Unlocking Opportunities

When Mary Kracht was a junior in high school at Chesterton Academy of the Twin Cities, she didn’t know where she wanted to go to college. “I knew little to nothing about what I needed or desired in a university, except that I wanted to belong to a strong Catholic community,” she said. That year, she had the opportunity to visit the University of Mary on a free bus trip, and she fell in love with the school. “I specifically remember attending Mass on campus. I was amazed at the number of students at Mass, along with their attentiveness and reverence. By having the opportunity to go on the University of Mary bus trip, I was able to experience a college campus firsthand. Not only that, but I was able to see and understand what it looks like for an institution to not only talk about, but really live out, its Catholic values.”

Mary Kracht

Mary is now a freshman at the University of Mary and is one of countless students who have been introduced to the university through the generosity of Mary Jo Feltl, who sponsors the bus trip from Minneapolis-St. Paul, MN.

Mary Jo is passionate about Catholic education. During her time working with Real Presence Radio, she would help live-stream radio shows from various Catholic high schools in the Twin Cities area. Eventually, she decided to start livestreaming from Catholic universities as well. The University of Mary was one of her first calls. “I remember I called on a Sunday, and by Monday we were already making the plans to go,” she said. “And I figured that if we were going to go all the way there, we might as well bring some high school students to check out the school.”

So, in October of 2015, they loaded up two buses and made the trip to Bismarck. The trip was so successful that they’ve done it every year since, but now instead of two buses, they take four. They no longer sponsor a live radio show, in order to have more time for the students to check out the campus. Parents and teachers are invited as well, and they normally bring about 150 people on the trip.

Mary Jo loves seeing the impact the trip has on the students’ lives, like Mary’s and many others’. “I remember one student in particular who went one of the first years. He’s now graduated from the University of Mary, worked there for a while, and has since moved back to the Twin Cities with his wife, whom he met at college, and has a little baby. It’s those kinds of stories that touch me, which were made possible by the bus trip.”

Additionally, Mary Jo helps host a Twin Cities send-off party each summer for students who will be freshmen at the University of Mary. “It’s great to see the kids make connections and friends before heading off to college,” she said. “It can be scary to go out on your own, and students have told me that meeting a few of their classmates beforehand has really decreased their anxieties.”

John Brickweg, Mary Jo Feltl, and Tom Schulzetenberg during the sixth bus trip this fall 2021.

John Brickweg, the University of Mary’s regional admissions representative in the Twin Cities area, says that the impact of the trip and send-off event cannot be overstated. “A significant percent of students who go on the trip end up coming to the University of Mary,” he said. “This past summer, our annual freshman send-off event was the largest it has ever been, with over 120 students and parents in attendance. Many students had attended the bus trip in previous years, and the event was almost a reunion.”

Mary Jo says she does it all because she loves Catholic education, and she loves the University of Mary. “I think it is important for the students to have the opportunity to see a truly Catholic college,” Mary Jo said. “Our success is given to us by God, and we can’t take money to the grave, so it’s good to give back, and I love Catholic education and promoting Catholic schools.”

Students like Mary couldn’t be more grateful for the opportunities Mary Jo unlocks for them. “Her generous gift allowed me to discover the treasures of the University of Mary,” she said. “Her selflessness is so inspiring. I hope to grow to have half the spirit of self-gift as Mary Jo does.”