Crafting Our Community, St. Catherine University Magazine, Spring 2023

SARAH MILLER ’25

MORGAN NUSBAUM ’24

WOMEN OF COLOR LEADERSHIP SERIES

In November, Dr. Tamar Rodney, Johns Hopkins University assistant professor, spoke to a classroom of students before leading a panel discussion on mental health. The event was part of the Women of Color Leadership Series, an initiative of Katie Leadership Impact.

EXECUTIVE VICE PRESIDENT OF INSTITUTIONAL ADVANCEMENT

BETH HALLORAN

VICE PRESIDENT OF DEVELOPMENT AND ALUMNI RELATIONS

BETH RIEDEL CARNEY ’82

DIRECTOR OF COMMUNICATIONS

SARAH VOIGT

EDITOR

MICHELLE MULLOWNEY ’17

CONTRIBUTORS

RUTH HAAG BROMBACH ’60

BETHANY CATLIN-JOHNSON

KARA D eMARIE MLIS’16

IRENE GREEN

MARY BETH MUELLERLEILE

IVERSON ’85

LINDSEY MADRYGA

MOLLY ORTH

LINDSEY FREY PALMQUIST

TESSA SCHOENECKER ’25

AMY SHAW

ANDY STEINER

SOFIA VANDERLAN ’26

BRYCE WILDENAUER

DESIGNERS

KAT BRAZ/THE ESC PLAN

HEATHER LONGMORE

PHOTOGRAPHERS

JENN ACKERMAN

PATRICK CLANCY

JARED MITCHELL

BJ PICKARD

TARA SLOANE

ERIN SMITH

REBECCA ZENEFSKI SLATER ’10

@st.kates

@st_kates

@stkates

@St. Catherine University

ADDRESS CHANGES

651-690-6666

ALUMNI@STKATE.EDU

mag.stkate.edu

St. Catherine University Magazine is published three times a year by the Office of Communications. No part of this publication may be reprinted without permission.

St. Catherine University was founded by the Sisters of St. Joseph of Carondelet in 1905.

Learn more: stkate.edu/ourhistory

FEATURES

Living Into ‘One University’

Integration of the St. Paul and Minneapolis campuses has provided an even more accessible, cohesive, and connected St. Kate’s experience.

BY KARA DeMARIE MLIS’16

Fund-for-All

The ever-flexible Katie Fund provides invaluable support to the mission of St. Catherine University.

BY ANDY STEINER

Return to the Sisterland

Next spring, alumni travel to France to pay homage to CSJ and St. Kate’s heritage.

BY MICHELLE MULLOWNEY ’17

ABOUT THE COVER

Each fall alumni, students, donors, faculty, staff, and friends convene to volunteer in collaboration with local organizations during Citizen Katie — only one example of the ways in which the St. Catherine community comes together to forge a culture of growth, support, and lives of meaning.

PHOTO/REBECCA SLATER ’10, BY REBECCA STUDIOS

PHOTO/PATRICK CLANCY PHOTOGRAPHY

COMMUNITY SPIRIT SHINES AS KATIES PARTICIPATE IN EMPTY BOWLS DURING CITIZEN KATIE, INCLUDING PRESIDENT R e BECCA KOENIG ROLOFF ’76 AND HER GRANDDAUGHTER (AT BOTTOM) AND IRENE GREEN, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF THE O’SHAUGHNESSY (AT LEFT, MASKED), AND HER DAUGHTER.

From the President

Each spring semester, before the warm weather truly arrives, I admire the fortitude of our Katies trudging through the snow in pursuit of their goals. I can see it in the damp, crisp hair of swimmers on the Butler stairs, the sleepy eyes of students leaving Whitby in the dark, and the heavy coats and heavier backpacks that troop past my office each day, somehow carried with laughter and kindness.

Like me, many members of our St. Catherine University community find inspiration in our students’ passion, in large part because the dreams our Katies chase almost always center around the impact they want to make on their community and the world. This legacy of service renews each year as alumni, faculty, staff, and friends pour resources and support into current students, who apply their time and talents to the world around them.

One great source of hope for our students today is the Katie Fund. This resource supports current students on their paths, carrying forward the legacies of alumni and donors whose own St. Kate’s stories are as vivid and meaningful as the students they support (read more on page 14). Our Katies hold in common the drive and passion that motivate them through the coldest and darkest months in one of America’s most wintry states, but they do not share the same backgrounds and resources to facilitate their education. Through the flexibility of the Katie Fund, we support scholarships, career readiness, emergency assistance, equity initiatives, and more. The breadth and depth of the Katie Fund’s impact is why we chose to make it a key priority of LEAD & INFLUENCE: The Campaign for the Next Level of Excellence, which is now well into its final year (page 4).

The spirit of connection within the St. Kate’s community shines through all our work, including the complete integration of our Minneapolis and St. Paul campuses, finalized in 2020 (page 6). Now, our community shares not only a common space, but total access to all University resources. For the past three years, faculty, staff, and students have enjoyed the full scope of the St. Catherine University experience through the alignment of our mission and our campus.

Though much of our work focuses on the needs of current students — the future of St. Kate’s and our world — we remain deeply rooted to our past through the legacy laid by our founding Sisters of St. Joseph of Carondelet and the alumni who have paved the way. In April 2024, I will join alumni on a trip to France, visiting sites integral to CSJ history and to our St. Catherine foundation (page 20). Each time we organize one of these remarkable pilgrimages — sometimes with alumni, sometimes students and faculty — I am compelled to reflect on the bonds of our remarkable community throughout time. They are as present in our mission today as they were when the Sisters first began teaching the lacemaking trade to marginalized women in 17th-century France.

In all that we do here at St. Kate’s, I am deeply grateful to our community for continuing to invest in this place and these people who have contributed so much to our beloved students, and, in so doing, to the world. Snow or not, our Katies are sure to change it.

ReBecca Koenig Roloff ’76 PHOTO/PATRICK CLANCY PHOTOGRAPHY

Building Community Through the Campaign

St. Kate’s students receive the support they need to succeed, thanks to our donors.

BY BETHANY CATLIN-JOHNSON

As an institutional value, community is baked into the foundation of St. Catherine University, and it infuses all aspects of our institutional work. Our alumni continue a high level of engagement, connecting meaningfully with St. Kate ’s through opportunities like Citizen Katie. Our students and graduates, faculty and staff, neighbors and friends convene to celebrate and worship on occasions such as the beautiful Feast of Saint Joseph, which will take place in just a few weeks, and Feast of Saint Catherine. And we move forward always in our shared commitment to supporting our current students academically, financially, spiritually, and interpersonally.

We are both humbled by and proud of our community’s many contributions, all of which come together to form the unique St. Catherine experience and support the success of our students. Central to our abiding mission is ensuring that students who face financial obstacles receive funding and resources to reach their goals at St. Kate’s and beyond. In response to this need, friends, donors, and alumni have established over 280 endowed scholarships, totaling over $3 million in student scholarship dollars per year.

Just as our community invests in us, we invest in our students. Student scholarships are the largest item in our operating budget, at $39 million per year. We launched LEAD & INFLUENCE: The Campaign for the Next Level of Excellence in part to foster endowed scholarships and the futures they help our Katies build. Finally, we support every student at St. Kate’s through

the flexibility of one of the University’s greatest resources: the Katie Fund. In addition to direct scholarship funding, the Katie Fund ensures the continued success of University programming — including athletics, accessibility, research, and more — providing our students with the opportunities and resources they deserve (see page 14). As a powerful tool for strengthening our community here at St. Kate’s, the Katie Fund is a core priority of the campaign.

32% 37% 100% 79% 6

of College for Women students are first-generation college students of College for Women students received a Pell Grant in 2022

of first-time College for Women students receive financial aid

of College for Adults students receive financial aid

consecutive years of recognition as a Minority Serving Institution by the U.S. Department of Education

rate of economic mobility among Minnesota’s private colleges #1

OUR COMMUNITY’S MANY CONTRIBUTIONS COME TOGETHER TO FORM THE UNIQUE ST. CATHERINE EXPERIENCE AND SUPPORT THE SUCCESS OF OUR STUDENTS.

As of January 2023, we have raised over $125 million toward the campaign, thanks to the remarkable generosity of more than 15,100 members of the St. Catherine community. As LEAD & INFLUENCE enters its final phase, we encourage alumni and friends to consider donating to the Katie Fund. The campaign seeks to nurture the development of the students, faculty, and facilities that contribute to the St. Catherine University community — and the Katie Fund supports them all. Please note that the campaign includes donors sixty years and older who choose to disclose a planned gift, and celebrates the generosity of each and every contribution. Thank you. We could not do this without you.

Campaign Progress

We have surpassed the $125 million milestone! Progress continues in our effort to raise $130 million to achieve the next level of excellence. Thank you, donors!

ALUMNI, DONORS, AND VOLUNTEERS SUPPORT THE ST. CATHERINE COMMUNITY

Their impact since the campaign launched in 2020 has been remarkable, with MORE THAN:

15,100

3,400 $40M $40M $11M $16M $18M

donors volunteer hours for Our Students for Our Faculty for Our Place

for the Katie Fund for programs and services

LEAD & INFLUENCE: The Campaign for the Next Level of Excellence progress is current as of 1/1/2023.

PHOTO/TARA SLOANE

WITH ALL HEALTHCARE PROGRAMS ON ONE CAMPUS, STUDENTS AND FACULTY BENEFIT FROM INCREASED COLLABORATION ACROSS DISCIPLINES AND UPDATED, CUTTING-EDGE LEARNING TECHNOLOGY.

PHOTOS/ERIN SMITH

Living Into ‘One University’

Integration of the St. Paul and Minneapolis campuses has provided an even more accessible, cohesive, and connected St. Kate’s experience.

BY KARA DeMARIE MLIS’16

Campus integration involved

moves

300+ offices

SCOTT HAGLUND

“When students come here, they’re experiencing a university environment — they feel like they’re part of St. Kate’s,” says Scott Haglund, radiography program director, musing on his department’s four years in St. Paul.

It was no small feat getting there. In 2017, a comprehensive assessment of the University’s facilities on both the St. Paul and Minneapolis campuses found that the Minneapolis campus’ annual operating expenses, combined with a list of necessary repairs, made the second campus location unsustainable. Those factors, along with future programming needs and limited parking, led the administration to decide on integrating the two campuses into a single location in St. Paul.

15 study rooms

15 meeting rooms

2 student lounges

19 labs and simulation spaces

5 classrooms

PHOTO/REBECCA SLATER ’10, BY REBECCA STUDIOS

PHOTO/TARA SLOANE

PHOTO/TARA SLOANE

CAMPUS INTEGRATION BROUGHT RENOVATIONS TO STUDYING AND GATHERING SPACES, SUCH AS A NEW ADJUNCT FACULTY LOUNGE (TOP) AND UPDATED CAREER CENTER LOUNGE (ABOVE).

UPDATING AND UPGRADING

With St. Kate’s strategic plan priorities of “Strengthen Academic Excellence” and “Build a Strong and Sustainable Foundation” in mind, University committees used the integration as an opportunity to rethink and reshape spaces for learning and gathering. Among the goals: enhance students’ academic experience, create a more vibrant campus community in St. Paul, and provide more robust services to the students, faculty, and staff formerly located in Minneapolis.

“There was an opportunity to grow and expand, and do things in a fresh, new way,’’ says Haglund. “When we look at the physical space and technology, the timing for us was perfect.”

Now, students across disciplines receive plentiful experience with the current trending technology just steps away from their instructors’ offices, rather than waiting to get their first glimpse of it when they start their clinicals.

COLLABORATIVE ACCESS ACROSS HEALTH DISCIPLINES

The integration plan re-envisioned the St. Paul campus with vibrant new learning spaces for both students and faculty, including a centralized hub for humanities and arts programs in Coeur de Catherine. Whitby is now dedicated to several healthcare programs, joining nursing programs there with the BSN, holistic health, health informatics, and radiation therapy programs that moved from Minneapolis.

“Chief among the benefits of having all of our health science and nursing programs on one campus is the opportunity for collaboration,” says Sean Fitzpatrick, interim dean of health sciences and associate professor of interprofessional education. “For instance, we will bring students from multiple programs to work together in our Institute of Simulation and Interprofessional Learning (I-SAIL). By working in interprofessional teams on simulated patient cases, students learn and practice critical collaboration skills.”

Prior to campus integration, opportunities for collaboration between students on separate campuses were rare due to timing and logistical challenges. Now healthcare students can more easily reap the benefits of teamwork and simulation opportunities.

“RIGHT WHEN I STEPPED FOOT ON THE ST. PAUL GROUNDS, I KNEW THIS HOME WOULD BE EASY TO LIVE IN [AND] LEARN IN.” — MAX MACEMON ’19

PHOTO/REBECCA SLATER ’10, BY REBECCA STUDIOS

PHOTO/REBECCA SLATER ’10, BY REBECCA STUDIOS

ENRICHING STUDENT LIFE ON CAMPUS

While joining the two St. Catherine campuses strengthened the academic experience for many students, the physical improvements to student life are felt by all who visit.

The St. Paul campus is known for its vibrant beauty, and now all students enrolled in in-person programs get to enjoy it together. Parking is more available, and there are expanded, comfortable places to eat, study, and meet friends throughout the day. Coeur de Catherine’s renovations included updates to the library, Career Development Center, Antonian Honors Program, and Dew Drop Lounge, as well as the addition of new lounge space for adjunct faculty.

Max Macemon ’19 (left) began his radiography degree on the Minneapolis campus and completed it after the integration. Despite his initial discomfort with the idea of switching campuses, he says, “Right when I stepped foot on the St. Paul grounds, I knew this home would be easy to live in, learn in, and grow into the grad I am today. Having accessibility to various resources — the gym, the lab, the cafeteria — made everyday student life smoother.”

Haglund has also noticed the tangible difference made in the experience of students like Macemon. “There’s a sense of community,” he says. “People are showing up early and staying late on campus now. They never did that before.”

PART OF A LARGER WHOLE

The University has been enriched by “merging of the best parts of the two different [campus] cultures,” says Michael Peterson, the Counseling Center’s director of community mental health relations and one of the campus integration committee members.

In addition to the fusion of Minneapolis and St. Paul campus counseling resources, Peterson says he sees the larger University integration as a way to “amplify the community-serving endeavors which were in place on both campuses, as we strive together to address the great needs of the world around us.”

As St. Kate’s continues to fulfill its mission of serving the community and educating women leaders, its St. Paul campus remains a welcome home to students, faculty, staff, and alumni — another step into fostering Forever St. Catherine, and a shared future built on connection, engagement, and an enduring legacy.

ABOVE: BSN STUDENTS GAIN EXPERIENCE WITH UP-TO-DATE TECHNOLOGY BEFORE THEY EVEN START THEIR CLINICALS.

AT LEFT: DEW DROP LOUNGE HAS RETURNED TO ITS ORIGINAL USE AS A COMMUNITY GATHERING SPACE AND COFFEE SHOP.

Bookmark

Reflections on The Sentence and Louise Erdrich’s Kelly Lecture on International Women’s Day

Pulitzer Prize- and National Book Award-winning author Louise Erdrich joins the St. Catherine University community on International Women’s Day, March 8. The 2023 Bonnie Jean and Joan Kelly Visiting Scholar, Erdrich will reference her New York Times-bestselling and most recently published novel, The Sentence, in her keynote.

AN EVENING WITH LOUISE ERDRICH

Wednesday, March 8, 7 p.m. The O’Shaughnessy

The event will feature a Q&A and book signing with the author.

For more details, visit oshag.stkate.edu.

I am thrilled that The O’Shaughnessy is able to host Louise Erdrich as part of St. Kate’s 2022–23 Integrated Learning Series (ILS) — and on International Women’s Day, no less!

As the new executive director for The O’Shaughnessy, I have been thinking a lot about how our programming can connect in multiple ways to the mission, vision, and values of St. Kate’s. I love that Jeff Johnson, PhD, (associate dean for the School of Humanities, Arts, and Sciences and one of our ILS leaders) has put a focus on local and regional Indigenous thought leadership.

Erdrich’s roots in Minneapolis will allow us to connect to her life story with a specificity that can deepen our understanding of ourselves and our own experiences. I plan to apply this same concept with the programming choices we make at The O’Shaughnessy next season — primarily by curating local and regional arts organizations whose missions align with St. Kate’s to light up The O’Shaughnessy with a local and regional point of view about women’s leadership, social justice, and what it means to be in community on a campus and in a city changing rapidly before our very eyes. Art can ground us, take the breath out of us, and then put it back in and fill us up. I know Erdrich will do the same.

Irene Green is the executive director of The O’Shaughnessy. A 20-year veteran of arts administration, she joined the University in July 2022.

The Sentence is a hauntingly beautiful novel that follows an Ojibwe woman’s experience with the prison system, and then her months leading up to and during the COVID-19 pandemic — not to mention encounters with a ghost, debates over wild rice, stealing a dead body, and so many book suggestions. Erdrich creates a rich and twisting story that will keep you reading.

The novel feels close. Perhaps it is the Twin Cities setting, perhaps it is the characters who remind me of so many of my relatives and acquaintances, or perhaps it is the occasional inclusion of the Ojibwe language. Whatever it may be — The Sentence is incredible. Erdrich offers an Indigenous perspective in the context of the Black Lives Matter movement and got me thinking about what it means to truly be Native.

My favorite part of the novel was when jingle dress dancers went to George Floyd Square to help heal the community. My mother is a jingle dress dancer and, like one of the characters in The Sentence, I have danced in my mother’s dress. While reading, I could hear the jingles, see the dresses, and feel their movements. It was a powerful moment. If you do not know what jingle dress dancing is, I encourage you to look up videos and then listen to them as you read that particular section of The Sentence.

If you are interested in picking up The Sentence, please make the trip to Birchbark Books in Minneapolis. Birchbark Books is run by Louise Erdrich and is the main setting of The Sentence.

Miigwech, Louise Erdrich, for writing this wonderful novel and so many other works of poetry and prose!

Sofia Vanderlan ’26, pictured with traditional Ojibwe beadwork she created, is a first-year student majoring in English and Indigenous studies. She is a descendant of the Grand Portage Band of Lake Superior Chippewa.

PHOTO/JENN ACKERMAN

“In The Sentence, books are matters of life and death, and readers reach through unknowable realms to maintain some connection to the written word.”

— Louise Erdrich

Katies in Action

Katie Eichten ’04 provides humanitarian aid to displaced Ukrainians from her home in Bulgaria.

BY LINDSEY FREY PALMQUIST

Whether it’s 17th-century France or 21st-century Eastern Europe, the Sisters of St. Joseph of Carondelet have taught us that the call to serve the dear neighbor can be felt anywhere — and at any time. For Katie Eichten ’04 and her husband, Jared Mitchell, the call came when Russia invaded Ukraine on February 24, 2022.

Eichten and Mitchell live in Relovo, Bulgaria, a small village about an hour outside the capital, Sofia. Mitchell owns his own web development company, and Eichten had recently finished teaching English when the crisis began.

According to the World Health Organization (WHO), more than half a million Ukrainian refugees have crossed the Bulgarian border since February 2022. Eichten says the influx of refugees created a unique opportunity for her family to help firsthand with housing: they own their own home and an additional apartment in a ski town 20 minutes away.

JARED MITCHELL (LEFT) AND KATIE EICHTEN ’04 (RIGHT) OUTSIDE THEIR HOME IN BULGARIA, WHERE THEY HOSTED THE TKACHENKO FAMILY.

AT LEFT: KATIE EICHTEN ’04 (FAR LEFT) HOSTED THE TKACHENKOS WHEN THE FAMILY FLED UKRAINE. “WE WENT FROM A QUIET LITTLE HOUSE OF TWO TO A CRAZY HOUSE OF EIGHT,” EICHTEN SAYS.

AT RIGHT: EICHTEN AND MITCHELL HELPED POLLY TKACHENKO CELEBRATE HER 14TH BIRTHDAY WHILE THE FAMILY STAYED WITH THEM.

“This happened at our doorstep,” says Eichten. “We weren’t just going to donate money when we are so close. We had to do as much as we could.”

In early March, Eichten and Mitchell got involved with Za Dobroto, a local humanitarian aid organization whose name translates to “For Good,” and its partner shelter, Open Doors. At the same time, they also signed up on websites dedicated to helping displaced Ukrainians find shelter. Within hours, Eichten says, they received message after message from people fleeing Ukraine and looking for a place to stay.

Through one of the websites, Eichten and Mitchell connected with the Tkachenko family, and on March 9, welcomed them into their home. “We went from a quiet little house of two to a crazy house of eight,” says Eichten.

The Tkachenko family included grandmother Natalya (51); three of her four daughters, Nastia (26), Polly (14), and Kristina (12); and Nastia’s three-yearold daughter and six-month-old son. Nastia’s husband stayed behind in Kyiv to continue working, and Natalya’s fourth daughter (age 19) remained in Kyiv with her own husband.

Hearing what the family had been through was heartbreaking, Eichten says. Not only were they separated from the rest of their family, but they had traveled to the Romanian border and then taken a bus for three days to reach Sofia. They carried only one bag each.

Eichten, who majored in broadcast journalism at St. Kate’s and has a master’s degree in counseling from Saint Mary’s University of Minnesota, says the emotional toll of the stressful journey was clear. “They’ve left the only place they have ever known. We wanted to get them settled, comfortable, and safe,” she says.

The Tkachenko family stayed with Eichten and Mitchell until May 2022, when they moved into housing subsidized by the Bulgarian government.

Eichten says that while they seemed happy there, after a few weeks, they returned to Kyiv to reunite with their family.

Eichten says she continues to worry for their safety. “I’m still in contact with them, and I check in, especially when I hear news of bombings and things. We did tell them we’re here to help and to come back and stay if they need anything.”

Eichten and Mitchell have continued to aid other refugee families. All in all, through a combination of several fundraisers and private donations from family and friends, Eichten and Mitchell had raised more than $50,000 as of December 2022.

In addition to hosting the Tkachenko family, the funds have enabled them to subsidize rent or pay living expenses for seven different families, including hosting two in their nearby ski apartment. They’ve also helped secure a five-year lease and are paying the first six months of rent on a space where Za Dobroto is providing childcare for refugee Ukrainian children while their mothers look for work.

Eichten credits her time at St. Kate’s with giving her the courage to do this work. “There have been so many obstacles, but one of the things I learned from St. Kate’s is to find ways around them, and stay positive through it all,” she says. “You don’t give up. You find a way to get things done because these people need our help.”

And she hopes they can continue helping for the long-term. “The war is not ending. As long as we have the funds to do it, we just hope we can keep going in some way,” she says. “We can’t do this on our own, and we are so humbled by the support we’ve received.”

To learn more about Eichten and Mitchell’s efforts and fundraising, visit their website: komfort4ukraine.org

Fund-for-All

The ever-flexible Katie Fund provides invaluable support to the mission of St. Catherine University.

BY ANDY STEINER

Shannon Schottler ’08 will always be grateful for the awards and scholarships that made her St. Catherine education possible.

That financial leg up helped her family afford to send her to St. Paul for four life-changing years on a diverse, urban campus. “What a blessing St. Kate’s can be,” Schottler says. “It was a true blessing for me, as a white girl from rural Wisconsin, to gain an education in way more than the traditional sense of the word.”

After graduating in business-to-business sales, and with gratitude for her time at St. Kate’s firmly in mind, Schottler set an ambitious goal for herself: to eventually donate the amount of money she was given in financial aid and awards back to the University.

“I acknowledge that this is a big goal,” she says. “I keep a spreadsheet. I did the tally. By the time I was done, my goal at minimum was to give $79,000 back.” If she wanted to meet that goal, Schottler knew she’d have to start early. So just a year post-graduation, she made her first donation to the Katie Fund, St. Catherine University’s annual fund supporting everything from general operating expenses to scholarships.

LIKE MANY DONORS AND ALUMNI, ALECIA ADNEYHERNANDEZ ’17 (FAR LEFT), MARY RUSSELL ’78, MAOL’13 (CENTER), AND SHANNON SCHOTTLER ’08 (RIGHT) FEEL MOVED TO GIVE BACK TO THEIR ALMA MATER VIA THE KATIE FUND.

UPON GRADUATING IN 2008, SCHOTTLER (LEFT) SET A GOAL TO DONATE BACK THE AMOUNT OF MONEY SHE RECEIVED IN FINANCIAL AID. 2010

Schottler’s first gift to the Katie Fund was $500, a stretch for any recent graduate. However, since her employer offered a three-times match for charitable donations, she knew she had to take advantage of the opportunity.

“If I want to meet this goal I have to start somewhere,” she says. “I knew that if I could give $500, they would give $1,500 to St. Kate’s. That was very motivating for me.”

More than a decade later, Schottler continues to give to the Katie Fund. She says she likes the idea of her money being parceled out to meet a variety of the University’s needs: “I feel great about the leadership at St. Kate’s. I feel like I can trust them to discern what their greatest needs are right now and how best to spend the money.”

A gift to the Katie Fund is an ideal way for any graduate to mark their gratitude for their St. Kate’s experience, says Beth Riedel Carney ’82, vice president of development and alumni relations. The fund, which helps ensure the continued success of St. Kate’s each year, is a cornerstone of the University’s operations. Last year, for instance, 3,075 individual donors gave $1,810,588 to the Katie Fund, directly impacting some 3,589 students.

The Katie Fund, Carney explains, “is the place where people start their lifetime giving trends. It is an important way to engage and to say, ‘This University had meaning to me as a student, and as an alum, I want it to be robust into the future.’”

A CALL TO CARE

While some donors say they like the idea of their gifts going to a specific project or need, Carney explains that the beauty of the Katie Fund is its flexibility: “This fund is for all. It benefits all Katies and the entire University.”

When specific needs arise at the school, the Katie Fund is there to fill in the gaps. Because it welcomes gifts of all sizes, the Katie Fund is a place where many first-time donors direct their donations. And after they learn about the significant impact the fund has on the University’s daily operations, many continue to give.

“Some people just love the Katie Fund and they always want to make their gift to it,” Carney says — and, when combined with the generosity of thousands of other donors, even small gifts have great impact: “The Katie Fund is the place for both $25 donations and $50,000 donations.”

Alecia Adney-Hernandez ’17 has known about the Katie Fund for years, but since graduation she’s been busy working as a housing coordinator for the Minneapolis Public Housing Authority and hadn’t yet made a gift. Then, not so long ago, she got a call from a student from the Digital Engagement Center seeking donations for the Katie Fund.

“She explained that she felt compelled to help future Katies,” Adney-Hernandez recalls of the caller. “I decided I wanted to show that I care as much as she did.” While she can’t afford to give a large up-front sum, AdneyHernandez realized that small gifts over a long time could add up. She signed up for a program as a sustaining donor where a small donation to the University is automatically charged to her credit card each month.

“I like this approach because I don’t have to remember to pay it,” Adney-Hernandez says with a chuckle. “But it is in the back of my mind. I feel good because I know I

EACH YEAR, STUDENTS WRITE THANK YOU CARDS TO DONORS. THE CATHERINE COMMUNITY RAISED OVER $500,000 ON GIVE TO ST. KATE’S DAY 2022.

am helping somebody at St. Kate’s every month.”

Because scholarships from the Katie Fund helped finance her St. Catherine degree, Adney-Hernandez says she feels that the fund is the best place to direct her giving. She wants to help other Katies build lives with meaning.

“I got into social work to save the world,” she says. “Since graduating from St. Kate’s, I realized my role is to help guide people and support them in finding their own strengths. My donation is to help support that vision and that lens. Sometimes people need a little bit of support — I’m happy to be able to help.”

GIVING FOR A REASON

Like Adney-Hernandez, other St. Catherine alumni say that it is important to them to give to an institution whose graduates make the world a better place. Each year, two big days of giving help facilitate this in a community-minded spirit: Give to St. Kate’s Day, in November, and Give to Honor Her, in February.

Give to Honor Her encourages community members to make a gift in honor of a woman who has had a positive impact on their lives, while also helping provide critical scholarships and programs for current students.

Last year alone, donors gave in honor of 726 inspiring women — with 726 meaningful stories.

WHEN COVID HIT, KATIE FUND CAME TO THE RESCUE

The Katie Fund’s flexibility to fill in the gaps when needs arise at the University became even more evident at the beginning of the pandemic, when colleges and universities worldwide were forced to shift much of their operations from in-person to online.

At St. Kate’s, that was a big lift, says Jean Guezmir, senior vice president and chief information officer.

“Pre-pandemic,” Guezmir says, “our instructional means of doing things was largely in the classroom. Now, every single student needed a computer to connect, and professors needed training about how to hold classes online.”

When government-ordered shutdowns happened, the University needed to pivot — fast.

“COVID forced everybody to very significantly adopt a different way of doing business almost overnight,” Guezmir says.

With help from the Katie Fund, the University was able to upgrade their technology, and today, Guezmir says, St. Catherine students and faculty are able to seamlessly interact online. “Technology is prevalent across every student and staff area. All of that was made possible through the gifts and investments we have made.”

She’s grateful that the Katie Fund existed, and that in the middle of a crisis, University administration was able to direct the money where it was most needed. “Technology is one of those things that just needs to happen. Support from the Katie Fund really made all of this doable.”

Think of the Katie Fund as “the fund-for-all,” Carney adds. “Any level of gift can respond to any need and new opportunity, in any and every year. Whatever happens in a given year, it can plug in and respond to that.”

PHOTOS/TARA SLOANE

GIVE TO HONOR HER 2022

My daughters are my pride, and I hope they break the glass ceiling with grace, patience, and strength, despite the barriers they face as BIPOC women. Each day they become better human beings, slow down the chase, become more thoughtful, and take action to change the world and make it better. I honor them every single day.

GIVE TO HONOR HER 2022

From the time I was a physical education major at St. Kate’s, and into my professional career, Helen Lemmer was the person who inspired and motivated me to believe that I could do things that I wouldn’t have had the confidence to pursue without her encouragement. When a position opened up at St. Kate’s, Miss Lemmer (yes, I still always refer to her as Miss Lemmer!) encouraged me to apply, and I received the job. Then when the position of head of the physical education department opened up, she encouraged me to go for it, and I actually became her supervisor. How many people would do that for one of their students? Miss Lemmer even gave me a paperweight that says “BOSS,” which I still have on my desk to this day.

From St. Kate’s, I moved to Los Angeles, where I was head of my physical education department, athletic director, teacher, and coach for almost 39 years. Whenever I am asked to think of the person who had the greatest impact on my professional life, without a second’s wait, Helen Lemmer comes to mind. I will be forever grateful to her for all she did for me as a student, colleague, mentor, and friend. May Miss Lemmer rest in peace, knowing that she was an extraordinary inspiration and mentor to this student of hers, and to many, many others.

Julie McCarthy Napoleon ’73, honoring Helen Lemmer ’54

HELEN LEMMER ’54 (FAR LEFT)

JULIE M cCARTHY NAPOLEON ’73

Anupama Pasricha, PhD, department chair and professor of fashion design and merchandising

PHOTO/REBECCA SLATER ’10, BY REBECCA STUDIOS

PHOTO/UNIVERSITY ARCHIVES

KATIE FUND IMPACT IN A YEAR OF GIVING

$1,810,588 raised 3,075 donors

261 brand new donors

3,589 students impacted

Take Julie McCarthy Napoleon ’73, who gave a gift to the Katie Fund in honor of Helen Lemmer ’54. Over the course of the years, the two were student and professor, fellow alumnae, and, eventually, colleagues at St. Kate’s.

“Whenever I am asked to think of the person who had the greatest impact on my professional life, without a second’s wait, Helen Lemmer comes to mind,” Napoleon says of her mentor. “I will be forever grateful to Miss Lemmer for all she did for me as a student, colleague, mentor, and friend.”

A second-generation Katie, Mary Russell ’78, MAOL’13 always knew she wanted to give back to the University that helped form her worldview. She began donating to the Katie Fund near the beginning of her

career, when a colleague (and fellow alum) encouraged her to jump in and start giving back to the school.

Russell recalls that she started with a small base-level gift to the Katie Fund. As her human resources career progressed, she was able to give more, and even after retirement she’s continued to make regular gifts to the fund. She wants her money to support an institution that provides a well-rounded education.

“I’m a huge believer in the liberal arts,” Russell says. “It prepares you to be adaptable and agile and approach the world from multiple perspectives. When I was a leader in an organization and had the opportunity to hire folks, I would always look at their resume and if they had a liberal arts background, I was more inclined to interview them.”

For Russell, giving to the Katie Fund — and supporting future scholars of the liberal arts — feels like she’s putting her money where her mouth is. “Creating broader access to college-level education for people who might not otherwise be able to afford it is really, really important,” she says. “This is a way I can do that.”

For Schottler, one part of St. Catherine’s mission that speaks to her is the University’s commitment to making education accessible to students for whom earning a college degree may have seemed out of reach. She believes that scholarships from the Katie Fund play a key role in supporting scholars who have had to face hurdles to higher education.

Schottler’s personal commitment to social justice has its roots in her time at St. Kate’s, and she’s proud to support a school that lives out its founding principle that everyone — not just the most advantaged — deserves the opportunity and support to earn a college degree. “My gift is an opportunity to create upward economic mobility,” she says. “I’m proud to be able to do that even in a small way.”

Return to the Sisterland

Next spring, travel to France with other alumni and pay homage to CSJ and St. Kate’s heritage.

BY MICHELLE MULLOWNEY ’17

Le Puy, France, 1650: six women are recognized as the first members of a religious congregation to be known as the Sisters of St. Joseph — the first link in a chain of events winding from France to Missouri to St. Kate’s founding in St. Paul, Minnesota.

In early April 2024, alumni are invited to join President ReBecca Koenig Roloff ’76 on a trip to Le Puy and other sites integral to the heritage of the Sisters of St. Joseph of Carondelet (CSJs) and St. Catherine University. Following the traditions of previous St. Kate’s trips to France, the 2024 itinerary includes the Centre International St. Joseph in Le Puy and the gravesite of CSJ founder Mother St. John Fontbonne in Lyon. Next year, alumni will embark on an additional leg of the trip: the Church of St. Trophime in Arles. This former cathedral served as Mother Antonia McHugh’s model for Our Lady of Victory Chapel, which celebrates its centennial in fall 2024.

“The St. Catherine legacy is deeply entwined with that of the Sisters of St. Joseph, whose mission to meet the needs of the time has informed all that we do at St. Kate’s since our founding by the Carondelet order,” says President Roloff. “I am so grateful for this opportunity to experience the sites of our shared history with alumni, who embody the CSJ charism of doing all of which woman is capable.”

Join us!

Contact Alumni Relations at alumni@stkate.edu or 651-690-6666 to learn more about the trip. Limited space available — inquire now!

1923 SKETCH OF OUR LADY OF VICTORY CHAPEL (ABOVE LEFT). STUDENTS AND FACULTY AT THE GRAVE OF MOTHER ST. JOHN FONTBONNE IN LYON ON A 2019 TRIP TO FRANCE (ABOVE). THE CHURCH OF ST. TROPHIME IN ARLES (BELOW LEFT) SERVED AS THE INSPIRATION FOR OUR LADY OF VICTORY CHAPEL (LEFT).

ALUMNAE AND FRIENDS OF THE CATHERINE G. MURPHY GALLERY VISITED LE PUY (PICTURED) AND OTHER ST. KATE’S HERITAGE SITES IN FRANCE IN 2015. BACK ROW, LEFT TO RIGHT: KARI REBNORD FOSSE ’05, KATHY DANIELS ’73, BARB KRUKOWSKI ROGERS ’11. FRONT ROW: SUE FOCKE; VIRGINIA HARTMANN BISANZ ’72; MARY M cELROY LEACH ’72, JD; KIM M cDONALD ’09; CARA COX MADSEN MAOL’01.

Around Campus

GIVE TO ST. KATE’S DAY 2022 A “RESOUNDING SUCCESS”

On November 16, over 800 donors participated in Give to St. Kate’s Day, the University’s biggest day of giving. Their contribution of $532,088 in support of the Katie Fund flew past the $500,000 goal, with every dollar going to work immediately to student scholarships, emergency assistance, athletic and cocurricular funding, and more.

“I give back to the Katie Fund because it has provided me with so much,” says Athena Garcia ’20, winner of this year’s recent alumni social media post challenge, “but most importantly, the opportunity to reach my goals and be the first generation of my family to graduate from a four-year institution.”

Our generous community unlocked all challenge funds this year by completing the new donor, early bird, pop-up, and night owl challenges. Donors from 49 out of 50 states gave, raising over $50,000 more for students than 2021’s total!

“Each year, our St. Catherine community steps up to live out their commitment to helping students succeed at St. Kate’s with essential financial aid,” says Beth Riedel Carney ’82, vice president of development and alumni relations. “We are so grateful for our donors’ investment in Katie futures — you made this year’s Give to St. Kate’s Day a resounding success!”

NEW DIRECTOR POSITION EXPANDS CONTINUING LEARNING

Carrie Wandler, EdD, has joined St. Kate’s as director of new business development and continuing education, a position and approach generously supported by the Margie Mathison Hance ’70 Innovation Fund. Under her leadership, the newly-created Division of Continuing Education will launch learning programs that serve ongoing learners’ workforce development. Focused on expanding certificates and credentials, the programs will develop training to prepare students to meet the needs within the corporate, healthcare, government, and nonprofit sectors.

“My work will focus on establishing lifelong learning pathways that support the advancement of careerfocused learners every step of the way, ensuring that they are well-prepared to meet the challenges of a diverse and evolving workforce,” Wandler says. “I am honored to be contributing to St. Kate’s long-standing commitment to continuing education and look forward to supporting new and existing partners as they invest in developing the leaders of tomorrow.”

Wandler brings 20 years of higher education experience to her role, previously teaching at Boston University, Harvard Extension School, and Saint Mary’s University of Minnesota. She received her MA in English and her EdD in postsecondary teaching and learning.

For more St.Kate’s news and to read full announcements, visit stkate.edu/news.

NEW MIPS DIRECTOR JOINS ST. KATE’S

In November, St. Catherine University welcomed Daniel Gonzalez as the new director of Multicultural and International Programs and Services (MIPS). Gonzalez is a scholar-practitioner and social justice advocate with a depth of experience championing equity-based work, a research agenda positioned at the intersection of education policy and student access and persistence, and a unique set of lived and professional experiences. His salient identities as a proud first-generation student, low-income background, queer Puerto Rican, combined with his professional experiences, ground him in his purpose, which is, in part, to create an environment that allows all to access and persist within higher education.

With roots as a New York State certified music teacher, Gonzalez has spent over a decade advancing equitybased work in higher education in student retention roles at the University of Southern Mississippi, Western Kentucky University, and most recently, the University of Minnesota.

“I am excited to work with a quality team and dedicated students, and for an institution that works to center social justice and anti-racist work,” Gonzalez says.

Are you receiving all of St. Kate’s emails and publications? Update your contact information and preferences: stkate.edu/alumni or 651-690-6666

PHOTO/REBECCA SLATER ’10, BY REBECCA STUDIOS

PHOTO/PATRICK CLANCY PHOTOGRAPHY

PUBLIC HEALTH PROGRAM AWARDED $1.5M GRANT

St. Catherine University has announced it was awarded $1.5 million from the U.S. Health Resources and Services Administration’s Public Health Scholarship Program, congratulating Meghan Mason, PhD, director of the BA/BS public health program, on her successful grant submission. St. Kate’s is one of only 29 institutions nationwide to receive funding through the program.

This three-year grant enables St. Kate’s to offer $1.3 million in scholarships to students enrolled in the Community Health Worker certificate program and the BA/BS Public Health - Community Health Worker concentration program.

“As trusted members of their respective communities, community health workers (CHWs) are navigators, advocates, educators, and coordinators for those underserved by our healthcare systems,” says Mason. “In expanding access to CHW training, we are helping our community partners strengthen and diversify the public health workforce to advance health equity.”

PARTNERSHIP WITH FONTBONNE UNIVERSITY LAUNCHES INNOVATIVE GRAD PROGRAM

This fall, St. Catherine University announced a strategic partnership with Missouri-based Fontbonne University that involves a new graduate degree program in speech-language pathology. Both universities are part of the Association of Colleges of Sisters of St. Joseph (ACSSJ).

A free, on-site clinic for patients with communication disorders will provide practical experience and hands-on training by experienced clinicians. The Fontbonne program, offered on St. Kate’s campus, will accept 25 graduate students, and includes 40 credit hours of coursework and 15 hours of clinic credits.

“We are excited to partner with Fontbonne and bring this program to St. Kate’s and the St. Paul area community,” said Anita Thomas, PhD, executive vice president and provost of St. Catherine University. “Students will benefit from Fontbonne’s nationally-recognized faculty and alumni who are experts in the speech-language field. The program aligns with our tradition of academic excellence, offering another avenue by which our students will make a positive difference in the lives of people they help in the clinic before they even graduate.”

WILDCAT SOCCER BECOMES TWO-TIME MIAC CHAMPIONS

For the second playoff championship in a row, the Wildcat soccer team earned the Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (MIAC) title with a 1-0 win over the Carleton College Knights at the beginning of November.

Junior Ari Green ’24 was the gamewinner, scoring with an assist from sophomore Caitlyn Barlett ’25 with less than five minutes remaining in the second overtime.

The team’s previous championship win in 2021 made history for the program, as the Wildcats’ firstever regular-season title.

PHOTO/BJ PICKARD

IN SUPPORT OF OUR PLACE

Make your mark with a gift to the Mendel renovation and Our Lady of Victory Chapel restoration.

spaces

To learn more, call Beth Riedel Carney ’82, vice president of development and alumni relations, at 651-690-6836.

students

MENDEL: Support cutting-edge technology and launch Katie scientists.

CHAPEL: Restore the iconic historic glass windows!

CHAPEL: Provide vital repair to pews, water damage, and infrastructure for another 100 years of Katie memories.

MENDEL: Enhance study

for

to build the future.

Class Notes

1950

CAROL LAMPHERE VASATKA ’54 and Maureen Reid Wosepka MSN’16, DNP, are not only friends and fellow Katies, but neighbors. Pictured, Wosepka (left), assistant professor in the St. Catherine University School of Nursing, recently joined Vasatka (right) at Vasatka’s surprise 90th birthday party.

1980

ANNE BENDEL ’83, MD, was named the inaugural Harper Family Foundation Endowed Chair for Novel Therapies and Cancer Research, an esteemed award to advance research in children’s cancer, at Children’s Minnesota.

ANNE WIECZOREK GRANGER ’84 (below) and Bruce Granger celebrated their 30th wedding anniversary on July 17, 2022, with a Mass and blessing at Our Lady of Victory Chapel, where they were married. They were joined by friends, many of whom are fellow alumnae from the class of 1984.

1960

SHARON ALEXANDER JENSEN ’68, MAOL’05; Dian Davitt ’68, PhD; Suzanne (Susie) Goodwin Schuler ’68; Susane (Sue) Hagen Byrne ’68; Beth Heimerman Arntzen ’68; Barbara Leiter Moran ’68; Margi Mach Kotek ’68; Nancy Moran McDevitt ’68; Pamela Petters Flynn ’68; and MaryBeth Renzel Synold ’68 — all residents of St. Mary Hall third floor during their time at St. Kate’s — get together every year.

WARREN HERRON ’84, GAYLE JANUSCHKA, MARY LATTIN WATERS ’84, ANNE WIECZOREK GRANGER ’84, MARYBETH MACK ’84, AND LISA CONNELLY LEE ’84.

FROM LEFT TO RIGHT: MARCIA

SUBMIT A CLASS NOTE

CONTACT

US

Online: stkate.edu/alumni

Phone: 651-690-6666

Email: alumni@stkate.edu

facebook.com/katiealumni

St. Catherine University Alumni

1990

JULIE POINTNER ’90 was elected from Ward 4 to the City Council of Plymouth, Minn.

MARY RUDA YAPP ’93 joined Allina Health HR Talent and Acquisitions team.

CARRIE BARNES ROGERS ’96, PhD, was promoted to full professor at Western Carolina University (WCU) in Cullowhee, N.C. She is currently associate director of the School of Teaching and Learning at WCU.

KELLY BARNHILL ’96 was a finalist for the 2022 National Book Award in young people’s literature, receiving recognition for The Ogress and the Orphans in the Young People’s Literature category.

2000

DELINDA TAMAGNI ’03, JD, was appointed as the assistant chief counsel of the State of California Franchise Tax Board’s Multistate Tax Bureau. She has worked at the Franchise Tax Board since 2008, most recently as a tax attorney in the agency’s Settlement Bureau.

JOANN CASEY SCHULZETENBERG MAED’06 became Head of School at Way of the Shepherd Catholic Montessori School in Blaine, Minn.

JONNA KOSALKO ’98 was named to the 2022 RealTrends America’s Best list, which recognizes the top 1.5% of real estate agents in the nation. She is entering her 17th year of working at Coldwell Banker Realty as a residential realtor in the Twin Cities metro area.

DAWANNA BICKHAM WITT ’99 was sworn in as the new Hennepin County Sheriff, the first woman and the first Black person to hold the office.

LORI SAROYA ’07, JD, was elected to the Blaine City Council, the first woman of color and first Muslim to hold the office. Saroya received the St. Catherine University Alumni Award in 2011.

2010

KAREN BAUER QUALEY MLIS’11 was named interim executive director of library services and online learning at Minnesota State University Moorhead. She has worked in various roles for public, K–12, and academic libraries since 2004.

SHANNON DOHERTY QUIE ’13 and Cameron Quie welcomed their child, Sigurd Finn, on August 13, 2022.

MAREN DANIELS MAED’17 published The Elements of Art: An Elementary Art Teacher’s Guide to Color, Shape, Texture & More, which she both wrote and illustrated.

TERESA WIDIGER-DEMBOUSKI ’18 married Andrew Dembouski on October 29, 2022, at Our Lady of Victory Chapel.

EMILY CARMAN ESPOSITO ’19 married Nicholas Esposito on October 1, 2022, at St. Francis of Assisi Catholic Church in West Des Moines, Iowa.

JESSICA JONES HAMILTON ’14 married Christopher Hamilton on August 13, 2022, in Lyle, Wash.

MAGGIE SINGERHOUSE-KNAUBER ’17 received the Rising Technical Contributor Award at Medtronic, where she is a senior systems engineer within their Cardiac Ablation Solutions research and development organization.

MARY OLUWASEUN OLUWALOWO ’18 and David Falana welcomed their first child, Divine Ayomikun Micah, on March 9, 2022.

KYLA ROMAN QIU MAOT’19 married John Qiu on September 10, 2022, at Our Lady of Victory Chapel.

JESSICA SKJONSBY MPH’19 married Chris Chica on October 1, 2022, in St. Paul, Minn.

2020

LIBBY REGER MAOT’20 married Eric Lindenfelser on October 22, 2022, at Our Lady of Victory Chapel.

HANNAH SIPE-CARLSON ’20 married Paul Carlson on September 17, 2022, at Our Lady of Victory Chapel.

In Memory w

Our deepest sympathy to the families of the following faculty, staff, and graduates of the University.

Azela Gohl-Giese ’59, associate professor of occupational therapy, 1962–1998 w January 16, 2023

Marguerite Gignac Hedges, professor emerita of vocal music, 1963–1999 w May 4, 2022

John Peltzer ’89, professor emeritus of science, 1966–1992 w April 19, 2022

David Norris MLIS’17, librarian, 2019–2023 w January 13, 2023

Margaret Hove MacLeran ’40 w August 27, 2019

Patricia Butler Fernandes ’42 w April 11, 2022

Evelyn Fesenmaier (Daley, Kayser) Wallace ’42 w September 28, 2022

Ursula Foley, CSJ, ’44 w August 25, 2022

Marguerite Mulloy Beyersdorf ’44 w September 7, 2022

Harriet Demarais Pfeiffer ’45 w June 23, 2022

Mary Paul Hummer, OSF, ’45 w September 19, 2022

Lucille Steinbach Reich ’45 w September 19, 2019

Dolores Erding Peterson ’46 w August 17, 2018

Josephine Fischler Freiseis ’47 w September 2, 2019

Helen Mary Weber ’47 w August 7, 2020

Barbara Lehrer Jorgensen ’49 w May 3, 2022

Mary Elaine Rhode McGuire ’49 w August 19, 2022

Mary Joan Cavanagh Blonigan ’50 w August 7, 2022

Joan Dion Porto ’50 w September 6, 2022

Mary Helen Maus Cook ’50 w October 22, 2022

Cletes Winter Hicks ’50 w July 26, 2022

Barbara Kennedy Williams ’51 w September 4, 2022

Theresa LaLonde Meehan ’51 w February 22, 2022

Marilyn Paulson LaBounta ’51 w July 12, 2020

Jean Peschel Lockwood ’51 w July 16, 2021

Marilyn Wolfe Rivard ’51 w November 21, 2020

Genevieve Beckman Gunderman ’52 w August 22, 2022

Rosemary Leski McGlynn ’52 w September 23, 2022

Marlene Louise Condon, MM, ’53 w October 9, 2022

Mary Ann Lenz Mahan ’53 w May 11, 2019

Mary Frances Owens Kressin ’53 w June 19, 2022

Lorna Leu Davel ’54 w August 22, 2022

Alice Walsh Vautrain ’54 w August 8, 2022

Barbara Heck Kemper ’56 w August 24, 2022

Colleen Mans Howard ’56 w May 21, 2017

Jeanne Nelson Cockrell ’56 w October 3, 2019

Rosemary Holland Vennewitz ’57 w October 14, 2022

Betty Gits, CSJ, ’58 w October 7, 2022

Joan Mayer Gavin ’58 w October 3, 2022

Jan Dalsin, CSJ, ’60 w October 11, 2020

Mary Ellen Gucker Macpherson ’61 w August 31, 2022

Evelyn Heinish Jerylo ’61 w August 5, 2022

Patricia Henkelman Tancredo ’61 w August 31, 2022

Kathleen Koppy Ziegler ’62 w October 24, 2022

Elizabeth Taylor ’62 w September 17, 2021

Gertrude Dorn Roers ’63 w September 20, 2022

Linda Davis Zelada ’64 w October 8, 2022

Rita DuBrey, CSJ, ’64 w August 24, 2022

Linda Pepelnjak Jarmer ’64 w October 9, 2022

Barbara Bill ’68 w July 18, 2022

Janice Tierney Troy ’69 w January 19, 2022

Connie Carlson Berg ’70 w July 3, 2019

Evelyn Madera Smisek ’70 w May 14, 2022

Nancy Haskell Boyd ’71 w February 24, 2020

Nancy O’Connell Sweeney ’71 w October 21, 2022

Susan Ellingwood ’72 w September 21, 2022

Mary Kaye Walter Kramer ’73 w October 5, 2022

Dorothy McLaughlin Alibrando ’74 w October 2, 2022

Heather Johnstone ’77 w April 2, 2020

Mary Cecilia Konz Maida ’79 w September 23, 2022

Margaret Langlois Johnson ’79 w August 17, 2022

Mary Elizabeth Hanegraaf Reeve ’80 w

September 14, 2022

Genevieve Everson Freier ’81 w September 8, 2022

Mary Ann Chamberlain Jens Cert’88 w

September 25, 2022

Mary Frances Konstant Lund ’93 w February 25, 2022

Crystal Hawthorne Antonio ’94 w September 26, 2018

Shelly Pexa Laciskey ’94, MANU’00 w October 4, 2022

Michael H. Schultz ’95 w July 15, 2022

Beverly Zumberge Levy ’98 w May 16, 2022

Leah Anderson ’02 w January 16, 2022

Cornelia Boisjoli Cert’03 w July 4, 2022

Saritha Farrell ’13 w August 3, 2022

Michael Seligman MHI’22 w October 29, 2022

MARY MADONNA ASHTON, CSJ, ’44

Mary Madonna Ashton, CSJ, ’44, alumna and trustee emerita, passed away October 16, 2022, at Carondelet Village in St. Paul. She was 99 years old.

A convert to Catholicism while in college, Sister Mary Madonna majored in sociology and psychology and graduated in 1944 from what was then the College of St. Catherine. She obtained two master’s degrees, joined the Sisters of St. Joseph of Carondelet, and helped pioneer the then-new field of medical social work at St. Joseph’s Hospital in St. Paul.

Over the course of her remarkable career, Sr. Mary Madonna applied her vision and care for the dear neighbor in leadership at many different organizations. She served as president and CEO of St. Mary’s Hospital in Minneapolis for 20 years, tackled big tobacco and the emerging HIV/AIDS epidemic of the 1980s — as Minnesota’s first woman, non-physician, and religious sister to be selected as Commissioner of Health — and became founding CEO and president of St. Mary’s Health Clinics.

Throughout her career, she remained close to the St. Catherine community. A founding member of the Henrietta Schmoll School of Health Advisory Council, a trustee emerita, and member of St. Kate’s Centennial 100, Sr. Mary Madonna was a trustee of St. Mary’s Junior College from 1974 to 1986 and of St. Kate’s from 1986 to 1995. For her leadership and innovation in public health, Sr. Mary Madonna was recognized in 2016 as a National Women’s History Month honoree.

MARY HILL WILLIAMS, CSJ, ’52, PhD

Mary Hill Williams, CSJ, ’52, PhD, died on July 31, 2022, at the age of 92.

Sister Mary graduated from St. Kate’s in 1952 with a bachelor’s in English, and then spent a year in France at the University of Poitiers as a Fulbright Scholar. She taught high school until entering the Sisters of St. Joseph of Carondelet in Los Angeles in 1954.

In 1961, Sr. Mary became a faculty member at CSJ institution Mount Saint Mary’s University in Los Angeles, only leaving to earn a master’s and doctorate at Stanford University. Over the course of her many years at the Mount, Sr. Mary served as professor emerita, English department chair, provost, and trustee emerita.

Sr. Mary retired in 2003 and returned to her hometown of Pasco, Washington. She later returned to live at Carondelet Center in Los Angeles, where she passed away.

Adapted from Mount Magazine (Mount Saint Mary’s University), fall 2022.

DOLORE ROCHON, CSJ, ’61

Dolore Rochon, CSJ, ’61, alumna and former trustee, passed away on August 10, 2022. She was 86 years old.

When she was five, Sister Dolore’s parents moved the family to St. Paul’s west side, where she attended many Catholic schools run by the Sisters of St. Joseph. Inspired by their lives, she entered the CSJ community in 1954 and took her father’s name, Dolore, because she “wanted to be as kind and as good a listener as he was.”

Sr. Dolore earned a bachelor’s in nursing in 1961 from the then-College of St. Catherine, a master’s in nursing administration in 1971 from Wayne State University in Detroit, and in 1976 completed a twoyear independent study at the University of Minnesota. Her nursing career spanned more than 25 years and included St. Mary’s Hospital in Minneapolis; Jamestown Hospital in Jamestown, North Dakota; Bethany Convent in St. Paul; and St. Joseph’s Hospital in St. Paul, where she was vice president of patient services.

Together with Catholic Charities and Rita Steinhagen, CSJ, Sr. Dolore started the Christ Child’s Shelter and received the Spurgeon Award in 1982 in recognition of this work. She served for five years on the CSJ Leadership Team and four on St. Kate’s Board of Trustees.

BRADY WILLIAMS, PhD

Edmond Brady Williams Jr., professor emeritus of chemistry, passed away on April 4, 2022, at age 78. Williams attended school in Spartanburg, South Carolina; Duke University, North Carolina; and the University of North Carolina, where he earned his PhD in organic chemistry. He married Elizabeth Wilson Williams in 1967.

A beloved faculty and community member, Williams taught organic chemistry at St. Kate’s for 30 years. He was a regular attendee at St. Kate’s sporting events and hosted yearly barbecues for his students. When he retired in 2010, he and Elizabeth retired to Valparaiso, Indiana.

Friends, colleagues, and former students fondly recall Williams’ love for sports and his advocacy for women’s education and athletics.

PHOTO/REBECCA SLATER ’10, BY REBECCA STUDIOS

1959

2022

PHOTO/UNIVERSITY ARCHIVES

Katie Diary

BY TESSA SCHOENECKER ’25

It is an iconic piece of campus, and one of the first sights upon entering historic Derham Hall: this year marks 95 years since the installation of the exquisite gilded mirror that has become instantly recognizable to Katies throughout the decades.

The “French Mirror,” so called by Sister Helen Margaret Peck ’24, PhD, in her history of the University, was donated to the school in 1928 by Eugene McCahill, St. Kate’s trustee from 1938–1961 and 1968 recipient of an honorary degree. The McCahill family’s rich legacy with the University spans St. Kate’s history, with relatives who became our first lay trustee (Eugene’s mother, Mary Rahilly McCahill, in 1919), an alumna (his sister, Mary Eleanor McCahill Denny ’26), and a trustee emeritus (his nephew and Mary Eleanor’s son, Charles Denny, Jr.).

For almost a century, students have paused before the mirror to touch up their hair before a party, straighten their caps while lining up for graduation ceremonies, and, more recently, take selfies to celebrate moments large and small. Whether in 1959 or now, whether we are hurrying past on our way to class or lingering to admire its craftmanship, the French Mirror remains a constant in the St. Kate’s experience.

PHOTO/PATRICK CLANCY PHOTOGRAPHY

KINDRED SPIRITS

Our Lady of Victory Chapel, sketched here in 1923 by architect H.A. Sullmold, was inspired by the Church of St. Trophime in Arles, France. Alumni are invited to join a 2024 trip to Arles and other sites integral to the St. Catherine legacy. Read more on page 20.