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Hall of Fame Profile: Bruna Bucciarelli B’76
WINONA, Minn. – It seems fitting that with the celebration of 50 years of Title IX, Bruna Bucciarelli B’76 Is among this year’s induction class into the Saint Mary’s University Sports Hall of Fame.
After all, Bucciarelli was a true pioneer for women’s athletics at Saint Mary’s, being among the first — and the best — to put on the Cardinal uniform in the inaugural stages of women’s sports.
Bucciarelli, along with George Drouches B’78, Mark Staub B’88, Jenni (Gutterman) Becker B’06, and Jen (Schipp) Stewart B’06, will be recognized and honored as part of the second annual Cardinal Excellence Fund Dinner, which will be held at Visions Event Center in Winona on Saturday.
“It was a surprise, let me tell you,” said Bucciarelli on being notified of her upcoming induction. “I certainly wasn’t expecting it. I always considered hall of fame inductions as reserved for someone who scored 100 points in games, something like that — and that wasn’t me.
Bucciarelli may not have scored 100 points in a game, but she certainly excelled in her fields of competition — all three of them.
A three-sport standout in basketball, cross country, and volleyball, Bucciarelli epitomizes greatness and boldly led the way for decades of talented women athletes. Just as 50 years ago, Title IX made history in creating equal opportunity for all, Bucciarelli’s pioneering achievements led to greater opportunities for all women at Saint Mary’s.
“It is truly an honor to be inducted into the Hall of Fame,” Bucciarelli said. “And I am humbled that I was chosen to go in at this time, representing women’s athletics in such a big and important movement as the celebration of 50 years of Title IX.”
Nontraditional path to higher ed
Advanced degrees lead to career advances
Growing up, Emy Johnson B’07, M’15 was taught by her mother that one can get by in life with “a little bit of grit, a whole lot of grace, and a whole lot of faith.” That determination launched Johnson, who now serves as the chief security officer at Allina Health, into a successful career in the corporate business world.
When Johnson first entered the corporate world at Target Corporation, she had only a high school degree. During her first few years, as she moved up within the company, she had no plans to further her education. However, Johnson said she reached a point where she knew she would need to obtain a bachelor’s degree to further advance her career in the retail sector. But enrolling in college was a daunting thought.
“I just wasn’t sure I could do it at the end of the day,” she said.
What she needed to return to the classroom was a little push, and she received it from a Saint Mary’s faculty member before she even enrolled.
While working on a project for a local law enforcement organization, Johnson had the opportunity to meet Don Winger, the program director for the B.S. in Law Enforcement Leadership program at Saint Mary’s. During their interactions, Winger asked Johnson where she received her degree.
“I answered the way I always did in professional settings: The school of hard knocks,” she said.
Upon hearing her response, Winger insisted that Johnson return to the classroom and suggested she do so at Saint Mary’s. Still feeling she lacked the confidence to return to school, she had to think about it. To help ease those feelings, Winger said he would assist Johnson through her education any way he could, even on Day One.
“I still felt I wasn’t ready to go back, and so to Don’s credit, he said, ‘I’ll walk with you to your first class, and I will help you be successful,’ ” she said.
It was that promise, and follow-through, that led Johnson to enroll in a bachelor’s completion program.
“I just saw myself as someone who needed to get a degree but I didn’t actually see myself as a student,” she said. “And the idea of being a mom and a wife and a worker, while being a student on top of that, seemed overwhelming. But the day I walked into Saint Mary’s, I knew I had the support of the administration, faculty, and my fellow students. I knew I would be successful.”
After finishing the bachelor’s completion program, Johnson wanted something that would complement her B.S. in Police Science, which led her to enroll in the M.A. in Human Development program at Saint Mary’s.
Now equipped with two degrees, Johnson says her experience at Saint Mary’s informs how she leads as the chief security officer at Allina Health.
“At the end of the day, when I think about what I took away from Saint Mary’s, the most important thing is community,” she said. “And that’s something we believe in at Allina. We’re not just a healthcare provider, we’re a healthcare provider that is making the community better. And Saint Mary’s taught me whether I was going to a class, an event, or even graduation, all of that was being part of a community.”
Johnson knows continuing schooling can be daunting for nontraditional and adult learners; however, she wants those considering returning to school to know it’s never too late to do so.
“Going back for my degree cemented in me the idea that I don’t have to do everything for everybody all the time. Completing my degree was doing something for me,” she said. “And I knew by doing that and making that single decision, it would change the pathway for my future as a professional.”
Compassionate care: Former patient studying to become PA
Britney Blacker ’23 can’t remember a time when she didn’t want to go into medicine. She has photos of herself, dressed in scrubs, at the age of 4. And when Blacker wasn’t dreaming of medicine, she was dreaming of softball.
She chose to leave her hometown of Castle Rock, Colo., to attend school nearly 1,000 miles away after doing an online search for Division III schools where she could both play softball and study in the sciences. She found Saint Mary’s University.
A campus visit further narrowed her search, and when she was accepted into Saint Mary’s 3+2 physician assistant program with Mayo Clinic School of Health Sciences, her decision was solidified.
“When the No. 1 hospital in the nation says, ‘Hey want to come study with us?’, you don’t really say no,” she said.
What draws Blacker to medicine is twofold. She loves the combination of solving problems and interacting with people. “Healthcare is a beautiful world where I get to help people but also be a scientist,” she said. “It’s about being able to make a difference.”
The past few years, Blacker has gotten an in-depth look at healthcare from the other side — as a patient.
Her sophomore year, she required hip surgery. Blacker next suffered a blood clot, and through the surgeries and extended hospital stays, she struggled to keep her grades at the required GPA level to continue in the highly rigorous program.
Appropriately, Blacker — a former Cardinal infielder — summarizes life using a softball metaphor.
“Life sometimes throws you curveballs, but God also gives you a bat,” she says with a smile and a shoulder shrug.
Despite the obstacles, Blacker — now in the +2 portion of the program — has persevered and credits her team, both on the ballfield and in the classroom, with helping her stay in the game.
“I ended up dropping down to 12 credits at one point because I was in a wheelchair, so getting around was difficult,” she said. “All the professors, and my adviser, were super understanding. And the softball team too. The support that I had from them was awesome. In this program, I have never once felt like a number. I tell stories to my family members who went to big colleges about how my faculty doesn’t just ask me, ‘How was our game?’ They know how the game was because they already know if we won. It’s a community.”
Blacker hopes her in-depth knowledge as a patient helps her become a better PA.
“I hope it will help me be more empathetic with a better understanding of what it feels like to be a patient,” she said. “In the ICU on my third day, my hair was a mess and I didn’t feel human. A nurse asked if she could braid my hair, and it made me feel so much more human. That’s something I will carry through with me for my PA career and the rest of my life.”
All PA students spend their first three years on the Winona Campus; the following two years, they learn from Mayo Clinic School of Health Sciences faculty at the university’s Rochester Campus. In Rochester, they engage in clinical learning experiences at Mayo Clinic in Rochester and throughout the Mayo Clinic Health System.
At the end of this year, Blacker will earn a B.A. in Biology Health Sciences, and at the end of next year, she’ll earn a Master of Health Sciences degree in Physician Assistant Studies from Mayo Clinic School of Health Sciences.
Blacker said her experiences on both campuses have been great. And she’s excited that learning is more hands-on and clinically based. “Now it isn’t just ‘What is this bone?’ It’s ‘There’s a 65-year-old man experiencing pain in this region; where is the fracture?’ It isn’t just a true or false question.”
She’s also performing pap smears, drawing blood, and working on both manikins in the sim center or on nurses from Mayo Clinic who volunteer as patients but also expertly guide students through the process.
“Every day I feel like I don’t deserve it,” Blacker said. “This is a world class education. From the livestreams of the cadavers, to the quality of the videos, to the way they teach, it’s a whole other level of education.
“And the emphasis is not only on the learning but about humanity,” she added. “You are treating people, and you need to be compassionate.”
Blacker said any students who know with certainty they want to be a PA should apply to Saint Mary’s for several reasons. “I absolutely would recommend the program,” she said. “It’s a great option to be graduating earlier, and you are going to be challenged and be building your relationships with Mayo Clinic professionals early. It does take a year of your undergraduate experience, which is a sacrifice I knew I wanted to make, because I’m passionate about the PA program.
“I think there are very few programs out there like this one that provide the opportunities that this one does.”
Faculty and staff are ‘all in’ for every student
Alex Zuzek B’18, M’22 wasn’t sure, at first, that he wanted to follow in the footsteps of his older sisters and study education at Saint Mary’s.
But he’s glad he did. And by the time he was ready to enroll in an M.Ed program — largely because of his meaningful undergraduate experience and the university’s quality reputation — Zuzek said, he “didn’t really even think twice about going back to Saint Mary’s.”
Zuzek was first introduced to the university as a ninth grader, while touring with his sisters, Katie (Zuzek) Nye B’14, M’17 and Abbie (Zuzek) Budin B’15. When it was his turn to look at undergraduate schools, Zuzek was hesitant to automatically go where they did.
“But then I Iooked back and decided I liked the setting in Winona and the bluffs, and I knew I wanted to be a teacher. My dad was a principal, so he knows quite a bit about different schools, and he thought Saint Mary’s was a really strong one.” The combination, he said, “kind of made it the perfect place for me.”
Zuzek, in turn, became grateful for the early introductions to the department. “I do feel like I was lucky having sisters who were both studying to be teachers, too,” he said. “I met the Sorvaags and another education professor so I knew them ahead of time. We all ended up teaching in different areas. One sister and my wife, Aleaha (Zabel B’18), are elementary teachers, and my middle sister studied K-12 music. We could talk to each other about what to expect from certain teachers, but not so much detail that you had this full concept.”
Zuzek quickly settled on studying social studies secondary education, with a goal of being both a teacher and a tennis coach, and he was soon creating his own path in education — one encouraged by supportive faculty.
“I was able to learn so much from them,” he said. “It felt like another level of connection in the sense that when you would see them around campus, it wasn’t just a passing ‘Hi, how’s it going?’ It was more meaningful. I also remember (faculty) coming to different events, and some of the education faculty hosted a kickball game at their house. It might sound hokey, but to me that’s the good stuff, that’s what makes it.
“It’s really important in education to model what it can look like, as far as being a mentor and teacher. At the undergrad campus, it felt like faculty would have met any need that you had. If you needed a re-explanation or an extension, it was at your fingertips, at your disposal; it was fantastic. If you go to a bigger school, that’s not going to happen there.”
Now, Zuzek said he, his sisters, and his wife reminisce about the professors who had such a positive impact on them personally and professionally.
At the graduate level, though his experiences have been quite different — especially because he was in the first fully virtual M.Ed. community — he found the same close connections with faculty.
“The master’s programs are popular in the Twin Cities, especially among teachers,” he said. “To already know their educational philosophy and beliefs was huge. It gives me a sense of cohesion between my degrees. I have just loved that cohesive piece and how personal it is.”
Zuzek, who graduates this June, points out he’s been able to earn his degree while working full time at Hastings High School and raising a family.
“My wife and I had our first child, Arthur ‘Archie,’ a year ago in April, so out of the 15-16 month program, for a year of it, I also had a young child,” he said. “But the way faculty laid it all out still made it all doable. They make it so clear what’s expected.
“A master’s is more difficult in the sense that the standard of work is higher and also because you have a job while doing it,” he added. “In both the master’s program and in my undergrad studies, I’ve been very fortunate to have teachers, facilitators, and mentors who truly care and know you.”
Zuzek is applying what he’s learned back to his alma mater in Hastings, where he teaches social studies (and where his dad was once principal). Previously, he had served as a long term sub in Farmington, Minn. And, he’s also a tennis coach at Hastings High School.
“I would say I hope to stay connected with Saint Mary’s faculty and facilitators at some level,” he said. “It’s been a really impactful thing for me.”
Saint Mary’s University students to stage ‘Sondheim on Sondheim’ March 16-18
WINONA, Minn. — Saint Mary’s University’s Department of Fine and Performing Arts will stage the delightful musical tribute “Sondheim on Sondheim” March 16-18 in the university’s Page Theatre. Admission is free and open to the public. Reserve tickets now at bit.ly/sondheim2023.
This revue of Stephen Sondheim’s work features the appearance of the master teacher himself. Video clips of Sondheim narrating the progression of his writing career provides insights into the mind of Broadway’s most revered musical theatre writer, as well as the world of the Broadway business. Humorous and heartfelt, the cast embodies some new arrangements which transcend their original settings. Come and enjoy old favorites from “A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum,” “Company,” “Sweeney Todd,” “Into the Woods,” “Follies,” “Sunday in the Park with George,” “Merrily We Roll Along,” “Passion,” “Assassins,” and more.
The show was conceived and originally directed on Broadway by James Lapine.
This is the final theatre performance under the direction of Judy Myers, who is retiring after 24 years of service. Shows run 7:30 p.m. Thursday through Saturday, March 16-18, with a 3 p.m. matinee on Saturday, March 18. “Sondheim on Sondheim” is production number 42 for Myers at Saint Mary’s, including 18 musicals, 20 plays, and four Candlelight revues. Additionally, Myers chaired the department for almost 10 years.
“Stephen Sondheim’s career pretty much took off with his production of ‘Company’ in 1970,” Myers said. “I was a seventh-grader at the time and knew nothing about him. However, when I was offered the opportunity to work on ‘Sweeney Todd’ in my junior year of undergraduate school, I discovered the treasure trove and have been obsessed with his work ever since. For me it is the sheer genius of lyric construction and music composition that allows actor and score to become one in the storytelling. You may not be able to hum that melody when you leave the theater, but you will be taken on a journey of human experience and artistic vision that you won’t forget.”
Myers added that Sondheim considered himself a teacher and was invested in students. “His direction to them was always simple and direct; getting to the heart of the characters’ needs and actions. When he talks about teaching at the end of this production, I am reminded every time that his sentiments align with my own career goals. And, I hope that the past 24 years of teaching at Saint Mary’s has provided a similar foundation for my own students. Choosing this piece for my last production at Saint Mary’s was ideal in terms of providing an appropriate platform for the talents of the students finishing their majors. I am very proud of this cast for stepping up to this challenging material. I think it is an appropriate finale for my academic career.”
The cast includes Aidan Indhal ’25, Gabrielle Johnson ’23, Katie Kitchen ’23, Shawn Mugo ’24, Emma Paquette ’23, Gunnar Rorholm ’23, Isabel Sugrue ’23 and Sam Wersch ’23 with lighting by Isaac Worple ’23.
Music director is Ian Schultz; choreographer is Claire Penning; scenic designer is Niffer Pflager; costume designer is Anastasia Goodwin; stage manager is Brittany Clipsham; and sound engineer is Robert J. Stuber.
University to honor five during Founders’ Day celebration
In celebration of its heritage, Saint Mary’s University will present awards to one faculty member, two staff members, and two outstanding seniors at its annual Founders’ Day celebration Tuesday, March 14, on the Winona Campus.
Andy Robertson, executive director of GeoSpatial Services, will receive the Distinguished Lasallian Educator Award. Presented each year, the award recognizes a member of the faculty, staff, or administration who exemplifies the ideals of
Saint John Baptist de La Salle, expressed in the Twelve Virtues of a Good Teacher. The award is given by Lasallian institutions like Saint Mary’s in the Lasallian Region of North America of the De La Salle Christian Brothers to honor contributions and commitment to the Lasallian mission of education. Robertson, who has worked at Saint Mary’s since 2004, has led the expansion of GeoSpatial Services to uniquely engage students in serving the needs of federal agencies, tribal nations, and nonprofit organizations in the areas of land management and water conservation. Similar to De La Salle and his first schools in 17th Century France, GSS engages education to respond to community needs at this particular time in history. Today GSS employs more than 65 students at the College and Schools of Graduate and Professional Programs (SGPP) in a co-operative education model, with plans for further expansion.
Sarah Haugen, interim director of the Center for Excellence in Learning and Teaching (CELT) will receive the
Brother Louis DeThomasis, FSC Award. Presented every two years, the award recognizes a full-time SGPP staff or faculty member who demonstrate excellence, innovation, and ethics in their work and build community by serving as a model of the Lasallian Catholic spirit. After serving for eight years as a facilitator and adjunct faculty members, Haugen joined Saint Mary’s full-time in 2016 as the associate director for the M.Ed. in Teaching and Learning program. In these roles, she trained teachers in developing currica, managing student mental health challenges, and collaborating to improve student learning. In 2022, Haugen became the associate director of CELT, and later the interim director, leveraging her experience to help Saint Mary’s faculty, especially adjunct faculty at SGPP, develop innovative methods to engage their students and foster a community of learners.
Michael Ratajczyk, associate professor of Business and program director for the Masters of Business Intelligence
and Data Analytics, will receive the Brother Charles H. Severin, FSC Award. Presented every two years, the award recognizes tenured College faculty members who carry forward Brother Charles’ legacy of sustained excellence and creativity in teaching. Since joining Saint Mary’s in 2013, Ratajczyk has built the university’s business intelligence and data analytics programs at the undergraduate and graduate levels. He has leveraged industry collaborations and emerging technologies to build a community of engaged learners and practitioners, including the launch of the annual Business Intelligence Summit. Like Brother Charles did decades ago, Ratajczyk implements new learning tools into his courses, most recently creating gamification applications for course lessons.
At this event, Saint Mary’s also announces its Outstanding Male and Female Seniors. Outstanding Seniors have demonstrated the ideals of scholarship, character, leadership, service to colleagues and the university community, as well as genuine concern for the needs of others. Nominees include: males Guy Cardinal, Brady Lindauer, Brandon Merfeld, Joseph Schauf, and William Sepsis; females, Grace Howard, Christa Ingabire, Mackenzie Kelly, Sophia O’Neil, and Catherine Pierpont.
Saint Mary’s Spotlight: Alison Block
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 Alison Block, director of academic records and systems.
Alison Block, director of academic records and systems
Name: Alison Block
Title: Director of academic records and systems
How long have you worked at Saint Mary’s?
I have worked at Saint Mary’s for 18 years in student services. In 2004, I began working in the financial aid department. I became the director of student services in 2009, the associate registrar in 2014, and the director of academic records and systems in 2021.
How would you describe your role at Saint Mary’s?
My role is to provide leadership and oversight of academic records, academic policy, and procedures related to academic records, academic schedule, and student registration for the Schools of Graduate and Professional Programs (SGPP). I work with an amazing team to make all that happen! We do this by partnering, educating, and serving the members of our community with patience and generosity. We adapt quickly to the changing needs of our students, faculty, and staff.
What is your favorite part of your job?
I enjoy every part of my job! Every day is different and provides opportunities for learning and engagement with the community. Our community’s dedication and commitment to students inspires me every day.
What are your hopes for the future of Saint Mary’s?
My hope is that we continue to think creatively to solve the challenges we face as an institution, while keeping the traditional and adult students at the heart of those solutions.
What is your proudest professional accomplishment?
I have had many experiences that support our mission. I am proud of the work I have done meeting students and working together to remove barriers to their graduation. As the director of student services, I changed our service model to work with the students holistically by creating our one-stop Student Central. As the associate registrar, we established a registrar’s office, centralizing registrar functions and collaborating with our academic programs on processes and policies to support their work.
My most meaningful experience was being the recipient of the Lasallian Educator Award in 2017. It was an honor to be recognized by the community for my contribution to the Lasallian mission.
Looking at the “Declaration on the Lasallian Educational Mission,” which of the 12 declarations resonates with you the most? Why?
Today, Declaration 11: “We believe that today’s realities demand taking risks and being creative” resonates the most with me. In these challenging times, we have to be able to look at what our students need today and in the future. The solutions to meeting those future needs will require us to think creatively and be comfortable taking risks. Our future depends on it.
Kelly Shannon, vice president for marketing and communication, announces retirement
Kelly Shannon, vice president for marketing and communication, announced that she will be retiring later this spring. She indicated that this is the right time for her to transition out of working full time after a 40-plus year career with more than 15 of those years in higher education.
She has made significant contributions in her more than two-and-a-half years with Saint Mary’s. “Ms. Shannon shared her many gifts and talents with Saint Mary’s and gave her full attention, commitment, energy, and creativity to our collective work,” said Father James P. Burns, IVD, Ph.D. “She has been an excellent colleague and accomplished a great deal, which leaves the university in a stronger position as we focus on our future.”
Among her accomplishments, Father Burns noted the following initiatives led by her and her team that have positively impacted the strategic plan and operating goals of the university:
- Rebuilt, set metrics, and developed the marketing and communication function and team.
- Created and launched Saint Mary’s new brand; one that is consistent, compelling, and relevant to our many stakeholders.
- Launched a new website that is already seeing a significant increase in new and repeat visitors, length of time spent on the site, and major increases in clicks on request for information forms and applications.
- Improved the amount and quality of internal communications around key news and information, important for all stakeholders, including faculty, staff, and students.
Shannon provided advance notice to ensure a smooth and orderly transition for the marketing and communication team and the many partners the team serves. To that end, and through a targeted search, Michelle Rovang, a communication and marketing strategist with significant experience and success in Catholic higher education, will join Saint Mary’s in April as vice president for marketing and communication.
Rovang consulted with Saint Mary’s for several months in 2021 on several strategic academic and enrollment marketing and communication projects, and her work and leadership was recognized and well received. Rovang served as the director of the Veritas Institute at the University of St. Thomas, Opus College of Business for a dozen years. While in that role, she handled branding, social media, partnerships, and connected the larger university community and external partners to the mission and vision of the institute, focused on socially responsible organizational conduct.
Additionally, she served as vice president for advancement for a healthcare foundation, has significant experience in community outreach, was managing director for a full-service marketing and advertising firm, and has experience in the classroom as a course-contracted faculty member in the areas of public relations, public speaking, and interpersonal communications. She holds a Master of Business Communication from the University of St. Thomas and a Bachelor of Arts in Communications from the University of Notre Dame.
“I believe strongly in the transformative power of education, particularly Catholic education, and am excited to be joining Saint Mary’s at this time in its storied Lasallian history,” said Rovang. “Saint Mary’s has a great story to tell and I will be privileged to spread the good news in collaboration with excellent colleagues.”
Shannon will work with Rovang to ensure a smooth transition.
Inaugural Noyce Scholars committed to teaching STEM
When Saint Mary’s University junior Evelyn Sanchez started school in Melrose Park, Ill., near Chicago, her mother anticipated that her young daughter would cling to her anxiously, not wanting to head off into a classroom of strangers.
But instead of tears and trepidation, Evelyn barely looked back as she bounded into the classroom, excited to begin an adventure in learning.
Evelyn’s career path was soon clear, and she began playing school with her stuffed animals, and even her grandparents, as her pupils.
It was her grandfather who encouraged her to teach mathematics specifically.
“My grandfather has always taught me the importance of education and why I should be thankful for every single lesson taught to me,” she said. “He grew up in Mexico, migrated to the United States and worked double shifts every single day to have a roof on top of our family and food on the table. He always wished for an education. He did not have the opportunity as he left school to help his family to pay bills.”
Her grandfather told Evelyn she deserved an education and the job of her dreams, but would need to work hard. “Un sueño tan grande mijita, solo échale ganas,” he would tell her, which translates to “A dream so big, all you have to do is give it all you’ve got.”
Likewise senior Simon Warmkagathje of rural St. Charles, Minn., has always wanted to teach, and throughout his life, others have encouraged him to go into teaching, recognizing the traits of a good educator in the outgoing and personable leader. Having seven younger siblings, he’s had lots of practice working with young people already.
For Warmkagathje, who grew up on his family farm, it’s about being outdoors. On campus, he’s the president and founder of the fishing club and vice president of the tri-beta biology honors society. It’s his goal to teach biology — sharing an understanding and appreciation of the world to future young students.
“My passion is teaching people how to pursue their dreams, no matter the circumstances,” he said. “For that reason, I believe education is the field in which I can make the biggest impact on my community.”
Warmkagathje and Sanchez are Saint Mary’s inaugural Noyce Scholars.
This past year, the university was awarded a $1.18 million NSF Robert Noyce Teacher Scholarship Program grant in support of the university’s Inclusive STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math) Teacher Education Pipeline (ISTEP) Project.
ISTEP is designed to increase the number of secondary STEM teachers from diverse backgrounds who are committed to teaching in high-need local educational agencies in places like southeastern Minnesota — to help alleviate severe teacher shortages in the state, particularly in math and science.
For the next five years, this funding enables Saint Mary’s to provide scholarships and stipends to more than 20 undergraduate and graduate students pursuing teacher licensure in a STEM-related field.
Undergraduates, typically awarded scholarships their junior years, promise to teach for four years (two years per year of scholarship received) in a high need school.
Sanchez believes this opportunity gives her the chance to be a good role model.
“I am not ashamed to say I still struggle with math,” she said. “I want to show future generations that everyone can learn STEM. I also want to share my story on the importance of grit and perseverance.
“I want to show my Mexican-American community that we can become STEM educators. I want to see more people like me, standing in front of the classroom,” she added. “And I want to show students who struggled with math and English growing up that they too can become an educator. My background, story, skin color, and the education I received as a child were not a disadvantage, but more an advantage and opportunity.”
Warmkagathje wants to be the kind of teacher who makes an impact on a student’s life — be the teacher students remember forever.
“To be named a Noyce scholar means such a great deal to me,” he said. “I think that finding STEM teachers to teach in the local area is important because there are not many of us out there. I see school districts in dire need of good teachers who will stick around, and I believe this program will support those who never thought they had the chance.
“This opportunity will help me lead a life of change and love. I cannot wait to help my future community grow in a positive way.”
The Rev. James P. Burns, IVD, Ph.D.
President
Saint Mary's University of Minnesota
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