University of Mary Momentum Winter 2024

Momentum

SERVING

mind, body, and soul

THE MAGAZINE OF THE UNIVERSITY OF MARY WINTER 2024

A Mary Milestone

Dr. Molly Leer (left), Dr. Billie Madler (center), and Professor Sarah Berreth (right) pose in one of the Casey Center's new nursing simulation spaces.

Whenthe Benedictine Sisters first came to our hill, they began a long labor of service. How overwhelming and confounding that Providence led them here, and not somewhere that others would have considered more preferable — somewhere warmer and already civilized.

But they did come. They braved the travel, the cold, and the work, following the hand of Providence as far as the train tracks would take them, and they founded Mary College. Our Sisters built into the very heart of the University a love of service, a legacy of service. Within the pages of this magazine, we honor some of our graduates who have lived out this legacy. I am grateful for the opportunity to highlight the ways our alumni carry forward the very spirit of

the Sisters. I am also grateful for a moment to reflect on the service that goes on within the university. Our cover proudly proclaims that we offer an education in service to the whole human person: body, mind, and soul. When our students are immersed in this experience, giving and receiving service to body, mind, and soul, they encounter something that they cannot understand just by hearing it: that body, mind, and soul are fundamentally integrated, and all are good.

Body, mind, and soul are fundamentally integrated, and all are good.

This is easy to say, and much harder to live. Illness, discouragement, cynicism: these diseases of body and heart are always biting at our heels, trying to separate us from ourselves and each other.

The University of Mary is opposed to this separation, and we form our students in the spirit of our Sisters, to be united as whole persons. “Who wants to live the divided life?” Sister Thomas Welder would ask. We offer an integrated experience to our students by serving the body, the mind, and the soul. The Sisters, on first opening Mary College, trained teachers and nurses. The Sisters directed their service in a particular way to the souls of the people around them, the teachers in a particular way to the minds of the people around them, and the nurses in a particular way to the bodies.

We have expanded since then — our past Momentum magazines have kept you up to date on the exciting innovations and expansions in majors and programs here — but the heart of our university is the same, forming leaders of moral courage in the service of truth.

There are nurses here still, and now also students studying biology, kinesiology, and pre-med.

There are teachers here still, and now students studying psychology, social work, and philosophy.

There are Sisters here still, and now students studying theology, music, and Catholic studies.

We hold fast to the legacy that our Sisters have given us. We strive always to serve the body, the mind, and the soul. We strive to bring them together, to help our students understand that body, mind, and soul are fundamentally integrated, and all are good.

Spring reveals anew the goodness of the world. As we near the end of what has been a mild winter, I am filled with gratitude for the world that God has given us to remind us of our own goodness as well as His. May God and His goodness touch your hearts; you are ever in our prayers!

Monsignor James P. Shea President

Monsignor James P. Shea President of the University of Mary

Fast-Tracked, Community-Centered, TUITION-FREE

Discover our latest innovation in the field of health care education

Our Division of Nursing, within the Saint Gianna School of Health Sciences, upholds a six-decade tradition of excellence in clinical preparation and whole-person formation. Graduates of our nursing programs enjoy a nationwide reputation for their professional expertise, leadership acumen, and moral courage.

“I can't tell you how often I meet people from the community with no health care background who will say, ‘I knew it — I just knew I had a Mary nurse. When I asked, sure enough — they were. I can tell when I've had a Mary nurse,’” said Associate Dean of Nursing Dr. Billie Madler, beaming with pride. “And that’s our mission. Ultimately, that’s why we’re here.”

Dr. Deb Cave (far right) and two Nursing Academy scholars check up on one of our trueto-life medical manikins.

Fall 2023 marked the launch of an unprecedented initiative conceived to further that mission while offering prospective nursing majors a oneof-a-kind educational opportunity. Funded through the generous sponsorship of Sanford Health and CHI St. Alexius Health, our tuitionfree Nursing Academy furnishes an elite Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) track for first-time, full-time freshmen ready to unlock their fullest potential — as students, as nurses, and as persons made in the image of God.

Introducing Our TuitionFree Nursing Academy

Nursing Academy scholars will take a full semester of in-person classes each summer through our trailblazing Year-Round Campus (YRC) program. This will put them on course to graduate with their BSN and enter the workforce less than three years from their initial start date. “We started with 30 scholars — 20 sponsored by Sanford and 10 sponsored by CHI — and seven alternates on this 2.6-year schedule,” said Assistant Professor of Nursing and Nursing Academy Coordinator Sarah Berreth, MSN, RN. “Along with allowing them to graduate and start their careers sooner, YRC is going to help them stay connected to campus and continue to grow in community with each other over the summer months.”

Community forms the core of the Nursing Academy experience. “Regardless of their degree timeline, all nursing cohorts become very, very close because they spend a lot of time together,” Berreth said. “I tell my students all the time, ‘These are going to be your people forever.’ I still talk to my nursing peers from undergrad. So we’re stressing friendship and mutual support — going through this really hard, really rigorous program together as a community.”

Fostering Global Understanding

In addition to studying for exams, honing skills, and navigating clinicals together, Nursing Academy scholars will tour Italy, Germany, and France as a cohort on a donor-funded service-learning pilgrimage, visiting sites selected for their cultural, historical, and spiritual resonance. “This August, the entire group of 37 Nursing Academy scholars are going to spend 14 days in Europe. We’re going to go to Saint Gianna’s hometown; Lourdes, France; Dachau,” Berreth said. “We’re going to get to see places linked to people who exemplified what it means to act with moral courage as well as places where health care professionals had a hand in some horrific atrocities. Our hope is that this will give us all an opportunity to reflect on our incredible responsibility toward our patients, each other, and our communities.”

“We're stressing friendship and mutual support — going through this rigorous program together as a community.”

interviewers were looking for more than straight As and stellar ACTs. “We have a holistic admissions process from start to finish,” Berreth said. “We’re interested in forming the whole person and choosing candidates who can excel in every aspect of the program. Of course, we’re looking at test scores, AP classes, dual-credit courses, and the rest. But we’re also looking for hard-working, resilient candidates with life skills, grit, and integrity.”

Supporting our Supporters

Holistic Admissions Process

Nursing Academy hopefuls must apply for admission to both the university and the program. Successful applicants must then either come to campus or reserve a virtual timeslot for a pair of interviews. “Last spring, we conducted two full days of interviews, both online and face-to-face, for our first ever cohort,” Berreth said. “Each candidate spoke with one faculty member and a leader from either CHI St. Alexius or Sanford. We also had each candidate submit a writing sample on a piece of literature that spoke to the nursing profession.”

While proven academic ability constitutes a minimum qualification for admission, Berreth and her fellow

In both their recruitment efforts and their day-to-day responsibilities as Academy mentors, Berreth and her colleagues are making incremental progress toward achieving one of our nursing program’s central aims — to address critical nurse shortages in our region and beyond. Immediately upon graduation, all Nursing Academy scholars will gain access to exclusive employment opportunities across North Dakota. “Ultimately, we want to be able to graduate 30-plus well-formed nurses to meet pressing needs in collaboration with our community partners,” Berreth said. “They’re supporting us, so we want to help support them as they bring health care to those who need it most.”

“Beyond the amazing financial opportunity the Nursing Academy provides for our scholars, the fact that they’re going to partner with CHI St. Alexius and Sanford and fulfill their own caring ministries as well as help to further our broader mission really is incredible,” Madler added. “It feels like the perfect storm in the best way.” 

ON THE CUTTING EDGE

Take an insider look at our stateof-the-art nursing simulation facilities

“Across the U.S., less than 20% of new nurses are considered to be workforce-ready,” shared Dr. Billie Madler, associate dean of our Division of Nursing. “Obviously, that’s not good for patients, to say the least. As a nurse, your patients expect you to know a lot, but you have to be able to apply what you know and apply it appropriately across different contexts.”

“More than that, the research shows that upwards of 30% of new nursing graduates are quitting their jobs and leaving the field before the end of their first year of practice,” Madler continued, stressing the gravity of this particular debacle. “New nurses just aren’t ready for the everyday realities of the profession. When it comes to our country’s nurse shortages, we don’t

just need a greater number of nurses — we need a greater number of nurses who are competent, confident, and capable of taking control of uncertain situations and delivering excellent care in a wide variety of settings. And someone has to educate nurses who can function at that high level.”

Enter our growing family of Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) programs, known nationwide for their strong focus on values-based formation and hands-on learning. Among other measures we’ve implemented to address the causes and conditions

of the above predicaments in our own region, we’ve increased our number of on-campus clinical simulation environments from two to six.

“Above all, we’re so grateful to the benefactors who helped support this renovation process,” Madler said. “My responsibility as associate dean is to provide our faculty with what they need to deliver our students an outstanding nursing education, and I couldn’t do that without our partners and supporters. These new facilities are going to be a crucial, crucial part of our approach moving forward.”

Assistant Professor of Nursing Molly Leer, MS, RN, expressed her own excitement at this revolutionary development. In her capacity as our undergraduate nursing program's simulation coordinator, she helps students of a range of skill levels acclimate to simulated patient care and hone crucial competencies through hands-on practice.

One-way viewing stations allow faculty to monitor students and prepare detailed feedback during simulations.

Our nursing curriculum incorporates simulation scenarios from across the lifespan.

“It was like Christmas for me,” she said with a laugh. “First of all, our programs had been growing and growing over several years, and we didn’t have enough space. We were working in two adjacent rooms — that’s all. Besides that, we wanted to add as many interactive activities as possible to better prepare our students for the realities of working in a health care setting day to day.” Emboldened by their new space’s realism and versatility, Leer and her colleagues have done just that. As of this past fall, our nursing curriculum now includes a far wider range of simulation experiences.

“We’ve seen a radical change in the number of simulations we’ve been able to offer. We’ve added several new types of scenarios, ones that are especially important for future nurses to know how to handle.”

“We’ve seen a radical change in the number of simulations we’ve been able to offer. We’ve added several new types of scenarios, ones that are especially important for future nurses to know how to handle,” said Leer. “A long-term-care adaptive simulation, where students find out what it’s like to live with various disabilities; mental illness simulations; truer-to-life code simulations; all these different activities.”

“And we were able to do it all on campus,” she emphasized. “We’ve been able to utilize these realistic settings that are close to home instead of having to send our

students to one of our other locations.”

Both Madler and Leer look forward to expanding the renovated space’s capabilities as they and their fellow nurse-educators work to optimize every component of our nursing program. “Faculty are ecstatic,” Madler said. “Change is everywhere — we’re adjusting our curriculum to meet new needs, we’ve had the launch of our tuition-free Nursing Academy, we’ve made changes to our physical space. We’ve forged new partnerships and strengthened old ones. It’s been a lot of hard work, but we’re all committed to our Sisters’ vision, and we all want to do our utmost for our students and their future patients.”

“And best of all, the students love it,” Leer added. “All these new initiatives, especially the renovations. These spaces also function as practice rooms, and students are always there. I come in on the weekend and they’re in there practicing.” 

Five students practice charting behind the counter of our simulation space's authentic nurses' station.

Dr. Deb Cave (left) observes a student in the nearby medication room.

The addition of four new simulation rooms to the Casey Center for Nursing Education has allowed our nursing division to offer a variety of new scenarios.

A MARY A MARY MILESTONE MILESTONE

Say hello to our largest ever freshman class

This past September, we welcomed a record number of incoming undergraduates to campus. “The official total came to nearly 700 students, including 559 first-time freshmen — a new high," shared our Vice President for Public Affairs, Rachael Brash. "This is an incredible opportunity for us to carry our mission forward and form more young men and women for the whole of life.” Moreover, over 90% of those students had registered for spring classes by

Thanksgiving. “That's many points above any previous year’s percentage. Our incoming class plus our high retention rate tells us that we're on the path our Sisters have laid out for us, that we're following it correctly.”

If you ask Brash, our reputation for hospitality and authenticity lies behind these unprecedented enrollment and retention figures. “I think the core reason we got here is that we truly are who we say we are. We’re clear in our identity and how we live that identity day to day,”

she said. “Students and their families feel that when they’re here on campus. They feel welcome, and they can tell that what they’ve heard about us is true. And I think that’s why they choose us.”

As for next fall? “Having this banner year doesn’t drastically change our strategy,” said Brash, focusing on the long term.

“It’s shown us that we're continuing on this road that our Sisters have asked us to travel, that we’re providing a oneof-a-kind experience geared toward graduating students who are prepared to live fully integrated lives. That’s always been our goal, and it always will be.” 

Monsignor Shea (center) waves to the next four years with fall 2023's record-breaking freshman class.

Let every spirit praise the Lord!

Make a joyful noise with Cappella, the University of Mary's chapel choir

“Be filled with the Spirit,” exhorts Saint Paul in his letter to the Ephesians, “as you sing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs to one another, making melody to the Lord in your hearts.” Since the beginnings of Christianity nearly 2,000 years ago, believers of all tongues and tribes have been proclaiming their

joy in Christ, grappling with life’s thorniest questions, and — above all — communing in love with Father, Son, and Holy Spirit through sacred song.

Cappella, our endowed university chapel choir, has its roots in this illustrious tradition of artistic grandeur and spiritual depth.

“It was Michael, my husband, who came up with the name ‘Cappella,’” said Dr. Rebecca Raber, assistant professor of music and conductor of the ensemble. “In Saint Peter’s Basilica and many of the larger churches in Rome, there are all of these little side chapels where liturgies are celebrated without

instrumental accompaniment. Our term a cappella comes from that practice. ‘Cappella’ means ‘chapel,’ and so we sing in our own chapel and other sacred places, we sing sacred music from the Church’s vast treasury, and by virtue of our mission, we sing to lift both our own hearts and those of our fellow worshippers to God.”

Cappella’s ethos takes inspiration from Pope Saint John Paul II’s 1999 “Letter to Artists,” which characterizes artistic endeavor as a special way of participating in God’s creative activity. Music in particular, Raber maintains, exhibits a unique power to soothe the heart, enlighten the mind, and build up the soul.

“I always make a point to speak to the students about the effect music can have,” she said. “You never know who’s out in the body of the church — you don’t know whose heart is breaking, who’s looking for healing. Maybe the pieces we sing will offer that person consolation. Ultimately, our ministry is to help our listeners pray more deeply and understand God’s word more deeply and experience God’s presence in their midst. Beauty has a way of unlocking the heart or the mind or both when other things can’t.”

The idea for a university-sponsored chapel choir first arose in 2020, just as COVID-19 infection rates were beginning to wane. At that time, indoor communal singing, being a prime transmission route for the virus, was verboten. “Really, Cappella was one of Monsignor Shea’s brilliant ideas,” Raber recalled. “He wanted to come out of that difficult time in a very beautiful way, first by underscoring the significance of sacred music on our campus and throughout the Church and second by bringing exceptional students from across the country to Mary and offering them scholarships like we would intercollegiate athletes. ‘What do you think of that?’ he said.”

“Of course,” Raber said with a smile, “I was all for it.”

In collaboration with our Saint John Paul II Center for University Ministry, Cappella serves at campus Masses and prayer services each week throughout the academic year. Their rigorous rehearsal schedule testifies to the strength of their commitment to the university, their craft, and artistic creation as a means of spiritual growth.

“We meet four days a week, Monday through Thursday, for 85 minutes a day,” Raber said. “Last year alone, we rehearsed and sang somewhere in the neighborhood of 70 to 75 separate pieces of music. I’ve always been

a repertoire fan, but I’ve never heard of an ensemble performing that many pieces in one year.”

One of the many advantages of this approach involves beauty’s capacity to “[unlock] the heart or mind or both.”

“All of that repertoire, all of those passages from sacred Scripture, all of that sacred poetry — the theology of those texts is embedding itself in our students’ minds and hearts every time they sing together. We’re always talking about how to pray the words and why. They’re really getting a special experience that way as well.”

Along with providing music for on-campus liturgies, Cappella regularly visits schools and churches throughout our region and across the nation at the request of the President’s Office. “It’s looking now like we’re going to settle on three big trips per year, in addition to local and regional events,” Raber said. “One to Denver, where we’ll sing at a number of schools as well as a major recruitment event; one to the MinneapolisSaint Paul area for Luminosa, our annual Advent festival; and one to Mary College at ASU in Phoenix for the Desert Rose Gala each winter.”

“These students are really among the university’s best recruiters, too,” she added. “When we were in Denver this past fall, we asked them to just mingle with families after their performance, and these attendees were just so taken with our students — their friendliness, their goodness, their love for sacred music and the university. And Monsignor was just amazed. They love being here, and they’re always ready to talk about how grateful they are to be members of the University of Mary community.” 

Accompanied by the rising sun, Cappella performs in Our Lady of the Annunciation Chapel.

Warmth of Welcome(Literally)

Tour the Lumen Vitae University Center’s corner of the tropics

Asignificant minority of our students hail from regions with mild — if not positively balmy — winters. Hibernal North Dakota's high winds, subzero windchills, whiteout blizzards, and gray skies often come as a shock to these members of the University of Mary community, many of whom had never seen snow in real life before relocating to the Peace Garden State. Besides taking a toll on the body, our state's winter weather can numb the mind and discourage the soul, so when one of our closest friends and kindest benefactors offered to fund the construction of a year-round green space on campus, we said, “Please!”

“When my husband, Kirk, who loved the University of Mary, died, my thought was that we could build something on campus to honor Kirk and his love of the university and especially the students,” said Janet Lanterman, a former critical care nurse who built Cruise Specialists, Inc., a luxury travel agency based

in Seattle, WA, into a multi-million-dollar global enterprise. “I just thought, ‘It’s always wonderful to have a place to go that has real plants and water and sunshine.’”

Lanterman and her husband, Kirk, himself the CEO of cruise line Holland America, married in 1992. Their love for the Benedictine Sisters of Annunciation Monastery and the University of Mary impelled them to support some of our most innovative initiatives, including the opening of the A. Kirk Lanterman Financial Center in 2010. “Kirk first met [President emerita] Sister Thomas [Welder] at a university fundraiser in Palm Springs,” Lanterman recalled. “Being a true North Dakotan, Kirk was careful with his money, but he so admired Sister Thomas and her work at Mary that he had to get involved. Basically, whatever Sister Thomas thought was a good idea, Kirk was willing to support.”

The Lanterman Lodge, located at the northwest end of the Lumen Vitae University Center’s lower level, commemorates Kirk's legacy of faithful stewardship and serves as a living testament to his and Janet’s longtime generosity toward the university. Teeming with vibrant tropical plants and featuring a sizable aquarium, shimmering waterfalls, and cozy study nooks, this refuge from the northern prairie’s often unforgiving climate promises to stand out as a campus landmark for years to come. “That was my big thing — I insisted that they have a lot of walls of green and the sound of water,” Lanterman said. “I thought that would help students relax and imagine themselves on a beach somewhere on a cold winter day. Green, water, and quiet, to me, equals being welcomed.” 

Students flock to the Lodge to study, relax, and catch up with friends.

Benefactor Janet Lanterman first envisioned the Lodge as an on-campus sanctuary with "real plants, water, and sunshine."

BELL BANNER AWARD

In homage to our founders and sponsors, the Benedictine Sisters of Annunciation Monastery, the Bell Banner Award honors alumni who model the six core Benedictine values that inform our mission and identity: respect for persons, hospitality, moderation, service, community, and prayer.

Colin

Kudrna,

PT, DPT, OCS

Founder and President of Optimum Therapies of North Dakota, Inc., Bismarck, ND

Born and raised in Dickinson, ND, Colin Kudrna first came to the University of Mary in 2007 as an undergraduate majoring in exercise science. He earned his bachelor’s in 2009 and entered our Doctor of Physical Therapy program the same year. After completing his doctoral studies in 2012, he took his first job at Optimum Therapies in Eau Claire, WI.

In spring 2017, Kudrna returned to the Peace Garden State and settled in Bismarck with his growing family. The same year, he founded Optimum Therapies of North Dakota, Inc., a private physical therapy practice specializing in a broad range of preventative and rehabilitative services,

from athletic conditioning and chronic pain management to postoperative support and beyond.

At Optimum Therapies, Kudrna and his team take a whole-person approach to their work. In close collaboration with each other and their clients, they integrate evidencebased treatment with personcentered care to promote physical, emotional, and spiritual wellness.

A member of the Catholic Medical Association, the American Physical Therapy Association, and the Knights of Columbus, Kudrna frequently visits campus to guest lecture and mentor our physical therapy students. He and his wife, Brittany, who serves as coordinator of our family nurse practitioner program, live in Bismarck with their four children: Declan, Ryan, Gianna, and Elaina.

HAROLD SCHAFER ALUMNI LEADERSHIP AWARD

The Harold Schafer Alumni Leadership Award recognizes graduates who have distinguished themselves as leaders in their chosen professional areas while embodying the timeless principles of life we strive to instill.

Ryan Capouch, OD, FCOVD

Founder of Lumen Vision, Fargo, ND

In 2004, at the age of 12, Portland, ND, native Ryan Capouch went blind in both eyes over a period of two days. Following a week’s hospital stay, he regained his vision, having received prompt treatment from a dedicated interdisciplinary medical team at MeritCare (now Sanford) Medical Center in Fargo.

Capouch’s ordeal sparked his lifelong interest in optical health. Inspired by the eye and vision specialists who had restored his sight in junior high, he came to the

University of Mary in 2010 to study biology, chemistry, and theology with the intention of pursuing a career in optometry. In 2014, Capouch graduated magna cum laude with his Bachelor of Science in Biology and headed south to study at the Arizona College of Optometry in Glendale, AZ. After receiving his doctorate in 2018, he returned to his home state and spent two years at Eyes on Broadway in Fargo, serving patients alongside Dr. Michael Rexine, a veteran provider who had played a starring role in his rapid recovery well over a decade earlier.

In 2020, Capouch opened Lumen Vision, a private family eye center in south Fargo. He works primarily with children, athletes, and brain-injury survivors, identifying ocular abnormalities and prescribing corrective lenses and therapy regimens. His young enterprise, doubtless due to its commitment to person-focused, compassionate care, already enjoys a reputation for excellence — “I’ve only been practicing for five years,” he said, “but I’ve had the privilege of impacting thousands of children and families through my work.”

The winner of the University of Mary’s 2014 Outstanding Senior award, Capouch sits on our Board of Trustees and volunteers as a cantor at his home parish, Sts. Anne and Joachim Catholic Church. He and his wife, Maggie, live with their son, Benedict, in Fargo.

PRESIDENTIAL LEADERSHIP AWARD

The Presidential Leadership Award commends alumni for outstanding achievements in the realm of regional, national, and/or international servant leadership.

Stephanie Olson-Alzyood, LMSW Social Worker in the New York City Department of Education’s Division of Early Childhood Education

Stephanie Olson-Alzyood started her undergraduate studies at the University of Mary in 2008, majoring in early childhood education. Having realized her gifts lay elsewhere, she met with a member of our social work faculty, changed her major, and found her calling.

In 2012, Olson-Alzyood graduated magna cum laude from Mary with her Bachelor of Science in Social Work and accepted a position at Charles Hall Youth Services in Bismarck.

After spending three years with Pride, Inc., she relocated to New York City to pursue a master’s degree in social work at Columbia University.

During her first two years in NYC, Olson-Alzyood completed an internship with the Boys and Girls Club of Harlem, served as a Trauma Smart coach for the New York City Administration for

Children’s Services, and earned her Master of Social Work (MSW) from Columbia while continuing to support Pride’s Youth Mentor program part-time. Today, she works with the New York City Department of Education’s Division of Early Childhood Education, overseeing a wide array of key programs. “My journey feels full circle,” she said. “My whole life before college, I wanted to be a teacher. Now my team and I support the city’s youngest learners as we work to provide access to free, full-day, high-quality early childhood education and care.”

In her free time, Olson-Ayzood enjoys exploring her adopted city with her husband, Laith; planning park picnics with friends; checking out new restaurants; reading; crossstitching; and putting as many miles as she can on her bike.

PAULETTE (MILLER) BULLINGER, ’73, authored a book and has co-authored several others.

MARY WAAGEN, ’85, started a business drawing and selling pysanky, or Ukrainian Easter Eggs.

COL. TOD FENNER, ’92, was promoted to Brigadier General in the Colorado Army National Guard. Fenner will serve as land component commander for the COARNG. He will command over 3,000 soldiers spread over seven commands. He will also serve as the principal advisor to the COARNG commanding general and the adjutant general on Army National Guard-related matters.

TRAVIS BRIDWELL, ’97, is retiring from the Army National Guard after nearly 30 years of service. Travis is a chief warrant officer 5 and has been flying for 26 years. TRACY, ’98, retired from the Army National Guard in 2017 as a Lieutenant Colonel.

ADAM LANDSTROM, ’07, ’12, co-chaired this year’s Austin Under 40 awards, a black-tie fundraising gala honoring and celebrating Austin’s emerging professionals who are making an impact in their community.

CHRISTOPHER KALASH, ’08, was recently selected as the director of corporate and business development for the Anne Carlsen Foundation.

ELIZABETH (ODERMANN), ’08, and Travis Watson welcomed Luke Russell into their family in August 2023. He joins siblings Benjamin, Isaac, and Hannah.

NICOLETTE (BORLAUG) MASIYA, ’09, and her husband, Shingayi, were named as 2023 Hawaii 40 Under 40 honorees for their business achievements and community involvement. Nicolette is the director of marketing operations for a global technology company. She and her husband were married on May 1, 2020, and have lived in Honolulu for the past six years.

STEPHANIE (SANDVICK), ’11, and DELAND WEYRAUCH, ’13, recently welcomed a daughter, Vivienne. Stephanie started her own mobile physical therapy practice, and Deland serves as the deputy medical examiner of Montana.

JULIE HENDERSON, ’11, was awarded the Melvin Jones Award for the Bowman Lions Club for 2023.

JENNA (HERZIG), ’12, ’18, and LANE FLAGEN, ’11, welcomed Cecilia Rose on July 14, 2023.

ERICA (BELVERSTONE), ’13, and DAVID STARKS, ’12, welcomed Elowyn Aurora on July 25, 2023, joining big brothers Benjamin and Shepherd.

BARBARA (BAKH), ’15, and BEN DENNING, ’14, welcomed their third child, Joseph Michael, in June 2023.

THOMAS STROMME, ’16, and his wife, Jadin, welcomed their first child, Bennett Steven, in October 2023.

KELSEY (MEADOWS), ’17, and Peter Svare were married on March 17, 2023, at Holy Cross Catholic Church in Fargo. Kelsey works in Trauma Services at Sanford Health as a nurse practitioner and Peter is a police officer.

MEGAN (STORBECK), ’17, ’19, and Jason Richter were married on July 8, 2022. In July of 2023, they welcomed their son, Garrett Alan. Megan is a traveling school counselor and Jason is a sales agronomist at Nutrien Ag Solutions.

THERESE (KULAS), ’18, and Nicholas Brown were married in St. Paul, MN on August 11, 2023.

ABBY DUBORD, ’19, was nominated for North Dakota's 2023 Teacher of the Year award. Abby is a first-grade teacher at Elk Ridge Elementary.

> ANNIE CORBETT

> ELIZABETH (ODERMANN) & TRAVIS WATSON'S SON

> MARY (KRACHT) & RYAN SCHERBER

> BARBARA (BAKH) & BEN DENNING'S FAMILY

> EMMA (STEHLE) & JOSEPH LAWINGER

> JUSTIN & REGAN CHILSON

> ABBY DUBORD

MARIA (BOLIBRUCH), ’19, and Bailey Meyer were married in May 2022 and welcomed their first daughter, Amelia, in March 2023.

LUCAS KREAMER, ’20, and his wife, Morgan, were married in Great Falls, MT, on May 26, 2023.

JUSTIN CHILSON, ’20, moved to Idaho with his wife, REGAN ALEXANDER, ’20, and began medical school at Idaho College of Osteopathic Medicine this past fall.

EMMA (STEHLE) LAWINGER, ’20, and her husband, Joseph, were married on June 17, 2023, in Parker, CO.

MARY (GIUNTINI) ZUCCARO, ’20, and Joseph welcomed their son, Louis Joseph, on February 5, 2023.

ISABELLA (HEIDTMAN), ’21, and RYAN O’DONNELL, ’18, welcomed their first-born son, Matthew Collin, into the world on January 31, 2023. Isabella graduated with a master’s in communication sciences & disorders from East Carolina University this past December and started working as a pediatric speechlanguage pathologist.

ANNIE CORBETT, ’21, became the assistant coach for Men’s & Women’s Swimming & Diving at the University of Minnesota Morris. This is the inaugural year of the Men’s Swim and Dive Team at Morris.

VALLIE (NELSON) RENNER, ’21, and her husband, Brayden, were married on July 8, 2023.

AMANADA (FORLITI), ’21, and CHARLES BIELEJESKI, ’19, were married on July 17, 2021 and welcomed had their daughter, Lucy, on June 30, 2022.

NICHOLAS CVETIC, ’23, and his wife, Patricia, welcomed their first child, Joseph Michael, just weeks after Nick graduated with his MBA from the University of Mary.

RYAN SCHERBER, ’23, and future alumna MARY (KRACHT), ’24, were married on July 16, 2023.

GRADY BLEWETT, ’20, and McKayla were married on September 22, 2023, at the Cathedral of the Holy Spirit Holy Spirit in Bismarck.

ALEXA (SWENBY), ’23, and CREIGHTON BARRETT, ’20, got married in June 2023. Alexa started a job at Essentia ER in Fargo and was nominated for a Daisy Award.

KEEP IN TOUCH!

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> JENNA (HERZIG) & LANE FLAGEN'S FAMILY

> ERICA (BELVERSTONE) & DAVID STARK'S FAMILY

> MARIA (BOLIBRUCH) & BAILEY MEYER'S FAMILY

> AMANDA (FORLITI) & CHARLES BIELEJESKI

> MARY WAAGEN'S PYSANKY

> NICOLETTE (BORLAUG) & SHINGAYI MASIYA

CHANGE SERVICE REQUESTED

New in 2024!

Join Monsignor James Shea, President of the University, on the trip of a lifetime — the first ever President's Club North American Martyrs Pilgrimage, October 10-16, 2024. This incredible week-long excursion traces the history of some of the most heroic missionaries in the Church to the New World, walking the footsteps of the courageous North American martyrs and saints, beginning in the storied cities of Quebec and Montreal. Finally, the trip ends in the Big Apple: New York City. You'll take in the incredible fall foliage of the American Northwest while strolling the cobblestoned streets of European-styled cities, with amazing meals prepared in the French style and more, all along the way.

For more information, visit umary.edu/PresidentsClub.