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If there was an award for busiest undergraduate student this past semester, Jacob Tschida ’20 would have been one of the frontrunners. 

In addition to working on two theses to finish dual majors in theology and philosophy, Tschida took 17 credits while also competing on the men’s track team — before university officials switched to remote learning because of the COVID-19 pandemic. 

“It was a lot of fun,” Tschida said of his hectic schedule. 

These past few weeks, Tschida has been finishing his final academic work from his family’s home in Pequot Lakes, Minn. In May, he’ll finish both degrees a year early because of the college credits he  earned in high school. 

Jacob Tschida ’20 competed in middle distance events for the men’s track team, taking part in the 800-meter, 1500-meter, and the mile.

“Jacob is kind, confident, intelligent, and curious,” said Joyce Bautch, Ph.D., associate professor of theology and one of his advisers.

“His empathy and support for others, as well as his strong values and openness to feedback, are some of the qualities that make him an outstanding student.”

Tschida was scheduled to present his research on both theses at Saint Mary’s Celebration of Scholarship event this spring. His theology research, titled “Cruciformed By Beauty,” illustrates the connection between the idea of beauty and cruciformity — an object shaped like a cross — through the writings of Swiss theologian Hans Urs von Balthasar. 

Tschida was inspired, in part, to delve into the works of Balthasar after a study abroad experience at the Pontifical University of John Paul II in Krakow, Poland, during the fall 2019 semester.

“We fall into a trap of compartmentalizing God into boxes to define him, and Balthasar is adamantly against that,” Tschida said. “He preserves the mystery, beauty, and mystique of God.”

In spite of Balthasar being considered controversial in some circles for what he wrote, Tschida was intrigued with how Pope John Paul II appointed this polarizing figure to Cardinal two days before Balthasar’s death in 1988.

Part of the controversy around Balthasar comes from how he defines beauty in relation to the crucifixion — an image that to many may appear to be associated with negative feelings on the surface, given the cruel way in which Jesus was slain. 

“I couldn’t help but be enamored by the way he talks about beauty. I was drawn into some of his writing.”

 

—Jacob Tschida ’20

“The crucifixion is actually a very beautiful thing,” said Tschida. “Balthasar calls it an act of eros love, so it’s like a passionate desire for another. To be a Christian means being drawn into that eros love.”

Balthasar wrote more than 800 works in his life, including 60 books. The masterpiece of his prolificity was a trilogy composed of seven volumes on beauty, five volumes on goodness, and three volumes on truth. For his thesis, Tschida analyzed the first volume on beauty.

“I couldn’t help but be enamored by the way he talks about beauty. I was drawn into some of his writing,” said Tschida. “And as I read more, it seemed like he was talking about cruciformity, but just never really said it explicitly.”

A circuitous path

Tschida arrived in Winona in the fall 2017 semester as a new member of the Immaculate Heart of Mary Seminary. A year later, he felt a calling to be a traditional college student, allowing him to pursue other opportunities. 

He transitioned to Saint Mary’s and joined the men’s track team, where he competed in middle distance events: 800-meter, 1500-meter, and the mile. In fall 2019, he studied in Poland for four months where he learned about Karol Wojtyla, more commonly known as Pope John Paul II.

“He’s not translated into English widely or appropriately, so learning his teachings from some of the Polish professors was a really unique opportunity,” said Tschida, who based his philosophy thesis largely on Wojtyla’s anthropology.

Now that those moments have happened, he has felt a calling to return to the seminary and continue on the road to priesthood. If all goes as planned, he will join the Saint Paul Seminary next fall at the University of St. Thomas for a one-year pre-theology program before continuing his theological studies at North American College in Rome.

Featured image: Jacob Tschida ’20 is finishing dual degrees in theology and philosophy within three years.

When Kyle Brown, Saint Mary’s men’s basketball assistant coach, thinks of Kareem Anthony-Bello ’21, he remembers a standout DePaul College Prep high school student about to do a defensive slide drill at practice. 

“From the second he started, he was working at a completely different speed and level than the rest of his team,” said Brown, who initially recruited Anthony-Bello. “I’ll always remember that was the moment I knew we wanted him at Saint Mary’s.”

Kareem Anthony-Bello ’21

As the wheels were put into motion for Anthony-Bello to play basketball at the collegiate level in Winona, the high school senior learned about the First Generation Initiative (FGI) at Saint Mary’s by speaking with Mary Dempsey ’75, who serves as the president of DePaul College Prep. Dempsey put him in contact with the FGI team, who would go on to play just as big of a role in his Saint Mary’s experience as his fellow teammates and coaches on the basketball team. 

Anthony-Bello can quickly formulate a list of the people who have supported his academic journey and provided him the resources he has needed to succeed as he pursues a psychology major.

Those people include Alisa Macksey, dean of Student Success and FGI; Octavia Brown ’15, Countdown to College coordinator/adviser (and FGI alumna); and Peggy Walters, administrative assistant to the president, where he serves as a student worker. 

“I could keep going. A lot of people have helped me,” said Anthony-Bello, who has served as a Countdown to College counselor for the past two summers. “It’s definitely a privilege to be an FGI Scholar. At times it does cross my mind, how I’m the first one who will graduate college out of my family. It’s definitely a gift that I’m grateful for every day.”

Kareem Anthony-Bello at a recent FGI Retreat with his classmates Stanley Wright ’19 and Crystal Chavez ’21.

Macksey said he brings a bright smile and positive energy into every room.

“He provides encouragement and support to his fellow FGI Scholars,” she said. “As the oldest child, he wants to be a role model to his younger siblings.”  

The FGI team has helped him maintain a balance between the responsibilities that come with being a student-athlete.

Upon graduating from Saint Mary’s, Anthony-Bello hopes to work in senior/assisted living care in some capacity, following the footsteps of his mother who works at a senior care center in Chicago. 

“I do enjoy being around the elderly,” he said. “They always share wisdom with me.”

A dramatic turnaround

The Saint Mary’s men’s basketball team is coming off one of its best seasons in recent memory, having qualified for the Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (MIAC) tournament for the first time in 35 years, beating Bethel in the quarterfinals before losing to St. Thomas in the semifinals. 

Kareem Anthony-Bello gets ready to play defense in a game against St. Thomas.

Anthony-Bello, a 6-foot-4-inch guard, ended up third on the team in scoring, averaging 9.4 points a game and finishing second in three-pointers with 39. 

After going through a 1-24 season during his first year, Anthony-Bello embraced a different role on the team when head coach Joe Fano took over before his sophomore year, which resulted in a more successful season for the Cardinals with a record of 14-13.

“Kareem was a huge factor in our success this year,” Fano said. “His defense and ability to rebound put us in a position to succeed. His offensive efficiency was also so much better this year. He is extremely coachable and will do whatever is asked of him.”

Anthony-Bello remembered a conversation he had with Brown during the “rough patch” at the beginning of his college career.

“He just told me to be patient and that my hard work would show up,” Anthony-Bello said. 

Raheem Anthony ’23

It did, along with younger brother Raheem Anthony ’23, who came in as a first-year point guard from DePaul College Prep and became an All-MIAC First-Year team selection after finishing second on the team with 11.2 points a game, including three games of 20-plus points.

“Having an opportunity to play with him again, I feel like the chemistry was already there,” Anthony said.

Brown said both players have extremely different personalities, comparing the extroverted older brother to the more introverted younger one. The biggest commonality they share, though, is how they approach the game.

“Both are extremely passionate and competitive,” Brown said. “They both genuinely enjoy having each other around and bring out the best in each other.”

Featured image: Kareem Anthony-Bello ’21 extends his arm in preparation for a slam dunk against Bethel. “I get to the bucket occasionally, but defense and three-pointers are basically my game,” he said.