mtmary.edu/magazine
VIEW: Four students share their personal stories. Scan the QR codes on pages 16-17.
READ: Mount Mary leads the Midwest in the 2023 U.S. News & World Report rankings. Read more at magazine.mtmary.edu.
THE COVER: Members of our community proudly affirm, “I am Mount Mary.”
Gruetzi! Bonjour! Benvenuto! Willkommen! I am humbled and happy to welcome you to this newest edition of the Mount Mary Magazine. It is with great honor and enthusiasm that I started serving as the 13th president of Mount Mary University on July 1, 2022. My priority in these first few months has been to meet and listen to many stakeholders, from our internal community (students, faculty, staff, trustees, the School Sisters of Notre Dame and alumnae) and external partners (community leaders, mayors, other presidents of universities and K-12 schools, as well as the archbishop and other Catholic dignitaries).
This summer, I enjoyed meeting our counseling graduate students who were holding mindfulness sessions on our lawn, and our dietetics graduate students who were eating lunch together near the fountain. I loved meeting the sisters who surprised me with a special blessing at Trinity Woods' new Mother Caroline Chapel. I found it very enriching to listen to the stories of our senior alumnae, some of whom I met over Zoom and many in person. All encounters have been and continue to be very valuable in understanding the history, mission and vision of the university and its deep roots in the community. Our alumnae credit their success to the values of commitment, community, compassion and competence they learned in and outside the classroom and experienced in community with their best friends.
Walking through the hallways this fall, I love seeing the art, the fashion and the posters our students have made, and experiencing their energy as they gather in community. The old buildings come alive!
They came alive this summer, when the high schoolers held a fashion show for their parents and siblings at the conclusion of the weeklong Fashion Academy, and when our young participants in the Summer Leadership Academy shared their new leadership skills with their loved ones.
Also over the summer, we were able to finish two renovation projects, the Bergstrom Hall women’s bathroom and the Caroline Hall gymnasium and fitness center, which is now ready for the new exercise science program students. We purchased new Mac Studio computers for, among other things, our first class in User Experience Design (UX) (see page 5).
Some of you may have noticed the new branding campaign, “I am Mount Mary,” running on Englishand Spanish-speaking TV, YouTube and connected TV. We also launched a new social media club using TikTok! Students are celebrating Mount Mary, sharing their experiences with the world! You may also have noticed the new “I am Mount Mary” T-shirts. Faculty, staff and new students wore them proudly during our All-University Workshop and new students’ Investiture ceremonies.
Mount Mary continues to be rated among the most successful institutions in the Midwest in graduating diverse and low-income students, and in providing value for all students regardless of their background, according to the Best Colleges Report by U.S. News and World Report for 2022-23. Mount Mary is ranked #1 in Wisconsin and #2 in the Midwest among regional universities in social mobility, which measures the success rate of graduating Pell students based upon six-year graduation rates. We are also among the top-performing institutions in Wisconsin for ethnic and economic diversity and affordability.
This fall, I hope you get to meet our new Vice-President of Mission and Justice, Dr. Andrea Stapleton. With the retirement of our VP of Mission and Identity, Sister Joan Penzenstadler, and the departure of VP of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Julie Landry, the new position of VP of Mission and Justice was created to more fully integrate DEI to our mission. Dr. Stapleton
is responsible for articulating, enhancing and promoting the university’s Catholic mission to all constituencies in the spirit of the School Sisters of Notre Dame. With the university’s mission so deeply rooted in social justice, Dr. Stapleton is also going to be responsible for providing strategic leadership and direction for a campus-wide commitment to and active support of diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) efforts. You can learn more about her on page 14 and read her reflection on page 36.
I feel so very blessed to serve this diverse, vibrant, dynamic, innovative and talented community of learners. I look forward to meeting with students for pizza or a chat around the fireplace. I am excited to invite people for a fondue or raclette to my new home in Brookfield, and to continue to build partnerships in the community.
I look forward to connecting with more alumnae and working with faculty and staff to envision our future together, as one community shaping tomorrow’s gamechangers. n
You might not be familiar with the term User Experience Design (UX), but every time you are able to efficiently get what you need online or when using an app, you experience the work of a good designer.
UX designers are the silent heroes of the internet, building the interfaces that help us humans navigate the complex technology of websites, apps and smart devices.
From making it easier for someone to navigate the web page they use to pay their bills to curating the perfect user experience for a person who’s finally booking the vacation they’ve been saving for, the work UX designers do behind the scenes can make a big difference in the lives of users.
Furthermore, there is a huge demand for UX design and research in complex commercial and industrial fields ranging from aviation and health care to automotive and manufacturing systems.
This fall, Mount Mary began offering a UX design major and students are already recognizing the career opportunities and great potential in this field.
“UX is the starting point to everything,” said Jennifer Rebollar, a graphic design senior who is now taking her first UX class. “You start with the problem that needs to be solved, and that’s different from graphic design, where you are designing for something that’s already been created.”
Rebollar is enjoying this class so much that she is considering pursuing a master’s in UX design after she graduates in May.
While campus leaders had identified UX design as a good match for Mount Mary, it became a reality in 2022 due in part to a $3 million grant from the National Science Foundation earmarked specifically for Hispanic Serving Institutions (HSI).
Median annual salary in 202 1 for web and digital interface designers
SOURCE: U.S. BUREAU OF LABOR STATISTICSMount Mary became an HSI in spring 2020 and is one of two schools in Wisconsin eligible for such grants.
The new program in UX is one of a number of initiatives embedded in this grant designed to build digital literacy on campus, thus preparing Mount Mary’s diverse student body for tech-forward, well-paying jobs.
“Mount Mary seeks to attract and empower diverse women to gain technology competencies and digital technology literacy as a foundation toward the development of a sense of belonging, a confident voice, and full inclusion in the digital STEM workforce,” said Bob Schwartz, dean of the Schools of Arts & Design and Business.
These professionals will undoubtedly make their mark upon future technology, said Francesca Mason, an assistant
x p e r i e n c e D e is g n ()XU .
professor in the new User Experience Design (UX) program.
Mason explains that the most effective UX designers are the ones who are committed to building the products of the future with people in mind –all people. UX is built on empathy, she notes.
“Without a diverse team, the world will be designed for majorities and not minorities,” Mason said.
Just 26 percent of the computing workforce were women in 2021, according to the National Center for Women and Information Technology. Within the small number of women in tech, the lack of cultural diversity becomes even more apparent – the same study found that just seven percent of the computing workforce were Asian women, three percent were Black women, and only two percent were Latina.
Because the Mount Mary program is designed for women, the program is committed to creating brave spaces that inspire innovation and creativity while also fostering community with peers. Students can walk away from the experience confident and ready to take on a role in the rapidly growing world of tech.
UX designers create products using a human-centered approach. This requires them to immerse themselves into the user experience so that they can effectively improve it. Qualities like empathy, strong observational skills, and a detail-oriented approach are sought after in these roles.
These qualities related to emotional intelligence can provide our students with opportunities in another emerging technology, artificial intelligence, Schwartz said.
“The vertically emerging area of artificial intelligence will touch every aspect of our lives and how we work,” said Schwartz,
calling out the need for diverse perspectives. “There is already a challenge of unconscious bias built in to these developing platforms.”
Skilled UX designers are needed in a range of different industries. Most commonly, they find work with software publishers, computer and peripheral equipment manufacturers and financial companies.
For those who prefer working from home, it’s also worth noting that much of this work can be performed remotely or in a hybrid work environment.
Faculty member Mason knows from experience that a UX degree is a sound investment with a pathway toward a fulfilling career, thanks to the combination of competitive wages and long-term employability.
“As a young girl I struggled to find a career that fit me as a person and held my values,” she said. “I wanted to know I was going to be happy, while my parents’ main focus was to make sure I was going to be taken care of financially.”
This combination of practicality and creativity is resonating with students.
For one UX class assignment, Rebollar has been tasked with redesigning an app she dislikes, so she is redesigning an app that she uses in her job at McDonalds. Her goal is to make the interface easier for pickup and delivery.
Once she’s done, she plans to share her ideas with the IT department at McDonald’s.
“UX design is a great space for creative thinkers, whether you are interested in psychology, strategy, or just love good design,” said Mason.
Even for those who don’t consider themselves designers, Mason insists there’s a place for all in UX design.
“People come from all sorts of backgrounds; there are a lot of specialties and areas to grow,” she said “Visual design and creativity can be learned.” n
magazine.mtmary.edu.
UX design faculty member Francesca Mason (above) makes sure students understand both technology and user behavior.
Mount Mary’s new program in User Experience Design (UX) will serve to help its student body of diverse young women have improved access to this fast-growing category of design practice.
— BOB SCHWARTZ DEAN FOR THE SCHOOLS OF ARTS, DESIGN AND BUSINESS
Learn more about Mount Mary’s new User Experience Design (UX) program at
As a girl growing up in Switzerland, Isabelle Cherney always got to be the teacher when she and her friends played school.
“Kids would sit and listen to what I had to say; I always had a following,” she said with a slight smile. “It was the precursor to my becoming a professor.”
Starting with her earliest memories, all of her experiences have been leading her to this moment, to this place.
Cherney, who became the 13th president of Mount Mary in July, grew up in Grenchen, Switzerland, at the foot of the Jura mountains. While this region is in a German-speaking area of the country, she, like most Swiss children, come to age within a mélange of cultures. She spoke three of the four languages of Switzerland -- German, French, Italian and Romanisch -- and later she learned English.
“Having been exposed to multiple cultures, languages and backgrounds, I’ve always been curious, wanting to learn about people and their pathways,” she said.
She became so fascinated with how people think that she embarked upon a career as a research psychologist, studying the connection between the mechanics of the brain and human behavior.
Yet again, her background lights her path: “Being an experimental psychologist helps to better understand one’s ability to make decisions,” she said. “As a president, it’s certainly helpful to be a psychologist.”
The brain development of children has always been of particular interest, and in one of her earliest studies, she surveyed 12-year-olds from around the world regarding their opinions on children’s rights and social issues ranging from voting rights to health care access.
Their answers, she said, were incredible. The children were able to discern which rights they were able to fulfill and which ones they were not old enough to do. It was interesting to see that children from different continents had similar views.
Some years later as she dug deeper into the field of child development, she stumbled onto the topic of gender research, sparked in part by her own real-world role as a wife to Mike, and as the mother of two sons, Sebastien and Raphael.
Continued from page 9
She remembers how it happened, the result of an everyday, common occurrence.
“They’d always ask me, ‘where’s my school stuff?’” she recalled. “Even though I didn’t move it, I always seemed to know where it was.”
This skill is called incidental memory, she explained, the ability to recall information that isn’t directly pertinent, information that one did not actively work to remember.
It turns out that gender plays a slight role in one’s powers for incidental memory, depending on what it is that needs to be recalled.
It made her wonder if gender played a role in one’s capacity for different types of memory, not only incidental memory, but also spatial memory, the ability to visualize and rotate shapes in three dimensions.
“Men have better spatial memories than women; they understand the world in 3-D,” she said. “I started to wonder, what did they learn early in life that made them good at this?”
Girls often score poorly when tested on their spatial ability, and Cherney needed to know why. As she dug deeper, she uncovered the long-term impact of this disparity.
The implications of this type of visual capability go far beyond a person’s ability to pack the trunk for a car trip or win a game of Tetris. They affect one’s choices with life-changing significance.
“If women do not develop spatial reasoning or are not exposed to math and geometry, women can be at a
disadvantage – entrance tests for medical and dental fields, for example – and they may be dissuaded from entering fields such as computer science, physics or engineering.”
Her conclusion: In order for girls to wire their brains for spatial reasoning, they need to be provided with similar kinds of play options to boys, from sports to 3-D video games.
She has researched and published extensively on this topic for almost 20 years, primarily at Creighton University in Omaha, Neb. After having served as associate dean of the graduate school and school of professional studies, Cherney left Creighton in 2016 to work at Merrimack College in North Andover, Mass., where she continued her research while assuming even greater administrative authority, founding a number of programs for new teachers and ultimately being named vice provost for graduate education and research.
All the while she continued to conduct research around the topics of how gender and child development influence career pathways. Her most recent piece of research, titled, “The STEM Paradox: Factors Affecting Diversity in STEM Fields,” will be published in 2023. Because of her area of expertise, she was invited by the Obama administration to the White House on four occasions.
Today as president of an all-women’s institution, she is in a place where her knowledge can be applied in ways that are truly transformational. She foresees growing implementation of STREAM (Science, Technology, Reflection, Engineering, Arts and Math) practices in every corner of campus.
“Here, we have the ability to digitally expose students to what we know really works,” she said. “I see MMU women as STREAM women, with virtual reality and computer modeling software in every major, exposing them to coding opportunities that allow them to see the world in a digital way.
“Mount Mary is taking women’s brains and giving them the potential to change their trajectory in powerful ways.”
Time and again, the interplay between her personal and professional life has led Cherney closer to Mount Mary, sometimes without even knowing it.
In 1984, Cherney flew from Europe to the U.S. for the first time with then-fiancée, Mike, to spend Christmas with his family. She met his parents, siblings and notably his
Mount Mary is taking women’s brains and giving them the potential to change their trajector y in power ful ways.Cherney has received national recognition as an instructor and researcher.
sister Claudia, and Claudia’s family of nine children. Claudia graduated from Mount Mary in 1961 with a degree in chemistry.
They gathered at the family home in Milwaukee, located five houses across the street from Mount Mary.
“I’d heard so many stories about Christ King, where Mike went to grade school, and the School Sisters of Notre Dame,” she said.
Even though Mike was working on his Ph.D. in physics in Hamburg, Germany, he was closely connected to his family and his Catholic faith.
“The SSNDs were part of the family, an extension of the Cherneys,” she recalled. Often, she recalled that Claudia would cook in batches big enough to feed her family of 11, and give a meal to the SSNDs, too.
“My husband’s family introduced me to a new dimension of devotion,” she said.
Earlier that year, Isabelle had met Mike at a party in Geneva, Switzerland, and instantly fell in love.
Within three weeks they were engaged and figuring out the logistics of a long-distance relationship. After they wed, Mike would travel 13 hours each way in a weekend from his work in Hamburg to Isabelle in Geneva.
They often visited Mike’s family in Milwaukee, particularly after Claudia’s death in 1988.
“The funeral at Christ King was packed,” she said. “It was then that I understood how one person could make a difference.”
Isabelle plans to establish an endowed scholarship at Mount Mary in honor of her late sister-in-law.
It is particularly poignant that 35 years after Claudia’s death, Isabelle’s inauguration will be held at the family’s beloved church.
When Mike got a professorship at Creighton University in Omaha, Neb., the family settled in the U.S. Isabelle joined the faculty at Creighton after completing her B.A., M.A., and Ph.D. while raising her sons. Today, Isabelle maintains dual citizenship with the U.S. and Switzerland. Her world came into crystal focus in 2021, when she learned Mount Mary was searching for a new president.
“It was unreal, that feeling of how everything I’ve done was for this moment.”
Cherney has spent her first few months getting to know the institution and its people.
“I feel I have the essence of the soul of the place, and that I’m able to confidently tell Mount Mary’s stories, our important work and influence on the community,” she said.
She has crafted the theme for her inaugural year with this impact in mind: “One Community Shaping Tomorrow’s Game-Changers.”
She has found her home like nowhere else in the world. One of Claudia’s children lives only four houses away from hers. Isabelle’s sons and their families live in the greater Chicago area, allowing her to be close to her three grandchildren. Her work at Mount Mary allows her to put in practice the discoveries of her research.
In this place, in her roles as a leader, an academic and a woman of faith, the threads of Cherney’s life are woven tightly together.
“It is such a privilege to serve in the name of this school, in the name of the SSNDs,” she said. “This was meant to be.” n
The two had just met one another and already they were sitting shoulderto-shoulder, locked in deep conversation.
Chantel Gates, a Mount Mary junior and Sylvia Hecht, SSND, connected with one another at the first meeting of “Sister to Sister,” a new group that brings together students and SSNDs for group activities and oneto-one friendship.
“We clicked,” Gates said of their first meeting. “I’m an enthusiastic person and she gave that same positive energy back to me. I really liked that.”
Forging relationships between the SSNDs, most of whom now live on campus at Trinity Woods, and students has been a longtime objective for Mount Mary’s Campus Ministry Director Theresa Utschig, who also works as liturgical coordinator at Trinity Woods.
When she shared this idea with students Ana Sofia Ocampo Hernandez and Sonia Fulgencio, the program blossomed to life. The young women organized fellow students and held planning meetings with two SSNDs who supported the idea, Karen Walther, SSND, and Susan Adrians, SSND.
At the first Sister to Sister meeting in late September, Ocampo Hernandez and Fulgencio drew names from baskets to match up the pairs. Instead of using a speed-friending model or selecting partners based on shared interests, the pairings were purposely chosen at random, allowing the partners to more easily strike up conversations and really get to know one another.
Once the pairs were set, the room was filled with conversation.
“I think this is going to go very deep very quickly,” Utschig said.
A total of 12 sisters signed up for the first day – and nine more showed up unannounced – so the organizers will now find additional students to join the group to make sure everyone has a partner. While partners are encouraged to meet occasionally on their own, the Sister to Sister group is planning monthly events, from pumpkin painting to a Christmas party. The students also have a game day planned, so they can teach their SSNDs the Mexican game of “loteria.”
(1) Fran Buschell, SSND, and student Emma Eisch
(2) Student Chantel Gates and Sylvia Hecht, SSND (3) Group organizers include (from left) student Sonia Fulgencio, Karen Walther, SSND, Susan Ann Adrians, SSND, and student Ana Sofia Ocampo Hernandez (4) Student Maeve Mullooley with Sandy Weinke, SSND (5) Student Sonia Fulgencio, Marie Vianney Bilgrien, SSND, and Ana Sofia Ocampo Hernandez (6) Rita Krusell, SSND and student Krisandra Orr
Shortly after the SSNDs moved into Trinity Woods, Ocampo Hernandez organized a rosary-making event for the SSNDs and the students who lived on her floor in the residence hall. The experience made her wonder what came of two SSNDs who had been influential in her life, Martha Waligora, SSND, her ELA teacher in third and fourth grade, and her second-grade teacher, Walter Marie Ray, SSND, known as Sister Willie.
There was a joyful reunion when she discovered that both women now live at Trinity Woods.
“I cried a lot. They both made such an impact on my life,” Ocampo Hernandez said. Because neither of these SSNDs were native English speakers, they supported and comforted her as a child learning English.
wonderful young women who want to get to know us.
“It’s fun to be with young women who are so dedicated and alive,” she added. “It energizes the sisters.”
While Ocampo Hernandez enjoys many close relationships with older family members and wants to work with the elderly after she graduates in art therapy, Fulgencio has had few interactions with seniors or SSNDs. But she is open minded, curious and ready to deepen her understanding.
“I want to gain better understanding of these women and their wisdom,” Fulgencio said.
These friendships are a two-way street, said Adrians, one of the SSND organizers. “We’re looking forward to sharing what’s happening in their world and ours. This is another wonderful facet of being back on campus, having
Gates and Hecht are already making plans for future get-togethers, maybe an afternoon of apple-pie baking or an outing to get frozen custard.
“Even though we are at two different places in life, I’m so glad that we are able to communicate,” Gates said.
For this group, technology, distance and years aren’t standing in the way of friendship.
“It’s even better now that I found out that she can text,” said Gates. n
Even though we are at two different places in life, I’m so glad that we are able to communicate.
— CHANTEL GATES, ART THERAPY JUNIOR
A Dubuque, Iowa homeless shelter set the course for Andrea Stapleton’s future. While her middle school friends focused on the normal trappings of middle class life, Andrea and her family took a different path – helping care for the city’s most neglected and troubled souls.
“As a 13-year-old girl, I would give up my bed so that a family had a place to stay. There would be times when my mom would have to take clothes out of my clean laundry basket and give them to kids who came in the night with absolutely nothing. So it was an interesting way to grow up,” Stapleton said.
“They called them houses of hospitality and it really taught me what it meant to love your neighbor in a very, very real way. We called the people who were staying at the house guests, so they were never the homeless. They were part of the table. And every night we would pray together and people would take turns making the meals together. So I had a very diverse perspective that I think really shaped my outlook on the world and shaped my outlook on lived faith and a life of service.”
That quest for a life of service and her commitment to the Catholic faith lead Andrea down a unique path, earning a master's degree and a Ph.D. in theology and later, teaching religious studies at several universities.
“I really never thought that I would go into theology. I always had theological questions and I was always that pest of a student when I was in high school, raising my hands and saying, why do we do this? And why do we believe this? And really wanting to get at the bottom of the things I was taught. And I think I really made a nuisance of myself, but I genuinely wanted to know the reason for these teachings,” Stapleton said.
And now Andrea finds herself in a unique position, as Mount Mary’s first full-time vice president for mission and justice.
“I am interested in justice because I have seen so many people experiencing such hardship – sometimes throughout their whole life they are presented with
As a 13-year-old girl, I would give up my bed so that a family had a place to stay.
— ANDREA STAPLETON, Ph.D.
Amid the bustle of traffic along Burleigh Street, a new statue of Mary imparts a graceful, prayerful and feminine presence.
This summer, the new statue replaced a grotto of the Sacred Heart that could no longer be repaired. The new statue of Mary, carved in Europe from pristine white marble, was a gift from Maripat (Young) Dalum ’63 and her husband, Tom.
It was given, Dalum said, in thanksgiving for her family’s many blessings and as a gift for others.
“She waits for us to call upon her, to help us in our need,” she said. “May we all, especially the students, turn to our spiritual mother, our role model, our guide and our counselor in supplication and thanksgiving.”
The Dalums worked with Pam Owens, vice president for Alumnae and Donor Relations, and Fine’s Gallery in Bonita Springs, Florida, to depict a Blessed Mother with great care.
“I wanted her to have a crown of roses on her head, the symbol of true love and sacrifice,” Dalum said. “Her arms and hands should be open and welcoming.
At the top of her bodice should be the Holy Spirit, the sign of wisdom, which we hope to instill in all the students.”
Dalum’s family and the Rev. Richard Mirsberger from the Archdiocese of Milwaukee came to campus in July for a prayer ceremony blessing the statue.
“The first time I met Maripat, I was moved with her great devotion to Mary, and when this opportunity arose, I thought how lovely it would be for her to honor the Blessed Mother by gifting a statue to her alma mater,” Owens said. n
“Not only will the statue of Mary be a sign of these hallowed grounds, it will bring great joy, too.”
– Pam Owens, Vice President for Alumnae and Donor RelationsFriends and family surrounded Maripat Dalum '63 (center) during a dedication ceremony presided by the Rev. Richard Mirsberger (third from right).
I first heard about Mount Mary because of my sister. She graduated in the class of 2020 and she just really loved the environment here. I came for a tour the first time and it was just really nice. I was walking around the hallways and everyone was saying hi. It felt like I was home.
When I'm in a class, I feel very confident to talk and ask questions and the professors really get to know you. They ask questions, they care for you, and whenever we do look stressed or overwhelmed, they're always there for us and they understand. So, it’s really nice to find that supportive system.
It’s been a great experience being a Caroline Scholar. The service aspect is great. I was a Spanish tutor for a while to a third grader and a fourth grader, which was really fulfilling as an education major. And I was able to be the secretary of a school to see the administrative side of it. I was able to help parents whenever they need something translated into Spanish. It's amazing to see that smile on their faces when they know that someone speaks their language.
It's amazing to see that smile on their faces when they know that someone speaks their language.
My mother was so into sewing and when she was teaching me, I could never do what she was doing. When I tried it, I was like, ‘no, I can’t.’ I don’t have any patience for sewing. But I did like the business side of fashion. I liked the marketing, the advertisements and reading magazines about fashion.
So, when I saw that Mount Mary had the fashion merchandise program, I loved it from the start.
I am in the Promise Program, which is a low-income student organization. They provide tutoring, counseling and have mentorships and meetings. I'm also a member of the fashion association that meets every week. We follow a lot of the fashion trends and everything related to pop culture.
I grew up in what you call the inner city, so you see so many different faces and so many religions and sexualities, and that's always been more welcoming than just seeing the same people every day. You definitely get to be open-minded. Of course, here are Mount Mary there are so many different people of so many different backgrounds.
I love that Mount Mary is diverse and it's just really fun to be able to meet everyone and see where they come from. I am Hispanic, so I'm able to see all types of backgrounds and I get to hear their experiences, learn from their culture, the things that they celebrate. It's just really amazing to be able to see how all cultures kind of overlap and also the differences that we have.
Mount Mary does feel very close-knit. It makes me feel more confident in voicing my opinions because I feel like there's so much feminine strength that comes with attending a women's institution. It has helped me with my confidence in being able to raise my self-esteem with fellow women. Since it's such a small community, you can get so many connections, so many friendships. I'm still surprised at how friendly everyone is. That’s always comforting.
Here at Mount Mary there are so many different people of so many different backgrounds.MARTIN GOMEZ ’ 24
Coming to Mount Mary was almost a culture shock, but meeting all these different people from different backgrounds is so important.
And if you have no previous knowledge of people who are different from you or people who don't look like you, people who don't live like you, it's kind of hard to acclimate later in life. My suburb was tiny and everybody looked like me. So, I've really enjoyed getting to know people and learning about cultures that I hadn't interacted with.
People see things differently here and I'm learning a lot of new things that I wouldn't have if I was still in that tiny, secluded area.
I just had this wake-up call and I was like, “I've been living here my whole life and I don't know a thing about the struggles of other people.”
So, it was kind of my sheltered background that got me interested in social justice.
I really like the volunteer aspect of Mount Mary. You're not just giving your time, you're receiving an experience from people that you wouldn't normally interact with.
I tutor with the Milwaukee County Jail. They have a GED program and so that's been really, really impactful.
As a senior in high school, it was a very tough year in the midst of the pandemic.
A representative from Mount Mary came to my high school and showed us all the beautiful things that Mount Mary had to offer. And it allowed me as a senior to really look at Mount Mary as a school that I wanted to attend.
Mount Mary is more than a university. It’s a community of individuals, each contributing in their own way to create this incredibly unique place. Every member of the Mount Mary family has a story to tell. Here are just a few student stories, in their own words. I felt like I was being nurtured and it allowed me to go beyond my limits.
I was excited about the Compass program, which is for undecided students to navigate and explore what options and careers that they could potentially see themselves in. Not a lot of other colleges and universities offered that, and in a way, I felt like I was being nurtured and it allowed me to go beyond my limits and really find myself and my passion.
So, it's definitely an atmosphere that advocates for my voice to be heard, knowing that these women are my comfort and really are my biggest cheerleaders. I currently co-lead our university chapter here for a Christian interdenominational fellowship group on campus.
It was kind of my sheltered background that got me interested in social justice.
I feel so bolstered at Mount Mary. I always feel like my voice is valued and I feel as a collective, that's kind of stressed here –making sure that everybody is heard and taken into account.
We do Bible study every Monday, and it's just a really inclusive community for students of all types of faith backgrounds to come together and to comfort one another, to nurture each other and be that supportive group for one another.
I think it's incredibly important to have many students from other backgrounds because it allows each of us to really challenge our biases and allows us to embrace our differences. I think that through differences comes the beauty of understanding and through understanding one another we can be united and overcome anything.
A group of first-year students gather on the steps of
Notre Dame Hall to proudly proclaim, "I AM MOUNT MARY."
Mount Mary’s director of alumnae relations understands the true achievement that a college degree represents. Reflecting upon her own experiences, she remembers both the hard work and the meaningful bonds that shaped her own journey –and brought her to Mount Mary.
“I know how much it meant for people to be invested in me,” she said. “I am here in this engagement role because I want to pay it forward.”
networks of mentors to support career and personal growth for all.
Moira, who came to the university to lead the department in July, said her forwardthinking approach will enable her to build upon an environment that honors the past and look to the future, “as our alums and society continue to evolve.”
Growing up on the east side of Wauwatosa, Mount Mary has been a constant force for good in Moira’s life. The MMU alums she has known while growing up, she said, are role models for competency and compassion, in their professions, families and communities.
➸ ROLE AT MMU: Director of Alumnae Relations ➸ SUPERPOWER: Balancing a respect for tradition with her love of new ideas
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Moira stays active with Whitney, her year-old German shepherd-Great Pyrenees mix
Moira left school after her junior year in college to pursue political fundraising and engagement efforts. She fell into the service industry for a few years before getting a job as an administrative assistant at Alverno College. One day, she struck up a conversation with then-president Sister Andrea Lee, who encouraged her to finish school.
“I wasn’t sure how successful I would be, having been out of the classroom for so long, but in that moment, she said, ‘you will get that degree if you want it. I will do everything I can to help you get there, but it has to be you who puts in the work.’”
Sister Andrea regularly checked in with Moira, inspiring Moira to persevere. This powerful gesture influenced Moira’s whole outlook.
“I think it really speaks to the magic of a small school, especially a women’s college, where the goal at the end of each day is to uplift the next person,” she said.
Mount Mary’s Alumnae Association has played a pivotal role for decades within this institution and includes dedicated women whose many activities support the university, our students and fellow alumnae. The association is also called to expand the vision for the future, creating
“Our alums so identify with the type of person we hope they become,” she said. “Our alumnae take up the causes and social justice outlook of the SSNDs.”
Influenced by her own background as a nontraditional student, Moira appreciates the uniqueness of every alumnae’s life journey. In her eyes, these experiences serve to unify and build community.
“There is no exclusivity to belonging,” she said. “I don’t want anyone to feel as if they don’t have a place.
“Mount Mary is a place where everyone can find something that speaks to their soul,” she said. “My top goal in expanding the engagement offerings is to meet people where they are, whether that’s early in their careers, at the prime of their parenting journey, or as they begin to enjoy retirement and a quieter chapter.”
Her special focus is to engage newly graduated alums, to get them involved as soon as possible after graduation. Meanwhile, she is enjoying the opportunity to partake in campus life and get a sense of the Mount Mary journey.
“I enjoyed watching the students begin their Mount Mary journey at the Investiture ceremony in August,” she said. “I’m looking forward to December’s commencement with the Light of Learning. I’ll be able to see the full circle.” n
We will cheer you on, long after you leave campus!
It is with heavy hearts that we announce to our loyal and talented artists, the dedicated volunteers and the thousands of patrons that the Mount Mary Starving Artists’ Show is being sunset after 53 terrific years.
It has welcomed countless community members to the beautiful Mount Mary campus and most importantly, it has generated significant financial support for our amazing students.
– Pam Owens, Vice President for Alumnae and Donor Relations
It is with heavy hearts that we announce to our loyal and talented artists, the dedicated volunteers and the thousands of patrons that the Mount Mary Starving Artists’ Show is being sunset after 53 terrif ic years.
Much analysis and thoughtful consideration went into this diff icult decision that was made in the best interests of serving our students now and into the future. Many factors were weighed, including rising costs of services, increased demands of time and talent from our loyal volunteers and lean staff, as well as the boom of the online markets for consumers to shop.
We are so grateful for all the support and love many have shown the show over these 53 years. Everyone’s talent and contributions have not gone unnoticed, we sincerely appreciate you all. We are grateful for the many individuals who created this amazing event and alums who worked tirelessly for decades, many with their entire families pitching in. It has truly been a labor of love!
The Starving Artists’ Show will be memorialized in the next issue of this magazine and at the Alumnae Awards Banquet at 11 a.m. Saturday, April 22, 2023, for future generations to know the enduring legacy of this remarkable event n
– Pam Owens is Vice President for Alumnae and Donor Relations for Mount Mary University
Inspired by X-ray art, fashion faculty member Jessica Frantal (left) created her "Infrastructure" installation to illuminate the beauty of a garment’s underlying structure. Frantal used selected pieces from the Mount Mary Fashion Archives, including work by designers Marguery Bolhagen, Ann Lowe and Caroline, Chicago. Her work was on display in Mount Mary’s Academic Showcase during the fall semester.
Please help us spread the word! Youth in grades 8-12 can create one-of-a-kind upcycled outfits and get expert advice from Mount Mary’s fashion faculty in the new “Uniquely Yours” fashion contest, now through February 2023.
“Using mostly upcycled materials, students can stitch, staple, tape or glue their way to a one-of-a-kind garment,” said assistant fashion professor Elena Pitts. “Along the way, our faculty will offer Zoom sessions to make sure nothing holds young people back from creating their own look.”
Winning garments will be featured in CREO 2023, Mount Mary’s annual student designer fashion show. Winners will also receive tickets to the show and full or partial scholarships to the 2023 Summer Fashion Academy at Mount Mary.
Details can be found at mtmary.edu/fashioncontest.
To mark the first in-person fashion show in three years, CREO 2022 was a celebratory, salon-style return to live events. It was held May 14, 2022 along the halls of Notre Dame Hall.
“Over the last two years, runways across the globe have been challenged to reinvent the status quo with unexpected venues, clever applications of technology, and fresh ways to engage guests with show content,” said Ashley Brooks, chair of the fashion department
“These innovations inspired our merchandise management students to create a show that wound its way through historic Notre Dame Hall, offering a front row seat for every guest to view the stunning creations by our student designers!”
To view a video of the production, visit magazine.mtmary.edu.
Mount Mary continues to be rated among the most successful institutions in the Midwest in graduating diverse and lowincome students, and in providing value for all students regardless of their background, according to the 2022-23 Best Colleges Report by U.S. News and World Report.
Mount Mary is ranked #1 in Wisconsin and #2 in the Midwest among regional universities in this category, which measures the success rate of graduating Pell-eligible students based upon six-year graduation rates.
Mount Mary is among the top-performing regional institutions in the Midwest for ethnic diversity.
With 65% of students receiving Pell grants, Mount Mary is recognized as one of the top performers in the Midwest among regional universities. “U.S. News believes that Pell the best available gauge of institutions’ relative commitment to access for all.”
Affordability is measured by four indicators, the ratio of quality to price; the amount of need-based aid, the percent of need-based aid recipients awarded scholarships or grants; and the average discount. Mount Mary is among the top four in Wisconsin in this category and #25 among regional universities in the Midwest.
Mount Mary’s ranking is #58 overall among regional universities in the Midwest, and is ranked seventh among the 16 Wisconsin schools in this category.
The halls were alive this summer with youth programming opportunities designed to help shape the future leaders of tomorrow.
Over 75 young women participated in the Summer Leadership Academy The six-day, f ive-night experience immersed students in college life, offering them a glimpse of living and learning at Mount Mary. Contributors included professional leaders from around the community, campus professionals and 15 peer mentors.
Not only did the students each earn two college credits, they left with invaluable experiences in career exploration, conf idence building and college preparation. Learn more about the 2023 Academy on page 4.
The very next week, fashion-focused young people attended the Fashion Academy, a f ive-day experience that provided a deep dive into the fashion industry. After learning, meeting faculty and industry professionals and creating an array of garments and accessories, they held a CREO-style f inale that showcased their skills.
With songs and prayers, 60 members of the School Sisters of Notre Dame held a surprise blessing for President Isabelle Cherney at Trinity Woods on August 18, in support of her work to provide a transformative education and keep the SSND mission relevant.
“As School Sisters of Notre Dame we express our gratitude to you for accepting this presidency,” they said in prayer. “In Mother Theresa Gerhardinger's words, ‘May Jesus be the way you walk, the truth you follow, and the life you lead.’”
The School Sisters of Notre Dame were awarded the 2022 Governor's Award for Archival Excellence by the Wisconsin Historical Records Advisory Board. The award recognizes outstanding work in preserving and providing access to Wisconsin's historical records. The SSND archives are located on the Mount Mary campus in Bergstrom Hall.
Archivist Abbie Norderhaug of the Wisconsin Historical Society (left) is pictured here with SSND archivist Michele Levandoski, Provincial Leader Debra M. Sciano, SSND. The archives were the result of a nine-year project to consolidate eight SSND archives from throughout the U.S. and Canada into one.
SSNDs hold surprise prayer event for new president SSND archive at MMU recognized for excellence
The
Mount Mary’s annual Voices of Leadership event introduces the MMU community to a groundbreaking woman leader and provides an opportunity for student learning.
Diana Chao, a mental health advocate who inspired a global movement to write letters to strangers, inspired academic projects last spring and this fall that explore themes of mental health from many perspectives.
* DIETETICS: Students honed their leadership skills by creating a business plan and implementing a pop-up smoothie bar using healthy ingredients focused upon reducing stress and fueling the mind-body connection.
* ENGLISH: Five classes embarked upon projects that aligned self-expression and discovery with mental health and well-being. The culminating projects reflected the theme of the event through poetry, literature, research and a new media podcast.
* FASHION DESIGN: Fashion Design I students used color, silhouette, textile choice and design details to express a particular emotion in designing a garment or look. Concepts will be fully executed in spring and will be modeled in the 2023 CREO fashion show.
* INTERIOR ARCHITECTURE & DESIGN: Students drafted the plans for a behavioral health clinic that emphasized a healing and safe environment.
This section highlights recent noteworthy accomplishments and awards of the Mount Mary University faculty, staff and students.
A painting by Jordan Anderson, M.F.A., Arts & Graphic Design, entitled “Holding Pattern,” was part of a juried exhibit this fall at an exhibit at the Center for the Visual Arts, Caroline S. Mark Gallery in Wausau, Wis.
Josh Anderson, M.F.A., Arts and Graphic Design, served as a fine arts judge for the 2022 Holy Hill Arts and Crafts Fair.
Ann Angel, Professor Emerita, English, conducted an interview, “Lenard D. Moore on the Music of Poetry,” to be published in an anthology by the University Press of Mississippi. Lenard is a renowned haiku, jazz and blues poet and presenter at the university’s Writers on Writing Program.
Kristen Carioti, Ph.D., Business, was awarded a semester sabbatical for the fall semester. She will be finishing her first draft of her personal finance first edition textbook with SAGE Publishing.
Jennifer Dahlman, Ph.D., Nursing, was published in the Nursing Education Perspectives magazine for her work, “The Use of Virtual Mentoring with Underrepresented Minority Groups in Baccalaureate Programs of Nursing: A Review of the Literature.”
Mary Ellen Kohn-Buday, Associate Professor, World Languages, presented a paper at the annual conference of the AATSP (American Association of Teachers of Spanish and Portuguese) in San Juan, Puerto Rico, in July, “No More Us against Them: Combining L2 and Heritage Learners in the Same Classroom,” to an overflow, standing-room-only audience of language educators.
On October 31, a beloved member of our university community, theology professor Shawnee Daniels-Sykes, Ph.D., passed away peacefully after a heroic battle with cancer.
Shawnee’s influence on Mount Mary’s community, particularly on the students she worked with and taught during her 16 years here, was transcendent.
A noted expert on ethics, morality and Black Catholic studies, Daniels-Sykes was recognized with the 2019 Black Excellence Award from The Milwaukee Times. Recently, she was awarded the Outstanding Educator Chapter Award for her sorority, Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc.
At an employee recognition event in 2021, theology professor and colleague Don Rappé described her as “our moral compass, the voice of conscience informed by reason and faith.”
“Shawnee was a fierce champion for our students and their creative endeavors,”” said Karen Friedlen, vice president for student affairs. “Her passion for ethics, human rights and the desire to share it with generations of students made her an adored teacher, sought-after mentor and valued friend and colleague.
In 2021, biology professor Kathy Boyle, Ph.D. (left) and theology professor Shawnee Daniels-Sykes, Ph.D., facilitated campus-wide social justice and allyship discussions and a book study.
“The grief we feel today is a testament to her immense presence in this community. Mount Mary is without doubt a better place because of Shawnee.”
Read more about the life and work of Shawnee Daniels-Sykes, Ph.D., at magazine.mtmary.edu.
Beloved professor
“made Mount Mary a better place”
The National Retail Federation Student Association (NRFSA)/Fashion Association, advised by fashion faculty members Trish Kuehnl, M.S., and Elena Pitts, M.F.A., were awarded Mount Mary’s organization of the year award for 2021-22.
This award was given for the club’s contributions to the Mount Mary University and greater Milwaukee community for activities and programs that included hosting their annual closet sale in coordination with the university’s sustainability challenge; sponsoring a Denim Day table for sexual assault awareness; and collecting donations of clothing and personal items for Ukrainian refugees in Poland. Jessica Rodriguez, merchandise management major and club president, also received the spirit award.
Francesca Mason, MPS, User Experience Design (UX), Communication, designed the 2022 activity book for Doors Open Milwaukee, an annual event that celebrates the city’s neighborhoods, architecture and history. The program highlighted various neighborhoods and included games and scavenger hunts for families.
Dana Scheunemann, Ph.D., Dietetics, received the Outstanding Dietetics Educator – US North Central Region award and was elected to the Board of Editors for the “Nutrition Care Manual,” the clinical nutrition resource for the academy and The Journal of Dietetic Education.
Antje Streckel, associate director of undergraduate admissions and international student coordinator, co-authored an article in a newsletter for the Association for International Credential Evaluation Professionals (TAICEP) that detailed a collaborative fundraiser for the Ukraine coordinated by Mount Mary’s International Club.
Fashion design major Maria Olsson ‘22 won first prize in the Wool Council’s national “Make it With Wool” student design competition for her extracurricular project titled, “Earl Grey.”
Caroline Scholar Amber Smith ’22 received the volunteer of the year award from Milwaukee Public Schools (MPS) in May 2022 for her outstanding service.
Trisha Xiong, biology-health science major, was the May 2022 commencement speaker.
Recent graduate Renieka Currie '22 was selected for the Milwaukee Artist Resource Network's 2022-23 MARN mentorship program.
For the second year in a row, a team of Mount Mary students has placed in the top 10 in a contest designed to inform and engage fellow college students on the impact of federal debt.
Mount Mary’s 2021-22 Up to Us team includes team captain Giselle Martin Gomez, Mary Parlier and Shawna Butler and advisor Nan Metzger They held multiple events to educate fellow students about the impact of America’s $30 trillion and rising national debt, and its potential future impact on their lives and careers.
Additionally, team member Mary Parlier was able to take advantage of a four-day trip to Washington, D.C., in June, financed by the contest’s sponsoring organization, Up to Us/Net Impact.
Jane (Rice) Radoszewski '71 co-founded
2004 Corry Joe Biddle was awarded the TEMPO Women of Influence Award for 2022.
2005 Stephanie (Mei) Salvie was appointed executive director at Joy Engine in April 2022.
2005 Kelly (Relihan) Mutsch, founder of Eco Evie Apparel, was accepted in to the Mount Mary University Starving Artists’ Show of 2022.
1999 Roxann O’Rourke joined the faculty of Dallas College as a professor of interior design in August 2022.
1999 Melissa (Wester) Haas completed the Infant Mental Health capstone certificate at the University of Wisconsin-Madison in June 2022.
As of August of 2022, Melissa is also a licensed clinical social worker in the state of Wisconsin.
2000 Rachael Cabral-Guevara, a board-certified nurse practitioner, opened Nurse Practitioner Health Services, LLC, in 2014, with a second location opening in 2016. The clinic offers a cash-based health clinic for those without insurance or high deductibles.
On March 17, 2022, CabralGuevara announced that she would be running for the 19th State Senate District, which covers parts of Wisconsin’s Fox Valley.
2006/2014 Jessica Coenen was recognized for her work in support of the LGBTQIA+ community by her employer, TIAG.
Tiffany Wynn '01 joined the board of the YWCA of SE WI in March, 2022. In October, she also held a presentation for Mount Mary alumnae and members of the community, “Building the Brand of YOU.”
WE BUILD HAITI, an organization which offers lending and development for women who currently do not have access to banking services. The group works to educate women in business strategies such as preparing business plans, budgeting and setting up savings plans.
2007 Mary Richter was promoted to senior finance specialist at Kohl’s Department Stores in April 2022.
2008 Loni Luna started a new position as product marketing manager with Alkami Technology.
2009 Ericka (Bailey) Sutton was recently appointed to the State of Wisconsin Board on Aging and Long-Term Care as the Ombudsman Services Specialist for Milwaukee County.
2010 Aneisha Denison ranked third on the WHOVA leaderboard at 2022 College Changes Everything (CCE) Conference. She is also an adjunct instructor and new student specialist at Gateway Technical College.
2010 Cindy Esparza recently joined Access Clinic, which provides behavioral health services to clients from the Behavioral Health Division’s Internal Crisis Services, as well as walk-ins and those who are underinsured.
2011 Allie (Larson) Wayman is enrolled in her third year as a DNP-PMHNP student at Rush University in Chicago. Currently, she is performing her DNP project with community organization, Moms Mental Health Initiative, with a focus on perinatal mood and anxiety disorders.
2012 Michelle Doege Ray and a tax attorney opened Tax Resolution Firm in January 2022.
2012 Melissa Flores served as the keynote speaker during Mount Mary’s Summer Leadership Academy. Melissa focused on the importance and power of building authentic relationships with the high-school aged students.
Foundation pledges $75 million to promote healthier foods
The Dohmen Company Foundation pledged $75 million over seven years to reduce the morbidity of diet-related disease.
"We believe the solution to improve the health of our nation is surprisingly simple. It’s food. The very thing that’s making us sick can become our prescription to health,” said Cynthia LaConte ’84, chair of the Dohmen Company Foundation.
The commitment was announced during the White House Conference on Hunger, Nutrition & Health, where the Biden administration rolled out a national strategy to end hunger, improve and physical activity, and reduce diet-related disease by 2030.
2 Kerri Lukasavitz, MA published her third novel of the middle grade series, “Dark Horse at Oak Lane Stable” (Book 3), in May 2022. The series, which features the books, “Mystery Horse at Oak Lane Stable” (Book 1), was started while Kerri was a masters student at Mount Mary in 2011, under Ann Angel.
2013 Jess Felly began as a recruiter for Northwestern Mutual of Oregon in July 2022.
2014 Yolanda Bond launched Gambit Trucking in 2021. Gambit Trucking, LLC, is a family-owned trucking company based in Milwaukee, providing interstate motor carrier services across the Midwest.
Brita Schumacher '99 sold her Spanish school, Futura Language Professionals, which she founded in 2001, in September of 2020. Futura has employed many Mount Mary students and alums over the years. Brita is excited to announce her newest endeavor, Seize Your Midlife, which includes a podcast for women in midlife.
“I know many Mount Mary alumnae are in midlife and will gain inspiration and connection on my podcast,” she said. “Seize Your Midlife will be like a conversation with a friend, where we come to talk about this crazy and potential-filled time in our lives. This is not a midlife crisis. It is a midlife arising!”
2015 Jennifer DeLucia, Ph.D. hosted an interactive discussion titled, “The Art of Connection: Building Community, Art Action & Praxis” at the Society for the Psychological Study of Social Issues 2022 conference in San Juan, Puerto Rico.
2015 Anna Olson was invited to serve on the board of the Greater Milwaukee chapter of the American Payroll Association.
2016 Natalie Akins recently started a full-time position as a creative arts therapist at the Harry S. Truman Memorial Veterans Hospital in Columbia, Mo. Additionally, Natalie is the owner of her own private practice, Creative Courage Studio, LLC, which she founded in 2019.
2016 Berenice Bahena Jurado joined the Mount Mary admissions team as an advisor.
2017 Laura (Ashworth) Barritt was recently promoted to food service assistant director for the Elmbrook School District.
2017 Tricia (Hohnl) Dobrient was promoted to director of advising and new student experience at Saint Mary’s University in Minnesota.
Recent graduate Catherine Starosta ’22 received the 2022 Emerging Professional of the Year Award from the Wisconsin chapter of the American Society of Interior Designers.
“The ability to hold this title is a monumental honor,” Starosta shared on LinkedIn. “I am and will continue to be a proud active member of the design community and industry advocate!”
2017 Cassandra Kaminski has joined UnitedHealth Group’s Optum Serve as an operational process business consultant. She also recently celebrated her engagement to her partner of 6 years.
2017 Sheniqua Norman was promoted to accounts payable lead with Milwaukee Tool.
2017 Maria Perez began a new role as youth care coordinator at Wisconsin Community Services.
2019/2022 Shelby (Fritz) Washburn was married June in 2022.
2020 Kylie Flores was recently welcomed to the Zimmerman Architectural Studio as an interior design technician.
2020 Alison (Bubloni) Voss was recognized as a nominee for the Junior NBA Coach of the Year from the Milwaukee Bucks organization; she is fourth grade teacher with MPS.
2021 Daeja Hollins was welcomed to Foley & Lardner as a marketing technology coordinator.
2021 Kristin Hardwick opened a storefront located in Delavan, WI. The eponymous shop offers custom garment requests, alterations and embellishments. Accessories such as purses and jewelry will also be available for purchase.
2021 Diavian Lyons was welcomed to TEMPO Milwaukee as their office operations manager, following her internship with the organization while a student at Mount Mary.
2021 Cassandra Collins joined Godfrey & Khan as a trust accountant in April 2022.
2022 Rosa Isela Luna-Garcia will continue to support fellow Grace Scholars as an admissions counselor and Grace Scholar liaison at Mount Mary University.
from page 14
challenge after challenge, so many obstacles. Their conditions often arise from injustices and inequities. Often the poor in our society are blamed for their situations and devalued as human beings. I used to get so frustrated at what seemed to be a general lack of compassion. But often times, when people learn about the root causes of injustice, and they have an opportunity to learn about systemic inequities, and when they can encounter someone different from themselves in any way and reflect on their values and their new insights, they have both a changed heart and a sense of empowerment to change things,” Stapleton said.
“When I was a child living among people experiencing very difficult times in their lives, I wanted to change the world. Well, this is how we can change the world, by learning, loving, and doing. This is why education is so important to me, at every level and in every discipline, and why the educational philosophy of the SSNDs resonates with me. And diversity is key to this process. How can we learn anything if nothing is new to us? We need to experience and encounter newness and learn about the world through one another, with openness and curiosity, not judgment. And we all need to understand the power we each hold to make a difference. I’m hoping that I can bring a perspective to the university about what this particular school and its charism, its legacy and its goals, can give to society. This is why I love my work and Mount Mary.”
Stapleton is well aware that she has big shoes to fill. She takes over the newly consolidated position from Joan Penzenstadler, SSND, who retired earlier this year – an influential presence on the Mount Mary campus for more than 40 years.
“I know that in many ways she has really been the heart and soul of the university. I think that she and I both recognize we’re very different people and yet what we have found is that we have a lot in common. She and I both had studied theology and we had an instant connection as soon as we started talking about our research. So I really think that Sister Joan’s legacy will stay here. I can only hope that I can bring as much heart and soul and passion and love to the university that she has,” Stapleton said.
Of course, students are the center of the Mount Mary mission, and Stapleton has already begun to discover the vitality, energy and passion of the diverse group.
“The more interaction I have with students to better. That’s who we are serving. I have had the opportunity to talk with some of the students so far and they are phenomenal. They are leaders, they are impressive. I’ve been really inspired by their stories, by the leadership that they possess and how welcoming they are,” Stapleton said.
“And they’re always inviting me in and saying ‘how can we help in the mission’ and ‘let’s partner.’ ‘Whenever we have something that can further the mission, let us know how we can do it, and please come to our meetings.’ They’ve been nothing but engaged and enthusiastic, and just really inspirational to me,” she added.
While new to Milwaukee, Stapleton feels close to home. She and her husband of 25 years raised their children in the Chicago area and her two grown sons still live nearby.
“They’re thriving and they’re pretty cool. And we all love music and having fun and having engaging conversations. And they’re pretty politically active and socially conscious, so we have some really fun conversations,” she said.
From an Iowa homeless shelter to the campus of Mount Mary – Andrea Stapleton treasures her unique path. And she hopes her influence on students and the campus community will lead others on their own lifechanging journey. n
1948 Jo Ann Schowalter Loebel on 12/6/2021*
1952 Nancy Drager Korlesky on 4/21/2022
1952 Maryann Katzor on 9/20/2022
1953 Joanne Altenburg Laszewski on 2/26/2022
1953 Mary Biever Greisch on 9/3/2022
1953 Helen Shaughnessy Langhoff on 7/30/2022
1953 Betty Brahm Nieman on 5/16/2022
1954 Janet Hebein Fuhrman on 8/24/2022
1955 Geraldine Stegner n/a
1955 Rita Schweitzer, SSND on 3/15/2022
1956 Bernadette Baier Tolan on 7/6/2022
1956 Marilyn Schill Thanos on 7/29/2021
1956 Maureen Smith O’Hearn on 12/31/2021
1957 Marguerite Lemmer Desotelle on 11/2016
1957 Bridget McLaughlin Nice on 7/24/2022
1957 Rosemarie Hinner Simon on 5/14/2022
1958 Frances Aliota Peavler on 6/8/2022
1958 Elizabeth Foley n/a
1959 Monica Homolla Perchonok n/a
1960 Yvonne Borisch Costello on 8/2/2022
1960 Rose Vettese Nelson on 8/26/2022
1963 Elizabeth Beck Crivello on 7/23/2017
1965 Margaret Ruddy on 12/29/2021
1967 Katherine Plombon Wahr on 8/12/2022
1968 Marice Elvekrog, SSND on 8/19/2022
1968 Francha Barnard on 7/22/2022
1968 Nancy Papineau Jacobson on 2/17/2022
1969 Carol Kaiser on 7/18/2022
1969 Nancy Mohlke Hudson on 3/20/2021
1971 Diane Ritacca Donais on 12/22/2021
1975 Susan Peters Beier on 5/27/2022
1982 Mary Ann Dickoff on 8/12/2022
1983 Jeanne Rivard on 5/17/2019
1985 Stephanie Reigh Kircher on 7/29/2022
1987 Elaine Nadolny Lehman on 11/29/2021
1989 Maureen Pastors Gleesing on 8/17/2022
1991 Eleanore Sorensen Dwyer on 4/28/2022
1994 Patrice Bapst on 9/3/2022
1997 June Lemke on 2/27/2022
2000 Charlene Tillman-Piery on 9/09/2022
Laury Ellis on 6/30/2022
* Non degreed alumna
N/A: No death date provided
The following is a list of deaths reported to us as of October 12, 2022.
Please contact the Office of Alumnae Relations at (414) 930-3025 or mmu-alumnae@mtmary.edu to notify us of the passing of an alum.
As a newcomer to Mount Mary University, I remember feeling so proud the first time I stood among the community. Everyone was donning their new “I am Mount Mary” shirts that day – and I was among them. Given the incredibly warm reception, I already had a sense of what it meant to say, that I am part of this community.
To say “I am” is an affirmation about who a person is at that moment. One’s identity is shaped by many different things – including one’s history, experience, influences and values. All of this is our story to share. Who we are, what we do, and how we share our goodness all shape the story of the world around us, in every encounter we have.
The story of “me” is also a story of “us.” One’s story is always a part of a web of interconnected stories. This web leads us to new understandings, it moves us to places we didn’t even know about, and these new insights shape us in ways we might never have become if we had not encountered another. Some of us have experienced
times of self-awareness, when we can look at our lives and recognize the person that we have always been, while also meeting a person that we have become unexpectedly, through responses to these wonderful, surprising insights that have called us out of ourselves to experience and see the world in a different way.
To be is to become, and becoming is a lovely process of learning and growth. The School Sisters of Notre Dame have long recognized the interplay between mind and heart. Transformation of the self that occurs through this interplay of love and knowledge is the groundwork for the transformation of the world around us. The web of becoming one’s true self, then, becomes communal.
I am, I do, I give, I become … for the world.
The university community offers a fundamental role in facilitating the interplay of mind and heart … of helping us to find what we love and to learn more about it. We encounter new ideas, perspectives and lives – others’ stories that shape our stories and invite us to discover our own becoming.
With each person, the story of Mount Mary becomes something new, but also retains the integrity of what it has always been. Our story is the reflection of each person’s unique story. MMU grows with new insights, new ways of being, new ways of giving of itself, all to transform the changing world around us.
In the Catholic tradition, we often speak of having many parts which comprise one body. “I am Mount Mary” reflects the beauty of each one of us to create our shared story. A story that we take to the world to share our goodness, to live the vision of SSND education, to transform the world through the learning that is born from knowledge and love. Our story continues into the future, and is led by a vision and beautiful image given by President Cherney, “One community shaping tomorrow’s game-changers.”
We are Mount Mary, and I am honored to share in this journey of our being and our becoming.
With each person, the story of Mount Mary becomes something new, but also retains the integrity of what it has always been.
Your gift to the Student Impact Fund provides important support for students such as scholarships, counseling services, tutoring and career development.
It also enhances their experience by giving them access to highly experienced faculty, state-of-the art technology and student/institutional groups that directly address the needs of our diverse student body.
Please help students succeed and become thoughtful leaders in their communities and the world.
Thank you to our alumnae, donors and community for your continued faith in Mount Mary.
We are grateful for your commitment to creating a diverse and inclusive learning community that educates students to transform the world!
