Saint Mary's Newsroom
Campus ConnectionAn update from the president to alumni and parents
Guiding minds in faith-based education
Winona educator believes Saint Mary’s certificate enhances leadership skills in and out of the classroom
Looking back, Caysie Lavigne C’23 can safely say her interest in guiding and caring for others began early in life.
“Growing up, I had two younger brothers. I just knew that I enjoyed helping to care for them and teaching them things,” she said.
As she got older, she began to babysit and act as a nanny, spending more and more time with kids. In high school, she participated in a mentorship program in an elementary school for field experience and felt called to teach because of the way she could relate to and get along with kids.
“That’s where I was like: oh, this is really something for me.”
She pursued her passion for teaching at Winona State University, graduating in 2020. Now in her third year as an educator, she teaches first graders through Cotter Schools, first at St. Stanislaus and now at St. Luke’s Hall.
The thing she loves most about teaching is being able to connect with her students.
“No matter what is going on in my life, positive or negative, I know my day will be better just by being at school with the kids. When I see them making growth, there’s no better feeling than when they ‘get’ something.”
While Caysie didn’t initially seek out a Catholic school when exploring career opportunities, the atmosphere and welcome she received when coming to St. Stanislaus felt right.
“I had a couple of interviews before I interviewed at St. Stanislaus. Both my interviews before this were for public schools. I was offered a job at both and turned them down after interviewing at St. Stanislaus. For me, it was really important that I felt welcomed and comfortable, especially in my first year of teaching, and that was what I immediately felt when I came here.”
She enjoys working for a Catholic school where she can tie in faith as an educator, and the certificate she received from Saint Mary’s University of Minnesota’s Catholic School Leadership program has helped her understand how her school runs beyond her role.
“What I’ve gained most from the program is a deeper understanding of what it takes to lead and run a school,” she said, “and how important faith is when we are a Catholic school. How we can carry that through and have it represented in everything we do.”
“Being able to talk about Jesus every day with the kids is a really special thing,” she added. “I didn’t grow up very religious, but as I’ve been working here, I’ve started to connect with my own faith journey again, and it’s been awesome.”
She believes the new certificate will help her be a better leader amongst her grade-level team, and she will continue to use what she’s learned as she takes on more leadership roles, whether on a committee or helping with a project.
“I feel more equipped to do that now,” Caysie said. “I’m always hoping to grow as a teacher. There’s so much to learn.”
Learn more about this Saint Mary’s program: Catholic School Leadership Certificate
Saint Mary’s partnership spotlight
Saint Mary’s is honored to add two more school districts to our “Trusted Partner Program.”
These districts are Proctor Public Schools and Lake Superior Public Schools.
Proctor consists of four schools and a community education space, serving 1900 students with a faculty and staff of 249 members. A school district on the cutting edge of programming for their students, they are working on powering two of their elementary schools through solar power and have a robust building trades program. Additionally, we are working to establish a Trusted Partner Collaborative with several area schools to support their work in training, hiring, and retaining educational staff, especially in special education.
The second and most recent addition to the Trusted Partner family is Lake Superior Public Schools. Lake Superior Public Schools consists of three schools serving 1325 students with a faculty and staff of 194 members. Lake Superior is a school district focused on meeting the needs of their students. They are very proud of their work in counseling and providing social and emotional support to the learner. In their recent building renovation, they created space for a student services center which combines counseling and social work to better serve students’ social and emotional needs.
The Saint Mary’s Partnership Collaborative is a new initiative populated with key partners from the Schools of Business and Technology, Health and Human Services, and Education that provide students, faculty, and alumni with opportunities for professional development, research, internships, externships, employee pipelines, targeted accelerator certificates and degree completion. This partnership spotlight is meant to highlight the exciting partnerships Saint Mary’s has entered.
Saint Mary’s Currents relaunch
The Marketing and Communications is pleased to announce that Saint Mary’s Currents, the university’s podcast, has returned from hiatus.
With Saint Mary’s Currents, host Ben Rodgers and his guests discuss topics that are trending, relevant, and yes, sometimes divisive or controversial. Just as current is a flow of positive electric charge, the goal of Saint Mary’s Currents is to find a positive path forward.
In the first episode back, Rodgers and Michael Ratajczyk, associate professor of business and program director for the B.S. and M.A. in Business Intelligence and Data Analytics programs, discuss artificial intelligence and its impact on the workforce and workforce development. You can listen to the episode in the audio player below. If you would like to listen to future episodes, subscribe to Saint Mary’s Currents on your favorite podcasting platform, including Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, and Spotify.
While these podcast episodes are excellent ways to reach new audiences, they also show the expertise of our faculty, staff, and administrators. These podcasts can be used in media relations work, helping reporters connect with new sources.
As we prepare future episodes, we invite other faculty whose areas of academic interest align with current trends and topics and who would be willing to sit down for a half-hour conversation. If you have a topic idea or interest in being a guest of Saint Mary’s Currents, please contact Rodgers at 507-457-1481 or brodgers@smumn.edu, Ashly Bissen at 507-457-8692 or abissen@smumn.edu, or Geoffrey DeMarsh at 507-457-1496 or gdemarsh@smumn.edu.
AXIS transitions to higher education partnership
AXIS: Journal of Lasallian Higher Education is now under the leadership of the six Lasallian institutions of higher education in the United States, Christian Brothers University, La Salle University, Lewis University, Manhattan College, Saint Mary’s College of California, and Saint Mary’s University of Minnesota, in collaboration with Christian Brothers Conference (CBC), the office for the Lasallian Region of North America (RELAN).
Established by three Lasallian Partners at Saint Mary’s University of Minnesota in 2009, AXIS is a peer-reviewed, open access academic journal that shares original scholarly and creative works that contribute to collective knowledge of the Lasallian mission in higher education contexts. For nearly 15 years, Saint Mary’s provided leadership for the journal, which grew to include works from Lasallians throughout the world. This transition unites RELAN’s institutions of higher education to provide shared ownership of the publication, support greater interest and awareness of AXIS on campuses, and expand the invitation to write to an even wider group of scholars and researchers.
This transition includes a new website, www.axisjournal.org, and the hiring of a part-time managing editor, Dr. Matt Nowakowski, who will oversee the AXIS process and support authors in collaboration with CBC, the editorial board and Brother William Mann, FSC, who will continue to serve as editor-in-chief. A longtime educator at Saint Mary’s University of Minnesota, Dr. Nowakowski has served on the AXIS editorial board since 2020. While he retired from Saint Mary’s in December 2022 after 15 years, he continues to serve as a dissertation advisor and course-contracted professor in the Doctor of Education-Leadership. He is a graduate of the Buttimer Institute of Lasallian Studies.
The journal now also has the support of a group of representatives from each higher education institution who will help encourage writers, integrate the journal on their campuses, and support the publication in other ways.
The latest issues of AXIS were released at the end of 2023, with Volume 14, Number 1 being published in November and Volume 14, Number 2 released in December. Volume 15, Number 1 is currently in the editing process. Submissions are being accepted for future issues here. AXIS will continue to be available online and in print.
Learn more about the history of AXIS >
Thanks to this new partnership, we know that the historic excellence and quality that Saint Mary’s has dedicated to AXIS since 2009 will continue long into the future. AXIS continues to be accessible via the Saint Mary’s website on our Quick Links page under the category Websites/Portals.
Saint Mary’s University of Minnesota increases mental health support for students
Campus adds teletherapy and a crisis connection for students
Saint Mary’s University of Minnesota, today, announced a partnership with Uwill, the leading mental health and wellness solution for colleges and students, to supplement the college’s existing counseling capabilities. Saint Mary’s adds this teletherapy option at a time of increased mental health difficulties among college students nationwide. Uwill’s proprietary technology facilitates immediate appointments with licensed mental health counselors based on student needs and preferences, and a 24/7 crisis solution.
“Saint Mary’s is committed to providing a Lasallian Catholic education that nurtures the whole person, and we believe that supporting the mental well-being of our students is an essential component of that,” said Ann Merchlewitz, Senior Vice President. “By creating a foundation in which students are supported mentally, physically, and spiritually, we can empower future generations to help them thrive and reach their fullest potential.”
Recent survey data shows 79% of surveyed students reported experiencing moderate or high stress levels within the last 30 days. Additionally, while 42% of college students have expressed the need for help with mental health difficulties in the last year, more than 60% of these students have never received counseling or therapy.
“Investing in student mental health is an investment in student success” said Michael London, Founder and CEO of Uwill. “Shaping students into resilient, compassionate, and thriving individuals through therapy has the potential to positively impact society as a whole.”
Utilizing its proprietary technology and counselor team, Uwill pioneered the first student and therapist matching platform. The solution offers an immediate appointment with a licensed counselor based on student preferences, all modalities of teletherapy, a direct crisis connection, wellness events, real time data, and support. Uwill partners with students from all 50 states at institutions including Drake University, Illinois College, Xavier University, and Merrimack College.
About Uwill
Uwill is the leading mental health and wellness solution for colleges and students. The most cost-effective way to expand and enhance a college’s mental health offerings, Uwill partners with 200 institutions including Babson College, University of Michigan, Columbus State Community College, and University of Maryland, College Park. Uwill is also the teletherapy education partner for NASPA and the Online Learning Consortium. For more information, visit uwill.com.
Cardinal Promise makes college a reality for two Saint Mary’s soccer players
Growing up, Diego Giles-Quiroz and Eh Mu shared a similar goal: to play college soccer. Now, the two Twin Cities locals are both midfielders on the Cardinals men’s soccer team.
As first-year students at Saint Mary’s University of Minnesota, the two are still considering what majors they want to pursue. Mu is considering sports management and marketing, while Giles-Quiroz feels drawn to computer science.
“A number of my teammates study computer science,” Giles-Quiroz said. “I’d talk to them and they’d tell me computer science is more about problem-solving than some of the other sciences, which interested me.”
Both first-generation college students, Mu and Giles-Quiroz shared a concern about the financial ability to attend college.
“At first, I really didn’t look at colleges or apply to colleges,” Mu said.
While Giles-Quiroz’ older siblings who attended college helped him with financial aid paperwork, he was still concerned about the possibility of making college work.
“I wanted to put my brain to work to secure a good future, which to me, requires college,” he said. “I also was looking forward to the college experience, living in the dorms, meeting new people, and playing soccer.”
Concerns about college finances aren’t unique to Giles-Quiroz or Mu. According to a 2022 study from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, 38% of college-aged students surveyed cited concerns of finances and debt as the main issues holding them back from attending college.
As a Lasallian Catholic institution, Saint Mary’s has always prioritized making education attainable for students of all income levels. As a part of this goal, the university has supported the Cardinal Promise, a financial aid commitment that has long provided extremely generous financial packages to students of modest means, covering the cost of tuition for “PELL-eligible” students. Saint Mary’s recognized that with institutional dollars, and the generosity of the Minnesota State Grant program, the university could match scholarship programs offered through the state.
With the Cardinal Promise, any Minnesota family with an adjusted gross income of $80,000 or less is eligible to receive a minimum institutional aid package covering the cost of tuition. Wisconsin students are also eligible for the Cardinal Promise but must hold a grade point average of 3.5 or above.
“The Cardinal Promise shows Saint Mary’s commitment to fostering a diverse and inclusive educational environment,” said Michael McMahon, vice president of enrollment. “It exemplifies not only our dedication to academic excellence but also our unwavering commitment to our Lasallian Catholic heritage. In the spirit of Saint John Baptist de La Salle, we strive to make a college education accessible to all, ensuring that the transformative power of learning knows no boundaries.”
For Mu, college became more of a reality once he began talking to the Saint Mary’s soccer coach.
“I had never heard of Saint Mary’s until I started talking to the soccer coach,” he said. “Then I learned about the scholarships that were offered and the First Generation Initiative (FGI). And our coach was a big part of that. I could tell he cared about my academic success and he helped encourage me to apply for those scholarships and enroll in the FGI program.”
Giles-Quiroz echoed Mu’s sentiments, saying the opportunities offered by the Cardinal Promise relieved the barriers he felt were in his way of attaining a college degree.
“Coming from a background where my family has struggled with money, it’s comforting knowing I’m not going to be in debt in my future,” he said. “With the Cardinal Promise, I feel supported. I feel like stress has been lifted off of my shoulders.
With their first year of college well underway, Mu and Giles-Quiroz feel grateful to make Saint Mary’s home for the next three years.
“Aside from soccer, the thing I appreciate about Saint Mary’s is the connections I’ve made with my professors,” Mu said. “Because I know my professors, and they’re knowledgeable in their fields, I know they can help me in the future as I consider careers.”
“At Saint Mary’s, I appreciate the community,” Giles-Quiroz said. “It’s a small campus, and everybody knows everybody. People here look out for each other and want the best for everyone.”
Photo caption: Diego Giles-Quiroz (left) and Eh Mu (right)
Saint Mary’s celebrates December 2023 graduates
WINONA, Minn. — The following Saint Mary’s University of Minnesota students completed requirements for bachelor of arts degrees in December 2023.
Jacqueline Beltran
Billie Borschnack
Elizabeth Fritton
Christopher Hall
Michael Hegarty
Emily Hogan
Lauren Kantrovich
Makenna Kriske
Qikai Ma
Taylor Merrell
Nico Missana
Shawn Mugo
Eric Nemitz
Mason Palmer
Alex Radtke
Diego Rivera
Gunnar Rorholm
Emilie Serna
Angela Spors
Emma Steele
Isabel Sugrue
Amanda Tuvey
Makenna Vickery
Owen Ziegler
Nursing anesthesiology program focuses on quality experiences and student success
Tenzin Lobsang was interested in pursuing an advanced degree in nurse anesthesiology long before she entered the Doctor of Nursing Practice program at Saint Mary’s University.
Having met numerous competent CRNAs who graduated from Saint Mary’s in surrounding hospitals served to fuel her interest in digging further into Saint Mary’s doctorate program.
“I also wanted to be close to my family, so Saint Mary’s was a great option,” Tenzin shared, “and the program’s cost was much better compared to the other programs.”
The nurse anesthesiology program provides exceptional clinical experiences at over 35 sites, with options ranging from small rural and community facilities to big urban hospitals. This format allows students to choose a site that best fits their learning needs.
This year, a student government, the Student Advisory Council (SAC), was established. Composed of program faculty and representatives from each class/cohort, it allows students and faculty to work together to improve the educational experience of all students in the program. Tenzin currently serves as the diversity and inclusion chairperson of SAC.
When interviewing with the director and associate director of the nursing anesthesiology program, she remembers being impressed by the quality of the education offered at Saint Mary’s and how dedicated the faculty was to student success. Now a third-year student in the program, Tenzin’s perspective on her experience at Saint Mary’s hasn’t changed.
“Saint Mary’s provides a supportive learning environment that encourages our success. The faculty works so hard to provide a safe learning environment, which is what I love about this program,” she said. “They are available anytime we need to sit down and discuss school or our wellness. They put the students at the forefront and are ready to provide the best educational experience.”
Through the didactic education provided in classrooms and clinical hands-on experience in labs, Tenzin feels that Saint Mary’s is preparing its students to become the best clinicians they can be. She looks forward to using her advanced degree to support the community as a certified registered nurse anesthetist upon graduation.
“I have a passion for education and community engagement, and I hope to encourage and introduce this amazing profession to a younger generation of students.”
Update on Financial Accountability and Strategic Thinking (FAST) Task Force
Dear Saint Mary’s Faculty and Staff:
I hope this finds you well after a Christmas break full of blessings and an abundance of time with your loved ones. As we enter the month of January, I wanted to welcome you back to campus and provide a brief update regarding the Financial Accountability and Strategic Thinking (FAST) Task Force. Father Burns initially shared the need for a shared focus on enrollment strategies during our State of the University address. In late September, Father Burns called leaders from academics and other units to discuss enrollment in SGPP, creating the Task Force to bring organization to our institutional response to our enrollment challenges. Later, Father Burns provided the description and role of the task force in a community letter on November 14, outlining the necessity for a collective focus on enrollment strategies and an intensive review of the current and future state of our graduate and bachelor completion programs.
Initially, the Task Force had four focal areas:
- Focal Area #1 – Financial responsibility analysis
- Focal Area #2 – Extended school review
- Focal Area #3 – Strategic alignment, prioritization, and investment
- Focal Area #4 – Collaboration on School of Continuing and Advancing Studies
Upon further review, Focal Area #4 (School of Continuing and Advancing Studies) was strategically moved out from the responsibility of FAST due to stakeholder needs, current leadership roles, and the additional complexity of credentialing. It will continue to work in parallel with the FAST efforts.
During our Cardinal Update Live! on December 11, I was able to provide a brief update with Provost Bonilla. Individual task force committees have continued to meet since that time, and we will continue to provide you with vital information as we progress. For now, we wanted to share that next week on January 16-17, we will hold a summit on our Cascade Meadows campus in Rochester, including an Aspen-style seminar and discussion forum, as well as work to confirm and prioritize enrollment growth initiatives for investment with innovation funds donated through private philanthropy. Following that time together, we look forward to sharing continued progress.
At this time, I would like to acknowledge the committee members who have agreed to dedicate additional time and energy to this vital initiative:
- James Bedtke | Task Force Group #1 Member
- Max Bonilla | Task Force Group #1 Lead, Task Force Group #2 Member, Task Force Group #3 Member
- Andrew Dirksen | Task Force Group #2 Lead, Task Force Group #3 Member
- Robert Elmore | Task Force Group #1 Member
- Matthew Gerlach | Task Force Group #3 Member
- Michael Hahn | Task Force Group # 2 Member
- Amy Heinz | Task Force Group #2 Member
- Mary Jacobs | Task Force Group #3 Member
- Susan Jarosak | Task Force Group # 2 Member
- Tracy Lehnertz | Task Force Group #1 Member
- Katherine Loos | Task Force Group #3 Member
- Jack McClure | Task Force Group #2 Member
- Michael McMahon | Task Force Group #3 Lead, Task Force Group #1 Member
- Michelle Rovang| Task Force Group #3 Member
- Darren Row | Task Force Group #1 Member
- Thomas Schulzetenberg | Task Force Group #3 Member
- Jessica Uhlig | Task Force Group #1 Member
- Scott Walker | Task Force Group #3 Member
- Michelle Wieser | Task Force Group #1 Member, Task Force Group #2 Member
Please know that we greatly appreciate your dedication to Saint Mary’s, our mission, and our students. We are buoyed by the love and respect that our community holds for our sacred journey together, and we look ahead full of hope to a thriving Saint Mary’s University.
Live Jesus in our hearts, forever!
In Him,
Dr. Michael McMahon
The Rev. James P. Burns, IVD, Ph.D.
President
Saint Mary's University of Minnesota
© Copyright 2016. All Rights Reserved. | Privacy | Site Feedback/Changes | Accreditation