The Marketing and Communication Office will be profiling Saint Mary’s University leaders regularly in the Cardinal Update. Our goal is to showcase those overseeing and guiding key areas important to our strategic initiatives. This week, we feature Tricia Dobrient, senior director of student success.
Tricia Dobrient, senior director of student success
Name: Tricia Dobrient
Title: Senior director of student success
How long have you worked at Saint Mary’s? About 3 years
How would you describe your role at Saint Mary’s? My role here on campus is to support each student’s journey to success. Specifically, my role encompasses many aspects of the holistic academic experience, including student transition to the university, broad retention efforts, and assessing on-going needs of the current student population. I am lucky enough to work with the dedicated faculty and staff around campus, and to have face-to-face interactions with students daily.
What is your favorite part of your job? My favorite part of my job is the community here at Saint Mary’s. As a Milwaukee native, I have found a home here in Winona and within my colleagues in the Student Success Center.
What are your hopes for the future of Saint Mary’s? My hope for the future of Saint Mary’s is for us to continue to learn and grow from our mistakes and use our accomplishments to sell the university as the kind, caring community it truly is.
What is your proudest professional accomplishment? I am proud of being a young, female leader here on campus. In terms of physical accomplishments, last year I was awarded the Young Professional of the Year through the National Association of Campus Activities, which was pretty neat.
Looking at the “Declaration on the Lasallian Educational Mission,” which of the 12 declarations resonates with you the most? Why? Declaration #2, Lasallian Partners: New Agents in the Mission. I chose this declaration because it is an understanding of the shortcomings of our past and a clear statement on what we can be doing better. As a graduate of an all women’s college (Mount Mary University), and as a woman in leadership, I find great value in knowing there has been a precedent set within the Lasallian community to listen to and learn from voices that have traditionally been excluded. Within the history of modern colleges and universities, women, among many other identities, have been left out of the creation of higher education. Under section 2.2.1, it reads, “Therefore, it is necessary to promote intentionally, from a spirit of fraternal communion and apostolic zeal, the presence, voice, action and representation of women in all areas of the Institute, especially in the areas of leadership and decision-making.” I find it empowering that statements, such as the one above, have been included in formational documents and declarations used by Lasallian colleges and universities, including Saint Mary’s. Looking into future generations of college students, it is important that we include these often-forgotten voices and value constructive feedback in order to make changes and improvements for a better future.