Momentum hearts formed for service
THE MAGAZINE OF THE UNIVERSITY OF MARY WINTER 2024
James P. Shea
President of the University of Mary
Just as the great Saints were born to serve, were created with purpose, so, too, were you.
Every fall, students come to our campus from all fifty states and across the world, eager to receive all that we have promised. And every year, the same questions are pouring out of them: Who am I? What am I here to do? How should I live?
Who am I? What am I here to do? How should I live?
These questions echo through the entire human story, resonating in Judith’s exhortations and bold trust in the God who saves; in the dialogues of Plato and the plays of William Shakespeare; in the poignant and unwearied questions of a lisping child clinging to her father’s leg and in the love and worry of a man in the middle of his life who finds himself now caring for his parents. Who am I? What am I here to do? How should I live?
This summer, I had the opportunity to lead a pilgrimage in Europe with some students and faculty from our Nursing department — you will have a chance, later in this issue, to read more about what we experienced as we traveled together. Along the way, we followed by the footsteps of many men and women who had proposed answers to these questions: Saint Gianna Beretta Molla and Blessed Carlos Acutis, who modeled Christian courage in the modern world; Adolf Hitler and Theodor Eicke, whose belief in a created Utopia was strong enough to lead thousands of people to become murderers; Sister Benedicta Riepp, who left her home in Eichstätt, Germany, with two of her sisters to bring Benedictine monasticism to the United States, and eventually to North Dakota.
Our pilgrimage ended at Lourdes, and at Massabielle, the holy site that inspired the design of our own Grotto, little Marie Bernarde Soubirous asked these questions too, 150 years ago: Who am I? What am I here to do? How should I live?
Saint Bernadette, and Our Blessed Mother through her, offer such simple answers to these questions. These two young women, both poor and uneducated, know that they are servants and handmaidens of the Lord and that they are here to joyfully serve him, and they live from that purpose and with the dignity of one chosen by God.
And so now, as the snow begins to stick on the ground and we all must finally admit to the onset of the cold and grey of winter, I pray that you may cherish the comfort of knowing that you are an instrument of God’s blessing; that you may believe that just as the great Saints were born to serve, were created with purpose, so, too, were you.
Saint Bernadette told a dear friend, “I promise you that it is very rare that I spend a day without thinking of you all, and especially when I have the happiness of going to the Grotto. It is there that I like to remember my friends at the feet of this good Mother.” The Grotto on our campus is for me, too, a place of prayer and remembrance for you all. Please pray for me, and for your alma mater. May God bless you!
In Mary,
Monsignor James P. Shea President
Monsignor
Eucharist a Life for the Poor, A Life for the
An Alumna’s Pilgrimage
OnMay 19, 2024, Pentecost Sunday, Shayla Elm (’20) set out on a voyage of transformative faith in the real presence of Jesus Christ in the Eucharist.
“My team and I started in the Diocese of Brownsville, Texas, and passed through 15 dioceses,” she said of her pathway to the 10th National Eucharistic Congress, held in Indianapolis, Indiana, from July 17 to July 21, 2024. “We carried our Lord through eight states and spent entire days just being in His presence. It was so beautiful to walk with Jesus throughout the summer and see a whole region of the country through His eyes—to see that He’s meant for all, and He loves all people, not just one particular type of person.” Elm, whose devotion to the Blessed Sacrament “brings [her] heart alive for the future,” took part in a 60-day pilgrimage and 15-part sequence of Eucharistic
processions from the southern tip of Texas through the Deep South to the pinnacle site of the National Eucharistic Revival.
“In the summer of 2023,” she said, “I signed up for the National Eucharistic Revival’s email newsletter. In the fall, they emailed me, saying, ‘Eucharistic Pilgrims Wanted,’ and I said to myself, ‘That would be incredible. Walking with Jesus across the country would be amazing.’ I wasn’t sure what to expect, but I knew I wanted to do it,” Elm recalled. “Toward the end of October 2023, I applied to participate in this pilgrimage, and after going through an interview process, I was accepted in January. I was assigned to a route — the southern route — and a team of six laypeople, two seminarians, a Franciscan Friar of the Renewal, and a priest.” During their journey, Elm and her fellow pilgrims travelled by foot and van from diocese to diocese, praying the Divine Office and
celebrating Mass with local faithful and clergy, visiting historical and spiritual landmarks, and above all, witnessing to the unifying power of the Mystery of Faith. “We would pray Morning Prayer,” Elm said, “and have a Mass, and then spend the morning or afternoon processing with the Eucharist for miles. We would arrive at a parish and adore Jesus before sharing a meal with parishioners. There was a lot of people time, and it really spoke to the fact that the faithful are all united in the Eucharist.” The primary takeaway, for Elm, was her conviction of the universality of Christ’s love – that there isn’t a person in existence to whom He doesn’t extend His arms for an embrace. Certainly, the sight of over 65,000 worshippers of all backgrounds and vocations packed into Indianapolis’ Lucas Oil Stadium also brought Elm to a groundbreaking encounter with the Good Shepherd’s love for His
Shayla Elm, left, and a fellow Eucharistic pilgrim, right, lift their eyes in worship.
flock. “A Eucharistic heart, a Eucharistic love,” she said, “is one that totally sees the other and pours itself out completely for them as an individual. That’s exactly what happens when we receive the Lord — we become part of a bigger whole, the Body of Christ, but we’re so closely united with Jesus at the same time.”
In 2020, following her graduation from the University of Mary, Elm’s own vocation directed her almost 700 miles from her home state to serve Jesus’ forgotten and marginalized beloved as a staff member of Christ in the City, a missionary formation organization based in Denver, Colorado. A native of Minot, she considers her move a turning point in her ongoing pilgrimage to deeper intimacy with her Savior. “The mission of Christ in the City is to encounter, know, and love the poor,” she said. “This primarily means going out to the streets and meeting the homeless right where they are. We come to find that a lot of people need the emotional and spiritual support only a true friend can offer.” Elm also noted that she and her fellow missionaries help people they meet
with necessities like food, housing, and health care.
Beyond this, however, her collection of responsibilities include coordinating an outdoor lunch for downtown Denver’s unhoused population each week and supporting volunteers as they practice showing Christ’s Eucharistic love to their suffering neighbors.
“We host our Lunch in the Park every Wednesday and second Saturday of the month,” she said.
“We bring 150 hot meals downtown and invite our homeless friends to enjoy a bite and conversation with our missionaries and volunteers. What’s amazing is that we teach our volunteers a new way to approach the homeless — with a smile and a handshake. It’s so normal and human, but after their first Lunch in the Park, our volunteers will come up to us and say, ‘I never knew it could be this
way. I never knew I could just talk to them like that!’ It’s so rewarding for us to be able to show community members how Jesus would interact with His homeless brothers and sisters.”
For Elm, the Son of Man who had no place to lay His head has His home both in the monstrance and among those whom Christ in the City exists to serve. “Jesus has really shown me how close He is to the poor, how He’s present in a special way in the hearts of our brothers and sisters on the streets. This mission we have is just precious to me. The way we approach our homeless friends is one that’s humanizing and dignifying and full of love, the love Jesus shows us. Wherever my life goes, I know my future will be mission-driven — a life for the poor and a life for the Eucharist.”
Meeting everyone they encountered ‘right where they are’ was essential to Elm’s pilgrimage.
Elm points to the group’s practice of showing Christ’s Eucharistic love to those around them as one of the most crucial components of their experience.
It all comes back to relationships
Get to know Dr. James Peliska, professor of biochemistry, chemistry, and the newest dean of the School of Arts and Sciences.
How did you find your way to the University of Mary?
After my post-doc, I joined the biological chemistry faculty at the University of Michigan. I had a large research group with millions of dollars in funding. We were doing cutting-edge work and published a lot of papers.
During this season of my career, I started to come back to my faith. I was involved in the local Catholic community and made a lot of strong friendships. Towards the end of my time in Michigan, I’d gained a new perspective on my faith.
As I was reconnecting with the Church, I was also preparing to shift out of ‘Big Science’ into Catholic higher education. When I heard about a startup Catholic college in Ypsilanti called Ave Maria, I gave
them a call. Patrick Kelly, a physicist here at Mary, had joined their faculty as well, and we both ended up relocating to south Florida to design Ave Maria University’s science programs. We started with nothing — not even a test tube — and over our 15 years there, we built some great programs.
In 2016, my wife and I began to think about moving back to the Midwest, and the University of Mary came on my radar. I fell in love with the university’s mission and the Benedictine Sisters’ charism. I would be browsing the university’s website and think, “This can’t be real. There’s no way they’re this serious about integrating their mission into everything.” I wanted to experience it for myself, so I got in touch with David Fleischacker, the Dean of Arts and Sciences at the time. After we had gotten to know each other, he invited
me to come to Mary to design a pre-med program. I flew to Bismarck for a visit, and as soon as I set foot on campus, I could see that it was real. I saw that the university really knew who they were, they valued their Benedictine heritage and could deliver on their promises. I came here as a professor of biochemistry and chemistry in summer 2017, and over the next several years, I built the pre-med program as well as the biochemistry program.
So far, has anything about your new role surprised you? What are some of your goals for this initial stage of your tenure as dean? What always astounds me is the number of moving parts in the School of Arts and Sciences. We’re such a dynamic school in terms of both academics and student life. In addition to specialized courses in
their respective disciplines, our faculty members are responsible for teaching the core classes — in the sciences, math, and humanities — that every undergraduate on campus needs to take. In a way, we’re the engine that drives the entire university.
My main goal as I get accustomed to this new position is to keep forming strong relationships. Everything is about relationships. If we don’t have those strong relationships, how can we possibly know anything about people’s personal victories and struggles or their gifts and limitations or their hopes and fears? I want to work directly with faculty members to not only help them achieve their goals and flourish in their careers but also transform the School of Arts and Sciences into an even more dynamic and exciting place for our students and the whole university community.
My other priorities are the continuing integration of the various disciplines represented in the school. I inherited a great situation: everyone at the School of Arts and Sciences already understands that each
of the disciplines — from history to biology to English to theology — has something important to contribute to humanity’s pursuit of truth and fits into the overarching story of God’s redemption of the world in Christ. My job is to build on that foundation by bringing faculty members together in new ways and facilitating their collaboration. We have a common purpose — to form the next generation of leaders by equipping them to seek truth — and I want to ensure that purpose continues to serve as a starting point for mutual respect, genuine friendship, and the fruitful exchange of knowledge. It all comes back to relationships.
What changes await the School of Arts and Sciences as the university continues to implement Vision 2030? As we keep welcoming larger and larger incoming freshman classes, we want to make sure we can not only accommodate more students but deliver them a truly life-changing university experience, whether or not they’re majoring in the arts and sciences. We also want to continue building our majors into robust, world-
class programs of study even as we support our colleagues across the university by improving the core curriculum, helping students relate what they’re learning in their core classes to what they’re learning in their major classes, and diversifying our extracurricular offerings to provide students of all majors with opportunities to encounter truth, beauty, and goodness.
Finally, just as we want to take bolder steps toward integrating the disciplines represented in our school, we want to put more and more effort into bringing what we have to offer into the other schools and finding creative ways to bridge gaps and form the university into an even more cohesive whole.
That’s a big challenge, even at a missiondriven place like the University of Mary. But given what a school of arts and sciences is for, I think it should be the goal of any such school to work toward greater interdisciplinary understanding and deeper unity. That’s our main responsibility to the university and especially to our students.
In Memoriam
On February 22, 2024, Dr. Jim Maskey, longtime faculty member of the School of Arts and Sciences, chair of our biology program, and our dear friend, passed into eternal life after a brief struggle with an aggressive brain tumor. Honor his legacy by contributing to the Dr. James J. Maskey Memorial Scholarship Fund at give.umary.edu.
After completing his undergraduate degree in biology and chemistry at Northland College, Peliska finished a PhD at the University of Wisconsin, Madison, before launching a post-doctoral fellowship at Penn State where he studied the replication mechanisms of HIV.
AND WHAT ABOUT THE
A Mary College Graduate’s Commitment to Service in Health Care
Eileen Weigum, primary benefactor of the newly named Larry and Eileen Weigum Division of Nursing within the Saint Gianna School of Health Sciences, earned her bachelor’s degree in nursing from Mary College. Her diligence, fortitude, candor, and humility testify to her courageous and mighty spirit. These impressive traits call to mind the dauntless Sisters who
founded the university just two years before Eileen’s first semester on campus and built the foundation for Eileen’s impactful career in health care. Nursing has inspired Eileen from the beginning of her life, and it’s clear that its importance has guided her ever since.
patient?
A child of North Dakota, Eileen was born in Bismarck, the eldest of eight children, but her family moved to Dickinson shortly thereafter, where Eileen spent her childhood before heading to college. She had initially planned to head west to Helena, Montana, and enroll in Carroll College’s nursing program, but she wasn’t accepted there, and
“Somehow,” she says, “someone at Mary College found out about that.” Before Eileen knew it, one of the Sisters was there, visiting with her and her mother and explaining the Benedictine vision for Mary College and its nursing program. Both Eileen and her mother were convinced, and a few months later, Eileen embarked on her journey at Mary.
Eileen’s time at Mary formed her in a lasting and meaningful way. “I was just as happy as ever to be a student,” she says, remembering being partially relieved to be away from home, where she was the constant example-setter and babysitter for her siblings. The quality
of education that Eileen received, which offered theology and philosophy classes in addition to her nursing classes, and in which, Eileen says, “the Sisters stressed that each person was an individual, and we had to respect them for who they were regardless of what we thought they were,” left her with no doubt that she felt prepared for a career in nursing. More than anything, however, Eileen is grateful for the lifelong friends and the inspirational spark from her experience at Mary. “I really didn’t know who I was until I came to Mary College,” she says. “My time at the college introduced me to things that gave me a yearning for more — for more of life than I had ever known.”
Eileen’s time at Mary also brought her Larry, her eventual spouse, who graduated from Mary in the class of 1966 and was the college’s first male graduate — a fact he’d like to tease Sister Thomas Welder about when the two would cross paths — “Where’s my plaque?” he’d say. Eileen and Larry had first met as teenagers, when Larry worked in the Dickinson hospital across the street from Eileen’s parents’ grocery store, but the two didn’t start dating until they were over halfway through their time at Mary College. The two were soon married and welcomed their first of two children to the world while Larry was seeking his master’s degree in nursing. Larry later joined the United States Army during the Vietnam War, which led, over time, to the Weigum family making homes in Japan, California, Germany, Georgia, and more permanently: San Antonio, Texas. While the two worked hard in these years to raise their family, Eileen worked part-time as a hospital nurse.
In 1986, however, Eileen’s career path changed; she met a specialist in internal medicine named Dr. George Rapier who was running a joint venture between his clinics and a health insurance plan. Weigum began working with Rapier, and in their time
working together, Eileen grew to deeply respect him. “Dr. Rapier’s mission was to change the face of health care for seniors,” Eileen says, “and he always put the patient first.” What was more inspiring about Rapier, according to Weigum, was how he treated his employees: “He really respected the people who were helping him live out his mission, whether they occupied the lowest level in the clinic or the highest.” After more than 20 years of working successfully together, Rapier contacted Weigum with a job offer for an open position as a senior vice president. Eileen’s agreeable and hardworking nature and her willingness to always say ‘Okay’ led her to the impressive task of overseeing six separate departments in Rapier’s company.
am,” she says, and it gave her the skills and the versatility required to work in many different roles throughout her career. Weigum believes it’s essential for nursing students to “follow their dream all the way to the finish line and keep in mind that, after they graduate, they’re going to be changing lives for the rest of their lives” because of the education they receive at the University of Mary.
Eileen Weigum points to her time at the University of Mary as the moment when she learned to emphasize the importance of the patient in the world of health care.
In 2016, Dr. Rapier sold his company to United Healthcare, where it became a branch of the insurance corporation called Optum. Weigum continued to work there until she retired in March 2024, but when Dr. Rapier sold his company, he shared his wealth with his executive team, which included Eileen. And that generosity, says Weigum, “is what allowed me to make this donation to the University of Mary.”
Eileen hopes that her generous donation to establish the Larry and Eileen Weigum Division of Nursing within the Saint Gianna School of Health Sciences allows the University of Mary to continue to do for current and future nursing students what Mary College did for her. “My education made me who I
Most crucial to Eileen, however, is the importance of the patient. In her career, Weigum often found herself in meetings with insurance experts who would devise grandiose plans without any regard for the patients involved. Eileen embraced her duty to speak up for the patient in those meetings, and she’s committed to continuing to do so for as long as she can. She urges future nurses to “always put the patient first,” because, when done correctly, this makes a nurse’s job among the most important in the world.
Eileen Weigum knows the University of Mary embraces the centrality of the patient. “I believe in nursing,” she says. “I always have, and it all started at Mary College.”
Healed People Heal People
A life-changing journey through Europe with the 2024 Nursing Academy cohort
ThisAugust, the University of Mary Nursing Academy’s first cohort embarked on a life-changing service-learning trip and pilgrimage through Italy, Germany, and France, accompanied by faculty members of the Saint Gianna School of Health Sciences; Monsignor James Shea and his brother, Father Robert Shea; and leaders from Sanford Health and CHI St. Alexius Health. This awe-inspiring experience left all who participated in it determined to, as one student said, “carry the lessons I learned on this trip with me for the rest of my life.”
The group learned early that it would be a trip that changed their hearts. When they stopped at the Catacombs, they saw where early Christians worshipped in secret to avoid persecution and reflected on how fortunate they are now to worship freely and openly. They also visited the Roman Colosseum, where many of those first courageous believers were killed for their faith. When the sights of ancient violence gave way to the beauty of the four major Basilicas and the Sistine Chapel, Dr. Billie Madler, Associate Dean of Nursing, says the group observed a common thread that would run through the entire pilgrimage: “the value of human life and our high calling as health care professionals and people of faith.” Madler says she came to realize in Rome that “the Saints were just everyday people who chose to do God’s will.”
“At the Vatican Museum, there was a room with a painted ceiling divided into two sides. One side had a painting of philosophers, representing reason, and the other was a depiction of the Holy Trinity, representing faith. These paintings were beside each other to show that faith and reason belong together – if you separate them, you’re left with a narrowed perspective. To best care for people, we must be able to see each person as a whole rather than just their illness.” — Courtney R., Nursing Student
The trip continued to inspire the travelers when they immersed themselves in the beautiful environment of the ancient city of Assisi, home of Saint Francis and Saint Clare, where they celebrated one of Italy’s national feast days and climbed the scenic Mount Subasio and contemplated the beauty of God’s creation as they looked out upon the Umbrian countryside. The group enjoyed absorbing the history of Assisi but soon traveled to Mesero, the hometown of Saint Gianna Beretta Molla, patroness of the University of Mary’s School of Health Sciences. This proved to be a highlight for many students. While there, the group spoke with Dr. Gianna Emanuela Molla, daughter of Saint Gianna, and visited the clinic where Saint Gianna worked before meeting at her tomb to pray at her gravesite. The entire day in
Mesero was very moving for many students on the trip. “It was incredible to experience how passionate and filled with joy Dr. Gianna was about life,” one student said, “and meeting her taught me the importance of displaying a loving presence to others.” Another student remarked, “I want to model Saint Gianna’s love for her community in my future nursing career. Our time with Dr. Gianna made me realize that, as a future Catholic nurse, I have a duty to be a servant leader in my own community.”
The pilgrimage also included an opportunity to honor our Benedictine heritage. The group traveled to the Bavarian region of Germany to visit Eichstätt and the legendary Abbey of Saint Walburga. This Benedictine monastery houses the very Sisters from which Mary’s Sisters of Annunciation Monastery trace their roots. The group had Mass there, and a particular quote from Father Shea’s homily stood out to one student: “Without this place, we wouldn’t be here. See what happens when we say ‘Yes’ to God.”
At times, however, the pilgrimage turned its focus briefly on people who said ‘No’ to God. The group traveled to Munich to learn about the rise of Nazism and to Dachau to experience the horrors that occurred at the first of Nazi Germany’s concentration camps. The group also made a stop at Nuremberg, the site of the infamous trials at the end of World War II. Throughout this portion of the trip in Germany, the travelers learned what happens when medical science becomes divorced from genuine care for patients and the dignity of the human person.
“We were driving out of the concentration camp, and I looked out the window and saw a big neighborhood right across the street. You expect to see these big walls – you imagine no one could see what was actually going on across the street from their home. But the walls were short. Anyone could’ve seen into the camp while other human beings were being murdered and worked to death and cremated there. So I started to think of how much we see in the wider world and in our everyday lives. How often do we speak out?” — Sarah Berreth, MSN, RN, Nursing Academy Coordinator
What struck many about their experience in Germany was how seemingly regular people could have committed such atrocities. Dr. Madler said, “We were all encouraged to ask ourselves how ordinary people — people like us — who took part in the Holocaust might have rationalized their actions.” This question affected the students deeply. One said, “Hearing actual testimonies from the people who committed the crimes was surreal; they truly believed they were just following orders and nothing else” when the reality couldn’t have been further from the truth.
When the group’s hearts were full of sadness and disappointment about humanity’s potential for evil, the travelers needed some healing, and they found it in Lourdes, the famous and holy city full of miraculous healings. The group met with the director of the Medical Bureau of Lourdes, and everyone helped serve and care for those with illnesses and disabilities. They participated in a Eucharistic Procession that gave one student the trip’s most impactful moment: “I looked around towards the faces of the sick, who looked up at us in our scrubs, and it struck me how significant my role will be as a nurse. People look at nurses for comfort and hope during their most vulnerable moments.”
“Despite how much darkness loomed over Dachau, the hope and light that came from the city of Lourdes completely overpowered it. It was there that I learned the significance of standing up for life and human dignity. There I saw the exact opposite of what happened in Dachau: the poor and sick were taken care of before everyone else. In the Eucharistic Procession of the Sick, they came first.”— Liz H., Nursing Student
With their hope restored, the group celebrated its final night together in Lourdes and considered how they had all become different people than they’d been when they started the trip. “The places we visited and the talks we heard touched me mentally and spiritually, and they brought out emotions that are impossible to describe,” one student explained. Another shared the sentiment, saying “This pilgrimage has been a profound gift in my life, in my formation as a nurse, and toward my relationship with God.” It’s astounding to see the impact that such a trip can have on the people involved, and it’s clear that August’s pilgrimage made an impression that Mary students and faculty will never forget.
Many of the student pilgrims highlighted their time with Dr. Gianna Emanuela Molla, fourth from left, as the most powerful experience of the trip.
MADE FOR ENCOUNTER MADE FOR ENCOUNTER
Whenthe University of Mary’s Vision 2030 Plan – Education for Life – launched in 2015, it came with grand and exciting plans for the future of the university, particularly regarding new academic programs and new campus facilities. These initiatives have continued progressing steadily and have garnered plenty of attention from the media as we approach the culminating year of the strategic plan. What is just as crucial, however, and what has consistently been in the works since Vision 2030’s inception, is a commitment to ensuring that not only our new programs and facilities exemplify the campus community’s radiance and life, but that students grow to exemplify these traits as well. Enter Made for Encounter, the complementary and parallel strategic plan for student development. It aims to define, measure, and seek the interaction that so many students have experienced since Mary College’s inception. As Monsignor Shea says, students often say that “at some moment along the way, they encountered someone
who had something they suddenly realized they wanted – a brightness, a joy, a peace, a hope that seemed like the key to unlocking a full and flourishing life.” Made for Encounter is the university’s way of forming students to be ready for this experience – intentionally, clearly, and objectively –and ensuring that, at the same time, they become like the bright and joyful people they encountered.
Reed Ruggles, vice president of Student Development and twotime alumnus of Mary, began in his current position in 2022 after several years as the principal of Saint Mary’s Central High School.
“Encounters require conscious attention to the ways in which we become who we are in communities to which we give ourselves.”
When he returned to campus, most of Made for Encounter was already written. He credits his predecessor, Dr. Timothy Seaworth, and a comprehensive and far-reaching list of committee and subcommittee participants who developed, created, and clarified Made for Encounter. What Ruggles has done since arriving, however, is publish the document internally, using it as a constant beacon for his
department’s purpose and direction, in every instance of job applicant screening, and as a guide for every piece of employee training and onboarding. In other words, he’s integrated it into the formation of his department, which is precisely the aim detailed in Made for Encounter: formation for every student who arrives at the University of Mary.
In the plan’s language, this means that, after students receive effective human, social, and intellectual formation, they’ll learn how to integrate this formation and “develop the ability to desire and enter into relationships with others based on care, respect, and gratitude for the other person.” But the plan doesn’t stop there. “An encounter,” Ruggles explains, “is more than a relationship. Encounters require conscious attention to the ways in which we become who we are in communities to which we give ourselves.” In this way, Ruggles says, “Made for Encounter is our way of building upon those beautiful themes [of Vision 2030] which were already created.” Most notable, Ruggles adds, is the notion that Mary students are not only made for encounters with their classmates and professors. “In our mission,” he says, “we want to have an encounter with God. We want to live that out for our students every day.”
Vision 2030 contained a call for Mary to re-shape its campus and a call to reconsider how it shapes the lives of its students.
Defining the central vision and terms of Made for Encounter is important, certainly, but determining how to measure and assess whether or not students are achieving the formation the plan details is just as crucial to Made for Encounter’s success. Ruggles says the Office of Student Development will do this practically and concretely. “Through all of our programming, through everything that we care about, we want our students to be able to receive that which God’s giving to them. And then pay it forward.” With the elements of Made for Encounter successfully ingrained into every activity that seeks to engage students, Ruggles, along with Dr. Julie Yarwood, went to work developing objectives and rubrics that would allow the team to determine whether or not the university was improving in its efforts semester after semester. In particular, their
work has centered around four categories of strategies: spirituality and ethics; global stewardship; interpersonal competence; and cognitive and practical skills. With these in mind, Ruggles says, these categories will be broken down item by item, adjective by adjective, and assessed. “Then we take these objective criteria and make sure our programming goes back to it.” This means that, whether a Residence Hall director needs conversation starters for the students from a variety of backgrounds or the Student Government Association is determining how to engage students, their efforts must return to the measurable components detailed in Made for Encounter
At the end of the day, when all definitions are clear and all rubrics carefully specified, Made for Encounter’s primary purpose is
student formation and university formation. It asks more of everyone at the University of Mary. It asks everyone to take a microscope to their behavior, their attitudes, and their interactions. It asks everyone to develop more intentionality about their daily life. “One of the most important things we can do,” Ruggles states, “is model and live our lives while striving to be as close to Christ as we can.” Then, no matter where a student is headed in their lives, Ruggles says, “the knowledge that our students receive from their education here is from a source much bigger than themselves; it comes from a source who is God, who’s the foundation of all truth and knowledge.” It’s clear, then, that Made for Encounter will achieve the goals it sets for the university: to form students and staff in such a way that allows everyone authentic encounters with their friends, with their professors, and with God.
The University of Mary’s Day of Service is one way the Office of Student Development forms students to prepare them for Encounter.
REDEFINING Leadership
Leadership North Dakota’s integrative approach to professional development
In 1959, our founders and sponsors, the Benedictine Sisters of Annunciation Monastery, established a college on the windswept prairie bluff to form leaders in the service of truth. Initially a one-building enterprise offering bachelor’s degrees in education and nursing, Mary College attained university status in 1986 under Sister Thomas Welder’s leadership and evolved into an institution shaped by the bold efforts of greatsouled men and women to better serve the religious, academic, and cultural needs of the people in our region and beyond.
Leadership North Dakota, the Northern Prairie’s premier leadership formation institute, represents one of Mary’s most revolutionary innovations toward the outworking of this mission. Administered by the university’s Workforce Development Office and the Gary Tharaldson School of Business, this immersive six-month program aims to equip participants for excellence by connecting them with outstanding servant leaders from across the state and inculcating in them timeless principles of virtuous leadership.
“Leadership North Dakota fits seamlessly with who we are as an institution,” said Rachael Brash, vice president for Public Affairs. “From a mission perspective, it’s perfectly consistent with who we are. Sister Thomas Welder was always extolling servant leadership, always emphasizing the impact it could make on individuals and communities and societies, and our founding Sisters exemplified servant leadership in their dedication to assisting the people of our region however they could.”
The program found its home at Mary in 2020. “Leadership ND isn’t something we just came up with on our own. It’s actually the result of bipartisan efforts to get a leadership program lifted in our state,” Brash said. “It sat dormant for some years, and a group of state legislators approached us and asked if we would be the caretakers of this program they had started to develop. We have a reputation of being able to both prioritize quality and execute our ideas, and so these legislators entrusted this fledgling program to us.”
Its own reputation has soared statewide since then. Each year, Leadership North Dakota, a 501(c)3, draws both established and emerging leaders based in communities
from the Red River to the Badlands, promising a transformative experience sure to impact every area of each participant’s life.
“When we talk about leadership, when we talk about a leader, of course we’re often referring to business leadership and the effective, ethical business leader,” said Brash. “But what we mean by ‘leadership’ has a broader definition. Alongside putting participants in touch with business leaders from across the state and exposing them to different industries and different kinds of organizations, we’re really about helping them apply sound leadership principles in their home, social, and community lives as well as their profession.”
Leadership North Dakota engages servant leaders from across the state and encourages participants to make connections and apply effective leadership principles in their lives and careers.
Consisting of a two-day session per month from January to June, Leadership North Dakota presents the process of undergoing leadership formation as a blend of equal parts networking, study, and awareness of need. They then spend their time together networking with local business luminaries, touring industrial facilities, internalizing a holistic understanding of the vocation of leadership, and reflecting on the challenges facing North Dakota’s leaders in the wake of the energy boom and other seismic shifts in the state’s economic and social conditions.
“Last year, we tried something we’d never done before. We focused on bringing our participants into rural communities,” Brash said. “Each year, our January and June sessions are in Bismarck, but for the other four sessions, we rotate locations. Now rural areas obviously make up a huge part
of our state. We wanted our participants to gain some insight into the way these communities operate and what they have to offer for those more familiar with urban environments. And so, for example, we brought them to Carrington, a community with a population of 2,000, and we learned about what economic development means to them: ingenuity, scrappiness, grit. And getting a sense of the applicability of their approach to larger communities was really eye-opening for our participants. There was one who’d never stayed overnight in a town smaller than Bismarck before, and he just fell in love with the place.
“And honestly, that right there really encapsulates one of the main things we want to accomplish through Leadership ND,” Brash added. “We want to ignite in our participants a love for North Dakota and get them excited about pouring themselves into their communities and the state as a whole. That’s what’s important to us.”
Rachel Marohl, MD, ’11
BELL BANNER AWARD
Established in homage to our founders and sponsors, the Benedictine Sisters of Annunciation Monastery, the Bell Banner Award honors University of Mary alumni who model the six Benedictine values that inform its mission and undergird its identity: prayer, moderation, respect for persons, hospitality, service, and community.
Board-Certified OB/GYN at Essentia Health Mid-Dakota Women’s Center in Bismarck, medical director at the Women’s Care Center in Bismarck, clinical assistant professor at the University of North Dakota School of Medicine and Health Sciences in Grand Forks, adjunct faculty member at the University of Mary Born and raised in the heart of northwestern North Dakota, Dr. Rachel Marohl ventured south from her hometown of Williston in 2007 to start her freshman year at the University of Mary. Her studies in exercise science, enriched by the mentorship of Drs. Jill Nustad and Marla Boehm, equipped her for an outstanding career in the service of human health and wellness.
Following her graduation from Mary in 2011, Dr. Marohl took a brief sabbatical in Williston before entering the University of North Dakota School of Medicine and Health Sciences. She completed her residency in obstetrics and gynecology at the University of Kansas School of Medicine-Wichita in
2020 and joined the staff of Essentia Health Mid-Dakota Women’s Center in Bismarck, where she practices today, two years later. Dr. Marohl’s professional interests span the gamut of salient topics in women’s health care: low- and high-risk obstetrics, fertility education, access to gynecological care across the lifespan, and more. Her dedication to supporting the community’s women and families impelled her to assume the role of medical director at Bismarck’s Women’s Care Center in January and won her the 2024 Essentia Health West Market Physician of the Year Award in July.
A gifted physician-educator, Dr. Marohl serves as both a clinical assistant professor at the UND School of Medicine and an adjunct instructor of nursing at Mary. Her running hobby has taken her to 23 states — she aspires to have raced in all 50 — and a total of 18 half and three full marathons. She treasures time with her husband, their three children, and a tall mug of good coffee.
Lt. Col. Troy Merkel, ‘04 Acquisition Corps Officer in the United States Army, winner of the Bronze Star Medal, the Defense Meritorious Service Medal, and the Combat Action Badge
Today an exemplar of both Western and Midwestern values in action, Lieutenant Colonel Troy Merkel was born in Sundance, Wyoming, and came of age on a 3,400-acre ranch near Lemmon, South Dakota. His interest in K-12 education and talent for football brought him to the University of Mary in 1999. Armed with his bachelor’s degree, he relocated to Arizona in 2004 to take his first teaching position.
His true calling, however, soon reached the ear of his heart. Inspired by Arizona Cardinals safety and Purple Heart recipient Patrick “Pat” Tillman, who had declined a lucrative three-year contract in favor of aiding the American war effort in Iraq and Afghanistan, Merkel joined the United States Army in 2006.
In the nearly 19 years since enlisting, Merkel has completed several military education programs, including Officer Candidate School and Command and General Staff College; risen to the rank
PRESIDENTIAL LEADERSHIP AWARD
The Presidential Leadership Award recognizes University of Mary alumni for exceptional achievements in the realm of regional, national, and/or international servant leadership.
of Lieutenant Colonel; and garnered coveted honors, among them the Defense Meritorious Service Medal, for his accomplishments toward the preservation of national security. A veteran of two deployments, he received the Bronze Star Medal and the Combat Action Badge for his heroic service in Iraq and Afghanistan. In his current role as Product Manager, Electronic Warfare Integration, Merkel leads a team of software engineers from prestigious institutions such as MIT and Virginia Tech, overseeing the optimization of the Electronic Warfare Planning Management Tool (EWPMT) system. He and his wife, Christine, live in Maryland with their two children.
Lt. Col. Nicolette K. Blumler, ’10, ’18
HAROLD SCHAFER ALUMNI LEADERSHIP AWARD
The Harold Schafer Alumni Leadership Award honors University of Mary graduates who have distinguished themselves as servant leaders in their chosen professional domains by embodying timeless Christian, Catholic, and Benedictine principles of life.
Decorated Lieutenant Colonel in the North Dakota Army National Guard (Retired), chairwoman of the Sanborn Veterans Park Committee, member of the Advisory Board of the University of Mary’s Gary Tharaldson School of Business, instructor of Virtuous Leadership at the University of Mary Born in Jamestown, North Dakota, Lieutenant Colonel Nicolette K. Blumler spent her early years on the family farm near Sanborn, just northwest of Valley City. Her 24-year military career, as well as her lifelong pursuit of excellence in servant leadership, commenced in 2000 when she enlisted in the North Dakota Army National Guard and joined the 141st Engineer Combat Battalion in Valley City as a human resource specialist.
After completing Officer Candidate School in 2007, Blumler received her commission as a Quartermaster Officer and proceeded to excel in a succession of roles, her service to the Army National Guard and the state of North Dakota culminating in her appointment as Battalion Commander for Recruiting and Retention. Between her commissioning and her retirement in August of this year, she saw two overseas deployments
(Iraq, 2004-2005; Afghanistan, 2014-2015), attained the rank of Lieutenant Colonel, and shone as a model of grit and fortitude for countless guardsmen and -women. Blumler’s decorations include the Legion of Merit, the Valorous Unit Award, and multiple Meritorious Service Medals. In 2017, the Army National Guard named her Officer of the Year.
A two-time Mary graduate, Blumler holds a bachelor’s degree in business management (2010) and a Master of Project Management (2018). Besides promoting statewide sustainability and growth in her capacity as a community development administrator for the North Dakota Department of Commerce, she serves as chairwoman of the Sanborn Veterans Park Committee, a member of the Advisory Board of the Gary Tharaldson School of Business, and an instructor of virtuous leadership in Mary’s graduate business program. Her prairie roots, having nourished her throughout her travels across the country and around the globe, finally pulled her about two hours west of home to Bismarck, where she resides today with Richard and their five children.
DOROTHY FARRELL, ’77 and her husband Daniel celebrated their 50th Wedding Anniversary this past July. They were married after Dorothy’s sophomore year at Mary College.
JENNA (HELVIK) ETZOLD, ’08, and BJ welcomed their fourth child, Manning, in May 2024.
CONNIE NIKIFOROFF, ’79, with her husband, Eric, celebrated 35 years in their piano tuning, repair, and rebuilding business located in Bismarck, ND. Connie manages all the office duties while Eric does the hands-on work in central and western ND.
ELICIA (BOEHM) FAUL, ’99, recently became a member of Acupuncturists Without Borders, an organization that supports trauma work and community acupuncture events.
ANDREA TOMAN, ’06, was named Woman of the Year by the Young Republican National Federation, recognizing her leadership in advancing the Republican Party and mentoring young conservatives.
JUSTIN STANLEY, ’06, was appointed Brookings High School Principal in July 2024 in Brookings, SD, after being an assistant principal at the same school.
PAULA REDMANN, ’11, was elected to a four-year term on the Board of Park Commissioners in Bismarck, ND.
ERIN WOOD, ’12, was promoted from director of College Relations to vice president at Lake Region State College.
JORDAN BAUER, ’17, and his wife, Leigh, started Bloom Hormone Health, a new medical clinic centered around hormone health in Fort Wayne, IN. In the first five months, they already have over 500 patients; they help both men and women feel their best.
ALEXIA (RUSSELL), ’17, and STEVEN HRYNIEWICZ, ‘17, ’19, were married in June 2019. They had their daughter Julia in September, moved to South Carolina in August 2022, and welcomed their son, Silas, in September 2023.
THERESA (SAUER) POSS, ’17, and her husband, Carl, were married in August 2023 in Rapid City, SD. They moved to Philip, SD, later that year and had their first daughter, Catherine Mary, in May of 2024.
FATHER CORY CATRON, ’19, was reassigned to be Pastor of Our Lady of Mercy parish and school in Winston-Salem, NC.
SAMUEL WILKE, ’20, and Stephanie were married in April 2024. The wedding featured sister of the bride, Samantha Forster, ’15, and the father of the groom Matt Wilke, ’89, who are also alumni.
ANNA (NORDQUIST), ’21, married her husband, Eli LaCoursiere, in July 2023.
MARY (TALBOT), ’21, and JOSEPH MCNEELY, ’21, were married in June 2022 and welcomed their first child, Finbar, in June 2024.
ASHLEY (REVERING) SCHMIDT, ’21, and Ransom were married in October 2024 in Minneapolis, MN at Incarnation Catholic Church.
BETH (KENSOK), ’21, ’23 and JORDAN WILLIAMS, ’23 were married in April 2024 at Saints Anne and Joachim Catholic Church in Fargo, ND.
MA’SHAWN PARKER, ’22, left her bedside nursing position and now works from home as an informatics nurse, allowing her to spend more time with family.
> ANDREA TOMAN
> JENNA (HELVIK) ETZOLD’S FAMILY
> ELIZABETH (MCBEAIN) & TIMOTHY HILLERUD
> SYDNEE (STEELE) & COLE MOON
> BRYN (ANDERSON) & JOHN BRICKWEG
> BETH (KENSOK) & JORDAN WILLIAMS
> PAULA REDMANN
SHELBY (KAUK) PROCHNOW, ’22, and Hunter gave birth to their daughter, Hadley, in August 2023. Shelby was recently promoted to senior associate in September 2024 at Brady Martz & Associates.
BRYN (ANDERSON), ’22 and JOHN BRICKWEG, ’21, had a baby, Judith Cora Rose, last year. She is named after her godmother, Sister Lily Rose, formerly Abby Hill, a 2020 Mary alumna.
ELIZABETH (MCBEAIN), ’22, and TIMOTHY HILLERUD, ’22, were married in the summer of 2023, and in May of 2024 they had a baby girl, Margaret Rachel.
SYDNEE (STEELE) MOON, ’22, and Cole were married this past August at the ProCathedral of St. Mary in Bismarck, ND.
MARA (DALTON), ’23, and JUSTIN BOONE, ’22, were married on October 19, 2024, in Denver, CO.
MARKELLE GATELEY, ’23, published her second children’s book titled “Jesus Knows You Are Beautiful” this past May.
WILLIAM MCCOY, ’23, retired from the North Dakota Army National Guard in June of 2024 after serving for 22 years. He served in both the Guard and the USMC completing five deployments: twice to South East Asia, Iraq, Kosovo, and Washington D.C.. He accumulated over 2,500 hours crewing several military helicopters, primarily the UH60 Blackhawk and helped fight the fire that threatened the University of Mary in 2015.
SARAH (PANKRATZ), ’24, and KYLE MCKEOWN, ’24, were married in August 2024 and immediately moved to Virginia. Kyle is starting graduate school to get a Doctorate in Clinical Psychology at Divine Mercy University and Sarah is working at an arts school. At their wedding they took a photo with all current University of Mary students and alumni attending the reception.
SARAH (SYMALLA) KRACHT, ’24, and Jasen Kracht were married at the Church of St. Michael in Stillwater, MN, in July 2024.
ANNA (SCHMID), ’24, and NATHANIEL MARSH, ’24, were married in July 2024 at the Pro-Cathedral of St. Mary in Bismarck.
$15 from each plate fee supports Mary students!
> SHELBY (KAUK) PRONCHNOW’S FAMILY
> SARAH (SYMALLA) & JASEN KRACHT
> ALEXIA (RUSSELL) & STEVEN HRYNIEWICS’S FAMILY
> JUSTIN STANLEY
> SARAH (PANKRATZ) & KYLE MCKEOWN
> SAMUEL WILKE’S FAMILY
August uses what he learned as a University of Mary undergraduate and MBA candidate eight hours a day, five days a week. Now he's pursuing his DBA to further expand his professional expertise and leadership capabilities.
Alumni receive up to a $10,000 scholarship! Apply now at umary.edu/MBA.
