Saint Mary's Newsroom / Campus Notes
Winona Campus NewsletterStudents build the Lasallian network worldwide
Saint Mary’s University students Fabian Alvarez ’19 and Emma Mockler ’20 are currently attending a two-week student conference in Rio de Janeiro in collaboration with students from other Lasallian colleges and universities worldwide. Focusing on leadership and global understanding, this annual program is sponsored by the International Association for Lasallian Universities. This year’s program follows the 2017-18 theme of “Lasallians without Limits,” emphasizing the increasing globalization and skills needed by leaders to understand how actions, decisions, and policies go beyond the borders of communities, states, and nations. With the goal of continuing to build a strong international global Lasallian community, students have been working in groups to understand life, politics, and cultures in other countries. During their two weeks in Brazil, the students will engage in service learning activities, intercultural and cultural understanding, community leadership, and pedagogy that encourages students to take responsibility for their own learning.
Saint Mary’s works with CRS at Baltimore summit
Students Brianna Jacobson ’21 and Jordan Malikowski ’21 along with Colleen Dunne, director of Campus Ministry, attended the national Catholic Relief Services (CRS) SALT Summit in Baltimore July 16-18. Working with CRS University Engagement and joining 60 other colleges and universities from across the country, students spent time learning about what CRS does, advocacy, fair trade, systematic solutions to poverty, and global disaster relief. In addition to a day of workshops on the campus of Loyola University in Baltimore, they also spent a day at the CRS national offices in Baltimore and in arranged meetings with their state representatives in Washington, D.C. Saint Mary’s participants were joined by students and staff members from four other Lasallian colleges and universities, including Lewis University, La Salle University, Christian Brothers University, and Manhattan College.
Saint Mary’s University has an active chapter of CRS Student Ambassadors working to bring awareness to issues of global injustice and disaster relief. On our Winona Campus, CRS Student Ambassadors sponsor Fair Trade coffee every Friday morning in Saint Mary’s Hall in partnership with Chartwells. Over the last year the group has focused on human trafficking, climate change, and ethical trade. Fair Trade coffee will continue to be offered in the fall semester, and the ambassadors also plan to focus on developing programs for recycling on campus and bringing awareness to issues of environmental justice.
Biology student takes hands-on approach to vet experience
Mia Ojczyk ’20 is doing all she can to get more experience working with animals, including working the past four years at a small animal clinic (three as a veterinarian assistant) and most recently as a veterinarian intern at a large animal clinic.
Growing up around animals, her dream of becoming a veterinarian developed early.
“My first job was at a petting zoo,” said Ojczyk, a biology major from White Bear Lake, Minn., whose family has been fostering rescue dogs for years. “My parents raised my sister and I outside. We didn’t have a TV for a long time. My mom is really passionate about animals as well. She taught us the importance of having respect for animals.”
Ojczyk has been horseback riding for nearly her whole life, so her recent internship at Bluff Country Equine Veterinary Center in Winona, Minn., during spring semester was a natural fit, even though Bluff Country serves all large animals, not just horses as the name suggests. Ojczyk mainly worked with Dr. Shawn Jensen, a vet who specializes in equine reproduction, but also had the chance to work with Dr. John Bengfort, who works with cows, deer, and even elk.
“Equine reproduction is pretty interesting. There’s a lot of really cool stuff they’re doing with that now at the clinic, like embryo transplants,” said Ojczyk. “There’s a lot for me to learn about the other animals too. I’d never seen an elk, let alone work with one. It was awesome.”
Working with Dr. Jensen, Ojczyk gained hands-on experience with horses, helping with appointments, giving vaccinations, administering medication, floating teeth (filing their teeth down to make them smooth), and even watching births.
“I’ve gotten to see a couple foals being born,” Ojczyk said. “It’s not like anything I’ve ever experienced before.” Typically, she said clients bring the expecting mother horses to the clinic about two weeks before their due dates so she can be constantly monitored in a safe environment throughout the birthing process.
Ojczyk plans on applying to vet school next year, but she knows the application process is tough. She said even though she already had experience working at a small animal clinic back home, she sought an internship with large animals because she wanted to expand her horizons and get new experience.
“To get into vet school you need a certain amount of hours working with a vet,” said Ojczyk. “And you’re a much more attractive applicant if you’ve worked with different types of animals.”
She took a very hands-on approach to finding the internship. Working alongside Saint Mary’s staff, Ojczyk called vet clinics in the area and asked about job shadow and internship opportunities. “A lot of vets want to teach and share their profession and share their passion. Even though it’s not like these opportunities are posted anywhere, they’re definitely there. You just have to look for them,” she said.
Ojczyk said the most rewarding part of the internship was getting exposure to different situations and animals.
“At my summer job I help with blood tests and fecal exams, but now I know how to interpret the values we get back from the tests,” said Ojczyk. “I’ve been doing some of this stuff for a while but never quite knew exactly what it means. Working at Bluff Country helped me get in-depth, relevant knowledge that will help at my summer job and in vet school too. I’m extremely thankful.”
A message from Father Burns
As most of you know, yesterday was my first official day as president of Saint Mary’s University. It was a very active day divided between both our Twin Cities and Winona campuses, but I greatly enjoyed meeting so many of you, my valued colleagues. I’m extremely grateful for the warm welcome you have shown me. I am looking forward to better understanding the needs, goals, culture, and charism of Saint Mary’s. I am also deeply humbled to continue the great momentum that is already happening at our university. I know that working here — with such dedicated faculty and staff — will be a great gift, as will the opportunity to enrich the lives of those we serve. Thank you for all your prayers and good wishes during this time of transition. I look forward to hearing your thoughts and ideas as we move forward together.
Perpetuating our Lasallian Catholic heritage and identity
Saint Mary’s attendees pose at the Buttimer Institute this summer.
Faculty and staff are participating in education and formation opportunities this summer to deepen their understanding of the university’s mission and Lasallian charism.
From June 24–July 7 at Manhattan College in Riverdale, N.Y., 11 Saint Mary’s faculty and staff attended the Buttimer Institute of Lasallian Studies, a three-year residential course of study that meets for two weeks each summer. This intensive formation and education program studies the life, work, and spirituality of Saint John Baptist de La Salle and the origins of the Lasallian educational mission. Participants included Molly Bigelow, Rochester Center – enrollment counselor; Colleen Dunne, director of Campus Ministry; Crystal Carlson, assistant professor, Psychology; Dave Miliotis, director of Human Resources; Brother Guillaume Yame, student, M.A. in Teaching and M.A. in Lasallian Leadership; Cheryl Cox, Apple Valley Center – coordinator and transfer counselor; Susan Jarosak, assistant dean, Public Health; Michael Ostman, director of Student Activities; Cindy Kronebusch, GSOE – assistant program director, M.A. in Literacy; Audrey Kintzi, vice president, Development and Alumni Relations; and Shannon Cisewski associate director and assistant professor – Ed.D. in Leadership. Brother William Mann, president emeritus, was a Buttimer instructor, and Brother Francis Carr, director for mission at Saint Mary’s Press, was the Buttimer program director.
From July 9–13 at Lewis University in Romeoville, Ill., two Saint Mary’s faculty and staff are participating in the Brother John Johnston Institute of Contemporary Lasallian Practice, a formation program that focuses on our heritage in light of contemporary realities. The two-year regional formation program deepens participants’ understanding of De La Salle’s story and vision, Lasallian pedagogy, the Lasallian promotion of justice, and Lasallian spirituality while utilizing contemporary texts to inform and influence current and future Lasallian practice. The institute is named for Brother John Johnston, a Saint Mary’s undergraduate and graduate alumnus and former Superior General of the De La Salle Christian Brothers. Attending from Saint Mary’s are Megan Sadowski, director of donor relations, Development and Alumni Relations, and Christopher Jordan, assistant professor, Chemistry.
Building new partnerships
We’ve seen great progress in our Priority 1 – Advance online learning and growth efforts this year and are happy to announce many new partners who we’ve recently added or renewed under Saint Mary’s Corporate Partnership Program:
- U.S. Bank (renewed in 2018)
- City of Minneapolis (renewed in 2018)
- HealthPartners (added March 8)
- Allina Health (added April 11)
- Noridian Healthcare Solutions (added April 25)
- Marshfield Clinic (added May 22)
- Best Buy (added June 1)
- C.H. Robinson Worldwide (added June 1)
- Cigna (renewed June 14)
- UnitedHealth Group (added June 21)
- Delta Air Lines (added July 9)
- Nystrom & Associates, Ltd. (added July 9)
Under the partnership agreements, employees at these organizations will get a 10 percent tuition discount and a waived application fee. In exchange, these organizations encourage their employees to advance their careers by continuing their education with Saint Mary’s, and we have a presence at their educational fairs/expo events to promote our programs. This ongoing work is supported by our partnership with Wiley Education Services and led by Kyle Goodwin, our new collegiate partnership manager. Priority 1 work will continue in an effort to deepen relationships, help drive enrollment, and identify other partnership opportunities.
![Saint Mary’s welcomes 400 alumni for Reunion Weekend [video]](https://newsroom.smumn.edu/wp-content/uploads/2018/07/Class-of-1983-1050x675.jpg)
Saint Mary’s welcomes 400 alumni for Reunion Weekend [video]
More than 400 alumni from class years spanning 1953 to 2013 gathered on the Saint Mary’s University Winona Campus for Reunion Weekend 2018. Alumni of all ages met June 22-24 to greet old friends, reminisce, and reconnect with Saint Mary’s.
The weekend was full of events including boat rides, painting, golf, campus tours, music, a picnic, a run through the bluffs, and an awards presentation. Several class-specific gatherings took place on and off campus.
On Friday, June 23, the class of 1968 celebrated its 50th anniversary with a special dinner. They also held a meaningful outdoor ceremony honoring veterans, where many class members shared their personal experiences.
The class of 1963 presented a class gift of $61,845 to the university in honor of their 55th anniversary.
A highlight of the weekend included the alumni award presentations on Saturday, June 24. This year’s alumni award recipients included:
- Dr. Bobbie (Smith) Gostout CST’78, ’83 ‒ Distinguished Alumna Award
- Sarah (Bellingham) Laitinen ’07 ‒ Lasallian Service Award
- Judy (Mullins) Lucas ’83 ‒ Alumni Appreciation Award
- Ania McNamara ’11 ‒ Outstanding Young Alumna Award
Saint Mary’s is grateful for its alumni and the experiences shared together throughout the years. Thank you to all who participated in Reunion Weekend 2018. See you again soon!
See more photos from the weekend.
Countdown to College helps students prepare for higher education
Countdown to College students work together during a summer session last year.
As part of our Lasallian Catholic heritage and identity, the university is committed to making higher education accessible. Now in its ninth year, the Countdown to College (C2C) program on the Winona Campus is a testament to that commitment. C2C will begin its summer session this week that will provide promising students from Catholic, Lasallian, and Jesuit partner schools in under-resourced communities with the skills they need to be successful. C2C provides high school students with four consecutive summers of intensive two-week academic and social preparation for college. Students sharpen academic skills, learn what it’s like to be a college student, live in residence halls, eat in the cafeteria, schedule their homework, and more. Out-of-class activities also introduce students to many campus and area resources.
A program of our First Generation Initiative (FGI) and funded by multiple benefactors, C2C has demonstrated success: 103 students have completed the C2C program; 100 percent have graduated from high school; 80 percent are enrolled in college; and 43 have become FGI Scholars at Saint Mary’s, while many others have received full scholarships to other universities. And this year, the very first group of C2C students graduated from Saint Mary’s as FGI Scholars.
Saint Mary’s faculty, staff, students, and alumni work alongside faculty from Christian Brothers University and teachers from our partner schools. The C2C session will run July 7-20 with 76 students entering grades nine through 12. On their final day, the rising seniors will present research projects followed by a ceremony for this sixth graduating class and their families.
Study abroad trips immerse students in business, literature, culture
Saint Mary’s students and professors from BU460: Business and Culture in Europe pose with workers at the Fastenal plant near Brno, Czech Republic.
The Study Abroad Office collaborated with the Business and English departments to facilitate two short-term study abroad trips in May, helping prepare students to be global citizens and immersing them in dynamic and transformational learning experiences.
As part of BU460: Business and Culture in Europe, 18 students traveled to Austria, Czech Republic, and Germany with Lawrence Price, associate professor of Business, and Andrew Scott, assistant professor of Business. Students developed their knowledge of international business concepts and culture through traditional classroom studies and a 17-day tour to various European sites. Tour highlights included visits to the U.S. Embassy in Prague, Czech Republic; the BMW plant in Munich, Germany; the Watlow plant in Kuchl, Austria; and the Fastenal plant near Brno, Czech Republic.
As part of E360: Literature on Location, 13 students traveled to England with Dr. John Kerr, associate professor of English, and Dr. Carolyn Ayers, professor of English. Students explored English culture and history through an examination of literature and a subsequent 18-day literary tour of England focusing on sites related to course readings. During their travels, students stayed at St. Cassian’s Centre, a Lasallian retreat facility on beautiful grounds near Kintbury, England. Visit highlights included trips to Shakespeare’s home and Anne Hathaway’s cottage and attending a Royal Shakespeare Theatre production in Stratford-upon-Avon, England.
Eddie Phillips Scholarship celebration highlights student leadership
Saint Mary’s representatives attended the annual Eddie Phillips Scholarship celebration, from left: Octavia Brown, Countdown to College coordinator and Eddie Phillips Scholarship site coordinator; Ann Merchlewitz, interim president; Desmond Steward, Bradley Hill, and Stanley Wright, students and Eddie Phillips Scholarship recipients; Alisa Macksey, First Generation Initiative executive director; and Anne Conway, First Generation Initiative literacy specialist.
On June 28, several Saint Mary’s representatives attended the annual program celebration for the Eddie Phillips Scholarship, a dinner hosted by the Minnesota Private College Council. Saint Mary’s students Desmond Steward, Bradley Hill, and Stanley Wright are currently participating in the Eddie Phillips Scholarship program.
Created and coordinated by the Minnesota Private College Fund, the Eddie Phillips Scholarship for African-American Men is funded by The Jay & Rose Phillips Family Foundation of Minnesota. Students are named in the spring of their sophomore year and participate in their junior and senior years. Program participants receive significant scholarships along with valuable experiences, including advising, mentoring, and leadership development opportunities. They participate in internships, attend a national conference, and network with local African-American leaders. Saint Mary’s is proud of the work these young men have done in the program.
Saint Mary’s announces Winona Campus undergraduate commencement list
WINONA, Minn. — The following students received bachelor of arts degrees in May 2018 from Saint Mary’s University of Minnesota in Winona.
Molly Abraham, Sterling Heights, Mich.
Kali Aldrich, Rochester, Minn.
Kate Alley, Rapid City, S.D.
Michael Amelio, Venetia, Pa.
Brenden Amiotte, Rapid City, S.D.
Oscar Aragon-Aguilar, Minneapolis, Minn.
William Arvinius, Stockholm, Sweden
Elizabeth Atneosen, Woodbury, Minn.
Besufekad Azage, Adis Abeba, Ethiopia
Paula Avila, Weslaco, Texas
Brian Bansley, Chicago, Ill.
Jacob Barry, Tinley Park, Ill.
Sheyenne Bauer, Cannon Falls, Minn.
Andrew Becker, Littleton, Colo.
Alicia Berkenes, Buffalo, Minn.
Carter Bernier, Downers Grove, Ill.
Regina Bettag, Sheboygan, Wis.
Liam Bickerstaff, Rollingstone, Minn.
Brittney Birkhauser, Wisconsin Rapids, Wis.
Owen Blakely, Elmhurst, Ill.
Allison Borawski, Stickney, Ill.
Ronald Brown, Broadview, Ill.
Ryan Buchmeier, St. Paul, Minn.
Sean Butcher, Cave Creek, Ariz.
Maximillian Bzdula, Elmwood Park, Ill.
Chad Cagle, Washington, Ill.
Darren John Cajipo, Chalan Kanoa, Saipan, Northern Mariana Islands
Meagan Campbell, Mayer, Minn.
Karel Capek, Berwyn, Ill.
Marissa Carlyle, Scottsdale, Ariz.
Oscar Castro, Tucson, Ariz.
Caren Cazares, Milwaukee, Wis.
Chad Cesarz, Jackson, Mich.
Kathleen Chamberland, Roseville, Minn.
Wanzhi Chen, Xi’an, China
Michael Cimba, Chicago, Ill.
Kathryn Clark, Pleasant Prairie, Wis.
McKayla Collins, Cottage Grove, Minn.
Haley Colton, Spring Valley, Minn.
Emily Composto, Eden Prairie, Minn.
Hannah Croonquist, Saint Paul, Minn.
James Cullen, Western Springs, Ill.
Alexis Cummins, Chicago, Ill.
Jessica Cwik, Chicago, Ill.
Aaron Davis, Mound, Minn.
Drew DePalma, Armada, Mich.
Drew Derouin, Rochester, Minn.
Sara Dethloff, Rolling Meadows, Ill.
Omar Diongue, New York, N.Y.
Michael Doheny, Round Lake, Ill.
John Donovan, Chicago, Ill.
Bria Eder-Zdechlik, Stillwater, Minn.
Sarah Egbert, Colorado Springs, Colo.
Madaline Eichers, Independence, Minn.
Adam Estrada, Belvidere, Ill.
Landon Farrell, Rochester, Minn.
Jared Ferk, Winona, Minn.
Tyler Fiebig, Baraboo, Wis.
Stephen Fishbune, Rochester, Minn.
Jose Flores-Ugalde, Madison, Wis.
Rowan Flynn, Wausau, Wis.
Carina Friend, Colorado Springs, Colo.
Kathryn Frye, Minneapolis, Minn.
Shannon Genereau, Cromwell, Minn.
Brett Giesen, Cato, Wis.
Shawn Gilbert, Rice Lake, Wis.
Griffin Giles, Arlington, Texas
Lupita Gonzalez, Chicago, Ill.
Yisset Gonzalez, Sunnyvale, Calif.
Conor Gorman, Orland Park, Ill.
Liam Gorman, Orland Park, Ill.
Courtney Govan, San Diego, Calif.
Alexander Gowan-Nuehring, Rochester, Minn.
Anthony Grazian, Elmwood Park, Ill.
Cecilia Greenheck, Wabasha, Minn.
William Grillo, Hermantown, Minn.
Garrett Grunke, Verona, Wis.
Daniel Hammer, Baxter, Minn.
Brittney Hanson, Janesville, Iowa
Tabitha Hanson, Grand Rapids, Minn.
Sarah Hanus, Wittenberg, Wis.
Kassidy Hauschild, Hayfield, Minn.
Zachary Hefel, Winona, Minn.
Jeremy Heinle, York, Pa.
Jamie Henderson, Madison, Wis.
Jordan Hill, Rosemount, Minn.
Chelsea Hiltner, Coon Rapids, Minn.
Ryan Hippman, Bolingbrook, Ill.
Alexander Holm, Red Wing, Minn.
Spencer Holtorf, Austin, Minn.
Kathryn Homan, Mankato, Minn.
Grace Homer, Litchfield, Minn.
Molly Homeyer, Arlington, Texas
Alexa Huisman, Adrian, Minn.
Samantha Janssen, Zimmerman, Minn.
Mukamurakoze Jerardine, Sioux Falls, S.D.
Alyssa Johnson, McKinney, Texas
Jared Johnson, Hartland, Wis.
Victoria Johnston, Shakopee, Minn.
Kale Johnstone, Lombard, Ill.
Rosy Kanyamaw, Austin, Minn.
Jake Kelcher, Hudson, Wis.
Ruba Kenyi, Rochester, Minn.
Jordyn Keprios, Farmington, Minn.
Abigail Killian, Fountain City, Wis.
Robert Kinyon, Rapid City, S.D.
Brian Klein, Wells, Minn.
Alexander Kleve, Roseville, Minn.
Joseph Kleve, Roseville, Minn.
Kaitlin Kling, Le Roy, Minn.
Alexander Kocher, Champlin, Minn.
Joshua Koenigs, Wauwatosa, Wis.
Ciara Kowalczyk, Royalton, Minn.
Brandon Krogman, Owatonna, Minn.
Cole Kruger, Hayfield, Minn.
Cecelia Kuka, Delano, Minn.
Christopher Lackey, Union Grove, Wis.
Abby Lafko, Gilbert, Ariz.
Emily Lais, Osseo, Minn.
Isaac Landsteiner, Fairmont, Minn.
Jenna Lange, Rollingstone, Minn.
Ramontica Langfeldt, Faribault, Minn.
Summer Lardy, Richmond, Minn.
Zachary Lee, Bloomington, Minn.
Binglin Li, Shanghai, China
Sara Lind, Peterson, Minn.
Daniel Lodwich, Chicago, Ill.
Tara Longseth, Cloquet, Minn.
Emily Loof, Colorado Springs, Colo.
Xiao Lyu, Xi’an, China
Victoria Madigan, Sioux Falls, S.D.
Javier Madrid, Tucson, Ariz.
Marisol Martinez, Racine, Wis.
Victor Martinez, Chicago, Ill.
Innocenzo Martino, Elmwood Park, Ill.
Danielle Mascorro, Oak Lawn, Ill.
Nathan Mathwig, Woodbury, Minn.
Kalleigh May, Hugo, Minn.
Bailey McKnight, Pewaukee, Wis.
Jacob Mencacci, Terrell, Texas
Angela Messer, Saint Paul, Minn.
Kody Michaels, Stoddard, Wis.
Danielle Miller, Tinley Park, Ill.
Mark Miller, Roseau, Minn.
Maria Missurelli, Franklin, Wis.
Brian Mockler, Dubuque, Iowa
Stevie Moman, Inver Grove Heights, Minn.
John Morales, Torrance, Calif.
Maria Antonieta Morales-Lozano, Tucson, Ariz.
Conner Morgan, Zimmerman, Minn.
Natalie Mrozek, Albany, Minn.
Geraldina Mulville, Peoria, Ill.
Sarah Munns, White Bear Lake, Minn.
Joseph Musco, Chicago, Ill.
Tara Nagy, Oak Lawn, Ill.
Cody Nelson, Wells, Minn.
David Nelson, Colorado Springs, Colo.
Nicholas Nelson, Lakeville, Minn.
Vianney Nguyen, Rochester, Minn.
Connor Nicholas, Las Vegas, Nev.
Taylor Novak, West Salem, Wis.
Alex Nuy, Eagle Lake, Minn.
Celeste Nygren, Seattle, Wash.
Michael O’Brien-Britton, Chicago, Ill.
Kirby O’Connor, Preston, Minn.
Austin O’Hare, Rushford, Minn.
Daniel Olajonlu, Rogers, Minn.
John Olsen, St James, Minn.
Olivia Osterbauer, Minneapolis, Minn.
Benjamin Owen, Allen, Texas
Molly Palecek, Chippewa Falls, Wis.
Monikaben Patel, Lacrosse, Wis.
Gordon Paulman, De Forest, Wis.
Benjamin Peters, Kasson, Minn.
Doyle Peterson, Villa Park, Ill.
Jenna Phelps, South Saint Paul, Minn.
Hanna Potter, Winona, Minn.
Rachel Prince, Chippewa Falls, Wis.
Kaleb Quast, Garrison, Minn.
Luke Range, Houston, Minn.
Hunter Rau, Plainview, Minn.
Elizabeth Rayne, Paola, Kan.
Alina Reding, Stillwater, Minn.
Nicholas Reding, St. Paul, Minn.
Gabrielle Reinartz, Rosemount, Minn.
Brandon Retzlaff, Elroy, Wis.
Ian Robertson, Winona, Minn.
Sofia Rowan-Martin, Saint Paul, Minn.
Christian Ruf, Chippewa Falls, Wis.
Anna Rustman, St. Peter, Minn.
John Sabella, Elmwood Park, Ill.
Mandy Sailor, Ramsey, Minn.
Robert Scanlon, Plainview, Minn.
Analiese Schadler, Ankeny, Iowa
Gabrielle Schauer, Champlin, Minn.
Stephanie Schmidt, Plainview, Minn.
Joseph Seegers, Oconomowoc, Wis.
Diana Servin, Chicago, Ill.
Mitchell Shuster, St. Cloud, Minn.
Sarah Sieracki, Schererville, Ind.
Zachary Slowiak, Chippewa Falls, Wis.
Quashingm Smith-Pugh, Saint Paul, Minn.
Jack Strusz, Red Wing, Minn.
Ashley Syed, Lewisville, Texas
Clarice Tack, Saint Charles, Ill.
Melic Thomas, St. Peter, Minn.
Tiarra Thompson, Jonesboro, Ga.
Tyler Tuneberg, Woodbury, Minn.
Nicholas Turner, Villa Rica, Ga.
Nathaniel Vandegrift, Lakeville, Minn.
Christopher Virruso, Chicago, Ill.
Kelvin Walz, Woodbury, Minn.
Kellen Wasell, Edmonds, Wash.
Michelle Wegrzyn, Chicago Heights, Ill.
Abram Whitebird, White Bear Lake, Minn.
Zachary Wiechman, Freeport, Minn.
Chris Wilhite, Colorado Springs, Colo.
Bailey Windsperger, Delano, Minn.
Heven Woledi, Oakdale, Minn.
Paige Wolniakowski, Winona, Minn.
Jared Wolt, Farmington, Minn.
Adam Worm, Cologne, Minn.
Ying Xing, Xi’an, Shaanxi, China
Cuauhtemoc Zarate, Milwaukee, Wis.
Katherine Zinke, Saint Paul, Minn.
Alexander Zuzek, Hastings, Minn.
Reunion Weekend welcomes back alumni
The Class of 1983 celebrated its 35th anniversary on the Winona Campus this past weekend.
This past weekend, more than 400 undergraduate College alumni and their families returned to the Winona Campus for Reunion Weekend. Alumni of all ages gathered to greet old friends, reminisce, and reconnect with Saint Mary’s. Friday featured golf, tours, class events, and a special reunion dinner for the Class of 1968, while Saturday’s highlights included a run through the bluffs, family picnic, all-class dinner, and awards presentation.
This year’s alumni award recipients included:
- Dr. Bobbie (Smith) Gostout CST’78, ’83 ‒ Distinguished Alumna Award
- Sarah (Bellingham) Laitinen ’07 ‒ Lasallian Service Award
- Judy (Mullins) Lucas ’83 ‒ Alumni Appreciation Award
- Ania McNamara ’11 ‒ Outstanding Young Alumna Award
The university values our former students. Through this weekend and many other events, we strive to keep them engaged with each other and the institution. We’re grateful for the support we continue to receive from alumni in a variety of forms, including philanthropic and volunteer support. Generous alumni benefactors are instrumental in our ability to enhance the campus, including the recent groundbreakings for Brother William Hall and the baseball clubhouse.
Alumni enjoyed reconnecting with friends, faculty, and staff who shaped their Saint Mary’s experiences. Thank you to all who helped make Reunion Weekend a success. See more photos from the weekend.
Strengthening our core mission
Ann Merchlewitz, J.D., interim president, (second from left), poses for a selfie with students from Universidad La Salle Nezahualcóyotl in Mexico. The students provided tours during Encuentro XII.
To help perpetuate our Lasallian Catholic heritage and identity, several Saint Mary’s staff and faculty members recently attended retreats. Ann Merchlewitz, J.D., interim president; Brother Robert Smith, FSC ‘76, Ph.D., chief academic officer and vice president of the Schools of Graduate and Professional Programs; and Timothy Gossen ’01, D’14, vice president for Mission and Student Life, attended Encuentro XII – Strength in Diversity: confronting global challenges through higher education last week at Universidad La Salle in Mexico City, Mexico. Hosted by the La Salle Mexico network of universities constituted by 15 campuses around Mexico, the event was an opportunity to reflect about the role that universities play in providing answers to the difficult questions that are posed in everyday life. It was also a forum to engage on how far Lasallian universities have traveled as a network and identify the necessary actions for them to ensure sustainable progress in the next two decades.
Matt Nowakowski D’10, program director and core associate professor for the Doctor of Business Administration, participated in the Collegium’s Annual Colloquy on Faith and Intellectual Life which took place at College of the Holy Cross in Worcester, Mass., last week. Professors from 65 different Catholic colleges and institutions met to discuss the sources and implications of academic vocation and explore how that vocation can be enriched and realized in a college or university setting. Participants explored compelling aspects of the Catholic intellectual tradition and how their work serves their students, the academy, and the world. The Colloquy rotates annually between College of the Holy Cross, Saint John’s University in Collegeville, Minn., and the University of Portland in Portland, Ore.
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