Saint Mary's Newsroom
Campus ConnectionAn update from the president to alumni and parents
Spiritual offering
Saint Mary’s Campus Ministry continues to share spiritual offerings to provide much-needed perspective and a focus on faith in this time of uncertainty.
Dear Lasallians,
I would like to take a moment to invite our entire Lasallian family, all 90,000 Lasallian educators and their 1 million students, as well as the families associated with the schools and ministries that serve their children to pray this prayer each day. The impact will change us and will encourage every one of us to do what we can to slow and eventually stop this pandemic. Even more, our prayer will inspire us to care for one another and those who are alone and in need of our help as we live this experience.
Join us in prayer.
Live Jesus in our hearts … forever!
Brother Michael Fehrenbach, FSC
Midwest District Visitor
Creativity wins
During this time of uncertainty and change, we are inspired by the creativity and work ethic of our students, alumni, faculty, and staff. This is not a time to give up, but to think differently. The gym is closed. Most students are at home continuing their courses. This freshman and member of the Saint Mary’s women’s hockey team is practicing responsible social distancing while staying healthy.
Check out her creative approach to deadlifting at home. #strongertogether
Homecoming: M.A. education alumna’s career path leads her back to familiar place
Sitting in the counseling center of Park Center High School with a row of college pennants hanging above her bright pink hair, Sara Schreiner M’97 loves to surround her life with colors — both in a traditional sense and with the colorful experiences that she has had traveling and studying all over the world.
“Her passion for helping students is unmeasurable,” said Jody Hansen, the educational support professional assistant at Park Center who works alongside Schreiner.
Sara Schreiner displays the front page of USA Today from July 5, 1994, in which she was featured on the front page for a story about the then new Ford Mustang GT. She had just purchased the car after recovering from a serious car accident (see photo in the lower right corner).
As someone who survived a car accident that involved a 90-mile-per-hour impact and is now in remission after battling stage-four melanoma skin cancer for four years, Schreiner knows how precious life can be.
“I call myself a cat, because I am truly on my fifth life,” she said.
As a career resource specialist, she helps the students at the school in Brooklyn Park, Minn., color their own lives by advising them on post-secondary opportunities, whether that be at a two-year college, a four-year university, trade school, or apprenticeship program.
“There are so many different options for kids and there is a path for absolutely everybody,” said Schreiner, who earned her M.A. in Education at Saint Mary’s through a cohort program established at Park Center, while she taught as a world language instructor at nearby Columbia Heights High School.
Schreiner joined the cohort, at the urging of Mary Condon, whom she student-taught with at Park Center as an undergraduate student. Schreiner and Condon would go on to travel to six South American countries in the span of six and a half months to collect data and interview families to study how gaining a better understanding of the countries’ cultures could help assist foreign language instruction practices.
Their work, which involved reviewing more than eight hours of video tape interview footage, provided the foundation for their master’s project, which earned them the honor of the Outstanding Final Paper Award when they graduated. They have maintained their friendship, while continuing to go on international trips.
Sara Schreiner at Commencement in 1997 on the Winona Campus.
“It was very personalized. I knew who my teachers were and I got to know the people with whom I was working,” said Schreiner of her time in the program.
One of the main reasons she enrolled at Saint Mary’s can be derived from wisdom bestowed upon her father when she was a young girl: “‘People can break into your house, they can steal your car, they can take your stuff, but they never take away your education or your experience.”
Schreiner began collecting experiences when she was a junior in high school and traveled to Spain for the first time with a group of students. She ended up adoring her host family and spent an extra five weeks with them. She has since revisited Spain at least 20 times.
After spending 11 years in secondary education in various capacities, she decided to try her hand in the business world, becoming an executive team leader at the Target store in North St. Paul in 2002, before moving into store team leader roles at stores in St. Cloud and Rochester, Minn. After seven years at Target, though, she realized that her heart was calling her back to education where her career began.
“There’s lots of things I learned in the business world that I can apply here,” said Schreiner.
“The experience at Target helped me realize how much I really do enjoy working with high schoolers.”
Featured image: Sara Schreiner M‘97 is on her “third tour” at Park Center High School in Brooklyn Park, Minn. She began her role as a career resource specialist in February 2019 after working as a Spanish teacher at the school for five years before that.
Career Services tips and events
Saint Mary’s Career Services is committed to supporting students as they search for jobs and internships. From making the most of a video interview to virtual networking and securing your next internship, we will continue to share resources to provide much-needed career support in this time of uncertainty.
Video interviewing best practices: The dos and don’ts
The job search process doesn’t have to stop because you are stuck at home. It will just look different for the foreseeable future. As you prepare for your next (video) interview, set yourself up for success and proactively plan for the unexpected.
Wednesday, April 1, at 12:30 p.m.
Join Zoom Meeting
Meeting ID: 608007747 (Please enter 5 minutes prior to the start time.)
Since video interviews are now essential to the job search process, be sure you are doing it right. This session is intended to share best practices and includes these topics:
Creating the space (Hint: Don’t interview on your bed!)
Handling glitches proactively
Winning the interview
Did you know?
Employers will continue to hire, even if the job search process looks different right now. Here are 10 things you can do to set yourself apart:
- Know that this is an unprecedented time. Health comes first.
- Assess your goals and strategies.
- Prepare your résumé so it’s ready to go.
- Update your LinkedIn page.
- Virtually connect with your network, and expand it where possible.
- Stay informed and expand your skill set.
- If contacted for an interview, try and arrange via phone or video conference.
- Send thank-you notes to employers and connections.
- Exercise persistence and patience.
- Remember, there is no specific job search protocol during a pandemic, so be patient and understanding.
For more information, check out this article.
Upcoming events
ONLINE WORKSHOP: Internships for Summer and Fall Semester
Wednesday, March 25, at 12:30 p.m.
Join Zoom meeting
Meeting ID: 531004438 (Please enter 5 minutes prior to the start time.)
An internship is an incredibly valuable way to learn about a career field, build your skills, and solidify your network while in college. Participants in this workshop will discuss how to find and secure internships for summer and fall semester, and learn the procedures for securing internships for academic credit.
MN Education Jobs Fair – CANCELED
Wednesday, April 1
This event has been canceled, but the job fair website will remain live until July 1, so you can continue to see opportunities and make contact regarding open positions.
Bookstore FAQ
The Winona Campus bookstore staff answer your frequently asked questions about bookstore operations, rental returns, and future purchases.
What is the bookstore’s contact information?
- Online at st-marys.bncollege.com (open 24/7)
- Via phone at 507-457-1569
- Or email SM417@bncollege.com
What if I need to buy books?
All books for summer are available online. Visit st-marys.bncollege.com to select the classes you are taking and order the books you need. The bookstore will be processing orders Monday through Friday and shipping to students ASAP. All orders placed before 10 a.m. will ship the same business day.
What if I want to buy clothing, supplies, or gifts?
All clothing, supplies, and gifts will be available for purchase online at st-marys.bncollege.com. The bookstore will be processing orders Monday through Friday, including general merchandise orders. All orders placed before 10 a.m. will ship the same business day.
Can I place orders over the phone?
The bookstore cannot take payment information over the phone due to payment card compliance regulations. Staff will be happy to walk you through the steps to place your order online at st-marys.bncollege.com.
Since the bookstore is closed, will I have to pay for shipping when I order online?
All online orders will include free shipping.
If I am done with my rental books for the semester, how can I return them?
At this time rentals are still due back by Tuesday, May 5, which would have been the last day of finals. As the bookstore will remain closed through the end of spring semester, you can print a free shipping label via the bookstore website at st-marys.bncollege.com (instructions below).
Rental return instructions – How to print your free UPS shipping label
All rentals are due back by Tuesday, May 5. You can print a free shipping label via the bookstore website at st-marys.bncollege.com.
- Visit st-marys.bncollege.com and rest your cursor on “Textbooks.” Select the “Textbook Rentals” option from the drop down menu.
- Next, scroll down and click on the link labeled “Rental Return.”
- Lastly, enter your Order ID (only one if combining multiple orders in one return) and the email address you used when you placed your order. If possible, combine multiple orders together and ship in one box with one shipping label. Please make sure to use packing material to keep the books in good condition. Include your name, email, and phone number in the box with the return. Contact the bookstore by phone (507-457-1569) or email (w-bookstore@smumn.edu) if you have any questions or you are not able to create the label.
Action alert: Contact Congress
Now is the time to take action on behalf of college students and institutions across the nation. In this time of turmoil, the national associations that represent higher education, including the National Association for Independent Colleges and Universities (NAICU), have put together a request for Congress. The request seeks emergency grant funds for students and assistance for colleges and universities. We are hearing that the proposal being considered by the Senate will only cover about 10% of the projected higher education need. Now is the time to make your voice heard on this very important topic.
Working with the Minnesota Private College Council (MPCC), NAICU has urged individuals to reach out to their elected officials. We encourage you to take action. Find more information here, including a blank template which can be completed and sent directly to your elected officials.
Share your stories
We want to hear from you! Email saintmarys@smumn.edu with:
- Your news — How are you adjusting to the new “normal”?
- A selfie of your new “classroom” or learning space.
- A link to the best tool you’ve found to make life easier and tell us how it helps.
- Your recommendations for connecting with friends and family.
- What information or resources you need from Saint Mary’s?
Staying in touch
These are unprecedented times at Saint Mary’s and for universities around the world. But it is also a time to unite. Staying connected through regular communications is one way to help alleviate anxiety, clear up ambiguity, and plan a path forward.
To better provide you with the information you will need, the Office of Advancement and Communication will be implementing all-encompassing regular email updates on Tuesdays and Thursdays dedicated to answering all of your questions about the university’s COVID-19 response and plans, sharing information from campus offices, and highlighting the great things you continue to do.
How can you contribute? Email saintmarys@smumn.edu with:
- Your news — How are you adjusting to the new “normal”?
- A selfie of your new “classroom” or learning space.
- A link to the best tool you’ve found to make life easier and tell us how it helps.
- Your recommendations for connecting with friends and family.
- What information or resources you need from Saint Mary’s.
The CommUNITY Update will help us reduce the number of emails you receive from Saint Mary’s, allowing you to focus on your studies and ensuring you get the important information you need to continue to learn and thrive. We will share all recent COVID-19-related communications at smumn.edu/covid19.
It has never been more important to remember the good happening around us, and we’re fortunate that at Saint Mary’s, there’s no shortage of good news to share.
“For God has not given us a spirit of fear and timidity, but of power, love, and self-discipline.” – 2 Timothy 1:7
Online resources and support
During this time of change and uncertainty, Saint Mary’s is committed to providing much needed resources to serve its community. Visit smumn.edu/covid19resources for wellness support, at-home workouts, spiritual offerings, and art access.
The Rev. James P. Burns, IVD, Ph.D.
President
Saint Mary's University of Minnesota
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