Summer 2024 Magazine

CONTENTS SPRING/SUMMER 2024 2 4 22 24 30 35 37 41 FROM THE EDITOR

FEATURE: THE IMPACT OF SERVICE

RETIREES

NEWS AND VIEWS

VICE PRESIDENT OF ADVANCEMENT

Gary Klein M’04

VICE PRESIDENT OF MARKETING

AND COMMUNICATION

Michelle Rovang

EDITOR

Deb Nahrgang dnahrgan@smumn.edu

ALUMNI DIRECTOR

Tracy Heaser

CONTRIBUTING WRITERS

Donny Nadeau B’85, Deb Nahrgang, Ben Rodgers

PHOTOGRAPHERS

Rick Bush; Judd Botcher; Chris Ebert B’20, C’22, M’23; Deb Nahrgang

PRODUCTION

Sara Anderson, Megan French

ATHLETICS

CLASS NOTES

LOOKING BACK

ALUMNI ON THE COVER

Merle Wilberding B’66, J.D. has served countless people throughout his 50+year career in law. Two of his cases made national attention, but ultimately Wilberding puts all of his efforts into every case he works on, large or small.

CREATIVE DIRECTOR

Bill Neumiller

ART DIRECTOR

Maria Beyerstedt

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Saint Mary’s Magazine

Saint Mary’s University of Minnesota 700 Terrace Heights #21 Winona, MN 55987-1399

ON THE WEB smumn.edu/magazine

ABOUT SAINT MARY’S UNIVERSITY OF MINNESOTA

Grounded in Lasallian Catholic values, Saint Mary’s University of Minnesota awakens, nurtures, and empowers learners to ethical lives of service and leadership. Whether in person or online, adult or undergraduate, students are treated with respect, taught with humanity, and supported by faculty and staff committed to their success in programs designed to prepare graduates for today’s and tomorrow’s careers. Founded in 1912 and accredited by the Higher Learning Commission, Saint Mary’s enrolls nearly 4,000 students at its undergraduate and graduate programs on campuses in Minneapolis, Rochester, Winona, and online. Saint Mary’s offers a highly personal, real-world-ready educational experience that fully prepares students to work, lead, and serve with character and purpose. Learn more at smumn.edu.

A passion for service leads to meaningful impact

Ican’t imagine an alumni magazine without stories about service. It’s at the core of who we are at Saint Mary’s, and is prominently featured in our mission statement for a reason.

As Lasallian Catholics, God’s word is clear:

“Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven.” Matthew 5:6

“This is my commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you.” John 15:12

“And the King will answer them, ‘Truly I say to you, as you did it to one of the least of these my brethren, you did it to me.’ ” Matthew 25:40

Further, studies have also shown that through service, we connect with one another and make the world a better place, we build community, we bring about social awareness, and we ignite a positive change. Service can also help personal growth (including building leadership skills and improving communication and problemsolving skills), and it can build bridges between groups of people who previously had very little understanding of one another.

Although the true meaning of service is doing something for someone else without acknowledgment, reward, or pay, selfishly, it also just plain feels good and right.

As an anonymous woman received her Christmas gifts for her family through our Saint Mary’s Gifts for Winona program, she turned to me and gave me one of those longer than usual, tighter than normal hugs. We smiled while fighting back tears and nodded at one another in acknowledgment. No words needed to be spoken to know her thanks.

After a devastating flood hit the Winona area more than a decade ago, our Saint Mary’s community helped wherever it could. Displaced, scared, wet and cold, flood victims were sheltered at Gostomski Fieldhouse on our Winona Campus. We handed out dry T-shirts and socks, such a relatively small act, which I heard time and time again, meant the world to them.

When a homeowner watched a busload of Saint Mary’s Cardinal student-athletes get off a bus and go into the mud to retrieve precious belongings and load damp sheetrock into wheelbarrows, she too was humbly, tearfully thankful. I’m not sure how you could not be proud of our students’ actions.

The Saint Mary’s Benefit, a longstanding tradition organized by students for a member of the Saint Mary’s community in need, has raised tremendous money but also strengthened the family bond at the university.

Sometimes the beneficiaries of our acts of service never see our faces, nor we theirs,

and sometimes service isn’t always easy. It can take more than hard work to bring about change. Sometimes it takes money and the help of many others.

The stories in this issue depict some of the difficulties our alumni have faced in their quests to help others, like the challenges of shipping 600 pounds of gifts to Poland, or starting a service dog business with very little money and humble beginnings.

More importantly, it also showcases how much one individual can make a difference, one that truly impacts hundreds of people, whether gifts for orphans in another country, educating parents and caregivers about the dangers of human trafficking, bringing about legislation to protect women in military service, starting culturally specific counseling services for African immigrants, working with the State of Minnesota to bring about equity and equal opportunities for all, training dogs to help those with physical needs, or helping to draw attention to our rural healthcare crisis.

The list could go on.

As I mention in our Looking Back section, we have thousands of images of our students, faculty, and staff involved in service, whether packing food, cleaning up highways, building Habitat homes, teaching at under-resourced schools, growing food for the local food shelf, or more. And our alumni have carried

that service out into the world in beautiful, humbling, life-altering ways.

And, at our core, many of our programs are founded on bettering our communities.

It’s a ripple effect. Members of our First Generation Initiative go on to serve the urban communities they call home. Alumni bring their children to the annual Lasallian Day of Service, instilling a need to serve others in them from a young age. And every person who has ever received help could feel compelled to pay it forward at some point in his or her life.

This issue celebrates everyone who helps others, big or small, in their professions or their home lives. Together, we can accomplish some amazing things — and continue the Saint Mary’s impact.

ALUMNI, SEND US YOUR NEWS

We want your personal and professional news items – photos, news clippings, etc., as well as tips about fellow alums who might make good feature story subjects. For submission guidelines and how to submit your news, go to connect. smumn.edu/ alumni/classnotes.

Deb Nahrgang Saint Mary’s Magazine Editor

When justice is served

Every case has significance

Within his long and celebrated law career, Merle Wilberding B’66, J.D., represented clients in two prominent cases involving abuse within the U.S. military — both of which earned national attention as the public learned of the tragic details.

Unspeakable tragedy garners headlines.

It must have been difficult to not let the trauma of these cases replay hauntingly in his mind. Instead, Wilberding did what he’s done throughout his more than 50-year career; he focused on justice and his role in making sure the guilty were held accountable.

Early in his career, on March 16, 1968, U.S. Army personnel mass murdered and

Merle Wilberding B’66, J.D. has had a long and celebrated career in law for more than 50 years.

mutilated unarmed civilians including men, women, and children in South Vietnam during the Vietnam War. Some of the women, and children as young as 12, were raped during the horrendous incident that would become known as the My Lai Massacre.

Then in his 20s, Wilberding was commissioned as a Captain in the Army JAG Corps and was assigned to the Government Appellate Division where he briefed and argued the My Lai Massacre (Lt. William L. Calley) case. He spent more than a year working to uphold the court-martial conviction of Lt. William Calley, the only person ever charged and convicted in the crimes that shocked the world and forever changed American military culture. (Captain Ernest Medina was charged but never convicted.)

“I had certainly read about the case,” he remembers. “One of the ironies is I took the oath of office on Sept. 5, 1969, the same day that William Calley’s records were flagged for investigation and further indictment.”

Wilberding said he focused on maintaining professionalism. “I didn’t dwell on personal shock or sympathy, even though it would have been appropriate,” he said. “I have had those thoughts later in life and even now. At the time I just tried to do the best job I could.”

He recalls how part of the nation supported Calley throughout his trials.

“A huge part of the country was very pro-Calley, mostly in the far west and the south,” Wilberding said. “They were in very strong defense of him: ‘War is hell. People get killed in war.’ No one really ever looked

at the critical facts. He had them tied up, contained, and guarded for hours before they were executed. President (Richard) Nixon saw all those as potential votes. He was going to be running for reelection. He was the one who ordered Calley be held in house arrest, instead of prison, while the appeal went forward. Calley was convicted of the murder of over 100 people, but when the case got to the court of military review, they affirmed a conviction of 20 people, but at all times, there was such a political effort supporting him, he spent less than a year in confinement at the military prison in Ft. Leavenworth, Kan.”

He furthers that the others in Calley’s platoon, some of whom did the shooting, could not be tried as all were privates who were released from the Army before the case came to light.

Two courtroom sketches — depicting Merle Wilberding B’66, J.D. — appeared on the CBS Evening News with Walter Cronkite on Dec. 4, 1972.

Wilberding in his 20s as a Captain in the Army JAG Corps, assigned to the Government Appellate Division.

“Stories and rumors (of the event) percolated around Vietnam for a year or so before it was reported and the Army was urged to investigate it. And it didn’t go public until a national article came out,” Wilberding said.

Justice isn’t always served, but Wilberding continues to give every case 100 percent, earning multiple awards for ethical conduct.

“I’ve always had that competitive edge,” Wilberding said. “I never like losing. I want to succeed.”

And sometimes the wins continue well beyond the final judgment. The murder of Lance Corporal Maria Lauterbach in 2007 led to legislation that has gone on to help countless other abused servicewomen.

On Dec. 14, 2007, Maria Lauterbach went missing from Marine Corps Base Camp in Lejeune, N.C., where she was stationed. When her mother, Mary, began inquiring about her whereabouts, she was told her daughter had run away and that she’d likely be home by Christmas.

By Christmas, the Lauterbach family still had no answers. “It was so illogical,” Wilberding said. “Her daughter had just purchased a new car. The two talked regularly. So Mary decided to drive down personally. And this time she got a detective.

“Mary had on record that her daughter’s superior had sexually assaulted her and that she was pregnant and concerned about it,” Wilberding recalls. “The first officer (at her base) ignored it all, and the second said, ‘This is an issue.’ When they arranged to meet with Corporal Cesar Armando Laurean (the man accused of her daughter’s assault), he went missing.”

The detective went out to Laurean’s home, which he shared with his wife and child. “When he looked around the house, (the detective) picked up on details that something had been dragged through the backyard and saw what looked like a recently constructed fire pit. Then he saw what looked like part of a body and that’s what

On CNN on April 11, 2008, Wilberding is pictured with Mary Lauterbach as they are being interviewed by Betty Nguyen.

On the Today Show on April 13, 2008, Wilberding is pictured with Mary Lauterbach and his law partner, Chris Conard, as they are being interviewed by Amy Robach.

On the Today Show on Oct. 16, 2008, Wilberding is pictured with Mary Lauterbach and Meredith Vieira.

really triggered the investigation,” Wilberding said.

“Supposedly there was a note that Laurean had left saying she got into a fight with him and she committed suicide and he buried her,” he added.

Mary Lauterbach had contacted Wilberding’s law firm, which instantly knew Merle — with his military history — was the right person for the case.

Wilberding recalls Maria Lauterbach (and her unborn baby) were discovered on Friday, Jan. 11, 2008. By that Tuesday, Wilberding was on a conference call with the commanding general at Camp Lejeune. Simultaneously, he recalls pushing the Marines to find Laurean, working with the FBI, waiting for autopsy results (which ruled out suicide), and attending the funeral, held north of his home and practice in Dayton, Ohio.

“I remember going to the funeral for Maria. From the church to the Catholic cemetery is probably 10 miles, and there were people lined all the way. It was amazing,” he said. “I recall talking to people at the cemetery, all pushing for safeguards for those who are sexually assaulted in the military. Several had been victims themselves.”

Laurean wasn’t found in Mexico until three months later, and it took another year to get him extradited. “Mexico wouldn’t extradite him if he was charged with a capital crime, so the U.S. had to agree to that,” Wilberding said.

Wilberding brought charges against the military for failure to diligently investigate and prosecute her original sexual assault claim, as well as for failing to investigate her disappearance. Throughout the ordeal, Mary Lauterbach remained vocal and hands on.

“Mary said she wanted to be the voice of Maria to testify about what was needed and to put a personal voice to it, and she did an incredible job,” Wilberding said. She and Wilberding traveled to Washington, D.C., six to eight times to meet with members of Congress and to testify before committees of the U.S. House of Representatives to pursue

national legislative changes that would improve the protection and rehabilitation of victims of sexual assault, as well as improve the procedures for prosecuting the perpetrators. They also were featured on the Today Show four times.

As a direct result of their efforts, the National Defense Authorization Act in four consecutive years included provisions that addressed sexual assault in the military, including the following changes in the Uniform Code of Military Justice:

• A right of counsel to victims of sexual assault in the military.

• “Privileged communication” protection for victim advocates.

• An accelerated base transfer request procedure for victims.

• Increased training and education for sexual assault prevention.

• An automatic extension of Military Protective Orders (“MPO”).

“It’s particularly rewarding to see the impact that these efforts have had,” Wilberding said, adding that his firm did 95 percent of the work (several hundreds of thousands of dollars worth of work) pro bono.

“It was very rewarding professionally, and personally, it was really important to do that,” he said.

He and Mary Lauterbach still keep in close contact.

Wilberding’s next case, involving zoning, may be less glamorous, but it’s an important case nonetheless, so he’s giving it his all. Throughout his life and career, he says, he’s had a lot of good moments.

“In my youth, during the younger part of my career, I wanted to change the world,” he said. “As I’ve aged and matured, I decided that it was important to make a difference, sometimes that’s with one person, sometimes 10, sometimes more than that. Every step is a step forward. That’s how I look at trying to change the world.”

In my youth, during the younger part of my career, I wanted to change the world.

As I’ve aged and matured, I decided that it was important to make a difference, sometimes that’s with one person, sometimes 10, sometimes more than that. Every step is a step forward. That’s how I look at trying to change the world.

J.D.

Merle Wilberding B’66,

It’s important to meet people where they are and have a culturally appropriate understanding and the staff who can relate to them and in whom they can see themselves. That opens a lot of doors.

Ali Aden M’20, C’20

Building bridges

Eliminating barriers to mental health services

Ali Aden M’20, C’20 says you don’t go into counseling for the money.

“If you are there for the money, you’re in the wrong field. We’re in it to help people,” he said.

It was this desire to help people that brought him to Saint Mary’s.

Aden had been working in the human service field in case management and employment counseling. As clients were coming in with depression and other mental health issues, he knew he didn’t have the skills to address those issues, so he decided to pursue a master’s degree in Counseling and Psychology from Saint Mary’s. It helped that his wife, Lul Nur M’11, was already a graduate of the program and a licensed therapist.

It was their continued desire to help people that led them to move from the Twin Cities to St. Cloud and open Bridge Healing Center, a culturally specific mental health service, in June 2022.

The couple, both from Somalia (with Nur raised in Egypt before coming to the U.S.), saw many East Africans traveling all the way from St. Cloud to the Twin Cities to obtain mental health services. Although a large Somali population lives in St. Cloud, Aden says there was nothing available for them.

In Bridge’s relatively short history, it has grown from a staff of two to six full-time staff members and another four contracted therapists. Although they see primarily East Africans and Africans, Aden said they serve other diverse populations.

“We see an increased need for mental health services across the board, across financial statuses, race. Those migrating

from other countries are no exception,” he said. “It’s important to meet people where they are and have a culturally appropriate understanding and the staff who can relate to them and in whom they can see themselves. That opens a lot of doors.”

Aden said more mental health providers of color, particularly men, are desperately needed in Minnesota. It is also beneficial when they can speak multiple languages.

“We have staff who speak multiple languages: Somali, English, and Arabic,” he said. “That’s important. That eliminates the barrier of trusting another person, the interpreter, and it creates a stronger relationship with your provider because you connect with them. You don’t have to explain where you came from, your customs.”

He said one barrier often begins with navigating how to find the services needed, particularly if English isn’t your primary language.

In addition to mental health services, they’ve also added addiction treatment services.

“Kudos to Saint Mary’s,” he said. “I was doing mental health counseling and they told me I could add on (a certificate) in addiction studies, and I jumped in and didn’t look back. It saved me time and money. I had a really good experience that had a lot of impact on me and my career,” he said. “The field is changing. They used to look at mental health and addiction studies as two different things. Now the feeling is that they go hand in hand; you can’t treat one without the other. Most of our staff are mental health therapists who also have licenses in addiction. We are able to treat both and also in a cultural lens.”

Aden explains that right now, they have the ability to house six East African men battling addiction, but it is their goal to expand and eventually offer lodging for women with addictions as well.

“You could be coming from a war-torn country, using substances to cope with the trauma you have had in the past,” he said. “They need resources. We saw that need. That’s why we went into the field, to help folks. We hope to make a longstanding impact by being an organization that’s living its mission and vision, providing help to everyone who needs the help in an ethically appropriate way.”

The hours are long and the need is great. Aden explains that with addiction services, he and his team spend about six hours a day, four days a week, with their

clients. “You get to know them,” he said. “And you see the change from the day they come in to the day they graduate, physically and mentally. You see their healing from past trauma. You are so involved and engaged, no two days are the same, and there are always challenges and the need is tremendous, but to see them leave the program in a much healthier space than when they came in is worth it.”

Ali Aden M’20, C’20 and his wife, Lul Nur M’11 opened Bridge Healing Center, a culturally specific mental health service, in St. Cloud. Photo by Jeff Yapuncich, YuppyPhoto

There is healing and power in giving back and it should be part of your daily existence. It’s the right thing to do, and it isn’t about wanting anything in return.

Ania (McNamara) Munzer B’12

The gift of giving Bringing presents to Polish orphans

Ania (McNamara) Munzer B’12 was only 4 when she and her three sisters were adopted from an orphanage in Poland and brought to the United States.

Her only vivid memories of that time have been brought to life by the numerous home movies her father made, lugging around a giant camera on his shoulder.

In fact, she and her sisters don’t have any photos of themselves prior to the day their soon-to-be adoptive parents, William B’76 and Grace (Wojski) McNamara B’77, met them. Their first photo shows all four little blonde girls, between the ages of 4 and 8, linked arm and arm.

Her sophomore year at Saint Mary’s, during the study abroad program in Italy, Munzer saw an opportunity to return to her roots — to find the orphanage in Poland. “My dad had passed away and I was really struggling,” she admits. “I was looking for something, and I knew it could answer questions I had in my life.”

With only one day left before she would return to Minnesota, she and a couple of other students made their way to Warsaw and then separated. Munzer was overwhelmed and frustrated with trying to navigate her way around a foreign country where English is rarely spoken.

“By the grace of God, I turned the corner of some random street and there was a bus with the name of the city I was looking for on top,” she said.

When she arrived at the city, she began walking aimlessly, eventually stopping at a gas station and restaurant, where a waitress hastily sketched her a map to the orphanage on a napkin. She still has this precious piece of paper.

Following the map, she arrived at a large green gate she’d seen many times in those home movies, and she knew she’d found

Dom Dziecka (the House of the Children). Nervous and excited, she rang the doorbell, and eventually, Sister Elizabeth came to the door. This was the very Sister who had changed Munzer’s diapers and remembered with fondness the four young sisters — once referred to as “the pearls” of the orphanage.

“It was like meeting my fairy Godmother, almost like meeting my biological mother in a way,” Munzer said. “She took care of me, nurtured me as a baby. It was emotional. We wrote to each other for years. I’ve been back five or six times and I’ve never run into her again.”

Back at Saint Mary’s, Munzer continued to struggle with depression but found healing in helping the children of Dom Dziecka have a happier Christmas. “I think the Lasallian foundation kind of saved me,” she said. “I think one of the most natural ways of healing through pain is to give back to others and find meaning behind that.”

Joined by an army of other student and family volunteers, Munzer put her business and entrepreneur skills to work, raising money, calculating and coordinating shipping, and organizing a massive wrapping party. That first year, 35-40 Polish children received Christmas presents.

Each year for the next 12 years, Munzer paired families with children in need of help. Even when she moved to Tampa, Fla., she found a way to coordinate the massive process long distance in White Bear Lake, Minn. She frequently shipped 500600 pounds of gifts, sometimes by ship, sometimes by plane if that’s what it took to get them there in time. “When shipping by plane, the costs are double,” she said. “I would have to find funding and sometimes I would have to take it out of my own pocket … because I had to.”

Eventually, the project grew from one orphanage to three and as many as 60 children. Munzer found it difficult to say no. “They have basically nothing,” she said. “(When we were living there), we were malnourished. Our biological parents were poor. Now on that other side, as a parent, I understand that this is the most precious time in their development. I saw children who didn’t have that.”

One year Munzer even took the children at the orphanage to the mall to pick out their own gifts, knowing the donated funds would stretch farther in Polish stores. “It was wild. I would never do that again,” she said with a laugh. “It was stressful but they all got to get what they wanted or what they needed. They just wanted socks without holes or new sneakers. It wasn’t a video game, it was their own gym bag or a basketball.”

She also took orphanage directors shopping for new bedsheets or simple home items. She traveled to visit the orphanages every year or every other year, until COVID-19 hit.

“I got to know the children, many I knew for a decade,” she said. “Some of the older ones would email me for advice. It was nice to know I made some sort of difference. They had somebody.”

The best part of the gift exchange was seeing videos and photos of the children’s excitement of opening their gifts.

“You go through the insanity and then get the reward,” she said. “And you’re like, that was worth it, I’m going to do that again next year.”

Now a wife, mother to daughter Ewalina, age 1 ½, and after taking over her mother’s business, Munzer said she made the difficult decision to step back from the massive gift exchange, although she continues to support the orphanage personally.

She hopes one day her daughter will join her in her work and learn more about her past, and Poland, which will always be dear to her heart.

“I really believe it will be one of the most amazing things I can teach her, the gift of giving back,” she said. “There is healing and power in giving back and it should be part of your daily existence. It’s the right thing to do, and it isn’t about wanting anything in return. I always say, ‘Just remember, you can pass it on.’

“I would love to take Ewalina to Poland. My husband and I got married in Poland. We speak Polish around her. And it’s my story. I believe there’ll be another chapter to all of this.”

Ania (McNamara) Munzer B’12 poses in front of some of the health care products gathered for orphanages in Poland. The Sisters watch as the children of the orphanage excitedly open their Christmas presents.

Alan Peters B’74 with Serena who was trained at Can Do to be an assistance dog, but her career changed due to allergies, and she now serves as a certified therapy dog.

Unleashing a better life

Can Do Canines places 900 dogs

At age 35, Alan Peters B’74 thought to himself … there has to be more in life.

The psychology and human development major, who once planned to become a counselor, no longer felt fulfilled with selling insurance and flipping houses.

“I wanted something more out of life,” he said. “I wanted to do something to help people.”

When his fiancée (now wife) came home with a brochure about training dogs for people who are deaf, a spark ignited.

“We did some market research in Minnesota and found out there were a lot

of people who were deaf and could use that service, but No. 1, there were very few dogs being trained, and No. 2, the people who were deaf didn’t have the additional income to be able to purchase a dog like that. It costs thousands of dollars to train a dog,” he said.

“That almost sounded like a dead end, but I learned about the nonprofit world,” he added. “I learned I could raise money to provide them free of charge.”

So, in 1987, from a spare bedroom in his home, with no official training in the nonprofit world or fundraising, very little money, and a staff of primarily one, he founded what grew into Can Do Canines in New Hope, Minn.

By 1989, the first team — dog and client — was placed, Annie and Marcy.

And since then, 900 dogs have been partnered, with another 45 or more being trained for placement this year, all at no cost to their clients. The staff has grown to 50 (with hundreds of volunteers), and the business — an industry leader — is now run from a 25,000-square-foot training facility.

Although he has hundreds of stories of how Can Do Canines has made people’s lives more independent, there’s one sad story in particular that continues to weigh on Peters.

Early in this career, a hearing dog named Suzy was placed with a woman named Carol in Minneapolis. “Back then I was doing almost everything,” he said, explaining that he would get to know both the dogs and their partners well. “I would pick the dog, find the trainer, work with the trainer. And then I’d video them working together as a test to make sure the dog is working perfectly for tests like a smoke alarm or when someone rings a doorbell,” he said. “When it was completed, she said to me, ‘Al, I have one

other thing; could you train little Suzy to alert me when my blood sugar is going to go low? Sometimes it goes low very suddenly and I’m afraid one day I’m going to die in my sleep.’

“This was long before we started training dogs for those with diabetes,” he explained. “Right then it sounded like a pipe dream. We didn’t know how yet to train a dog like that. I told her I’d think about it but I didn’t think we could help.”

A year and a half later Peters learned that Carol had died while asleep in her bed with Suzy beside her. “I felt terrible,” he said, his voice cracking. “And it took that push for me to investigate how dogs could help with that disability.”

Through the years, Can Do Canines has trained dogs to not only help those with hearing loss and Type 1 Diabetes complicated by hypoglycemia unawareness, but also children with autism and individuals with seizures and mobility challenges.

And he’s heard several stories about how the service dogs have helped save many other lives.

“They keep kids with autism safe,” he said. “Children with autism often bolt away from their mom or dad. By the time they are 7 or 8, they can be faster than their parents and they can run out into the street or are often attracted to water. The dogs are tethered to the children, between a waist belt on the child and a backpack on the dog. As soon as it gets tugged on, the dog lays down and won’t let them run.”

Peters adds that dogs have an overall tendency to make life better just by being near.

“I’ve always been a dog lover,” he said. “Some people do better with their disabilities when they feel better about themselves. Dogs lift spirits and help them look at the positive side of life or with what they are living with.”

Another group of individuals who have been helped through Can Do Canines are inmates who are assisting with training.

“We currently have 275 dogs and puppies in process in order to place about 45 dogs this year. It takes 600 volunteers, and we have 170 inmates in eight prisons, federal and state, who are raising and training dogs

in Wisconsin and Minnesota,” he said. “The dogs benefit greatly by having someone fully dedicated to them. The inmates really do not have a lot in their lives so the dog becomes a primary focus. It gets all their attention, so they do a great job for us in terms of training.”

Where the inmates cannot train — in the socialization areas like car rides and shopping malls — other volunteers step in.

As their dogs must be able to live long and healthy lives with no additional cost to their owners, most of their dogs are bred, but others come from shelters, creating yet another life-saving partnership.

Peters continued to serve as executive director of Can Do Canines until his retirement in 2021. Even now, he continues to take one of the trained service dogs to nursing homes to lift residents’ spirits.

“The bigger we got, I was dealing more with money and staff and the board of directors and less and less with the clients,” he said. “My favorite time of year was when we would have graduation events with 15 of these teams; that’s when I would feel really good and would get to ask them how their lives have changed and how they feel about their dogs. Knowing we’ve helped so many feels good.”

Peters selecting the first hearing dog graduate, Annie, at the Minneapolis Animal Shelter in 1988.

My favorite time of year was when we would have graduation events with 15 of these teams; that’s when I would feel really good and would get to ask them how their lives have changed and how they feel about their dogs. Knowing we’ve helped so many feels good.

Alan Peters B’74

I believe one voice can always help to make change. And, when you get multiple voices aligned, how powerful are we as a world when we can all work together?

Dr. Stephanie Burrage C’95

Change starts with community

Ensuring all Minnesotans have a seat at the table

Dr. Stephanie Burrage C’95 has made it her mission to ensure everyone has both a seat and a voice at the table.

Within a year of her appointment as State of Minnesota’s Chief Equity Officer, Dr. Burrage had traveled to every region but one.

Her primary goal? To listen to those voices.

She says it’s the teacher in her who knows that “all people must be seen, heard, and valued right where they are in life.”

Prior to her current role, she served as deputy commissioner of the Minnesota Department of Education. After earning degrees in education, she was also a teacher in Minneapolis, and later went on to be superintendent of rural, urban, and suburban school districts in Minnesota and Michigan. Education is where her heart lies. By 16, she knew she wanted to teach, following in the footsteps of her parents, who were both educators. “I wanted to make a difference in students’ lives,” she said.

It was during her teaching career that she first learned about DEI (Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion) before it was even a term. And she saw firsthand areas that needed improvement — in all schools.

“I’m a rural girl. I’m from a rural community and had 35 students in my graduating class, she said. “We assume that what happens in city areas does not happen in rural areas but community needs exist no matter where you live,” she said. “There are needs in all areas, rural, suburban, and big cities. We all must make sure we are meeting the needs of all of our students and community members.”

Dr. Burrage said she often uses an example from her early teaching years in Minneapolis. “I had never taught anyone from Hmong or

Laos communities,” she said. “It was back in the ’90s as families were first immigrating to the area. My students taught me as much as I tried to teach them. I would tell them, ‘You’ve got to tell me what things I need to add to better meet your needs so you can see yourself in this curriculum.’ Just because DEI wasn’t a terminology yet, doesn’t mean it wasn’t my job to create that space for them.”

While serving on the Minnesota Department of Education, she led an initiative called “Mind, Body, and Soul,” a monthly virtual meeting of up to 125 community members, with a reach of more than 1,200 Minnesotans, to gather input on how to improve outcomes for people across the state.

“We started with the Black/African American community and are working toward ensuring we meet the needs of the accessibility community and have piloted Latino groups as well,” she said. “The input from the Mind, Body, and Soul convenings have provided insight on how to improve outcomes for community members.

By having Governor Walz, Lt. Governor Flanagan, commissioners, and state leaders in the room with community members, we can get valuable feedback to ensure systems level change on topics that are relevant to communities.

“I believed that bringing about positive change had to start with community, so the voices of community members were heard and honored. These conversations and convenings allowed the Office of Equity, Opportunity, and Accessibility to provide one pathway of many to state government.”

Recurring themes, she said, revolve around available housing, strong education, access to jobs, and healthcare.

“Any day I get to talk with people is a good day,” she said. “I love to hear from people about what they would like to see and their hopes and dreams for their families and how the state serves them.”

Dr. Burrage describes her role as building connections, working with the governor and lieutenant governor, the cabinet, the community, and various state agencies about topics like accessibility, procurement, and grants. Many of the ideas that came out of those community meetings are then prioritized for Gov. Tim Walz’s budget.

Additionally, they host events like the State of Minnesota Career Fair which showcased 635 jobs across the state during Martin Luther King weekend; 1,200 people registered and between 1,500 and 1,600 people attended. “That was a goal that we

set,” she said. “How do we make sure we engage with community members in areas of need that they shared with us?” Another example in spring was the State Procurement Opportunity Fair, in which attendees could meet with buyers from more than 20 state agencies to see how their businesses may fit into procurement and contracting needs.

“Change can happen,” she said. “It’s going to come back to voice. I believe one voice can always help to make change. And, when you get multiple voices aligned, how powerful are we as a world when we can all work together? That doesn’t mean we all share the same opinion. We have to learn how to have respect and honor differing opinions and value one another. We have to ask ourselves, ‘What is the overall good and how do we get past our differences?’ ”

Dr. Stephanie Burrage C’95 is now serving as the State of Minnesota’s Chief Equity Officer.

We have to be very mindful that we’re accepting students from these communities that are in need and need these providers, and also have a harder time recruiting people.

Dr. Julie Gauderman

Rural health care focus

Finding solutions to a national crisis

After graduating with a nursing degree, Carmen Drentlaw D’24 jumped right into her new field at Abbott Northwestern Hospital in Minneapolis. After a few years of working in the intensive care unit (ICU), Drentlaw knew she was ready for a change.

“While I was in the ICU, I worked alongside a lot of nurse anesthetists, and I was impressed by the amount of autonomy that was given to them,” she said.

Drentlaw decided to enroll in Saint Mary’s Doctor of Nursing Practice in Nurse Anesthesia program.

A Saint Rosa, Minn., native, Drentlaw knew she wanted to practice in a rural setting and was drawn by Saint Mary’s focus on placing students at rural hospitals for their clinicals. With students needing to complete 12 different clinical rotations in the program, Drentlaw did five of her 12 at rural hospitals.

“Rural practice is a bit different,” Drentlaw said. “And with autonomy in my job being something I wanted, I wanted to experience rural clinics.”

Rural health care in crisis

Drentlaw is like many studying students from small towns in the field of health care who look to return to their home communities after the completion of their degrees. And at the moment, well-educated health care professionals entering rural hospitals and clinics are desperately needed.

According to a 2023 report from Becker’s Hospital Review, since 2005, 40 rural hospitals in the state of Minnesota have lost certain services and six have closed. A recent report from Axios showed that 45 percent of rural hospitals in Minnesota no longer offer maternity care. The concern goes well beyond maternal care, with the Minnesota Department of Health reporting in 2022 that rural parts

of the state face a “severe shortage” of health care practitioners of all types.

“Simply put, rural health care is in crisis,” said Dr. Julie Gauderman, DNAP, the associate director of the Doctor of Nursing Practice in Nurse Anesthesia program at Saint Mary’s. Along with educating the next generation of nurse anesthesia providers, Gauderman has served as the federal political director for the Minnesota Association of Nurse Anesthetists.

Gauderman says the cause of the crisis in rural health care is multifaceted; however, a major driving force is the fact that many rural areas in the U.S. are underserved communities. Many in rural areas rely on Medicaid and Medicare for health care. While those on Medicaid and Medicare are covered, the payments going to hospitals aren’t covering the cost of caring for a patient, which puts strain on rural hospitals. Many rural hospitals and clinics have also lost federal COVID-19 funding that was provided to prop them up during the pandemic.

The closure of medical services and hospitals adds a burden to already underserved communities.

“Headlines about rural hospitals closing an obstetrical unit will grab everyone’s attention because everyone is going to have empathy for a baby or a mother who might be struggling or at risk. But rural health care has so many other services that get overlooked. Think about pain management. An hour car ride to the closest hospital offering pain management services for someone who is experiencing back pain can be excruciating,” Gauderman said. “When someone is in crisis and they’re driving to the hospital and they see that blue sign with an “H” on it, it offers a little bit of relief. When specialized care units or hospitals close in rural areas, it removes that sense of relief.”

Not only do the closures of hospitals and medical services impact members

of rural communities, it impacts practitioners in rural communities.

“For a lot of these professionals, when they go to nurse anesthesia school, usually it is with the goal of returning to their home community or a community they’re connected to, and that’s why they end up in these rural towns,” Gauderman said. “And so another big piece of that is these are usually people who love doing everything that they’ve been educated to do for their patients, providing the absolute best service they can. And from a job satisfaction standpoint, being able to do all of the different facets of anesthesia is a big part of that. So to lose an obstetrical department, they have to think about whether or not that is where they still want to be. Do they want to give up that skill set? And I think that’s the first place that my heart goes.”

Where Saint Mary’s steps in Within the Saint Mary’s Doctor of Nursing Practice in Nurse Anesthesia program, Gauderman and the program faculty are focused on doing what they can to help alleviate the crisis in rural health care.

One major step the program has taken is focusing on accepting students from across the state, not just inside the Twin Cities metro.

“We have to be very mindful that we’re accepting students from these communities that are in need and need these providers, and also have a harder time recruiting people,” she said. Typically somebody is more likely to stay in these communities if it’s basically returning back home for them.”

The program also focuses on setting students in clinical settings in rural hospitals. With the program offering 40 clinical sites for its students, over a quarter of those clinical sites are in rural settings.

For Saint Mary’s nurse anesthetist students like Drentlaw and Tenzin Lobsang D’24, this is a major win.

While Lobsang did a majority of her rotations in the Twin Cities, she said her experience at Saint Croix Regional in Saint Croix Falls, Wis., was extremely eye-opening

— so much so that she hopes to work one shift a week at the rural hospital.

“Going to St. Croix really opened up a new environment of practicing anesthesia for me as it was a CRNA-only practice. There we got to do a full scope of our practice, which included spinal anesthesia, epidurals, and doing regional nerve blocks for pain management during orthopedic surgeries,” she said. “During my clinical there I got to see all the things nurse anesthetists could do without the support of an anesthesiologist.”

With the need for competent, trained health care professionals in rural settings, both Drentlaw and Lobsang said they are pleased that Saint Mary’s has made rural health care a part of its focus.

“Saint Mary’s has been doing such a great job with rural hospitals,” Drentlaw said. “And these hospitals want to keep their partnerships with the university, so it just shows how well Saint Mary’s is training its students.”

Carmen Drentlaw D’24 and Tenzin Lobsang D’24

The epidemic of human trafficking

Education and prevention is key

Katie Boller Gosewisch B’01 calls herself the queen of “if you see something, say something.”

“I probably win the award for making the most 911 calls,” she said with a laugh. But in all seriousness, she adds, “Human beings were gifted with intuition. If it feels wrong, it probably is wrong, and what’s the worst that could happen? Someone could be made to feel uncomfortable. But on the flip side, you could have saved someone’s life.”

Boller Gosewisch speaks from experience. As a child, she was sexually abused. During a doctor’s visit, a nurse noted in her chart that the young girl was scared, but the investigation stopped there. Had the investigation continued, her ordeal could have ended sooner.

Now, in her current position as executive director of the Alliance to End Human Trafficking (AEHT), Boller Gosewisch is in a position to help others in abusive situations. And one way is by encouraging all of us to keep our eyes and ears open. Every day, from her office in Michigan, she works on training and educating people about human trafficking.

The Alliance to End Human Trafficking, started in 2013, is a collaborative, faithbased national network that offers education, supports access to survivor services, and engages in advocacy. AEHT members include over 200 congregations of Catholic sisters, coalitions working against human trafficking, and individuals.

It began as 15 religious Sisters from 15 different congregations came together at the White House and decided that although many congregations of women religious are dedicated to anti trafficking, a national organization was needed.

“We’re focused on education and prevention and we support organizations that provide survivor services,” she said. “The need is really there. We believe we are stronger together.”

Boller Gosewisch received a call earlier in the week about needing a place for a survivor of human trafficking and said that, through networking, they are often able to find a safe place as they have access to so many people and services.

“I’m very big into education and prevention, which is where I spend a lot of time thinking and doing,” she said. Between webinars and the website, to a United Nations-related speaking engagement, she works on providing resources, training, and prevention efforts.

Those can revolve around teaching children about personal boundaries to educating parents and teachers about the dangers of online child exploitation or missing and runaway children situations, which can very often lead to trafficking.

“A child on the street will likely be approached by a trafficker within a short time frame,” she said.

One of the organization’s biggest projects involves the intersection between

Katie Boller Gosewisch B’01 is executive director of the Alliance to End Human Trafficking.

Photo by Visual Creative Co.

I rejoice over (every survivor story) but I definitely rejoice for every kid who learns about boundaries and how to protect themselves. We want to prevent people from being trafficked, so it’s a big victory when we can put in the work to do the prevention.

Katie Boller Gosewisch

B’01

human trafficking and forced migration. “The U.S. Dept. of State found that more than 70% of those trafficked in this country are immigrants,” she said. “If we can do something to mitigate the risk for immigrants once they come into this country, we can help stop this. Traffickers exploit vulnerable people. Immigrants are in a country where they might not know anyone, speak the language, or have legal status to be able to work.

“We’re working on three pieces of legislation that have some chance of making improvements in our immigration system. They have a good chance of making an impact,” she said.

Other ways AEHT combats trafficking include talking with survivors, providing scholarships to survivors, and providing grants to organizations that provide direct services.

Boller Gosewisch reminds us that it’s boys and men being trafficked as well, not just girls and women, and that her organization is also focused on labor trafficking, in addition to sex trafficking.

“There’s more labor trafficking in the world than sex trafficking,” she said. “We are saying, ‘Your life is not as important as my comfort.’ Too often it’s about the right clothing or brand. Are we putting profits above people?”

She explains that the amount of money that traffickers make is increasing and is quickly on course to outpace the illegal drug trade. It has already surpassed the illegal weapons trade.

“The tough thing about statistics is it’s a very underreported crime,” she said. “You have anywhere from the international slavery index which reports 50 million people every day are involved in some sort of human trafficking. Many organizations only look at confirmed cases, those reported to law enforcement, so their numbers will be lower.

“With the pandemic, it went even further underground and a lot more online,” she said, explaining that you can find trafficking on Craigslist and all the social media platforms. “Anyone who wants to find it, can find it,” she said.

Despite the staggering statistics, Boller Gosewisch maintains hope. “The fact we are becoming more aware might seem like it’s getting worse, but that same education is the key to its demise. It is about awareness to the point where people can’t just stick their heads in the sand,” she said. “We need to start using the tools we have to work to end human trafficking. We all need to know the indicators (available on the website) and what we can do, maybe it’s calling a hotline or calling 911 or both.”

The fact that there’s mandatory training for healthcare providers, daycare workers, and others is a start.

“I rejoice over (every survivor story) but I definitely rejoice for every kid who learns about boundaries and how to protect themselves,” she said. “We want to prevent people from being trafficked, so it’s a big victory when we can put in the work to do the prevention.”

Boller Gosewisch said her job combines many of her passions. After earning bachelor’s degrees in history and theology at Saint Mary’s, she went on to get a master’s degree in theology.

She then spent the next 20 years of her career working in ministry and then as an executive director for two Minnesota-based nonprofits: Living at Home Network and WeCab, both of which focused on serving vulnerable populations with important access to resources like transportation, safe and affordable housing, and medical care.

She accepted her current position two years ago because it combined a social services and theological component and because of her long-standing personal desire to protect children.

“I don’t know that I could ever do anything differently,” she said. “I do think the idea of servant leadership was something I really attached to Saint Mary’s. The idea of faith, service, leadership, and community have been very integral to my life. It provides a sense of accomplishment, a sense of great meaning. I don’t think I could be in a nonhelping profession. It’s the way I’m built.”

M.A. in Counseling and Psychological Services

Elizabeth ‘Beth’ Seebach, Ph.D., L.P.

Title: Professor of Psychology

How many years have you worked at Saint Mary’s? 18 (started in August 2006)

How do you hope you are remembered/what will you most be remembered for?

I value the Lasallian mission in action above all else at Saint Mary’s — helping each student, faculty member, and staff member to strive for and reach excellence via an inclusive community of engaged, ethical, and socially minded individuals. I came to Saint Mary’s mid-career to find a better fit for my philosophy of teaching and research. We are at our best when each and every student, faculty, and staff member’s voice is at the table and when we listen to one another and help each other

grow. I found that in 2006.

I hope I will be remembered for living the Lasallian mission, for being caring and compassionate, for celebrating students’ and colleagues’ accomplishments, and for always pushing myself and others to engage in the work and to strive for excellence. I hope I will be remembered for walking alongside my students and colleagues and helping them develop their own voice and navigating the good and the hard paths.

I also hope I’ll be remembered for touching hearts, by sharing my own “oops” moments, reminding students to live WHOLE lives.

Finally, I hope people will remember that I always tried to be a voice for those who had no voice in a situation.

What do you enjoy/have you enjoyed most about teaching?

Oh, so much! Probably the “aha” moments, when a student or colleague has the moment of grasping something at a truly deeper level. The light in the eyes of that person shines in my soul! I’ve had the privilege of seeing this in many students and in my colleagues as we engaged in discussion of Lasallian online pedagogy, in consideration of models for general education, and in the faculty-led work on academic integrity. My own “aha” moments were frequent as I was encouraged to push my own explorations throughout my career.

I well remember one of my body image collaborative labs sitting in Luttmers Lounge reviewing spreadsheets. It was even more fun (and an agonizing wait over a break) when I was able to share with that lab that our study was accepted for presentation at the American

Psychological Association meeting in Denver that year!

What are you most proud of from your career?

At a macro level, I am most proud of the growth in my students. There are some amazing psychology alums spread across the country, some working as clinicians, some as researchers, some as lawyers and pharmacists, and some in more varied fields. I am so proud that each student truly explored psychology, their own passions and identities, and their life journeys. I am proudest when I hear students who developed their voice and stand up to help others — in their families, their communities, through their jobs or other experiences — and to make the world a better place for all.

At a micro level, I am proud of some of what I leave for others — the classes I developed, the ideas nurtured in our Center for Excellence in Learning and Teaching (CELT) discussion group (through which I always felt more energized), my work on myriad committees and task forces, and my publications, presentations, and sharing of ideas with the broader Lasallian world.

From the Lasallian world, I cherish the personal and professional connections I have made throughout the world through my work with the Buttimer Institute, as a facilitator for the John Johnston Institute, as a participant in the Summer Seminar for Professors, and last year, as a presenter on Women in the Lasallian World. Also, the Brother Charlie Burke award was a huge honor.

What are your retirement plans?

I am not fully retiring yet. I have returned to full-time clinical psychology practice. I look forward to getting my gardens back into shape (I have a passion for restoring native plantings); reading, reading, and reading; playing with art and music; more time with close friends; hiking; volunteering; and continuing to learn. I also hope to continue to hear from former students – their stories (good and bad) have always filled my heart!

Dennis Pedrick, Ph.D.

Title: Associate Professor, Department of Business and Communication

How many years have you worked at Saint Mary’s? 7 years

How do you hope you’re remembered/ what will you most be remembered for?

Meeting students where they are and helping them, even if in a small way, to realize and reach their full potential

What do you enjoy/ have you enjoyed most about teaching?

The students, both in terms of their academic accomplishments, but also the successes they have outside the classroom.

What are you most proud of from your career?

I can count CEOs and business owners, vice presidents of both large and small companies, doctors, nurses, teachers, and countless other successful former students as my alumni — all of whom, with a couple exceptions, I am very proud.

What are your retirement plans?

I continue to work with the Higher Learning Commission as a Peer Review Team Chair – reviewing and helping colleges and universities better deliver their educational offerings. I’m also the board chair of Riverway Learning Community, a PreK – 12 public charter school in Winona. I also paddle, cycle, fish, play golf, and have recently started playing pickleball.

Seniors

Four honored at Founders’ Day

In celebration of its heritage, Saint Mary’s presented awards to one faculty member, one staff member, and two outstanding seniors at its annual Founders’ Day celebration March 19 on the Winona Campus.

Robin Wisniewski, Psy.D., program director of the M.A. in Counseling and Psychological Services program, received the Distinguished Lasallian Educator Award. Presented each year, the award recognizes a member of the faculty, staff, or administration who exemplifies the ideals of Saint John Baptist de La Salle, expressed in the Twelve Virtues of a Good Teacher. The award is given by Lasallian institutions like Saint Mary’s in the Lasallian Region of North America of the De La Salle Christian Brothers to honor contributions and commitment to the Lasallian mission of education. Wisniewski has worked

at Saint Mary’s for nearly 15 years – first as the practicum coordinator for the Rochester M.A. in Counseling Psychology program, then as fulltime program director. As program director, she has built many strong collaborative relationships with the Rochester and southeastern Minnesota communities to help increase the number of qualified mental health therapists serving the region. She has also participated on several committees and began a new initiative to expand access to the M.A. in Counseling Psychology program by offering a remote cohort option for students in 2022, which has grown significantly since the first cohort.

Tracy Lehnertz, M.A., assistant vice president for Institutional Effectiveness, received the Bishop Patrick Heffron Award. The Heffron Award — named after the founder of Saint Mary’s

Left to right: Robin Wisniewski, Psy.D.; Tracy Lehnertz, M.A.; and Outstanding

Riley Hall and Patrick Derleth.

— is awarded every other year to an employee who has contributed positively to the life of the university, has demonstrated a long-term commitment to the values of the university, and has been a model of the Lasallian spirit in interactions with colleagues and students. For over 30 years, Lehnertz has supported the Saint Mary’s community, serving in various roles, from associate dean for off-campus programs and accreditation liaison officer to interim registrar and assistant to the provost. She has demonstrated exceptional commitment to Saint Mary’s and its mission, students, and staff throughout her years of service. Her attention to detail, research skills, and talent for strategic, “big picture” thinking have elevated the work of presidents, provosts, vice presidents, deans,

faculty, and resident life programs throughout her time at Saint Mary’s.

The university also announced its Outstanding Male and Female Seniors during the Founders’ Day celebration. Outstanding seniors have demonstrated the ideals of scholarship, character, leadership, service to colleagues and the university community, as well as genuine concern for the needs of others.

This year, the honor went to Patrick Derleth of Berlin, Wis., and Riley Hall of Dallas Center, Iowa. The eight other students nominated for Outstanding Senior included Nicholas Kiemel, Noah Kiemel, Mitchell Klatt, and Owen Ziegler, Ryann Aschenbrener, Kirsten Neistadt, Jacinta Nguyễn, and Madeline Patterson.

Saint Mary’s celebrates first Latin American Sisters Initiative graduates

During its spring 2024 undergraduate commencement, Saint Mary’s celebrated the conferring of degrees upon the first cohort of more than 40 religious sisters who are a part of the university’s Latin American Sisters Initiative. The sisters were enrolled in the university’s Health and Human Services programs online, which has been made possible through the U.S.-Latin American Sisters Exchange Program, a partnership between Catholic Extension and Saint Mary’s. As a part of the program, the sisters serve as missionaries in underserved Latino communities across the U.S. while also receiving degrees from Saint Mary’s.

Jon Clifton, J.D., CEO of the Gallup Organization and bestselling author, who spoke on the topic “Eliminating our Blind Spots: Finding the Road to Happiness.”

Hendrickson Forum welcomes Jon Clifton, honors Mary Jo Copeland

A crowd of nearly 300 attendees gathered in community — and in search of “happiness” — for the 16th annual Hendrickson Forum, held April 10 on Saint Mary’s Minneapolis Campus.

With all the camaraderie, the forum may have temporarily skewed the research presented by the event’s keynote, Jon Clifton, J.D., CEO of the Gallup Organization and bestselling author, who spoke on the topic “Eliminating Our Blind Spots: Finding the Road to Happiness.”

Clifton has traveled extensively, measuring happiness throughout the world, and he detailed five elements of well-being that ultimately reduce negative emotions and increase positive emotions and cause people to rate their “happiness” higher.

• Work (You like what you do every day.)

• Social (You have meaningful friendships in your life.)

• Financial (You manage your money well.)

• Physical (You have energy to get things done.)

• Community (You like where you live.)

“Money does not buy happiness but it’s hard to be happy without it, and that in itself is a powerful statement,” he said.

In the category of “work,” he added, “We are closer to colonizing Mars than we are fixing the world’s broken workplace. The emotional economy of work actually hides in a blind spot of many leaders.”

But he also provided hope, pointing out that employers are beginning to eliminate their blind spots by taking a look at their employee’s emotional environment. “They’re actually doing things from a leadership perspective that address it and make their life better,” he said.

Outside of work, in our communities, important questions regarding happiness include:

Did you give money to an organization? Did you volunteer your time? Or did you help a stranger? “We (the United States) are always, in the history of our database, among the top 10 in doing that around the world,” Clifton said. “And in doing that, we are truly a strong community that helps each other.”

This year’s recipient of the Hendrickson Medal for Ethical Leadership, Mary Jo Copeland, founder and director of Sharing and Caring Hands, was honored (in absentia) for serving as an inspirational example of helping to build a strong community.

fortunate “know they will never walk alone.” She serves as an outstanding example of how we all can make a life-changing difference in the lives of others.

Although she’s received numerous national honors — including receiving the Presidential Citizens Medal from President Barack Obama — she instead chooses to give God the glory, saying “It’s what God has accomplished through me.”

Jo Copeland

The Minnesota native founded Sharing and Caring Hands in Minneapolis in 1985 with a goal of serving those in need. The organization now provides clothing and food to 300 to 500 poor and marginalized people daily. Next door, she operates Mary’s Place, emergency shelter and transitional housing for homeless families with children.

Copeland was inspired by her humble beginnings to make the world a better place — sharing her hope-filled message to let those less

In a recorded message, she told attendees, “We are the light of Christ, and that light breaks through the darkness of so many people. And when you bring hope to people, they find peace.

“We’re always responsible for the effort of our lives, not the outcome. Whether they are people we work with in our jobs, in our world, whoever we work with, the effort is ours to make a difference in those lives.”

Hendrickson (center, right) is the daughter of the founding benefactors of the Hendrickson Institute for Ethical Leadership. Joining her is her daughter, Elena Schneible, a third generation of supporters. Also pictured is, from left, Matthew Gerlach, Ph.D., former director, Hendrickson Institute; Jon Clifton, keynote speaker; Father James P. Burns, IVD, Ph.D., university president; and Brother Robert Smith, FSC B’76, Ph.D., senior vice president and executive director, Hendrickson Institute.

Julie

Mary

Dahi Al Fadhli received an honorary Doctorate of Educational Leadership degree during commencement ceremonies June 1 in Minneapolis.

Al Fadhli is the chief executive officer of Sama Educational Company, which operates the campuses of American Creativity Academy (ACA) in Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, and Oman. He has consistently supported the partnership with Saint Mary’s as a Catholic university because of his belief in faithbased education. Al Fadhli has served as deputy secretary general of Kuwait’s Ministry of Islamic Affairs, as well as an economic researcher for the Kuwait Central Bank and director of development and planning for the Shuaiba Industrial Company.

Saint Mary’s celebrates first M.A. in Education, Ed.S. in Educational Administration graduates in Kuwait

Through a partnership with the American Creativity Academy, Saint Mary’s is offering graduate education for teachers in Kuwait.

More than 120 teachers are enrolled in the M.A. in Education and Ed.S. in Educational Administration programs through Saint Mary’s. This partnership is expanding to include a cohort of teachers in Saint Mary’s Executive Ed.D. program.

In February, Dr. Sue Hines, director of the Ed.D. program, was invited by the American Creativity Academy to give the keynote address at their education conference for more than 700 teachers.

And in April, Her Excellency, U.S. Ambassador Karen Hideko Sasahara received the Very Reverend Father James P. Burns, IVD, Ph.D., president of Saint Mary’s University of Minnesota, at her residence in Kuwait.

Father Burns and the ambassador discussed several topics including Saint Mary’s growing partnership with the American Creativity Academy, the need to align education offerings to market needs, and the value of character education. “Our focus on character and virtues at Saint Mary’s allows us to provide education that is transnational, transcultural, and transhistorical and underscores our shared values,” said Father Burns.

Also during his visit to Kuwait, Father Burns recognized three cohorts of teachers at the American Creativity Academy who completed their M.A. in Education this spring. “Expanding access to education is a priority of our school of education,” said Dr. Michael Hahn, Ph.D., assistant dean of the School of Education, “which is why we are excited to partner with the American Creativity Academy to offer our curriculum to teachers from all over the world.” Represented in Saint Mary’s programs are teachers from the United States, Canada, England, Ireland, South Africa, Australia, New Zealand, Jordan, Egypt, Syria, and Kuwait.

The American Creativity Academy is the largest private school in Kuwait educating over 6,000 girls and boys in PreK-12 on multiple campuses. For more than 20 years, the American Creativity Academy has offered values-based education with an American curriculum. “Our mission is to be the premier American school in the region,” said Dr. Claire Shea, head of the School for the American Creativity Academy and Saint Mary’s faculty, “and our partnership with Saint Mary’s ensures that our teachers are prepared to offer excellent classroom instruction as well as to become educational leaders.”

Benefit helps Minnerath family

This year’s Saint Mary’s Benefit raised more than $21,500 for Dr. Jeanne Minnerath of the Biology Department on Saint Mary’s Winona Campus.

Each year the benefit — once called the Taylor Richmond Benefit — raises money to benefit someone or a group in need who has ties to the Saint Mary’s community. This benefit — which typically includes a dance and silent auction — has become an annual student tradition since its start in 2001.

Dr. Minnerath was diagnosed with incurable brain cancer in the fall, and the Saint Mary’s community came together to show her support during this difficult time and to help with her accumulating medical expenses.

Dr. Minnerath, inspired by the teachings of Saint John Baptist de La Salle, embodies grace as she leads with compassion and humility nurturing a harmonious educational environment. Her zeal is evident in the tireless pursuit of excellence, reflecting a deep commitment to teaching students in her classroom, and by her actions of service to all outside her classroom.

In addition to her work inside the classroom, often involving students in her ongoing research, Dr. Minnerath has been a faculty/staff leader on Campus Ministry SOUL (Serving Others United in Love) mission trips and has volunteered with TEC (Together Encountering Christ) retreats.

Vlazny Hall demolition

This summer, Saint Mary’s said goodbye to Vlazny Hall (formerly Aquinas Hall, which is now the name of the newest science and business facility). Vlazny, constructed in 1953, was a single-story residence for 57 students. But more recently, the space housed student life, residence life, campus ministry, and other offices. The outdated building was no longer energy, nor cost efficient and will now become open green space, creating a more inviting and welcoming entrance for visitors. The offices have been relocated to areas more easily accessible by students.

Dr. Jeanne Minnerath

UPCOMING ALUMNI EVENTS

July 26

Alumni Gathering at St. Paul Saints game, St. Paul, Minn.

Sept. 20

Alumni Board

Networking event at Schell’s Brewery, New Ulm, Minn.

Oct. 10

Benefactor Recognition Dinner, Winona, Minn.

Oct. 26

Lasallian Day of Service

To see what’s coming up next, visit connect. smumn.edu/ events

UPDATE YOUR INFORMATION

Make sure we have your most recent contact information so you can stay on top of the latest news and events and share your updates with other alumni at connect. smumn.edu/ updatemyinfo

A number of alumni numbers

It has been a busy few months for the Alumni Office. During the May commencement on the Winona Campus, and the June commencement for our Graduate and Professional schools students in Minneapolis, we welcomed a few hundred more recent graduates to Saint Mary’s alumni fold.

Then, at the end of June, we welcomed back roughly 250 of our undergraduate alumni to the Winona Campus for Reunion Weekend 2024 to celebrate, share stories, and catch up with old friends.

During such gatherings of Saint Mary’s alumni, I am often asked questions about the group as a whole, such as “How many are there now?” and “Where do most alumni live?” Many are surprised to learn that Saint Mary’s has been offering graduate courses since it was approached by IBM to help with educating its workforce in 1960; and because of that, we now have more alumni from School of Graduate and Professional Programs (SGPP) with masters or doctoral degrees, than those who come from the undergraduate campus in Winona.

So, in honor of all things alumni, I thought it would be fun to share the answers

to the most frequently asked questions I get asked about Saint Mary’s alumni:

• There are now just over 58,000 total living Saint Mary’s alumni.

• Today, 66% of Saint Mary’s alumni come from our graduate programs; 31% from the undergraduate Winona Campus; and the remaining 3% of alumni have both undergraduate and graduate degrees from Saint Mary’s.

• Today’s alumni base is 42% male, 58% female.

• The average age of today’s living alumni is 50.4 years.

• The top five U.S. Locations where Saint Mary’s alumni live are:

1. Minnesota 63%

2. Wisconsin 8%

3. Illinois 6%

4. Florida 1.4%

5. California 1.3%

And while demographic information is interesting, I’d also like to share with you some of my personal favorite statistics about Saint Mary’s alumni from this last year:

• 324 alumni were involved in some university volunteer role in Fiscal Year 2024, from serving on advisory boards to helping with reunion committees and a variety of opportunities in between.

• We had the highest ever participation for Lasallian Day of Service this year, with more than 200 volunteers contributing more than 600 hours of service to their communities.

• Alumni helped the Saint Mary’s Fund reach more than $2.2 million for the year, the largest total for the fund that helps students and programs on campus.

With this information, it is clear to see that Saint Mary’s alumni live the “mission in action” every day. From the stories in this magazine, to the stories I hear in passing every day, Saint Mary’s alumni truly do great things, and it is an honor to work with all 58,000.

Tracy Heaser Senior Director of Alumni and Benefactor Engagement

Help us honor alumni

Do you know a Saint Mary’s alumnus/a who has made outstanding achievements in his/her career? Or, someone who has given significant time and commitment to the community or Saint Mary’s University? Does someone stand out in your memory as deserving of an alumni award? Can you remember an athlete or coach whose accomplishments brought honor to him/herself and Saint Mary’s University?

Each year, the Alumni Association of Saint Mary’s University bestows awards upon deserving alumni. We are now accepting nominees for Reunion Weekend for Distinguished Alumnus/a, Alumni Appreciation, Sports Hall of Fame, and Religious Service Awards. All nominations must come from alumni or employees of Saint Mary’s University.

Distinguished Alumnus/a Award Criteria

This award honors an alumnus/a for outstanding achievements in his/her chosen profession. This person’s daily life reflects the Christian ideals promulgated by the university. This person has distinguished him/herself in his/her chosen field or in another area of endeavor.

Alumni Appreciation Award Criteria

This award honors an alumnus/a of the university who, by their consistent and continuous volunteer efforts, have given their personal time and energies to further the goals and objectives of Saint Mary’s University. They must show exceptional personal commitment involving time and effort in any or all areas involving university functions supported by the Alumni Association. These areas include, but are not limited to, Career Services, Admissions Support, Chapter Development, Alumni Board, Chapter Involvement, and Regional Events and

Programs. Current employees of the university are ineligible for the award. Continuous personal contributions of time and effort are the primary criteria.

Lasallian Service Award Criteria

This award honors an alumnus/a for outstanding contributions to the Lasallian spirit of faith and zeal and exemplifies the highest of Lasallian values. This award will be given for personal achievements in the Lasallian charism.

Outstanding Young Alumnus/a Award Criteria

This award will honor a young alumnus/a for outstanding accomplishments within the first 10 years from graduation, whose professional accomplishments, service to alma mater, and/or selfless and caring work to benefit society are distinctive.

Sports Hall of Fame Criteria

This award honors individuals or teams who have made outstanding contributions to the Saint Mary’s intercollegiate athletic department as athletes, coaches, or administrators. An athlete must have attended Saint Mary’s for a minimum of four semesters. An athlete’s class must have graduated at least five years prior to selection. A coach or administrator must have served the university a minimum of five years and five years must have elapsed since the nominee last served in that capacity. If currently serving at the time of the nomination, the nominee must have had 20 years of continuous service. Five years must have elapsed since any team nominated competed at Saint Mary’s. A Hall of Fame nominee will have shown athletic and academic skills, teamwork, leadership, character or other attributes of an ideal Saint Mary’s student-athlete.

ALUMNI AWARD NOMINATION FORM (preliminary information)

I wish to nominate an individual for: (Please check type of award; photocopy to nominate in more than one category.) n Distinguished Alumnus/a n Sports Hall of Fame n Alumni Appreciation n Lasallian Service n Outstanding Young Alumnus/a

Name of Nominee Class Year

Telephone (daytime) Telephone (home)

Why do you think this individual should receive a Saint Mary’s University Alumni Award?

Name of Nominator

Does this person know he/she is being nominated?

Telephone (daytime) Telephone (home)

Email

To nominate a candidate for an award, complete this form and return. Saint Mary’s Alumni Relations staff will follow up with you as necessary. SEND TO: Alumni Relations, Saint Mary’s University, 700 Terrace Heights #21, Winona, MN 55987-1399 or fill out the form online at connect.smumn.edu/alumni/alumni-recognition

Reunion Weekend Recap

More than 330 reunited, reminisced, and got reacquainted with old friends (and new) June 21-23 at Saint Mary’s reunion weekend.

In addition to events on campus, alumni enjoyed a taste of Winona through a Mississippi River boat cruise and a guided tour of the Minnesota Marine Art Museum. The Class of 1974, celebrating its 50th reunion, enjoyed a special reception and dinner, and alumni from 1973 and older were invited to an alma mater banquet. A special Veteran’s Ceremony was held (complete with a flyover), alumni were able to tour the campus and attend Mass together, and everyone was invited to a picnic with barbecue on the menu!

A highlight of the weekend every year includes the alumni awards brunch and ceremony, during which the recipients of the 2024 alumni awards are recognized. This year’s awardees include:

Santiago J. Escobar B’12 Outstanding Young Alumnus Award Attending Saint Mary’s was life changing for Santiago J. Escobar B’12. The entire experience and community prepared him for what was to come next. Beyond academics, he enjoyed many campus activities and service opportunities. However, one activity quickly rose to the top of his list: Ultimate Frisbee.

Combining his love for Ultimate Frisbee and his degrees in International Business, Spanish, and Sport Management. Escobar became involved with the management side of the sport after graduation. He took a regional director role with USA Ultimate, and also became an event organizer and/ or volunteer for local, regional, and national events, as well as international competitions in Italy and Denmark. Within months of graduating, he pushed the expansion of an Ultimate Frisbee professional league by earning territory rights and becoming the founder of the Minnesota franchise. Escobar became the youngest owner of a professional sports franchise, and with involvement and support from many Saint Mary’s classmates and alumni, he built the organization from the ground up, managing all business operations, competition aspects, and gameday events during its first five seasons.

Simultaneously, Escobar earned a master’s degree and worked as a program manager at Scholarship America, where he could connect students with academic scholarship opportunities.

In 2016, Santiago accepted a role at Thrivent, a Fortune 500 financial services organization. He is now part of the

business operations team for a societal impact program with a national footprint that closely aligns with his values. While at Thrivent, he continues to volunteer with organizations like BestPrep. His own experiences as a student have driven his continued involvement and support of educational organizations so others can have similar and better opportunities. His volunteer work was recognized with the 2022 BestPrep Service Award. He also enjoys volunteering with Saint Mary’s, especially with events that involve student development.

Thanks to Saint Mary’s, great memories were made, and doors were opened. However, the best part was attending alongside his brother (Luis Escobar B’12), and meeting the love of his life, Kelly (Wagner) Escobar B’11. Santiago and Kelly currently live in the Twin Cities with their son, Jacob.

Candace ‘Candi’ (Langan) Lynch B’83

Distinguished Alumna Award

Candace “Candi” (Langan) Lynch B’83 is a recently retired lifelong educator whose passion revolved around working with populations of students and families who were deemed difficult by most. Her

Santiago J. Escobar B’12 Outstanding Young Alumnus Award

Candace “Candi” (Langan) Lynch B’83 Distinguished Alumna Award

Thomas “Tom” J. Evon B’76 Lasallian Service Award

NOMINATE AN ALUM!

Do you know a Saint Mary’s graduate deserving of an award?

Nominate them! See page 31 for more info and nomination form or go to connect. smumn.edu/ alumni/alumnirecognition.

educational philosophy always focused on school culture and climate and the belief that all students, families, and staff deserved to feel seen, heard, and feel that they matter as a valued member of the learning community.

Throughout her 33-year career, she held a variety of roles. She worked as a classroom teacher and elementary school counselor for 18 years. She then moved into a role at the District level as an Elementary Student Services facilitator. In that position, she coordinated the work of the 24 elementary counselors, oversaw 504 compliance, was directly involved in District Bullying / Harassment policy and staff development, and worked collaboratively to assure that supports were in place to ensure learning for all students through the Social Emotional Behavioral curriculum and Positive Behavior Intervention Supports at all elementary schools.

In 2013, she became the principal of Johnson School of the Arts, which was designated by the state as a school in need of assistance due to high staff turnover, multiple principals in a short period of time, high absenteeism rate, and low achievement scores. The school was designated by the district as a Turnaround School, and during her time as a principal there, Johnson reopened as the first Magnet School in Cedar Rapids, Iowa and was renamed as Johnson STEAM Academy.

During her eight years as principal, significant changes took place due to her ability to work with multiple stakeholders and her collaborative leadership skills.

Under her leadership, Johnson STEAM Academy became certified as a Magnet School with the national Magnet Schools of America organization. In addition, they received a Merit Award from Magnet Schools of America for innovative practices. This was followed by national recognition as a demonstration magnet school, exceeding criteria. Johnson STEAM Academy was highlighted in a national case study by

Successful Practices Network (SPN) and AASA, The School Superintendents Association, as one of 25 national Innovative Successful Practice schools. In 2019, Lynch was named as Iowa Elementary Principal of the Year and as a National Distinguished Principal representing the state of Iowa.

Thomas ‘Tom’ J. Evon B’76

Lasallian Service Award

Thomas “Tom” J. Evon B’76 is a product of an all-Catholic school education, having attended St. Giles Elementary and Fenwick High School, both in Oak Park, Ill., before coming to Saint Mary’s to major in Business Administration. With the help of his two brothers, he took over a small family packaging business and continued to build it over the years. In addition to his work, Evon has continued to give back to the Church and the Catholic Schools who helped to shape him.

He’s been an active member at Church of the Holy Spirit in Schaumburg, Ill. His most meaningful role was serving as chairman of the annual Family Fest, a five-day carnival with food and music, for over 30 years. It was the largest fundraiser for the parish, but more importantly, it was a wonderful bonding event for his faith community. He also is currently involved with Help Hope Live; Fenwick High School; San Marco Church, Marco Island, Fla.; St. Matthew’s House, Naples, Fla.; and St. Bellarmine Jesuit Retreat House, Barrington, Ill., as well as Saint Mary’s. Many of his closest friends today are from his three schools — with ties all the way back to kindergarten. He’s a loving husband to Monica (Herriges) Evon B’77; father to Kate, Paul ’03, and Mary; and grandfather of eight. He brings his faith and Lasallian sense of service to every day of his life.

Sports Hall of Fame and Cardinal Excellence Fund Dinner

The Saint Mary’s Athletic Department welcomed three new members into its Sports Hall of Fame on March 23 as part of the third annual Cardinal Excellence Fund Dinner, held at Visions Event Center in Winona.

More than 150 people were in attendance to celebrate this year’s Hall of Fame inductees Marc Weisenburger B’75 (baseball), Jamie (Rattunde) Nelson B’05 (basketball), and Jenny (Folgers) Baertsch B’05 (cross country/ track & field).

“It was truly a special night — celebrating Jamie, Marc, and Jenny and their accomplishments, as well as those of our student-athletes,” said athletic director Brian Sisson. “Hearing our inductees speak of their time at Saint Mary’s — and the impact athletics and their Saint Mary’s experience had on their lives — was so inspirational.

“We are grateful for the support of so many who helped make this signature event an unforgettable evening for all.”

Weisenburger was a standout catcher for the Saint Mary’s baseball team, while Nelson was a dominant force on the hardwood for the SMU women’s basketball team, and Folgers excelled in both cross country and track and field during her four years as a Cardinal.

“Saint Mary’s baseball has a storied past, full of great players,” Weisenburger said. “To add my name to that list is beyond imagination for me.”

Those remarks were echoed by both Nelson and Baertsch.

“Being inducted into the Saint Mary’s Sports Hall of Fame is a testament to years of dedication, hard work, and passion for athletics,” Nelson said. “I am humbled and

All of the 2024 hall of fame inductees together for a photo: Jamie (Rattunde) Nelson B’05 (basketball), Jenny (Folgers) Baertsch B’05 (cross country/ track & field) and Marc Weisenburger B’75 (baseball).

Jenny (Folgers)

Baertsch B’05 and her husband, Jim B’04, gather with several track and field/cross country alumni friends who came back for the event.

Marc Weisenburger B’75, hall of fame inductee, with his two sons, TJ and Adam, and daughter, Kara Young. They are holding playing day photos from their father’s time at Saint Mary’s.

Father James P. Burns, IVD, Ph.D., president, and Brian Sisson, athletic director, present Jamie (Rattunde) Nelson B’05 with her hall of fame plaque.

proud to be part of such a distinguished group.”

“I feel incredibly proud and honored to be selected,” said Baertsch. “To be among so many legends is an incredible feeling.”

While Weisenburger, Nelson, and Baertsch spoke fondly of their time at Saint Mary’s — both on and off the fields of competition — SMU senior Owen Ziegler, a member of the Cardinal men’s basketball team, spoke for all the current Saint Mary’s student-athletes,

who aspire to someday perhaps join the trio in this illustrious group.

“Saint Mary’s isn’t just a place where we play sports and go to school, it’s a home where a unique bond unites us all as a family,” said Ziegler, who was flanked by representatives from all 17 varsity athletic programs. “We may have worn different jerseys and represented different eras, but our shared experiences at Saint Mary’s bring us together in a meaningful way.”

1970s

Mary (Morrison) Taylor B’74, Chaska, Minn., retired from her position as urgent care south region coder at M Health Fairview, Bloomington Oxboro Urgent Care, on Dec. 28, 2023.

1980s

Timothy “Tim” O’Rourke ’81, Cape Coral, Fla., began his position as a registered nurse at Shorepoint Health in January 2024.

Joseph “JJ” Wagner B’82, Plymouth, Minn., began his position as general manager at The Wilds Golf Club on Dec. 8, 2023.

Joseph “Joe” Febel B’83, Minneapolis, Minn., began his position as senior vice president, Americas sales at Scality, in March 2024.

John Dornik B’84, Minneapolis, Minn., was named Minnesota ICON of 2023 by Finance and Commerce and Minnesota Lawyer magazines.

Philip Kluesner B’84, Saint Louis Park, Minn., began his position as a commercial real estate advisor at Gannett Peak Partners in February 2024.

James Bauer M’86, Fridley, Minn., published his book, “The Runaway Learning Machine,” and he has begun speaking on the topic of dyslexia throughout the Upper Midwest, Canada, England, Luxembourg, the Pacific Triangle, and Brazil.

Monica Hennessy Mohan B’86, Winona, Minn., was elected president of the Municipal Clerks & Finance Officers Association of Minnesota in April 2024.

Theodor Thomas B’88, Grove City, Ohio, retired after over 30 years from his position with U.S. Customs and Border Protection in 2023.

Robert “Rob” Rader ’89, La Grange, Ill., began his position as executive vice president of sales at Atlas Logistics Inc. in February 2024.

1990s

Michael McEvilly B’90, San Antonio, Texas, wrote and published his book, “The Greatest Semester Ever: A Memoir of Studying Abroad,” in November 2023.

Mark Ringo B’90, Bradenton, Fla., began his position as partner director at MicroStrategy in April 2024.

Ann Keen B’94, Saint Charles, Ill., was promoted to global workplace experience services director at JLL in February 2024.

Victoria “Vicki” (Makovec) Whildin B’98, Libertyville, Ill., began her position as chief operating officer at PediaTrust in January 2024.

Jennifer (O’Laughlin) Hengel B’99, Rushford, Minn., began her position as executive director at Semcac in November 2023.

2000s

Matthew Budny B’00, Plainfield, Ill., began his position as service manager at Mike More Miles in March 2024.

Mark Filla ’00, Germantown, Wis., was recognized with the Filla Latzke Group as a best-in-state wealth management team by Forbes for the second consecutive year in March 2024.

Ryan Hinton B’00, Manchester, Conn., began his position as education services officer at Connecticut Army National Guard in November 2023.

Kari (Pederson) Erickson B’01, Hastings, Minn., was promoted to partner at Mahoney CPAs and Advisors on Dec. 18, 2023.

Kelly (Steuck) Hendershot B’01, Arlington, Va., began her position as vice president, mission delivery at Cancer Support Community in January 2024.

Dr. Lisa Sayles-Adams C’03, Minneapolis, Minn., began her position as superintendent at Minneapolis Public Schools in February 2024.

Austin Fallah B’04, M’08, Plymouth, Minn., wrote a book titled “Diversity as the New World Currency: Navigating the Landscape of Social and Economic Development,” published on Nov. 21, 2023.

Anthony “Tony” Gruenke B’04, Inver Grove Heights, Minn., began his position as general sales manager at Metro Sales Inc. in January 2024.

Luke Ostreko B’05, Newark, Ill., received the Plainfield Police Department’s 2023

Officer of the Year Award. This award recognizes officers whose service to both the department and the village is exceptional and professional. The men and women of the police department nominate officers they consider worthy of the highest degree of recognition.

Tina Palmer CFRE M’05, Eden Prairie, Minn., began her position as senior vice president and chief mission advancement officer at Ecumen in February 2024.

Danyelle Dalitto B’06, Melrose Park, Ill., began her position as laboratory manager at Techmer PM in December 2023.

Alissa (Banttari) Dott B’06, Ham Lake, Minn., began her position as associate vice president of community based services at Lutheran Social Services of Minnesota on Dec. 1, 2023.

Dr. Anthony Davis M’09, Raleigh, N.C., received the President’s Award, presented by the International Ministers and Lay Association of the African Methodist Episcopal Zion Church, on Feb. 20, 2024.

Valerie (Meschke) Klitzke B’09, M’15, Lake Elmo, Minn., began her position as speciality segment talent leader at APi Group in November 2023.

Jason Richter M’09, Davenport, Iowa, began his position as assistant vice president for student services and engagement at St. Ambrose University in December 2023.

2010s

Lindsay Christensen B’11, M’20, New Brighton, Minn., began her position as administrative assistant at Youable Emotional Health in February 2024.

Michael Blanda B’12, Cottage Grove, Minn., began his position as lead graphic designer at Love From USA Group, Inc. in November 2023.

Carissa (Hahn) Andrews B’13, M’20, Carver, Minn., was promoted to senior marketer at Be The Match in December 2023.

Matthew Rice B’13, Delano, Minn., began his position as corporate controller at beBright in November 2023.

CLASS NOTES

Michael Lopez ’14, Whiting, Ind., was promoted to project manager at Berglund Construction in January 2024.

Justin Wendel B’14, Saint Paul, Minn., was promoted to sourcing specialist at The Toro Company in March 2024.

Samantha “Sami” Amatuzio B’15, Eagan, Minn., began her position as clinical manager at OrthoGrid Systems, Inc. in November 2023.

Saron Yifru B’15, Long Island City, N.Y., began her position as vice president, customer connectivity at Mastercard, in April 2024.

William “Will” Doll B’16, Minneapolis, Minn., began his position as account executive at Paychex in November 2023.

Dr. Tyler Kline B’16, North Saint Paul, Minn., began his position as physical therapist at Northwestern Medicine Delnor Hospital in November 2023.

Benjamin “Ben” Dobosenski ’17, Westmont, Ill., began his position as assistant project manager at Northern Builders, Inc. in February 2024.

Erin Doyle B’17, Astoria, N.Y., began her position as psychotherapist at Greenpoint Psychotherapy in March 2024.

Gretchen Lueck B’17, Winona, Minn., began her position as senior manager of social media at FC Cincinnati in March 2024.

Michael “Mike” Mezzano B’17, Woodbury, Minn., was promoted to vice president of healthcare investment banking at Piper Sandler in March 2024.

Alexander Miller B’17, Gilbert, Ariz., began his position as project manager at SPS Commerce in November 2023.

Blake Primmer B’17, Kenosha, Wis., began his position as senior business systems analyst at Uline in December 2023.

Zachery “Zach” Thielen B’17, Prior Lake, Minn., began his position as senior manager facility engineering at Sprouts Farmers Market in February 2024.

Branden Timm B’17, Winona, Minn., was promoted to supplier development manager at Fastenal in December 2023.

Nicholas Aleva ’18, Dallas, Texas, was promoted to regional vice president at Fisher Investments in December 2023.

Michael Amelio B’18, Minneapolis, Minn., was promoted to investment banking vice president at Cherry Tree & Associates in January 2024.

Carter Bernier B’18, Downers Grove, Ill., began his position as physical therapist at Genesis Health System in January 2024.

Sean Butcher B’18, Charlotte, N.C., was promoted to director of sales and operational planning in February 2024.

Emily Composto B’18, Eden Prairie, Minn., began her position as accounting specialist at Eddie M’s LLC in November 2023.

Clarice “Clare” Grzanich B’18, Saint Charles, Ill., began her position as head of go-to-market recruiting at Engtal in April 2024.

Ryan Hippman B’18, Chicago, Ill., began his position as senior R&D chemist at Fuchs Lubricants Co. in April 2024.

Grace Homer B’18, Litchfield, Minn., began her position as presentation design specialist at Sportsdigita in November 2023.

Joseph “Joe” Kleve B’18, East Bethel, Minn., began his position as digital marketing data analyst at Renewal by Anderson in March 2023.

Javier Madrid B’18, Tuscon, Ariz., began his position as wealth advisor at United Capital Financial Advisors, LLC in November 2023.

Fabian Alvarez B’19, Chicago, Ill., began his position as finance associate at Avison Young in February 2024.

Mohamed Barrie M’19, Minneapolis, Minn., began his position as senior corporate accountant at CPM in January 2024.

Jesse Barron B’19, Madison, Wis., began his position as product manager at Beacon Athletics in March 2024.

Julia Boeve B’19, Tampa, Fla., was promoted to tax manager at BDO USA in January 2024.

Stephen “Steve” Jungbauer B’19, Minneapolis, Minn., began his position as controller at Backstory Insurance in April 2024.

Dr. Dominic Nguyen M’19, Bloomington, Minn., earned a Doctorate in Business Administration from Grand Canyon University on Oct. 18, 2023.

Mara Novakovic B’19, San Diego, Calif., began her position as office administrator at Chhokar Law Group in November 2023.

Sierra Ricci B’19, Estero, Fla., founded Holistic Care Family Nurse Practitioner, LLC in January 2024.

Bailey Wendt B’19, M’23, Rochester, Minn., began her position as technical specialist at Mayo Clinic in February 2024.

2020s

Jamilka Leon M’20, Minneapolis, Minn., began her position as project manager at Epicor in January 2024.

Kristjan Meitz B’20, Saint Paul, Minn., began his position as business analyst at Solventum in April 2024.

Shane Breslin B’21, Saint Charles, Ill., was promoted to senior consultant at Ashling Partners in February 2024.

Isaac Galle B’21, Owatonna, Minn., began his position as field commercial underwriter at Federated Insurance in December 2023.

Alexis Holliday B’21, Waterford, Wis., began her position as event coordinator at Michael Best & Friedrich LLP in January 2024.

Westen Olson B’21, Wyoming, Minn., began his position as data analyst at Connexus Energy in February 2024.

Emme Quandt B’21, Shawno, Wis., began her position as optometric assistant and contact lens technician at Wink Family Eye Care in November 2023.

Warlyston “Wally” Barros B’22, Sparta, Wis., began his position as product owner at Trane Technologies in March 2024.

Josiah Bauer B’22, Pine Island, Minn., began his position as lead CT technologist at Mayo Clinic in April 2024.

Jacob Chilson ’22, Eleva, Wis., began his position as lead accountant at ABcom LLC in April 2024.

Kayley Isaacson M’22, Sartell, Minn., published a self-guided journal titled “Create With Love: Guided Journaling for a Peaceful Mind” on Oct. 16, 2023.

Lucas Jacobson M’22, Millville, Minn., began his position as assistant supervisor at Mayo Clinic in April 2024.

Karen Valdez B’22, Brookfield, Ill., began her position as legal assistant at Las Americas Immigrant Advocacy Center in November 2023.

Trevor Wilhelm B’22, Winona, Minn., began his position in data visualization and analytics at Fastenal in March 2024.

Paul Bergvin M’23, Crossville, Tenn., began his position as accounting manager at The Revel Group in December 2023.

Guy Cardinal B’23, Saint Paul, Minn., began his position as city carrier assistant at the United States Postal Service in November 2023.

Lauren Kantrovich B’23, Delano, Minn., began her position as advanced English writer at Outlier AI in February 2024.

Alexander “Alex” Keeler B’23, Antioch, Ill., was promoted to concessions operations coordinator at Aramark Sports and Entertainment in November 2023.

Grace Mandel B’23, Saint Paul, Minn., began her position as behavioral therapist at Comfort Autum CenterCenter for Nurturing & Growth LLC in December 2023.

Brother J. William Clarey, FSC B’62, M’67

Brother William Clarey, FSC B’62, M’67 had originally intended to attend St. John’s University but the local train depot agent mentioned that connections were complicated — whereas connections between St. Paul and Winona were direct. Thus, he chose to instead attend Saint Mary’s (then College), where he countered the De La Salle Christian Brothers. Fate played a role in what would become a long and faith-filled career.

Brother William Clarey, a graduate and undergraduate Saint Mary’s alumnus, former trustee, and dedicated Brother for 64 years, died Dec. 18, 2023.

Good friend Brother Francis Carr, FSC B’66 called him “a giant of a man — a friend to so many, intelligent and thoughtful, a caring and compassionate Christian Brother who had an amazing impact on the lives of so many.”

Among his accomplishments, he was instrumental in founding Drug Education for Youth and the Lasallian Volunteers in the Midwest District. He also served as a Saint Mary’s University trustee from 1970-1980 and from 2011-2016.

Timothy “Timmy” Smith B’23, South Saint Paul, Minn., began his position as sales operations analyst at Ergotron in April 2024.

BIRTHS

John B’17 and Elizabeth “Liz” Ethen, associate director of Annual Giving Programs, Lanesboro, Minn., welcomed a son on March 9, 2024.

DEATHS

1940s

John Wolfe ’46, Shoreview, Minn., on Nov. 26, 2023.

Leo Casey ’47, Charlottesville, Va., on Aug. 24, 2023.

Brother Gerard Rummery, FSC

Brother Gerard Rummery, FSC, died Feb. 10, 2024, leaving behind a lengthy legacy within the worldwide Lasallian family, including Saint Mary’s. In recognition of a lifetime of faith-filled service, Brother Gerard was presented with an honorary doctorate by Saint Mary’s in 2015. He was awarded a Doctor of Humanities degree for his years of service to the De La Salle Christian Brothers as leader on the international level.

Brother Gerard frequently taught at the Buttimer Institute of Lasallian Studies and at the Lasallian Leadership Institute and facilitated Lasallian Summer Retreats at Saint Mary’s. He has also contributed greatly to the quality of Lasallian resources and publications and to a deeper appreciation of catechesis and religious education in the modern world.

1950s

Howard Tomashek B’56, Winona, Minn., in November 2023.

Richard Bergman B’58, Camarillo, Calif., on Jan. 28. 2024.

Peter Duginski ’58, Phoenix, Ariz., on March 24, 2024.

Laurence Donald Hogue B’58, Novoto, Calif., on Oct. 18, 2023.

Dr. Arthur “Art” Indelicato B’59, Minneapolis, Minn., on Jan. 20, 2024.

Richard Pavilon B’59, Cottonwood, Calif., on Nov. 27, 2023.

1960s

Brother Raphael Mascari, FSC B’60, Romeoville, Ill., on Jan. 22, 2024.

Father Paul Golden B’61, Perryville, Mo., on Jan. 20, 2024.

Paul Thomas B’61, Coon Rapids, Minn., on Feb. 26, 2024.

Deacon Michael “Mike” Barrett B’62, Naperville, Ill., on Feb. 11, 2024.

Capt. Eugene Dahm B’62, Tarpon Springs, Fla., on Sept. 8, 2023.

James “Jim” Dougherty B’64, Evanston, Ill., on March 6, 2024.

Dr. David “Dave” Foley B’64, Shreveport, La., on Feb. 13, 2024.

James J. Holbrook Jr. ’64, Chicago, Ill., on Jan. 12, 2024.

John Polka B’64, River Forest, Ill., on Jan. 27, 2024.

Joseph Strukl B’64, Midlothian, Va., on Dec. 10, 2023.

Col. Bruce Brandes B’66, Chester, Va., on Jan. 31, 2024.

Raymond Laliberty ’66, Gardner, Mass., on Oct. 11, 2023.

Dr. Richard Podgorny B’66, Charlottesville, Va., on Dec. 20, 2023.

Dr. James “Jim” Rankin ’66, Brookfield, Wis., on Aug. 26, 2023.

Louis “Louie” Grams ’68, Eagan, Minn., on April 2, 2024.

Dr. Gerald Langowski B’59

Dr. Gerald Langowski B’59, alumnus and longtime educator, passed away May 20, 2024 in Winona. A graduate of Saint Mary’s, he earned degrees in French, German, and Spanish in 1959 before going onto graduate school. In 1965, he returned to Saint Mary’s and served as a professor and chairman of the Modern Language Department until his retirement in 1999. He served on various committees and also published and contributed to several scholarly publications.

Survivors include sons Andrew Langowski B’84, Anthony Langowski B’87, Mark Langowski B’91, and Matthew Langowski B’94, and stepchildren Paul Adank B’87, Katherine Adank B’90, John Adank ’91, and Julie (Adank) Klein ’93.

Patrick “Pat” Harrison B’68, Plymouth, Minn., on Jan. 26, 2024.

1970s

Robert “Bob” Short ’70, Minneapolis, Minn., on Nov. 9, 2023.

John Sabados B’73, Mokena, Ill., on Dec. 1, 2023.

Joanne (Braasch) Collins B’74, Glenview, Ill., on Jan. 14, 2024.

Elverse Pearson Jr. B’76, Saint Louis, Mo., on Jan. 2, 2024.

1980s

Dr. Craig A. Storm B’80, Lebanon, N.H., on July 6, 2023.

Connie (Mueller) Johnson B’82, White Bear Lake, Minn., on April 17, 2024.

Rev. Gregory Havel B’86, Wells, Minn., on Feb. 5, 2024.

1990s

Lindsay McCabe M’98, Excelsior, Minn., on Dec. 6, 2023.

SYMPATHIES

1960s

Michael “Mike” B’66 and Claudia (Drvota) CST’68 Dooley and Mary (Dooley) Harrison CST’68, on the passing of their brother-in-law and

spouse, Patrick “Pat” Harrison B’68, on Jan. 26, 2024.

1980s

Charles Tomashek B’82, Mark Tomashek B’84, Ann (Tomashek) Johnston B’85, Dr. Kay Tomashek-Poe ’88, Sue (Tomashek) Hilo B’91 and Joshua Tomashek M’18, on the passing of their father and grandfather, Howard Tomashek B’56, in November 2023.

Maureen (Barrett) McNicholas B’84 and Barbara (Barrett) Cook B’91, on the passing of their father, Deacon Michael “Mike” Barrett B’62, on Feb. 11, 2024.

Theodor Thomas B’88, on the passing of his father, Paul Thomas B’61, on Feb. 26, 2024.

Julie Mueller ’89, on the passing of her sister, Connie (Mueller) Johnson B’82, on April 17, 2024.

2000s

Scott Sabados B’03 and Christine (Dohring) Sabados CST’74, on the passing of their father and husband, John Sabados B’73, on Dec. 1, 2023.

2010s

Dr. Leah Gordon M’10, program director of Graduate Program in Nurse Anesthesia, on the passing of her father, Douglas Gordon, on April 12, 2024.

Saint Mary’s has always been about service and we have thousands of photos to prove it, whether it’s alumni volunteering at Feed My Starving Children last year (right) or athletes helping to clean up muddy debris and tear out walls after a massive flood in Rushford, Minn., in 2007 (bottom, right); or our annual Lasallian Day of Service/Make a Difference Day events, which started back around 2005 (top and bottom, left).

If you have more information about these photos or would like to share your memories of service, contact Saint Mary’s Magazine editor, Deb Nahrgang. Email dnahrgan@ smumn.edu or mail comments to:

Saint Mary’s Magazine

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