University of Mary Momentum Summer 2021

Momentum T H E M AG A Z I N E O F T H E U N I V E R S I T Y O F M A RY

SUMMER 2021

Forming leaders in the

service of Truth

inside this issue

Planting Seeds of Faith | PAGE 2

1

From the President

2

Planting Seeds of Faith

4

North Dakota's Next Generation

of Servant Leaders

6

The Experience of a Lifetime

8

Q & A with Dr. Terry Pilling

10

Pursuing your Passions

12-15

Alumni Award Winners

Rising Up

Benedictine Values – for Life

Investing in the Next Generation

A Teacher in the Tech World

16

Alumni News

The Experience of a Lifetime | PAGE 6

Editor Lauren Dunnigan

Graphic Design Specialist Kate Kurtz Photographer Grace Ballalatak, ’20

Guest Photographer Jerry Anderson

Contact Momentum Editorial 701-355-8255 Circulation 701-355-3726 Pursuing your Passions | PAGE 10

University of Mary

@umary

@universityofmary

University of Mary

FROM THE PRE SIDE NT

This year, more than 2,000 graduates from the classes of 2020 and 2021 were sent forth from the University of Mary, joining your communities as competent and compassionate teachers, nurses, parishioners, business leaders, mothers, and fathers.

Monsignor James P. Shea President of the University of Mary

T

here’s a distinct rhythm to life on the University of Mary’s campus.

The start of the fall semester arrives with the nervous, excited voices of new freshmen and the ringing laughter of joy-filled reunion as upperclassmen see each other again. Winter brings final exams, changes to majors and minors, the quiet transformation of our students in the classroom, the chapel, the court, and the residence hall. And the spring semester shows forth the brightness of that transformation, as thousands of friends and family members arrive to Bismarck to watch our graduates walk across the stage to receive their hard-earned degrees.

And the summer! Commencement now behind us, a new academic year ahead of us, a bustle of Year-Round Campus students still living and studying among us … these summer months have their own texture. They revive in us an expectant hope.

They’re remarkable people, and in these pages, you’ll meet some of our very best, those we’re honoring this year with our Alumni Awards. They’re the graduates who have become convicted of the truth that resounds in all our teaching, working, and striving: that our lives were never meant just for us; that we find our deepest joy only in giving ourselves away in love, in devoted service.

And come September we’ll have the opportunity – for only the second time in our history – to introduce more than 530 freshmen to that very same life-giving truth these graduates have taken with them.

Yes, after all the diplomas are granted each year, we take a deep breath and then begin preparations for Welcome Week in September. Staff in Residence Life and Dining Services assess the past year in order to improve the next.

University Ministry and our academic programs set down new plans. And it all signals something much deeper: that the mission of the University of Mary is not spent. The promise of the joy we’re meant for, and that we on this windswept prairie bluff find ourselves at the service of, is still felt by those hundreds and hundreds of new students who will soon join us!

In these summer months, we hold on with new energy to an expectant hope: that God is still eager to fill our new students’ lives with the joy with which he’s filled countless lives before.

Join us in our prayers for them, and know that we’re always eager to hear from you.

Should you know an alum whom you think is deserving of one of our 2022 Alumni Awards, you can nominate them at umary.edu/alum.

And if you, like us, are still missing our beloved Sister Thomas – whose own joy was a steady encouragement and inspiration to so many – you can order a copy of her new, remarkable biography, just published by University of Mary Press. Simply scan the QR code below.

My prayers are with you. May God bless you!

Monsignor Shea President

Scan the QR code with your smartphone camera to purchase the Sister Thomas biography.

umary.edu

1

Nancy and Bill Bandzuch, founders of Catholic Sprouts, with their children.

PLANTING SEEDS OF

faith

N

ancy Bandzuch, ’05, always thought teaching the Faith to her children would come naturally. “I thought it would be a really organic process, that I would just have the kids gather around me and we would talk about the Scriptures, or the liturgical season, or whatever it was, and it would just happen. But it was really hard.”

She was in the habit of having them listen to a two-minute daily podcast while they brushed their teeth with quick facts about random things. “I remember thinking one day as they were brushing their teeth, ‘it would really be great if instead of learning about animals, they were learning about their faith.’

“I am the kind of person who just jumps into things, so I decided to do it,” Bandzuch said. What started as a daily five-to-sevenminute podcast has grown into Catholic Sprouts, a resource that provides support, materials, community, and inspiration for Catholic parents. Bandzuch and her husband, Bill, still do the podcast, and have expanded to offer worksheets, books, crafts, and more to help parents teach their children about Catholicism.

“

Almost every day I get a message from a parent about how much they are getting out of Catholic Sprouts. We set out to minister to children, but really, we are ministering to parents.

This inspired her and her husband to create the Domestic Church Project, which includes a six-week bootcamp for families to sit down at dinner each night and listen to a short, five-minute audio lesson and discuss it. “One of the things we found in the research is that the most important thing that a parent can do to transfer the Faith to the next generation is to just talk about the Faith in the home,” Bandzuch said. “There were generationslong studies that found the differentiating factor between a family where all the kids left the Faith and a family where all the kids stayed in the Faith was if they were talking about faith at home.”

For a long time, Bandzuch thought that her ministry was for children. In 2020, she was applying for a grant from Our Sunday Visitor that forced her to dig Their overall deeper into who mission is to her audience help renew the was and who Church and she was help people serving. She fall in love also began to with their research what Catholic faith.

Catholic Sprouts has a program where children do a demographics They believe challenge and receive a patch when they complete it. weren’t currently that by teaching being served by the parents how to speak Church in the way they need to be. “And we about Jesus in the home, more children realized our ministry was for parents. As will remain Catholic as they get older. “We Pope St. John Paul II and the Church remind have to focus on the little church at home us, parents are the primary educator of to renew the big Church,” Bandzuch said. their children’s faith. After that research and Bandzuch shared that the bootcamp is talking to tons of people out there in various flexible and can be done around each ministries, we realized that we needed to family’s schedule. It is parent-led, selfcontinue to create content that was easy for paced, and completion focused, whether parents to use in the home,” Bandzuch said. that takes six weeks or ten. “I set out in

Catholic Sprouts to speak to kids like my own,” she said. “But almost every day I get a message from a parent about how much they are getting out of it. We set out to minister to children, but really, we are ministering to parents. By helping these parents, we are helping their kids.”

Bandzuch shared that it has taken a lot of prayers to get her family and her business to this point. “I started this very small ministry. Sometimes I wonder why I am still doing it and how it got so big,” she said. “I realized the key is consistency, doing it every day. There is a temptation to quit sometimes. It is fun at first, but then continuing to do it when you do not feel like doing it, getting through roadblocks, it gets hard. I have to remain grounded in discernment and always go back to the mission that the Holy Spirit gave us and make sure God is still calling us to do this.

“During my time at the University of Mary, Sister Thomas was such a model to me of perseverance and leading through kindness and service. She championed the idea of servant leadership, which has always stuck with me, especially now that I run my own business,” Bandzuch said.

In the end, she always reminds herself that Catholic Sprouts and the Domestic Church Project are God’s work, not her own, and it is up to Him to make it successful. “I try to focus on being faithful, not successful,” she said.

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3

North Dakota's Next Generation of

Servant Leaders A

n executive leadership program in North Dakota has been a dream of many of the state’s leaders and top employers for numerous years. “The concept was great, but no one was taking charge and making it happen,” said Vern Dosch, ’75, ’88, longtime CEO of National Information Solutions Cooperative, and the 2021 University of Mary honorary doctorate recipient.

“Three years ago, the University of Mary raised their hand and said, ‘okay, let’s do this.’ They put the people behind it to figure out the logistics, and I was honored when they asked me to be a part of it as CEO-in-Residence,” Dosch said. “I wasn’t sure if I would have time, but I’ve always had a soft spot for Mary, so I jumped on board.”

4

Momentum

Members of the first cohort of Leadership ND in front of an oil rig during one of their site visits.

The program, which began as an idea and a dream, is now Leadership North Dakota, the only executive leadership program in the state. The program, created for established professionals with the desire to be effective leaders in the state, aims to enhance participants’ careers and expand their networks.

Participants meet once per month for six months in different communities in North Dakota to gain advanced leadership skills, explore major issues facing leaders today, and participate in high-level networking opportunities.

“We think of Leadership North Dakota as a four-legged stool,” said Dr. Robert Martin, a member of the University of Mary Workforce Development team that helps plan Leadership ND. “Participants get advanced leadership curriculum that changes every year. We also do industry exploration in different communities across the state, such as manufacturing in Dickinson, oil and gas in Watford City, government in Bismarck, entrepreneurship in Fargo, and so on.

We also look at societal issues, explore them, and find resolutions to various issues in the state like homelessness, criminal reform, tribal relations, and more. We have a concentrated effort to recruit a diverse group of individuals from different industries and different parts of the state. By participating in this program, they get to meet people, network, and form relationships with leaders they wouldn’t otherwise meet.”

“Our main goals are expanding relationships and expanding understanding, not only of the opportunities throughout the state, but also of some of the issues that the state is dealing with, and trying to develop effective, well-rounded leaders,” said Dosch. “Most of these leaders have great academic backgrounds, and this

“

When I first heard about Leadership North Dakota, I was excited. It was a great opportunity to meet people from all over the state and I knew that it would be a good program because of who was planning it. We had an amazing group in the first cohort. I was extremely impressed with the programming and all of the unique opportunities we had.

I’m excited about the future of this program because as more people complete the program, the alumni network will grow and accomplish some pretty amazing things.

It’s invaluable to be in a room with leaders from across the state you otherwise wouldn’t get to meet. It’s important that leaders understand each other, get to know each other, and start to trust one another. Even if they disagree on some things, they can still work together and appreciate each other’s strengths and weaknesses.

North Dakotans are hard-working, genuine people, and by continuing to invest in our leaders, we are setting ourselves up for success.

Kate Black, Vice President for Inland Oil & Gas 2020 Leadership ND Alumna

program gives them real-life experiences, real-life relationships, and it’s pretty amazing how it comes together.”

The program’s foundation is in servant leadership, a concept familiar to alumni and friends of the University of Mary. Participants get to learn from leaders across the state, including Gary Tharaldson, North Dakota’s first billionaire, and the namesake of the University of Mary's business school.

The program has graduated two cohorts, one in 2020 and one in 2021, and is quickly becoming one of the premier leadership programs in the region.

“We’ve seen amazing growth,” said Martin. “Up to this point, we’ve recruited participants through referrals, but now we are switching to an application process because the demand is so

high. Word spreads, and people know this is a good program.”

As the program continues to grow, so will its impact on the state. “North Dakotans are hard workers, but they need leadership skills,” Dosch said. “Leadership skills need to be experienced.”

“In the short-term, we are going to see our program’s alumni going back into their organizations and communities and make a difference,” Martin said. “In the long-term, we are going to see some major changes happen through this network of people. With servant leadership as the backbone, we are going to change and improve leadership throughout the state.”

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5

LIFETIME The Experience of a

M

att Espinosa, ’09, ’15, grew up in a family of Raiders fans. “But I grew up as a 49ers fan,” Espinosa said.

“My aunt was a big Joe Montana fan, and she made me into a 49ers fan. The rest of my family — my brother, father, and grandfather — were all Raiders fans.”

So when Espinosa had the opportunity to attend a Raiders game at their new stadium in Las Vegas, he jumped at the chance. The Raiders’ first season in Vegas was during the COVID-19 pandemic, and the games were closed to the general public. During week four of the season, the Raiders invited twenty health care professionals to the game to honor their service during the pandemic and have them light the Al Davis Memorial Torch.

Espinosa is a nurse practitioner with Intermountain Healthcare and specializes in Medicare Advantage. He works with a chronically sick population as their primary care provider and has a patient load of around 650 patients that are individually his. Espinosa credits his Mary education for the success he has seen in his young career. “I would absolutely say the education that I got from my alma mater is exactly why I am where I am in my young career as a primary care provider.”

Espinosa was also on the baseball team during his undergraduate studies and was an assistant coach as a graduate student. He said what he learned about teamwork and leadership as a student-athlete and coach at Mary has served him well in his career.

“Being a team player is important in medicine. I couldn’t get anything done without the assistance of my medical assistants and my RN case manager. I take my leadership responsibilities as a primary care provider very seriously. My experience at Mary laid the foundation for me to become a leader in my career today.”

6

Momentum

“

And I thought, ‘oh my gosh, I’m going to be the one who actually gets to do this.’

Espinosa’s wife, Jena, ’09, ’12, is also in health care as a physical therapist.

Both saw their jobs change dramatically when the pandemic hit, as did all health care professionals and first responders. Attending the Raiders game was one way his employer thanked their hard-working staff.

“I got a phone call on Thursday from our chief medical officer. And she said that they wanted me to represent the company and Las Vegas first responders at the event lighting the Al Davis Memorial Torch,” Espinosa said. “There have not been fans in the stadium because of the pandemic, and we all drive by and see this beautiful facility, but no one’s really been inside. Getting to see it was absolutely amazing, just jaw-dropping. They did such a beautiful job with that facility.

And it was so weird to see it so empty; you don’t understand how big the place is until you’re inside of it.”

Following the passing of Al Davis in 2011, the Raiders pay tribute to Davis by lighting the Al Davis Memorial Torch in his honor prior to each game. The torch is a tribute to Davis’ legacy as the Raiders’ long-time owner, Pro Football Hall of Fame inductee, AFL Coach of the Year, and AFL Commissioner. Since the tradition started, several Raiders alumni, celebrities, and fans have had the opportunity to light the torch. But since the new stadium opened, only Al Davis’ wife had been given the honor.

Espinosa says he doesn’t know how he was the one chosen to press the button to light the torch. “They started lining us up and said the person in the middle is going to hit the button, and then they called my name and guided me to the middle spot. And I thought, ‘oh my gosh, I’m going to be the one who actually gets to do this.’

“I was extremely nervous, even though there was no one in the building. As soon as I was standing there with the button in my hand, my heart just started pumping,” Espinosa said. But the lighting went off without a hitch, and Espinosa says it is an experience he will never forget.

It was even more special for Espinosa due to his childhood memories of

watching Raiders games with his grandfather. “I was fortunate enough to live a bicycle ride distance around the corner from my grandparents.

Every Sunday, we watched Raiders games at their house, but my grandpa would always have a little TV for me to watch the 49ers game upstairs in his room so I could go check on the game,” Espinosa said. “Every Sunday, my brother and I would be at my grandpa’s house watching the Raiders game, which is what made it so special to be a part of lighting the torch. It brought back a lot of memories of spending time with him when I was a kid.”

The team is installing a plaque in the stadium signed by the health care workers to commemorate the special occasion. Espinosa says he plans to take his kids and family there to show it to them, and hopefully his children’s children someday.

He says he will go find the plaque every time he returns to the stadium … but next time, he will likely be wearing his favorite 49ers jersey.

Espinosa igniting the Al Davis Memorial Torch before the Las Vegas Raiders’ second game in their new stadium. umary.edu

7

& with Dr. Terry Pilling Dr. Terry Pilling’s career has taken him all over the world. He currently serves as the dean of the School of Engineering at Mary, but before that, he lived in many places, including Canada, Australia, London, Hawaii, and Russia.

Pilling was instrumental in the creation of the School of Engineering, helping write the curriculum, recruit the professors, and design the building. Get to know our resident rocket scientist in this issue’s Q&A.

How did you end up at the University of Mary?

When I was working for a wind power company, I had bought a house in Mandan, a Victorian Queen Anne house built in 1895, and I spent the last ten years restoring it. One day a man named Kirk Lanterman knocked on my door and told me his grandfather had built my house and asked for a tour of it. While we were talking, he asked how long I had been in the construction business because of my work in the house. I told him I wasn’t in the construction business; I was a physicist in engineering physics. He said, “Do you think you could start an engineering program?” and told me he was on the Board of Trustees at the University of Mary. He took my name back to the board, and they ended up hiring me in 2015.

What are some of your hobbies?

I love restoring my house, and lately, I’ve gotten into cooking. I like reading and writing, especially poetry. I enjoy fly fishing and riding my Harley-Davidson as well.

Pilling kept journals of his thoughts and ideas while beginning the School of Engineering.

8

Momentum

Wow, that’s a lot of hobbies! What do you think your students would be most surprised to learn about you?

They’d probably be surprised I ride a Harley!

And that I write poetry. Also that I worked at a high-security nuclear physics lab in the middle of Russia. In fact, they’d probably be surprised about a lot of things that I’ve done.

Pilling, left, enjoys getting to know the students in the engineering program.

What’s the most rewarding part of your job?

When I’m an old man sitting in my rocking chair on the porch, I will think about all the students I helped shape and what they are doing.

It’s incredible to see our students change over their four years at Mary; they grow into the people they are meant to be thanks to the formation they receive here, and I’m proud to be a part of that. I think that will be a fun retirement, thinking about all the students that I’ve served.

What makes the University of Mary’s engineering program different from other schools?

Our philosophy is to create a different engineer. We want undergraduate degree engineers who are leaders, which is not taught at other schools.

We want them to be moral and

ethical; we integrate moral values and ethics in all of our courses. We also emphasize service because engineers have skills that other people don't, and the reason they do it is to serve society. From our perspective, they’re not engineers to enrich themselves, and although they may make a lot of money, they’re primarily doing it because they take pride in their work. They know that other people need them, and it entails ethical responsibility and a service mentality. We also teach our engineers communication and marketing skills, which helps them be leaders and sell themselves and their products. I think we will find our graduates rising to leadership positions very quickly because these skills are not taught at other engineering schools.

What is your vision for the School of Engineering?

First, we want to fill it up with students; we have a little way to go until we are at capacity. I also want to keep refining our courses based on industry input and ensure we’re teaching all the latest things needed so our graduates remain at the forefront. I plan to continue to invest in our faculty and give them opportunities to grow; I want them to be excited to come to work every day. I hope to start supporting faculty research so our faculty can research the things they are passionate about, and so our students have the opportunity to participate in research programs as an undergraduate. I think we could solve real problems that would be valuable to companies all over the state, nation, and world.

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9

Callie, her husband Jordan, and her son Cooper all wearing ROAM Wear 701 shirts.

PURSUING YOUR A

woman of many titles, Callie Wachendorf, ‘12, seems to do it all. She currently works as a health care IT professional, but that wasn’t what she originally had planned for herself.

“I actually went to my undergrad for fashion. My degree is in apparel and textiles retail merchandising,” Wachendorf said.

She started at the Buckle, intending to work her way up to being a purchaser for the company. But when she had her son, Cooper, Wachendorf decided that working nights and weekends would not work for her anymore. She started working at St. Alexius Medical Center in Bismarck as an office coordinator. “That’s when I realized I am a very goal-oriented, project-driven person,” she said.

10

Momentum

passions “And then one day, I was thinking of the life I wanted to give my son, and I was not content with where we were. I wanted to grow; I wanted to have more for him, do more for him.

And I wanted to show him how hard work can pay off, so I applied to the University of Mary for my MBA and switched positions within the medical center to do recovery audit, contracting for Medicare and Medicaid claims,” she said.

“When I got accepted to grad school at Mary, it was a pivotal moment in my life. It changed who I was as a person and told me that I was good enough to go after my dreams, and I didn’t have to settle for the status quo,” Wachendorf continued. “When the days were long and the hours were

“

Surround yourself with people who encourage you, lift you up, and will help you grow. That’s the ticket to success – who you have around you. short on a project, my professors were understanding, and they worked with me, and they encouraged me to get through it. The education I obtained opened my eyes to what I wanted to do.”

After completing her Master of Business Administration in Management, she joined the hospital’s IT department as a business analyst. Since then, Wachendorf has held various IT positions leading up to her current position as a health care IT consultant with Briljent.

Although Wachendorf missed fashion, she was content. “Life just took me in a different direction. I didn’t feel like I was missing out on my dreams or anything like that; it felt like I was making a new dream. But I still always had a creative itch in me,” she said.

embrace Midwest culture, with sayings like ‘You Betcha’ and ‘Uffda.’ Wachendorf runs both of the businesses from her garage and home office.

Now Wachendorf gets to do both, working as an IT consultant during the day and working on her apparel businesses at night. On top of that, she juggles being a mom and finds time to run a nonprofit, ND Giving Co., which puts on an annual toy drive and sends birthday and Christmas packages to families of fallen soldiers.

“At first, it was just for children of a deployed unit, but I learned that there is a real niche for children of fallen soldiers here in North Dakota. For the last six years, we have done Christmas and birthday gifts for these kids to let them know we understand their pain and that we want to stand with them, and we want to thank them for their family’s service and sacrifice,” she said.

Wachendorf says that while it may seem like her day job and her other passions are very different, to her, it all comes down to finding creative solutions to a problem.

Balancing it all keeps her busy, but she says she would not change a thing.

“It’s a constant prioritization. One of my biggest concerns is making sure that my son never feels like we’re putting work or anything over him, so we make sure that we have family dinners and spend time together. But it’s not always easy, especially around the holidays when the toy drive is happening, and that’s when we do a popup shop for the t-shirts, and at work, I’m trying to hit deadlines,” she said. “But you find a way, and people rally around to help.

Sometimes my parents pick up Cooper from school, or my friends help out at the pop-up shop so that I can catch a nap and refresh. It makes a huge difference.

“My best advice is to surround yourself with people who encourage you, lift you up, and will help you grow. That’s the ticket to success – who you have around you.”

Wachendorf wanted a creative outlet, so she bought a machine to make her own shirts, and soon people started asking where they could buy them. She started ND T-Shirt Co. in 2017 and makes soft t-shirts with fun and snarky sayings. In 2019, she began ROAM Wear 701 with a friend, a Midwest brand of clothing.

“Our tagline is ‘we are all born to roam’ because the Midwest is a beautiful place, and it’s where a lot of us call home, and we’re proud of it,” Wachendorf said. The shirts

Some of the ROAM Wear 701 apparel Callie and her husband print in their garage. umary.edu 11

ALUMNI AWARD WINNE R

Rising Up University of Mary Bell Banner Award winner Leslee Webb, ’00, meets the needs of students as a social worker.

T

he mascot of South Central High School (SCHS), the alternative high school in Bismarck, is the phoenix — a bird that rises from its own ashes. The story of the phoenix is one of rebirth, a second chance at success after a time of difficulty or struggle. This story is emblematic of many of the students at SCHS who are getting a second chance at earning a high school diploma.

Leslee Webb, ’00, a devoted staff member at SCHS, has served as the school’s social worker for the last six years. Webb has been integral in changing and creating programs to support students not just in their academic needs, but their physical, emotional, and social needs as well.

Keeping in line with their phoenix mascot, two of the programs Webb started are called The Nest and The Perch. The Nest helps students who are new or expecting parents.

“I noticed that we had a high number of young parents and expecting parents in our school – a lot of years, up to twenty percent of our graduates can be parents.

I knew about a program for people to bring their baby to work with them for the first six months and thought we should give that option to our students here,” Webb said. “I helped create a program for students to bring their baby to school for the first six months, and we have a parent support group to teach them how to take care of their baby.”

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Momentum

The intent of The Nest is to ease the return to school once becoming a parent. It also allows parents to bond with their infants.

Both male and female students can request to bring their infant to school. But it’s not a daycare, students care for their children throughout the day and are encouraged to be in regular classes as much as possible with their infant, and The Nest is available to the parents to allow them to care for diapering, feeding, and soothing needs.

such as how to find an apartment to rent, cooking skills, how to buy and take care of a car, and how to handle finances, and more. “It’s a lot, but there are a lot of needs,” she said. “We have to be responsive.

The Perch serves students’ basic needs by providing clothing, hygiene items, food, and more. “We created partnerships to provide food and snacks for students so no kids in our building go hungry,” Webb said. “Meeting students’ basic needs and really ‘wrapping around’ kids outside of the classroom allows them to go into the classroom able to learn. If you’re hungry, if you have a lot of insecurity with housing or food, how do you concentrate on learning?”

Webb says the University of Mary taught her the Benedictine values that resonate with her each day. “The Benedictine values are so needed in our world today. Hospitality in particular really speaks to me. If we can’t even make a person feel welcome, what are we even doing?” Webb said. “We need to be able to connect with people, and there are a lot of people in the world that don’t feel seen, or heard, or listened to, or connected with. If you can do that on a basic human level, that’s what you should be doing, whether you’re a social worker or not.”

Along with these programs, Webb leads various groups to teach students life skills

“

Meeting students’ basic needs and really ‘wrapping around’ kids outside of the classroom allows them to go into the classroom able to learn.

“A realization I had to come to in my career is that I can be enough personally, but one person will never be enough to meet all the needs of these kids,” Webb said. “I can use all of my efforts and do whatever I can do, but I’m only one person. It takes a village.”

Webb enjoys coming back to Mary to speak to students and visit the professors that made an impact on her. “I try to come speak to classes and visit once or twice a semester. It’s my way to thank the University of Mary for the education I got, and hopefully I impact the students, and that something I say sticks with them, and they go on to make a difference in their career.”

ALUMNI AWARD WINNE R

Benedictine Values

for Life.

Genevieve Mougey, Presidential Leadership Award recipient, keeps the Benedictine values alive through her work as director of the Office of Social Concerns for the Archdiocese of Washington, D.C.

G

enevieve Mougey, ’00, does not see what she does as a “job” or “career.”

She sees it as her vocation, all stemming from her faith and identity in Christ.

Currently serving as director of the Office of Social Concerns for the Archdiocese of Washington, D.C., she has worked in justice and peace ministries for the past 11 years with various national Catholic and Christian organizations. She also worked in parish and campus ministry for six years.

“When I graduated from the University of Mary, I expected that I would be working in the Church and my dream job was to work in campus ministry,” Mougey said. “What I have chosen to say 'yes' to in my life has led me to live a life that was nowhere on my radar.”

Mougey says that discernment and Benedictine spirituality have directed her life since graduating from Mary. “It would not be an exaggeration to state that the Benedictine charisms and values I learned during my undergraduate years at Mary have guided and girded every step in my professional and personal life,” Mougey said. “I try to ensure that my life is a living example of simplicity, hospitality, respect for others, prayer, and community.”

In March of 2020, those values led Mougey to begin her work as director of the Office of Social Concerns, tasked with reopening the office that had been closed for eightplus years amid a pandemic and racial justice outcry. “I believe it all starts with meeting people’s immediate needs first,” Mougey said. “Then we connect that with social justice activities and embrace the call and the need for systematic change.”

One of the basic needs Mougey has sought to address in her first year is food insecurity. During the pandemic, the Archdiocese of Washington, D.C., had 87 parishes running food pantries. Mougey

“

I try to ensure that my life is a living example of simplicity, hospitality, respect for others, prayer, and community. worked on a program to grant half a million dollars to provide food assistance at parishes and Catholic schools. “It’s required a lot of my time and attention.

And it’s not something that was in my job

description when I was hired, but that’s what was needed to meet the immediate needs of the people at that time,” she said.

She also was involved in discussions around racial diversity and systemic racism and how to address it in the diocese. “My office, along with other offices in the diocese, developed a Catholic response to all that was going on. We held a prayer vigil, and it was an incredible moment of solidarity and reconciliation, noting that there is a problem of racial injustice, and it needs to be addressed,” Mougey said. “The Church is not immune to that.

It was important that we showed up.”

Mougey remains grateful to the University of Mary and the Sisters of Annunciation Monastery for their impact on her spirituality which guides her life. “Sister Thomas Welder was the president during my time at the University of Mary, and her embodiment of servant leadership, alongside the other women whom I was able to engage with from the Monastery, were deeply influential to my formation as a woman who works in the Church,” she said.

“The University of Mary has an amazing commitment to women, to solid leadership, and to exemplify what it means to embody all the facets of Saint Benedict’s rule.” umary.edu 13

ALUMNI AWARD WINNE R

Servant leadership is a cornerstone of the culture at NISC, thanks to leaders like Porter and longtime CEO and University of Mary alumnus Vern Dosch, ‘75, ‘88. “I had the good fortune to work with Tracy Porter for 27 years,” Dosch said. “He was a consistent, unflappable example of business ethics and innovation. His uncommon financial acumen led our organization through mergers, acquisitions, and to a place of financial strength. Tracy’s dedication to family, faith, community, and NISC were an inspiration to all who had the privilege of working with him.”

Porter says he is humbled to know others think of him as a leader and worthy of a leadership award. “My approach has always been that I’m not looking for people to follow me; I’m looking to create other leaders. I’m always looking for other people to do great things and to see if I could help them,” he said.

Investing in the

Next Generation

Tracy Porter, ’85, Harold Schafer Leadership Award winner, believes in the power of relationships – with his colleagues, clients, and teammates from his time as a student at the University of Mary.

T

racy Porter says he’s been affiliated with the University of Mary men’s basketball program longer than anyone.

“When the program first started, they didn’t have a gym on campus, so they played at schools in town. I’ve been going to the games since I was in second grade,” he said. Eventually, Porter would play on that same team under the leadership of legendary coach Al Bortke.

Being on the basketball team is one of Porter’s favorite memories from his time at Mary. “The atmosphere that Coach Bortke created for basketball was a winning atmosphere, but it was also about caring about your teammates, building friendships in a way that allows you to stay friends with these 14

Momentum

people for your life,” Porter said. “I feel like I could pick up the phone and call any one of my teammates and have a great conversation with them as if it were 30 years ago.”

Porter has sought to create relationships like that his whole life. For the past 28 years, he has served as the Chief Financial Officer for National Information Solutions Cooperative (NISC) in Mandan. NISC provides enterprise software solutions to rural electric and telephone companies in all 50 states. They employ 1,200 staff members across the country.

Relationships continue to be essential to Porter, as he forms connections with his clients and employees.

Porter continues to invest in the next generation of leaders in many ways, including his support of the University of Mary. “I’ve been involved in establishing several different endowed scholarships at the University of Mary. Not just personally supporting it myself, but helping get other people to say, ‘hey, it would be a neat thing to have a scholarship like this,’” Porter said.

“And you look at who benefits from that, and it just gives you a great amount of satisfaction knowing that there’s a student every year, forever, that can benefit from it.”

“

Take each opportunity to be a good example to others.

It all traces back to the values and leadership skills instilled in him at Mary. “It’s amazing how things like the Benedictine values and servant leadership become a part of who you are,” Porter said. “In life, we face many challenges, but it’s how you conduct yourself that defines you as a person. Take each opportunity to be a good example to others.”

ALUMNI AWARD WINNE R

A Teacher in the

Tech World

Sandi Piatz, ’06, Harold Schafer Alumni Leadership Award winner, leads her team with empathy and passion in an unexpected career.

W

hen Sandi Piatz graduated with a degree in education, she figured she would become a teacher. But there were no teaching jobs available in Gackle, ND, where she grew up and lived with her husband, Perry, after graduating from college, so she got a job at the bank she had been working at while going to college. When her husband got a job in Kindred, ND, just outside of Fargo, Piatz thought it was her chance to get into teaching. When a colleague at the bank heard that she was moving, she reconnected Piatz with a mutual friend working at a start-up tech company in Fargo, who asked Piatz to interview with them.

“I explained to them that I wanted to get into teaching, but they convinced me to check them out. They offered me a great opportunity, and that's how I started working in the tech world,” Piatz said. She led the customer satisfaction department and later transitioned to managing the company’s strategic partnerships.

In 2002, Piatz joined Microsoft to manage their independent software vendors and later served as global program manager in services. “While I was at Microsoft, I realized they were hiring a lot of really smart, brilliant people with amazing degrees, but I just had my undergraduate degree. That was when I decided I should continue my education. I looked at my different options and chose the University of Mary,” Piatz said. “I loved the Christian values of the University of Mary, and they offered a master's of business night program in Fargo, which was a great fit for me. I was working full-time, traveling with Microsoft, and we had two young kids.”

A few years later, Piatz left Microsoft to find a position that required less travel. In 2007, she joined Eide Bailly, LLP, a top 25 national CPA and consulting firm, where she served in various leadership roles, eventually achieving partner. She returned to Microsoft in 2016, where she now serves as site leader for the Microsoft campus in Fargo and senior director for community program management.

Although it was not the career she expected when she graduated with a degree in education, Piatz says she loves what she does. “There are two things that I absolutely love about my job. One is the people that I get to work with every day, both across Microsoft and in the community,” she said. “The second thing is the constant challenge of learning something new all of the time. Our world and the tech industry are changing so fast; there's always a new challenge and something new to figure out.”

One program that Piatz is particularly proud of is the Professionals of Color Networking Group within the Chamber of Commerce in Fargo. Microsoft has a Blacks at Microsoft employee resource group which was just getting up and running in Fargo when she returned to Microsoft. “The employees told me they have great programming and support on campus, but they don't see that type of support out in the community,” she said.

She worked with them on a proposal for the Professionals of Color Networking Group, which they have since launched.

Piatz’s advice to leaders is to be a good listener.

“I always think of Sister Thomas, who was a great listener. You need to ask good questions and get to the core of the challenge and don't shy away from it. There will always be a challenge, and it would be easier to walk away, but great leaders lean in and work with others to find the best solution.”

“

Great leaders lean into the challenge and work with others to figure out the best solution.

Outside of work, Piatz enjoys spending time with family, especially her husband of 25 years and two children, Alexis and Peyton. She also enjoys reading and staying active with golf, running, hiking, and CrossFit. She’s run two full marathons and 14 half marathons.

She loves incorporating her passions into her work and using her education degree to teach Sunday school at her parish.

Piatz says she still might be a teacher someday.

“I always tell my husband I might do it yet.

There's a lot of life left.” umary.edu 15

ALUMNI NE WS & NOTE S

> JENNA (HELVIK) ETZOLD'S CHILDREN

> MADISON (SIBLEY) CORNELIA > KATHRYN STEWART

> LINDSEY BAUFIELD

ANGELA (KUHN) BAKKE, ’91, has recently been named the executive director of Doctors for America, an advocacy group based in Washington, D.C. Angela has more than two decades of experience in non-profit leadership. Angela and her husband, Todd, currently live in Sioux Falls, SD. KORAN PETERSON, ’92, is now a marketing and media specialist for Townsquare Media. Koran and his wife, Kelly, currently reside in Sioux Falls, SD. LESLIE NOYES, ’93, published her first novel, Mayhem at the Happy Valley Motor Inn and Resort, in 2020 and is currently working on its sequel.

HEIDI QUINN, ’97, daughter of SHARON (BRITTON) WEIBLE, ’69, serves as the school librarian at Wilton Public Schools.

Quinn’s son, Logan, started his education at Mary in September 2020, and is the third generation to attend the University of Mary.

COREY CRONRATH, ’07, was awarded the Highly Outstanding Physician in Education award in 2016, and was named Flight Surgeon of the Year in 2018, both US Army awards. He serves as service line medical director at Marshfield Clinic Health System and lives in Wisconsin.

16

Momentum

> BROOKE (WOLF) LARSON'S SON

> JENNIFER DEL VECCHIO'S DAUGHTER

JENNA (HELVIK) ETZOLD, ’08, welcomed a son, Davis Edward Etzold, born on December 21, 2020.

STEPHANIE (SANDVICK) WEYRAUCH, ’11, and her husband, DELAND, ’13, welcomed their first child, Zara Ann Weyrauch, on January 14, 2021.

Stephanie works as a physical therapist at Physical Therapy & Sports Medicine Centers in Orange, CT. Deland is a pathology resident at Yale University.

KATHRYN STEWART, ’13, ’15, 9-time AllAmerican track athlete, was born and raised in Kingston, Jamaica. She recently married Dr. Erik David Burke. Kathryn is leading recruiting efforts at Series D behavioral health start-up known as BetterUp. The couple lives in Traverse City, MI. JEFFREY ADERS, ’14, married JACQUELINE (CALLENS) ADERS, ’18, at St. Clotide Catholic Church in Marshall, MN, on October 17, 2020. They live in Billings, MT. DANNA (SCHMITZ) BOSSERT, ’15, got married and received her master’s degree in 2019. She has been working at Sanford Medical Center for 10 years and is now a family nurse practitioner.

> JEFFREY & JACQUELINE (CALLENS) ADERS

TERESA (LOSINSKI) STEELE, ’15, married Devin Steele in the fall of 2015, and they welcomed their first child in the summer of 2017. Steele works for Home On The Range, a residential treatment center for youth in the far reaches of Western North Dakota. The couple added a second child to their family in the fall of 2020.

BROOKE (WOLF) LARSON, ’16, ’19, and her husband, William, welcomed their first child, Barrett Michael, on January 28, 2020. They are currently living in Bismarck, where Brooke works as a physical therapist at Pediatric Partners Clinic.

ALLISON (RICHTER) KLYM, ’16, is a registered nurse at CHI St. Alexius in Bismarck, ND. Allison and her husband Chris moved back to Bismarck in 2020 with their two daughters, Chiara and Zelie.

KARLY (PALCZEWSKI) SCHEFTER, ’17, was a member of the first Year-Round Campus class. On November 13, 2020, she married Dawson at Sts. Anne and Joachim Catholic Church in Fargo, ND. Karly is now working as a marketing and graphic design specialist for First Western Bank & Trust in Fargo.

ALUM NI NE WS & NOTE S

> RACHEL (WARD) RODER

> CODY & HANNAH MODEEN-KLAMM & SON

> KARLY (PALCZEWSKI) SCHEFTER

> HEIDI QUINN & SHARON (BRITTON) WEIBLE

RACHEL (WARD) RODER, ’18, and her husband, Paul, welcomed a son, Francis, on June 30, 2020. The family lives in Fargo, ND. KAELEE KNOELL, ’18, was a member of the first Year-Round Campus class. She has been working at the Theodore Roosevelt Medora Foundation since 2018. Kaelee has now been promoted to marketing manager at the foundation.

MADISON (SIBLEY) CORNELIA, ’19, received her Master of Science in Occupational Therapy from the University of Mary. On September 12, 2020, she married her husband, Jonathan. Together, they moved to Laurel, MT. Madison has accepted a new position at Advanced Therapy Clinic in Billings, MT, as a pediatric occupational therapist.

HANNAH MODEEN-KLAMM, ’19, and her husband, CODY, ’19, got married in June of 2019 surrounded by Mary alumni. Cody is a youth minister for two parishes in the West Metro of Minneapolis/St. Paul and Hannah is a case manager for Meridian Services. They welcomed their first child, Maximilian, on April 15, 2020. Hannah and Cody currently reside in Plymouth, MN.

> PATRICK & ANNE (DZIAK) YANTES' SON

> ALLISON (RICHTER) KLYM

PATRICK, ’19, and ANNE (DZIAK) YANTES, ’16, welcomed a son, Sean Robert Yantes, on December 7, 2020. The family resides in Bismarck and Anne works at the University of Mary.

LINDSEY BAUFIELD, ’20, married Ross Schultz on July 31, 2021. She works with the North Dakota Council of Educational Leaders as their marketing and communication specialist.

JORDAN (ST. GERMAINE) CRISSLER, ’19, has been promoted to registered nurse at Indian Health Service in Belcourt, ND. Jordan and her husband, Wade, moved into a new house and welcomed a child. They reside in Saint John, ND.

MARY JO GOULD, ’20, completed her MSN in nurse management and leadership through the University of Mary and now serves as director of patient services for the Edgewood Assisted Living Center in Rapid City, SD.

JENNIFER DEL VECCHIO, ’20, and her husband, Joseph, are proud parents to Hadley Mae, born on November 17, 2020. The family lives in Missouri.

TRISHA SAMUELSON, ’20, manager of engineering services for Innovative Energy Alliance Cooperative, graduated in December with her Master of Science in Business. In October of 2012, she was hired by the alliance as a system engineer and was later promoted to assistant engineering manager and manager of engineering services. Trisha and her husband, Mike, are now living in Bismarck, ND.

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