University of Jamestown Alumni & Friends Magazine, Winter 2023 Special Edition

At the University of Jamestown during our 2022-23 academic year, we celebrated and continue to be mindful of the 50th anniversary of Title IX and its impact on education, athletics, and opportunity. It was just 50 years ago that Congress passed Title IX banning sex-based discrimination in education. The legislation contained the following: “No person in the United States shall on the basis of sex, be excluded from participation in, be denied the benefits of, or be subjected to discrimination under any education program or activity receiving Federal financial assistance.”

Fifty years might seem like a long time ago, but within the framework of human history, it is not that long at all. Before serving as one of the VPs at the University of Jamestown, I spent 15 years in Pastoral ministry. As we think about Title IX, I’d like for just a moment to consider the book of beginning:

Genesis 1:27

27 So God created mankind in his own image, in the image of God he created them; male and female he created them.

The beauty of the creation account in Genesis in the Christian worldview is that God created them, male and female, in his own image. There is no superiority or discrimination in this statement. There is zero room to speculate and conclude that one gender received more of an imprint of God’s image than another. Both male and female are image bearers of the God of creation and are equal in value and dignity—deserving honor and respect.

And yet, the depravity and fracturing of the world caused something that was not right. Humanity usurped the design of their Creator and created a social context where one gender was seen and treated as dominant and superior over another. One of the buzzwords in recent years is transparency and authenticity. As a 41-year-old male, I say with all transparency and authenticity, with passion in my voice: “THIS FILLS ME WITH DISGUST AND MAKES ME SAD.”

Fifty years ago, Congress said enough is enough in unequal educational opportunities connected to federal financial assistance. This change led to great work by our alumni— some of whom you will read about in this issue: female leaders, change makers, servants to God and family. Their outstanding lives make us realize the needle has been moved, but has it been moved to a point where we have a society that reflects God’s desire to have male and female created to equally represent their Creator?

I have a particular interest in this topic as I have four daughters. Yes, you read that correctly—ages 16, 14, 12, and 10! When someone learns this information about me, I usually receive interesting responses: “You have your hands full.” “Start saving for weddings.” And “How many bathrooms do you have?”

While these responses are often said in jest, they remind me of what an opportunity it is to raise four strong women! And they prompt some questions of my own: What kind of world

are my daughters growing up in? Will they face discrimination of any kind for being women? Will they be paid equally for their intelligence, work ethic, skills, and the servanthood they demonstrate?

As we are encouraged by where we’ve come in 50 years, may we still be mindful that more work is yet to be accomplished. In athletics, for example, women’s basketball games (played earlier with less attendance) can still be seen to serve as the pre-game to men’s. In athletic professional settings, advertising and marketing dollars are not equally dispersed which creates large pay gaps in professional basketball, golf, and tennis. In the marketplace of business, research still shows a gap in pay. In the years ahead, these disparities need to change if we are to reflect a society that honors God’s design for Creation.

I, and so many alumni, are proud our University has transitioned to be led and shaped by the gifts and strengths of amazing women, like President Dr. Polly Peterson ’89 – whom you will hear from within this issue through an in-depth conversation. Our 14th president. And our first president who is a woman. Tena Lawrence ’81/’17, our Executive Vice President. Kresha Wiest ’96, our Chief Financial Officer. Highly skilled women who make the University what it is today: a community dedicated to the development of wholeness in ALL students.

As Jimmies together – let’s celebrate the work Title IX has done. Let’s celebrate our first team National Championship in our history, women’s volleyball. And let’s be encouraged by the work, skills, talents, accomplishments, and leadership that our network of women is living out in the world. At the same time, may we look forward, seeing both men and women equally –and treating them like it, too!

God’s richest blessings to you as you read this important issue. We are so thankful for you,

Vice President of Development and Alumni Relations

Moser family (l to r): Alyana, Brett, Annabelle, Aunika, and Autumn

Annie Ness Nagengast ’02, Autumn (Schmid) Huiatt ’07, Ashley Brandt-Duda ’05 16 Better Ruined

Samantha (Riehl) Culliton ’13

18 An In-Depth Conversation with Dr. Polly Peterson ’89 20 Championship Ascension Jimmie women’s volleyball inspires perpetual purpose 32 No Stopping Her Danielle Mayberry ’13

ON THE COVER

University of Jamestown’s Anna Holen ’22 reacts with sheer excitement during the Jimmies’ defeat of Midland University (Neb.) in the semifinals of the NAIA Women’s Volleyball National Championship held Dec. 5, 2022, at the Tyson Events Center in Sioux City, Iowa. Holen was selected MVP of the tournament.

Photographer: Michael Savaloja / University of Jamestown

Board of Trustees Chairman

James Unruh ’63

University of Jamestown President

Polly Peterson, Ph.D. ’89

Alumni Board President

MaryBeth Hegstad ’97

Vice President of Development and Alumni Relations

Brett Moser x’03/’21

Director of Development, Jimmie Booster Club and Annual Giving

Tara Kapp ’00

Director of Alumni Relations

Bryce Nybo ’20/’22

Director of Development, Planned Giving and Major Gifts

Michael Savaloja

Research Associate

Dan Hornung

Development Services Manager

Tess Hirschkorn ’21

Stewardship Manager

Joleen Steinmetz

Director of Design and Publications

Donna Schmitz

Marketing Director

Natalie McKenna

Contributing Writers

Samantha (Riehl) Culliton ’13

Natalie McKenna

Brett Moser x’03/’21

Abby (Greshik) Perrine ’03

Michael Savaloja

“Alumni & Friends” is published two times per year, in the winter and summer, by the University of Jamestown

Office of Development and Alumni Relations for alumni, faculty, staff and friends of the University of Jamestown.

University of Jamestown welcomes your thoughts and comments about “Alumni & Friends.”

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We asked notable women from the UJ community what Title IX means to them. Here are their responses.

DR. JO-IDA HANSEN

UJ Trustee

I grew up before the 1972 passage of Title IX, so I was fortunate to have parents (Charlotte and Gordon Hansen) who served as “my Title IX”. They imbued in me the belief that, if I worked hard, educational and professional opportunities in all disciplines would be open to me – even in the science and mechanical worlds which, back then, had few girls or women in them. One could not imagine then that, in 2023, more than half of medical, veterinary, and law school students would be women.

Athletics was a different story for me ... the Jamestown School System had no athletic teams for girls, so I missed out on the opportunities to be coached and to learn and earn the rewards of working as

a team. However, as a faculty member at the University of Minnesota, Title IX made it possible for me to satisfy my interest in sports when I served as the university’s first Faculty Athletic Representative (FAR) to the Big 10 Conference and to the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA).

Yet, even as we celebrate, in 20222023, the positive impact of Title IX on educational, career and athletic opportunities, we must keep an eye on continuing disparities—for example, fewer women than men are in business, academic, and athletic leadership positions; fewer women are college professors and coaches; and women have substantially lower salaries than do men across all income levels. Thankfully, UJ is committed to fostering cultural changes, through academic, personal, and athletic opportunities for all students, that hopefully will lead to more equity in the future.

Tena Lawrence ’81/’17 Executive Vice President

Most people associate Title IX with the advancement of athletics for women, when really it has had a more far-reaching effect than just athletics. It opens the door to education. With an increase in attainable education, we saw entry by women into careers held traditionally by males, we saw an increase in quality of life for females and their families, and the world tapped into the unlimited talents and knowledge of a group that had been previously suppressed.

Amber Schaack ’23 Women’s Hockey Coach

Title IX has allowed me to have the opportunity to not only be a student-athlete, but also a coach in women’s hockey. Being able to provide the same opportunity to my student-athletes has been nothing short of an incredible experience.

Kresha Wiest ’96 Chief Financial Officer

Because of Title IX, I have been blessed as part of a generation that has always known the abundant opportunities in education and women’s athletics.

Dina Laskowski Faculty Emeritus

Title IX balanced the playing field to provide equal opportunities for females to pursue their talents without discrimination. The law enacted June 1972 helped to establish equity over the years, but changing public mentality still needs to catch up. Females retain the right to pursue their choices without stigma.

Sara Voorhees Director, Department of Physical Therapy

Title IX was enacted when I was a baby, and I’m fortunate to not know anything else. Title IX is most commonly recognized as a literal game changer for women and sports; do not forget that it also was barrier-breaking legislation that touches all aspects of education. Title IX continues to remain vital for equality of so many aspects of our lives, our education, our libraries, and our museums.

Peggy Foss ’58 UJ Trustee

Title IX will always be a work in progress as societal challenges occur. It is necessary for the current recipients to keep Title IX alive as a vital instrument in enhancing opportunities for females. It is a powerful document that has opened many doors and these doors have to remain open!

Dr.

Dr.

Hard work prevails.

UJ’s first black, female graduate overcomes trials to lead a career of impact.

by Abigail (Greshik) Perrine ’03

Even as a child, Chrystal VeazeyWatson ’69, retired corporate lawyer and current UJ board member, had a plan and the determination to see it through. While other 8-year-olds at her Chicago public school were dreaming of becoming teachers and doctors, Chrystal knew her heart lay with corporate law.

Chrystal with mentee, Candy Jenao

The 1954 Democratic National Convention had proved a pivotal moment. To her mind, candidate Averell Harriman, a corporate lawyer, was clearly the better candidate to take on Eisenhower. Young Chrystal was so crushed when the nomination instead went to Adlai Stevenson II that her mother encouraged her to write a letter to Harriman, in which she talked about her own desire to become a corporate lawyer.

Though surprised, her parents supported her fully. According to Chrystal, “I come from a long line of teachers and preachers. When I started saying I wanted to be a lawyer, people would ask ‘Why don’t you want to be a teacher like your mother and her sisters?’ My father said, ‘Well, if she wants to be a lawyer, she can be a lawyer.’”

Fitting in at UJ—and Learning the Value of Hard Work

Though she’d never seen the campus, Chrystal headed to UJ to study political science in the fall of 1965. And though the school wasn’t lacking in female students, the same could not be said of racial diversity. “I was the only black female student. There had been a black man who’d graduated from Jamestown in 1954 or so, but there hadn’t been anyone black at the school since then.”

While at UJ, Chrystal discovered a love of art, as she learned to paint and sat as a model for art students. She also discovered the value of hard work, admitting she did not have good study habits. “At the end of my sophomore year, I had a 2.7 GPA, and was told that my grade point average suggested I didn’t have what it takes to get into law school.”

It was the wake-up call she needed. Chrystal proved her determination, immediately changing how she approached

her studies. She worked hard to keep up—or get ahead—in her classes, and by the end of her junior year, her GPA had increased to 3.4. She received the Kroeze Award, given to the most improved Junior girl, and was invited to join Mrs. Kroeze for tea in her home.

In her senior year, Chrystal was surprised to learn—from the radio, the day after what she thought was a failed interview— that she had been named the North Dakota Fulbright nomination to go to Norway to study the low crime rate (though unfortunately, Norway ultimately did not participate that year).

Chrystal, having graduated from a high school class of 400, believes that one of the key strengths of UJ is its student-tofaculty ratio. She believes that UJ has continued to use its low student-to-faculty ratio to design programs that help students not only achieve their educational goals but also to become wellrounded people. Chrystal says, “I’m very proud of the programs at UJ. They’ve only gotten better at how they relate to and serve students.”

A Professional Life of Twists and Turns

After UJ, and with the Vietnam War picking up steam, Chrystal was off to study law at what is now known as the Northwestern Pritzger School of Law, where she had the opportunity to work for the NAACP Health Law Project in Washington, DC in the summer of 1971. It was then that she developed a desire to tackle the problem of health care access, believing the best way to address issues of inequity and access was from the inside. Much to the chagrin of her law school professors, Chrystal openly admits she didn’t even take the Corporations class in law school, saying, “I had wanted to be a corporate lawyer, and then I was so into saving the world—you know, civil rights, healthcare rights…it’s important to keep your options open.”

This desire to improve the world she lived in would be the cornerstone of a storied career that would take her first to a small firm, with a partner that represented Jesse Jackson and

Portrait of Chrystal painted by David Roach, an art major at JC. Chrystal’s parents purchased the painting.

Operation Breadbasket. But as a woman of color starting her legal career in the 80s, her professional life was not without its trials—including toxic workplaces, unpleasant partners, and inequitable compensation in comparison to her male peers.

Still, Chrystal was committed and continued to apply herself diligently, taking a position with Prudential in 1976. In 1982, Prudential nominated Chrystal for the President’s Executive Exchange Program, which took her to the Department of Transportation in DC from 1982 to 1983 to study prior poor investments. Chrystal’s recommendations for improvement were ultimately implemented in regulation governing the Maritime Loan, Grant and Subsidy programs.

After a successful, 27-year career with Prudential, Chrystal continued her work to improve access to healthcare with roles leading attorneys at Empire, which later became a part of Anthem, before her retirement in 2015.

The Importance of Giving Back

Chrystal has never been one to limit herself to professional endeavors. In the early 2000s, she returned to UJ to speak at the anniversary of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s birthday. Post retirement, she began volunteering with Renew Life Center, a Patterson, NJ nonprofit devoted to providing women with tools to overcome generational poverty. Chrystal remains a mentor to several graduates of the Renew Getting Ahead program today.

Chrystal continues to be a passionate advocate for UJ and its commitment to serving students. She became involved in UJ’s Jimmie Generational Scholarship, and after having been recruited for some time, joined the UJ board in 2017. She is currently finishing her second term as a trustee of the UJ board, where her focus is on Academic Affairs and Marketing & Admissions. In addition, she is the Chair of the Council at the Trinity Church of Livingston, NJ.

“‘People would ask ‘Why don’t you want to be a teacher like your mother and her sisters?’ My father said, ‘Well, if she wants to be a lawyer, she can be a lawyer.’”

Chrystal and daughter Christin

Women in Leadership

by Natalie McKenna

We sat down with three University of Jamestown alumni to learn about their experiences as women who hold leadership roles in the field of finance and accounting. Each put in years of work to rise to some of the top ranks within their companies. Here, they reflect on their career paths, Title IX, and share valuable advice they learned along the way.

Annie Ness Nagengast ’02

Executive Vice President, Head of Business Management Office for Commercial Banking | Wells Fargo

As an EVP at Wells Fargo, Annie, who majored in Business Administration and Accounting, manages a team of roughly 1,500 employees around the globe. Navigating her day-to-day requires taking on many different roles, from risk management and business support to marketing. Nearly every decision that comes across her desk needs executive-level problem solving.

Q: How has UJ prepared you for your career?

A: “I am a firm believer that half your education comes from extracurriculars and the learning you do beyond your major. While I certainly learned important fundamentals from my finance studies, what I depend on now from my experience at Jamestown are the learnings I gained from my communication classes and insights I gained from athletics which taught me how to think, solve problems, overcome adversity, and work as a team to achieve goals.

Q: What does Title IX mean to you?

A: “It opened the door for equal access and opportunity. I’m 43. It’s hard to imagine what it felt like before equal access. While there’s been progress, there’s still regular reminders that even after 50 years, equal opportunity doesn’t mean equity. We have a lot of work to do still to make things more equitable.”

Q: Do you have any advice to share with women looking to get into leadership?

A: “First is to trust your gut and use your voice. Second, I’ve talked to many women around their trepidation of going on maternity leave or starting a family. I had those fears too at one point but what I learned in those first few years of having kids is there is nothing I can’t do. I had three kids in 24 months. Learning how to manage life with kids helped me better manage work. Not only did starting a family not hinder my career, it helped it.”

Autumn (Schmid) Huiatt, ’07, CPA

Chief Financial Officer | Headlands Research, Inc

As the CFO at a prominent clinical trials site network, Autumn is responsible for leading Headlands Research through the processes of financial reporting, procurement, and using data and analytics to guide growth and investment opportunities. She feels strongly that the opportunities she had at UJ, like initiating the Habitat for Humanity chapter on campus and serving as the student body president, equipped her with strong leadership skills and gave her the self-confidence to do bigger things with her career.

Q: What compelled you to work towards becoming a CFO?

A: “I worked at Deloitte as an intern which turned into a job offer in their audit practice. There was a lot of travel, promotions, and excitement. But after a few years, I realized, the end game of working for a firm is becoming a partner, and that wasn’t what I wanted. I wanted to be closer to the business… Instead of focusing on things that already happened, I saw the CFO role as making forward-looking decisions. Where are we headed? How do we invest? I wanted to be a part of that dialogue.” The move out of Deloitte to corporate controllership, to pursuing my MBA, to a role in business operations all led me to my current role as CFO.”

Q: What does Title IX mean to you?

A: “I’m a beneficiary of it. Increasingly, there is recognition that diversity on boards and executive teams provides a greater outcome than if there is less diversity. That openness and interest in female representation is so valuable and it has impacted me. The way has been paved; the expectation is a diverse leadership team. I get to be a part of that and I’m incredibly grateful.”

Q: Do you have any advice to share with women looking to get into leadership?

A: “I received great advice from my mentor. She told me that whoever is in the leadership role at a company controls the calendar. By that, she meant to not make the assumption that you can’t reach the highest level in your career because of a family. When you control the calendar, you can more easily prioritize what is important to you.

In addition: my advice I consistently tell myself is to focus on my ability to problem solve – not my experiences. Each day I receive new problems and focusing on the collective strength of my teams and our skillsets enables us to be successful – Don’t get caught up in what you don’t “know”. Rather focus on what you can learn with the skills you have.”

Ashley Brandt-Duda ’05

CPA, Partner | Eide Bailly LLP

Ashley, who is a partner in Eide Bailly’s audit and assurance department, specializes in providing financial statement and compliance audits for healthcare and not-for-profit organizations. She provides valuable insights around complex accounting guidance and regulatory changes within the industry to help leaders make decisions that impact their organizations. Ashley credits UJ (as well as her former professors Dr. Polly Peterson and Vicki Greshik) with helping her become technically sound for her career.

Q: Why did you want a career in finance?

A: “I always liked math and numbers in general. I had my first accounting experience with Vicki [Greshik], and I liked that it made a lot of sense. It’s useful math, as Vicki would say…What I enjoy now is that I’m working with organizations that are mission-based. Working with people who are passionate about what they’re trying to do and being able to help them understand their financial situation and where funding opportunities exist is really rewarding.”

Q: What does Title IX mean to you?

A: “I’ve never felt like I’ve been treated differently because I’m a woman. And that’s because of things that have happened in the past and as a result of women coming before me. I’ve been very fortunate, because I’ve been able to work with many strong leaders, both male and female.”

Q: Do you have any advice to share with women looking to get into leadership?

A: “I would say in general, don’t be afraid to throw yourself out of your comfort zone. There’s a tendency for people to stick to who and what they know, and to have a fear of meeting new people—women, men, whoever. If you’re given a new opportunity to take on a new challenge, dive in head first and do not be afraid of failing.”

Music is an expression I’ve used before, during, and after my time at Jamestown College. In thinking about my journey, including my time as a Jimmie, I find myself considering the lyric from one of my songs: “Better ruined all my plans.” Now “better ruined” has become a topic of discussion in our home because of the beautiful juxtaposition that it provides.

I have looked back on my time at the then Jamestown College as one of the most important times in my life. It is the only time in the lives of most people where you are given the opportunity to live in a collective group made up of people that are typically your same age and are figuring out what it means to be an adult right alongside you. I was surrounded by influential people, both peers and professors, who encouraged my drive and passion to learn and succeed. I am so thankful for the many people I met and things I experienced while at UJ.

Concert choir, campus ministry, tutoring, Jimmie ambassadors…there were so many opportunities that I was allowed to partake in because of the openness of the campus to any who were willing to participate. These opportunities led me to the beginning of my accounting career which included a summer internship program at Deloitte, part-time

Better Ruined

by Samantha (Riehl) Culliton ’13

and eventually full-time accounting role at the Anne Carlsen Center and aspirations of becoming a CPA and pursuing a fastmoving career in public accounting.

Fast forward 10 years, I am a homeschooling, stay-at-home mom to four wonderfully energetic boys. If you would have told me this would have been my life when I graduated, I wouldn’t have believed you. As I consider where life has taken me since my time at Jamestown College, there is no better way to describe what the Lord has done with my plans but “better ruined.” And although the dreams and plans and expectations have changed, there are a couple foundational elements from my time at Jamestown College that have proved foundational: a standard of excellence in whatever I pursue, and continuous learning through community.

A Standard of Excellence

Although I no longer have a full-time job that is financially motivated or filled with external recognition and acclaim, I have an amazing opportunity to now serve my family and community in ways that otherwise wouldn’t be possible.

When I worked in the professional workplace, I held to the Biblical truth that we should do all things for the glory of Christ

Samantha (Riehl) Culliton ’13 reflects on her intended career path and how she uses the skills she learned at UJ in a way that’s different from what she expected.

(1 Cor. 10:31). Though I now do most of my work in the home, there is still a standard of excellence that was not only reinforced in college but comes from a deep faith in my Lord and Savior.

On many days, this looks like approaching my day knowing that it will not be easy. There is not only the hard work of maintaining a household of little boys with more energy than I know what to do with, but the harder work of knowing that I am affecting how my children see their God by what I say and do. By homeschooling, I am working to provide an education to my children that allows them to see how their Creator orchestrated and holds all things together while hopefully instilling in them a love of learning as they explore how their world works.

While I developed skills in college juggling part-time jobs, classes, and extra-curriculars, I now use these skills to manage my home, serve within our local church, and even do some accounting work on the side. We are all limited human beings which leads us to doing these things imperfectly, despite our best intentions. But I pray daily that Christ is reflected not by my perfection, but striving to what He has called me to do through His strength.

Continuous Learning through Community

When we have received our diploma at the end of our educational years, the learning has truly just begun. In all aspects of our lives, we will never come to a point where we cannot still learn more. I still use my accounting degree as I work with small businesses and our church in part-time accounting work. As a musician, I am allowed to grow in ways of leading congregational worship, musicianship, and songwriting. As I work within my home, I am constantly having to learn and relearn as each child is unique comes with his own set of “challenges.”

Being a gracious host, a patient teacher, a forgiving parent… these are all things that our natural self is not inclined to be. In order for us to continue learning, we must be surrounded by those who not only encourage us in a Godly manner but who spur us on to love and good works that ultimately glorify Christ. In Prov. 27:17, it states that “Iron sharpens iron, and one man sharpens another.” Through my church family, I am given daily encouragement and discipleship that allows me to serve those alongside me. For me, this looks like pouring most of my time and energy into my immediate family. I currently stay at home and work to create an atmosphere of learning as I teach my children daily in academia and the Word of God, hospitality as we welcome friends and family into our space and ultimately hope to display Christ as they enter our doors. The community that I once found in college is now found by Christian friends as we walk alongside each other, spurring each other on in the things of Christ.

In whatever stage you may find yourself, I pray that you are encouraged to continuously keep learning and use your knowledge to serve those who surround you. May you rest knowing that where and how the Lord leads and guides you, may also your plans be better ruined for His glory.

An In-Depth Conversation with

Dr. Polly (Larson) Peterson ’89

by Natalie McKenna

Dr. Peterson is the first female president in University of Jamestown history. She has served the University for 30 years—first as Controller, then a faculty member, Vice President for Institutional Advancement, and as Executive Vice President. She holds a Ph.D. in higher education, institutional analysis and an M.B.A. from Regis University. Dr. Peterson has been named a Top 25 Women in Business by Prairie Business Magazine. We sat down with her to talk about influential moments in her life, women in leadership, and Title IX.

Q: You transferred to UJ your sophomore year to play basketball and run track. How did athletics influence your time at UJ?

A: I love the opportunity that sports provide—to have teammates and something to work towards. But I don’t think we can talk about influence from athletics without talking about the people. For me, one of those people was Coach Clark. As an athlete, I got to observe what passionate and compassionate leadership looks like. What you give when you believe in a mission. Being relentlessly committed. That style of servant leadership that Coach Clark and so many others from my early years at UJ embodied impacted how I lead.

Q: As a new mom, you had just moved from Aberdeen to Jamestown. You planned on working part-time as a public accountant and staying home in the off-season. Instead, you took an opportunity to work full-time at UJ as a Controller. How did that move impact your life?

A: That call I got from Dick Smith [former Dean] asking me to consider working at the University was the most important call in my entire career. I went to a meeting on campus. I can still see it. We were sitting right here [she pointed to table in what is now her office].

I told them this would be my dream job because this University stands for everything I’ve ever wanted. I’d like to spend my life doing that, but I had already accepted a part-time job elsewhere. Dick encouraged me to follow my dreams. He said they would take care of my other work commitment and make everything work with my son. That was the beginning. I knew when I got here and I started my job, it wasn’t a job at all. It was a lifestyle.

Q: You are the first female president in the history of UJ. For young women looking to break the glass ceiling in their industry and move into leadership roles, what advice can you give them?

A: Learn from everyone you can—the good and the bad. Be willing to be a sponge, to put the time in to learn, informally and formally. I knew I had to continue my education. I still do. I read everything I can get my hands on. I continue to go to conferences and take classes.

As women sometimes, there’s this persona that if you are going to be a woman in leadership, you have to manage and lead like men. Women don’t always give themselves

room to lead in a style that fits their own personality. But I learned that I could be authentically myself, and there was a lane for me. It makes life easier when you bring yourself with you to work.

Q: When you think about women in leadership roles, what is something you feel passionately about?

A: We have to remember the value of women mentors and the responsibility we have as women in leadership to encourage our young girls and boys. We’re influenced very young by the people we respect. With that in mind, we have to take better care of our teachers. We can’t continue to downplay the teaching profession like we do. Those are some of the most important people for building a stronger society. All of us as women need to actively participate in the responsibility of lifting our teachers up.

Q: Title IX increased athletic opportunities for girls and young women. How do you think these opportunities impact women’s futures?

A: To be honest, I think it was the game changer. It provided what I would call an affordable pathway to college for women. Before Title IX, it wasn’t that women couldn’t go to college. They couldn’t access scholarships and do what they love the way others could. When you look at how many women go to college today, the numbers have surpassed men. I think it’s important to recognize that when we make changes to systems, it should be an “and strategy” not an “or”. When we focus on one area, we sometimes take an eye off another. Title IX wasn’t made at the expensive of men. It should be additive. That’s equality.

Q: At halftime of a men’s basketball game, the University celebrated the 50th Anniversary of Title IX by bringing every women’s team onto the court. In your speech, you commented that as a society we have come a long way, but we still have a way to go. What do you think needs to be improved?

A: I think at the top, there’s still an imbalance in many areas. And there are still certain professions where we as women haven’t broken that glass ceiling. I’m not sure it’s intentional. But at the same time, we need to continue to keep our eye on where there are inequities and answer the question as to why. I believe as the workforce evolves to include diversity of gender, race, age, religion, and so on, society will be better. A diverse body contributes wholistically to a better decision.

Story and Photography

by Michael Savaloja

On Dec. 6, buried within the madness of triumphant hugs, tears and confetti in downtown Sioux City, Iowa, Jon Hegerle’s cell phone was blowing up.

A social media recluse by choice – he won’t even do Facebook – the inbox of the man who had just forever merged athletic greatness with the University of Jamestown was weathering an 80-text barrage of congratulatory love from around the country.

Less than five minutes earlier, Hegerle’s Jimmies had ascended to NAIA women’s volleyball supremacy by defeating Corban University (Ore.) in five sets.

For the first time in school history, University of Jamestown had a national championship-winning sports team, and Hegerle, a God-fearing leader who believes in burning goals and prioritizing individual personal growth over wins and losses, was its engineer.

“I might get a couple of texts a day, so that was a little overwhelming at that point,” Hegerle recalled. “It’s going to sound like a cliché, but it is surreal.”

Make no mistake. As thrilling as that one night inside the Tyson Events Center was for UJ, the big red banner it produced is simply a byproduct of the life-inspiring culture Hegerle spent 14 seasons constructing.

The following is a small glimpse inside its walls of “Perpetual Ascension.”

“I’m not really big on result goals of, ‘We need to have a winning season. We need to be above .500,’” Hegerle explained. “No, no, no. Those are just all dessert.

“Life is about the main meal, not the dessert.”

TIME TO SHINE

Ever wonder how an elite college volleyball player keeps her cool in the closing stages of a national championship fifth set?

It might be the fact that match point simply snuck up on her.

“Apparently, I thought the score was 14-14,” laughed UJ’s Kalli Hegerle ’22, the 2022 NAIA Women’s Volleyball Player of the Year and the coach’s niece. “I blocked it, and I turned around and was like, ‘Let’s go! One more point!’ And then everyone started storming the court.”

Teammate Kadyn Mehring swept the shell-shocked Kalli into her arms and confirmed the good news as the celebration took shape. Kalli had just rejected an outside attack from Corban senior star Avari Ridgway to ignite Jimmie euphoria in a 2521,21-25,25-27,25-22,15-13 win over the Cascade Collegiate Conference Warriors.

CHAMPIONSHIP ASCENSION

Jimmie women’s volleyball

“We just cried,” remembers Kalli. “Dang. Everything we put in, and playing for each other, loving each other, and just inspiring each other. I don’t know if it will ever feel real?”

It could’ve been a down year by Jimmie standards.

Even as UJ carried the nation’s No. 2 ranking and a string of six consecutive NAIA tournament appearances into 2022, Jamestown needed to find replacements for five former allconference athletes, including both setters and All-American middle blocker Corina Huff.

Coach Hegerle admitted after the season that he thought finishing somewhere around the top five in the Great Plains Athletic Conference standings would’ve been admirable.

CHAMPIONSHIP ASCENSION

volleyball inspires perpetual purpose

But his program’s strength lies in its ability to retain talented athletes willing to wait their turn, and, just like Kalli’s matchpoint mix-up, incredible Jimmie talent sort of just sneaks onto the court in the form of sophomores and juniors.

In a time of NCAA transfer portals and NIL (name, image, likeness) deals, the grass has never been greener for championship-caliber college athletes looking for increased playing time or more financial footing. Hegerle, however, has found the sports team magic elixir.

“There’s something about the culture of our players and what we do that allows a player to surrender their own individual ambitions and be part of something that they get great value

out of,” Hegerle explained. “At the end of our bench and on our JV is where you learn to be a Jimmie volleyball player, and they all go through it.” This past fall, seven former JV players were brought up and thrust onto the varsity court. Those players were opposite hitter Logan Sherman, middles Darienne Johnson and Lexi Olson, defensive specialists Megan Moser and Grace Hegerle (the coach’s daughter), and setters Paige Oswald and Tenley Buddenhagen.

Those seven athletes – four juniors and three sophomores – were the majority of 12 Jimmies who played in the 2022 national championship and won the whole thing.

FINDING THEIR WAY

The Jimmies began the season by losing a second consecutive match for the first time in nearly four years.

Outmatched at the service line in a 3-1 loss to Eastern Oregon at the Big Sky Volleyball Challenge in Butte, Montana, the Jimmies realized there’d be a hill to climb. When combined with the national tournament semifinal loss to Park University (Mo.) that ended the 2021 season, it marked back-to-back UJ losses for the first time since Jamestown joined the GPAC in 2018.

“I think at the beginning we never thought that we would be in position to be top in the conference, much less top in the country,” Kalli said. “So, we went through a lot of growing pains.”

Covid eligibility saw the fifth-year return of both Kalli, an opposite hitter/setter, and All-American outside hitter

Anna Holen ’22. The two would arguably turn in the best offensive performances of their careers in 2022, with Kalli returning to setting duties for the first time since transferring to UJ from North Dakota State in 2020.

(Fun fact: Holen’s standing vertical leap is the largest UJ strength coach Ryder Weischedel has ever measured for a female athlete. Standing at 5-foot-7, Anna’s jump of 31.5 inches places her in the top 10 percent of world-class female athletes by some standards and is better than athletes Weischedel has coached at NCAA Division I’s Baylor and Tulsa.)

But defensively is where the Jimmies would rise above the rest of the country over the course of the season, a charge led by Anna’s younger sister, junior libero Ellie Holen.

“I think when you’re winning by defense and serve-receive, it becomes a war of attrition,” coach Hegerle said. “And you saw that in how many matches went five (sets) this year.”

The Jimmies played in a total of eight, fiveset matches, and would win seven of them, including coming back from a 2-0 match deficit at conference foe Northwestern College on Oct. 22 to improve to 25-2.

But by then, the season had already meant

“I think the biggest turning point of our season was when we were at Dordt and Karyn almost passed away,” Kalli said. “At that moment we just all came together.”

Karyn Holen not only coached high school volleyball, but her eight children – seven of whom attended UJ – have kept her involved

“For years I would joke with people that I was certain to die in a gymnasium,” said Karyn, the mother of Anna and Ellie. “The sunrise holds a special meaning for me these

As it turned out, volleyball saved her life. For no apparent reason, other than a possible severe reaction to a sulfur antibiotic she began taking the day before, Karyn’s heart stopped beating on Sept. 17 as she watched her daughters and the Jimmies play Dordt

Only by the quick action of a handful of amazing health care professionals seated around her is Karyn still alive. An AED was used to shock her heart back to life – not once, but twice – and CPR was performed on her for nine minutes, all before paramedics

Those in the medical world would later tell Karyn her chances of survival were less than 5 percent. Anna, who graduated with a degree in nursing from UJ last spring, first witnessed the commotion between sets.

“I remember some people on my team glancing up (into the stands) and looking back at me and Ellie,” Anna recalled. “I turned around … I just saw that it was my mom’s feet. Coming from a medical background, I knew it wasn’t good, but I still had a lot of faith in

NAIA All-American Athletes under Coach Hegerle

Anna Holen 2022, ’21, ’20

Kalli Hegerle 2022, ’21, ’20

Ellie Holen 2022

Lexi Olson 2022

Corina Huff 2021

Britta Knudson 2019

Isabel Wedell 2019

Julina Niemeier 2018

Haley Glasoe 2017, ’16

Madison Wendel 2017, ’15

Elise Peterson 2017

Nicole Warren 2016, ’15

Morgan Hensch 2016

Heather Bachman 2015

Naomi Walther 2014

Sarah Becker 2013, ’12, ’11

Katie Lee 2012

Shannon Fee 2010

Kayla Fee 2009

Ali Edwards 2009

Jimmie Women’s Volleyball All-Conference Athletes under Coach Hegerle

………………………………………………

Great Plains Athletic Conference

Kalli Hegerle 2022, ’21, ’20

Anna Holen 2022, ’21, ’20, ’19, ’18

Ellie Holen 2022, ’21

Darienne Johnson 2022

Lexi Olson 2022

Logan Sherman 2022

Corina Huff 2021, ’20, ’19

Jayla Ritter 2021, ’20

Jackie Meiklejohn 2021, ’20

Aleah Zieske 2022, ’21

Megan Gaffaney 2021

Sydney Ellingson 2020, ’19

Taylor Sabinash 2020

Britta Knudson 2019, ’18

Isabel Wedell 2019, ’18

Jordan Thomas 2019

Julina Niemeier 2018

Kennedy Conzemius 2018

The match was suspended, Karyn was flown to Fargo where an ICD was placed in her heart, and she’d miraculously make a full recovery. As she recuperated, with Anna and Ellie close by and away from the team, the Jimmies earned what coach Hegerle now argues might be the most significant win of his career.

Four days following the emergency, and without two of the country’s best players, the Jimmies were able to defeat 18th-ranked Dakota Wesleyan by a deciding fifth set, 1512. Dennis Holen, Karyn’s husband, lovingly refused to allow Karyn’s heart to be put through such an early test and prevented her from tuning into the game from her hospital bed.

“Actually, at that point I was pretty compliant,” Karyn laughed. “He watched it on his phone. All of a sudden, he jumped out of his chair and fist pumped, so I knew we won.”

With mom on the mend, Anna and Ellie returned to the Jimmies the following match.

“That was a big, big watershed moment for us,” coach Hegerle said. “It was a moment of, hey, this program is bigger than just a couple players, No. 1.

“No. 2, understand we’re a lot deeper than we’ve been in the past. And, No. 3, this is bigger than volleyball.”

Karyn and her family, which account for a solid portion of Jimmie volleyball fans both at home and on the road, were in Sioux City to witness the national championship, which might not have been possible for the Jimmies to achieve had they not been.

Jimmie Women’s Volleyball All-Conference Athletes under Coach Hegerle

………………………………………………

North Star Athletic Association

Haley Glasoe 2017, ‘16

Madison Wendel 2017, ‘16, ‘15

Morgan Hensch 2017, ‘16

Elise Peterson 2017

Isabel Wedell 2017

Josie Beckman 2017

Nicole Warren 2016, ‘15

Heather Bachman 2016, ‘15

Alaina Brown 2015, ‘14, ‘13

Kaitlin Anderson 2015, ‘14, ‘13

Naomi Walther 2014

Amanda Kramer 2014

Janna Johnson 2014, ‘13

Sarah Becker 2013

Kelsey Deragisch 2013

Jimmie Women’s Volleyball All-Conference Athletes under Coach Hegerle

………………………………………………

Association of Independent Institutions

Katie Zent 2012, ‘11

Sarah Becker 2012, ‘11

Katie Lee 2012, ‘11

Kaitlyn Rogalla ‘12

Dakota Athletic Conference

Jada Meiklejohn 2011

Katie Zent 2011, ‘10 ‘09

Katie Lee 2011

Sarah Becker 2011, ‘10

Shannon Fee 2010, ‘09

Sam Revering 2010, ‘09

Krysten Williams 2010

Kayla Fee 2009

Ali Edwards 2009

“God was so good,” Karyn said. “I was just so happy for the girls and all I could think about is how thankful I was to be there, because I almost wasn’t.”

PLAYING TO INSPIRE

Coach Hegerle and Midland University (Neb.) women’s volleyball coach Paul Giesselmann are respected throughout the NAIA for the character and success of their programs.

But they’re not the best at air hockey.

Challenged to a friendly duel by a pair of Giesselmann’s players during the NAIA Student-Athlete Experience held at Tilt Studio (a large arcade) on Nov. 29 in Sioux City, the moment was videotaped by GPAC commissioner Corey Westra and later shared on Twitter.

The two GPAC rival coaches were seen working in tandem, while sharing laughs and high-fives, six days before Jamestown and Midland would scratch and claw to five sets in the NAIA semifinals.

“It looked like Jon and I were doing really well,” Giesselmann said. “But the truth is, we got smoked by those two girls.”

Midland was only the second team to defeat the eventual 37-2 Jimmies during the season. The setback at Harold Newman Arena in early October marked UJ’s lone five-set loss.

Giesselmann, a volleyball coach of 34 years, has a 6-5 lifetime record against Hegerle-led UJ volleyball. A solid

Jimmie Women’s Volleyball

accomplishment, considering Hegerle owns a sparkling .762 winning percentage with the orange and black.

“I’ve got tremendous respect for Jon, and, for me, I always look at how coaches treat their players when things are going great and when they’re not going great,” Giesselmann said. “It’s easy as a coach when things are always bouncing your way, but I think you really find out the true character of a person when they face adversity and how they handle things.”

On Dec. 5 – the night before he’d be swamped by congratulatory text messaging – Hegerle never seemed concerned with what the scoreboard read while the Jimmies battled Giesselmann’s Warriors in what was UJ’s fourth consecutive trip to the nation’s semifinals.

The Warriors ended the Jimmies’ season in the very same match two seasons prior.

Instead, Hegerle’s in-game message to his team was to make absolutely sure that no matter what happened inside the Tyson

Events Center that night, everyone invested would come away inspired, including the young women who first attended his youth camps, then played on his JV, and stood before him now.

“When you make it too much about winning and losing, and you feel like you’re not winning, it’s tough to dig out of that,” explained Hegerle, whose Jimmies dropped the fourth set 25-18 before winning the fifth 15-12. “I remember saying to our team, ‘You guys, I think we’re confused. We’re acting like this is about winning and losing and it’s not, it’s about inspiring people.’

“That’s kinda been our motto.”

It’s a motto that produces the types of moments rival coaches can’t help but respect.

“I always feel like whenever we play Jon’s team, they’re going to bring out the best in my team,” Giesselmann said. “Obviously, we’re trying to win a national title, but that team made a couple more plays than we did, and they earned it.”

perpetual ascension under

TITLE TIME

By the time UJ met up with Corban University to play the NAIA’s final match of 2022, the Jimmies were tested, inspired, united and unstoppable.

Jamestown wasn’t shouldering the pressure of the nation’s top ranking or an undefeated season, like it was one year prior when falling to Park in the national semifinals. And when Corban –which defeated their own conference rival in Eastern Oregon to reach the final – took away some of UJ’s strengths, the Jimmies possessed the wherewithal and talent to pivot.

Corban’s serving and passing were crisper, flooring nine ace serves to Jamestown’s one in the match. But the UJ defense, where the Jimmies were just stronger than everyone else, didn’t waver.

“They had two outstanding outside hitters, and then we started to defend them,” coach Hegerle said. “The moment wasn’t too

Coach Hegerle

Sept. 29 - First match held at Harold Newman Arena (3-1 over Bellevue, Neb.)

Sept. 29 - Hegerle’s 200th career victory (3-1 over Bellevue, Neb.)

Sept. 30 - Final match played at Hansen Center (3-1 over Dakota St., S.D.)

Dec. 1 - First NAIA Round of 16 reached

2018

Sept. 4 - First GPAC match (3-1 over Dakota Wesleyan, S.D.)

big in our brains. We’re just out there playing volleyball and doing what we do.”

Kalli’s block for match point was a poetic finish to a postseason that included another GPAC tournament title, six sweeps and back-to-back, five-set thrillers at the end.

“Disbelief,” Anna Holen said. “Just the fact that we finally did it.”

Anna, who finished her career as UJ’s all-time leader in digs (2,204) and tied for fourth all-time in kills (1,368), was named MVP of the tournament, while Ellie was named NAIA Defender of the Year.

“If what we were doing on the court could bring somebody enough joy to want to defeat death, we knew it was something special,” Anna said.

Nov. 16 - GPAC Tournament Champions (3-0 over College of Saint Mary, Neb.)

Dec. 6 - First NAIA Round of 16 Victory (3-2 over Lindsey Wilson, Ky.)

Dec. 6 - First NAIA Quarterfinal Victory (3-1 over Northwestern, Iowa)

Dec. 7 - NAIA Semifinalist

Feb. 3 - First time Achieving NAIA’s No. 1 ranking

April 10 - GPAC Tournament Champions (3-0 over Northwestern, Iowa)

April 29 - Hegerle’s 300th career victory (3-0 over Eastern Oregon, NAIA Quarterfinals)

April 30 - NAIA Semifinalist

Oct. 30 - GPAC Champions

2020

Nov. 14 - GPAC Champions

Nov. 27 - NAIA Final Site Qualifier 2019

Nov. 13 - GPAC Tournament Champions (3-0 over Concordia, Neb.)

Dec. 3 - NAIA Semifinalist

2022

Nov. 1 - GPAC Champions

Nov. 14Covid pushes postseason to spring 2021 2021

Nov. 12 - GPAC Tournament Champions (3-1 over Concordia, Neb.)

Dec. 5 - First NAIA Semifinal victory (3-2 over Midland, Neb.)

Dec. 6 - First NAIA National Championship (3-2 over Corban, Ore.)

COMING FULL CIRCLE

Remember those seven former JV players who were varsity “rookies” in 2022?

Olson, a sophomore middle from North Dakota Class B volleyball powerhouse Langdon, would earn NAIA All-American honorable mention accolades, and Johnson and Sherman would join Olson on the All-GPAC list.

But that’s what Jimmie volleyball does. It’s all a component of what Hegerle has always referred to as “Perpetual Ascension,” where the next team pushes the ceiling a little higher than the last.

Like at the end of 2017, when Jamestown lost seven key contributors – including AllAmericans Haley Glasoe, Madison Wendel and Elise Peterson – after finally advancing to the national tournament’s Round of 16. In 2018, however, the Jimmies were right back competing at the national tournament in Sioux City.

Or again in 2019, when after advancing to the NAIA semifinals for the first time in program history, Jamestown said goodbye to five starters that boasted All-Americans Britta Knudson and Isabel Wedell.

Jamestown, like clockwork, seamlessly reloaded and has played in all three national tournament semifinals ever since.

Here’s what the ascension looks like from 50,000 feet.

Since Hegerle took over the Jimmies in 2009, the program has produced 41 all-conference athletes and 20 NAIA All-Americans, en route to 372 victories in 488 matches, eight conference titles, seven conference tournament titles and 10 national tournament appearances.

Hegerle’s been voted conference coach of the year eight times and, following national championship No. 1, earned his second NAIA coach of the year trophy.

Those types of results and accolades can’t all be X’s and O’s.

“What it is, is pouring into your teammates, because in reality others are more important than you,” Kalli Hegerle said. “It’s crazy how eye-opening something can be … just everyone

loving each other and supporting each other so greatly. I feel like that really goes into success and I feel like people don’t necessarily see success in that way.”

EPILOGUE

Only after winning it all did it become clear that Perpetual Ascension has more substance than the obvious linear team results. When distilled into individual four-year journeys, UJ volleyball’s message is actually the building blocks to producing good people, not championships.

From coach Hegerle’s first Hansen Center team huddle in 2009, to hoisting the national championship trophy, his athletes grow to love themselves and their teammates, while arguably learning what they truly want out of life.

“Individual personal growth is the most important part of our program. That’s why I’m here,” Hegerle said. “That’s why they come here, for the classrooms, for the campus, for their experience here. So, the litmus test for me is, when a player is done playing here, have they had a significant growth experience in a positive way?”

It’s why Kalli came to her uncle’s program in 2020, even after earning Summit League AllFreshman Team honors for NDSU in 2018. Growth for her came when the pressure of winning was replaced with a love for herself and her team.

“It’s so, so eye-opening,” Kalli said. “Yes, volleyball is important, but it’s not everything. Yes, winning can be important, but winning’s not everything.”

Kalli graduated from UJ in December with a communications degree and is currently an intern at Engelbert Training Systems (ETS), an athlete performance center, in Moorhead, Minnesota.

Anna Holen has begun work as an emergency room nurse for Sanford in Fargo.

Competitive women’s volleyball at UJ is a vehicle aimed at answering life’s big questions, which in turn produces grounded, self-aware young adults who can’t help but impact the world around them.

Athletic titles might be achieved along the way, or they might not. It’s only dessert, after all.

And as the program prepares to hang its championship banner from the rafters, remember that national title promises didn’t lead to talented UJ recruits playing JV or waiting out their turn on the varsity bench. Promises to become a better person did.

Jimmie volleyball seniors Averi Beyer and Kadyn Mehring probably summed it up best in their written, season-ending reflections to coach Hegerle.

Beyer, a serving specialist over UJ’s last two seasons, was a former North Dakota Class A Senior Athlete of the Year for Fargo Davies High School.

Mehring was a local standout at Carrington High School before playing in 24 career matches for the Jimmies.

Both have spent a good portion of their time on campus pouring into others rather than racking up statistics.

“This team is the best thing I’ve ever been a part of, and I’m so grateful to have been a part of something bigger than myself, especially Jimmie volleyball. There are truly not enough words to describe what this season meant, and I don’t think that being national champions will ever feel real. I will always be grateful, regardless.” –

Averi Beyer ’23

Kallie Hegerle, 2022 NAIA Player of the Year

Ellie Holen, 2022 NAIA Defender of the Year

Anna Holen, 2022 NAIA National Tournament MVP

Kallie Hegerle, 2022 GPAC Player of the Year

Ellie Holen, 2022 GPAC Libero of the Year

Ellie Holen, 2021 NAIA Defensive Player of the National Tournament

Julina Niemeier, 2018 GPAC Libero of the Year

Nicole Warren, 2016 NSAA Defensive Player of the Year

Sarah Becker, 2013 NSAA Player of the Year

Kaitlin Anderson, 2013 NSAA Freshman of the Year

Katie Zent, 2011 DAC Player of the Year

Sarah Becker, 2011 A.I.I. Player of the Year

Shannon Fee, 2010 DAC Player of the Year

Kayla Fee, 2009 DAC Setter of the Year

“As I reflect on this season, I look back on a season full of challenges, tears, glory, and triumphs. A season led by coaches who led by example and teach you the significance of pouring into others and forming intentional relationships. Those purposeful connections we formed played a vital role in winning the national championship. The amount of love and joy we shared when with each other is indescribable. These friendships will last forever.”

– Kadyn Mehring ’23

Jimmie Women’s Volleyball NAIA/Conference Standouts under Coach Hegerle

Honoring Betty Gates

Betty Gates (1913-2000) was a true trailblazer. She served in the Army Air Force from 1942 to 1945 and attained the rank of Major—a remarkable feat for anyone, but especially for a woman at that time. She worked with ultraintelligence as a briefer, with assignments for Generals Hap Arnold, George Kenny, and Dwight Eisenhower.

For Jamestown, Betty left a legacy that will forever impact the community and the University. She held a B.A., an M.S., and received an Honorary Doctor of Science from UJ, where she taught Physical Education for 23 years.

As Kay Jenkins ’58 said, “Betty was persistent but not overbearing, and a true advocate of all students. She, however, put particular emphasis on women’s equal opportunities.”

First and foremost, Betty was a major proponent in the promotion of women’s sports. At a time when women were thought to be incapable of competing, Betty pushed for a bigger and better intramural program, which led to monumental changes in women’s sports.

As MoDean (Trautman) McCullough ’63 put it, Betty’s teaching and intellect was felt by the many women and men fortunate enough to learn from her.

“From my personal experience, Betty Gates was an inspiration, professionally and personally,” said MoDean. “I recall many times speaking with Betty, complaining about how women were treated in women’s sports. She was always positive and would say, ‘things are going to change, your voice’s will be heard, keep working, don’t give up.’ Changes didn’t come as fast as we would’ve liked, but she encouraged us to believe there would be a time when women would be recognized more equally.”

Bryce Nybo ’20/ ’22, Director of Alumni Relations.

We are always looking for ways to better serve our Jimmie Alumni. Stay Connected, Stay Informed, Stay Engaged! Here are a few ways to stay connected:

• Update your Information

• Attend Events

• Reconnect with Classmates - Teammates - Professors

• Visit Campus

• Nominate worthy Hall of Fame recipients and Young Alumni Medallions

• Reach out to our Development and Alumni Relations Staff

“STAYING CONNECTED WITH OUR UNIVERSITY IS ONE OF THE BEST THINGS YOU CAN DO AS AN ALUMNI.”

Things are going to change, your voice’s will be heard, keep working, don’t give up.

Modeen McCullough’s account of a conversation with Betty Gates

Correy Hickman ’21 and Brady Birch ’21/’23, September 30, 2022

Abbie (Tinjum) x’18 and Nathan Dinga ’18 (BA), son, Cohen Paul Dinga born June 21, 2021

Cohen Dinga

Young Alumni Medallion Award

The Young Alumni Medallions honor the successes of individuals possessing the characteristics of a University of Jamestown liberal arts education. The recipients will reflect the following qualities:

v Combined professional competence and skills with a commitment to broad-based learning and intellectual curiosity.

v Demonstrated a commitment to lifelong learning through a continued effort to learn and grow as an individual.

v Rendered valuable service to the local or wider community.

v Demonstrated good character in their relationship with other individuals and the community as a whole.

v Recipients will be graduates from any classes of the previous twelve years, portraying the purpose of the award by success in personal and professional areas of life.

This year’s recipient, W. Logan Caldwell ’14 challenged students at opening convocation to engage in confrontation, learn how to write, and learn how to serve during their time at the University of Jamestown. Mr. Caldwell is currently an Associate Attorney at Crowley Fleck PLLP in the Bismarck office. A part of the celebration is to recognize a faculty/staff member that has gone above and beyond during their time in Jamestown. For Logan, it was Dr. Michelle Solensky who was recognized. Know someone worthy of becoming a Young Alumni Medallion recipient?

Nominate them at uj.edu/alumni-and-friends/awards-and-honors/

There is a core foundation of empathy and service to others that runs in the blood of those in the Jimmie family.

Annika ’15 and W. Logan ’14 Caldwell

alumni & friends 31

Save

37th ANNUAL BENEFIT AUCTION • APRIL 22, 2023

FEATURING

• Social hour beginning at 5:00 p.m. Unique items on the live and online silent auctions

• Exquisite four-course dinner and entertainment

All proceeds benefit UJ student scholarships.

For more information contact Bryce Nybo at Bryce.Nybo@uj.edu or call (701) 252-3467 ext. 4104.

37th

SATURDAY, JUNE 17, 2023

Jamestown Country Club

No Stopping Her

Mayberry’s path puts Title IX into perspective

BY MICHAEL SAVALOJA

Judge Danielle Mayberry ’13 didn’t exactly know what was happening.

The only thing the junior high school athlete from the small, mining town of Battle Mountain, Nevada, wanted to do was wrestle.

“We went to a neighboring tournament, and they weren’t going to let me compete because I was female,” Mayberry recalled. “I was mad, and I just remember my coach and my mom immediately started talking about Title IX and things like that. “I experienced just a little bit of what it must have been like before that passed.”

Mayberry, a Native American of Western Shoshone descent, is the first woman in the history of northern Nevada’s Te-Moak Tribe to earn a Juris Doctor degree. In essence, she’s largely the reason why the landmark legislation aimed at protecting those from sex discrimination was passed 50 years ago, and she’s also the reason why not many have ever looked back.

Mayberry’s journey, ignited by female athletics, led to a major milestone last May when she was appointed to serve as a trial court judge for the Te-Moak Tribal Court. The Te-Moak Tribe is comprised of four separate bands of Native Americans that

combine to form a current enrollment of approximately 2,100 members.

The University of Jamestown graduate presides virtually via the Internet over cases that have a major impact on her home community in Nevada, ranging from child welfare and custody to eviction cases. Mayberry lives in Massena, New York, located 90 minutes by car from Canada’s Montreal, where she works her second job as a principal law clerk for the Saint Regis Mohawk Tribal Court in the nearby town of Akwesasne.

At 32 years old, Mayberry is living out the dream she envisioned for herself.

“I went (to college) with the intention to serve my community and to use my education in a way that can give back to tribal communities,” Mayberry said. “When I looked around, there weren’t too many Western Shoshones with law degrees.”

DESTINY WAS EVERYWHERE.

A love of competing in sports at an early age served as an outlet for the once shy Mayberry, who became like a second daughter to Stephanie Potter ’94. Potter, Mayberry’s former math teacher and track coach at Battle Mountain High School, threw javelin for UJ coach Jim Clark and was inducted into UJ’s Athletic Hall of Fame in 2008 as a member of the 1991 women’s track and field team.

“(Danielle) was one of the kids that was always playing with my kids, and our home almost became her second home when she was growing up,” Potter said. “She was a quiet, timid kid. I think sports helped her develop into the person she’s become.”

Directed toward athletics by her mother, Jessica Mortensen, Mayberry first competed in tee-ball, before moving on to soccer, softball, track, and her favorite sport, wrestling.

Before girls wrestling was a thing, Mayberry began grappling with the boys in the third grade for the local USA Wrestling club team and competed in area USA Wrestling sanctioned tournaments. Years later, she’d place fourth at the state tournament for Battle Mountain, a place where wrestling is firmly engrained as part of the culture.

“Wrestling was not something common for women to do, and it was something I enjoyed,” Mayberry said. “It’s a sport you have to mentally prepare for, and I think that has allowed me to better manage stress.

“You are very much on your own – it’s only you on the mat. It sets you up for the challenges you have in life.”

The self-reliance and perseverance she gained on the mat gradually transformed into confidence, which is what Mayberry brought to Dr. Mark Joy’s history classes – among many others – once on campus at UJ.

“She was a very good student, and she was one of the only students – or one of very few students, perhaps – that ever offered to help me with something,” said Dr. Joy, who’s now retired from teaching. “She recommended a book that she had used in Dr. (Thomas) Johnson’s class and thought that it might help me in my American economic history class. So, she was brave enough to make those kinds of suggestions.

“She was very dedicated to her work.”

The University of Jamestown women’s wrestling team was in its infancy when Mayberry graduated from high school in 2009. But along with Potter’s influence, Mayberry first fell in love with UJ while attending a wrestling camp on campus.

“I didn’t want to go to a place where there were giant lecture halls,” Mayberry said. “I grew up in a small town and I really liked that idea of one-on-one learning.”

Interestingly, Mayberry only competed with UJ wrestling for one season. But it was the opportunity to wrestle – an equal opportunity to participate – that can be credited for helping her vision of giving back to her tribal community to take off in earnest.

After earning a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science and History from UJ, Mayberry would graduate from the University of Idaho College of Law in 2016 with an emphasis in Native American Law. In law school she served as the Idaho Chapter of the Native American Law Students Association (NALSA) Chairperson and was elected as a representative for the national NALSA executive board, while gaining work experience through places such as the Nez Perce Tribe Office of Legal Counsel in Lapwai, Idaho, and Fredericks Peebles & Morgan LLP in Louisville, Colorado.

Mayberry currently serves as a member on both the Saint Regis Mohawk Tribe Justice Strategy Advisory Board and the New York-Federal-State-Tribal Court Forum, and since her appointment as a tribal court judge in May, she’s also taken on the responsibility of serving as the Region Two representative on the National American Indian Court Judges Association board of directors, representing the states of Nevada, California, and Hawaii.

“It’s a sense of pride,” Mayberry said. “Tribal courts are really at the forefront of a lot of issues. So, having someone to serve and mainly understand how we can move forward in a way that best serves the tribe with these tools in mind, it means a lot to me to be able to do that.”

Mayberry has also already published a handful of works, including “The Origins and Evolution of the Indian Child Welfare Act,” which appeared in New York’s Judicial Notice in 2019, and “Protecting the Tosawihi Quarries and a Human-Rights Solution,” which appeared in a 2019 edition of the Nevada Historical Quarterly.

She was presented with the Saint Regis Mohawk Tribe Staff Enrichment Award in 2019 and received the University of Idaho College of Law Student Recipient for Human Rights Award in 2016.

“I’m always proud to hear of my students’ success stories, her success especially,” Potter said. “Just where she’s come from, being the timid kid that we knew to standing up for everybody and supporting her tribe and her community.”

Mayberry’s impressive career is only just beginning. Who knows where the girl who needed to wrestle with the boys will end up?

“It’s a great benefit to women and minorities to be able to compete (in sports), and it opens the doors to education and places that they probably otherwise wouldn’t be,” Mayberry said. “The University of Jamestown provided the foundation I needed to be able to go to law school, and, professionally, I came out of there wanting to do more in my community and wanting to be a good person in that role, too.”

I went (to college) with the intention to serve my community and to use my education in a way that can give back to tribal communities,” Mayberry said. “When I looked around, there weren’t too many Western Shoshones with law degrees.

Danielle Mayberry ’13, second from left, is pictured with, from left, UJ Planned Giving Director Michael Savaloja, Rev. Dr. Rich Will ’65, Pieter Visscher ’69, and UJ Provost Dr. Paul Olson in Potsdam, New York, on Sept. 22, 2022.

We welcome all Alumni & Friends back for Homecoming 2023 and the All School Celebration! Catch up, reminisce and see all the wonderful additions to our campus! A full slate of events is planned for you.

We hope to see you in your ORANGE and BLACK!

Come

October 6-7

All Band and Choir Reunion

*Band rehearsal prior to performing*

ALUMNI AND FRIENDS,

Although the holiday season is behind us for another year, I’d like to plant a seed that might germinate over the next several months. If you happen to be fortunate enough to not want or need more “stuff,” please consider asking your loved ones to donate to UJ in your name. Although my siblings and I still enjoy finding fun gifts for our parents (Gerry and Loretta (Hanson) Hegstad ’64), we also regularly donate to UJ in their names in lieu of giving them more “stuff” for birthdays, Mother’s and Father’s Day, and Christmas. Like us, your loved ones will likely greatly appreciate the suggestion for a wonderful go-to gift that keeps on giving.

Next, pull out your calendars! We’d love to see you for our AllSchool Reunion during Homecoming on October 6 and 7, 2023. Whether you return to campus regularly or haven’t been back since you graduated, this is an event you will not want to miss. Take in the fun festivities and activities, check out the improvements to the beautiful campus, and reconnect with classmates, faculty and staff. The collective experience will fill your heart and get the orange and black pumping through those veins!

GO JIMMIES!

MaryBeth Hegstad ’97

Alumni Association Board

MaryBeth Hegstad ’97, President, Fargo, ND

Tonya (Schlaht) Holmstrom ’04, Vice President, Bismarck, ND

Carol (Prentice) Land ’80, Secretary to the Executive Committee, Bismarck, ND

Kyle Blumenshine ’13/’16, Jamestown, ND

Matt Gooding ’94, Clive, IA

Deb (Clark) Hornung ’85, Jamestown, ND

Sami King ’98, Moab, UT

Andrew Klose ’08, Sioux Falls, ND

Jack Lawrence ’98, West Fargo, ND

Jackie (Schneider) Maggers ’01, Powell, OH

Emily Paulson ’15, Fargo, ND

Kelly Rachel ’84, Jamestown, ND

Carlyle Scott ’09, Bismarck, ND

Dan Stoudt ’07, Lake Elmo, MN

Alexis Young ’18, Denver, CO

Marriage

DListed in alphabetical order by family last name.

1. Kailey Alber ’20 (BSN) and Tanner Lunzman ’20 (BA), September 17, 2022

2. Rachael College ’17 (BA) and Charlie Mills, October 15, 2022

3. Alyssa Falvey and Alex Looysen ’14 (BS), July 30, 2022

4. Alexis Gomez and Casey Glenn ’15 (BA), May 20, 2022

5. Sarah Grindberg and Ben Prochniak x’19, September 10, 2022

Marriage

6. Paulina Haak ’18 (BA) and Scott Erbele, August 20, 2022

7. Kenady Hansen ’19 (BS) and Trevor Waldie x’17, September 10, 2022

8. Correy Hickman ’21 (BA) and Brady Birch ’21/’23 (BA)/(MED), September 30, 2022

9. Sami Isaacs ’16 (BA) and Erik Peterson ’15 (BA), February 25, 2021

10. Shelby Lund and Matthew Achter ’15 (BA), September 24, 2022

11. Christa Lysne ’17 (BSN) and Landon Uetz ’17 (BA), September 10, 2022

12. Jocelyn Meidinger ’17 (BA) and Alex Orth x’20, October 19, 2018

13. Nicole Morrison ’20 (BS) and Julio Abreo, June 25, 2022

14. Emily Newman ’17 (BA) and Samuel Della Monica ’16 (BA), July 10, 2022

15. Greta Olive and Caylor Cox ’22 (BS), August 2, 2022

Marriage

16. Bethany Pollert ’20 (BSN) and Parker Janske ’20 (BA), August 19, 2022

17. Dana Rial ’19 (BA) married Christian Madden ’19 (BA), November 4, 2022

18. Laura Sieling ’16 (BA) and Danny Gaylord, May 20, 2022

19. Trish Simon ’12 (BA) and Josh Friebel x’11, August 27, 2022

20. Kayla Trombley and Brequan Tucker ’16 (BA), October 15, 2022

21. Mallory Twete ’20 (BSN) and Christian Kvilvang x’19, September 4, 2022

Listed in alphabetical order by family last name.

1. Olivia (Knott) x’17 and Devin Arnold ’15 (BA), daughter Nora Loretta Arnold born October 30, 2022

2. Mallory (Sand) ’09 (BA) and Craig Brown, son Boden Mark Brown born October 6, 2022

3. Raven (Larson) ’12 (BSN) and Travis Cain, son Bowman Hawken Cain born August 3, 2022

4. Abbie (Tinjum) x’18 and Nathan Dinga ’18 (BA), son Brooks Byron Dinga born September 26, 2022

5. Amy (Putnam) ’08 (BA) and Eric Feigum, son Archer Daniel Feigum born November 15, 2022

6. Katherine (Morse) ’22 (BA) and Joe Hildreth, daughter Ivy Katherine Hildreth born February 26, 2022

7. Viviane (Nagasaki) ’21 (DPT) and Erick Huderle, daughter Olivia Miwa Huderle born August 16, 2022

8. Jocelyn (Meidinger) ’17 (BA) and Alex Orth x’20, daughter Hazel Grace Orth born August 26, 2022

9. Madey (Hornung) ’12 (BS) and Tim Ranum ’11 (BA), son Edison “Eddie” Daniel Ranum born September 24, 2022

10. McKayla (Orr) ’18/’20 (BA)/(MED) and Elias “Alex” Sablan ’18 (BA), daughter Remi Lois Sablan born December 29, 2022

11. Kianna Seefried ’20 (BA) and Curtiss Heidebrink, daughter Ember Lu-Myrna Heidebrink born August 1, 2022

12. Rebecca (Price) ’11 (BSN) and Jordan Spaeth ’12 (BA), son Chance Spaeth born August 8, 2021

13. Megan Vote ’11 (BA) and Garett Lien, son Hudson Timothy Lien born February 15, 2022

14. Deanna Wade and Jean Avitt Youth ’20 (BA), daughter Aminah Michele Jongoh Youth born September 9, 2022

15. Teah (Poyner) and Ben Weisbeck ’19 (BA), daughter Laela Raelynn Weisbeck born September 22, 2022

In Memoriam

Alumni

Leonard M. Lund ’48 (BA), July 25, 2022

John F. Wells ’49 (BA), June 23, 2022

Shirley J. (Dickerson) Hughes ’50 (BA), August 1, 2022

Mabel D. (Downer) Williams ’50 (BA), September 24, 2022

Joan E. (Nelson) Simons ’51 (BA), September 26, 2022

John R. Wilson x’51, November 28, 2022

Jean F. (Buzzell) Ulferts ’52 (BA), October 29, 2022

Luella (Ostrom) Traiser ’53, December 28, 2022

Reta (McConnachie) Nelson x’53, December 13, 2022

James T. Matchie x’54, October 8, 2022

Marilyn (Anderson) Whitmore x’54, September 23, 2022

Norman B. Batterberry ’55 (BS), August 21, 2022

Rev. Theodore Dockter x’55, August 4, 2022

Marilyn (Henderson) Parker x’55, August 5, 2022

Elaine (Christ) Schmuhl x’55, December 28, 2022

Marvin M. Maule ’56 (BA), November 5, 2022

Bruce C. Hanna ’57 (BA), November 4, 2022

Patrick L. Altringer x’58, October 31, 2022

Myra L. “Pinky” (Sanderson) Larson ’58 (BA), December 13, 2022

Dewitt E. Batterberry ’59 (BS), October 20, 2022

Dr. Kermit K. Schauer x’61, October 20, 2022

Beth C. (Evanson) Anderson ’62 (BA), September 17, 2022

Roger H. Buelow x’62, September 13, 2022

Margaret A. (Alfredson) Swanson x’62, August 24, 2022

Gretchen K. (Baird) Kottke x’63, November 25, 2022

Harold J. Wentland ’65 (BA), December 7, 2022

Donald W. Christie ’67 (BA), July 30, 2022

James H. Rowan ’68 (BA), March 4, 2022

William W. “Bill” Joos ’68 (BS), July 29, 2022

Michael R. Lochow ’68 (BS), August 1, 2022

Diane P. (Youtz) Person x’68, November 25, 2022

Christian R. Esser ’70 (BS), November 3, 2022

Joanne E. (Taft) Strom ’72 (BA), October 4, 2022

Lynnae (Litt) Bergman x’71, September 30, 2022

Larry Hopland x’71, August 22, 2022

Richard W. Ames ’73 (BA), December 17, 2022

Julie C. (Brosz) Wayne x’75, July 15, 2022

Marguerite “Margie” A. (Barondeau) Washnok ’76 (BA), October 16, 2022

Arnold “Arnie” Roos ’78 (BS), August 4, 2022

Mary D. (Jenkins) Sargeant ’78 (BA), September 26, 2022

Lynn R. Christopherson ’80 (BA), December 3, 2022

Tamara J. Krenz ’82 (BA), July 7, 2022

Sandy F. (Hokana) Bobzien ’87 (BA), November 5, 2022

Lisa D. (Strabbe) Lauckner x’87, November 27, 2022

Sandra M. (Cebula) Young ’88 (BA), October 21, 2022

Marlys S. (Johnson) Pieske ’88 (BA), January 1, 2023

Thomas P. Baskerville x’88, September 16, 2022

Corey D. Johnson x’91, August 18, 2022

Grant L. Gleich x’94, October 26, 2022

Tracy L. (Pagel) Picha ’03 (BA), November 12, 2022

Miranda M. Weninger x’05, December 10, 2022

MacKenzie L. Gerszewski ’18 (BS), July 31, 2022

Friends

Neil Barkus, September 28, 2022

Harold Bensch, December 8, 2022

Douglas Daugs, November 6, 2022

Lloyd Gums, October 5, 2022

Maynard Helgaas, August 2, 2022

Mary Joyce, August 30, 2022

Lillian Junkert, October 2, 2022

John D. Kleven, December 1, 2022

Arnie Kuhn, December 3, 2022

James D. Nowatzki, August 11, 2022

Doris Nyhus, October 13, 2022

Dennis D. Olson, October 17, 2022

LuWanna Remmick, July 14, 2022

Lannie Simonson, October 20, 2022

Lindsey (Witthauer) Vogel, July 31, 2022

Trustee Emeritus

John S. Jensen ’51 (BA), November 5, 2022

Professor Emeritus of Chemistry

Dr. Jerome “Jerry” Knoblich ’54 (BS), November 24, 2022

Editor’s note:

Alumni who received a degree are designated by the year of graduation followed by the degree they received. Non-UJ graduates are denoted by an “x” in front of the class year.

Important Dates

37th Annual Dine & Bid Benefit Auction

April 22

Alumni Hall of Fame

May 5

Baccalaureate and Commencement

May 6

37th Annual Jimmie Scramble

June 17

Community Block Party

August 30

Opening Convocation/Young Alumni

Medallion Awards

September 7

All School Reunion, Homecoming 2023

October 6-7

Athletic Hall of Fame

October 6

Character in Leadership Conference

Keynote Speaker: Dr. MaryJo Burchard

October 12

Visit UJ.EDU/ALUMNIANDFRIENDS for additional alumni events coming soon!