.

Iliana B. Melendez ’07, Psychology, is the associate dean of students at the University of Houston–Clear Lake and will earn her PhD in Adult, Professional, and Community Education from Texas State University this year.

Alyssa Hunt ’10, English Literature, is the program director at the New Jersey– based Alice Paul Institute, which educates the public about and continues the work of Alice Paul, a suffrage leader and author of the Equal Rights Amendment.

Victoria Rodriguez ’11, Psychology, earned a PhD from Stanford University and is a research and planning analyst at Grossmont College in El Cajon, Calif., and adjunct professor in Psychology at the University of San Diego.

Marguerite Vichier-Guerre ’13, Philosophy, is the program manager in the Office of Transformation for Boston Public Schools.

Greg Hakeem ’14, Religious Studies and Psychology, is a theology teacher and campus minister at St. Pius X High School in Albuquerque.

The Scientists

Meigs Turgeon ’16, Religious Studies, earned a Master of Divinity degree at Duke University and teaches theology at Jesuit College Prep in Dallas.

Dahlia Campbell ’06, Chemistry, strives to make a positive impact through her contributions to building a sustainable future. As an asset manager at BASF, a socially responsible company implementing sustainability projects around the world, Campbell has worked on projects ranging from finding creative ways to reuse waste to building longer-lasting and more sustainable roads.

Campbell credits her success in the field to her experience as a McNair Scholar

Kasey Liehr ’18, Environmental Science and Policy, was an environmental educator in Guyana with the Peace Corps until she was recalled due to the pandemic. She is currently the AmeriCorps STEM program facilitator with the Girl Scouts of Northeast Texas.

James McCann ’06, ’07, Biology and Philosophy, earned a PhD in Cell Biology and Physiology at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and is a post-doctoral research fellow at Johns Hopkins University.

Susie Stillwell MAOD ’16 was a Peace Corps volunteer at a rural school in Savai‘i, Samoa, where she helped train teachers on best practices. She is now a firstgrade teacher in Dallas. “I am continually thankful for my background in organization development. Studying change at the academic level has allowed me to continually adapt to the demands of in-person and virtual learning,” she says.

Jennifer Irving ’19, Communication, teaches media arts at Lehman High School in Kyle.

As a child, Jessica Salinas ’03, Communication, was known as la profe — the professor.

Growing up on her family’s ranch in Mexico, Salinas loved teaching her grandfather how to count in English. She realized early on that her passion was educating others.

Salinas started her career teaching in a predominantly Latino school district, where she worked with students to build their language skills.

Today, she also works with teachers to provide struggling students with individual instruction to meet their unique learning needs. —S.M.

ASKING QUESTIONS, FINDING SOLUTIONS

Rachel Hagey Saluti ’06, Biochemistry and Philosophy, earned a PhD in Microbiology and Immunology from the Stanford University School of Medicine, where she is a research scientist in virology.

Leeroy Cienega ’10, Biochemistry, is an industrial hygiene and safety professional at Los Alamos National Laboratory.

“I serve my community as though they are family because St. Edward’s prepared me to serve.”

at St. Edward’s, which paved the way for her to earn a PhD in Analytical Chemistry from Purdue University. “By the time I started graduate school, I already had research experience, had co-authored an article and had presented at conferences,” she says.

Campbell now tries to open doors for other students from underrepresented groups in STEM. “Diverse representation allows for a diverse approach in solving the challenges we face as a society,” she says. —S.M.

Leon Albert Venegas ’10, Biology, earned a PhD in Biology from the University of Illinois at Chicago and is a scientist at AstraZeneca, where he worked on the company’s Covid-19 monoclonal antibody treatment.

Zane Goodwin ’11, Bioinformatics, earned a PhD in Computational and Systems Biology at Washington University in Saint Louis. He is a genomics data scientist at Bayer Crop Science, where he is working on genomics technologies to make plant breeding more efficient and yield crops that will be productive enough to feed the world.

Gretchen Kroh ’13, Biology, earned a PhD in Biology from Colorado State University and was awarded a National Science Foundation fellowship for graduate work. She is a post-doctoral researcher at Texas A&M University, where she is studying plant immunity and nutrition in crop plants with the long-term goal of engineering healthier crops with higher nutritional value.

Joshua Rios ’20, Biology, is a research associate at AgonOx, a small biotech company in Portland.

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The Techies BUILDING A NEW WORLD Alicia Barron Warriner ’03, Theater Arts, is operations manager at HPT Development and a freelance choreographer.

Brandon Gredler ’03, MBA ’11, is executive director of innovation and T3 Labs at T3, a marketing and advertising agency in Austin.

Aaron Hayslip ’11, Religious Studies, is the founder and CEO of Parsity, an online software engineering training program.

Austin Lytle ’09, Political Science, began his career running online political campaigns for local judicial and statewide races in the early days of social media. “I realized that I had a specialty with online strategy and utilizing the power of online advocacy,” Lytle says. He found emerging technologies and venture-backed startups exciting and knew that Austin’s tech sector was where he wanted to be.

After nearly a decade at the startup Spredfast, Lytle became a product marketing manager at Facebook, where he develops strategy for the company’s marketing partners. “Technology firms move at light-speed and place an emphasis on building culture,” Lytle says. “St. Edward’s played a huge role in preparing me for such a growing and collaborative workforce. It prepared me for a bigger world of possibilities.” —S.M.

Jeff Miner ’11, Finance, is a brand strategist at Google’s Unskippable labs in New York City.

Cody Antunez ’14, Psychology, launched his business Trendology, which helps companies track and analyze what their competitors are doing online.

Jenna Jaco ’15, English Writing and Rhetoric, is a senior technical writer at NI (formerly National Instruments) — and a poet.

Janaeé Wallace ’15, Biology, earned an Engineering, Science and Technology Entrepreneurship Excellence master’s degree from Notre Dame and is a senior consultant for Ernst & Young.

Anna Davies ’16, Marketing, is a user experience designer at Microsoft’s headquarters in Redmond, Wash. “As a UX designer, you are challenged to develop empathy for the users of the product you are designing. I work on a global product, so our users often have varying perspectives and assumptions for how

a product should behave. Because of my experiences at St. Ed’s, I am comfortable communicating with our partners from different countries and enjoy hearing how their design perspectives differ from my own.”

Sophie Gairo ’17, Computer Science, is a software engineering manager at the Home Depot and a Solar System Ambassador for NASA. Dominick Namis ’17, Digital Media Management, is a partner manager at Facebook’s Austin office.

Kenneth Williams MBA ’20 is a project manager at Google in talent and outreach programs.

“My favorite thing about St. Edward’s is that we are not afraid to speak out and speak up. When we notice anything that we believe is unfair or unjust, we speak up and demand change.”

JONATHAN J. TAMAYO GONZALEZ ’19 Computer Science, senior technician at Dell and co-founder of Código Austin, a nonprofit that promotes STEAM fields to underserved youth

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THE ENTREPRENEURS Chris Bynoe ’14, English Writing and Rhetoric, says the first day of his post-graduate internship was anything but typical.

After passing through security checkpoints, he was greeted by a large sign: Welcome to the White House. “That’s when it hit me,” Bynoe says. “I knew that I was getting the chance to be plugged right into history.”

As a media affairs intern in the White House Communications Office in the Obama administration, Bynoe drafted press briefings

and press releases, giving him an inside view into the operations of the federal government.

After his internship, he spent another

year working for the White House in the Presidential Personnel Office, then moved to New York to manage Senator Kirsten Gillibrand’s regional office.

In that role, Bynoe managed the internship

program, coordinated press conferences and town halls, and assisted with the senator’s re-election and presidential campaigns.

Bynoe is currently pursuing two business ventures: Crownwood Capital, a real estate company, and Venexa Media, a digital marketing agency. He credits St. Edward's with encouraging him to take risks. “My education helped me become a leader, to become my best self and help others become their best selves.” —S.M.

THE OPPORTUNITY MAKERS Gregory Gibson Jr. ’09, MBA ’12, traveled to Chile for his final MBA capstone project.

It was an opportunity to work directly with an international company on its marketing. “I loved it. It opened so many doors internally for me. I realized I could spend my whole life doing this,” Gibson says.

Gibson started his own marketing company, Dashingfoot, to assist small businesses with mobile app and web development, eventually working with big-name clients like the International Women’s Forum. As his business grew, Gibson remained committed to one of the biggest lessons he learned at St. Edward’s: Do something meaningful.

Wanting to provide opportunities for first-generation

OPENING DOORS Former SGA president Amhir Hidalgo ’06, Political Science, is director of development for CenterLink, which strengthens LGBTQ community centers around the world.

students like himself, Gibson created the HBCU Battle of the Brains, a national academic championship for students from historically Black colleges and universities. The event has attracted more than 20 sponsors, including the NFL, Dell and Charles Schwab.

“St. Edward’s taught me to treat people as truly valuable individuals,” Gibson says. “I wanted to create a hands-on experience that allows companies to see students at their absolute best.”

He later launched HSI Battle of the Brains for Hispanic-serving institutions, and St. Edward’s was the first school to sign on. “It was truly rewarding to see Hilltoppers engaged in a program I created,” Gibson says. “It really has come full circle.” —S.M.

Leslie De La Rosa ’12, Spanish, is a student completion specialist at South Texas College.

Erika Montoya ’14, Latin American Studies and Catholic Studies, is a program manager at College Forward, which helps first-generation and low-income students access higher education.

Chandler Sager ’14, Religious Studies, is director of outreach at Fredericksburg United Methodist Church.

PAVING THEIR OWN WAY Margaret Hulse ’05, Art, is a painter, jewelry designer, and artist in San Pedro, Belize, and the owner of Mpulse Studio, which donates some of its work to women healing from domestic violence.

Chris Ragland ’05, MBA ’10, is a partner and CFO at venture capital studio YGC and the controlling principal of Ragland Holdings LLC, a family investment firm.

Ben Sabin ’09, Communication, is the founder of Friends and Allies Brewing in Austin.

Michelle Davey ’11, International Business, is the founder and CEO of telehealth company Wheel.

Suzzanne Gamboa ’12, MSEM ’16, and Christine Lacayo MSEM ’16 co-founded Siembra Studios. The creative studio supports socialimpact and sustainability-focused clients through branding and multilingual copywriting.

Vianey Becerra Welbourn ’12, Political Science, launched the bilingual digital communications agency Welbourn & Co.

Regina Vatterott ’17, Entrepreneurship, is cofounder of the smart pillbox EllieGrid and was part of Forbes 30 Under 30 in 2019.

In the middle of a global public health crisis, Brenda Torres ’10, Biochemistry, is using her background to play a role in the response to Covid-19. After graduating from St. Edward’s, Torres earned a PhD in Immunology from Stanford and co-founded CanaryQ in 2017. Her company seeks to revolutionize at-home, over-thecounter diagnostic tests to make it easier for consumers to collect their own blood samples and detect ailments like gestational diabetes without setting foot in a clinic.

“Based on our backgrounds, we felt we had the experience to design an easy tool — something similar to a pregnancy test that would

allow people to get a good-quality sample, be able to perform the test and be able to interpret the results themselves,” she says.

When the pandemic left public health experts scrambling to administer tests and create a vaccine, Torres shifted her focus to developing at-home Covid-19 antibody test kits. “It’s important to have a test that’s sensitive enough to distinguish whether the vaccine is working or not,” Torres says. “That’s been our mission.” Torres is passionate about using her degree to help people and aims to launch a product by the end of the year. “It’s an ambitious goal,” Torres says, “but I think we can do it.” —S.M.

Dianey Reyna Leal ’15, Political Science and English Writing and Rhetoric, is earning a dual PhD from the Higher, Adult, and Lifelong Education and Chicano/ Latino Studies programs at Michigan State University.

Her research focuses on the policies and practices related to college access among underrepresented and underserved student populations.

Erika Ortiz ’16, Finance, is director of product and service design at JUST, a nonprofit financial platform working to close the racial wealth gap by investing in ambitious Texas women through capital, peer coaching and community.

“All of my collegiate experiences at St. Ed’s prepared me for my future positions serving students.”

LESLIE DE LA ROSA ’12

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The Advocates As a student, Lauren May ’11 woke up at 4:30 a.m. every Wednesday to pack breakfast bags with Campus Ministry at the Austin Resource Center for the Homeless. These excursions were one of May’s first experiences working with the homeless community.

A Religious Studies major who earned a master's at Harvard Divinity School, May envisioned pursuing a PhD thanks to St. Edward’s mentors “who saw the potential in me that I didn’t know existed.” Her career path changed as she started volunteering in Harvard Square. “I couldn’t imagine not cooking spaghetti every night at the homeless shelter,” she says.

May now works as a housing advocate in New York City, where she conducts outreach to homeless individuals and assists clients with psychiatric needs in applying for housing. Her motto: Get ’em housed and keep ’em housed. Her office wall is filled with photocopies of keys from past clients, signed with the date they moved into housing. They still send her Christmas cards years later.

“The spirit I strive to bring to my clients is sitting with them in their pain and thinking that they deserve to be held,” May says. “It’s meeting them where they are and bringing everything I have to what they need.” —S.M.

“My St. Edward’s education helped me strengthen my understanding of environmental racism as a symptom of a larger system of injustice.”

JARYMAR ARANA GARCIA ’11 Environmental Science and Policy, director of organizing at BASTA Austin, a tenants’-rights group focused on housing justice

Amber Fogarty ’00, MBA ’04, is president of Mobile Loaves & Fishes, the nonprofit that created Community First! Village, a development that provides affordable housing for people coming out of chronic homelessness.

Barbra Boeta ’03, Psychology, is the executive director of the Economic Growth Business Incubator, which offers training, coaching and support to entrepreneurs who might otherwise face barriers to growing their business.

Charles Carver ’08, International Relations, opened his first law office in a restored Airstream trailer. He practices civil and administrative law and serves the community by providing legal aid to low-income clients. He is also an associate judge for the City of Bastrop.

MAKING A DIFFERENCE Kristen Dempsey Pasyk ’09, Religious Studies, is the director of social justice ministries at St. Austin Catholic Parish in Austin.

Chelsea Elliott ’12, Communication, is the executive director of the half Helen Foundation, which helps children in low-income schools see clearly. In 2019 the nonprofit launched a mobile vision clinic where students who fail a vision screening can have an eye exam and get glasses at no cost.

After working with UNICEF as a child protection officer in Tijuana, Marielle Septien ’12, Global Studies, became the border shelter network coordinator for Church World Service. “St. Edward’s taught me the importance of making a difference in our community,” she says. “I held on to these words as I saw our country’s asylum system collapse along the U.S.–Mexico border. These past four years have taught me what a privilege it is to love your job and work in a sector that is making a difference 24/7.”

Haleigh Campbell ’13, Social Work, is the volunteer and education director at the YWCA Greater Austin.

“Social work is a way of thinking, and to be successful at it you have to be justice oriented, empathetic, resourceful and dedicated,” she says.

Shae Jefferies ’13, Sociology, is a professor in the Collin Community College District and faculty development trainer at the University of North Texas, where she helps professors increase cultural awareness and diversity in their curricula.

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Nick Thompson ’17, Global Studies, is the statewide initiatives manager for Texas Homeless Network, where he runs an AmeriCorps VISTA program and co-directs the organization’s advocacy and legislative efforts.

Ana Guadalupe Vielma ’19, Psychology, is a doctoral student in The University of Texas at Austin Educational Psychology program, where she focuses on the sociocultural factors that influence the academic performance and mental health outcomes of underrepresented students.

Daniel Dosal-Terminel MAC ’20 is a bilingual clinical mental health school-based counselor at CHRIS 180, a youth-oriented behavioral health organization in Georgia, and a doctoral student in Georgia State University’s Counselor Education and Practice program.

“My experiences at St. Ed’s prepared me with knowledge, resources, and friendships that helped me find a career I love.”

HALEIGH CAMPBELL ’13

THE BUSINESS LEADERS After completing a year of studies at a state college, Alain Cabrera ’12, MBA ’15, started working part time as a teller at Bank of America. He later transitioned to JPMorgan Chase, where he was offered the position of assistant manager with the goal of “working hard and moving up fast.” He was

quickly promoted, becoming the youngest branch manager in Southwest Texas at the age of 25.

Knowing that he would have to return to school to advance further, Cabrera enrolled at St. Edward’s and was blown away by the individual attention the small class sizes provided him. “I

felt like I got the personal attention I needed,” Cabrera says. He currently serves as the vice president of mortgage lending at Pegasus Bank in Dallas. —S.M.

Marie González ’05, Finance and Spanish, is a senior risk specialist at the Federal Reserve Bank of Boston.

“Father Basil Moreau’s message of not cultivating the mind at the expense of the heart was ever present at St. Edward’s,” she says. “It has been the preservation of heart that has led me not to waver on the integrity of my work and to genuinely care about the people I work with. More companies are starting to realize that creating a positive culture (one of heart) helps foster innovation and success.”

THE RISK TAKER Courtney Dymowski ’14, Photocommunications, never imagined that her passion for exploring the world would one day lead her back home to Austin. But it was the cross-cultural relationships she formed abroad that would ultimately change her future.

“I fell in love with gin in England,” Dymowski says. During her post-graduate study at Cambridge University, Dymowski would share American beers with an English friend while he would introduce her to different gins. That’s when she realized that sometimes traveling is as easy as sipping a cocktail. “Because people often source their botanicals locally, I could explore different regions just by tasting gin.”

Dymowski currently serves as the director of gin research and development at Treaty Oak Distilling. “A lot of the gins I strive to produce look to the ingredients of the Texas Hill Country that have meant a lot to people historically,” Dymowski says.

“I think of it as creating a history of taste. It’s not art history or visual history, but a history led by the palate.” —S.M.

LEADING THE WAY Jeremias Alvarez ’01, Spanish and International Business, worked as a policy analyst and consultant and is a partner at the startup Guidehouse, which provides management and technology consulting.

MongoDB, a database solution for app developers.

Gwen Dixon ’03, MBA ’08, is the global finance director for Dell Technologies.

Andres Crosby ’10, International Business, has worked in marketing management, process improvement and project management, most recently for American Airlines, before entering the Texas Christian University MBA program last fall.

Imelda Torres-Laborde ’03, MSOLE ’05, is vice president of human resources at chemical and industrial additive manufacturer Prince International in Houston.

Jack Meredith ’11, Digital Media Management and Finance, is vice president of marketing at Kettle & Fire, an Austin-based bone broth company.

Linus Akanoh Jr. ’06, Accounting and Computer Information Technology, is a senior manager at Deloitte, where he helps clients recover from the disruption of man-made crises and natural disasters.

Ismael Moreno ’14, Accounting Information Technology, is a technology risk consultant at audit, tax and consulting firm RSM.

Daniel Hawthorne ’08, MBA ’12, is an enterprise account executive for

Alexandra Gyarfas MBA ’15 is the marketing director at Pipeline Success/ShiftMed, a healthcare service that connects families,

agencies, skilled nursing facilities, and hospitals with caregivers and nurses.

for International Investors Group, a real estate investment and development company.

Rachael Bellus ’16, Entrepreneurship, is the social media coordinator at IdeaPeddler, an Austin-based marketing and media agency.

Ron Chatterjee MBA ’19 is a senior program manager at semiconductor company AMD in Austin.

Sarah Bode ’16, Accounting, is a senior associate at KPMG’s Austin office in the audit division and leads the local inclusion and diversity council.

Tiffany Reynolds MBA ’17 is a regional property manager at GVA Property Management, which focuses on multifamily residential.

Jennifer Rangubphai ’18, MSLC ’20 is advertising and outreach coordinator for Austin Energy.

Luke Schubert ’18, Philosophy, works in accounting and marketing

Theila Galvan ’19, Accounting, is a risk consulting associate at the audit, tax and consulting firm RSM. Gerardo Chapa ’20, Finance, is a technical product associate at Elevate Growth Partners, a commercial real estate firm.

Jacob Gonzalez ’20, Finance, is a junior analyst at JPMorgan.

Ashley Nassy ’20, Finance and Accounting, is a student in the Master of Accounting with Data and Analytics program at the University of Mississippi, with all expenses paid by KPMG. ST. EDWARD’S UNIVERSITY MAGAZINE

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THE PUBLIC SERVANTS SERVING COMMUNITIES

At the age of 27, Victoria Ochoa ’16, Political Science, already has a remarkable résumé of accomplishments. She’s completing both a law degree at the University of Pennsylvania and a master’s in Public Policy at Harvard University.

She was selected as a 2015 Harry S. Truman Scholar.

She has worked for the U.S. Senate, interned for the Department of Justice, and contributed legal research to a case that was argued before the Supreme Court by a fellow St. Edward’s alumnus. This semester, Ochoa is completing an internship in the office of the Secretary-General of the United Nations, focusing on peacekeeping and human rights.

“Most of what I’m interested in stems from my experience growing up as a Latina in Texas,” Ochoa says. “I definitely want to be a public servant, litigator or advocate who transforms institutions and policies to better represent this new America that is emerging.”

At St. Edward’s, Ochoa was involved in student government and co-founded the university’s It’s On Us initiative against sexual assault.

“Those experiences taught me, as a college student, project management and how to mobilize others and manage teams,” Ochoa says. “Those are invaluable skills that I still use today.”

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Becky Garcia Morquecho ’00, Criminal Justice, is a senior crime scene specialist in the Austin Police Department and the only certified bilingual specialist. She was a first-generation college student and part of the College Assistance Migrant Program.

“The program changed my path and that of my family,” she says.

“My daughter is currently a freshman at St. Edward’s.”

Noah Webster ’04, Philosophy, is a major in the Army’s Infantry branch. “Learning to think was critical, and more so in ethical matters,” he says. “This has had positive impact during training for deployments, while overseas, and as a servant for our soldiers.”

Gina Calanni ’05, Political Science, is the first woman elected to represent Texas House District 132, which covers part of Harris County.

Rachael Young ’09, International Relations, is a lieutenant commander in the Navy Reserves and works for the Department of Defense, focusing on security.

Bryce Bencivengo ’10, Political Science, is communications manager for the City of Austin Office of Homeland Security and Emergency Management.

Irma Fernandez ’13, Political Science, is a political consultant and finance director with campaign consultancy firm Leaven Strategies Group. “From professors to residence hall directors to other mentors on campus — I always found so many people willing to be my champion. Their confidence always gave me a boost when I needed it,” she says.

Claire Stone ’13, Social Work, is a senior analyst in the San Francisco Controller’s Office on the emergency management team.

Eriann Panado ’15, Global Studies, is a program and policy associate at the International Economic Development Council, a membership association for economic developers at the local, state, and regional levels, and is working on a master’s degree in Public Administration at the University of Southern California.

Neal Whetstone ’18, Political Science, has been a field organizer for political campaigns and a policy aide for the Austin City Council. He is a J.D. candidate at The University of Texas School of Law. Sabrina Gonzalez ’19, Political Science, is a policy analyst with the Texas Council for Developmental Disabilities.

Chris Duke ’10, Political Science, is an education policy advisor to Texas Lieutenant Governor Dan Patrick.

Max Murphy ’19, Philosophy, is a firefighter with the U.S. Forest Service in California.

Shelby Cole ’13, English Writing and Rhetoric, was the digital director for Kamala Harris during the Biden-Harris campaign.

Guadalupe Aguilar ’20, Forensic Science, is a medical examiner investigator at the Travis County Medical Examiner’s office.

“St. Edward’s University instilled in me a deep sense of servant leadership, which has helped me in both professional positions and through graduate school.”

LUZ E. HINOJOSA ’03 English Writing and Rhetoric and Political Science, education program manager at the Texas Association of Counties

Elvia Valle ’13 is living “an international relations nerd’s dream.” As a Foreign Service Officer at the U.S. Department of State, the Global Studies major immerses herself in the study of new languages, attends international conferences with global leaders, and moves to a new country every few years to promote international peace and understanding.

“I love the opportunity to keep learning,” Valle says, “and to become a part of new neighborhoods and communities.”

As a first-generation college student, Valle never imagined that she would one day have the opportunity to travel the world. She enrolled at St. Edward’s through the College Assistance Migrant Program, which provided her with the financial and academic support she needed to excel in her studies.

“St. Edward’s is like a cheerleader,” she says.

“Everyone is willing to help you, if you ask.”

Valle was previously a Fulbright Scholar in Austria and a Pickering Fellow at Georgetown University and is currently studying the Uzbek language full time to prepare for her next State Department assignment at the U.S. Embassy in Tashkent, Uzbekistan. “Ultimately, we all want world peace,” Valle says. “And the goal of public diplomacy work is to achieve that through learning from different perspectives and to explain the American perspective to foreign audiences.”

The Scholars Patricia Garcia ’05, English Writing and Rhetoric, earned a PhD in Information Studies from UCLA and is an assistant professor of Information at the University of Michigan.

Her research focuses on how the use of culturally responsive computing practices can increase girls’ participation in STEM activities.

THE CREATIVES These seven Photocommunications alumni moved to New York City after graduation. Throughout their journeys, they’ve been roommates, co-workers and friends — and one another’s biggest supporters.

From left to right: Ryan Slack ’08, founder, Mediumplex Studio; Brandon Maxwell ’08, founder and owner of Brandon Maxwell Studio; Jessy Price ’08, filmmaker and creative producer; Jaime Alexis ’07, creative freelancer; Monika Kratochvil ’08, owner, Monika Kratochvil Photography; Michelle Leedy ’08, senior producer at Swell Digital; John Clendenen ’08, senior retoucher at Droga5

Ryan Mitchell ’13, English Writing and Rhetoric, earned a PhD in Rhetoric and Composition at Carnegie Mellon University and is an assistant professor of English at Lafayette College in Easton, Penn.

Kelly Kate Evans ’15, Philosophy, is a doctoral student in Philosophy at Baylor University, specializing in applied ethics and political philosophy. Her research focuses on questions about authority and justice in healthcare.

Christopher Tonnu Jackson ’16, Chemistry, is a doctoral student in Chemistry at the University of California, Berkeley.

Amy Ontai ’18, Biology and Education, is a doctoral student in Microbiology at Yale University Medical School.

Jacquelyn Turcinovic ’18, Bioinformatics, is a doctoral student in Bioinformatics at Boston University, where she did a research experience as an undergraduate student.

Kizil Yusoof ’18, Biology, is a doctoral student in the Integrated Biomedical Sciences program at The University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio.

Chris Azaldegui ’19, Chemistry, is a doctoral student in Chemical Biology at the University of Michigan.

Analise Roth-Rodriguez ’19, Biochemistry, is a doctoral student in Medicinal Chemistry at the University of Minnesota–Twin Cities.

PHOTOGRAPH BY DENNIS BURNETT

“I came here and was told that I could do anything I wanted to do.”

BRANDON MAXWELL ’08 While visiting St. Edward’s in 2019

INSPIRING OTHERS Aaron Alexander ’06, Theater Arts, is a Los Angeles–based actor and stunt performer and has played champion boxer Sonny Liston in the Amazon original movie One Night in Miami and worked on the Netflix hit show Lucifer.

After serving as creative director for Kerbey Lane Café, Karli Isiyel ’07, Graphic Design, runs her own print and digital design firm, Karli Designs.

Michelle Andrizzi ’08, Photocommunications, is an executive in the marketing division of United Talent Agency in Los Angeles.

Hanna King ’08, Graphic Design, is a custom sock designer at Sock Club, where she’s designed socks for clients including indie bands and organizers of an environmental law conference.

Kaci Beeler ’09, Art, co-founded American Berserk Theatre and the improv company Parallelogramo-

phonograph in Austin. She is also an actor with TAG Talent Agency and a freelance artist. “My work ethic and dedication to my craft are directly inspired by my time at St. Ed’s,” she says.

Claire Cella ’10, English Writing and Rhetoric, is the communications design associate at the Wyoming Outdoor Council, a conservation nonprofit.

Rebecca Marino ’10, Photocommunications, is the associate director of Texas State Galleries and special projects coordinator at Deborah Roberts Studio in Austin.

Austin Rausch ’12, Theater Arts, is a costume designer and visiting professor of Costume Design at Purdue University Fort Wayne.

St. Ed’s Magazine cover artist Kristin Moore ’13, Art, is a fulltime professional artist, specializing in landscapes and cityscapes of the western United States.

Tyler Mount ’13, Theater Arts, is a Tony Award–winning Broadway producer and was director of digital strategy for special projects in the Biden presidential campaign.

Mallory Ashwander ’14, Graphic Design, is creative director at Thrasio, a Houston-based acquirer of Amazon businesses.

Brianna (Chacon) Small ’16, Digital Media Management, is a senior manager for interactive marketing for Warner Music Nashville.

Jacqueline Flores ’18, Theater Arts, is the executive office coordinator and National New Play Network Producer-in-Residence at the Woolly Mammoth Theatre Company in Washington, D.C. Hailey J. Strader ’19, Theater Arts, is a character animator with the studio Minnow Mountain, where she is creating rotoscope animation on the Richard Linklater film Apollo 10½.

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THE COMMUNICATORS Brandon Benavides ’03, Communication, is an Emmy-winning writer and producer for NBC4 in Washington, D.C.

is the editorial assistant for business and finance higher education textbooks at John Wiley & Sons, Inc., in New York.

Nancy Flores ’03, Communication, is a journalist leading the relaunch of Austin Vida, a digital news site focused on Latinx culture and community.

Gianni Zorrilla ’20, Communication, is assistant editor for operations at Texas Monthly.

Brooke Lewis ’14, English Writing and Rhetoric, is a reporter at the Houston Chronicle covering Fort Bend County.

Arielle Avila ’17, English Writing and Rhetoric, is a junior writer at New York Magazine.

Eleanor Fishbourne ’19, English Writing and Rhetoric, is the senior business development coordinator at Greenleaf Book Group in Austin.

Joey Hadden ’19, Photocommunications, is a junior lifestyle reporter at Insider.

Myrka Moreno ’19, Digital Media Management, is a senior social engagement fellow at Grist, an online environmental news magazine.

Gavin Quinn ’19, English Writing and Rhetoric, is the programs assistant at the Texas Book Festival.

“My career is a full-circle journey.

I first learned about The Believer in class, and it’s excellently fortuitous that I now run the festival for that same magazine.

The professors at St. Ed’s provided the starting point for my literary trajectory.”

SARA ORTIZ ’09 English Writing and Rhetoric, program and festival director for the Black Mountain Institute in Nevada

Kali Ridley ’19, English Literature and Business Administration,

The Globetrotters THE LEGAL MINDS Kelly Whitebread Williams ’08, International Business, is senior counsel at DCP Midstream, a Fortune 500 natural gas company headquartered in Denver.

Worth Carroll ’12, History, is a trial lawyer at Sumpter & Gonzalez, representing victims of sexual assault and other injured survivors throughout Texas.

Ariya Leigh Villegas ’13, Criminology, is an assistant city attorney for the City of Carrollton, north of Dallas.

Jonathan Stoughton ’18, Global Studies, is a student at Texas A&M University School of Law and plans a career in consumer law, particularly fair housing and lending.

Benji Fitten ’19, Political Science, is a law student at the Catholic University of America, focusing on social justice, urban planning and immigration policy.

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After teaching in Bucharest, Romania, and Stuttgart, Germany, Melissa Wilde ’16, Special Education and Elementary Education, is a drama teacher at the Bilingual European School in Milan, Italy.

“I am forever thankful to St. Edward’s for giving me the tools to explore my interests around the world and for opening new doors for my personal growth.”

FRIDA MELGAR ’19 Global Studies, worked in Mexico City as part of the Fulbright Binational Internship Program and is now earning her master’s in Latin American Studies at Tulane University

THE ENVIRONMENTALISTS

The Helpers

Dave Cortez, ’06, Political Science, is the Clean Energy for All coordinator with the Texas Sierra Club.

Tommie Baugh ’02, Kinesiology, is the owner and director of Austin Manual Therapy Associates South Austin.

Susan Gonzales MAC ’14 is the founder and clinical supervisor of Susan Gonzales Counseling and Associates.

Joseph Diaz ’07, Biology, is an OB/GYN with the Bon Secours Health System in Richmond, Va.

Alyssa (Haney) Gooch ’14, Sociology, is a program analyst at South Alamo Regional Alliance for the Homeless in San Antonio.

Margaret Whitney ’07, Biology, is an OB/GYN and assistant professor at UT Austin Dell Medical School.

Kiersten Oubre ’14, Religious Studies, is a social worker at the Austin State Hospital.

Alice Puccio ’08, History, is a New Hampshire–based environmental education coordinator for the Appalachian Mountain Club, an outdoor recreation and conservation nonprofit.

Cali Chidester ’15, Environmental Science and Policy, is the environmental management system program coordinator with the Texas Military Department.

Jesse Hunt MSEM ’15 is sustainability coordinator at Powers Brown Architecture, a commercial architecture firm.

Lesley Lucas MSEM ’15 is the social justice operations manager for Hewlett Packard Enterprise,

working at the intersection of environmental responsibility and equity and inclusion.

Phoebe Romero MSEM ’15 is an environmental program coordinator, focusing on climate justice, with the City of Austin Office of Sustainability.

Aaron Waters MSEM ’15 is the flood reporting coordinator at the Texas Water Development Board in Austin. “Without the real-world examples the professors and coursework incorporated into the curriculum, I would still be stuck in my previous career, not knowing how my passion for public service could translate into a fulfilling career,” he says.

Sarah Morton ’18, Environmental Science and Policy, is a research analyst at Global Water Intelligence’s Austin office.

TAKING ON THEIR WORLD Bianca Gomiero Fernandes ’12, Finance and International Business, worked for Freescale Semiconductors in Austin and for an e-commerce group in Argentina before becoming the expansion manager for Uber Eats in Brazil. She is currently earning her MBA and her master’s in International Studies at the University of Pennsylvania.

Sara Glenn ’14, Communication, is a middle-school math teacher at Beijing City International School.

Aude Le Masson ’14, Marketing, teaches French at

the girls’ campus of Liceo de Monterrey, a Catholic school in Monterrey, Mexico.

Katherine Protano ’14, Global Studies, is the diversity and inclusion specialist at Delivery Hero, a global restaurant, grocery and homegoods delivery company based in Berlin.

Christopher Olivares ’16, Political Science, is interning at the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development in Paris and is earning his master’s degree at the Johns Hopkins University School of Advanced International Studies.

“St. Edward’s showed me there is monumental value in exploring the world, especially when stepping out of your comfort zone.

We learn the most from the people who are different from us.”

KYLE OVERBY ’09 Global Studies, director of international programs for the AESA International School System in Barcelona, Spain

Karla Barrera ’08, Biology, is a physician assistant in Laredo.

Eloise Alvizo ’10, Photocommunications, is vice president and resource development director at United Way of South Texas.

Ashley Clements ’10, Psychology, launched Rescue PAC, a nonprofit focused on dog rescue and adoption.

Aven Garms Glazer ’11, Biology, is a pediatric nurse practitioner at Community Health Centers of Central Wyoming.

Susan Hublein McLellan ’12, Social Work, is the case manager supervisor for STARRY Foster Care in Round Rock.

Andrew Willard ’12, Global Studies, is the procurement and performance coordinator for Austin’s Ending Community Homelessness Coalition.

Le’Darrion Allen ’13, Criminal Justice, is a grants project manager for the St. David’s Foundation.

Linda Armstrong ’13, Biology, is a nurse practitioner in hematology and oncology at Boston Medical Center and an instructor at the Boston University School of Medicine.

Taylor Gabriel ’13, Biology, is an internal medicine physician at the University of Washington Valley Medical Center near Seattle.

Jennie Cassady ’14, Biology, is a resident physician in pediatrics and medical genetics at the University of Alabama at Birmingham.

Yvette Cannata ’15, Biology, is an associate veterinarian at VCA Terrell Animal Hospital in Lakeway.

Nathalie Equiza ’15, Biology, is the American Heart Association’s development director for Heart Walk.

Danielle Rivera ’15, English Writing and Rhetoric, is a fourth-year medical student at the University of New Mexico.

Cedric Dunmore MAC ’17 is the cofounder of Renovating Dynasties Counseling Services, where he specializes in helping people struggling with addiction.

Ilyse Kennedy MAC ’17 is the founder of Moving Parts Psychotherapy.

Mallory Koch ’17, Communication, is a house coordinator at L’Arche Jacksonville, where she works with adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities.

Gloria Gonzalez ’18, French, is an education specialist at Caritas of Austin, whose mission is to prevent and end homelessness.

Josué Damian-Martínez ’19, Political Science, co-founded the Santa Fe Mutual Aid Network, which has raised more than $100,000 to help low-income families with housing, food and household expenses during the Covid-19 pandemic.

Karlee Bradley ’20, Mathematics, is completing a year of service at André House, which serves people on the streets of Phoenix, Ariz.

Venetia Abron contributed to this story.

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HALCYON / 2019 / Acrylic on canvas

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ART

for a better

WORLD These seven artists attended St. Edward’s across nearly 40 years. They work in different mediums, yet their art is powered by the same deeply human desires: to understand themselves and others, and to leave the world a little bit better than they found it.

BY PAIGE BOOTH OPENING ARTWORK BY SARAH FERGUSON ’98

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S

arah Ferguson ’98 views art as a guiding light for personal reflection and philosophical exploration. Her passion for color was ignited when she studied color theory in Professor Walle Conoly’s design class in the late 1990s. Her series of paintings, Cynosures, embraces the power of color: A cynosure is something that aids in direction or guidance, while itself demanding attention.

Color and Geometry My paintings have a contemplative, pulsating sense of navigating inward — an intentional effect derived from my observations. Focus transitions toward a central beacon of light, and a hypnotic shift follows.

As a result, what once seemed an unyielding sense of chaos becomes sculpted into a codified geometric harmony, ushering in a deeper, more insightful space of healing.

INCANDESCENCE II / 2019 / Acrylic on canvas

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Completing each painting takes up to two weeks of meticulous work as she strives for equilibrium between the oppositional forces of rigid geometry and free-flowing color exploration.

Ferguson hopes her paintings invite the viewer into a meditative space, leaving open the possibility to experience one’s own awakening amid all the color and energy.

Art and Science

SERIES 22 #1 / 2018 / Gouache and graphite on Bristol paper

Jessica Foster ’15 will tell you without reservation that she has her dream job as an art teacher at Barbara Jordan Elementary School in northeast Austin. That’s true even during the Covid-19 pandemic, when she is teaching art remotely to seven classes per day. Some of her students are learning from home, while others are in school. Kids in class can no longer share crayons and markers, and some students learning from home have no art supplies of their own.

So Foster approached three Austin nonprofits to provide funding for a box of personal art supplies for all 600 children at her elementary school. She also won a

Ever since I first looked at E. coli under a microscope, I’ve been fascinated by its beauty.

In my paintings, I strive to create compositions that replicate the tension between patterns found in nature and the human interpretations of those patterns. Also present in my work are issues of social justice. The viral and bacterial forms that cause foodborne and waterborne illnesses may be gorgeously arranged, but they also underline how important the human right to clean water is. While E. coli may be inconveniently hiding in your package of Whole Foods spinach, there are still many communities throughout the world without access to clean water for drinking, food preparation and sanitation. I hope that my work can help to shed a light on the need for change.

$6,000 grant this year to create a public art space for her students and her community.

Working with the artist support organization SprATX Ignite, she commissioned four local artists to paint colorful murals on the walls of her school. The goal is to break down barriers between students and art and encourage them to explore their own artistic talents. The murals were unveiled in October 2020, in time for families to admire them as they drove through the art supply pick-up station.

“Kids right now are craving the socialization that comes through art,” Foster says.

“I’m honored to be able to provide that.”

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BINGO HALL / 2006 / Archival inkjet

WEIGHTLIFTERS / 2006 / Archival inkjet

Dylan Vitone ’01 goes where the work is. As a documentary photographer, he has traveled to Boston, rural Louisiana, Pittsburgh, Miami and Qatar to understand people who are different from himself and learn about the social issues they face. And this year, his work is going to the moon: MoonArk, a conceptual art piece he developed in collaboration with faculty colleagues from Carnegie Mellon University, where he is an associate professor, and James Madison University,

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will be delivered to the surface of the moon by lunar rover. It will be a cultural minimuseum, left as a gift for future explorers.

But no matter how far he wanders, he stays connected to St. Edward’s. He met his wife, Elaine (Garrison) Vitone ’00, while a student. His father, Joe Vitone, teaches photography in the School of Arts and Humanities. And he credits his professors for making him believe that he could — and should — have an impact in the world.

South Boston Project

“My photographic process has always been about documenting people and place to create records of the ordinary and, through that process, finding poetry within the mundane.”

In October 1994, U.S. News & World Report revealed that South Boston, Massachusetts, had the highest concentration of impoverished whites in America. As I researched the area’s history, I found that this closed, blue-collar community still lived in the shadows of the 1970s race riots it endured when the United States government tried to integrate South Boston schools. South Boston was labeled a place that did not take well to outsiders.

As I started photographing, I found that South Boston developed its own identity in its time in exile. The individuals living there turned to the community itself for strength. In the process, they developed a sense of identity and pride that seems to be their own.

My photographic process has always been about documenting people and place to create records of the ordinary and, through that process, finding poetry within the mundane.

Creating large-scale panoramic photographs allows me to simultaneously show details and relationships at multiple spatial and perceptual levels.

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John Cobb ’83 attended St. Edward’s in the early 1980s when Holy Cross Brothers were prevalent on campus. He quietly describes them as important figures in his spiritual development and artistic growth. Several of the brothers served as subjects for his paintings.

His art rewards the patient viewer. In the tradition of medieval artists, his paintings often depict religious themes or Bible stories. But his subjects are very much of this time and place — a janitor he once worked with at the Texas Department of Public Safety, a carpenter, a homeless family on a Texas beach, a disabled relative. Cobb paints them all with care and reverence, a subtle instruction to look for the divine in our fellow humans.

Using centuries-old techniques, he renders his subjects in earthy egg tempera paint and luminous gold leaf. Because Cobb paints in layers, each work can take two to three years to complete, and the end result resembles an icon or fresco that has existed for centuries.

ST. PETER (MR. BROWN THE PLUMBER) 1989 / Egg tempera on Masonite board

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Time and Tempera My work is inspired by my travels and the religious paintings in European chapels. I employ gold leaf and egg tempera, classic methods that date back to Byzantine iconographers, to create paintings of biblical characters and scenes that resemble early Renaissance portraits. My work builds on Eurocentric biblical iconography, centering diverse subjects in holy imagery to find deep and lasting value from then until now.

MINISTRY TO THE WIDOW AND ORPHAN 1987 / Egg tempera and gold leaf on panel

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When Jeff Miles Jr. ’15 moved from Washington, D.C., to Austin to attend St. Edward’s, it was the first time in his life he felt like a minority.

He had left a predominantly African American city and high school to come to Austin, where Black male representation is in the single digits. His professors and family — along with his experiences being an African American in Texas — challenged him to grow and experiment with his art.

He discovered that his voice mattered and that art was his platform for expression.

Kings and Queens My artwork highlights the beauty of people from different ethnic backgrounds through individualized portraiture. While I attempt to cover cultures from all over the world, I focus most on those of minorities in North America. Some will say that my artwork has political messages behind the visuals. This is both true and false. While my artwork is not associated with any political party, it will always promote equality and give voice to the voiceless. I believe that everyone, regardless of their ethnic background, is born with royal value and should be treated equally.

SUMMER’S SMOKE 2020 / Digital painting in Procreate

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The four portraits he painted for his 2015 Senior Show got noticed and were booked into an art display at the Austin airport.

Then came an invitation to exhibit during the East Austin Studio Tour. In June 2020, he was invited by Capitol View Arts to join other artists in painting “Black Austin Matters” on Congress Avenue downtown and a mural of George Floyd on East 11th Street.

“These movements are not about valuing one over another but about respect for all,” Miles says. “They are saying allow me to matter.”

Spirited or Othered Every piece begins with an idea or feeling. No matter the medium, I find myself caught in nepantla, a place of in-between-ness, the institutional and cultural burden of feeling too Mexican for America, and too American for Mexico. Sometimes I wrestle this feeling, sometimes I welcome it. The quality of my experience as a brown body in America fluctuates.

Every moment, mundane or commemorative, influences whether I feel spirited or othered. My work explores both extremes of this experience, celebration and alienation.

TOBACCO CHILD / 2016 / Mixed media

Gerardo Silguero ’16, who grew up in Brownsville, uses his art to explore his experience of being in between two cultures.

But he is not in the middle ground when it comes to social issues that affect Latinos.

Through sculpture, painting, printmaking, installation and murals, he reminds viewers that hundreds of immigrant children have been detained at the U.S.–Mexico border, separated from their parents and housed in harsh and frigid conditions.

In the midst of the Covid-19 pandemic, as art events and exhibitions mostly ceased, Silguero turned his attention to essential workers. His latest art is a series of boldly colored portraits of friends and family members who continued to work through lockdown in jobs at grocery stores, city offices and construction sites. His aim is to make these people visible and ensure they are regarded as the everyday heroes he sees them to be.

“Every moment, mundane or commemorative, influences whether I feel spirited or othered.”

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RESPECT 2019 / Glazed porcelain cast long-stemmed flowers embedded in pulp made from sheets on which a close friend was raped, mounted on a cradled frame

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Objects Reclaimed I collect personal artifacts that have embedded histories of trauma. Sheets from a rape victim, prison uniforms that have been worn down or military gear that has seen more than battle.

Once I receive the objects, I have only one rule: to transform them. They become wall hangings, installations and sculptures, thus allowing the matter itself a voice in art. Pretty portrait or not, I believe we each exist more honestly in our own raw materials.

When I can make beauty out of these materials, these raw pieces, I find it to be the fuel to keep making.

A BATTLE LOST 2015 / Rolled paper handmade from military uniforms, gold foil and matte medium

PHOTOGRAPHS BY CHRIS GRAY

Jenn Hassin ’12 works in ceramics, drawing, painting, collage, performance and installation. In many cases, the medium itself morphs and defies definition as she transforms one object into another.

Clothing becomes paper. A dress becomes a sculpture. Porcelain preserves a flower. Her enduring interest is in transforming relics of trauma into objects of beauty, education and contemplation.

In 2015, she created a large-scale rolled-paper work titled “A Battle Lost” to draw attention to the issue of suicide

among military veterans. The 8,030 paper spirals signify the birth-to-death cycle of the veterans who lost their lives to suicide in the previous year. She added gold foil to the composition in the tradition of Kintsugi, a Japanese technique of mending and strengthening broken pottery. The art has traveled to exhibitions across the country and currently hangs at the U.S. Military Academy at West Point, New York.

Hassin also involves the community in making her art. She has invited students, veterans, sexual assault survivors and

others to contribute to her process. She has returned to the St. Edward’s campus several times since her 2012 graduation, working with students around themes including mass incarceration and the struggle for national unity.

One of her latest and most visible transformations took place in the digital realm.

On Veterans Day 2020, her rolled-paper sculpture made from military uniforms of all five branches of the armed services appeared as the Google Doodle on screens across the country.

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The Year the Classroom Changed 2020 was the year everything changed, including education. Facing unprecedented challenges, professors at St. Edward’s were ready.

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BY THE END OF FEBRUARY 2020, the students in Tere Garza’s Communication and Popular Culture course were dreaming of the big thinkers they could see during spring break: filmmaker Robert Rodriguez, singer and actor Janelle Monáe, Cirque du Soleil founder Guy Laliberté, home-renovation stars Chip and Joanna Gaines. They filled their calendars with discussions of immersive storytelling, artificial intelligence, internet culture and the future of music. After two months studying pop culture, they would be part of the volunteer crew for the South by Southwest Conference and Festivals, one of the world’s biggest convergences of artists and influencers.

Garza, a professor of Communication, used SXSW as the ultimate lab for her Pop Culture course. Students in the class would volunteer at the conference and, in return, earn “perks” from SXSW, such as a badge to attend films, performances and next-bigthing panel discussions. After the festival, the students would write reviews of artists and events for Hilltop Views, the student newspaper, sharing their experience with the rest of the St. Edward’s community and couching their critiques in the theories they’d learned in class.

But on March 6, those plans came to an abrupt halt. Days before the spread of Covid-19 was declared a global pandemic, the city of Austin cancelled SXSW for the first time in the festival’s 34-year history.

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“We managed to have the same learning objectives, just in a different context.”

TERE GARZA

The move was necessary to protect public health, but it left a gaping hole in the course Garza had taught for 21 years. As students moved home and prepared to finish the semester online, Garza adapted the course to the new reality, refusing to give up on the opportunity SXSW provided. The volunteer experience had evaporated, but students could still attend virtual events and write about their chosen artists for Hilltop Views.

When classes reconvened remotely, they described the livestreamed concerts they’d attended and debated ideas championed by the festival’s edgy futurists. The online edition of Hilltop Views carried their stories about the rise of virtual concerts and events.

“We managed to have the same learning objectives, just in a different context,” Garza says.

The Spring 2020 semester was marked by unprecedented challenges for St. Edward’s and universities around the country. No one had anticipated that a global pandemic would force all classes to move online. But St. Edward’s was prepared to navigate the shift to virtual education because it has always focused on teaching — regardless of the format it takes. The university’s classes are intentionally kept small to encourage discussion, debate and active learning.

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them toward opportunities where they’ll thrive, such as the McNair Scholars Program, Fulbright awards or internships.

Garza, like her colleagues, had always approached teaching as a work in progress, open to new and better ways to help her students connect with the material. Over the years, she had solved pedagogical challenges by keeping up with current research, brainstorming with colleagues and meeting with staff in the Center for Teaching Excellence. She had sought new technical innovations from the Office of Instructional Technology, which had already introduced professors to the platforms that made remote learning possible. In Summer 2020, Garza attended workshops hosted by both offices and exchanged tips with other professors as she retooled her classes for the online environment. She and her colleagues entered the fall semester ready to teach in a new medium, motivated by the same commitment to students that had brought them to St. Edward’s in the first place.

“The truth is that the best online teaching is really the best teaching,” says Rebecca Davis, associate vice president for Digital Learning, who leads the Instructional Technology department. “We already had a very strong culture of teaching on this campus.

That was our advantage in the spring, and

that commitment to students has made all the difference.”

Garza arrived at St. Edward’s in 1998. She quickly absorbed the St. Edward’s ethos from professors who encouraged her or were her office neighbors in Sorin Hall: Cecil Lawson, Innes Mitchell, Catherine Rainwater, Barbara Filippidis, Brother William Dunn and Brother George Klawitter.

“The brothers were great role models,” she says. “As faculty members, we carry their legacy in our dedication to educating minds and hearts.”

When she needed to troubleshoot an assignment, she talked it through with staff in the Center for Teaching Excellence, which has helped faculty refine and enhance their approaches to teaching since 1991. “The center is indispensable for helping you work through an assignment that didn’t go well, or just bouncing ideas around,” Garza says.

The center supports professors by offering individual consultations and discussion-and-action groups focused on research-informed teaching and learning.

Director Jennifer Jefferson works with professors who want to design a new class, fine-tune an assignment or engage with students more deeply.

“There is an idea of continuous improvement that’s embedded in how we view teaching at St. Edward’s,” Jefferson says.

“People are invested in continually trying things, seeking advice and seeking conversation about teaching. They want to figure out the puzzle of teaching to support all their students.”

Garza solved some of those puzzles with help from the center and her colleagues.

From her first year at St. Edward’s, Garza incorporated active learning — like the Pop Culture course’s immersive SXSW experience — into her classes. She wove in group projects, aiming to prepare her students for life after college, when they would have to collaborate in the workplace.

As the university adopted more teaching technology, Garza and her colleagues learned new skills with help from the Instructional Technology team, now led by Davis. When St. Edward’s shifted to remote learning last spring, most of the tools faculty needed to teach online were already active. Over the summer, Instructional Technology and the Center for Teaching Excellence offered more workshops to help professors get up to speed on the key programs: Zoom; Canvas, a platform that functions as a one-stop-shop for each course, with tools for posting syllabi, administering quizzes, and turning in assignments; and Google Drive, whose applications allow students to collaborate on projects remotely.

Garza attended at least five workshops over the summer months to hone her skills, along with holding Zoom practice sessions with her Communication colleagues. In the early days of the pandemic, Zoom was evolving on a weekly basis with updated features that professors could incorporate into their teaching. When the fall semester came, Garza — along with her colleagues — was ready.

On a Monday afternoon in November, the students in Garza’s Communication Theory course logged in to the class from on campus and across the country. Garza had launched Zoom early, as she always did, to give students a chance to ask questions or chitchat the way they would in a physical classroom. As she took attendance, she asked students about their pets and about what they’d seen on Netflix lately. “Who voted for the first time last week?” she asked, and half the class waved at the camera.

Then Garza ceded the floor to five students who would present the day’s theories. It’s an approach called “flipping the classroom.” Toward the end of the semester, students work in mini-communities

(Garza’s twist on the group project) to present a section of the course text and lead an interactive game related to the concepts.

The assignment gives students valuable, career-relevant experience working in a team to present complex information.

Last fall, both the students’ planning meetings and the presentations happened entirely online.

The five students took turns explaining the lesson, using a slide deck they had created. For the interactive game, they had filmed TikTok videos in which each person acted out a humorous sketch to illustrate one of the terms; the rest of the class guessed which concept it was by typing answers in the chat box. When the exercise was over, everyone applauded the presenters by clicking on the clapping-hands emoji.

While Garza would have preferred to teach in person — to see her students’ eyes light up as they had an epiphany, to feel the energy of shared discovery — she says meeting and presenting on Zoom has prepared students for the current reality. Every industry has been shaped by the pandemic, and many companies will make permanent changes in how they interview, train and hold professional meetings.

“These students will be among the first to experience things like working from home or being hired through an online process like Zoom, so they need to pay attention to these skills,” she says.

SXSW also moved online for 2021. Garza reworked her Popular Culture course once again, this time focusing on the impact of the pandemic on pop-culture creators. She built lessons to spotlight how musicians, artists, filmmakers and comedians are adapting to the virtual environment. She encouraged her students to research the type of software the creatives used, then get certified in those programs to enhance their own portfolios. Another new assignment asked students to reflect on how pandemic protocols might permanently change pop culture: Will live shows on Zoom become standard? Will artists find new ways to collaborate without meeting in person?

Garza’s online course, geared toward a virtual festival, wasn’t a substitute for the “real thing.” It illustrates how professors at St. Edward’s adapt their teaching to the realities of the world beyond the classroom and help students prepare to contribute.

“That means not just teaching their mind, but also having them open their hearts to be responsible citizens,” Garza says. “The way to do that is to empower them, and to encourage them not to be afraid of change.

I want to make sure that our students are well positioned to become leaders.”

POSITIONED TO ADAPT Years of investing in technology helped prepare St. Edward’s for the unexpected pivot to virtual learning in March 2020.

GLOBAL LEARNING ECOSYSTEM Technology expands the learning experience beyond the classroom and around the globe, with an evolving suite of technology tools that foster learning.

TEACHING INNOVATION Grants provide access to new tools, such as the Visible Body Virtual anatomy tool, which is used

by Biology and Art professors and provides 3D images of the body.

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Digital library resources journals, ebooks and databases

Minutes of Zoom meetings from March to December 2020

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It’s In the Bag

Assistant Professor of Mathematics Kaitlyn Phillipson gave all of her Calculus 3 students 3D models to help them visualize the concepts she was teaching over Zoom.

Phillipson, who took up sewing in graduate school, made a cheery fabric bag for each model kit. “As faculty, we’re doing everything we can to ensure the students have a good education this year and still take care of them,” she says.

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red doors TOP OF THE GAME

Lasting Impact Mona Hicks’ 25-year career at universities around the country was inspired by a job during her own college career.

BY AUDREY EADS ’15 PHOTOGRAPH BY STEVE CASTILLO

Mona Hicks ’93 says the choice she made as a 17-year-old to become a Hilltopper was absolutely meant to be. Hicks, who is now the dean of students at Stanford University, credits St. Edward’s with providing a faithbased and community-focused education that has served her throughout her career. “[St. Edward’s] was a place where they could care for my whole person,” says Hicks.

On top of managing her rigorous course load as a pre-med Biology major, Hicks chaired the student activities council, served as vice president of student government, competed as a student-athlete (first on the women’s basketball team, then as an inaugural member of the women’s soccer team), and rooted for Hilltopper teams as a cheerleader. She commends her many mentors, including Bill Quinn, professor of Biology and Computer Science, for giving her the support and motivation she needed.

During the summer after her sophomore year, Hicks took a job with the Austin Parks and Recreation Department, where she worked with children from underserved communities. She developed a curriculum to keep the kids occupied and learning.

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Hicks says this transformative experience is what helped her shift her career goals from medicine to education.

Hicks also credits St. Edward’s for her strong writing skills. She says her capstone paper on multiculturalism and higher education basically got her into graduate school at Western Illinois University.

Hicks held high-level administrative jobs at Rice University, Vanderbilt University (where she also earned a doctorate in Higher Education, Leadership and Policy), the University of North Texas and Saint Louis University before going to Stanford in January 2020 as the senior associate vice provost and dean of students.

“I was given space at St. Edward’s to create initiatives and engage in university issues,” she says. “I was looking for places where students could be engaged at the same level that I had been at my undergrad.”

Hicks has accomplished multiple initiatives at each university. “St. Edward’s kind of put me on the path of overdoing it,” she says. She established a center for female-identifying students at Rice, transformed the Greek system at Vanderbilt to be

more inclusive, established a veterans center at UNT and created the Billiken Bounty Food Pantry at Saint Louis University.

In her first year at Stanford, Hicks faced an unprecedented challenge: providing the support that college students need while grappling with a global health crisis and the country’s ongoing recognition of systemic racism.

“You’re never not in a crisis attitude because of the multiple pandemics that are around you,” she says. “We try to center our most minoritized students in this moment.

Universities should explore the understanding of our history and our structural system and be able to name that in a space that’s free of politics. We have to model that at a place like Stanford.”

When she’s struggling with constantly being in crisis mode, Hicks remembers the three guiding principles by which she lives her life: love, gratitude and the “why” behind what she does. She knows she received her foundation from her family — but also from her time at St. Edward’s.

“I know that I wouldn’t be in this place without starting from where I did,” she says.

THE PROPMASTER High-stakes projects and solving problems on the fly are all in a day’s work.

BY ROBYN ROSS PHOTOGRAPH BY MALIKE SIDIBE

The making of the notoriously stressfulto-watch 2019 film Uncut Gems had its own harrowing moments for Deneice O’Connor ’08, who managed props on the set. The story follows an impulsive and deeply indebted Manhattan diamond dealer, played by Adam Sandler. O’Connor was responsible for fastening the correct Rolex watch around Sandler’s wrist in each scene and keeping track of the real

diamond jewelry in his character’s showroom.

She watched in horror one day as NBA champion Kevin Garnett, who plays himself in the film, accidentally broke the titular prop, a giant opal the department had made from several real opals and sculpting clay. Fortunately, the crew quickly repaired the damage.

For the past eight years, O’Connor has worked in film and television in New York City, either as the

propmaster or as part of a props crew. The work requires creativity, an eye for detail, organization, charm and a host of obscure knowledge.

“I’m part of the creative process, but I’m also thinking about money and logistics and talking to my vendors and trying to get deals,” she says.

“St. Edward’s gave me just the right education for this.”

She majored in Communication, which

taught her how to work with all the different personalities and jobs on a set. After graduation, she took a film workshop with noted director Kat Candler, who introduced her to directors who hired her for increasingly large jobs in Austin before she moved to New York City.

O’Connor has worked on shows including HBO’s High Maintenance, Hulu’s Ramy and the upcoming Ben Stiller–directed Apple TV series Severance. To

find the most authentic props, she’s immersed herself in research about different cultures, such as the largely Jewish Diamond District in Manhattan for Uncut Gems and the Egyptian Muslim immigrant community in New Jersey for Ramy. She’s also learned how to repair cell phones, jumpstart cars and arrange food artfully on a plate — sometimes all in the same day.

“My entire career is an education,” O’Connor says.

What It Takes to Work in the Props Department

1 People skills. “If you’re a little charming and have a sense of humor and are genuinely curious, people will open up to you and share what they know.”

2 Impeccable organization.

O’Connor has to keep track of every prop for every scene in the script. She also manages a budget and finds places to save money to offset unexpected costs.

3 Curiosity about random subjects. “You have to have that nerdy side of you that will obsess about things,” O’Connor says.

4 Scrappiness and technical know-how. “We’re all MacGyvers, because we have to do problem solving at the last minute when props will break or stop working.”

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moments OF DISCOVERY

“Last summer, I worked as a veterinary technician assistant. The previous summer, I interned in the bird department at the San Antonio Zoo. These experiences helped me realize that while I love animals, I also enjoy working with people, and I appreciate the family-member bond that pet owners have with their companion animals. I’ve decided I’m more attracted to the mixture of animal medicine and human relationships that I’ll find in a small-animal vet clinic.”

Ella Fotinos ’22 Pre-veterinary Biology major

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OF DISCONNECTION

Andres Targa ’21

Environmental Science and Policy major

“Last fall, I collected data at Wild Basin that will help inform decisions about vegetation management at the preserve. During Covid, we’re indoors and tethered to our computers so much that it’s nice to escape that reality at Wild Basin. Out there, I feel disconnected in the best way. I can’t get cell service, I’m removed from my daily routine, and in nature, you never know exactly what to expect: One day my research partner and I stumbled upon a battle between a tarantula and a tarantula hawk wasp. In my everyday life it can be hard to focus because there are so many distractions, but at Wild Basin I’m fully present.”

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Marketing Office 3001 South Congress Avenue Austin, TX 78704-6489 ELECTRONIC SERVICE REQUESTED

Fine Artist

“This painting is a reminder of the first time we all stepped on campus and the sense of wonder for the many opportunities ahead that this space provided.”

KRISTIN MOORE ’13

On the Cover: Main Building / 2020 / Oil on wood panel PHOTOGRAPH BY BREEZY RITTER

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