2020 Mount Marty University Magazine

/ / FALL 2020

FROM THE PRESIDENT Dear Friends, I have to admit that I got a bit teary-eyed reading this edition of the Mount Marty University Magazine. When I read about all the lives changed by the good work of our alumni and friends, my heart is filled with joy.

Joy, not surprise. For more than 80 years, many who have studied and worked at MMU have taken our outstanding Benedictine education into the world and made positive changes, large and small. Certainly, as we have become a university, added programs and built buildings, Mount Marty has evolved.

But our commitment to a high-quality education grounded in Benedictine values hasn’t changed and never will. I believe that is underscored in the following pages.

As always, thank you for your prayers and support. Please enjoy this great read!

In peace and Benedictine grace,

Marcus Long, PhD, OblOSB

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IN THIS ISSUE MMUnited Against COVID-19

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What’s in a Name?

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Returning to Campus

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A Whole New Campus

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Paying It Forward With Love

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Addams Family

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Right Place, Right Time

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In the Pursuit of Knowledge

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Alumni Weekend

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Faculty Works

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Benedictine Values in the Inner City

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From Watertown’s New Director

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Lancer Student Spotlight

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Annual Report

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Athletic Update

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Honor Roll of Donors

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Lancer Alumni Spotlight

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Class Notes

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A Lancer Abroad

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Lancer Faculty & Staff Spotlight

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IN THIS ISSUE

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MMUNITED AGAINST COVID-19 When we are united, the Mount Marty community can do anything.

On March 13, 2020, after weeks of

seeing the COVID-19 pandemic grow and spread throughout our world and nation, Mount Marty University sent our community home in what would result in remote instruction for the remainder of the semester. Although doing so was in the best interest of our health, it was disappointing to many to feel so far removed from campus.

But together we went to work, finding new ways to stay connected and engaged during the spring and summer.

We prayed together, shared stories together and continued to learn together.

Meanwhile, our staff began the arduous task of planning for the future, trying to determine how we could continue to provide the quality academic and supportive services that our university is known for during uncertain times.

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Based on the recommendations of local, state and national health care officials and organizations, we determined that it was possible to return to campus in the fall because of the strength and determination of our community to create a safe space for all to live, learn, work, play and serve.

The MMUnited plan, our fall 2020 COVID-19 campus plan, is the result of many months of work, conversation and planning. Providing detailed instructions on everything from mask expectations to social distancing and enhanced health and safety protocols, the plan calls on everyone in the MMU community to unite in order to maintain a safe semester on campus together.

Today, we are pleased to report that the plan is working. Like colleges throughout the nation, we have not been immune

to cases, but the protocols put into place for practicing daily health and wellness habits as well as isolation and quarantine are working to prevent outbreaks from spreading across our campus.

United together, we will overcome the challenges placed on us by a force beyond our control. With prayer and a commitment to our individual and community health and wellness, we are doing the best we can to keep one another safe.

To our community of students, alumni, faculty and staff, thank you for believing in us. And thank you for staying MMUnited.

RETURNING TO CAMPUS Shelby Schweitzberger C’24 writes on Lancer life during a pandemic.

Mount Marty is looking a little different

But otherwise, here on campus

Although staying in your room isn’t fun,

this year. There was a switch from college

events are still happening as normal.

everyone has been working together to

to university, the addition of a football team and, of course, many

There have been athletic and theatrical events. Monthly grocery bingo

keep each other safe. Plus, our community has been coming together to support those

accommodations for the

has also continued,

in quarantine, sliding notes under the doors

current pandemic.

and the RAs and

or running to Walmart to grab activities

campus organizations

for them to do while they wait.

This year, we are witnessing the differences caused by requirements to social distance and wear a face covering. It has

have been organizing events for students.

Laughter still fills the dorms as friends meet up after classes.

Despite the pandemic, Mount Marty feels like home. Students are bonding with each other and learning to be a better community member. This experience is not something that you can find anywhere, let alone at a

become normal for

When comparing this

college that is online. I am so glad I chose

everyone to wear a

semester to the spring,

to come to MMU; it is the perfect place

mask for an hour of class or when going through the dining line. Faculty have also been splitting their classes so half of the students are online, though they are always available to help students in need.

when students were sent home, this has been a much

for someone who wants to become a better version of themself.

more enjoyable experience and a superior learning environment.

Whenever there is a possible exposure, students have been tested and awaited results while quarantined in their rooms.

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PAYING IT FORWARD WITH LOVE Joel Schwiesow C’73 | Founder, Bridges of Hope Charity

Joel Schwiesow is a Mount Marty

success story. And he readily admits he’s had help along the way. Schwiesow and his wife, Elli, took inspiration from those past kindnesses to adopt a “pay it forward” mindset as they encounter others along life’s path.

“You can’t repay those who helped you navigate the past,” he says, “but you can, in small ways, assist those you find in your life journey.”

It was this giving mindset that led Mount Marty to bestow on Schwiesow the 2020 Distinguished Service to Church and Community Award, presented annually to a graduate who exhibits notable leadership abilities in service to their church and/or community at the local, state, regional or national level. The university could have gone even one step further in its plaudits and added “international” to the litany of endeavors from this year’s honoree.

In 2005, Schwiesow founded Bridges of Hope, a charity that operates a school and orphanage for children in Liberia, bringing education, clean water, good health care and the Gospel of Jesus to West Africa.

Schwiesow, a certified registered nurse anesthetist, has spent more than four decades in anesthesia services, a career path he began when he transferred from the University of South Dakota to Mount Marty in 1971 to earn a bachelor’s degree in nursing. “Several good things occurred in succession when I transferred,” he says. “Sister Martin ‘hired’ my wife and me as houseparents

for Corbey Hall, and Sister Norma recommended an Army scholarship to help with tuition.”

After graduation, Schwiesow entered the Army, rising to the rank of captain as he received training in anesthesia and his CRNA credentials.

He later used the GI Bill to earn a Master of Business Administration from the University of South Dakota. He is a practicing nurse anesthetist in Rapid City and is president of ANNESOL Inc., a consulting firm that offers resources for anesthesia services, management and recruiting.

The Bridges of Hope project has its roots in a mission trip Schwiesow undertook in 1999. The trip, he says, “was a real eye-opener for me.” He accompanied a fellow church member to Phebe Hospital in rural Liberia. As his companion worked to install a generator, Schwiesow checked out the hospital’s anesthesia provisions. Liberia’s prolonged civil war had left much of the country’s infrastructure in ruins. The hospital had been extensively vandalized and had no working anesthesia machine. “I was able to cobble together a working machine from the parts of three ruined units,” Schwiesow recalls, “and the young Liberian anesthesia provider was able to provide the first general anesthesia in over a year.”

While in Liberia, Schwiesow met Martin Digler, a young man who cooked, cleaned, laundered and shopped for the mission group. “When it was time to leave,” Schwiesow says, “I asked what I might do for him as he had asked for nothing. He said he would like a university education. The initial plan was to fund his education in Liberia, but I was led to bring him to Rapid City where he lived in my basement with my sons and initially attended South Dakota School of Mines & Technology.”

Digler eventually graduated from South Dakota State University and became a physician assistant, now working in a Rapid City cardiology practice.

Schwiesow learned Digler had a sister, Yanga, who had fled Liberia to a refugee camp in Ghana. Yanga came to America in 2001 and joined the Schwiesow family with her brother. She attended cosmetology school and now operates a salon in Rapid City.

Success in America did not make the Diglers forget their homeland.

Their dream to establish an orphanage and school in rural Liberia inspired Schwiesow to turn their vision into reality. By 2005, supporters had raised enough money to purchase land and build the first classrooms. Today, more than 400 students in nursery through 12th grade fill the 15-room schoolhouse every day. “A typical day will find the

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students assembled before the Liberian flag where the day begins with singing followed by the Liberian pledge of allegiance,” Schwiesow says. “Some of the students have walked many miles to get to school.”

The Bridges of Hope school program emphasizes Christian living as the only solution to improving the conditions people face in the country, Schwiesow says. “Our education committee is developing a Christ-centered cultural curriculum we hope can be duplicated in other schools and African countries.”

Liberians value education and the opportunities it may bring, he says.

“It is very interesting that a ‘developing nation’ society such as we encounter in Liberia can teach us much about hospitality, respect and dignity. We attempt to build upon that foundation in the education we impart through our efforts there.”

There are dreams for the future of Bridges of Hope, he says, including a health clinic and plans to spread an anti-corruption ethic to achieve a better society. The values of St. Benedict are apparent in the mission’s continued growth and success. More than 200 individuals and families contribute annually in support of the school, Schwiesow says; other gifts, both large and small, help build and maintain the infrastructure.

“I would say that if you recapped those values — justice, truthfulness, service, hospitality, respect and dignity — in a few words, they might be ‘a generous love,’” he says. “It is obvious to me that generosity and love founded and sustain our efforts in Liberia.”

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A HOMECOMING FOR THE HISTORY BOOKS MMU’s biggest celebration to date.

Mount Marty University’s homecoming was bigger than ever this year. In addition to the annual traditions, the addition of grand openings, theatre productions and alumni old and new made this year one that will be forever remembered.

Throughout the week, students came together to participate in activities like a mask decorating contest and gift card bingo. Royalty was also chosen, with Bryant Dvorak and Kyla Konfrst being crowned Lord and Lady Marben.

“I Hate Hamlet,” which had been postponed from the spring due to the COVID-19 campus closure, hit the stage Thursday, with students making the effort to show up at Marian Auditorium for opening night.

Lancer Athletics also took center stage, with volleyball and soccer each hosting home games.

On Friday, September 18, the annual alumni weekend kicked off. With alumni on campus, it was the perfect time to come together as a community to officially open the Ruth Donohoe First Dakota Fieldhouse. Joined by the Yankton Chamber of Commerce, Rob Stephenson of First Dakota National Bank, the Sisters of Sacred Heart Monastery and the Donohoe family, MMU cut the ribbon on a space that is going to bring so much opportunity to our campus.

The fieldhouse hosted its first official event the following morning: The Mount Marty Mile. Participants were able to run the first-ever mile on the brand new track, with proceeds benefiting our Track and Field programs.

Finally, on Saturday morning, homecoming was concluded with a commencement ceremony for the Mount Marty class of 2020, who were finally able to safely take the stage to celebrate their achievements with family and friends looking on.

Homecoming is always a time to celebrate the achievements, past and present, of an institution. This year, Mount Marty was grateful to have so much worth celebrating.

RIGHT PLACE, RIGHT TIME When the pandemic hit, two Mount Marty students refused to stay quiet at home.

Katie Mullen believes everything

happens for a reason. So when coronavirus swept the country last winter and turned everyone’s lives upside down, she and fellow MMU student Mary Kate Beseau refused to put their lives on hold. As Mount Marty transitioned to remote course delivery for all programs, the two nurse anesthesia doctoral students turned their gaze south and headed for the eye of the COVID-19 storm: New Orleans.

“God has a plan,” says Mullen, a registered nurse with three years’ ICU experience.

“I strongly believe that my previous work experiences, educational background and the timing of my education were God making me available to serve the community where help was needed.”

New Orleans was in dire need of help

by April, recording the fastest rate of COVID-19 infections in the country and a death rate more than twice that of New York City.

“We could not sit quietly and watch these cities be destroyed by a disease,” says Beseau, an RN with seven years’ ICU experience. “We wanted to help!”

Roommates and friends, Mullen and Beseau were both in the second year of Mount Marty’s nationally ranked Doctor of Nurse Anesthesia Practice program.

In the midst of clinical training in Nebraska, the two saw their clinical program suspended, both for the students’ protection and the conservation of protective gear at hospitals. The enforced inaction was hard to swallow for the experienced nurses.

“It was difficult to go from 50- to 60-hour clinical training weeks to sitting at home, wondering when I would be allowed back in the hospital,” Beseau says.

“I have a hard time sitting on my hands, and I am used to being very busy,” adds Mullen. “In New Orleans, I was able to jump into working and helping serve a community in need of ICU RNs but also able to continue studying my anesthesia coursework.”

Beseau and Mullen spent four weeks in New Orleans from early April to early May at the height of the pandemic’s first wave. They worked four 12-hour shifts each week at Ochsner Medical Center, Louisiana’s third-largest hospital, a 767-bed acute-care facility. Seven of the hospital’s 11 floors were solely dedicated to the care of COVID patients only.

“When Katie and I arrived for our first day of work in the ICU, it was a madhouse,” Beseau recalls. “I called it organized chaos. Patients were extremely sick in ways I had not seen before. The floor was large, and patients filled every room with multiple pumps and machines and medications hanging everywhere.”

The work was extremely stressful, Beseau concedes, but she found her newly gained knowledge in anesthesia training had prepared her for the experience. “They call anesthetists ‘airway experts,’ and COVID is really a disease of the airway, so I felt prepared for the challenge,” she says. “Ochsner Medical Center had an abundance of

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even more challenging when instead of updating family members at the bedside, you’re trying to call them or answer their phone calls, or set up FaceTime visits.”

Because patient families were not allowed on the COVID floors, the nurses had to get creative with communication, Beseau says. “We did our best to help them FaceTime each other, although most people were intubated and extremely ill,” she says. “We even used our own phones to help patients talk to their loved ones. I would put my phone in a clear plastic baggie, mask up to enter their room and hold my phone in front of the patient’s face so they could talk to and see their families.”

personal protection equipment, and I always felt safe and protected while working.” The staff worked on a locked floor clad in “bunny suits” that cover the entire body along with hair nets, eye shields and multiple face masks. “It was bulky and hot and tiresome,” Beseau says, “but I do not the regret the work I did for one second.”

The task before them proved daunting.

“The biggest challenge for me was seeing the number of people affected by the disease and how quickly their health deteriorated,” Beseau says. “The disease took the lives of even the young and healthy. It really showed no mercy. There were mornings when I would return to work and check on someone down the hall I had heard about, only to find they had passed overnight.”

Some days, it was a tug of war between the demands of physical care and emotional care of patients, Mullen says.

In addition to completing nursing tasks and assessments to keep ICU patients alive, nurses became the main line of communication between patients and families or families and physicians.

“Time management as an ICU nurse is always challenging and becomes

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There were no typical days on the COVID floors. “What was consistent on a daily basis was staff camaraderie,” Mullen says. “There were physicians working outside of their usual specialties, advanced practitioners back at the bedside for the first time in years, RNs without ICU experience partnered up with advanced practice RNs — and everybody working together to provide high-quality patient care. There was so much teamwork here from so many specialties and from people from all over.”

The strain was palpable, Mullen says, and no one was immune to grief.

“I patted a crying colleague on the back my second day at this facility,” she

recalls. “Obviously he didn’t know me, and when he asked, I told him where I was from. He thanked me for being there. There were many experiences I had that reassured me that I was in the place God wanted me to be.”

There were periods of respite as well. “Katie and I became very good at coping,” Beseau says. “We studied anesthesia together on our days off.

We also jogged and exercised along the levee that ran behind the medical center.

It was beautiful and tranquil. It was mid-80s in April in New Orleans, so we took full advantage of the sun.”

The two left New Orleans with their health intact and a slew of unique memories as they returned to their Mount Marty clinical training in nurse anesthesia. The experience taught Beseau that “there are good people everywhere! We met so many amazing nurses, doctors, assistants, therapists, etc. Many had come from other states or were just pulled from their desk jobs in the Ochsner hospital to be extra hands on the floor. Everyone was so helpful and willing to do anything, from simple tasks like emptying trash in a patient’s overfilled room to taking a blood sugar of a patient for an overworked nurse.

As stressful as our time was in New Orleans, I was sad to leave. We both were. We enjoyed using our new anesthesia knowledge to think through the pathophysiology of the disease together, and many nights we would stay up discussing how we could do our jobs better and heal patients faster. It was great to be thrown out of our comfort zones and help communities in need.”

For Mullen, her time in the Big Easy showed her how rapidly people can come together, work together and accomplish good things.

“Everything happens for a reason,” she says. “In life, it is important to be open to opportunities as well as to be open to taking on perceived challenges in order for us to really live out our mission.”

ALUMNI WEEKEND During homecoming week, alumni were able return to campus for the 2020 All Schools Alumni Reunion.

After the grand opening of the Ruth Donohoe First Dakota Fieldhouse, the weekend celebrations moved into full swing with an outdoor block party, complete with food trucks, inflatables, games and live music. The weekend continued with traditional events such as campus tours, alumni awards and community Mass.

Watch for more information about Homecoming and Alumni Weekend in Fall 2021!

ALUMNI AWARDS 2020 RECIPIENTS DISTINGUISHED SERVICE TO MOUNT MARTY

Mary Abbott C’98 (Top Left)

DISTINGUISHED PROFESSIONAL ACHIEVEMENT AWARD

Dr. Cecilia Rokusek C’75 (Top Right)

OUTSTANDING YOUNG ALUMNUS

Johanna (Scheich) Jablonski C’14 (Bottom Left)

DISTINGUISHED SERVICE TO CHURCH AND COMMUNITY

Joel Schwiesow C’73 (Bottom Right)

HALL OF FAME 2020 RECIPIENTS

JAMES CIMBUREK

Contributor, Supporter

ALBERT FERNANDEZ

Basketball and Baseball Athlete (1993-1997) Softball and Volleyball Coach (2005-2016)

LANDON KLOCK

Baseball and Basketball Athlete (1996-1999)

MELISSA (SCHMIDT) KOSCH

Cross Country, Track and Basketball Athlete (2001-2005)

TOM NELSON

Track Athlete (1996-2000)

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BENEDICTINE VALUES IN THE INNER CITY Saladin “Bud” Smith C’15 | Teacher and Head Coach, St. Louis A chance meeting and an open-gym game of hoops — that’s all it took for Saladin “Bud” Smith to do a 180 on his college plans back in 2010. The St. Louis native was a basketball standout at the city’s Vashon High School who also ranked at the top of his class academically. Once headed for school in Texas, a scholarship offer from then-coach Jim Thorson brought Smith to South Dakota instead and a transformative experience at The Mount.

“If I could describe the value of my education from Mount Marty, I would say life-changing,” Smith says. “My education has opened so many doors for me and has presented countless opportunities for me that ensure success for my future.”

Known as Bud Smith in his college days, the first-generation college student found success on the Lancer court and in the Mount Marty record book. A threeyear starting guard, Smith dominated the boards offensively and defensively, leading the team his senior year in points scored, blocked shots and steals.

His 1,096 career point total puts him at No. 16 on the Lancer all-time scoring list, and his 296 free throws as a 71% shooter rank No. 5 in school history. Graduating in 2015 with a degree in recreational management, Smith headed back to his hometown determined to make a difference in the lives of other youth.

“The turning point for me was realizing the impact that I could have on others,” he says. “I realized that my education could be a symbol of hope for others who come from humble beginnings like me with no role models, no idols or anyone to look up to — no one to lead the way.”

Now teaching and coaching middleschoolers in inner-city St. Louis, Smith

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says he finds himself living the values of St. Benedict every day, imparting the tenets of justice, truthfulness, service to others, hospitality, respect and dignity to his students on a day-to-day basis.

In his fifth year at a KIPPSt. Louis charter school, he teaches eighth-grade science and serves as head coach in KIPP’s Triumph Academy. Smith spends his summers coaching his old Police Athletic League basketball team, the St. Louis Enforcers, and the Youth & Family Center Redbirds, developing skills in athletes age 11 to 18.

He estimates he’s trained more than 50 athletes and counting.

Teaching at a charter public school is fun, Smith says. “The main focus of KIPP (Knowledge Is Power Program) is to provide the best education in areas for students who face many challenges — such as poverty, fewer resources, etc.

KIPP’s goal is to provide all our students with an opportunity to create a future they desire. Education is a main focus, but we also want to develop our students socially, mentally and emotionally to ensure that they can thrive in the real world. The KIPP approach aligns with Mount Marty’s strategy to support its students, meeting them where they are and ensuring their chance of success.”

Smith’s Mount Marty experience has equipped him to be a role model for students who also may be firstgeneration college material. “The main thing I teach my students and players is awareness,” he says.

“It is very important that Black and Brown students understand the world around them — inequalities, racism, etc. My students and players need to effectively recognize issues and take action, which will empower them to be successful.”

This drive for success has inspired Smith to pursue “a seat at the table,” he says.

Nearly halfway through a master’s degree in education and leadership at Grand Canyon University, he has his eye on a future in school administration.

“To really be able to influence and make a difference in my community takes higher education,” he says. “I need to put myself in a position to really help and guide others through my experiences. I plan to be a leader, maybe a principal or administrator, to be able to have input on curriculum, policies, rules, procedures and other aspects that influence a student’s education. On the sports side, having a master’s degree would allow me to coach college basketball.

“As a college head coach, I could change the lives of some students by providing scholarships to players, which pays for their academic studies,” he continues.

“I haven’t decided which road I will take, but I’m in the process of giving myself a choice. The same choice that I am creating for myself is what I want to create for my students.”

Inner-city youth face a variety of obstacles, he says. “As a coach and teacher, I can be an outlet, be available, and just support and help wherever I can. The main thing is providing space for students to express how they feel and a chance to receive a better understanding of the situation.”

He acknowledges that the year 2020 has been a painful one of reckoning for America. “Some of my students and players are faced with health, economic and racial challenges every single day of their lives, and so am I,” Smith says.

“This is real life. We have lost family members to violence and COVID-19.

We have experienced racial barriers that are not even visible and have been dealing with economic hardships every day.”

There is always hope, though, he says.

“How do we improve this situation?

We start with the youth. Mount Marty has taught me that mankind is beautiful.

No one should be judged by their appearance but by their character and actions instead. I teach my students to treat everyone with respect and keep their minds on their ultimate goals.

The main thing is staying together and supporting each other. Teaching them and supporting them allows them to deal with these issues head-on. In due time, hopefully they will learn and develop strategies to make real changes. This is the reason I do what I do. Those who are able to do so have the responsibility of making change. My hope is to build young leaders that become adult leaders and change the narrative of the inner city of St. Louis.”

AFTER SCHOOL SERVICE Savannah Sullivan C’20 | Teen Director, Yankton Boys & Girls Club

“I’m not here to give a presentation, am I?” This is how Savannah Sullivan remembers responding to the announcement that she was awarded Lead Youth Development Specialist of the Year during the Boys & Girls Club of the Northern Plains annual meeting.

Sullivan, an MMU senior education major at the time, had made the trip to Sioux Falls in January of 2020 unaware that she was even nominated for the prestigious award. All shad had been told was to prepare a presentation.

“It was a surprise to me,” says Sullivan, and it was awesome.”

Sullivan joined the Boys & Girls Club in 2016, finding it a beneficial way to gain experience related to her education. But the transition into her work with Boys & Girls Club did not prove to be easy as she encountered students with different and difficult backgrounds.

“I’ve just been so privileged thus far to be in tightknit communities where we all love each other and want to see each other succeed,” says Sullivan.

“It’s cushy, it’s lovey, I’ve been in it my entire life. I just felt selfish. I need to do something with what I have been blessed with and give it to other people. If I can be that one person [a student] can go to or feel comfortable with or make mistakes with, that’s who I want to be.”

The Boys & Girls Club has given Sullivan the experience to see the world through a different lens, one that is not at all rose-colored. Although Sullivan sought work with the organization to coordinate with her education studies, she strongly encourages others to become involved with the Boys & Girls Club, where she now works as the teen director.

“Every major can benefit from working there,” she says. “It really changed my life. I can’t see myself being who I am today without them.”

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LANCER STUDENT SPOTLIGHT MADYSON GILBERTSON / NURSING Junior nursing student Madyson Gilbertson was able to explore her passions outside of the classroom last spring while working for the Biomedical Research Infrastructure Network (BRIN). Madyson and her advisor, Dr. Diane Smith, focused their research on diabetes and obesity in Native American populations, specifically with the Santee community in Nebraska. “I have always been interested in working with underserved populations. So, I was lucky to be able to do research in community health and to work with the Native American community.” Although conducting the community-based participatory research project was hard due to effects from COVID-19, participation and findings were promising. In fact, the Santee Health & Wellness Center continues to create and enhance partnerships to achieve health by shifting from “how do you fix it” to “how do you prevent it” based on Madyson’s project. Having the opportunity to work at this level of research as an undergraduate student is not lost on Madyson. She looks forward to continuing this type of work well into her career. “Nursing research is in everything we do because we are continuously looking for the best and most promising practices and implementing them to better care for our patients,” she says.

MITCHELL LONNEMAN / PRE-MEDICINE “The Mount Marty Student Government Association has such a big impact on the MMU community.

We bring everyone together and make sure everyone’s voice is heard.” Senior Mitchell Lonneman is no stranger to leadership roles at MMU. During his time here, he has participated in BRIN research, the Lancer Pride club and men’s basketball. However, Mitchell says being president of SGA is one of the most enjoyable responsibilities he has had at The Mount thus far. Student engagement is a big part of what makes Mount Marty special, and Mitchell’s role as president of SGA allows him to really work to engage fellow Lancers and to help them leave MMU with strong leadership skills and great connections. On campus, SGA is in charge of planning activities and events, facilitating connections between students and administration, helping students get involved in organizations and providing service opportunities. Mitchell said the skills he has learned through SGA will follow him through life. “Being involved in SGA has taught me valuable lessons on how to have conversations with school administration, work with various groups of people and really establish myself as a leader on campus.”

BETSY CRUMLY / NURSING “I knew a long time ago that Mount Marty was a place I would fit in and also get the degree I wanted.”

Even though she started college during a pandemic, the transition for freshman nursing major Betsy Crumly has been great. “MMU is being very proactive about symptoms and cases, and I have felt that school is going as well as possible given what we are facing.” Betsy knew early on that she wanted to attend MMU, but she, like many other students, had to make sure the cost of attendance was affordable.

Receiving the Presidential Scholarship, one of the most prestigious scholarships awarded by the institution, allowed her to not have to worry about tuition and the stresses of how she was going to pay for college. Aside from preparing her for her dream profession, attending MMU also gave her the opportunity to join the Theatre Performing Arts Club. Betsy is thankful for the opportunity to work with the theater department. She developed a love for performing and acting in high school, and though

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she was nervous to audition, she wanted to get back to her passion. “I tried out, got a callback and then was given a part in the musical. I am excited to be on stage performing again!”

ATHLETIC UPDATE From a new fieldhouse to a new football team, Mount Marty’s athletic program is on the rise.

ARE YOU READY FOR SOME FOOTBALL? Diehard fans who just couldn’t wait until next year were treated to a sneak peek of Lancer football in October at a tailgate party and scrimmage in Yankton’s Westside Park.

Gridiron enthusiasm has been building since April 2019, when Mount Marty announced the addition of football to its varsity sports lineup. Head Coach Mike Woodley arrived that summer and has thus far assembled a staff of eight and a roster of 41 players from 10 states.

The focus of this year is preparation, Associate Head Coach John Michaletti says, with the team practicing three to four days a week and weight training four days a week. “This gives these athletes a head start on the playbook and allows them to adjust to college football,” he says. “Football is a very complex game, so we are taking this year to really break down the techniques of each position to make each individual a better player.”

Mark your calendars: The home opener against Dakota Wesleyan is set for Sept. 4, 2021, at Crane-Youngworth Field in Yankton.

MEN’S BASKETBALL RELOADS Looking for another run at top 25 NAIA action, second-year basketball coach Todd Lorensen has high expectations for the 2020-21 season.

“Our roster is bigger and deeper than in 2019-20,” Lorensen says. “For this upcoming season, we addressed some key areas through transfers and incoming freshmen who can grow and develop in our program.”

This year the team roster sports an NCAA Division I transfer, four NCAA Division II transfers and an NJCAA All-American transfer.

Lorensen electrified Lancer hoops fans in his first year at MMU, leading the team to its

COMMUNITY

first 20-win season since 2003-04. The team spent 10 consecutive weeks in the NAIA national rankings and had six wins over top 25 opponents. Four players were tapped for all-GPAC honors, and senior Chris King made third team All-American.

“The biggest factor in our success was the talent level of our roster,” Lorensen says.

“That led to a competitive environment every day in practice and ultimately improved our team and has us ready for each game.”

The Lancers tipped off the 2020-2021 season against Oak Hills Christian College on Oct. 30. GPAC play begins in November.

MMU ARCHERS AIM FOR GOLD The Lancer archery team hit the bull’s-eye this summer with the arrival of new Head Coach Vic Wunderle. The three-time Olympian is taking on his first stint as a full-time college coach at Mount Marty, drawn in part by the excellent facilities the Lancers enjoy at the NFAA Easton Yankton Archery Center — the world’s largest archery facility.

Since MMU elevated archery to a collegiate sport in 2017, team members have claimed seven individual national championships. Yet Wunderle, who won an individual silver medal and a team bronze medal at the 2000 Olympics in Sydney, is approaching his new job with no expectations for the coed program’s fourth year. The eight-time world champion will be focusing more on processes than outcomes, he says. “In my business, performance expectations can add undo pressure and anxiety to archers. We try to largely set process-based goals on things we can control. Good processes increase opportunity for good outcomes.”

student has something they can contribute toward making the team better,” he says.

“We are looking for each individual to see how much they can improve what they are adding to the team.”

Lancer archers resume competition in December and January in Yankton CHEER AND DANCE SQUADS WAGE SPIRITED CAMPAIGNS The inaugural season for Mount Marty’s competitive cheer and dance teams held lessons for the athletes that they are building on in their second year, says Head Coach Kelsey Freidel Nelson.

“We had very good numbers for a first-year program and we learned a lot along the way,” Freidel Nelson says. “I was so proud of how both teams worked to keep up with programs that have been around for years. We even placed in one of our last meets” MMU added competitive cheer and competitive dance to its sports roster in 2018, naming Freidel Nelson as coach in 2019. Mount Marty is the only school in South Dakota that offers cheer and dance as collegiate athletic sports, she says. “These kids work so hard. They have two to three sessions a week with the strength and conditioning coach and hours of practice on top of that.”

Freidel Nelson continues to build on athletes’ strengths as they ready routines for 2021 competition, focusing on skill drills, conditioning and choreography. “We’ve learned what it takes to be successful in this arena,” she says, “and the teams are ready to work hard to get there.”

Both cheer and dance teams begin their competitive seasons in January.

Wunderle sees a lot of potential on this year’s 13-member team with room for growth. “Each

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LANCER ALUMNI SPOTLIGHT

BRENDON STEELE

TAYLOR REHFELDT

CECILIA ROKUKSEK

CLASS OF 2020

CLASS OF 2019

CLASS OF 1975

Brendon Steele of Lake Mills, Iowa, took

On Aug. 18, 2020, Dr. Taylor Rehfeldt

Dr. Cecilia Rokusek is the president and CEO

advantage of the special relationship between

was honored with the Ira P. Gunn Award

of the National Czech and Slovak Museum

Lake Area Technical College and Mount

for Outstanding Professional Advocacy

and Library in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, a position

Marty, allowing him to earn his bachelor’s

by the American Association of Nurse

she has held for two years. But prior to

degree faster. “The experience transitioning

Anesthetists (AANA). Rehfeldt, an alumna

taking on this role, Rokusek’s career has

from Lake Area Tech to MMU was seamless,”

and current faculty member of the Mount

been primarily at institutions of higher

he says. “Mount Marty transferred everything

Marty University Nurse Anesthesia Program

education including, but not limited to, Mount

that I had already taken, and it helped me

in Sioux Falls, was a key individual in the

Marty, University of South Dakota and Larkin

jump start my career. Without Mount Marty’s

passing of South Dakota Senate Bill 50,

University. Rokusek has long put the value

easy to transfer process, I would have never

which expands CRNA practice in the state

of lifelong learning to work, continually

been able to be where I am today, and I will

to improve the quality of care in rural

advancing her education since she left MMU

be forever grateful that Mount Marty places

communities. The bill began as part of her

in 1975. She earned a Master of Science

students first. I conducted hours of research

doctoral project. “Senate Bill 50 was about

in human nutrition from the University of

and talking with other universities, and

our South Dakota communities and access

Nebraska-Lincoln, followed by a doctorate

Mount Marty was by far the most obvious

to health care,” says Rehfeldt. “That is what

of education with a focus on adult education

choice. They were more flexible, affordable

nurse anesthetists, at our core, are all about:

and higher education from the University of

and aligned with my goals the most closely.”

providing services to communities that

South Dakota. She has also completed post-

Brendon ended up taking an internship with

need it.” The Ira P. Gunn Award is given to

graduate work at University of Michigan-Flint,

Amazon after being found by a recruiter on

one nurse anesthetist annually who has

Bryn Mawr College and Harvard Law School.

LinkedIn. Today, he has turned that internship

worked to overcome legislative, legal or

Rokusek has served on 25 different national

into his next great adventure as a full-time

regulatory challenges to the profession.

and international boards and committees,

area operation manager with Amazon in

Nominated for the award by her friend and

including her 12-year tenure as the Slovak

Denver, Colorado. “What I look forward to

fellow Mount Marty alum Dr. Chris Bender,

Honorary Consul for Florida. Her work has

most is applying what I learned from my

Rehfeldt says she was honored to receive

been recognized by the Slovak Ministry of

education and the values I learned that are so

the award. “There are 55,000 nurse

Foreign Affairs, which honored her with the

important at Mount Marty in Watertown.”

anesthetists in the United States,

country’s silver medal in 2018. She has also

so it’s pretty cool [to win].”

received the Woodrow Wilson Outstanding Leadership Award.

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A LANCER ABROAD A Q&A with Brandon Ronning C’18 | Computed Tomography Technologist, Mayo Clinic Mount Marty University: What are you up to these days?

Brandon Ronning: For the past two years I have worked at Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota. I got a great job right out of school as a computed tomography (CT) technologist. I also passed my CT boards and have a couple more letters behind my name.

MMU: Why did you go to Abu Dhabi?

BR: Mayo Clinic partnered with the leading health care provider in the United Arab Emirates last year to open a new hospital, Sheikh Shakhbout Medical City (SSMC), in late January, but then COVID hit in March. Our team traveled to Abu Dhabi to help relieve our hardworking colleagues trying to fight the pandemic with the staff of one hospital split between two sites.

Our team consisted of 96 amazing individuals with varying backgrounds.

For the first time in history, a 15-hour flight from Rochester flew us directly to Abu Dhabi to help during the pandemic.

My main duty was to support the other CT technologists that worked at SSMC, along with helping them utilize their

machines to the fullest potential.

I helped build protocols, educate staff and work with different doctors to help the facility hopefully become the destination for medical care in the Middle East.

visiting with Lisa, Jordan and Sister Maribeth; it was always a good excuse for popcorn.

Some of my favorite professors were Dr. Chun Wu and Dr. James Sullivan. I give all my reasons for getting into such a good radiology program to Dr. Wu. She was so knowledgeable and resourceful in radiation.

Dr. Sullivan kept me in line, and his classes were a really good break from all the science courses I was taking.

MMU: What was it like being in another country during the pandemic?

BR: For the first 14 days we were quarantined to our hotel and work; that was the toughest time we had. We were there during the most holy time in Islam, Ramadan.

I grew a very large amount of respect and knowledge about the Muslim faith and their wonderful hospitality.

MMU: What are your best memories from MMU? BR: My time at MMU was some of the best years I have had. I remember joining my roommates and friends down in Cyber, which is now Benny’s Café.

We all could never forget the formal dances in downtown Yankton or the dances in the basement of Bede — those really brought us all together to have a great time! Or walking by the Raven and

MMU: How did attending Mount Marty prepare you for what you are doing now?

BR: The core values really set me up for success. Working in a hospital is showing hospitality and service 100 percent of the time. I learned that once you leave The Mount, you never stop gaining knowledge. And when they tell you in your freshman year that you’ll keep these values around wherever you go, they weren’t kidding. The community at MMU has also kept in touch and shown me that I was truly not just a number but a part of an ever-growing group of Lancer Alumni!

GIVE LIKE A LANCER ON M M U G I V I N G DAY

04.13.2021 P 2 P.O N E C A U S E .C O M / M M G I V E S

#COMMUNITY1CAUSE

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WHAT’S IN A NAME? How does an organization demonstrate commitment?

A commitment that not only pushes the organization to continue making strides forward but also serves as a community at large that ensures a promise of incredible things yet to come. At Mount Marty, recent growth in enrollment, campus size and programming was following through on a promise made at its founding to make an impact in the world, but it was the perfect time to show the world that these successes did not constitute the end of the road but a fresh new beginning.

On Jan. 29, 2020, Mount Marty announced its intention to change its name to Mount Marty University. This change, which went into effect on July 1, 2020, was approved by both the university’s Board of Trustees and the Sisters of Sacred Heart Monastery.

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This change promises to be another step forward for an 84-year old institution that has long made its impact known through a combination of liberal arts and career-oriented education steeped in the Catholic Benedictine tradition.

Sister Maribeth Wentzlaff, Prioress of Sacred Heart Monastery, says she is proud of the institution for making this historical change. “Throughout Biblical history, when a person or place is given a name change, it has significant, long-lasting ramifications. It is usually a call to assume a new role or to redefine who or what that person or place is from that point on in history.

Mount Marty University is now called to grow and excel in academics and life-long learning in a stronger way.

This new title calls the Mount Marty community to stretch to even greater academic excellence and to

be a premier Catholic higher education institution in this region and beyond.”

This is not the first time Mount Marty has changed its name to adapt to its evolving programs. The institution has also been known as Mount Marty Academy and Mount Marty Junior College before settling into its most recent name in 1951 with the introduction of four-year baccalaureate programs. After many years of continued growth and change on the campus, the institution took another step forward by adopting a name that accurately defines its offerings.

of sense to change our name to better describe who we are,” says Mount Marty President Marcus Long. “Mount Marty will continue the momentum that has defined us for the last several years at our locations in Yankton, Watertown and Sioux Falls.”

In the past few years, Mount Marty has not only been adding to its academic programming but also to its resources and culture. The university continues to make improvements to campus that promise to both provide more opportunities for students and build a stronger partnership with the community.

“Because we have and are adding outstanding graduate programs, because we are planning our first research center and because we are growing significantly in both undergraduate and graduate enrollment, it makes a lot

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A WHOLE NEW CAMPUS A new fieldhouse and residence hall reinvigorates Mount Marty’s Yankton campus.

Mount Marty has a rich tradition in preparing students for a contemporary world of work, service to the human community and personal growth. In the spirit of wellness of the mind, body and soul, MMU continues to make vital improvements to better the student experience.

A brand-new 96-bed residence hall, has been built for third- and fourth-year students. This three-story, 20,000-square-foot building is a living-learning community and offers suite-style living with partial kitchenettes and quiet learning spaces throughout. The arrangement provides a holistic transitional community for students as they make their way through the last two years of their college experience.

Right next door, the 100,000-square-foot Ruth Donohoe First Dakota Fieldhouse includes 74,000 square feet of event space with a 200-meter, eight-lane track. The 7,500-square-foot weight training and fitness facility is available to all community members. The fieldhouse provides Mount Marty with exceptional space for student activities, recreation and athletic practices and events. It offers athletes top-of-the-line features and first-rate training facilities.

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A D D A M S F A M I LY It truly was a family affair on stage for Mount Marty’s fall 2019 musical.

Family values are alive and well at

Mount Marty University. Last fall’s theater production is living proof — in a kooky, spooky, ooky sort of way.

The Addams Family Musical debuted in Marian Auditorium on Halloween of 2019, sporting a cast of students, faculty and community members.

Based on the Charles Addams cartoons that ran in The New Yorker magazine for 50 years, the quirky Addams Family characters have appeared on television, in movies and on stage. In this 2019 version of the Broadway hit, the whole gang — Gomez, Morticia, Wednesday, Pugsley, Grandma, Uncle Fester and loyal butler Lurch — gather for the annual Addams Halloween get-together in the family’s Central Park home. But there’s a twist — daughter Wednesday is all grown

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up and in love with (gasp!) a normal young man. A familial strain ran through the production, and we’re not just talking about the eccentric characters onstage.

The Stibral and Fargo families made multiple contributions to the cast of The Addams Family Musical — four Stibrals and three Fargos populated the production’s playbill.

It was a lovely happenstance, says MMU Theatre Director Andy Henrickson. “For the past few years, we have opened up our auditions to the community beyond MMU students and have enjoyed the opportunity to work with faculty and staff from the university as well as community members,” he says.

“Who would have thought a couple of young men from the community who were cast in our productions would now be enrolled at MMU?”

The Stibral family has been treading the boards in Yankton community theater for some time now. The four home-schooled siblings performed songs and skits at local churches when they were younger, says MMU sophomore Joey Stibral, but “it wasn’t until high school that I participated in a theater company.

My three younger siblings were right behind me, and those shared experiences both on and off stage helped us bond closer than ever before.”

“IT’S SPECIAL THAT THE THREE OF THEM CAN PERFORM WITH ME EVEN AS I’M AT COLLEGE.”

A nursing major at MMU, Joey says he found his past experience with The Mount as a community member led him to attend college here.

“I knew I’d feel comfortable performing on this campus as my home,” he says.

Joey played one of the Addams family ancestors in the musical.

“The Conquistador is definitely the loudest of the spirits,” he says, “very much a proud Spaniard.”

As an ensemble cast member, Joey also performed a passionate tango number. His brother Josh was cast as Wednesday’s love interest, Lucas, brother James played Lurch and sister Elizabeth appeared as another ancestor.

“It’s special that the three of them can perform with me even as I’m at college,” Joey says.

“Family members certainly brought a familiarity factor to the production,” Henrickson says. “We were fortunate

with our family connections in The Addams Family Musical to have family members who get along with each other and enjoy spending time together.”

For Quinn Fargo, the Mount Marty theater experience dates back seven years when he and his siblings were in the Lewis & Clark Theatre Co. production of The King and I. “I always have a fun time in the shows I’m in, especially when I have some of my family in the show,” he says.

Quinn, who plays the zany Arlecchino ancestor, performs with his brother Seth and sister Natalie Nayokpuk, fellow ancestors in the choral ensemble. Serving as dance captain, Quinn also performed a mean tango in the production, a talent right up his alley as a performing arts major.

“THEATER, AT ITS HEART, IS ALL ABOUT COMMUNITY.” of the team here in the theater,” Henrickson says. He and fellow speech and theatre instructor, Jim Hovland, take pride in promoting the university’s core values of hospitality and community. “Theater, at its heart,” he says, “is all about community.”

It worked for Quinn Fargo. “I chose Mount Marty because it felt like they wanted to have me here,” he says.

“It is everything I hoped it would be and more.”

“The bottom line with our productions is to find individuals who want to be a part of something bigger than themselves, to be part

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IN THE PURSUIT OF KNOWLEDGE Maria Novoa C’66 | Geneticist of many cultures, grounded in Benedictine heritage.

Geneticist Maria Novoa’s work knows

no borders. Peruvian born, American educated, Brazilian trained, Novoa has dedicated her career to an international quest for knowledge she can impart to others — a quest that she began at Mount Marty.

“In 1961, there was an agreement between the Vatican and the Benedictine sisters of the USA to take some promising and low-income students from Peru to study at the Benedictine colleges,” Novoa recalls. “I was one of 20 students who came in 1962.”

Far away from her hometown of Arequipa, Peru, Novoa says her college days at Mount Marty marked a turning point in her life. “The sisters were fully committed with this project,” she says.

“They welcomed us and made us feel at home. We prayed together, learned together, had fun together.”

The connection is still strong today.

“When I arrived there, I was very, very young,” Novoa says. “I was immediately adopted by the sisters. Sister Teresa Schuster and Sister Wilma Lyle received me as a daughter, took care of me in all my needs as a young person away from home. This marked me deeply. They gave me so much love that it remains in me and makes me able to give to others, even if I do not know them.”

Studying at Mount Marty opened Novoa’s eyes to a new world. “Sister Veronica Fasbender, my biology teacher at Mount Marty, led me into research and made me discover my ability and capacity to do it,” she recalls. Graduating with a bachelor’s degree in biology in 1966, Novoa returned to South America.

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Back in her native Peru, she worked as a researcher of human reproduction and endocrinology with a team of Malthusian adherents (who believed that exponential human population growth would outdistance food production and set up the world for disaster). In 1968, she headed to Sao Paulo, Brazil, to begin work on her master’s degree, studying cytogenetics with an eye to specializing in genetic counseling.

Some 10 years later, Novoa finished her master’s degree in human genetics at the Federal University of Paraná in Brazil. As she pursued advanced degrees, her work was varied — laboratory technician, substitute teacher, research collaborator, genetic counselor and educator, medical school professor. While earning her doctorate in education from the Federal University of Bahia, she became an advisor to governments, evaluating educational opportunities in the Brazilian city of Salvador and conducting studies there

that led to community gardens, goat breeding programs and fish farming.

As a parliamentary adviser to the Bahia state government, Novoa helped draft legislation concerning education, science and technology, the interior, consumer protection, women’s rights and others. In 2006 she joined the faculty of the Federal University of Bahia, Brazil’s largest university, where she taught genetics, biology and embryology in the medical school as well as classes in nursing, physical therapy, phonoaudiology, physical education, biological sciences, pharmacy and biochemistry.

Novoa dedicated her 2008 doctoral dissertation, “Human Genetics: Society, Health and Education,” to the sisters of Mount Marty. “The Benedictine experience very much left its mark on my career,” she says.

Since settling in Brazil more than 50 years ago, Novoa has juggled locations, cultures and family ties, splitting her time between Peru and Brazil. “As I was working and studying, I had no time to go anywhere else,” she says. She made sure her Brazilian-born children understood their Peruvian heritage and learned her country’s extraordinary history. She is proud of her hometown of Arequipa, known as the legal capital of Peru. “It’s a very special place where most of our presidents, writers, thinkers were born,” Novoa says. “We also have the only Nobel Prize in literature in Peru, born in Arequipa. And, of course, I was born in Arequipa.”

She travels, works and lives with a foot planted in each culture — Peru, Brazil “and the U.S.,” she says. “I need more feet for that. My oldest son is living in Spain now, so in some way I am there, too.”

Novoa returned to Mount Marty in 2019 for the All Schools Reunion and included a visit to Sister Wilma Lyle. “I always had a special link with Mount Marty,” she says. “The last thing Sister Wilma told me was, ‘I want you to feel you belong.’ She meant at the monastery.

Very touching and very Benedictine.”

She treasures her Mount Marty education, grounded in the tenets of St. Benedict’s values — justice, truthfulness, service to others, hospitality, respect and dignity. “These tenets became a part of me for life mainly because the sisters live according to them,” she says.

“These principles are in me; when I talk, when I teach, when I act, they manifest themselves. This is especially important when you live in a country where so many cultures are mixed up. Where diversity in humans is equivalent to the diversity in nature. Where there are so many colors, so many religious beliefs, so many different faces, such differences in education. The respect to human diversity is essential for living — anywhere.”

LISTEN WITH THE HEART Kim Schneider C’19 | Teacher, St. Joseph’s Indian School

Kim Schneider graduated from MMU in December 2019. The next month, she was settling in at St. Joseph’s Indian School and teaching religious studies to Lakota children.

“I didn’t have much time with the students pre-pandemic,” she says, “but there just seemed to be something about when they came back and saw I was still here, that sense of community grew stronger.”

As she builds relationships with her students, Schneider is understanding connections between the Lakota culture and the Christian faith, bridging the two worlds. For the most part, she says, St. Joseph’s students are typical students. “However, when they speak about their spirituality and the experiences they have in their souls, they seem wise beyond their years,” she says. “The core value of lifelong learning I gained while at Mount Marty continues to stay with me as I learn from my students what it means to connect with the sacredness of creation.”

The reverence for creation is a common thread in the classroom and an anchor she uses to help her students gain an interest in faith.

“The Lakota culture is full of spirituality and finding the Great Spirit in everything because everything is sacred, which is a great help in the classroom because it shows them that they don’t have to choose between their culture and their faith,” Schneider says. “A powerful blessing for me has been our monthly Lakota Masses. Our students dressed in their regalia dancing as our priest processes in, the drum group playing and singing songs, and praying in Lakota. It has been something I get to share with my students, and I can really feel connected to them.”

“Mount Marty taught me about listening with my heart and being a part of a strong community, about listening to students tell stories and their beliefs and reassuring them of my support no matter what. Teaching them that we can connect with God through anything — not just going to church — has really helped me live this out.”

A favorite aspect of this first-year teacher’s job is the opportunity to help students develop as good people, she says, “not just teach from a book. If there is anything I want my students to learn from me, it’s that we can live in the world without becoming of the world but that we can also help change this world by simply remembering how sacred all of creation is. I think St. Benedict’s values were really motivated by the sacredness of creation.”

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FACULTY WORKS PUBLICATIONS DR. JIM REESE | ASSOCIATE PROFESSOR, ENGLISH; DIVISION CHAIR, ARTS & HUMANITIES “Bone Chalk” (Stephen F. Austin State University Press, 2019) In Reese’s first work of nonfiction essays, he explores life in the Midwest and his experiences teaching in prison. Virtual and in-person book tour is ongoing through December. For dates, visit jimreese.org.

DR. JASON HERON | ASSISTANT PROFESSOR, THEOLOGY “Catholic Social Teaching, Liberalism, and Economic Justice” (Journal of Moral Theology, date pending) With co-writer Bharat Ranganathan (Case Western Reserve University), Heron brings together Catholic social teaching and John Rawls’s liberal political philosophy, helping more clearly see the global challenge of economic inequality.

“Immigration, Reciprocity, and the Modern Economic Tradition” (Journal of Catholic Social Thought, date pending) With co-writer Andrew Beauchamp (Wright State University), Heron examines reciprocity and risk in immigration through an economic lens and then complements that examination with resources from Catholic social tradition.

LORI HOFER | ASSISTANT PROFESSOR, BUSINESS “Lessons Learned from a Czech Post Office” (AGE Media, October 2020) This article reflects on Hofer’s experience and findings during her spring 2020 sabbatical in Europe while lecturing at the University of South Bohemia. The paper focuses on the impact an economic system has on the everyday life of a country’s residents.

SR. TERRY LAFFERTY, OSB | ASSISTANT PROFESSOR, THEOLOGY “Isaiah’s Jerusalems” (The Bible Today, November 2020) In this article, Lafferty notes the different presentations of “Jerusalem” in the course of Isaiah’s prophecy, noting that knowing which “Jerusalem” is meant depends on when the material was written.

DR. THOMAS ALEXANDER DECECCHI | ASSISTANT PROFESSOR BIOLOGY “Aerodynamics Show Membrane-Winged Theropods Were a Poor Gliding Dead-End” (iScience, 2020) Dececchi and his collaborators scanned fossils using laser-simulated fluorescence to pick up soft tissue details in addition to mathematical models to determine the flight capabilities of Yi and Ambopteryx, which lived in China about 160 million years ago.

The findings concluded these theropod dinosaurs could only glide clumsily, resulting in extinction.

PRESENTATIONS JAMISON ROUNDS, J.D. | ASSISTANT PROFESSOR, BUSINESS; DEPARTMENT CHAIR, BUSINESS “Angel Eyes: Valuing the Start Up Company from the Perspective of Investors” (Presented for National Association of Certified Valuators and Analysts) Rounds notes that a company may not be worth what it appears on paper after an Angel has invested. To succeed, companies must take on the challenge of being valued at different states to provide areas for future research.

RESEARCH DR. ALAN FERRIS | PROFESSOR, PSYCHOLOGY “Preliminary Research on the Impact of Leisure Activities on Health” Ferris is surveying adults in the rural fourstate region to investigate the relationship between their leisure activities and their physical and mental health.

DR. CHUN WU | PROFESSOR, CHEMISTRY; DIVISION CHAIR; NATURAL SCIENCES “Polypharmacological Drug Actions of Recently FDA Approved Antibiotics” (Accepted by the European Journal of Medicinal Chemistry) With contributions from MMU students Carlie Wetzel C’23 and Mitchell Lonneman C’21, this review focuses on the structureactivity relationship (SAR) analysis and the polypharmacological drug action of these antibiotics, to reveal how these multi-target antibiotics achieve the dual objectives of maximizing bactericidal efficacy and minimizing antibiotic resistance.

DR. JIM REESE | ASSOCIATE PROFESSOR, ENGLISH; DIVISION CHAIR, ARTS & HUMANITIES “Writing for Wellness: Expressive Writing and/or Exercise on Mental and Physical Health” With MMU contributor Elianna Clark C’22, the goal of this study is to investigate the chronic and/or recurring effects of anxiety and depression in expressive writing and/or physical exercise in a rural community during and after trials.

KRYSTAL DIEDRICHSEN | ASSISTANT PROFESSOR, NURSING “Undergraduate Nursing Faculty’s Lived Experience of Authentic Leadership in Nursing Education” The purpose of this study is to explore the lived experiences of undergraduate nursing faculty and current use of authentic leadership in nursing education.

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FROM WATERTOWN’S NEW DIRECTOR Kim Bellum has taken the reins at Mount Marty-Watertown. Now, she shares her vision for the future.

My name is Kim Bellum, and I am delighted to be the new director of Mount Marty University-Watertown.

I have taught education and business classes for MMU since 1997 and have always loved the students and staff at MMU that I have had the privilege to work with.

I retired from the Watertown School District where I served for 22 years in roles that most recently included the dean of academics for Lake Area Technical College and principal of Watertown High School. But even after 35 years in education, I decided I am much too young to leave the profession that I love.

I am very excited to join the MMU team in this new role. There is so much opportunity to grow our campus and expand the program offerings available to Watertown

and the surrounding communities.

I look forward to expanding our partnerships with Lake Area Technical College and Sisseton Wahpeton College, as well as continuing to work with our students and staff to build a better, stronger Mount Marty in Watertown. Now, more than ever before, I believe that families and businesses are looking for opportunities to “learn local” and grow their own workforce and their own leadership!

Alongside my commitment to MMU is my commitment to my family and

being a mom to my son Casey and his wife, Amanda, who are expecting their first child in April, and my son Corey and his fiancée, Sydney.

So there is also a wedding on the horizon, too! In my free time I enjoy hiking, riding horses, tending to my flower gardens and reading.

Thank you for allowing me the opportunity to continue growing alongside Mount Marty University.

If you ever find yourself in Watertown, stop on by.

I would love to show you what we are up to.

S TAY LO C A L . L E A R N LO C A L . L E A D LO C A L .

MOUNTMARTY.EDU/WATERTOWN 605.886.6777

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ANNUAL REPORT The annual report is based off of the 2019-2020 fiscal year.

Our fiscal year ends on June 30, 2020.

The past fiscal year has been full of accomplishments and momentum.

The Ruth Donohoe First Dakota Fieldhouse and a brand-new residence hall were new additions to the Yankton campus and demonstrated the progress being made by the institution. In order to reflect the academic programs and significant growth in many areas, Mount Marty officially became a university at the end of the fiscal year.

Despite the need to move classes and the majority of work to an online platform during the spring semester, the Mount Marty community continued to thrive and find ways to stay together. The construction progress continued to move forward, and both of our new facilities are currently open and in full use by the largest freshman class in the institution’s history.

REVENUES & GAINS Net Tuition and Fees: 61% Auxiliary Enterprises: 18% Contributions: 7% Endowment Income: 7% Federal and State Grants: 5% Other: 2%

EXPENSES: Instruction: 35%

We truly appreciate the generosity and support our alumni and friends shared this past year and continue to share today. Even during the challenging times this past year, the Mount Marty community stepped up and helped our students continue to learn, grow and succeed. We have welcomed the largest student enrollment since 2006, all made possible by your support and prayers.

Institutional Support: 19% Student Services: 18% Operational/Power Plant: 11% Auxiliary Enterprises: 7% Depreciation: 6% Academic Support: 4%

Thank you!

FUNDRAISING STATISTICS Total giving and total donors for the fiscal year (July 1, 2019 - June 30, 2020).

CASH

$2,713,615 PLEDGES

$637,067 TOTAL

$3,349,704 TOTAL DONORS 28

1,225

’20 ’19 ’18 ’17 ’16 ’15

Years

ENDOWMENT NET ASSETS $20,127,722 $20,366,019 $26,453,770 $26,608,805 $28,252,427 $28,072,359 19

20

21

22

23

24

25

26

27

28

29

$ by Millions

PRESIDENT’S SOCIETY MEMBERS 2015

2017

2019

173

152

153

206

194

2016

2018

231 2020

GIFTS IN HONOR & MEMORY IN HONOR OF

S. Margretta Doyle

Barbara Kennedy

Robert Ternes

S. Jacquelyn Ernster 80th Birthday

Betty Drotzman

Phillip Konechne

Dr. William Tucker

Tabitha Likness

Darell “Pete” Eich

Jason Nelson

Karen Uher

Jason Nelson

Emma Flanery

Steve O’Neill

JoAnne Weber

Dean Specht’s 80th Birthday

Joanne Ginsbach

Genevieve Owens

S. Rosemary Weber

Jean Ann Gullikson

Hayden Owens

S. Matthew Wehri

IN MEMORY OF

Robert Gullikson

Patricia Parker

Shirley Andis Wilson

S. Gabriella Baumberger

Shirley Ann Hickey

Carol Parsley

Patricia Zuerlein

Marge Becker

Betty Hinricher

Jeanne Raimondo

Gordon Brown

James Huntimer

Dr. James Rasmussen

Margaret Cronin

S. Kevin Irwin

Monica Rutten

Ron Deuschle

Steven Kahle

Donald Simpson

Dave Dickinson

Jacob Keiter

S. Fran Streff

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HONOR ROLL OF DONORS The Honor Roll donors and numbers are based on the 2019-2020 fiscal year.

Our fiscal year ended on June 30, 2020.

BISHOP MARTY CIRCLE $25,000+ Miles and Lisa Beacom Joan (C’72) and Fred DeRouchey Dr. John and Peggy^ Frank Anonymous Charles Gross# Msgr. Carlton Hermann Dr. Aelred^ and Irene Kurtenbach Colleen Kurtenbach Monte (C’80) and Renae Lowe Claire Reiss^ Avera Health Avera Sacred Heart Hospital Benedictine Sisters of Sacred Heart Monastery First Dakota National Bank Yankton FNBO Yankton Area Progressive Growth Yankton BID Board

MOTHER JEROME SCHMITT CIRCLE $24,999 - $10,000 Rusty and Brenda Fiegen Patrick Frank# Rudy^ and Kathleen* (C’87) Gerstner Bernard Guss Mary Alice Halverson Robert Kathol^ Tabitha# and Dr. Micah Likness Dr. Marcus# and Lisa Long Richard Shipp (C’78) Steve^ and YaVonne Slowey Leah Smith (H’59 C’63) CorTrust Bank - Yankton Kolberg-Pioneer, Inc. Marlow, Woodward & Huff Prof LLC Northwestern Energy

SR. EVANGELINE ANDERSON CIRCLE $9,999 - $5,000 John and Kris DeJean Lucille Effinger (C’65) Doug and Karen Ekeren Chad^ and Kristi Ekroth Dr. Steven^ (C’77) and Ruth Feeney Wayne^ and Lori Ibarolle Michael and Katherine Moye Kara Payer (C’96) Henry Petersen Lori (C’64) and James Rausch Carol# (C’95 C’15) and Dennis Stewart Dale Uher David and Barbara Wetzel Benedictine Service Fund of Sacred Heart Monastery Chesterman Company Yankton

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Diocese of Sioux Falls Gerstner Oil Company Hatterscheidt Foundation Hy-Vee Food Store Yankton John A. Conkling Distributing Reliabank SD Community Foundation Vision Real Estate Services

SR. JACQUELINE ERNSTER CIRCLE $4,999 - $2,500 Matthew (C’95) and Anne (C’98) Ahmann Tony and Lorraine Bour Mike and Arlyne Brim David# (C’76) and Marcene (C’75) Dickes Barbara (C’63) and Leon Feilmeier Deb Fischer-Clemens* (C’77) David Flicek and June Nusz Denis* (C’73) and Mary Beth Fokken Shawn (C’76) and Mary (C’76) Gallagher Marian Gresslin (C’55) Cheryl Hanks (C’68) Matthew (C’99) and Meredith Hayes Michael^ and Gerrie (C’81) Healy Dr. Jeremy and Jennifer Kudera Drs. Alfred and Donna Lupien Jason Nelson# (C’00) and Dr. Jill Sternquist Christina Orr (C’92) and Nicholas Clarke John* and Joanne (C’76) Osnes Christine (C’79) and Steven Pharr Paul (C’97) and Jessica (C’99) Preister Donald* and Kelly Roby Dr. Cecilia (C’75) and Dr. Robert Rokusek David^ and Marlys Thies Allstate - The Jacobson Agency American Foods Group, LLC Dakota Archery & Outdoor Sports Ear, Nose & Throat Associates, P.C. Kopetsky’s Ace Hardware KYNT- AM Olson’s Pest Technicians, Inc. Pizza Ranch of Yankton Shur-Co Slowey Construction Inc. Slowey Management United Church of Christ Vision Care Associates Yankton Western South Dakota Catholic Foundation Wohlenberg, Ritzman & Co. Yankton Rotary Club

PRESIDENT’S SOCIETY $2,499 - $1,000 Dr. David (C’92) and Gina (C’92) Abbott Roberta Ambur and Jim Means Jeanette Bailey (H’61 C’65) and Joe Schneider Alberta Bender Andy# (C’99) and Stephanie (C’00) Bernatow

Miranda (C’03) and Jay Bernecker Kevin Bohn (C’90) Eileen (C’67) and Larry Bolstad Barbara (C’64) and Dennis Boyle Father James Bream^ Dianne Breen (C’70) Melissa# and Jared Brim Matt and Annette Burns Dr. Larry^ (M) and Marty Celmer James^ and April Collier DelRae Dickes (H’48 N’51) Jeannie (C’84) and Sandy Dillard John (C’75) and Natalie Docter Robert (C’79) and Marlene Doty Sister Margretta Doyle^ (C’58) Darlene Dunklau (C’75) Bradley Dykes Hazel Ecker Dr. Will and Hilary Eidsness Daniel and Patricia (C’75) Eisenbraun Marlene Erskine Richard (C’89) and Angie Faidley Randall# and Sheri Fischer James* and Sheila Fitzgerald Jay and Kathy (C’98) Fitzgerald Jennifer (C’95) and Reynaldo (C’94) Gonzales Dr. James Green Deb and Gail Gubbels Dr. Lori Hansen* and Dr. Michael Waid Dr. Katie# and Tom Harrell Dr. Janis and Tom Hausmann Dr. Thomas and Sheryl Heirigs Angela (C’76) and Roger Hejl Matt (C’95) and Tracy Herber Drs. Chris# and Jem Hof Dr. David and Marilyn Holzwarth Barbara Horner-Miller (C’95) Lilla Hunsley (C’65) Mary (C’72) and William Hurst Father Donald Imming Mary Jo Jerde David* and Janet Johnson Dr. J. Lee Johnson* Otto Kaiser (M’41)

KEY ^ = Past Trustee * = Current Trustee # = Current Faculty/Staff Member C = Class of H = Mount Marty High School M = Model School N = Sacred Heart School of Nursing

Colin Kapitan Robert (C’79) and Romaine Kappel Christopher# and Katie Kassin Mary (H’51 C’54) and Lawrence Kelly Mary Ann (H’70, C’74) and Dr. Patrick King Rosellen (C’68) and Elliot Krames Nick and Diane Kranz Jo Krause Dick and Theresa Kulbel Cade Lang Tom and Tauhni Lang Merle and Virginia Larson Kayleen (C’77) and Robert Lee Mary (C’68) and David Lenzen Eileen Lesher Diane Loftus and Dale Lysne Kathryn# (C’97) and Jay Magorian Alice (C’71) and Jack Majeres Glenn^ and Bernita Mannes Kathleen (C’76) and Dave Manning Jeff* and Sue May Dr. Daniel Johnson and Dr. Mary Milroy Kevin Morrissey Bonnie (C’70) and John Myers Theresa Nemmers (C’71) James and Debra O’Malley David (C’74) and Paula Padrnos Delight Paulson (H’61 C’69) Dolores Peitz (H’48) Clarice Pellettier (H’50 N’56) Travis (C’04) and Lindsey (C’06) Peters B.E. Pierson John* and Penny Porter Theresa (C’63) and Donald Powers Kami Rankin Viona Ranney (C’82) Barb# and Joe Rezac Dr. Pamela^ and Bob Rezac Mary Anne (C’63) and Bernard Rhomberg Robert Rowe and Melanie Reynolds Valerie (C’61) and William Schroeder Dean and Judy Specht Donald (C’82) and Rachel (C’84) Stachowiak Mary Standaert (C’76) Rob* and Lori Stephenson Nick and Debbie Stocking Mary Ann Strubert (C’87) Barb (C’79) and Jon Swegarden Dr. Allan* (C’80) and Kerry (C’81) Tramp Dr. Mary Lee (C’96) and Mike Villanueva Drs. Victoria* and David Vlach Judy Wallbaum (M, H’56) Anthony (C’87) and Shari Weber Jennifer# and Shawn Weber Mary Willcockson Pearl Shih Wong Sheila Woodward and Chris Sonne Traci (C’89) and Dave Word Anderson Brothers Printing Co Berkley Motors Catholic Community Foundation for Eastern South Dakota Czeckers Sports Bar & Grill Edward Jones Explorers Credit Union Fejfar Plumbing and Heating, Inc. Fiegen Construction First Chiropractic Center

GFWC Yankton Women’s Club Holiday Inn Express Jimmy John’s JJ Benji’s Screen Printing & Embroidery Lewis & Clark Resort Midcontinent Communications Move with Mason MT & RC Smith Insurance Inc. Northtown Automotive Sign Tech Slumberland Furniture St. John’s Lutheran Church Stockwell Engineers Inc. Value Visor LLC Wells Fargo of Yankton Wintz & Ray Funeral Home Yankton Ag Services Yankton Medical Clinic Yankton Quarterback Club

$999 - $500 Janet Beattie (C’48) Josh Blake Anonymous Tom (C’96) and Becky Buckmiller Eileen and Stephen Burkart Terrance (C’73) and Vickie (H’69 C’74) Buschelman Anonymous Donald (C’72) and Nancy (C’72) Clouser Larry Davis Jane (C’70) and John Derrington Dr. Dana# and Barbara DeWitt (C’13) Krystal# (C’04) and Jed Diedrichsen Father Charles Duman (C’68) Brian Feuz Michael Fox Mary Gillette (C’73) Marijo Gulbranson Chris# and Allison Hein Gary^ and Arlene^ Heine Shirley Hickey Kathryn Higgins^ (H’65) MacKenzie Hollingsworth Robert and Diane Houdek Dr. Jay and Joyce Hubner Bernie (C’74) and Myrna Hunhoff Chris# and Elizabeth Hunhoff Meredith (C’91) and Jeffrey Hunhoff Kim and Mark Iossi Clare Kapitan and Keith Schreiber Kendall and Mary Beth Keuter (C’84) Kenneth# and Rhonda (C’00) Kocer Dustin Koletzky Caroline (C’58) and Charles Kornmann Aaron (C’99) and Carrie (C’99) Kranz Jean Krumwiede (C’68) Norman Kunselman (C’76) Edward and Barbara Lagrutta Michael Lintel Ron and Leah Lonneman Tunisia and David May Aaron Moser Stephanie and Brad Moser Timothy (C’87) and Marcy Mudd Marci Nelson Dr. James and Marilyn Nyberg Janice (H’68) and Joseph Pauli Julie (C’81) and Gary Pilcher

THERE ARE MANY WAYS TO GIVE BACK! Visit us online at mountmarty.edu/giving or call Barb Rezac, Vice President for Advancement and Mission, at 605.668.1542.

Melissa Richert Janet (C’83) and Terry Schilmoeller Joseph Sejnoha# Dr. Dan and Dawn Stoner Todd (C’90) and Jill (C’90) Strom Terry Stull# Kaito Sukeyasu Dr. Bruce^ and Nancy Teachout Theresa Thomas (C’70) Deborah(C’77) and James Tierney Katherine Urbina (C’78) Gregg and Rita Wagner Jolynn (C’84) and Dr. Scott Weber Sister Matthew Wehri Nancy Werner* (C’83) Dr. April and David Willman Josh Wolff (C’00) Jeffrey^ (C’93) and Lisa (C’93) Wolfgram Beyond Ball Bristol-Myers Squibb Foundation Cork’N Bottle Embrace Dentistry Farm Credit Services of America Knights of Columbus -Marty Council #1536 Rounds International LLC St Boniface Catholic Church Upper Deck Yankton Girls Softball Association Mary Standaert (C’76) Robert and Diane Steers Todd (C’90) and Jill (C’90) Strom Jean Ternus (C’66) Theresa Thomas (C’70) Katherine Urbina (C’78) Jason Valder (C’99) Gordon Vogt (C’75) Bonnie Wheeler (C’58) Linda (H’67) and Keith Wing Jeffrey^ (C’93) and Lisa (C’93) Wolfgram Mark Zuckerman BNSF Railroad Foundation CDA-SD State Court Farm Credit Services of America Knights of Columbus - Marty Council #1536 Nissen Winery Pheasants Forever, Inc Rettedal’s Department Store Scott Family Dentistry St John the Baptist Teget Foundation Thrivent Financial for Lutherans UVM Psychiatry Residents

31

CLASS NOTES The Class Notes are based on information received between September 2019 and August 2020.

CELEBRATIONS BIRTHS Ronald Boge C’79 welcome his first grandbaby on September 18, 2019. Her name is Jane.

Larry C’87 & Christine C’84 welcomed first grandchild on January 19, 2020. Son John Keller welcomed daughter Aubrey Louise.

Cory C’01 & Erin Wittrock welcomed son Aidan Allen on June 30, 2020. He was 7 lbs, 12 oz, and 20.5 in. long.

Travis C’04 & Lindsey (Garvey) C’06 Peters welcomed son Bo Patrick on November 21, 2019.

He was 8 lbs, 9 oz, and 20 3/4 in. long.

Paige (Nelson) C’13 & Tyson Gau welcomed daughter Jada Marie on April 22, 2020. She was 7 lbs, 1 oz, and 21 in. long.

Samantha (Rus) C’14 & Joseph Bruening welcomed son Lane Joseph on November 13, 2019. He was 7 lbs, 12 oz, and 20.5 in. long.

Sarah Hills C’14 welcomed twin sons Ryland Roosevelt Soesbe & Finn Douglass Soesbe on December 2, 2019. Ryland was 4 lbs, 12 oz. Finn was 4 lbs, 4 oz.

Caitlyn C’14 (Roth) & Caleb Clements welcomed Chase Michael on February 19, 2020. He was 9 lbs, 11 oz, and 22 in. long.

Nichole (Boyle) C’14 & Jory Torres welcomed daughter Cecilia Dee on February 25, 2020.

Jennifer (Nelson) C’14 & Ben C’14 Harmon welcomed son Emerson Richard on January 22, 2020. He was 7 lbs 11 oz and 21 in. long.

Kim (Kokesh) C’14 & Tyler Pepper welcomed son Lane Joseph on January 30, 2020. He was 8 lbs, 6 oz, and 20 in. long.

Elizabeth (Storms) C’09 & Ethan Reed welcomed sons Edison Daniel and Elliot Dean on October 8, 2019. Edison was 5 lbs 10 oz, and 18.25 in. long.

Elliot was 4 lbs, 7 oz, and 17 in. long.

Katie (Satter) C’09 & Nathan Stearns welcomed daughter Mackenzie Ann on December 9, 2019. She was 7 lbs, 7 oz, and 20.5 in. long.

David C’10 & Raelynn (Coldwell) C’12 Schmit welcomed daughter Kyra Rachael on May 6, 2020.

She was 6 lbs, 9 oz.

Ross C’11 & Karissa Heine welcomed son Nash Lorentz on February 6, 2020. He was 8 lbs, 15 oz.

Vanessa (Laible) C’13 & Wyatt Walter welcomed son Ransom Joseph on February 10, 2020. He was 6 lbs, 14 oz, and 21 in. long.

Ashley (Garton) C’13 & Dylan Leuer welcomed daughter Olivia Denine on March 19, 2020. She was 8 lbs and 20 in. long.

Autumn (Biermann) C’13 & Steven Heermann welcomed daughter Violet Marie on March 20, 2020. She was 8 lbs, 12 oz, and 20 in. long.

Jade (Steinberg) C’13 & Tyler Kusel welcomed daughter Wrenly Rae on April 19, 2020.

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Grace (Eshelman) C’17 & Tyler C’14 McCune welcomed daughter Lydia Ann on July 18, 2020.

She was 6 lbs, 5 oz, and 18.5 in. long.

Ben C’14 & Jennifer (Nelson) C’14 Harmon welcomed son Emerson Richard on January 22, 2020. He was 7 lbs 11 oz and 21 in. long.

Kari (Peterson) C’14 & Trevor Tibke welcomed son Brooks Trevor on September 11, 2019. He was 9 lbs, 4 oz, and 22 in. long.

Cole C’06 & Amy (Bigge) C’07 Knippling welcomed son Augie Cole on September 18, 2019. He was 8 lbs, 10 oz, and 20 in. long.

Makayla (Driscoll) C’17 & Drew Cheskie C’18 welcomed daughter Charlotte Elizabeth on February 1, 2020. She was 7 lbs, 6.8 oz, and 20 in. long.

Tyler C’14 & Grace (Eshelman) C’17 McCune welcomed daughter Lydia Ann on July 18, 2020.

She was 6 lbs, 5 oz, and 18.5 in. long.

Allison (Berry) C’15 & Andy Holzwarth welcomed daughter Emersyn Lydia on October 25, 2019. She was 6 lbs, 7 oz, 20 in. long.

Allison (Berry) C’15 & Andrew Holzwarth welcomed daughter Emersyn Lydia on October 25, 2019. She was 6 lbs, 7 oz, 20 in. long.

Samantha (Huber) C’15 & Tyrell Muller welcomed son William Benjamin on November 23, 2019.

Gina (Ludens) C’15 & John Wubben welcomed their second son around April 3, 2020.

Trisha (Kaufman) C’16 & Jason Deurmier welcomed daughter Shaelynn Mae on September 3, 2019. She was 7 lbs, 2.4 oz, and 19.5 in. long.

Jamie (Konrad) C’16 & Matt Zilverberg welcomed son Daxton David on July 19, 2020. He was 7 lbs, 5 oz.

Meg (Walker) C’11 & C’17 & Andy Wesely welcomed daughter Elizabeth Lou on September 26, 2019. She was 8 lbs, 11 oz, and 20.75 in. long.

Katie C’17 & Shane Michelson welcomed daughter Brynlee Jo on October 12, 2019. She was 6 lbs, 1 oz.

Ellie (Dickes) C’17 & Sky Humbert welcomed son Edward Orion on December 1, 2019. He was 6 lbs, 14 oz.

Brooke C’18 & Eric Lancaster welcomed daughter Ezra Rose on March 19, 2020. She was 6 lbs, 6 oz.

Morgan (Hay) C’18 & Ben Kahler welcomed son Emmett on April 10, 2020. He was born 3 months prematurely.

Ashley (Mazankowski) C’18 & Grant Dickes welcomed daughter Brookley Grace on April 23, 2020. She was 1 lb, 14 oz.

Ben C’18 & Paige Hegge welcomed daughter Tatum Kay on July 1, 2020. She was 8 lbs, 5 oz, and 21 in. long.

Kasey (Novotny) C’13 & C’18 & Jack Kerner welcomed son Haines Jax on July 9, 2020.

He was 7 lbs, 10 oz, and 20 3/4 in. long.

Sandra (Dickes) C’20 & Aaron Schroeder welcomed daughter Rosaleen Kay on May 8, 2020. She was 7 lbs and 19 in. long.

Destiny (Garza) & Caleb Cash welcomed son William Joseph on March 19, 2020. He was 8 lbs, 7.9 oz, and 20.25 in. long.

WEDDINGS Julia Matthys C’09 married Chris Labbe on September 21, 2019.

Rogelio Duran C’09 married Jordy Duran-Garia on June 13, 2020.

Lorenzo Davis C’15 married Kayla Jones C’17 on November 2, 2019.

Christin Slemp C’15 married Josh Blom on February 22, 2020.

KJ DeCristino C’16 married Kaitlyn Johnson on September 26, 2019.

Ludwin Arana-Marroquin C’16 married Sharon Nataly Morales on November 2, 2019.

Kelsey Lentz C’16 married Bo Bauer on September 21, 2019.

Jenece Holzbauer C’16 married Josh Carda on November 23, 2019.

Juan Magana C’16 married Kristin Maguire C’19 on April 18, 2020.

Grant Flicek C’16 married Rachel Noonan on June 20, 2020.

Ashley Hatch C’17 married Eric Christiansen on September 7, 2019.

Katie Kotschegarow C’17 married Trevor Hickens C’17 on October 5, 2019.

Kayla Jones C’17 married Lorenzo Davis C’15 on November 2, 2019.

IN MEMORIAL IN MEMORIAM Erin (O’Brien) Wooten C’96, 11/24/2019 Dorothy (Deegan) Gentrup N’60, 7/12/2020 Jean (Duhaime) Gullikson N’55, 4/25/2020 Benita (Ayers) Mangimelli N’44, 5/25/2020 Karla (Benson) Parsons N’58, 12/29/2019

Send us your updates today at mountmarty.edu/alumni.

Norma (Jensen) Skogen N’53, 10/15/2019 Lavon (Klima) Smith N’58, 8/22/2020 Janice (Joffer) Thompson N’59, 3/24/2020 Joyce (Krall) Egan H’54, 2/11/2020 Shirley (Keiner) Hickey, 9/12/2019 Lorraine (Wieseler) Huss, 9/132019 Rita (Wieseler) Koch H’47 & ’79, 7/25/2020 Mary (Engelhaupt) Philippi C’68, 8/9/2020 Barbara (Seiler) Nemec C’54, 10/23/2019

Damon Baruth C’17 married Brooke Becker C’19 on July 11, 2020.

Morgan Hay C’18 married Ben Kahler on August 31, 2019.

Kathryn (Wernsmann) Schlechter ’48, 10/18/2019 Alice (Weber) Sommer ’64, 11/7/2019 Rita (Vequist) Wagner H’63 & ’65, 12/19/2019 JoAnne (Flannery) Weber ’56, 11/26/2019

Kayla Barger C’18 married Zach Benson on September 14, 2019.

Colleen (Collingwood) Weiss ’62, 4/13/2020

Lauren Valencsin C’18 married Mitchell Svanda on October 5, 2019.

Carol (Auman) Rasmussen ’79, 4/28/2020

Linda (Cullen) Bernhard ’66, 12/3/2019

Ben Hegge C’18 married Paige Ballinger on May 23, 2020.

Sister Margretta Doyle ’58, 12/2, /019

Emily Boyle C’18 married Alex Heine on May 30, 2020.

Sister Kevin Irwin H’47 & ’54, 6/14/2020

Marisa Stucky C’19 married Logan Van Winkle on October 12, 2019.

Peggy (Nicklen) Stambaugh C’80, 9/5/2019

Joanne M. Ginsbach ’67, 12/26/2019 Ronald King C’73, 2/17/2020

Kristin Maguire C’19 married Juan Magana C’16 on April 18, 2020.

James Rasmussen C’73, 9/12/2019

Connor Martin C’19 married Audry Miiller C’19 on May 30, 2020.

Duane Schaan C’79, 6/5/2020

Audry Miiller C’19 married Connor Martin C’19 on May 30, 2020.

Patrick Steele C’84, 11/2/2019

Daniel Rodriguez C’75, 10/6/2019 Sister Evelyn Sehn N’45 & N’50, 2/29/2020

Emma Thury C’19 married Andy Klingaman on June 20, 2020.

Sister Francine Streff C’73, 11/1/2019

Brooke Becker C’19 married Damon Baruth C’19 on July 11, 2020.

Agnes (Adam) Hejna H’57, 2/21/2020

Hunter Martin C’19 married Sami Sedlacek on July 17, 2020.

Anna (Winbauer) Kraft H’53, 10/11/2019

Kathryn Oursland married Todd Schlimgen on July 2, 2020.

CAREER Angel Duran-Garcia C’09 was recently promoted from trooper to Sergeant. Sgt. Duran-Garcia will be leading the Northern Plains Squad in Belle Forche.

Kathleen (Jilg) Fielder H’64, 4/3/2020 Dorothy (Lane) Jacobs H’59, 10/13/2019 Roberta (Clifft) Mitchell H’61, 3/14/2020 Karen (Schwarz) Stekly H’65, 4/30/2020 Jonathon Economy ’89, 5/1/2020 Thomas Kujawa A’61, 12/10/2019 Shirley (Grunewaldt) Effling C’91, 6/12/2020 Jessica Eskins C’XX, 1/17/2020

KEY

DeLyle Salois C’01, 12/16/2019

C = Class of

Jarud Lang C’07, 1/30/2020

H = Mount Marty High School M = Model School N = Sacred Heart School of Nursing

CLASS NOTES

33

L ANCER FACULTY & STAFF SPOTLIGHT LORI HOFER / ASSISTANT PROFESSOR OF BUSINESS Impacting over a decade’s worth of students at Mount Marty, Lori Hofer was ready for a new and exciting experience. “There are a lot of blessings that come with the stability of being at the same job in the same community for a long period of time, but I wanted to take my family and experience the world.” So, last year she applied for sabbatical and was granted a research position teaching accounting at the University of South Bohemia in Ceske, Budejovice, in the Czech Republic. She felt the experience allowed her to step out of her comfort zone and really understand world economics through an experienced lens. Although her time was cut short due to COVID-19, her international experience afforded her new perspectives that she hopes to bring back to the Mount Marty community. “This adventure enabled me to embrace uncomfortable conversations and situations and has empowered me to really see people as people.”

She also plans to continue to use her creativity to bring the basic principles of economics into real-world perspectives for her students. “I am in such a better position to advocate for my students to get out and experience the world. It really changes you for the better.”

DANIEL FLAHIE / ASSISTANT PROFESSOR OF EXERCISE SCIENCE & HEALTH PROGRAM DIRECTOR OF EXERCISE SCIENCE As he begins his fourth year of teaching at MMU, Daniel Flahie eagerly brings his passions for exercise science and health into the Mount Marty student experience. In just a short time, he has developed a robust curriculum and grown the program from 24 to 78 students. Through grants and research funding, Flahie has also designed an exercise physiology lab on campus that allows students to get hands-on experience in testing everything from lung capacity to metabolic rates. “Our most recent systematic review is based on the lack of consistencies in the measurement of training programs. We want to develop a set of protocols that studies will use as a benchmark moving forward.” Flahie strives to make research a top priority of his program; he has connected students with a broad base of internship opportunities and has developed multiple articulation agreements made available for MMU students to continue their educational paths. “We are continuing to work to build the program on campus. I am excited about the students we have graduating from the program, and I am eager to help them leverage their successes here at Mount Marty and to prepare them for their future accomplishments.”

LISA WILLCOCKSON / DIRECTOR OF STUDENT ACTIVITIES MMU’s student affairs department is known for its amazing community support and out-of-classroom learning opportunities, and a key component of their excellence lies with Lisa Willcockson. The designated “campus mom” loves what she does and cherishes her connections to the students. “My favorite part of this job is meeting students as freshmen, being able to interact with them through events and activities and watch them grow and develop through their senior year.” Lisa wears many hats as the director of student activities including supervising residence life, security and activities, advising the Student Government Association and intramurals and being the campus conduct officer. Her breadth of involvement on campus makes it almost impossible to meet a student who hasn’t been impacted by her leadership. She says her goal each year is to help MMU students develop lifelong skills no matter what their future job will be. “When students leave MMU, I want them to understand that learning happens outside

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the classroom and that academics are important, but the community and the friendships you develop while on campus are what you are going to remember when you leave the university.”

CONTRIBUTORS

DESIGN & LAYOUT

EDITING

PHOTOGRAPHY

WRITING

HenkinShultz

CatchPhrase

CatchPhrase

CatchPhrase

Lauren Kathol Sarah Morris

Communications

Communications

Communications

Kelsey Freidel Nelson

Lauren Kathol

Kelsey Freidel Nelson

Lauren Kathol

Press & Dakotan

Sarah Morris

Sarah Morris

Jeremy Hoeck

Shelby Schweitzberger

RDG Planning & Design

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1105 WEST EIGHTH STREET YANKTON, SD 57078

FIRST NAME, LAST NAME ADDRESS 1 ADDRESS 2 CITY, STATE, ZIP

OF STUDENTS RECEIVE SCHOLARSHIPS & GRANT AID OFFERS.

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M O U N T M A R T Y. E D U / A P P LY