OFFICE HOURS

A Lifeline for Mother and Child

BY SARA BERHOW

The Access and Success program started 24 years ago, serving St. Catherine University students with children. Joan Demeules, program director, has been involved from the start. Under her leadership, the Access and Success team has put St. Kate’s at the forefront of supporting student parents in higher education.

Q:

What is the goal of Access and Success?

We initially launched Access and Success as a retention program — keeping students with children enrolled at St. Kate’s — and that remains our overarching goal today. We want student parents to be successful. They’re very motivated and willing to sacrifice. This program provides resources, support, encouragement and guidance to follow through on their commitment to a college education.

Q:

Who does Access and Success support? Access and Success started out serving single parents on the Minneapolis campus in the 1992–93 academic year. Over time, the program has evolved. In 2000, it expanded to serve all undergraduate students, then, a few years ago, to include all student parents across all degree levels, from certificates to doctorate degrees.

Q:

What are some challenges that can derail these learners?

One of the biggest is time management. In addition, many of the students we work with are the first in their family to attend college and need help navigating their way. Financial stress and childcare needs are two other common challenges, and they’re part of the reason Access and Success is so valuable. We have emergency grants, and we connect student parents with resources in the community to alleviate financial worries. To help with childcare, we have child-friendly study spaces on both campuses; our student parents use them very creatively. We offer a childcare grant program and have a book that lists students who are willing to babysit children of Katies. It’s often the small needs we can fill that keep someone on track.

JERRISHA GOINES ’18, WITH SON OMARR JOHNSON, USES THE ACCESS AND SUCCESS PROGRAM. SHE IS ONE OF THE NEARLY 850 STUDENT PARENTS WHO ATTEND ST. KATE’S. We have about 850 student parents, and each of our groups is different. Our youngest and most challenged group is the day baccalaureate students. They tend to come directly from high school — young moms with young kids. The Steps to Success mentoring program supports them, and we’ve seen amazing results in retention. We’ve boosted their graduation rates to the level of our general student population. Our graduation rate for Steps to Success participants stands at 70 percent. Nationally, it’s only 35 percent for that demographic. The Evening/Weekend/Online population is our largest group. They tend to be a little older, have a bit more money because many work, and their children are often older. They don’t spend as much time on campus, making outreach more challenging. Certificate and associate students also tend to be older and our most ethnically diverse. Student parents have tremendous potential. They’re really driven to create a better life for their children. It’s clear from our surveys and national data that when a person has a child, it becomes an opportune time to make life changes. That’s been a challenge across this country for at least 20 years. St. Kate’s is ahead of the curve, not only in finding out who these students are, but also in delivering the services they need to succeed. Access and Success is a national model for this work, and we continually advocate for shifts in the identification system so more students can benefit from it. Our Mother-to-Mother program is a perfect example. In it, student parents share their stories with pregnant and parenting teens, explaining what their lives look like as college students with children, yet reassuring those young women that college is something they can make happen. Our students emerge as relevant role models, develop new leadership skills and deepen their commitment to completing their own education. from college? It’s so profound, I’m not sure we can even wrap our brains around it. We have alumnae doing amazing things and they have such impactful stories. They change their life trajectory. d ACCESS AND SUCCESS 493 Coeur de Catherine St. Paul 361 Education Building Minneapolis OFFICE HOURS

Q:

Who are student parents at St. Kate’s?

Q:

What drives them to attend college?

Q:

How do you identify and reach student parents?

Q:

How do our student parents impact the community?

Q:

How does a parent’s life change after she graduates

Varies, call 651.690.6894 A Student’s Take Kara Becker ’15, MAOT’17 (pictured on page 4) is the mother of three daughters. She served on the Access and Success Advisory Board.

Q: What motivated you to seek a college education?

St. Kate’s had been in the back of my mind for some time. After I had my oldest daughter, I was working so much that I spent less time with my child. I felt a call to find more meaningful work. I decided on healthcare, partly because several people in my life had gone through health crises, and I didn’t like hearing about the care they received. I wanted to become a caregiver who instills hope.

Q: What does it mean to attend a university that supports students with children?

It almost makes me tear up when I think about it. St. Kate’s goes to great lengths to take care of not just me, but my family; every detail is considered. I feel so proud to be a Katie. Initially I didn’t think I needed assistance, but I’ve learned that it’s not a flaw to accept the support offered. Access and Success has been a tremendous gift, and I will definitely advocate for it as an alumna.

Earn & Learn

St. Kate’s student employment program proves career-readiness isn’t only created in the classroom.

BY SHARON ROLENC

Mary Falowo ’16 maintains an unwaveringly calm demeanor as she talks you through the most frustrating of computer problems. It’s one of the many skills she’s developed as a student employee in the information technology (IT) department.

The communications and journalism major aspires to become a documentary filmmaker, but four years of working in IT opened another door she didn’t anticipate.

“I can also see myself working as an IT systems manager,” she says.

Falowo already has a taste of what management is like. She was promoted to student lead after two years on the job and now trains other IT students.

“Working in IT has made me well-rounded,” she says. “It’s taught me to think on my feet and be accommodating. I find myself troubleshooting wherever I go.”

Falowo and her IT peers are experiencing the University’s intentional shift to give students more meaningful work experiences. Even the name is different — student employment instead of work-study — to reflect this shift.

“We wanted to place the focus on the job and encourage student workers to step up and perform at a very professional level,” says Kathleen Czech, assistant director of financial literacy and student employment. “Every campus position is an opportunity for students to increase their skills for the future.”

CREATING COMPETITIVE ADVANTAGE

John Jeries, chief information officer, was an early adopter in developing a deeper student experience. When he first came to St. Kate’s in 2003, IT had one student worker, largely responsible for paperwork and filing. Today, 35–40 students are busy with technical work, including help desk support from 7:30 a.m. to 11:30 p.m., seven days a week.

“They provide our community with much needed technology and support,” he says. “At the same time, our student employees become more proficient and comfortable with technology, and use it more effectively in their studies and, more importantly, after they graduate.”

That was certainly the case for Chi Huynh ’10, a senior financial analyst for Ecolab. While her current job — based in Singapore, by the way — is directly related to her finance major, that’s not how she initially got her foot in the door.

“Ecolab recruited me straight out of college,” she explains. “The company put me on the IT team doing process improvement because of my IT experience at St. Kate’s Academic Resource Center.” In her first year at Ecolab, she managed a major computer replacement and implementation project for 400 employees.

“It was very similar to what I did at St. Kate’s, helping professors and students adapt to a new system and software,” says Huynh, who picked up other valuable skills as a student employee with International Admission.

Leadership development in campus employment is especially pivotal for student workers.

“It changes the dynamic of their relationship with faculty,” says Jeries. “As a student, you depend on faculty to give you knowledge. But then you get into a work situation where your teacher is asking you for help — that is a really powerful experience.”

DEVELOPING CRITICAL SOFT SKILLS

While classroom or industry-specific knowledge and skills are important in the job market, people skills often carry as much weight. According to the National Association of Colleges and Employers, 67 percent of employers look for verbal communication skills and over 60 percent look for interpersonal skills.

Business major LaShay Holt ’17 knows this all too well.

A self-described introvert, Holt admits to feeling disconnected her first two years on campus. This changed last summer when she met Mark Johnson, director of Public Safety — arguably one of St. Kate’s biggest extroverts. He hired her for a newly developed student community service officer position.

FROM TOP TO BOTTOM: STUDENT EMPLOYEES — LAUREN DUSEK ’17, MARY FALOWO ’16 (LEFT), SENA LAWSON ’17, AND HATTISHA GARY ’17 — PROVIDE A RANGE OF TECHNICAL SUPPORT IN THE IT OFFICE.

“This job has pushed me out of my shell, because there are people who need my help, and being able to help them helps me,” says Holt.

Student officers focus on locking and unlocking doors; escorting students, staff or faculty upon request; and assisting with emergencies, like guiding paramedics to correct locations. They also take their meal breaks in the cafeteria, while in uniform, as a way to put a friendly face to public safety officers in general.

“I tell LaShay and the other community service officers to ‘Go out there like you’re running for sheriff — shake hands and kiss babies. Be visible, be friendly and let them know you’re here to help,’” Johnson says.

This approach paid off. Just three months after the program was implemented last January, positive comments showed up in St. Kate’s annual student survey.

The program has clearly made an impact on Holt as well.

“To be honest, I didn’t think I was going to like it,” she says. “I thought it was just a way to make money. But it’s been fun. I can answer so many more questions about St. Kate’s now that I’m working here.”

Read about the students behind St. Kate’s successful Money Management program, stkate.edu/pmm

PHOTOS/REBECCA ZENEFSKI, BY REBECCA STUDIOS

Reunion 2016 June 17 & 18

Evoke memories of your time at St. Kate’s and make new ones!

WE’RE CELEBRATING: • Graduates from years ending in 1 or 6 • Dolphins (all class years) • Residence Hall Advisors (all class years)

REUNION HIGHLIGHTS: • Class parties (food and beverage included) • President’s Luncheon and Alumnae Awards • Theatrical revue celebrating Mother Antonia • FREE activities