University of Mary Momentum Winter 2022

Momentum Cominghome

THE MAGAZINE OF THE UNIVERSITY OF MARY WINTER 2022

Home, which Jesus called ‘a place to lay your head,’ is a deeply human need.

There is a poignant passage in the gospel of Matthew, in which Jesus says, "Foxes have holes and birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man has no place to lay his head." (Matthew 8:20)

Home, which Jesus called ‘a place to lay your head,’ is a deeply human need.

All our lives, we crave a place to lay our heads’; that is, a place where we are safe, we are cared for, and where we are fed — physically, emotionally, spiritually.

At the University of Mary, we commit ourselves to being that ‘home’ for our students, to be a place where they feel cared for, safe, and fed — physically, emotionally, spiritually.

The heart will experience many ‘homes’ in a lifetime — from perhaps a dearly familiar childhood house or a grandparent’s farm, to a residence hall surrounded by friends and classmates, an apartment, or a first adult home. For some, a library, with its quiet and treasury of books, is ‘home.’ For some, it’s a coffee shop and deep conversations with friends.

Celebrating homecoming, welcoming students from everywhere to campus and demonstrating our commitment to their care and nourishment, returning a group of health sciences students to campus, honoring veterans — these ‘homemaking’ activities — create the bonds that homes are made of. Creating bonds of community, of mutual love and care, is one of the great purposes of our university.

At the University of Mary, ‘home’ has a beating heart at its core. It is to come together in worship, in the Eucharist, to receive the bread of life, the body of Christ, where our ultimate and true home lies. In the Eucharist, we come home to the One who is our eternal Home.

As we celebrate the Christmas season and the birth of the Christ Child, let us offer him ‘a place to lay his head’ - and make a home for him in our hearts and our lives.

FROM

Monsignor James P. Shea

President of the University of Mary

“Where

there is bread, there is home.” German-Russian proverb

a noble and

pioneering goal

PILLAR 1: HAMM SCHOOL OF ENGINEERING

Near the end of September in North Dakota, the sun begins to shine bright and wide at a low, autumn angle. This year, on a day that illustrated this changing sun perfectly, we welcomed a collection of students, faculty, staff, and leaders to campus for the celebration and dedication of the newly expanded Hamm School of Engineering. Harold Hamm — giant of the oil industry, generous donor, and namesake of the school of engineering — stood with Monsignor Shea, Governor Doug Burgum, Lieutenant Governor Brent Sanford, Senator Kevin Cramer, and a team of institutional leaders to cut the building’s ceremonial ribbon. The day served as a welcome reminder of the promise and mission of our present and future. The exciting growth and development taking place at the Hamm School of Engineering comes as a logical output to a goal offered in Vision 2030: that the students in our School of Engineering will serve as pinnacle examples of virtue and competence in our Western North Dakota communities. Monsignor Shea, in his address to the crowd, implored our engineering students to be “servant leaders of moral courage,” a noble and pioneering goal for a modern institution of higher education. Supporters of the university have used a similar phrase to describe our founders, the Benedictine Sisters of Annunciation Monastery, for decades, and it is clear that the students at the Hamm School of Engineering will follow the path that the Sisters set out for them. If the new expansion and celebration is any indication, these students, graduates, and faculty will have their university, their community, and their region cheering for them as they move forward.

Hundreds of students, faculty, staff of the University of Mary dedicate the new Hamm School of Engineering with a ribbon cutting ceremony. Pictured left to right: University of Mary Vice President for Academic Affairs, Diane Fladeland; Energy Transfer Executive Vice President Chris Curia; Energy Transfer Chairman and CEO Kelcy Warren; University of Mary President Monsignor James Shea; Continental Resources Founder and CEO Harold Hamm; US Senator (ND) Kevin Cramer; North Dakota Governor Doug Burgum; North Dakota Lieutenant Governor Brent Sanford; University of Mary Executive Vice President Jerome Richter.

a beacon for life

PILLAR 2: SAINT GIANNA

SCHOOL OF HEALTH SCIENCES

The beginning of the fall semester was marked by intimate encounters with saintly figures. In October, as the Bismarck Diocese prepared to open the cause for canonization of one-time University of Mary FOCUS missionary Michelle Duppong, we also welcomed the daughter of a saint, Dr. Gianna Emanuela Molla, the daughter whom the famed Catholic physician and mother, Saint Gianna Beretta Molla, sacrificed her life to protect. Dr. Gianna Emanuela Molla came to campus to officially dedicate the newly renovated school of health sciences to her mother, becoming the Saint Gianna School of Health Sciences. The celebration was full of joyful reminders of a new era blossoming for the university as we welcomed back to campus our faculty and students in our physical therapy program. Creating and growing the Saint Gianna School of Health Sciences is a key component of our Vision 2030 Strategic Plan, and the expectation and hope for the school is that it becomes a beacon for top-tier bioethical and medical training. In addition, the school will honor the legacy and sacrifice of Saint Gianna by encouraging each student that passes through its doors to foster her same passion for health care and commitment to the value and dignity of life.

Photo credit: The Bismarck Tribune

A joyful Dr. Gianna Emanuela Molla and a grateful University of Mary President Monsignor James Shea go arm-in-arm on a tour of the new Saint Gianna School of Health Sciences after its ribbon cutting and dedication ceremony.

As we at the University of Mary continue to turn Vision 2030 into reality, we focus in part on athletics and its quest to promote greatness in our athletes through the cultivation of virtue. Part of this continuing goal is the development of new, state-of-the-art athletic facilities. The athletic strategic plan of Vision 2030 is a multi-faceted process that will transform the athletics and outdoor spaces on our campus. In part, it will bring a stadium that, because of its integration with the Saint Gianna School of Health Sciences, will include a research pavilion that creates a truly virtue-based athletic facility for the scholar athlete. This will allow Marauders football, baseball, and soccer teams to return to campus

for home games, and it will allow university students and staff to serve the community in pro-bono health clinics. The transformation does not stop there, however. This series of projects will also include a practice football and soccer field, a gameday plaza designed for fans to gather before football games, an outdoor 400-meter track, an on-campus baseball and softball complex (returning even more home games to campus), a seasonal air dome that allows teams to practice year-round, and an enhanced roadway system for navigating campus more smoothly. Together, these projects will work to create environments wherein the pursuit of greatness through the development of virtue can truly flourish.

welcoming athleticshome

warmth of welcome

PILLAR 4: WELCOME CENTER

Hospitality is one of our Benedictine values. In fact, Saint Benedict wrote “All guests who present themselves are to be welcomed as Christ, for he himself will say: ‘I was a stranger and you welcomed me’ (Matthew 25:35).”

In an effort to bring a renewed focus on hospitality to campus, Vision 2030 includes a Welcome Center designed to greet visitors, families, and prospective students with open arms. This facility will include our admissions department, where staff enroll and introduce students to campus; residence life staff, who ensure that students’ lives on campus are enriched based on the Benedictine values; financial aid staff, who ensure students’ access to the education toward which they strive;

student accounts staff, who share with students the financial options they have available to them; alumni office staff, who connect a network of nearly 25,000 former Marauders worldwide; and the military services department, which works with those defending our country to receive an education at Mary. These staff members who place the student experience at the center of their day-to-day activities will get the opportunity to come together to ensure an exceptional experience of care for our students and visitors. The primary focus for this Welcome Center is that all who visit the University of Mary receive a warm welcome — one that makes them feel at ease and at home.

Max the Marauder and hundreds of Marauders fans cheer on their football team before honoring Hall of Fame inductees and Alumni Award winners during halftime of the homecoming game against MSU Moorhead.

Welcome home

Whilewe are proud of all of our alumni, it’s also important to recognize those who are making an outstanding impact on the world and remaining true to the principles of our university’s mission. This year’s group of alumni award winners have achieved wide-ranging success in their careers and communities. Each recipient showcases the University of Mary’s Benedictine values, and each recipient highlights the tremendous accomplishments that can occur in graduates who receive a degree from an institution that prioritizes human formation with sound and rigorous education. Each one of this year’s award winners leads with a mindset of service; prioritizes faith, hope, and love in their daily lives; approaches their achievements with humility; graciously appreciates and elevates those in the community around them; and receives those who come their

way with hospitality and care. Together, these alumni award winners live out our Benedictine values in outstanding ways. Award winners this year include an “older-than-average” University of Mary graduate who dedicated countless hours to the medical community in Tanzania; a physical therapist who, while working in Major League Baseball, goes above and beyond to ensure his players’ bodies are healthy, injury-free, and resilient amidst a grueling season; a “leader of leaders” in the field of public education in North Dakota who places kids’ best interests at the heart of what her organization does; and a high-achieving professional football coach who remains humble despite reaching the most-elite echelon of success in his profession.

BRETT WALKER,

Bell Banner Award

Many in the world of professional sports note that players’ mere capacity to compete is often the best trait they can possess. Brett Walker (’03, ’04, ’13), Major League Baseball (MLB) physical therapist and athletic trainer, works to ensure that every Chicago White Sox player in the franchise’s system maximizes that capacity. In the MLB, the 162-game season and taxing travel schedule takes its toll on players’ physical health.

Walker, through an attitude of service, care, and community, oversees his players’ well-being throughout the exhausting competitive season. Walker grew up in Culbertson, Montana, as the only boy in a family of four siblings. He often followed his sisters’ direction, and, after taking

’03, ’04, ’13

an interest in athletic training and physical therapy, found his way to the University of Mary, following his oldest sister, Karmen (’99). He completed his first two degrees (’03, ’04) and before too long, he found himself entering the world of sports rehabilitation and performance. He finished a sports residency program in Boise, Idaho, in 2009, and he became a Board Certified Sports Physical Therapist in 2010.

This landed him a job with the White Sox’s rookie-ball team in Great Falls, Montana, which allowed Walker to continue the pursuit of working in professional baseball. He completed an internship with the Minnesota Twins and returned to the University of Mary for a master’s degree in athletic training (’14), and shortly after, Walker began

working as the first full-time physical therapist hired by the Chicago White Sox.

Today, Walker has helped cement the Chicago White Sox organization as one of the premier professional sports franchises for physical therapy and athletic training. In fact, in 2018, the MLB named Walker and his colleagues the Athletic Training Staff of the Year. Accolades are great, but Walker continues serving this organization because of a broader commitment to the players and the Benedictine values instilled in him at the University of Mary. In addition, seeing the sacrifice and dedication his players make throughout the difficult playing season inspires Walker to foster a similar attitude of sacrifice and dedication.

“Every day,” Walker says, “I witness the work and determination our guys put in and the mental toughness it takes to perform at such a high level.” At the same time, the Chicago White Sox players are not Walker’s only source of inspiration. “I had a strong foundation rooted in the Bible,” he says, and the University of Mary’s “Benedictine values helped me gain a better perspective of other people’s values.”

The MLB season is not only busy for players; it’s challenging for coaches and staff, too. Walker, proud husband and father of two children, makes sure to prioritize his family, even during the hectic baseball season. Because Walker is often working at the field from midday until late into the night, he takes advantage of the mornings and prioritizes it as family time. Through this dedication he shows to his family and organization, Walker is a tremendous example of service and humility.

AIMEE COPAS, ’99

Harold Schafer Alumni

Leadership Award

We at the University of Mary strive for our mission, which guides our actions and directs the course of our institution. For Aimee Copas (‘99), a personal mission statement does the same: “I have a mission to help as many people as possible achieve abundance and prosperity in life,” she says. The career paths she’s used to accomplish this mission have varied, but her focus has remained the same.

When Copas attended the University of Mary, she did so to become an English teacher. Soon following graduation, she found herself working as a teacher, coach, and administrator in her school district. After six years, however, she decided she was ready for a change and began working as a senior sales professional for a few years before returning to school to receive her master’s and doctoral degrees. Pursuit of her professional degrees led her to work in the field of higher education; she began working for the North Dakota University System (NDUS) in roles like dean of faculty and associate vice chancellor for academic affairs. In 2013, however, she began her current role as the executive director of the North Dakota Council of Educational Leaders (NDCEL). The NDCEL serves as the professional organization for school administrators in the state of North Dakota, so Copas works with superintendents, principals, and directors to provide a positive educational experience for kids everywhere.

With Copas at the helm, and with her personal mission statement guiding her, the NDCEL continues to achieve tremendous success. Copas’s leadership has also drawn the admiration of her colleagues: “Dr. Copas is a devout Christian and virtuous leader who models a strong work ethic, humility, competence, empathy, and integrity,” a colleague noted. These traits are invaluable for a person tasked with leading administrators in every school district in North Dakota, and it’s no coincidence that these traits line up with the values emphasized by the University of Mary.

Copas has distinguished herself as a leader in the field of public education, and she has proven herself to be a determined, motivated, driven, and kind guide for school district leaders. Copas, her husband Shannon, and her two daughters live in Bismarck, and while their home resides in the central part of the state, there’s no doubt that Copas’s influence reaches all corners of North Dakota.

MARQUICE WILLIAMS, ’08

Harold Schafer Alumni Leadership Award

There are over 40,000 American football coaches in the United States. Roughly 700 of those coaches are employed by a team that plays in the National Football League (NFL), and Marquice Williams (’08), in his role as special teams coordinator for the Atlanta Falcons, places himself securely in the highest tier of the top 1% of his profession. After playing for the Marauders and graduating in 2008, Williams began his journey into coaching, making stops at Winona State University and the University of Central Oklahoma before landing his first full-time coaching position at the University of South Dakota. While there, Williams began

sowing the seeds of success that would eventually lead him to the NFL.

As a member of the University of South Dakota’s coaching staff, Williams participated in a program called the Bill Walsh Minority Coaching Fellowship. This program is designed to increase the number of full-time minority football coaches in the United States and in the NFL, and Williams’ participation in the program allowed him to meet and build relationships with several NFL teams. Impressed by his football acumen, the Chicago Bears and Detroit Lions offered internships to Williams, and in 2016, Williams accepted an offer from the San Diego Chargers to become an

assistant special teams and defensive coach. Later, while working again for the Detroit Lions, he became their interim special teams coordinator, which gave him the experience for his current position, which he began in 2021.

Professional sports often requires players and coaches to spend all of their time on game preparation, but Williams finds it crucial to strike a balance in his daily life.

To do so, he points to the values instilled in him while at the University of Mary. “I believe the Benedictine values helped me in many ways,” Williams says. “Having a healthy community to grow as a scholar-athlete really allowed me to grow as a servantleader in the profession that I’m in.”

Williams manages his players’ on-field performance, but he’s also working to ensure the quality of their lives off the field as well. While serving the Falcons, Williams has begun directing the team’s fellowship program with the support of his wife, Elizabeth (‘08), and their four children. Williams, although he’s reached the highest echelon of his profession, remains humble: “I understand,” he says, “that I would not be here if it wasn’t for God, and He gave me a great platform to serve in His name.” With an outlook like this, it’s clear that the Falcons’ special teams players have a strong Benedictine influence at their helm.

Photo credit: the Atlanta Falcons

Presidential Leadership Award

Even though Robert “Kent” Thompson (’14) is technically retired, the energy with which he approached his work during his career continues to leave a lasting impact on those he served. While most of his peers from his graduating class are just entering their 30s and solidifying themselves in their careers, Thompson, 75, can reflect proudly on a wideranging, successful career that placed service to others above all else. He began his journey in servant leadership as a combination bankexecutive-and-EMT. These duties kept him busy for over 30 years, but over time, Thompson’s spirit of adventure and service led him to begin visiting Tanzania with an orthopedic surgeon. While there, he’d help treat children suffering from a disease called skeletal fluorosis. This disease impacts these children’s lower limbs in a serious way; many times,

the disease prevents children from performing activities central to a joyful childhood — walking, running, jumping, hopping, and skipping are often difficult or impossible. Thompson assisted with the surgical procedures for those children (some of which included the first joint replacement surgeries performed in Tanzania) and experienced the deep sense of satisfaction that came from watching them reclaim some of that missing joy.

In an effort to better serve this community, Thompson completed a degree in psychology, after which he expected to complete a program that would allow him to become a physician’s assistant. When he wasn't accepted, he had to reconsider his options and pursued a bachelor's degree in nursing at the university to serve the medical needs of his community in Tanzania in a more complete way.

Over time, however, Thompson felt the desire to enhance the way he was serving the people around him even more. This time, his desire pointed him toward a path that would leave a long-lasting and widespread impact on the area he’d grown to love. From 2009 to 2014 (from the ages of 68 to 73), Thompson pursued and completed a master’s degree in nursing education. While he completed his coursework remotely, he worked concurrently to create and develop a school of nursing in Tanzania. As a result, the Arusha Lutheran Medical Centre School of Nursing (ALMCSN) was born.

Using the knowledge and methods he learned in the University of Mary’s program, Thompson helped plan, develop, and enact the curriculum for this new school. In fact, Thompson emphasizes that “because of the University of Mary, Arusha Lutheran Medical Centre School of Nursing came into existence.” Existing is one thing, but enacting meaningful change is another, and Thompson says, “There are now over 100 new nurses in Tanzania.” This type of success is meaningful anywhere, but it’s even more meaningful in a country where there are nearly 2,000 people for every nurse. Bit by bit, this school aims to train more nurses to serve their community with the same attitude of service that is central to Thompson’s life. Of course, service to others is one of the core Benedictine values at the University of Mary, and Thompson says they deeply inspired him personally and professionally moving forward. “I didn’t know it at the time,” he said, “but all the Benedictine values played a part in my decision to attend the University of Mary.” Their influence impacted him immediately, as Thompson recognized early on in Tanzania, he was living out the true meaning of service engrained in him from his online education at Mary.

ROBERT “KENT” THOMPSON, ’14

CARTER MCNAMARA, ’78, recently released his book, “Wolf: A Memoir of Love and Atonement.”

DONALD ELLETSON, ’05, married Hannah, on August 20, 2022 in Glasgow, MT.

KATIE (THOMAS), ’06, her husband Brock Oakland, and the community founded TR 4 Heart and Soul a therapeutic and adaptive equine facility. This program has grown over the past few years and currently partners with the Bismarck Cancer Center, Nueta Hidatsa Sahnish College, and Missouri Valley United Way. The program meets physical, occupational, educational, and social needs of the community.

MICHAEL LANGER, ’07, has been teaching at the University of Mary since 2018. This past summer he finished his DMA in piano performance and a second master’s in music theory pedagogy from NDSU. He also runs a private piano studio at home.

EVELYN MCDONALD, ’11, was promoted to the career and technical education director at Cankdeska Cikana Community College - Fort Totten.

MEGIN (SABO) JOHN, ’11, just finished her first year as USA Gymnastics Physical Therapist and was able to represent TEAM USA at a World Cup in Italy, as well as providing coverage for the upcoming 2022 Gymnastics Championships. She also just renewed her 10-year Orthopedic Certification Specialization and will sit for the Sports Certification Specialization in Spring 2023.

MCKYLA (HONDL), ’12, and Joshua Beagle were married in 2018. They had their first son in 2017, second son in 2018, and first daughter in 2020. She teaches special education with Dickinson Public Schools.

BRANDIE, ’12 and JOSH BEHL, ’01, moved to Rancho Cucamonga, CA this July.

JENNA (HERZIG), ’12, ’18, and LANE FLAGEN, ’11, were married on July 30, 2022, at the Cathedral of the Holy Spirit in Bismarck, ND. They first met on a back-to-school riverboat cruise at the University of Mary in 2009.

TARYN (GERDES), ’13, ’15, and ERIK PETERSON, ’13, moved to Britton, SD, with their two children, Max and Blaise. Erik is now working as the CFO at Marshall County Healthcare Center Avera. Taryn remains a physical therapist at Avera McKennan.

MARIANNE TAN, ’15, is helping open a new Catholic Montessori school called Blessed Family in Lemont, IL.

EMILY (RAPKOCH) BAKKEN, ’16, remained in Bismarck after graduating where she met the love of her life, Josh. They were married in August of 2021 and recently welcomed their second child in May of 2022.

ALYSSA (JOHNSON), ’16, married Phillip Horn on December 28, 2019, in Hamel, MN. They welcomed their first child, Gabriella Anne, on April 4, 2022.

MAGDALEN (MORRIS), ’17, and Dylan Graves recently had a daughter, Eleanor Rosann, born on June 14. They are enjoying their time as a family of three.

> BRYN (ANDERSON) & JOHN BRICKWEG

> DONALD & HANNAH ELLETSON

> MEGIN (SABO) JOHN

> EMILY (RAPKOCH) BAKKEN & HER FAMILY

> ASHLYN (GEORGE) & JACOB KOEPKE

> JONATHAN & SYDNEY (MENGES) BEEMER

> RACHEL (NISTLER) & AUGUST TAYLOR'S FAMILY

THOMAS FREI, ’18, began the position of clinical director at The Ridge, a mental health and substance use disorder clinic in Fargo.

MARANDA (VANNETT), ’18, and JACK BOESER, ’18, were married on October 16, 2021, and are now expecting their first child in November.

RACHEL (NISTLER), ’18, and AUGUST TAYLOR, ’19, were married on campus on August 8, 2020. In July 2022, they welcomed their son Theodore Ronald into the world. Rachel substitute teaches for Light of Christ schools in her free time. August works at NISC and has started the DBA program at the University of Mary.

CRISTINA (BREMAR), ’18, married Jacob Tripp on July 3, 2021 in Dallas, Texas. Cristina is a foreign service officer with The Department of State, DC. Jacob is an active duty with The United States Marine Corps. They are currently stationed in Sneads Ferry, NC.

MASON MERCK, ’19, recently moved back to his hometown of Minot to complete his clinical rotation portion of his medical schooling. He and his wife Sara have two sons, Fulton John and Peter Daniel, and are expecting a new little one in March of 2023.

KYLEE (WELCH), ’20, and AUSTIN EICHMANN, ’21, were married in July 2021 and their daughter, Evelyn, was born in April 2022.

ASHLYN (GEORGE), ’21, and JACOB KOEPKE, ’21, were married on December 30, 2021 at St. Jerome Catholic Church in Oconomowoc, WI. They are expecting their first son this year.

ISABELLA (HEIDTMAN), ’21, and RYAN O’DONNELL, ’19, were married on April 30, 2022 at St. Mark’s Church and they currently live in Denver, NC. Isabella is busy with grad school and Ryan is pursuing his teaching license. They are expecting a baby boy at the end of January 2023.

BRYN (ANDERSON), ’22, and JOHN BRICKWEG, ’21, were married on July 2, 2022 by Father Dominic Bouck, the chaplain and director of University Ministry at the University of Mary.

JONATHAN, ’22, and SYDNEY (MENGES) BEEMER, ’22, were married on June 3, 2022 at St. Elizabeth Ann Seton Catholic Church in Wichita, KS.

SHELBY (KAUK), ’22, and Hunter Prochnow were married on June 4, 2022.

KATE BROWNING, ’22, officially earned her licensure as a Licensed Professional CounselorAssociate and is continuing to work at a Child Advocacy Center, called Scotty’s House.

KEEP IN TOUCH!

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> JENNA (HERZIG) & LANE FLAGEN

> SARAH & MASON MERCK'S FAMILY

> ISABELLA (HEIDTMAN) & RYAN O'DONNELL

> MAGDALEN (MORRIS) & DYLAN GRAVES' DAUGHTER

> CRISTINA (BREMAR) & JACOB TRIPP

> ALYSSA (JOHNSON) & PHILLIP HORN'S FAMILY

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