McCutcheon ’74 Addresses the SJU Class of 2012
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456 Johnnies Join Alumni Network
Cobb
Palmquist
Liedl
Wang
Members of the Class of 2012 join more than 24,000 Saint John’s alumni. Meet four from ’12 who give us a glimpse into the variety of paths SJU graduates are pursuing, from employment in the private and not-for-profit sectors to volunteer service and graduate school.
Evan Cobb, a peace studies and psychology major from Becker, Minn., is teaching English in Cambodia in the Peace Corps. “I am excited to put these concrete skills and knowledge to use in an ever-changing and progressing world, no matter where I am,” says Cobb. William Liedl, a history and Asian studies major from Breezy Point, Minn., is enrolled in the Alliance for Catholic Education’s (ACE) Service Through Teaching Program. He’s teaching 4th grade at a Catholic school in Oklahoma and taking graduate classes at the University of Notre Dame in the summers. “I am excited to share my passion for learning and my faith with the next generation,” says Liedl. Anders Palmquist, a third-generation Johnnie from Plymouth, Minn., accepted a position as a demand forecast analyst at Best Buy Co., Inc. “For me, work is more than just a paycheck. … I look forward to learning more and contributing my skills to help the company become more efficient,” says Palmquist. Xiao Wang, a computer science and mathematics major from Shanghai, China, is in a Ph.D. program in electrical engineering at Purdue University. “I knew nothing about religion when I came to Saint John’s,” says Wang. “A monastic retreat helped me contemplate my future life path—what I want to do with my life and who I want to be.”
Michael Becker
The 2012 Saint John’s graduating class includes 430 undergraduate men and 26 School of Theology·Seminary graduates. When combined with CSB’s 460 gradutes, this year’s undergraduate graduating class is 890. SJU’s Class of 2012 hailed from 22 states and nine countries. The most popular majors were global business leadership (formerly management), biology, accounting, psychology and communication. View Commencement at http://bit.ly/2012SJUgrad
Musician and composer John McCutcheon delivered this year’s SJU Commencement address. McCutcheon, a critically acclaimed folk musician, graduated summa cum laude from SJU. He has more than 30 recordings, six Grammy nominations and has mastered a dozen traditional instruments. He was described by Johnny Cash as “the most impressive instrumentalist I’ve heard.” McCutcheon advised the graduates to use their gift of youth,
“To challenge the limits. To upend the paradigm. To revolutionize this world. You are given this gift for only a little while, so use it wisely, but use it boldly.” csbsju.edu/news 3
