Mount Mary Magazine Spring 2020

VOLUME XXX NUMBER 1 | Spring 2020

MOUNT MARY MAGAZINE

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AT THE TOUCH OF A BUTTON, THE WORLD OPENS UP

Together, we pray for hope and healing In the face of uncertainty posed by COVID-19 (the coronavirus), we remember our strength in one another, the Mount Mary community and our faith.

This prayer has been shared by the School Sisters of Notre Dame. You can find additional resources at mtmary.edu/inspiration.

Prayer during a pandemic

by S. Chris Koellhoffer, IHM

Loving God, Holy One, Your desire is for our wholeness and well-being.

We hold in tenderness and prayer the collective suffering of our world at this time.

We grieve precious lives lost and vulnerable lives threatened.

We ache for ourselves and our neighbors, standing before an uncertain future.

We pray: may love, not fear, go viral.

Inspire our leaders to discern and choose wisely, aligned with the common good.

Help us to practice social distancing and reveal to us new and creative ways to come together in spirit and in solidarity.

Call us to profound trust in your faithful presence, You, the God who does not abandon, You, the Holy One, breathing within us, breathing among us, breathing around us, in our beautiful yet wounded world.

Stay connected with us @mountmary on Facebook & Twitter and @mountmaryuniversity on Instagram.

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TABLE OF CONTENTS

TABLE 4

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CONTENTS

Virtual Reality At the touch of a button, the world opens up Making Milwaukee Ready to Work Initiatives aimed at increasing graduation rates The Right to Vote Celebrating 100 years of voting at Mount Mary

3 8 11 16 17 20 22 24 28 31 35 36

mtmary.edu

From the President Faculty Essay Leading Lady Student Spotlight Then & Now Alumnae Spotlight University Development Campus News

Online

mtmary.edu/magazine

READ: Keep up with Mount Mary’s campus response to the coronavirus at mtmary.edu/coronavirus.

HEAR: Listen to the song “Holy Ground,” with words by S. Kieran Sawyer, SSND, as referenced on page 2.

LEARN: Find all the details on Mount Mary’s 2019-2025 Strategic Plan at mtmary.edu/strategicplan.

ON THE COVER:

Virtual learning opens a world of possibilities for students to take learning beyond the classroom.

Story on page 4.

Achievements & Accolades Class Notes In Memoriam Reflection

©2020 Mount Mary University Compiled by Mount Mary Office of University Marketing and Communications, Kathy Van Zeeland, Editor Contributors: Joan Hartin, Sister Joan Penzenstadler SSND, President Christine Pharr, Kou Vang, Kayla White, Office of Alumnae and Donor Relations Mount Mary University is sponsored by the School Sisters of Notre Dame.

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CAMPUS UPDATE

“‘Holy ground’ now means for me the courageous paths we’ve taken to heal, protect, minister and serve, even in the face of uncertain tomorrows.”

Kathy Van Zeeland Editor, Mount Mary Magazine Editor’s Note: I’m writing this note at the onset of the coronavirus pandemic and so far, the only certainty in the situation has been, well, uncertainty.

The borders of our world have shifted daily, making it hard to predict where we will be at the point when you are holding this magazine in your hands.

I’ve been part of Mount Mary’s emergency response team, which has met daily (sometimes even twice a day) to develop plans and communicate them to campus. Responding to the COVID-19 situation has been a test for us, how to respond to changing times in a way that aligns with the principles that have long remained our steady guide.

Though the dynamics of the situation seem ever-changing, the safety of our students and the integrity of our teaching have remained at the foundation of our decisions. Our strong sense of mission has brought us clarity because through it all, we have been guided by our commitment to accommodate the spectrum of student needs.

From housing to technology, we are adapting to providing educational experiences and conducting university business, even though we are delivering these services in a wholly different way.

The content in this issue of the Mount Mary Magazine expresses the spirit that is so present when we are together on campus and engaged in the mission of our institution.

I’ve looked forward to being able to share these exciting happenings with you. But, just as we were beginning to put together the design of this issue, our editorial team could no longer work on campus together, and we have been forced to produce this remotely.

So, in addition to the spirit that we represent through our many campus initiatives, this issue is a reminder of our calling and connectedness that continues, regardless of distance.

This truly amplifies the situation we are all living through.

Our relationships stay connected through digital means.

Our homes have become our classrooms and offices. This virus has shaken our world as we struggle to protect the most vulnerable among us.

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Kathy Van Zeeland At many special events on campus, we sing a song, “Holy Ground,” with words by S. Kieran Sawyer SSND, that is special to our community. When I’ve heard that song until now I’ve thought of the places on campus that I hold sacred. But as we spend time apart, holy ground now means for me the courageous paths we’ve taken to heal, protect, minister and serve, even in the face of uncertain tomorrows.

Kathy Van Zeeland Editor, Mount Mary Magazine

Stay informed of campus events that have been cancelled or rescheduled at mtmary.edu/coronavirus.

FROM THE PRESIDENT

FROM PRESIDENT Christine Pharr, Ph.D., President, Mount Mary University Dear Mount Mary Alumnae and Friends, Mount Mary Strategic Plan Flies Forward

Enrollment Growth

The strategic plan that was approved this past summer is moving forward at a swift pace. In fact, at times there is a dizzying amount of great work being accomplished by many engaged people! This is a brief rundown of the work being done in each of the categories of the strategic plan:

There are many projects underway including creating weekly updates for all Milwaukee Public School (MPS) counselors that document the status of MPS students who have applied to MMU, shortening the college application and using the Common Application. All this has led to over twice the number of applications to MMU for next fall that we had in fall 2019.

Facilities That Attract and Engage The SSND, Mount Mary and Milwaukee Catholic Home venture to move the Sisters to campus is progressing nicely and plans to break ground in July 2020. We are working on a plan to create nursing simulation laboratories and classrooms in the old swimming pool and locker room area for our new Bachelor of Science in Nursing program (BSN). The Alumnae Association donated $150,000 to put an elevator in the front entrance of Bergstrom Hall to make it more accessible (see page 22). All of this will happen this summer and fall. WOW, and thank you!

Academic Programs and Delivery Systems New program development includes the new BSN and Ph.D. in Counseling already approved by the Faculty Assembly and the Board of Trustees. Karen Friedlen, Ph.D., is working with the business faculty to move their programs to online as well as on-campus delivery, and to consider a new Human Resources emphasis.

The increased use of technology to deliver curriculum is gaining traction as our new virtual reality classroom is being used by multiple programs (see page 4). One example that I found to be quite realistic (as did students, I’m told) was a simulation of what it feels like to be homeless. Staff are also researching the development of high-tech digital classrooms where students from across the country could participate in real time. We plan to develop one such classroom to determine how it will meet our needs and then pursue others if this works well. We have staff on campus who are exploring e-sports, a new areas of competition that is gaining popularity across the nation with tech-savvy Gen-Z students.

Campus Culture and Wellness S. Joan Penzenstadler SSND has started a Campus Mission Committee which will engage employees and students in creating more community and more mission-building events and experiences. Sarah Olejniczak has been a tremendous help in planning the new early childhood education center as part of the joint venture with the Sisters. This center will be open to children of students and employees of the University as well as the community and should serve between 90-100 children. There is tremendous support for this venture from the campus.

Culture of Diversity and Inclusion Our D&I group has much work underway on campus. The D&I Council has created four work groups, each of which is tackling different aspects of the D&I work on campus.

For example, the “All Things HR” group has agreed to join the Higher Education Recruitment Consortium to promote equity and excellence in the higher education workforce.

The “Visibility” group has improved the webpages related to D&I, presented to campus twice and is currently conducting a campus climate survey of all employees and students on campus.

There is much more important work underway on student retention, marketing initiatives, fundraising and partnerships, to name just a few. The work to make Mount Mary a thriving community in which to learn, live and work is well underway!

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VIRTUAL

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At the touch of a button, the world opens up

Occupational Therapy

Occupational Therapy students use augmented reality technology on iPads to learn point-of-service documentation during the evaluation of a patient with an orthopedic condition.

T

he walls of the classroom are white, and so are the tables and chairs that face a large screen. Like a blank canvas, it is designed to transport students well beyond its walls using virtual reality (VR) technology.

When this classroom powers up, the world bursts to life in vivid color and three dimensions.

Located in the lower level of Notre Dame Hall near the main stairwell, Mount Mary’s virtual reality classroom was hard-wired and fully outfitted in summer 2019.

Enthusiastic faculty partnered with Mount Mary’s information technology department to explore immersive virtual reality programs and learn how to integrate VR into the classroom. Ever since, they have been re-envisioning the boundaries of the classroom and using virtual reality programs across disciplines to enrich the curriculum in many programs.

It has enabled — among many other things — chemistry students to walk through a molecule, and interior design students to fully envision rooms of their own creation.

“We have found this to be an innovative way to integrate technology in a way that helps students learn faster and retain the information longer,” said Cheryl Bailey, Ph.D., dean of the school of Natural & Health Sciences and Education.

Professors in counseling, occupational therapy, nursing, sciences, math, communications and interior design are among the early adopters on campus.

“Using this technology has helped our students see their science in a whole new way,” said Kathy Boyle, an assistant professor in the biology department.

A 2018 study at Cornell University indicated that 78% of those who participated in virtual reality learning said they would prefer virtual reality to other learning modalities.

“The immersive nature of virtual reality transforms these experiences into high-impact learning,” Bailey said. For example, when occupational therapy students study the visual and vestibular systems and strap on the headset to experience for themselves the sensation of motion sickness, they build a powerful connection between academic and experiential knowledge.

“This allows a student to immerse themselves into a situation as if they truly feel they are in that experience,” Bailey said. “That elicits a lot of emotion and that is part of the learning,” she said.

This fall, counseling students in a multicultural counseling class experienced “Becoming Homeless,” a program that immerses them in a role-playing scenario designed to let them more deeply understand the situation of poverty and homelessness.

A Stanford University study suggested that through this specific program, students became more empathetic toward the homeless, and that the empathy endured for longer than those who did not have this type of virtual experience.

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Virtual reality is opening doors for our faculty and students ... that would otherwise be too expensive or physically impossible.

Communications

-Brian Markovich, Application Specialist

Practicing presentations in virtual settings such as conference rooms and auditoriums takes the fear out of public speaking.

“If we want to impact people, we want to engage them on all levels of their person,” Bailey said.

where the stakes are much higher, whether it is in the classroom or the professional world.

While some of these experiences are awe-inspiring and produce a sense of wonderment, others are immediate and practical. Communications students this spring are using a public speaking program called Ovation.

“Giving students the ability to practice using these types of scenarios will help them in every aspect of the real world, from internships and interviews to professional presentations,” Bailey said.

Using this program, a student can select the type of public speaking environment and the size of the audience. As the student delivers her speech, the program tracks any nervous behavior and stumbles that she can fix prior to real-life delivery,

Students are using other types of virtual reality in Mount Mary classrooms as well. The physics faculty members have been using virtual reality glasses in the classroom to see views of the earth, and the occupational therapy department

has acquired 24 iPads for augmented reality experiences that range from practicing medical charting to viewing and dissecting a virtual cadaver that is projected onto the surface of the classroom table.

“Virtual reality is opening doors for our faculty and students to have embodied experiences that would otherwise be too expensive or physically impossible,” said Brian Markovich, an application specialist in Mount Mary’s Department of Information Technology who helped facilitate the VR implementation on campus. “It’s exciting to provide our

Counseling

Through virtual simulations of losing a job and being evicted to having to sleep on a bus, counseling students build empathy to the realities of homelessness using the program, Becoming Homeless.

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faculty members the tools to innovate completely new ways of teaching.”

Mount Mary’s Jewel Scholars were among the first students to experience virtual reality. Students in this fouryear learning community for science scholars have conducted extensive research on hemoglobin, first studying diagrams on the computer and then creating 3-D models.

Some students have been studying the effects of a specific medication on hemoglobin cells, while others have compared the oxygen-carrying ability of myoglobin in large animals such as Asian elephants and sperm whales.

A virtual reality computer program called Nanome enabled them to walk through their particular molecules, giving them a chance to visualize them in a whole new way.

Sciences

“We saw things like they’re supposed to be seen,” said senior Brooke Uebersetzig, who walked into a myoglobin cell and saw, all around her, how the shape changed when bound to oxygen.

“Once we were in the molecule, it all made sense.”

Mount Mary’s virtual reality classroom was funded with a generous donation by the Retirement Research Foundation in honor of Marilyn Hennessy ’54, and Cynthia LaConte ’84.

Jewel Scholars, including Diana Magana (above), made 3-D models of hemoglobin molecules, and used a virtual reality program to walk into gigantic representations of these molecules.

Interior Design

During the fall semester, the furniture design class worked with Surface Works, a table manufacturer in Oak Creek, to research and design possible new table line offerings. They used virtual reality for the final presentations.

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FACULTY ESSAY

CREATING LEADERS TO SHAPE THE FUTURE OF FASHION

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opular culture portrays a career in fashion as totally and utterly glamorous. It seems like all industry people do is drop by their Pinterest-worthy shop, say hi to their assistants, make a few decisions, shop the rest of the day, and then show up that evening on the red carpet for a celebrity-studded event.

In reality, nothing about the daily work of fashion is that magical or glamorous. It actually represents a lot of hard work done by a large number of partners who must successfully collaborate to strategize, design, source, manufacture, distribute and sell clothing for their intended customers.

The real opportunity for fashion students lies in their ability to understand and respond to the real issues of today, applying their resources and skills in a meaningful way.

Given the diverse and inclusive perspectives of our students, coupled with their ability to apply technology, I truly believe the Mount Mary fashion students of today will be the change-makers for tomorrow.

Prioritizing diversity

Our students are far ahead of the industry’s curve when it comes to the current movement toward diversity, inclusion and self-acceptance in fashion.

Mount Mary’s fashion show has been praised for the range of sizes, shapes and colors represented on our runway. Our students are already thinking about the wants and needs of those who don’t fit neatly within the narrow image guardrails the fashion industry has dictated for so many years. I am inspired by the innovative ideas students develop when they think about the needs of the differently-abled, women in STEM, the elderly, those who identify as non-binary or those who seek modest options.

Once students begin to view apparel as a viable solution for a real problem — whether that ‘problem’ is finding a pretty dress for a wedding or designing comfortable jeans that allow a wheelchair-bound child to dress like their peers — the work becomes more meaningful and important. They understand that fashion is social justice in action.

Utilizing technology

Mount Mary’s fashion program still teaches all the fundamental skills and understanding that is required to work in the industry, but technology has radically changed how students do this work.

For example, hardly anyone does fashion illustrations by hand today, but designers must still learn how to clearly and visually communicate their ideas, whether they are sketching on the back of a napkin, drawing

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FACULTY ESSAY

Ashley Brooks

Celebrity designers and social media influencers have skewed the public’s impression of fashion. Ashley Brooks explains how her students learn what really matters.

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FACULTY ESSAY a technical flat in Adobe Illustrator, or rendering a fit sample in 3D with complex software.

Applying creativity to solve problems

Given my industry background and experience in hiring young talent, I understand Mount Mary’s Creative Campus initiative from the perspective of workforce readiness.

Industry-specific technology evolves and new developments emerge faster than anyone can keep pace. We train our students on the hardware and software that make work today more efficient and seamless, but that doesn’t guarantee that knowledge will still be relevant in the future.

The Creative Campus prepares students for a rapidly changing world. Years from now, the software and the interfaces will all look different, but the need for flexible critical thinkers and solution-oriented problem solvers will remain.

Supporting the local talent pipeline

We are very fortunate that the Milwaukee area is home to a sizeable and diverse grouping of apparel industry companies and we want Mount Mary’s fashion department to remain a critical link in our local apparel ecosystem.

To accomplish our goal of being known as the region’s go-to hub for quality fashion candidates, Donna Ricco and I have prioritized getting out into our community, meeting these varied players and learning about the many businesses and opportunities that exist right here in our own back yard.

We are directly engaging our fashion alumnae through surveys and a Fashion Advisory Board to gain feedback and insights on their own Mount Mary fashion education as well as what they’ve learned along the way in their fashion and retail careers. Our program must stay connected, informed and maintain our strong bonds with area business.

Building a sustainable future

The fashion leaders of tomorrow will ultimately steward the cleanup of the environmental mess that decades of industrialization has generated.

They will create circular systems, solve how to recycle blended fibers, expand on sustainable crop growth initiatives and utilize new eco-friendly textile materials in the products they design and select for their stores.

They will apply digital printing and 3D rendering to replace the materials, labor and pollution involved in generating waves of physical samples.

They will use zero-waste methods of patternmaking and design to maximize new textiles and their application to apparel.

They will determine how to market and retail new products made from these unfamiliar resources so that they are just as appealing, or more appealing, than current offerings.

The next generation must be ready to lead the change.

Learning to lead, ready to evolve

While the news would have you believe that retail is dying — in reality, it is just changing. We haven’t stopped shopping, we are just shopping in different ways.

There is plenty of room for revolution as our global culture evolves and customer priorities shift. Today’s apparel industry is wide open and ripe for the innovation and fresh thinking that our graduates will take with them and continually develop throughout their careers.

Ashley Brooks is the chair of the fashion department at Mount Mary.

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LEADING L Nan Metz MEET THE LEADING LADY BEHIND MOUNT MARY’S STUDY ABROAD PROGRAMS

ADY zger

LEADING LADY

As a teacher, world traveler, trained counselor and director of international studies, Nan Metzger draws on a variety of experiences and skills to enrich students’ academic journeys through study abroad programs.

About one in five Mount Mary students study abroad, a number that continues to grow thanks to her positive attitude, extensive knowledge and ongoing support. This number is significantly higher than the national rate of 8-9% of undergraduate students who study abroad, according to the Open Doors Report.

Metzger returned from Costa Rica in January, where she led a group of 16 students over the winter break that focused on environmental topics and sustainable practices. During this study abroad program, she cotaught a literature course that prompted students to apply their firsthand experiences and knowledge of environmental issues to the study of literature and nature writing.

Of the Mount Mary students who study abroad, the vast majority—85%— do so on short-term, faculty-led programs like this one. Mount Mary’s most recent study abroad programs included this Costa Rica trip and another to Rome, Italy.

Other students commit to spend longer amounts of time or choose alternate destinations and may choose to study or intern abroad over the summer or for a semester-length program. Metzger assists them in identifying programs that meet their academic and professional goals and fit their budgets.

As the world deals with the urgent crisis caused by the coronavirus (COVID-19), Metzger is focused on ensuring the safety of students and alumnae, and is eager to support initiatives that broaden multicultural understanding.

Study abroad can be an investment that pays a variety of dividends, essential skills that employers are looking for such as cultural sensitivity and awareness, problem solving and working as a team.

“While studying abroad, I enhanced skills such as adaptability, resilience, networking, and how to navigate new experiences,” Shantae Chapman ‘14 said. Chapman studied abroad in Rome and Costa Rica while at Mount Mary. As a student, she managed a Starbucks Cafe. During her Costa Rica experience, she visited one of the suppliers of Starbucks coffee.

After graduation, she moved to Seattle to become a senior operations analyst at the Starbucks headquarters. “My study abroad experience contributed significantly in securing that position,” she said.

Metzger frequently hosts workshops on scholarships and opportunities and works one-on-one with students to find and apply for funding and programs. Since finances often determine whether or not someone can study abroad, she does her best to help students find affordable options.

Since 2012, a total of 22 Mount Mary students have been recipients of the prestigious Benjamin A. Gilman International Scholarship, receiving $82,000 to date. The Gilman Scholarship helps students, particularly first-generation college students and students from underrepresented populations, to study abroad.

“Students often come back and say to future participants, ‘find a way; don’t let anything hold you back,’” she said.

And thanks to Metzger’s service for the past decade, students are able to overcome those barriers and find a way to make study abroad possible.

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MAKING MILWAUKEE READY TO WORK New campus initiatives align with regional efforts to increase college graduation rates Part 1 of 2 Plugging the leaks in Milwaukee’s talent pipeline is an effort being waged across the region, and Mount Mary is engaging in community initiatives and developing strategies within the institution to support more students.

In fall, Mount Mary and 17 other public and private universities, along with a network of private industries and foundations, announced a new Higher Education Regional Alliance (HERA). The group pledges to be responsive to the future needs of the region’s industries and create strategies that ensure success for all students.

This story, the first of a two-part series, focuses upon Mount Mary’s Momentum Year, and other initiatives designed to support HERA’s first goal, to increase college completion.

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Building Milwaukee’s talent The problem that begins with a low rate of college completion extends into the workplace. For example, 75% of the members of the Wisconsin Manufacturers & Commerce reported being unable to attract and retain talented employees, particularly employers in the seven-county metro Milwaukee region known as M7.

The HERA group has set about leveraging the resources and coordinating the efforts of all the two- and four-year institutions in the region. Together, these institutions hold 150,000 students who could funnel into Milwaukee’s talent pipeline.

This regional initiative has generated national support. Complete College America, a group that advocates

HERA

Higher Education Regional Alliance educating students to become an innovative and nimble workforce that meets the needs of the region’s industries

Mount Mary’s Momentum Year

increase college completion

for institutional change to address barriers to college completion, has identified HERA as one of three most promising initiatives in the nation and is supporting HERA with training and other measures of support.

Understanding the difference between full-time and on-time Over the past 20 years, an estimated 31 million individuals in the U.S. have enrolled in college but have left without obtaining their degree.

Part of the problem in degree attainment involves a misperception about the amount of time it can take to complete the degree, along with strategies to sequence it correctly. Initiatives such as the Momentum Year, which Mount Mary has adapted, aim to address this disconnect: •

According to federal financial aid guidelines, a credit load of as few as 12 credits per semester is considered full-time.

•

At 12 credit hours per semester, a student would need 10 semesters, or five years, to graduate.

•

The cost of extra time for one year (including cost for attendance, lost wages benefits and lost time for compounding interest) equals $155,000.

•

If a student spends two extra years, the cost rises to $298,000.

•

Students need 30 credits per year to complete college on time. Studies show that if students take 30 credits or more, their likelihood of graduation increases 5 percent over those students taking fewer credits.

•

This spring, Mount Mary is reducing the number of elective credits necessary for a four-year degree from 128 to 120, making the goal of graduation even more attainable.

As this issue is addressed regionally, Mount Mary administrators and faculty are launching new strategies within the institution for streamlining the pathways that support the student journey.

“We have focused by creating a structure around practices that best support our students, and that connect to our region’s larger focus of building a workforce that is educationally equipped to meet the needs of the future,” said Mount Mary President Christine Pharr, Ph.D. Pharr is also an active member of the HERA regional leadership team.

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We have focused on creating a structure around practices that best support our students, and that connect to our region’s larger focus of building a workforce that is educationally equipped to meet the needs of the future.

Mount Mary President Christine Pharr, Ph.D.

Increasing college completion Mount Mary has a goal of increasing the rate of college completion by assessing practices already in place and developing the Momentum Year initiative, a framework that connects strategies of support.

Giving students a solid sense of academic direction helps them start strong, and the Momentum Year provides students with specific deliverables. These practices include proactive academic advising, electronic four-year academic planning, a courseload of 30 credits per year, the completion of gateway math and English classes, and early academic and social support.

To successfully complete college, Mount Mary students have long benefitted from academic and social support from their first days on campus, particularly through programs such as Grace Scholars and the Promise Program, and the retention and completion figures for these programs reflect the success of these practices.

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Mount Mary has recently been recognized for this success. In U.S. News and World Report’s 2020 Best Colleges report, Mount Mary was the top-rated private institution in Wisconsin and #33 among colleges in the Midwest for social mobility.

Social mobility, a new ranking for U.S. News and World Report, measures how well schools graduated students who received federal Pell Grants (those typically coming from households whose family incomes are less than $50,000 annually).

Launching the Momentum Year Moving forward, the Momentum Year will extend these measures of support to all students. Building early momentum will enable students to meet key first-year benchmarks. While our Grace, Promise and Title III programs provide support to groups of students, the new Momentum Year connects with a host of new initiatives that support students campus-wide.

An interesting facet of the Momentum Year will be encouraging undecided students to declare a “meta major,” a category of interest (see sidebar) so they can start taking classes that will count toward their major as early as possible.

“This challenge is too large for any one university or college to solve alone, so we are working together. We know that education impacts more than individual lives; it can change the trajectory of our entire region.”

Southeastern Wisconsin’s Higher Education Regional Alliance (HERA)

Students who were not being served by the Promise and Grace programs who needed developmental education were not faring as well, said Vice President for Academic Affairs Karen Friedlen. But, as of October 2018, Mount Mary has received Title III funding, which has extending the same types of support services provided to Grace and Promise students to an additional 179 students, or 27 percent of the student population.

Bundling these strategies together will create a process for what Mount Mary does best, said Vice President for Student Affairs Sarah Olejniczak.

“As an institution, Mount Mary excels at being responsive to a variety of student circumstances,” Olejniczak said.

“This deep level of support from Complete College America allows us to implement strategies in the way we do best – through student-centered, equity-based design.”

This fall, in a move designed to support efforts toward college completion, Mount Mary’s Faculty Assembly voted to reduce the number of credits needed to graduate from 128 to 120.

This puts Mount Mary in greater alignment with institutions in the area, making it easier to transfer here.

UW institutions require 120 credits to graduate, and tech colleges require 60 credits. Half of the 24 members of the WAICU college consortium require 120 credits as well. This does not represent a decrease in the quality of education since the general education core, the foundation of our majors, has not been changed.

This credit reduction will not affect the price of college for students, as full-time tuition (which can be anywhere from 12 to 18 credits) is fixed per semester.

“Our SSND mission calls us to build equity through education,” said Vice President for Mission and Identity S. Joan Penzenstadler. “Even in our efforts to channel students into our region’s talent pipeline, we are carrying forward their legacy, and ensuring a better future.”

Coming in Part 2: HERA’s other two goals for the metro Milwaukee region involve aligning educational programs with the needs of a rapidly changing economy; and building a talent bridge between colleges, universities and regional employers.

In the next issue, read how Mount Mary is ensuring that student skills meet employer needs.

The Momentum Year at a Glance Mount Mary’s Momentum Year is a framework that brings together a network of student success strategies for a strong start, with the overall goal of timely college completion: ACADEMIC SUPPORT: •

Establish learning communities with strong peer support, such as the Compass Program for undecided students.

•

Implement early alert intervention and proactive outreach to students.

META MAJOR PATHWAYS: •

Ask undecided students to identify a general field of study (natural and health sciences; education; humanities and social sciences; art and design; and business) to ensure their classes count toward their appropriate major

MATH AND ENGLISH REQUIREMENTS: •

Ensure students are taking math and English classes in their first year that are relevant to their major.

•

Structure co-requisite support, which enables students to take developmental classes alongside their college-level classes. All of these classes are credit-generating and count toward graduation.

SOCIAL SUPPORT: •

Increase community partnerships and access to resources.

•

Offer emergency aid to reduce the financial impact of unexpected barriers.

ADVISING AND ACADEMIC MAPPING: •

Counsel students to take 30 credits per year in the form of semester-long classes, summer classes and winter break classes in January known as “J-Term.”

•

Create four-year plans for every program of study to guide students through their four-year journey.

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STUDENT SPOTLIGHT Taylor Robinson is a first-year student at Mount Mary and is part of the first group to go through the Compass Year. She describes her experiences here.

FROM UNDECIDED

To Unstoppable Q WHY DID YOU CHOOSE MOUNT MARY?

I came from Divine Savior Holy Angels High School, and the atmosphere of strong, educated women all accomplishing their goals inspires me to aim for higher goals.

Also, Mount Mary was the only school that offered a program specifically for undecided majors. I had no idea what I wanted to do, or who I wanted to become, but I knew that college is where I wanted to be.

Q WHY DID YOU CHOOSE TO BE A PART

OF THE COMPASS YEAR PROGRAM?

The program offered me the opportunity to graduate on time without having to rush into any major. I also liked that students who were part of Compass Year started school earlier than the rest of the students.

This helped us get familiar with the staff and each other and get a deeper understanding of the program.

Q HOW HAS COMPASS YEAR PROGRAMMING

HELPED YOU DECLARE YOUR MAJOR?

When we took our first personality quiz I discovered I was a “Campaigner,” someone who is charming, independent, energetic and compassionate. As I explored the results, I saw careers ranging from counseling and politics to journalism and psychology. We continued to take these types of assessments and test after test, I saw a reoccurring pattern of psychology.

As I did more extensive research of different job opportunities in the psychology field, and participated in presentations

Robinson 16

from guest speakers, I grew closer to making my decision.

At the end of the semester, we were all assigned a graduate student mentor.

Graduate student Katrina Williams and I connected instantly because of our similar backgrounds and beliefs. Halfway through the conversation she said, “You have the heart, determination and skills it takes to be a psychologist. I think psychology would be a great match for you.” It was then that I knew psychology was the path for me.

Q WERE THERE ANY OTHER FACTORS IN YOUR CHOICE

OF MAJOR?

Another factor in my choice of major was my work-study job in the Marketing Department. I have learned that psychology and marketing go hand and hand. When we are brainstorming ideas for our social media posts, creating videos or various campaigns, our primary focus is our audience.

A degree in psychology will give me an advantage in better understanding what makes people want to watch certain things, what makes people click on an ad, or even what color palette would result in different emotions.

Q WHAT IS ONE PIECE OF ADVICE YOU’D TELL FUTURE

MOUNT MARY STUDENTS WHO ARE UNDECIDED?

It is okay to be undecided. I promise you, even if you do not know what you want to do now, there is plenty of time.

Do not pick a major because you feel pressured to decide right after graduation.

The Compass Year can help you explore different options while learning more about your values and your ideal future.

It’s helped me, and I believe it can help you, too.

THEN & NOW

THEN & NOW

Campus has always tapped into technology to learn languages In 1958, a new language lab was installed on the Mount Mary campus, and the process of learning a world language was transformed.

Previously located beneath the theater lobby in Kostka Hall, the lab featured a control room, a 500+ tape-disc library and 21 private booths with individual audio channels. It was state-of-the-art technology at the time that enabled professors to send out six different lessons, across French, Spanish and German, simultaneously.

Students could also learn by watching movies on the projector screen in the front of the lab from their glass-enclosed booths. The language lab even featured soundproof recording studios, enabling the students and professors to record their own tapes.

The language lab was used for over four decades. And then in the 1990s a new technology arrived — the internet.

The internet has provided unlimited access to a variety of language-learning tools, and Spanish professors Mary Ellen Kohn-Buday, Ph.D, and Jason Meyler, Ph.D, are using this new technology in creative and innovative ways. Both professors use a range of websites and videos, including TED-style talks, podcasts and films, to help their students take learning beyond the book, their classroom and most often, the country. Students have even been tasked with recording their own videos and uploading them online, where they can practice speaking Spanish and learn from one another.

As the Latinx population continues to grow on Mount Mary’s campus, at least half of the students in Meyler’s

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and Kohn-Buday’s Spanish classes are heritage speakers. There is a mutual learning that takes place in the classroom between bilingual and second-language learners, and the Internet aids in that learning.

“The bilingual students mentor non-heritage speakers while practicing how to be articulate and clear.” says Kohn-Buday. “All students learn that every individual has a different way of speaking.”

Studying the dialects across the 22 Spanish-speaking countries worldwide is even easier today and is a priority in every Spanish class. Students create a variety of projects on their global research, from PowerPoint presentations to mock infomercials. In the process, bilingual students have found a deepened sense of pride in their heritage as they share with the class, where speaking their first language is encouraged and welcomed.

Modern students now have unparalleled access to the past thanks to the internet. Students can study historical texts in depth online, frame by frame, such as Aztec codices, dating as far back as the early 1500s. These manuscripts were typically made from natural materials that mostly consist of images, and students recreate their own versions of these historical texts to deepen their study of the history of the Spanish language further.

Looking ahead, both Kohn-Buday and Meyler expect several of their Spanish courses will be taught in a hybrid method, featuring a blend of online and in-person classes.

“Technology is never-ending, and we are able to incorporate the best of what’s available to us,” Meyler says.

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THECelebrating RIGHT TO VOTE: 100 years 2020 marks the 100th anniversary of the passing of the 19th Amendment, granting women’s right to vote. As we celebrate this landmark milestone, we reflect back on the women of Mount Mary exercising their right to vote— from the early years within the School Sisters of Notre Dame to the students of today.

1920-1940

1919

January 5, 1919 PERMISSION TO BREAK THE RULES

June 4, 1919 THE RIGHT TO VOTE After 70 years of dedicated action by the suffragists and their supporters, women were finally granted the right to vote.

Though its passing was a momentous cause for celebration, the amendment did not give voting rights to all women.

Women of color, immigrants and lower income women were often deterred from voting by laws and social pressure.

November 2, 1920 THE FIRST VOTE On November 2, 1920, more than eight million American women, including the School Sisters of Notre Dame, voted for the first time. Sisters made note of the milestone event in various house chronicles. A Sister at St. Michael, Minnesota wrote: “On Poor Soul’s Day the six Sisters went to the Town Hall for the first time to cast our votes.”

In the early years of the School Sisters of Notre Dame, the sisters were required to follow the rules of enclosure to be secluded from the outside world. Sisters were not permitted to leave the convent except to attend church or school.

On January 5, 1919, Mother Mary Bruno wrote a letter to the Sisters, granting permission to break the rules of enclosure in order to vote. She wrote: “Concerning the election, we are informing you, that for going to the polls, religious are dispensed from the enclosure and may wear secular clothes, if that seems advisable.” Mother Mary Bruno also dictated that the Superior of each house “make sure that all Sisters are well informed about the procedure of voting and which ballot to hand in.”

Women casting their votes in New York City, c. 1920s.

Suffragettes hold a jubilee celebrating their victory after the passing of the 19th Amendment.

Bettmann Archive/Getty Images

June 10, 1919 WISCONSIN RATIFIES 19TH AMENDMENT Wisconsin and Michigan are the first states to ratify the 19th Amendment.

Governor John J. Blaine (left) shakes the hand of a Mabel Raef Putnam surrounded by other women who have come to see the governor sign the Women’s Rights Bill in front of the Wisconsin State Capitol.

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1940s STAYING EDUCATED AND INFORMED Mount Mary students were actively involved in politics and world affairs.

Students in the history fraternity, Phi Alpha Theta and International Relations Club worked to bring political speakers to campus to inform and educate students.

Class delegates often attended local political conventions.

2000-today Ike and Mamie—Joan Berg and Margaret Volpano—campaigning for votes in a mock on-campus motorcade.

1950-1970

1950s PARTICIPATING IN POLITICS ON CAMPUS “College students are no longer standing outside the realm of politics, but are advancing within, so as to prepare themselves for post-college days.”

–The Times, Mount Mary’s student-run newspaper, 1952

1980-1990

1980-90s DETERMINED TO VOTE Concerned students continue to exercise their right, decades after women cast their votes for the first time in the United States.

Continuing the efforts from the previous decade, the International Relations Club was a non-partisan group on campus that served as a mediator between political parties and the students. The club provided information to students, secured rides and provided work for members and non-members who wanted to support a candidate. The club also organized speaking events with local, state and national election nominees.

Sparkman and Stevenson portrayed by Marge Whalen and Lou Naponiello during the Democratic Rally held in the gym.

1960-70s FUTURE LEADERS OF AMERICA “A frequent comment made by men is that ‘women are great wives and mothers but have no interest in civic or political matters.’ Will the husbands and relatives of the present student body be able to make similar claims? We are the future rulers and leaders of America.”

–The Times, 1968 Mount Mary students actively participated in political campaigns by working for candidates on campus and at local campaign offices. Students participated in a variety of duties such as stuffing envelopes, making phone calls and general office work.

2000s to today HONORING THE PAST, PREPARING FOR THE FUTURE In 2016, Mount Mary students helped to inspire a commitment to voting by staging “pollposals,” and formally asking one another to vote. Inspiration for the event came from #CosmosVotes campaign where celebrities asked each other to vote. Shuttles were provided to the local polling places. Their efforts were featured in the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel.

To celebrate and commemorate the 100-year anniversary of the 19th Amendment this year, students are participating in a variety of projects and activities across campus. For example, fashion design students are studying the style of the Suffragettes to create modern looks that are inspired by their history or current women’s movements. Other activities planned for the year include an election-themed bingo game, educational presentations on voting, and guest speakers and panel events, such as the Women and Power event that was held in fall 2019.

In September 2020, Nilofer Merchant will provide the keynote for the Women’s Leadership Institute’s Voices of Leadership event on her message of “Onlyness”—that spot in the world in which only you stand, a function of your distinct history and experiences, visions and hopes. Her message will inspire us to find our purpose, mobilize a community around that purpose and make scalable change not unlike women’s suffrage, African American women’s suffrage, and the #MeToo movement.

Tickets are available at mtmary.edu/vol.

OCTOBER 2020 We will welcome Eleanor Clift, a political journalist and author of Founding Sisters and the Nineteenth Amendment, as part of the Woodrow Wilson Visiting Fellows program and Women’s Leadership Institute to share her experiences and inspire students to vote in the upcoming election.

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ALUMNAE SPOTLIGHT

FOR THIS ALUM, PIZZA AND RESEARCH PAIR WELL TOGETHER It all happened so quickly. Emily Boutcher ’18, had intended to study dietetics when she transferred to Mount Mary in 2016. She had not been here long when she learned about food science, a new program at the time.

She made the switch, became one of the university’s first food science graduates and is now leading a number of taste testing experiments for Palermo’s Pizza.

As a student, Boutcher worked as an intern at Palermo’s and returned to the company shortly after graduation.

She is now a quality assurance specialist, addressing customer concerns and analyzing data trends for quality control.

Her familiarity with the sensory testing lab at Mount Mary gave her the experience she currently needs to conduct taste tests for the company. Her tests involve pinpointing consumer preferences to determine just the right qualities of pizza crust, including color; proper browning, called “toast points;” aroma; texture and bite; aftertaste and, of course, flavor.

“Food science had me hooked,” she said. Because of her enthusiasm for science, particularly chemistry, she will be featured in an upcoming Mount Mary recruitment campaign geared toward students interested in science and math careers.

Even before the recruitment campaign launches, Boutcher has been helping the program gain attention.

Her supervisor,

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Amanda Blaha, recently enrolled at Mount Mary to earn her advanced degree in the university’s new Master’s in Food Science program.

In her spare time, Boutcher spends her time training as an endurance athlete, and cooking.

Her latest specialty to prepare is brisket. She enjoys both the taste and the ability to see the meat-browning process, called the Maillard reaction, take place.

“It’s so much fun to see the science behind great cooking,” she said. “Food is just so cool.”

She hopes her enthusiasm will continue to spread, particularly at Mount Mary, where a significant percentage of students (44%) are majoring in Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM) programs. This significant representation will go a long way toward achieving equity in a male-dominated field.

“There’s a place for everyone,” she said.

ALUMNAE SPOTLIGHT

DISCOVERING THE FORMULA FOR DELICIOUS

– EMILY BOUTCHER ‘18

QUALITY ASSURANCE SPECIALIST AT PALERMO’S PIZZA Food science is a key ingredient in making your pizza delicious.

I was one of the first students to graduate from the new food science program at Mount Mary University. In my career today, I design and conduct sensory taste tests and ensure high quality standards.

My knowledge of science and my passion for food inspire me to make sure your pizza is always delicious.

I’M WHAT A #MOUNTMARYSCIENTIST LOOKS LIKE

mtmary.edu/scientist SPRING 2020 | 21

BETTER ACCESSIBILITY WILL HELP WELCOME MORE TO BERGSTROM HALL

BY PAM OWENS

In 2018, 92-year-old alumna Patricia Lucas traveled from her home in Boise, Idaho, to attend her 70th class reunion.

It was a welcome homecoming for her, and one that we would like to make accessible for more alumnae in the coming years.

As you know, the number of events continues to increase on campus and the number of alums attending these activities continues to grow.

For alumnae with mobility issues, this has been a difficult proposition.

While the lovely staircase that graces

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the entrance to Bergstrom Hall is sweeping and majestic, it can be overwhelming and daunting for those attending events in our Alumnae Dining Room.

A modern glass-and-metal elevator that can whisk you to the main level without worry or stress has long been a dream for all of us who want to build a physical atmosphere that is as welcoming as the spirit we hold dear.

I’m thrilled to tell you that at the January general assembly of the Alumnae Association they showed overwhelming support of getting this project done. So much so that they

committed to donating $150,000 (from Starving Artist Show proceeds) to sponsor the cost of the elevator! We are so very grateful for their enthusiastic and generous support to quickly address this important accessibility matter.

This project is part of a much larger initiative that is integral to our future planning. Our strategic plan, “Thrive 2025: Our Plan for the Future,” was unveiled in the fall edition of the Mount Mary Magazine. This comprehensive strategic plan is in full swing and addressing a variety of areas on campus for Mount Mary to

UNIVERSITY DEVELOPMENT

These renovations in Bergstrom Hall will bring ease to many as they return to a place they love and consider home.

Patricia Lucas ‘48

not only remain strong but to be positioned for growth and strength in the decades ahead.

The elevator is part of the first phase of the Bergstrom Hall renovation plans. The other important part of this phase of the renovations is to move the dishwashing room to the kitchen area and to convert that space to new restrooms on the main floor. (How wonderful not having to go to the lower level!)

We ask all of you to consider what these renovations will mean to your fellow alums, community guests, and our students in the years to come.

“Even for someone still very connected in the Mount Mary community, I find myself over-preparing and at times, second-guessing my intent to attend events on campus,” said Barbara Dohr Muth ’62, who has been a longtime supporter of Mount Mary through the Starving Artist Show, and as past president of the Alumnae Association, legacy family of alumnae and donor.

“Depending how I feel on a given day, the challenge of steps and distant restrooms make me take pause.

I know many other alums and community visitors have the same concerns.

“The improvements to Bergstrom Hall will make a world of difference for generations of alums, prospective families, and community visitors,” Muth said.

To contribute to this project, please use the envelope in the center of this magazine or visit mtmary.edu/give. If you are giving online, type in “Bergstrom” in the comments section to direct your gift toward this project.

Our alumnae are the foundation of the future of Mount Mary University. Please help transform Bergstrom Hall today.

Pam Owens is the Vice President for Alumnae and Donor Relations.

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CAMPUS NEWS

New year, new wheels for Blue Angels Mount Mary’s athletics department recently purchased a new van, enabling them to travel to away games in comfort and style.

Just in: J-Term

NATALIE BALLETO NAMED NEW DIRECTOR OF ATHLETICS Natalie Balleto has been named Mount Mary University’s director of athletics. Balleto will continue her role as head volleyball coach and NCAA senior woman administrator at Mount Mary as well as carry on her duties as the new director of athletics.

Balleto joined Mount Mary in 2018 as the assistant director of athletics, Title IX representative, NCAA senior woman administrator and head volleyball coach. Before coming to MMU, Balleto began her collegiate coaching career at University of Wisconsin Parkside as an assistant volleyball coach.

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Mount Mary students can now study over the break between the winter and spring semesters thanks to the newly-launched J-Term. J-Term, also known as January Term, runs the first two weeks in January, and offers a mix of online, on-campus and blended courses. J-Term classes are offered at an accelerated rate and still meet for the same total minutes as standard term courses.

Both elective classes and required major courses are offered, which can help students reduce their course loads during the semester. An additional benefit is that the courses are considered a sub-term of the spring semester and therefore are a part of the spring tuition and financial aid. J-Term courses this year ranged from art, philosophy, and “Wonder Woman and Captain Marvel: The History of Female Super Heroes.”

CAMPUS NEWS

MOUNT MARY RECEIVES POSITIVE RESULTS IN NATIONAL SURVEY Every four years, Mount Mary undergraduate students are invited to participate in the National Survey of Student Engagement (NSSE). The NSSE is administered by the Indiana University School of Education, and collects information across colleges and universities about student participation in activities and programs that promote their learning and personal development. The results provide an estimate of how undergraduate

students spend their time and what they gain from attending Mount Mary. The university can then use the data to identify areas of improvement.

In the 2019 survey results, students responded positively in areas of academic challenge, experiences with faculty and campus environment. On average, students strongly agreed that the mission is widely understood, the diversity is appreciated and welcomed, and that Mount Mary places an importance on social and personal development.

Learn more at nsse.indiana.edu.

Chapel re-envisioned as a shared place of peace Christ King Chapel, located in the lower level of Notre Dame Hall, has been redesigned as a shared interfaith space that students of all backgrounds and faith traditions can enjoy. Faculty, staff and students were invited to provide name suggestions for the refreshed space and the new name was chosen out of 90 entries, many of which contained the word peace.

The new name, “Place of Peace,” named by first-year student Sophie Smetana Wagner, was revealed as part of the opening ceremony held on March 9, 2020. Several local faith leaders visited campus to bless the space and set the intention for peace and unity.

“In honor of our mission to provide development for the whole person, we opened a space that welcomes all to reflection and prayer,” said S. Joan P Penzenstadler SSND, Vice President for Mission and Identity.

“The School Sisters of Notre Dame believe that prayer brings the whole of life into focus and supports the rhythm of our lives.”

From left to right: Mount Mary President, Christine Pharr, Ph.D; Rabbi Michal Woll; Pastor John Daniels; Janan Najeeb; Pardeep Singh Kaleka.

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CAMPUS NEWS

MOUNT MARY FACULTY MEMBER TO HEAD UP GLOBAL COMMUNICATIONS FOR SCHOOL SISTERS OF NOTRE DAME

Update: S. Linda Marie arrived in Italy in early March before the COVID-19 crisis and is working from the secure international campus of the School Sisters of Notre Dame.

S. Linda Marie Bos SSND ’74, who taught history and political science at Mount Mary University for 30 years, has accepted a position in Rome, Italy, to coordinate congregational communications for the School Sisters of Notre Dame.

In this position Bos will oversee the order’s global communications plan for its 3,000 members in 34 countries. She will work in the administrative and spiritual headquarters of the order, developing communications strategies and technology platforms.

During her time at Mount Mary, Bos has been active in learning and using learning management systems and is a believer in the power of technology in bringing people together.

“In the early years I didn’t think that digital learning would ever be as effective as face-to-face classroom delivery,” she said. But after becoming conversant in videoconferencing, facilitating online discussions and utilizing digital resources, she has come to believe this form of learning brings another level of understanding.

“As an instructor I can help the student at the point where they need it,” she said. “It doesn’t have to take place in the confines of a classroom.”

Technology will become crucial in her role of creating unified messages for SSNDs in Africa, Asia, Europe, South America and the U.S. This will certainly have its challenges, she said, as not all areas of the world have equal access to technology and resources.

During her time at Mount Mary, Bos led Honors Convocation and held integral roles in presenting Mount Mary signature events including Investiture, Commencement ceremonies and Founders Day. Bos has taught courses ranging from modern Asia to 20th century European history. She has created courses of her own design, such as a class tracing the parallels between the story of Harry Potter and the rise of Nazism in Germany. As a historian and academic, Bos said this move to Rome will enable her to experience history in a completely different way.

“I won’t have to rush through history, I’ll be able to take it at my leisure,” she said.

Bos’ new position became effective in mid-March. She is currently teaching an online history course and even though she will no longer be at Mount Mary, she plans to see it through until the end of the semester.

“Because it’s online, some of the students might not even realize I’m not in Kostka Hall,” she said.

“S. Linda Marie Bos committed her time at Mount Mary University unconditionally to our students,” said Vice President for Academic Affairs Karen Friedlen, Ph.D. “She was a pioneer in online instruction and continues to be forward thinking to this day.”

Bos is eager for this experience, to be able to apply her deep commitment to education, and to understand it in context of the order’s full ministry.

“What I’ve done at Mount Mary encouraged me to say yes to this,” she said. “I’m always telling my students they need to look at things with a global perspective, so I need to act this way, too.”

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Community celebrates our founders with prayer and legacy awards Mount Mary celebrated the SSND legacy by awarding three employees with heritage medals and two students with the Mother Theresa and Mother Caroline awards at Founders Day in Februrary.

This year, the Mother Caroline Student Award went to junior Jessica Engelbrecht for her work off campus with students who are marginalized and on campus with working to develop young women as leaders. The Mother Theresa Award went to Jenia Cunningham who has worked in Trinidad and Tobago in order to pioneer the practice of neonatal occupational therapy in addition to working in a school-based setting.

The following notable employees were nominated by their colleagues and selected to receive the Heritage Awards that recognize their dedication to the mission of Mount Mary:

NEW FASHION PARTNERSHIP PROGRAM HELPS STUDENTS GAIN REAL-WORLD EXPERIENCE Last fall, Mount Mary launched its new Fashion Fellowship Program.

The program allows fashion design and merchandise management students to have access to part-time jobs in the fashion industry while earning their degrees. Students gain valuable, on-the-job skills and knowledge within the fashion industry.

ADMINISTRATION AWARD: CHERYL BAILEY, Dean of Natural & Health Sciences and Education

FACULTY AWARD: PAULA REITER, Associate Professor of English and Department Chair

STAFF AWARD: YASAMIN R. BLACKMON, Assistant Registrar

“The Fashion Fellowship is an ‘Earn and Learn’ program, where students are paid by the store/ organization while they gain knowledge, skills and experience in the Fashion industry,” said Donna Ricco ’81, Executive Fashion Fellow.

“I believe if a student has to work while in school, why not work in their area of study?”

Students can work in a variety of positions including retail sales, social media marketing, fashion show coordination, receptionist work and more.

Learn more at mtmary.edu/ fashionfellowship.

Illustration by graphic design student Indigo Cunningham ‘20.

SPRING 2020 | 27

ACHIEVEMENTS

ACCOLADES

This section highlights recent noteworthy accomplishments and awards of the Mount Mary University faculty, staff and students.

Kara Groom, Ph.D., Nursing,

Ann Angel, M.F.A., English, will contribute regular columns for “Raising Star Readers,” a regular feature in Bookology Magazine (bookologymagazine.com), an online publication for teachers and school librarians interested in learning more about books for children and teens.

Recently, Angel’s book, “Janis Joplin Rise Up Singing,” was released as an e-book and is available online.

FACULTY AND STAFF Jordan Acker Anderson, M.F.A., Art and Graphic Design, had recent

paintings juried into the 2020 Wisconsin Artists Biennial at the Museum of Wisconsin Art in West Bend, Wis., and the 40th Annual SECURA Fine Arts Exhibition at the Trout Museum of Art in Appleton, Wis.

Josh Anderson, M.F.A., Studio Art, was selected for and joined a national committee for the College Art Association (CAA) and is regularly creating podcast interviews that are shared on the CAA website.

Stephanie Beisbier, Ph.D, Occupational Therapy, co-authored

“Occupational Therapy Practice Guidelines for Children and Youth 5-21 Years,” which was accepted for publication in the American Journal of Occupational Therapy in December.

Alisa Bendickson, Human Resources, received her Master

of Science degree in Leadership and Organizational Development in December 2019 from Lakeland University.

Kristen Carioti, Ph.D., Business Administration, published the

paper “Student Loan Debt: A ProblemBased, Learning Activity for Introductory Economics Students,” in the Journal of Economic Education. The paper describes an activity she designed to show students the consequences of debt-financing their education in an economic context.

She was awarded a Mount Mary PED Talk for the activity in spring 2019.

was invited to present at the National League for Nursing Education Research Conference in March in Washington, D.C. Her presentation, “Interprofessional Socialization in Mixed Discipline and Nursing Student Only Cohorts,” focused on her research on interprofessional education.

Catherine Homan, Ph.D., Philosophy, published her first book,

“A Hermeneutics of Poetic Education: The Play of the In-Between,” in January 2020. She presented a related paper, “Poetry, Play, and the Absolute in Hölderlin and Fink,” at the annual meeting of the Society for Phenomenology and Existential Philosophy in fall.

Kari Inda, Ph.D., Occupational Therapy, published a chapter in The National Physical Therapy Exam Review & Study Guide, 2020 edition.

Sarah Olejniczak, Vice President for Student Affairs, was the keynote speaker at American Association of University Women’s February meeting.

She presented on Title IX on college campuses.

Cindy Clough, Ph.D., Occupational Therapy, published a chapter titled,

Laura Otto, M.F.A., English, was

Kara Coleman, M.B.A., Business Administration, was appointed by

Donald Rappé, Ph.D., Theology,

“Discussion-Based Instructional Methods,” in Effective Teaching: Instructional Methods and Strategies for Occupational Therapy Education.

Governor Evers to his Council on Financial Literacy. The Council is part of a proactive approach to improving financial literacy in Wisconsin and making the state the recognized national leader when it comes to promoting financial literacy.

The council met for its first session of 2020 in mid-February.

named Distinguished Magazine Adviser of the Year by College Media Advisers (CMA) at the National ACP/CMA College Media Convention in Washington, D.C. in Nov. 2019. published a review of Naim Ateek’s book, “A Palestinian Theology of Liberation: The Bible, Justice, and the Palestine-Israel Conflict,” in the Sept. 2019 issue of the International Journal on World Peace.

Paula Reiter, Ph.D., English, and Julie Tatlock, Ph.D., Justice, History and Sociology published a chapter in the “Handbook of Research on Developing Engaging Online Courses.”

CALLING ALL ALUMS! Send us your updates. Access our online form at: 28

mtmary.edu/magazine.

ACHIEVEMENTS AND ACCOLADES

STUDENTS

Jade Vue, a junior studying biology and mathematics, was named Miss Hmong USA 2020 in a ceremony in Fresno, Calif.

Theresa Abelew, Mary Jenks and Mandy Leslie were recently juried into

the 47th Annual Juried Exhibition of the UWM-Union Art Gallery. The exhibit showcases student artists from the Greater Milwaukee area and is juried by a panel of Milwaukee arts professionals.

Mary Jenks and Mandy Leslie were invited to discuss their works in a student panel in March.

The pageant is organized through the Hmong Cultural New Year Celebration (HCNYC).

She will spend the year traveling to various events around the country and serving as a representative of the group.

Vue is also a member of Mount Mary’s Jewel Scholars program, designed to expand access to STEM careers for women and underrepresented students, with the purpose of growing the talent pool of highly skilled scientists in the Milwaukee area.

Ana Andrade and Daniela Torres

were recognized for their leadership in volunteering at the Cesar Chavez Celebration in downtown Milwaukee. The two were responsible for managing the stage, where 200 performers participated in the event. It was held in March at the Marcus Center for the Performing Arts.

TOUAImage

Kathy Van Zeeland, Marketing Director, detailed the launch of the

Compass Year program this fall at the Council of Independent Colleges’ 2019 Institute for Chief Academic Officers in Baltimore, Maryland. She also participated in a panel discussion on brand loyalty at the 2019 Wisconsin Marketing Summit.

Dan Vinson, Library Director,

continues to serve on the Peer Review Board of Marketing Libraries Journal, a leading journal in the library field, and also submitted a book chapter for “The Marketing and Outreach Cookbook.”

Tuwana T. Wingfield, Ph.D. & L.C.S.W., Social Work, presented

at the 24th Annual Conference of the Society for Social Work and Research annual meeting in Washington, D.C. The panel presentation was entitled “A Matter of Trust: Research Methodologies and Designs Honoring Black Women’s Ways of Being & Knowing.” She also presented in March at the 37th Annual Baccalaureate Program Directors (BPD) Conference in Birmingham, Ala. The title of her workshop is “Learning from Our Past: Social Work Student Identity Development in Field Education.”

Arches will be receiving 14 awards from

the Wisconsin Newspaper Association in its annual collegiate awards, including six first-place awards. Arches was also honored at the WNA’s Annual Better Newspaper Convention Awards Ceremony in March.

Nancy Juarez, Pre-Law and Spanish/ Political Science, is a Grace and Promise Scholar. She is also a research intern at Hispanic Collaborative. She attended an ACLU Summer Institute program in 2019 and a pre-law summer program with the UW-Madison law school.

Noted theologian receives Black Excellence Award Shawnee Daniels-Sykes, Ph.D., Theology, a noted expert on ethics, morality and Black Catholic studies, was presented with the Black Excellence Award by The Milwaukee Times in February.

As a Catholic theological ethicist and writer, her research interests lie in beginning, middle and end of life issues, especially as these relate to institutionalized race, class and gender oppression.

“ As one of the few African-American, female bioethicists in the United States, she lends a critical perspective to issues on race and health disparities in vulnerable populations. We are grateful to have her as a tenured full professor at Mount Mary, as she is a much sought-after source of global expertise.”

— Karen Friedlen, Vice President for Academic Affairs

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ACHIEVEMENTS AND ACCOLADES

Grants in Action

GRANT-FUNDED PROGRAMMING SUPPORTS STUDENT PERSISTENCE AND RETENTION

Read how Mount Mary is currently utilizing $8.4 million funding from federal agencies and national organizations to support programs, scholarships and thriving initiatives.

The first group of Jewel Scholars graduates this May. The program is designed to expand access to STEM careers for women and underrepresented students. It is funded through a grant from the National Science Foundation.

HHMI Howard Hughes Medical Institute Inclusive Excellence Mount Mary hosted several seminars through the HHMI grant, which funds university-wide development and initiatives to $1 MILLION professional enhance inclusive excellence on campus.

In October, Harold Merton, Holocaust survivor, told his moving story about surviving concentration camps in Nazi Germany. In November, Joseph Rodriguez, Ph.D., spoke on the Latinx sociopolitical context of Milwaukee. In early March, John Hofferberth, professor of chemistry at Kenyon College, presented on how, as a fellow HHMI grant recipient, he incorporates inclusive excellence practices in his classroom.

US Department of Education Title III Strengthening Institutions

In addition to providing substantial support in English and math courses to limitedincome students and information technology $3 MILLION infrastructure across the University, the Title III grant also provides matching funds to build an endowment to support future projects that will strengthen the institution.

During the 2018-2019 program year, donors contributed $94,920 to the Title III endowment, which was matched dollar for dollar by the Title III grant. This grant continues to provide matching funds to the Title III endowment through September 2023. Donors who contribute to the Title III endowment will have their donation doubled while ensuring the future success of Mount Mary University and its students, such as the $41,000 that was matched on Giving Day 2020 (see page 35). If you would like to contribute to the Title III endowment, contact Pam Owens, Vice President for Alumnae and Donor Relations, at (414) 930-3380.

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National Science Foundation S-STEM

This semester, the Jewel Scholars are working on their research project poster presentations.

Each Scholar chooses a different area of concentration related to biology as the focus of $650 their research and, with the guidance of faculty, THOUSAND develop a poster and presentation. Scholars are working on posters to present at upcoming research conferences. The Jewel Scholars Program is funded by a grant from the National Science Foundation that provides substantial scholarships to limited-income, academically talented STEM students with the goal of boosting retention and graduation rates and diversifying the STEM workforce.

SDS Health Resources and Services Administration Scholarships for Disadvantaged Students

Since the award of this grant in 2016, Succeed Scholars have graduated from $2.6 MILLION 26 Mount Mary with a Master’s of Science in Professional Counseling.

Another six are slated to graduate this May. The SDS grant, which ends in June, provides significant financial assistance to limited-income students enrolled in MMU’s clinical mental health professional counseling graduate program.

A proposal requesting funds to continue this program has been submitted to the U.S. Health Resources & Services Administration. MMU will be notified this summer if funding is approved for the continuation of the program.

U.S. Department of Education TRIO Student Support Services

Vickie LeFlore was hired as the new Program Director for Mount Mary’s Promise Program, which provides support services to limited$1.1 MILLION income and first-generation students through a U.S. Department of Education Student Support Services Grant grant.

Vickie has more than 20 years of experience working with populations underrepresented in higher education and brings with her extensive knowledge of the Department of Education’s programs.

CLASS NOTES

CLASS NOTES 1970-1979 Eloisa Gomez ’77 presented on her book “Somos Latinas” with co-author Andrea-Teresa Arenas at the Lubar Entrepreneurship Center Atrium on the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee campus.

1980-1989 Jane Meyers Garcia ’84, O.T.R./L, wrote a case-study article entitled, “My Journey Toward Wholeness: A Comprehensive Approach to Fibromyalgia Treatment from a Therapist-Patient Perspective,” for the medical periodical Journal of Prolotherapy, Volume 2, Issue 2. This case study outlined her successful personal journey to finding wellness from debilitating pain and dysfunction.

Jane is currently a self-employed occupational therapist specializing in biofeedback and myofascial release. She married John Garcia on December 30, 2017.

Lisa Moon Jansen ’88 earned her health care interior designer certification through AAHID. She is the vice president of Zimmerman Architectural Studios, Inc. in Milwaukee.

Cynthia Dohmen La Conte ’84 was named one of four executives of the year for 2019 by the Milwaukee Business Journal. She was recognized, along with Milwaukee Bucks executive Alex Lasry, Milwaukee Mayor Tom Barrett and Congresswoman Gwen Moore, for their work on bringing the 2020 Democratic National Convention to Milwaukee.

LaConte provided a $7.5 million credit line the committee needed to secure the host-city sweepstakes.

1990-1999 Tanya Gross ’91 was promoted to the information technology service delivery manager at Trustmark in Lake Forest, Ill.

Eugenia Wuhrmann Stull ’93 started as the executive assistant for the enterprise services team at Microsoft in Issaquah, Wash.

She and her husband have lived in the Seattle area for the past 15 years.

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SPRING 2020 | 31

CLASS NOTES

Running the

EXTRA MILE(OR 135) I wasn’t attempting to win or place or do something extraordinary.

I was there to suffer and survive. This race was for me and no one else.

Annie Weiss ‘08 & ‘13 is a record-breaking distance runner who set the fastest-known time (for men or women) on the 1,200-mile Ice Age Trail across Wisconsin, completing it in 21 days, 18 hours and seven minutes.

In July 2019, Annie raced the Badwater 135, an annual race of 135 miles through the summer furnace of Death Valley, Calif.

The Badwater 135 is the most demanding and extreme running race offered anywhere in the world. Weiss is one of ~50 women to have finished the race in less than 36 hours, and one of ~200 women to have ever finished the race in its history.

Amy Dedow ’96, ’06 started as the volunteer and special events manager at Riveredge Nature Center in Saukville, Wis. Tracy Tischendorf Sinclair ’96 started as a patient service representative at Advocate Aurora Health in Oconomowoc, Wis. She received a social media manager certificate from the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee and designation as a certified marketing professional from the Convention Industry Council.

Pamela Olszewski Collicott ’99 now works as the pediatric nutrition clinical liaison at Nestle Nutrition North America.

Mary DuQuaine ’99 started as the manager for content development at ChargePoint in Campbell, Calif.

Jennifer Gruel Hoffmann ’99 started as the vice president of sales at General Sportwear in New York.

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2000-2009 Heather Tileston Franks ’01 changed positions at Steyning Grammar Day and Boarding School in Steyning, England. She taught numeracy and literacy interventions to students ages 11-13 and is now re-qualifying to teach math to students ages 11-16.

Marilka Velez ’03 was promoted to senior vice president, director of marketing services and brand management at Associated Bank in Milwaukee.

Cat Horzewski ’04 is temporarily working as the interim senior director of strategy, measurement and analysis at the Boys and Girls Clubs of Greater Milwaukee. In a few months, she will move into the role of mental health partnership project manager, which closely aligns with her volunteer endeavors and passions.

Aubri Wierzbicki ’04 now works as a scrum master at Bader Rutter in Milwaukee. She started there a year ago after working for 14 years at Kohl’s Corporation.

Andrea Thomas ’06, ’17 started as an art therapist at Healing Harmonies Music Therapy in Wauwatosa, Wis. Nicole Koshen Mandli ’08 now works as an office assistant at Kanehl Fabrication in Menomonee Falls, Wis. Lisa Wierzbinski ’08 started as a technical designer for Jumping Bean at Kohl’s Corporation in Menomonee Falls, Wis.

2010-2019 Tiffany Buell ’10 started as the administrative coordinator for Children’s Hospital of Wisconsin in Milwaukee.

CLASS NOTES

Nicole La Brie ’11 started as a graphic artist at the Milwaukee Public Museum.

Loni Foreman Rahn ’11 started as the general manager at Aramark Healthcare in San Antonio, Tex. Melissa Flores ’12 started as the senior directory of strategy and operations at the Erie Neighborhood House in Chicago. She was appointed by the governor of Illinois to serve on the Youth Budget Commission for the state of Illinois based on her expertise in youth development and fiscal accountability. In 2019, she was named Who’s Who in Hispanic Chicago and was a Surge Institute fellow.

Elizabeth Idzikowski ’12, ’17 started as a reading teacher for the West Bend School District.

Kath Leverence ’12 started as the campus integration coordinator at Jewish Family Services in Milwaukee. In May, she will graduate with a master of science in integrative studies-art therapy counseling/mass communications from Southern Illinois UniversityEdwardsville.

Laura Bavlnka ’14 began her business’s first wholesale partnership, selling hand dyed silk scarves at the Summerfest Marketplace in Milwaukee’s General Mitchell International Airport.

Megan Zeman ’12 changed positions at Kohl’s Corporation in Menomonee Falls, Wis. and now works as a designer of juniors knit tops.

Marissa Groh ’16 started as a lab assistant at ACL Laboratories in West Allis, Wis.

Nunciata Gardner ’14 started a new position as a lab technician at Prince Minerals in Milwaukee.

Rachel Eubank Miers ’16 started as the volunteer specialist at Luther Manor in Wauwatosa, Wis.

Allison Kelly ’14 changed positions at Kohl’s Corporation in Menomonee Falls, Wis. and now works as the brand positioning coordinator.

Brittany Mrochinski ’16 changed positions at Rogers Behavioral Health in Oconomowoc, Wis. and now works as a regulatory specialist.

Vanessa Villafuerte Rosas ’14, ’19 started as a psychotherapist at Sixteenth Street Community Health Centers in Milwaukee.

Tarteel Farhud ’15 started as the human resources specialist at Rush University Medical Center in Chicago.

She earned a human resources certificate from Northwestern University in 2017. She is getting married this spring.

Mary Andrus ’17 had an article, “Exhibition and Film About Miscarriage, Infertility, and Stillbirth: Art Therapy Implications,” published in the Art Therapy Journal.

Nayia Brown ’17 started as the service and experience sales support specialist at the Trunk Club in Chicago.

You showed us the love!

Two-thirds

Kerri Lukasavitz ’12 started her own business, K Lukasavitz, where she works as a writing coach and manuscript editor.

Jamie Merrill Walter ’12 started as a registered nurse at Advocate Health Care. This spring, she will be inducted into Sigma Theta Tau International. She received the World Leaders in Nursing Award for community health nursing.

Samantha Gaffney Danz ’16 had her first child, Cecelia Kelly Danz, on January 8.

16% increase

OF DONORS WERE ALUMNAE

IN DONORS (FROM 2019)

14 states

GIFTS FROM AND 1 INTERNATIONAL

* $82,103 RAISED

Thank you!

G IVING DAY | FEBRUARY 19, 2020

* Thanks to a dollar-for-dollar match from the federal government and Title III grant.

SPRING 2020 | 33

CLASS NOTES

Naima Wilder-Crawford ’18 started a new position as assistant manager at Hollister Co. in Charlotte, N.C. Tiffany Wilhelm ’18 was promoted to the director of the Bakari Residential Care Center, part of Wisconsin Community Services in Milwaukee.

Hanna Blanchard ’19 started as an early head start teacher at Penfield Children’s Center in Milwaukee.

Kendra Feld ’19 started as a family case manager at Children’s Hospital of Wisconsin in Milwaukee.

Katie Gebhard ’19 now works as a full time clinical dietitian at Aurora Health Care in Milwaukee. In April, she is getting married.

Abby Janiszewski ‘12 opened Strike Bridal Bar in Milwaukee.

After receiving her degree in fashion design from Mount Mary, she moved to NYC before moving back to Milwaukee to develop her own collection, Abby Lynn Bridal.

Samantha Cunningham ’17 started as an experiential therapist at Rogers Behavioral Health in West Allis, Wis. She is currently working on her master’s degree in art therapy at Mount Mary.

Jamie Hollins ’17 started as an administrative assistant in Mount Mary’s registrar’s office.

Krista Salentine Krogh ’17 was promoted to school-based services supervisor at Professional Services Group, Inc. in Kenosha, Wis. She is now a fully licensed professional counselor.

Christina McCanna ’17 was promoted to store manager at Dry Goods in Wauwatosa, Wis.

34

“ While I absolutely love designing and crafting my collection, there was something about working directly with a bride and seeing her face light up as she found ‘the one’ that I never wanted to give up.”

Angelique Hernandez ’19 started as a merchandise specialist at Kohl’s Corporation in Menomonee Falls, Wis.

Sarah Moran ’17 started as an outpatient therapist at Racine County Behavioral Health in Racine, Wis.

Fabiola Solano ’19 started as a member finance representative at Educators Credit Union in West Bend, Wis.

Dominique Balderas ’18 changed positions at Rogers Behavioral Health in West Allis, Wis. and now works as a behavior specialist.

Aniyah Stubblefield ’18 was promoted to library associate for the Milwaukee Public Libraries.

Kaoly Thao ’18 changed positions at Froedtert Hospital in Milwaukee and now works as a hospital discharge coordinator.

Bridgett Wilder ’18 serves her community by offering free healthy cooking classes at Milwaukee’s Walnut Way. Her “Healthy Food, Healthy Family” classes are supported by the American Cancer Society.

Brandi Michelle Kehl ’19 started as the business development coordinator at Repairers of the Breach in Milwaukee.

Naomi Chin Tial ’19 started as a youth advocate at the Hmong American Women Association in Milwaukee.

Colina Vang ’19 started as the multimedia coordinator at Manpower Group in Milwaukee.

Pang Kou Xiong ’19 started as a sexual assault victim advocate at the Hmong American Friendship Association in Milwaukee.

Emily Zambrowicz ’19 moved to southern Italy to work as an assistant knitwear designer at Looped In.

IN MEMORIAM 1944 Patricia Dohney Hutchinson on 12/14/2019

1964 Barbara Voltz on 12/17/2018

1944 Sister Frances Therese Jungwirth, SSND on 12/23/2019

1966 Sister Martin Therese Gensler, SSND on 12/13/2019

1945 Alice Keller Scherzinger on 1/27/2020

1968 Mary Moran Moze on 1/11/2020

1946 Jeanne Garvey Flyke on 1/11/2020

1980 Jane Brenk Williams on 3/12/2015

1946 Mary Ellen Hanschmann Philipp on 1/8/2020

1987 Ellen Welch on 12/28/2019

1946 Helen Jennings Reilly on 12/22/2019

1987 Marlene Forster on 10/22/2019

1947 Cecily Griffin Manion on 8/27/2019

1994 Magdalin Sutacio Lutero on 8/10/2019

1952 Joan Weller on 11/23/2019

1994 Silvia Navarro Hodlewsky on 11/18/2019

1954 Sister Regina Meyer, SSND on 2/7/2020

2016 Angela Parker on 12/14/2019

1968 Sister Jean Ford, SSND on 2/12/2020

1955 Colleen Wydeven Frassetto on 12/6/2019 1956 Sister Rita Garity, SSND on 2/6/2020

Former Faculty/Staff

1957 Jean Nield Stummer on 12/15/2019

Richard Brosio on 1/8/2016

1958 Mary Ann Hoefler Spitza on 1/5/2020

Judith Johnson on 4/12/2019

1959 Virginia Schiek Borio on 11/28/2019

Sylvia Tully on 1/11/2020

1960 Dorothy Michalak Mikol on 12/23/2015

Elaine Koepsel Zarse on 11/7/2019

1961 Beatrice Torke Funke on 10/20/2019 1962 Carol Ann Winker on 11/25/2019

Former Trustee

1963 Kathleen Weiss Wagner on 11/8/2019

John Jacobus on 12/18/2019

1964 Catherine Gence Durick on 12/19/2019

SPRING 2020 | 35

REFLECTION

REFLECTION

By S. Joan Penzenstadler, SSND, Vice President for Mission and Identity

Our work with the Higher Education Regional Alliance is a vital way to make a difference in the broader community. Readying students to meet the demands of today’s work environment is something that the School Sisters of Notre Dame have done since their founding during the Industrial Revolution. Although SSND education has always been about cultivating values as well as developing minds, Mother Theresa was preeminently practical in offering the skills and providing the support that needed to accompany the underlying values.

For example, connected with the teacher-training school in Munich, she planned for model institutes: a boarding school, an industrial and holiday school for those who worked, an academy which included a high school for girls, and a day-care facility for poor children. She perceived the needs not being met and laid out a unique approach to addressing them in ways that carried love and hope and resilience. I trust that I am not being too imaginative when I suggest that not only did the young women in these SSND institutes hone their skills, they also underwent a transformation, discovering their selfworth and nurturing their interior lives.

The promise embedded in SSND education continues to promote academic excellence as well as the interiority that calls forth the best in the human spirit. This is the kind of education that transforms lives in order to transform the world, and it is not carried out just in the

36

sister joan penzenstadler classroom. As Mothers Theresa and Caroline stepped out on the Gospel in their day, so we are taking up that spirit today in our planning to build a student residence for single mothers and their children. The promise of safety, child care and the support and love of the sisters who will be living on neighboring floors in the residence offer opportunities for holistic development. Our SSND Constitution puts it like this: “We are educators in all that we are and do. We continually choose ways of living and serving that call to growth.�

Not only will that growth affect individual lives; it is our hope that the surrounding Milwaukee area will see a change. A Mount Mary education will provide women who often live in poverty a way to address their situation in empowering ways that make a difference for the entire community.

Stay Connected V olunteering with the Alumnae Association has helped me to become a fearless leader.

I wouldn’t be who I am today if I hadn’t returned home.

— Sierra Cooper ’11, President, Mount Mary University Alumnae Association

Sierra is pictured welcoming Mount Mary’s newest graduates into the Alumnae Association at Winter Commencement. All of our graduates belong to this powerful worldwide network of 15,000 strong. Get involved, stay connected and be inspired.

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