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Winona Campus NewsletterSaint Mary’s Alisa Macksey honored for Lasallian work
WINONA, Minn. — Alisa Macksey, dean of Student Success and the First Generation Initiative at Saint Mary’s University, will be honored in November for her inspiring work in the Lasallian charism.
Each year the Brothers of the Christian Schools of the Lasallian Region of North America recognize Lasallian educators for their outstanding work and dedication to the charism of Saint John Baptist de La Salle with the Distinguished Lasallian Educator Award.
These awards will be presented at the 46th annual Huether Lasallian Conference, “Living the Lasallian Mission: Celebrating with Zeal,” Nov. 21-23 at the Minneapolis Marriott City Center. De La Salle is the founder of the Brothers of the Christian Schools (of which Saint Mary’s is affiliated) and the patron saint of educators.
The Distinguished Lasallian Educators represent the District of Eastern North America, the Midwest District, and the District of San Francisco New Orleans. They are selected by their ministries and recognized for their exceptional work in touching the hearts and minds of their students, often leaving a lasting impression that makes a difference in the world.
Macksey, representing the Midwest District, was first introduced to the Lasallian network as a college student at Saint Mary’s College of California and then by serving as a Lasallian Volunteer. She later worked in regional Lasallian leadership before coming to Saint Mary’s University of Minnesota.
Macksey has not only devoted her career to the Lasallian mission, she warmly invites and inspires others to embrace the charism of Saint John Baptist de La Salle. Throughout her roles in the Lasallian network, she has demonstrated care and commitment, especially to those entrusted to her care. Her dedication extends to chairing International Council for Lasallian Association and the Educational Mission (CIAMEL) and serving on various district and regional committees and governing boards.
Diving deep: MBA alumna experiences success on ‘Shark Tank’
“It was the most nerve-wracking, out-of-body, exciting thing I’ve ever done in my life. I felt like I couldn’t breathe.”
Such was the reality of Amber Leong M’10 earlier this summer, walking out to a cold and quiet Los Angeles studio clad in a warm, yellow dress as a contestant on ABC’s “Shark Tank” with all eyes on her — including a group of five wealthy entrepreneurs-turned-investors.
She had to convince them to buy into her dream of expanding her e-commerce bright light therapy lamp business, Circadian Optics, into brick-and-mortar stores. The woman who grew up in Malaysia, whose American dreams were first created by watching American sitcoms, was being filmed for primetime TV in her adopted country.
Amber Leong M’10 makes her presentation on “Shark Tank.” The episode was filmed last June, but first aired on Oct. 6.
Her husband, Kin Chew, not on site, kept checking his phone, waiting for updates or a call about a possible proposal from one of the sharks. “I was in kind of a daze,” Chew said. “It was a whole day of waiting and then a sudden burst of excitement when I heard that we were up.”
He never received a phone call during her negotiations with the investors; it wasn’t needed. The opportunity to appear on national TV was just the latest chapter in her improbable journey, built with preparation, persistence — and the ability to be flexible, when needed. It had taken more than a year from when she first participated in an open casting call for the show at the annual Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas in January 2018.
Leong, who earned her Master of Business Administration on the Twin Cities Campus at Saint Mary’s University of Minnesota, came into the “tank” asking for $750,000 for a 10% stake in her multimillion-dollar company.
After explaining the impetus of her company and its burgeoning success (with sales of $4 million in the last year alone), she talked about her background of transforming from a girl living in the heat and humidity of Malaysia to a woman who overcame a series of obstacles to construct a success story in her much colder adopted home of Minnesota.
Among other stories, she explained how she came from a house with no indoor plumbing, navigated the United States as an international student and at one point was given a 50% chance of surviving a rare medical condition.
“You represent why we all do this show,” billionaire investor Mark Cuban said after hearing her backstory.
In the end, four of the five sharks offered joint proposals to Leong. The team of Cuban and Lori Greiner offered the same deal as their counterparts Kevin O’Leary and Barbara Corcoran — $750,000 for a 20% stake — before Cuban and Greiner offered $50,000 more (in the words of Cuban) “for your parents, who are unbelievable.”
Although Leong did not accept O’Leary’s deal, she did earn the respect of a man known just as much for his gruff and terse disposition as for his business dealings. “One of the best presentations,” said O’Leary, who was brought to tears. “One of the best.”
Leong was both “happy and shocked” by his comments: “It goes to show that if you are passionate, authentic, and you do your best, and you’ve laid it all out there, it resonates with people.”
‘A stepping stone to a better future’
Leong’s entire time on the “Shark Tank” stage lasted a little more than 10 minutes, which is not nearly enough time to learn about the intricacies on which her American dream was built.
Recently though, she came back to Brother Louis Hall and sat in one of the classrooms where she had begun attending class at Saint Mary’s in 2008 as a 20-something still fairly fresh from her undergraduate experience at Bemidji State University, where she earned a degree in communications/journalism in 2006.
Amber Leong M’10 reflects on her time as a student at Saint Mary’s with a smile while sitting in Brother Louis Hall.
Upon finishing her degree from Saint Mary’s in 2010, she accepted a job at as a brand manager at the Minneapolis offices of Jack Link’s Beef Jerky, an opportunity that she marks as a turning point in her career.
As a student, she remembers sitting with her classmates, most of whom were older with several decades of real-life experience and practical knowledge in the business world. Some of them shared the commonality of being an immigrant, having come from places such as Ethiopia, Argentina, and Norway. Some did not, but all shared a similar drive that was familiar to Leong, who decided to pursue her MBA after the Hong Kong-based watch manufacturer she worked for in sales and marketing decided to close its U.S. office in Minneapolis.
“They would work in their day jobs and then they would come here. They would spend the next four hours until 10 o’clock here and I would look at them. I saw their resolve to make something of themselves. They were using this as a stepping stone to a better future for themselves,” she said of her classmates. “And that is the single most important thing I have learned from Saint Mary’s: the personal responsibility you need to have.”
Mirela Miresan served as the assistant director of the MBA program when Leong started her studies at Saint Mary’s. Miresan recalls the first time that she met with Leong in 2008 to determine if the program would be a good fit.
“She knew exactly what she wanted to do, Miresan said. “And she was willing to learn what needs to be done to succeed.”
Bridgette Kirschenmann M’10 began the MBA program at the same time as Leong. The two were part of a group of students who would frequently meet for sushi in downtown Minneapolis. Their connection was instant.
Amber Leong M’10 poses on the day of her commencement on the Twin Cities Campus.
“I loved her drive and determination to better herself,” said Kirschenmann, who currently works as a marketing consultant and health and fitness instructor. “She, honestly, is one of the most genuine people I have ever met.”
Kirshenmann was amazed to learn about Leong’s backstory. Through her friend, she learned about the “meaning behind love and devotion one had for their family” that runs deep within the tapestry of Malaysian culture. She learned about Leong’s story of survival.
“She beat the odds,” Kirschenmann said. “Instead of feeling sorry for herself, she took that opportunity to follow her dream and never looked back. Her success isn’t a shock; talent always finds a home,” Kirschenmann said.
‘There is true kindness’
Leong’s original home is Salak South, a town located at the southern tip of Malaysia’s capital and largest city, Kuala Lampur. It was there where she would watch a variety of American TV shows such as “Full House,” — “I wanted to be Stephanie Tanner,” she said — “Saved by the Bell,” and “America’s Funniest Home Videos.” She also avidly read the Sweet Valley High book series.
She had always wanted to get her degree from an American university. With the help of her parents, who cashed out their retirement fund to help with tuition, she eventually found herself at Bemidji State University as a 20-year-old transfer student.
“They sent me here with a lot of faith,” Leong said. “I had a lot of faith in myself and also a bit of youthful ignorance.”
Her love of history and stories made her want to pursue a career as a journalist, possibly working for a national news organization like CNN. This was before she would realize how hard it was to find a job in her initial chosen profession. Her mother sent her youngest daughter off with what would become Leong’s favorite piece of advice: “Don’t be rigid… Dreams change. Plans change, and you have to be OK with that.”
Circadian Optics features five varieties of bright light LED therapy lamps, each one starting with the letter “L” (from left to right): Lumine, Luxy, Lumos, Lattis, and Lampu. The Lumos currently is only available on Amazon due to its popularity.
Leong first touched down in Minnesota via the Minneapolis-Saint Paul International Airport on a cold January day, in the middle of winter. While she was waiting for a smaller plane to finish her journey to Bemidji, she befriended four passengers, all of whom gave her their cell phone numbers in case she needed assistance of any kind.
“I think they could see that I was alone, this young girl who was alone. I guess I was really excited. They’d be like, ‘OK, this girl needs help,’” Leong said with a laugh. “I’ve been here long enough now, that I know about Minnesota Nice, but there is true kindness… If you need help from Minnesotans, they will give you help.”
While at Bemidji State, Leong worked a variety of jobs including resident assistant and campus tour guide to make ends meet. She would save in any way she could, going so far as to take advantage of her slight frame by buying children’s clothing during her first trip to Target.
Nine months after arriving in Bemidji, Leong was dealt her toughest obstacle yet: a diagnosis of toxic shock syndrome, a rare bacterial illness. With her parents unable to visit due to visa issues, Leong received a large regimen of antibiotics. Luckily, her medical team detected the illness within 24 hours of her being exposed to it, vastly improving the odds of her body’s ability to fight off the illness. She spent two weeks in an intensive care unit, followed by another week in a hospital ward.
“It stays with me every day,” Leong said. “I survived and it does give you a perspective in life. It’s made me more resilient. It’s made me grateful.
“When you go through life, there are mountains and valleys. It made me know I will be OK. You just have to be tough and be strong and go through the storm, and the storm will eventually end.”
‘It was now or never’
Four years into her job at Jack Link’s, Leong had the idea to start what would become Circadian Optics. It would be great to say that the co-founder of a therapy lamp company had a proverbial light bulb turn on one day — but that is not how it happened.
In pursuit of a promotion, Leong had been putting in long hours and noticed, over time, she felt sluggish and was not getting the quality of sleep she needed to meet the next day’s demands. One day, she read an article about winter blues and the importance of natural light on one’s Circadian rhythm — and humankind’s biological need for sunlight that is often lacking in many modern-day workplaces.
Leong decided to invest in a therapy lamp to reset her internal body clock. She immediately felt energy and had a restful sleep, but also gained the reputation for being the “crazy lamp lady” in her office given its bulky nature. After researching the market, she identified the need for a more stylish line of therapy lamps that would not be so off-putting to others.
Amber Leong M’10 co-founded Circardian Optics with her husband, Kin Chew, in 2016.
“I had an idea for a while, and it was just replaying in my head,” Leong said. “I was doing OK at my job. I had enough savings and I had just turned 30. I then decided, ‘Well, if I don’t do this, if I don’t make the leap now, when am I going to do it?’… It was now or never.”
She eventually decided to approach her husband about the idea.
“I loved the idea and completely shared the vision and passion for it,” Chew said. “We were going to try to create a product that helped people, and that was a great purpose for us to work on it.”
Leong and Chew run their business out of their Minneapolis office. Although maintaining the balance between their work and personal lives posed a bit of a challenge when they were starting out, they have been able to achieve success by keeping “a clear delineation of roles,” Leong said.
Going forward, Leong is excited for what lies ahead for her company. Having reached a deal on “Shark Tank,” she hopes that her therapy lamps will be in major retail stores by 2020. She also hopes to launch additional models to go beyond the five currently offered.
“I never expected to see the company on ‘Shark Tank’ when we were first starting out,” Chew said. “It’s still hard to believe now.”
As his wife will tell you, what is hard to believe can only be actualized by putting forth the effort needed when inspiration meets motivation.
“If you have an idea, even if it’s 70% there, just go for it,” Leong said. “Try stepping out of your comfort zone and choose creativity over certainty…. Be brave, be bold, and try because what have you got to lose? You don’t want to live with the regret, especially if you have an idea that keeps coming back to you again and again.
“There is something there if the idea refuses to leave you and it’s been with you. Act on it. It might change your life.”
New Career Explorations class provides insight into job market, needed skills
Brian Tran has dreams of working on Wall Street. Before he could think about managing accounts at a large private investment firm, however, the first-year student knew where he wanted his time and attention to go two mornings out of the week: “Before you can invest in your future, you have to first invest in yourself.”
That belief helped drive him to enroll in a one-credit pilot course called “Career Explorations” on the Winona Campus, which ran for the first half of the fall semester.
Taking place at 8:10 a.m. Tuesday and Thursday mornings at the Science and Learning Center, the class researched prospective career paths in a group setting. They also took personality/strength assessments (through instruments such as Myers Briggs and StrengthsFinder), developed résumés and cover letters, worked on 30-second introductions, and conducted informational interviews.
First-year student Vanessa Bartlett points to the screen during her final presentation of the Carer Explorations course.
In addition, members of the human resources team from Winona-based manufacturing firm Fastenal distributed career readiness surveys to the students, who then filled them out and later received individual assessments.
The curriculum also included the practice of maintaining eye contact and conducting a proper handshake, skills that instructor Michael Hagarty said “are very Lasallian because the Lasallian principle is to make people feel successful in the world that surrounds them.”
Gathering information
Tran, who is from Blaine, Minn., had first started building résumés and cover letters through a career preparation course in high school. What made the Saint Mary’s course stand out from that experience, though, was doing informational interviews with the assistance of correlating information, he said.
“I never really explored that type of interview, nor did I really even know much about it,” Tran said. “I feel that the material provided had a ton of informational questions we could use.”
Being a double major in international business and finance, Tran set up an interview over the phone through a friend of a friend who works in the financial world in New York. Tran is currently trying to land a summer internship in his chosen field, especially one in Manhattan.
Tran entered the class as one of 22 students — most of whom are first-year students or sophomores — knowing that he wanted to go into business and finance. What he discovered in the course, though, was an interest in researching educational paths such as high school teachers, college professors, and fitness trainers.
Through the group counseling session dynamic, Tran said that learning about the possible career paths of his peers helped clarify his own.
“I feel like the class has really helped me with being able to understand and empathize with others’ thoughts and opinions and be more open-minded … because there are so many paths and so many opportunities out there that you wouldn’t even think of at all on your own,” he said.
Mike Hagarty, director of Career Services, listens to final presentations of the inaugural Career Explorations course on Oct. 8. To his left is junior Kris Shepard, who co-taught the class with Hagarty.
Mike Hagarty serves as the director of Career Services at Saint Mary’s. For several years, he has run voluntary workshops geared around the same material, but “repeat customers” were hard to find. Allowing students to receive one credit created an opportunity for students to be more motivated, he said.
“I think it’s been very helpful for them to know that they’re not alone, but also that there are people who they can go to who will understand where they are in their journey,” said Hagarty. He also made note of the instruction provided by one of his interns, Kris Shepard, a junior English minor who co-taught the course. Shepard is interested in possibly enrolling in the M.A. in Teaching program upon graduating.
Hagarty was also overwhelmed by the dedication of the students who made their way to the class each week at a time that is thought of as being too early for many of their peers.
“The fact that there were that many people who were willing to trade an extra hour of sleep for what they thought would be a benefit of this class, that’s amazing,” he said. “It’s been exciting to see the various places that the students have come to this class from, and how they’ve been able to see common threads with each other.”
Different paths to consider
First-year student Mary Moritz addresses the audience during her final presentation of the Carer Explorations course.
Mary Moritz, a first-year student from Saint Michael, Minn., said that she had never created a résumé or a cover letter before taking part in the course. Moritz plans on declaring her major as elementary education, but during the course she also explored the possibility of being a social worker, occupational therapist, or psychologist.
Although she had been thinking about the first three professions since high school, the fourth option came as a recommendation from Hagarty after looking over her career and personality assessment data. She recommends future incoming students enroll, as well.
“I would recommend, even if you have your major figured out, to take the class, because you might find something that you want to do more,” Moritz said.
“I think that it also confirmed things that I already knew about myself, Like, ‘Yep, this seems right. This is what I want to do’… I know that I want to work with people, even though I don’t know my major yet.”
The hope, Hagarty said, is that the course will become part of the regular offerings for undergraduate students next year. In the meantime, he will be teaching a similar one geared toward juniors and seniors in the spring called “Search Strategies,” which will help interview for, negotiate, and receive a job offer before they graduate.
“The way I’m pitching it to the seniors is you’re going to be looking for a job in the spring anyway. Why not get credit for it?” Hagarty said. “Because we’re going to be doing company research. We’re going to be doing mock interviews. We’re going to be going to career fairs. We’re going to be working the job search action plan.”
Alumna finds success on ‘Shark Tank’
On Oct. 6, Amber Leong M’10 made school history as the first Saint Mary’s University of Minnesota alumnus to appear on the popular show “Shark Tank” on ABC. Leong, who went by the name Yee Mun while earning her MBA at Saint Mary’s, opened the show as she asked the “Sharks” to invest $750,000 for a 10% stake in her Minneapolis-based company, Circadian Optics, which she co-founded with her husband in 2016.
After hearing her backstory of coming to Minnesota as a Malaysian immigrant and learning about the $4 million the company made last year through online sales alone, Mark Cuban and Lori Greiner offered her $800,000 for a 20% stake — and the promise she would expand her line of bright light therapy lamps into retail stores. “If you have the chance and opportunity to reach for your dreams, reach for your dreams,” Leong told the TV audience.
Saint Mary’s welcomes public to presentation about character education
WINONA, Minn. — As a Lasallian Catholic university with a strong reputation for preparing many of Minnesota’s educators and educational administrators, Saint Mary’s University has started a Character Education and Virtue Formation speaker series to explore and enhance programming about this topic.
The public is invited to attend the first presentation in the series, featuring James Arthur, Ph.D., the director of the Jubilee Centre for Character and Virtues at the University of Birmingham, United Kingdom. Dr. Arthur will speak on “The Idea of the Catholic University” at 7 p.m. Tuesday, Nov. 5, in the Science and Learning Center, located on Saint Mary’s Winona Campus.
Dr. Arthur, also chair of the Society for Educational Studies, was head of the School of Education from 2010-2015 and deputy pro-vice chancellor from 2015-2019. He was previously editor of the British Journal of Educational Studies for 10 years and holds numerous honorary titles in the academe, including honorary professor of the University of Glasgow and honorary research fellow in the University of Oxford. Dr. Arthur was made an Officer of the British Empire by the queen in 2018. He has written widely on the relationship between theory and practice in education, particularly the links between character, virtues, citizenship, religion, and education. He established the Jubilee Centre in 2012; the Centre has grown in size, scope, and impact since its launch at the House of Lords in May 2012.
MCA jazz combos to perform two community concerts
WINONA, Minn. — The Minnesota Conservatory for the Arts (MCA) jazz combos will present two community concerts that are free and open to the public:
- Wednesday, Oct. 30, at 6 p.m. in the Academy Theatre in the Valéncia Arts Center, 1164 W. Howard St.
- Sunday, Nov. 17, at 5:30 p.m. at Wellington’s Pub & Grill, 1429 W. Service Dr.
MCA is home to three jazz combos: the Duke, Dizzy, and Basie Combos. These combos are comprised of students ages 11-17 from the Winona area.
The jazz combo program, which began in September 2012 under the direction of Dave Gudmastad, has grown quickly. Each jazz combo rehearses for one hour each week, beginning in September and continuing through March. The combos help students learn the art of jazz in a small ensemble setting. The rehearsal sessions provide basic instruction in jazz-related rhythm, tone, style, concept, listening skills, and improvisation. A new session starts each September and January for young musicians interested in joining a combo. MCA also offers private music lessons and a variety of music classes.
MCA Music Division programs are made possible by the Hiawatha Education Foundation, Slaggie Family Foundation, Elizabeth Callender King Foundation, Hal Leonard LLC., and the voters of Minnesota through a Minnesota State Arts Board Operating Support grant, thanks to a legislative appropriation from the arts and cultural heritage fund.
About MCA
The Minnesota Conservatory for the Arts (MCA), an affiliate program of Saint Mary’s University of Minnesota, is a nonprofit community arts school offering programming in dance, music, visual art, and theater. Classes, lessons, workshops, and camps are offered for students of all ages from birth through older adults at the Valéncia Arts Center. For more information about MCA or Galleria Valéncia, visit mca.smumn.edu, email mca@smumn.edu, or call 507-453-5500.
Saint Mary’s welcomes public Nov. 7 to next Catholic Virtue presenter, the Rev. John O’Malley, S.J.
MINNEAPOLIS, Minn. — The public is invited to Saint Mary’s University’s Cardinal Virtue presentations, scheduled throughout the 2019-20 academic year.
These speakers and topics were chosen to create thought-provoking dialogue as Saint Mary’s cultivates in its learners virtues that will guide them throughout their educational journeys and as they enter the world as leaders in their professions and communities.
The Rev. John W. O’Malley, S.J., professor of theology at Georgetown University, will present “Catholic Universities: Why Bother with Humanities?” at 6:15 p.m. Thursday, Nov. 7, at Saint Mary’s Twin Cities Campus, located at 2500 Park Ave., Minneapolis. A 7:15 p.m. social will follow.
RSVP online to smumn.edu/cvrsvp by Thursday, Oct. 31.
The Rev. O’Malley, S.J., is a historian of the religious culture of modern Europe. He has received lifetime achievement awards from the Society for Italian Historical Studies, the Renaissance Society of America, and the American Catholic Historical Association. In 2016, he received the Centennial Medal from the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences of Harvard University, “the school’s highest honor.” This August Harvard University Press published his latest book, When Bishops Meet, An Essay Comparing Trent, Vatican I, and Vatican II. The Rev. O’Malley is a member of the Society of Jesus and was ordained a Roman Catholic priest in 1959. He earned a B.A. and M.A. from Loyola University, Chicago, and a Ph.D. from Harvard University.
3+2 PA Program provides connections with Mayo Clinic School of Health Sciences
The inaugural class of the 3+2 Physician Assistant Program has begun its studies this fall.
Working in collaboration with Mayo School of Health Sciences, the five-year accelerated program will allow undergraduates to have an immersive educational experience at several state-of-the-art facilities.
“I think it’s a fantastic opportunity, not only for Saint Mary’s to continue to meet our mission, but it also provides us an opportunity to really interface directly with healthcare providers and healthcare provider educators,” said Todd Reinhart, Sc.D., dean of the School of Sciences and Health Professions at Saint Mary’s University.
“This is unique for us in that right away from a student’s first year, we’re working with Mayo Clinic to not only talk about the foundational sciences, but also the practice of being a PA. It really gives us the opportunities to integrate the perspective of healthcare providers earlier in our curriculum.
Three facilities, one journey
Todd Reinhart
Students who began the program in August will spend three years taking classes at the new Science and Learning Center on the Winona Campus, where they will study the foundational sciences led by Jeanne Minnerath, Ph.D., director of the allied health program and associate professor of biology.
Program participants will then make their way west to finish their studies and clinical work at both Mayo Clinic School of Health Sciences and Saint Mary’s Rochester Campus. Dr. Reinhart pointed out that, in addition to traditional classrooms, students will be able to use the clinical skills labs and mock patient rooms — with either mannequins or actors as patients — to fully integrate their clinical experiences at Mayo Clinic as they learn about, and later take part in, the full array of care associated with being a PA, including family medicine, urgent care, pediatrics, surgery, and emergency medicine.
“It’s truly going to be a model environment for students to transition from the foundational sciences into a clinical care setting,” he said.
After completing four years in the program, students will earn a Bachelor of Arts in Biology-Health Science degree from Saint Mary’s University. Participants will then receive a Master of Health Sciences in Physician Assistant Studies degree from Mayo Clinic School of Health Sciences upon completing the fifth year, when they will be working with actual patients under the supervision of their Mayo instructors and other physicians, some of whom are regarded as the top experts and researchers within their specialized fields.
“With that relationship in place, we’re able to identify the best students in this area to receive some of the best training from world-class physicians, PAs, and other healthcare providers,” said Michael Huckabee, Ph.D., the PA program director at Mayo Clinic School of Health Sciences.
The program is capped at 24 students for each incoming class, with 18 from Saint Mary’s and six from the University of Minnesota-Rochester. The initial pool of potential students included about 60 applicants. Dr. Reinhart expects that number to increase in the upcoming years.
On Sept. 18, all 24 students gathered at the Science and Learning Center to take part in what is known as Mayo Connections. The event, which will be held twice a semester for the first three years of the program, was led by Dr. Huckabee.
“It was a way to start talking to these first-year students about the discipline, what it means to be a PA, how it’s different than being a physician or nurse practitioner, and start to talk about professionalism as it relates to being a PA as well as working in the Mayo system,” Dr. Reinhart said.
‘A natural fit
Michael Huckabee
Although the idea had been in place for about three years before the program began this fall, it took a team, led by Drs. Reinhart and Huckabee, to go through every facet of the curriculum to seamlessly integrate the educational material from Saint Mary’s and Mayo Clinic School of Health Sciences.
“I could see the opportunity from a workforce-need perspective, but the only way that I feel Saint Mary’s could do this would be with a true academic health center collaborator, given the really intense clinical demands of that final year of the program,” Dr. Reinhart said.
On the other hand, Mayo Clinic School of Health Sciences was looking to form an alliance with a liberal arts university that could provide a foundation of critical thinking skills, one that was also located in the region, Dr. Reinhart said.
“That’s really important to Mayo: to recruit the students who come out of this PA program to work in Mayo Clinic Health System,” he added. “It’s a natural fit.”
Program graduates will be poised to apply for jobs within Mayo Clinic Health System, should they choose to go in that direction. Dr. Huckabee said that the PA profession is expected to grow nationally by 40 percent in the next 10 years, giving graduates plenty of options once they hit the job market.
The program is in the middle of receiving provisional accreditation from the Accreditation Review Commission on Education for the Physician Assistant (ARC-PA), Dr. Reinhart said, adding that the commission is currently reviewing approximately 30 newly created PA programs this year.
“There is growing demand for healthcare providers at this level, where you can provide frontline and specialized patient care under the supervision of a physician,” Dr. Reinhart said. “Higher education in general and healthcare systems as well are recognizing the value of these frontline healthcare providers.”
Saint Mary’s students to stage Monty Pythonesque absurd comedy ‘The Knight of the Burning Pestle’
WINONA, Minn. — The Saint Mary’s Department of Theatre and Dance will stage the comedic parody “The Knight of the Burning Pestle” Thursday through Sunday, Oct. 31-Nov. 3, in Page Theatre.
With a modern-day theatricality remarkably ahead of its time, this witty comic satire of theatre (and its audience) contains much revelry, popular songs, and audience interaction. Shakespeare’s contemporary (and sometimes collaborator) Francis Beaumont penned this crazy comedy around 1607.
In the show, a company of actors who are performing “The London Merchant” are forced to recreate their production on the spot, indulging the whimsical impulses of their audience and enduring their constant interruptions while improvising alternate characters and adapting their romantic comedy into an action-adventure parody. According to director Walter Elder, it’s a contemporary classic mashup of Mel Brooks, Monty Python, Cervantes, and Shakespeare.
Shows are 7:30 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 31, through Saturday, Nov. 2, and 3 p.m. Sunday, Nov. 3, at Page Theatre.
Tickets are $10, $5 for students and seniors and are available at the Saint Mary’s Performance Center box office, 507-457-1715 from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. weekdays or online at pagetheatre.org.
*Contains adult themes.
Halloween Fun Night is Oct. 29 at Saint Mary’s
WINONA, Minn. — Elementary and preschool children from the Winona area are invited to attend the annual Saint Mary’s University Halloween Fun Night from 6 to 8 p.m. Tuesday, Oct. 29.
Participants can come through the main entrance of the Winona Campus where they will be directed where to park.
Again this year, the Halloween Fun Night will be held entirely indoors in the Toner Student Center. Young trick-or-treaters should start out the evening at the Hall of Fame Room, where fun games will be offered, and the Cardinal mascot Big Red will greet pint-sized ghosts and goblins.
From there, groups of trick-or-treaters will be led through the halls of the Toner Student Center, where they can go station to station for candy, all while staying warm and dry.
As many as 700 youth participate in this free, safe, and fun event each year.
MCA tap dancers selected to perform at Twin Cities Tap Festival
WINONA, Minn. — A number of Minnesota Conservatory for the Arts (MCA) intermediate and advanced tap dancers were selected to perform at the Twin Cities Tap Festival on Thursday, Oct. 17, at 7:30 p.m. at the Cowles Center in Minneapolis.
Under the guidance of instructor and choreographer Christine Martin, tap dancers performing are Deja Foster, Viva Graff, Hannah Graff, Elizabeth Hinz, Nadia Hocum, Annabeth Kerr, Mattie Kriesel, Izzy Livingston, Preston Meinke, Isaac Meinke, Justine Meinke, Carmelle Meyer, and Keeli Meyer.
The piece selected is an excerpt from “Symphony No. 143” (Eine Kleine Nachtmusick), which was performed last April during MCA’s Dance Repertory Company’s concert, “Classically Speaking.” Symphony No. 143 is an American tap dance inspired by the teaching of Fred Rogers including the themes of acceptance, respect, and love for oneself and one’s neighbor. Throughout the rehearsal process, the dancers have spent time exploring concepts such as gratitude, communication, confidence, and the power of artistic expression.
Winona area dance enthusiasts don’t have to travel to the cities to see the performance, they are invited to attend the dancer’s final dress rehearsal on Sunday, Oct. 13, at 7 p.m. at MCA. This 15- to 20-minute preview performance is free and open to the public and will include the dance performance and a little explanation of the process.
About MCA
The Minnesota Conservatory for the Arts (MCA), an affiliate program of Saint Mary’s University of Minnesota, is a nonprofit community arts school offering programming in dance, music, visual art, and theater. Classes, lessons, workshops, and camps are offered for students of all ages from birth through older adults at the Valéncia Arts Center. For more information about MCA or Galleria Valéncia, visit mca.smumn.edu, email mca@smumn.edu, or call 507-453-5500.
Photo caption: MCA tap dancers performing include, from left: back, Viva Graff, Izzy Livingston, Annabeth Kerr, Carmelle Meyer, Preston Meinke, Mattie Kriesel, Justine Meinke; front, Hannah Graff, Nadia Hocum, Deja Foster, Isaac Meinke, and Keeli Meyer.
Adult learners to graduate Oct. 12 on Saint Mary’s Twin Cities Campus
MINNEAPOLIS, Minn. — More than 440 adult learners will graduate from Saint Mary’s University of Minnesota and its Schools of Graduate and Professional Programs on Saturday, Oct. 12, where three commencement convocations will honor the graduates.
The ceremonies, to be held at 10 a.m., 12:30 p.m., and 3 p.m. at the Saint Mary’s University Center on Park Avenue in Minneapolis, will feature five graduates who have been invited to provide reflections as part of the ceremonies. Another seven graduating students will be honored with Saint Mary’s Outstanding Final Paper Awards.
Graduating students providing reflections are:
- Sarah Fox, M.A. in Counseling Psychology
- Jennifer Fogus, B.S. in Business Administration
- Kathleen Soucheray, Ed.D. in Leadership
- Patience Nakibirige, M.A. in Organizational Leadership
- Nancy Johnson, D.B.A.
Graduating students being honored with Outstanding Final Paper Awards are:
- Genevieve Cecelia-Florence West, M.A. in Counseling and Psychological Services
- Xiao Liang, M.A. in Health and Human Services Administration
- Rory Burton Feeney, Psy.D. in Counseling Psychology
- Rita E. Guadagno, M.A. in Special Education
- Arlene Joy Lawrence, Ed.D. in Leadership
- Nora Ulland Zibursky, Ed.D. in Leadership
- Nor Xiong, M.S. in Project Management
Get set to scream at annual Walk of Horror
WINONA, Minn. — The Saint Mary’s University fastpitch softball team is showing leadership on the field … and in planning new scares for this year’s Walk of Horror. Once again, these athletes are guaranteeing goosebumps for all those brave enough to face their fears.
The 23rd annual hair-raising fundraiser for the Saint Mary’s Cardinal fastpitch softball team will take place from 7 to 10 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays, Oct. 18-19 and 25-26, and Thursday, Oct. 31, in the campus bluffs. Walkers are asked to meet on the lighted path between the Cardinal baseball and softball fields, where the haunted walk will begin.
Groups are then escorted through the dark bluffs for approximately 20 minutes.
The cost is $6 for adults, $5 for students with ID, and $5 for children 12 and younger. Tickets are available at the gate.
Saint Mary’s head fastpitch softball coach Jen Miller said the event is fun for all ages. The scare level is toned down for younger children and turned up for older and braver participants. Last year more than 1,100 courageous souls took the Walk of Horror.
Proceeds from this event will be used for the softball team’s travel expenses on their annual spring trip. For more information, contact Miller at 507-457-6923.
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