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Winona Campus NewsletterFirst Destinations report shows where graduates land after leaving Saint Mary’s
Career Services at Saint Mary’s recently released its First Destinations for the College Class of 2021 report, which provides a look into the outcomes of graduates from the Winona Campus.
According to the data, of those responding, 92% of graduates are employed full-time, attending or applying to graduate school, or participating in a long-term volunteer placement.
For respondents who are employed full-time, 92% said their jobs were relevant to the major they received at Saint Mary’s. Many of the graduates who responded received offers from leading international, national, and regional organizations, including Boston Scientific, Catholic Charities, Dallas Mavericks, Eide Bailly LLP, Fastenal, Geospatial Services, Green Bay Packers, Hope Harbor, Martin County West Schools, Mayo Clinic, Plainview Police Department, Prevention Genetics, RADIAS Health, Saint Mary’s University of Minnesota, St. Jude of the Lake Schools, Shanghai Art-Designing Company, Ltd., Sherburne County Sheriff’s Office, and U.S. Bank.
Nearly 34% of the graduates who took part in the survey are continuing their education either part-time or full-time, with 77% pursuing a master’s degree, 9% pursuing a J.D. or M.D., and 3% seeking a doctorate.
One of the respondents is involved in long-term service with AmeriCorps.
Father James P. Burns, IVD, Ph.D., says the First Destinations report can serve as an excellent analytical tool for the college as it looks for new ways to reach students.
“This is very helpful and a great tool that we can add to and refine going forward,” Father Burns said. In 2022, the report will include useful data from the Schools of Graduate and Professional Programs.
You can read the entire report.
Student, staff, and faculty media appearances continue to tell story of Saint Mary’s
In recent weeks, regional media have shared Saint Mary’s story with their audiences. These articles help articulate the university’s mission and brand as told by administrators, faculty, and students.
Hendrickson Forum highlighted in Star Tribune column
Following Saint Mary’s Hendrickson Forum, Star Tribune business columnist Neal St. Anthony highlighted the annual event in a recent column. St. Anthony recapped social psychologist Jonathan Haidt’s keynote about the ethics of capitalism, and focused on the community work of former professional soccer player (and Hendrickson medal recipient) Tony Sanneh and his work with Saint Mary’s. He used the connection as an example of the way educational institutions and nonprofit organizations can help pave the way for “enlightened capitalism.”
Schmisek, Wieser discuss diversifying Minnesota college campuses in Twin Cities Business article
Brian Schmisek, provost and dean of faculties, and Michelle Wieser, dean of the School of Business and Technology, were interviewed for a piece in Twin Cities Business about diversifying college campuses in Minnesota. In the piece, Schmisek pointed out how not everyone is able to complete a traditional four-year degree.
“It’s maybe a mother in her 30s or 40s who now has time to go back and complete the degree that was interrupted for one reason or another,” Schmisek said in the article.
Wieser pointed to the fact that this is why Saint Mary’s works to meet students where they are at, whether they are looking for an in-person or online education. Wieser also spoke about how Saint Mary’s is working to diminish achievement barriers through innovative opportunities for students like graduate certificates and digital credentials.
Father Burns, Krull pen Winona Daily News columns
Both Father James P. Burns IVD, Ph.D., Saint Mary’s president, and senior Jonathon Krull represented Saint Mary’s in recent columns in the Winona Daily News.
In his article, Krull spoke about the opportunities that are available to Saint Mary’s students in the Winona community, from exciting local events and festivals to a host of amazing restaurants and opportunities for recreation in the bluffs and on the Mississippi River.
Father Burns penned a column speaking about the formation of students at Saint Mary’s and how once they graduate, they are able to serve the communities where they reside.
“We encourage and, in fact, expect our graduates to be beacons of light and sources of positive change in their communities and workplaces. We know they take this focus with them. That is why we know that our outstanding students and their successes are the best testimonial we have when telling the story of Saint Mary’s both to prospective students and their families as well as the broader community,” he wrote.
Robertson speaks about climate change in KIMT segment
Andy Robertson displayed the expertise of GeoSpatial Services in a KIMT segment about climate change. In the interview with the Rochester TV station, Robertson spoke about how climate change impacts the frequency and occurrence of extreme weather events.
“The randomness of change — related to climate warming — is what has the greatest impact. It could be increased precipitation, it could be decreased precipitation,” Robertson said in the segment. “It could be decreased heat. It could be cooling at the wrong time of year. So the lilac bushes were the best example of the past year where the lilacs bloomed like they normally do in the spring, but then bloomed a second time in the fall because we had a warming period and a drying period. It got them out of sync. And now the speculation is they’re not going to bloom at all this spring.”
Saint Mary’s Choirs to present Spring Concert on April 23
The IHM Schola, Saint Mary’s Chamber Singers, and Saint Mary’s Concert Choir will present their Spring Concert on Saturday, April 23, at 7:30 p.m. at the Chapel of Saint Mary of the Angels, 1155 W. Wabasha Street, Winona.
The program will feature works by Randall Thompson, Marc-Antoine Charpentier, Franz Biebl, Ola Gjeilo, Patrick O’Shea, Sam Pottle, and Moses Hogan.
Admission is free. For more information, contact Patrick O’Shea, director of choirs, at poshea@smumn.edu.
Jazz at Saint Mary’s presents Big Screen/Small Screen – Classic Jazz Themes
WINONA, Minn. — What do The Pink Panther, M.A.S.H., Mission Impossible, and The Flintstones all have in common? Yes, they were all great movies or TV shows, but it was their jazz-inspired theme songs and soundtracks that set them apart. On Sunday, April 24, at 3 p.m. in Page Theater get ready to travel down memory lane as Jazz at Saint Mary’s presents Big Screen/Small Screen – Classic Jazz Themes. Vocalists Erin Grams and Gunnar Ronholm will join the Jazz Ensemble to sing Misty, The Days of Wine and Roses, and Route 66.
The performance is free and open to the public with no reservations required. For more information, contact jazz director A. Eric Heukeshoven at 507-457-7292 or eheukesh@smumn.edu.
Saint Mary’s Concert Band spring performance planned for April 23
The Saint Mary’s Concert Band spring semester performance will be held on Saturday, April 23, at 3 p.m. in Page Theatre. The concert is free and open to the public. No reservations are needed.
Directed by Dr. Janet Heukeshoven, the concert will include a variety of works for full concert band, as well as smaller groupings of instruments, including a double reed quartet (oboes and bassoons), brass ensemble, and large woodwind ensemble.
Senior music education major Nathan Herr will be the featured student director for this performance. He will lead the full ensemble in Samuel Hazo’s beautiful composition In Heaven’s Air.
Other works on the program include Malcolm Arnold’s Prelude, Siciliano and Rondo, Jay Bocook’s Irish-inspired Kirkpatrick’s Muse, Adolphus Hailstork’s New Wade ‘n Water, and an unknown Sousa March, Homeward Bound. The smaller ensembles will be performing chamber music by Richard Wetzel, Leroy Ostransky, Philip Sparke, and Haydn.
The Saint Mary’s Concert Band is welcoming community members back into the band. If you’re interested in joining the band for the 2022-23 academic year, contact Dr. Heukeshoven at jheukesh@smumn.edu for information. Motivated high school players, as well as adult musicians, have long been part of the Saint Mary’s University Concert Band.
Master’s degree helps Lott excel in baking, human resources
Saint Mary’s graduate school alumna Teri Anne Lott M’20 travelled often in her first professional job and didn’t have time to make a lot of friends. In her limited free time she began watching Cake Boss on cable TV and baking cakes in earnest, eventually launching Lotties Treats and Sweets as a side hustle five years ago.
“I have very fond memories of cooking and baking with my granddad in Ohio. He was an old time cook with a huge garden and did scratch cooking for days,” says Lott. “I was 4 or 5 years old when we moved to Minneapolis, and before we left I planted watermelon seeds in his yard. One day he called us and asked, ‘Why are there watermelons growing in my yard?’”
After receiving her undergraduate degree in Business Marketing from Howard University, Lott worked in marketing and sales but wasn’t passionate about her work. Wanting to become a teacher, Lott began exploring her education degree options when her brother told her about the Teacher Pathway Program, a partnership between Saint Mary’s University and The Sanneh Foundation.
The Teacher Pathway Program enables students to be paid while obtaining their teaching license and earning a Master’s degree. Lott received her Master’s of Arts degree in English as a Second Language from Saint Mary’s in 2020. Although she left teaching when the pandemic hit and now works full time in Human Resources for Target, Lott remains very involved in the community and serves as a board member for The Sanneh Foundation.
“My Master’s program was very beneficial, covering the foundation of education and how to advocate for those without a voice, and that resonates with my work at Target,” adds Lott. “A lot of people stop at diversity, and don’t include inclusion and equity. But we need to ask, ‘What more can we do to make people feel included? How do you have the uncomfortable conversations and advocate for inclusion?’”
Lott still uses what she learned at Saint Mary’s every day, and is grateful for the school and her instructors, including Dr. Shannon Tanghe, Dr. Theresa Taylor, and Dr. Rebecca Johnson. She credits them for teaching her about lesson plans, preparing for the unknown, and always being cognizant of things we can’t anticipate.
Lott’s baking prowess – all self-taught by watching baking shows and videos – grew over the years. Lott has appeared on the Food Network’s Bakers vs. Fakers as the audience tries to assess who’s who. She made it to the final round before losing to a full-time baker.
“Baking cakes takes the cake! I love the joy my baking brings people. My baking makes them happy, and it’s my therapy. I just zone out, it’s just me and my food,” says Lott. “Bringing smiles to people and the therapeutic qualities of baking are the best.”
Lott has a business and a food license for Lotties Treats and Sweets, and recently began selling her cake jars (cake layers placed in jars for single-serve treats or to share) at For Real Coffee House, the newest black-owned, woman-owned coffee shop in South Minneapolis in George Floyd Square. The coffee shop sells monthly coffee subscriptions and various baked goods, and encourages conversations about what’s happening in the community.
Her advice for would-be entrepreneurs is to go out and do whatever brings you joy. Lott believes that when you’re trying to do important things, the right people show up to help, and things line up when you put in the work.
“For those thinking about going back to school for a Master’s degree – go for it! I was skeptical, I was 31 years old and two years is so long, but the time went so fast. And my work in school applies today at Target,” adds Lott. “I had a 4.0 GPA at Saint Mary’s. The coursework is interesting, engaging and applicable. I highly recommend grad school and particularly Saint Mary’s.”
By Tom Brandes
Jazz at Saint Mary’s presents Big Screen/Small Screen
WINONA, Minn. — What do The Pink Panther, M.A.S.H., Mission Impossible, and The Flintstones all have in common? Yes, they were all great movies or TV shows, but it was their jazz-inspired theme songs and soundtracks that set them apart. On Sunday, April 24, at 3 p.m. in Page Theater get ready to travel down memory lane as Jazz at Saint Mary’s presents Big Screen/Small Screen – Classic Jazz Themes. Vocalists Erin Grams and Gunnar Ronholm will join the Jazz Ensemble to sing Misty, The Days of Wine and Roses, and Route 66.
The performance is free and open to the public with no reservations required. For more information, contact jazz director A. Eric Heukeshoven at 507-457-7292 or eheukesh@smumn.edu.
Photo caption: Vocalist Erin Grams sings Drum Boogie while Mike Hegarty solos on tenor sax during last spring’s Choppin’ Wood performance.
UPPC announces new, closing, and revised programs for upcoming academic year
The University Program Planning Committee (UPPC), met on March 30, 2022, to consider available university resources and opportunities related to current and proposed programs. At the meeting, the UPPC reviewed recommendations from the school deans and curriculum committees regarding new, closing, and revised programs for the 2022-2023 academic year
Based on the data-informed discussions and UPPC recommendations, I am approving the following program launches, changes, and closures.
The following new programs are approved to begin development for Fall 2022:
- Executive Ed.D. in Education Leadership
The following degrees, programs, and specializations will begin the closing process, overseen by the appropriate school dean:
- B.S. in BIDA (degree closed and select courses moved to a specialization track in the B.S. in Business Administration)
- Management and Operations and Technology Management specialization tracks in the B.S. in Business Administration program
- MAT-Winona Elementary Ed (no longer accepting students as of Spring 2022)
The following changes are approved:
School of Business & Technology:
- B.S. in Business Administration– removing Management and Operations & Technology Management as specialization tracks and adding BIDA specialization track
- B.S. in IT – credits reduced to 36/39 (from 42/45); modality change to remote
- Accelerated MBA – removal of 1 credit “special topics” courses for single 3 credit elective course
- Graduate Certificate in Artificial Intelligence – reduced by 3 credits
- Graduate Certificate in Business Analytics – reduced by 3 credits
- Graduate Certificate in Healthcare Analytics – reduced by 3 credits
School of Education:
- M.A. in Education – credits reduced to 30 (from 33)
- MAT – Winona – eliminate 2, 2 credit courses to create one 3 credit course and reduce program credits by 1
- MAT – Twin Cities – modality change to remote
- M.A. in Special Education – removal of elective credits in order to reduce credits in non licensure track to 30; internal track (initial licensure) is now a remote modality
- M.A. in ESL – modality changed to remote; credits reduced to 30
- M.Ed. in Teaching and Learning – remote modality added; credits reduced to 30
School of Health & Human Services
- M.A. in Counseling and Psychological Services (PY) – addition of remote cohort for Fall 2022.
For additional details, see this comprehensive spreadsheet of changes and/ or contact the school’s dean.
As a reminder, the UPPC, constituted in 2019, is comprised of academic and administrative leaders from across the university. The committee meets for regular consideration of programmatic decisions to maintain vibrant, relevant, and marketable programs in alignment with the goals in our strategic plan. This planning is especially important now, in the midst of the ongoing global pandemic and its impact on the economy. We continue to focus on student outcomes and market needs. More about the UPPC, its role and its membership is available here.
Please direct any questions you have to the appropriate school dean.
SAC awards highlight Saint Mary’s commitment to student experience
At Saint Mary’s University, providing a top-notch student life experience is paramount. Part of that effort includes providing a lively campus environment with activities that keep students connected, entertained, and active.
Saint Mary’s University’s Student Activities Committee (SAC) was recently recognized for this work during the National Association of Campus Activities (NACA) Conference in Saint Paul. NACA is a nationwide organization that empowers members to amplify the campus experience through inclusive learning, meaningful connections, and engaging entertainment.
A delegation from Saint Mary’s was a part of 75+ schools in attendance from all over the United States. Representatives from SAC, Student Senate, and Phi Mu Alpha from the Winona Campus attended to gain ideas and book entertainment for the 2022-2023 school year.
During the conference, Saint Mary’s SAC was recognized with two different awards.
Tricia Dobrient, Saint Mary’s SAC adviser and director of advising new student experience, was awarded NACA’s New Professional of the Year Award. The award is given each year to a professional in the field with less than 5 years of professional experience and has made a significant impact on their campus, specifically in the field of student activities.
Saint Mary’s SAC was also honored with the Outstanding Program of the Year award for its Glow Tubing Event. The award is based on student involvement, creativity, and the success of the program as determined by the achievement of stated goals.
Concert Band to present spring performance April 23
The Saint Mary’s Concert Band spring semester performance will be held on Saturday, April 23, at 3 p.m. in Page Theatre. The concert is free and open to the public. No reservations are needed.
Directed by Dr. Janet Heukeshoven, the concert will include a variety of works for full concert band, as well as smaller groupings of instruments, including a double reed quartet (oboes and bassoons), brass ensemble, and large woodwind ensemble.
Senior music education major Nathan Herr will be the featured student director for this performance. He will lead the full ensemble in Samuel Hazo’s beautiful composition In Heaven’s Air. Other works on the program include Malcolm Arnold’s Prelude, Siciliano and Rondo, Jay Bocook’s Irish-inspired Kirkpatrick’s Muse, Adolphus Hailstork’s New Wade ‘n Water, and an unknown Sousa March, Homeward Bound. The smaller ensembles will be performing chamber music by Richard Wetzel, Leroy Ostransky, Philip Sparke, and Haydn.
The Saint Mary’s Concert Band is welcoming community members back into the band. If you’re interested in joining the band for the 2022-23 academic year, contact Dr. Heukeshoven at jheukesh@smumn.edu for information. Motivated high school players, as well as adult musicians, have long been part of the Saint Mary’s University Concert Band.
Latin American Sisters visit Texas to serve migrant communities at the border
Written by Sister Maryud Cortes Restrepo in Spanish and translated by student worker Ana Paula Saldaña
This past February, the Latin American Sisters that form part of our Saint Mary´s community, in conjunction with Catholic Extension, had the opportunity to travel to the Mexican border to bring their service to migrants.
Catholics affirm the inherent dignity of each human being, as well as the migrant’s capacity to find safety and protection for themselves. Pope Francis has spoken on repeated occasions about the importance of the topic of migration since it is a subject that concerns the dignity of life. Many Catholic communities have paired with Catholic Extension to “welcome the foreigners” and become a source of hope and comfort for the migrants. The border between Mexico and the United States is one of the most Catholic-dense communities in the country, with more than 4.3 million Catholics residing there, who have received the migrants by establishing shelters, churches, and opening their hearts to these vulnerable communities.
Sister Maryud Cortes says her experience at the border was one of personal growth.
“It was a tough experience, an experience that challenges me to value things that are so common to have, such as a bag, shoes, shampoo, and other things that, thank God, I have access to every day,” she said.
The sisters arrived in McAllen, Texas, where they met with Obispo Flores and Sister Norma Pimentel. Sister Maryud said she admires Sister Norma for not using the fame she has gained as a personal lift, prestige, or glamour, but instead uses it to help those who do not have a voice to be heard, as well as for “being a strong woman who does not break easily, but who is compassionate, merciful, and loving.”
After settling into McAllen, the sisters visited La Lomita, a small chapel that has been used by Catholic Extension. Sister Maryud said she was drawn to the chapel because it reminded her of chapels and churches found throughout Latin America.
“It was a small chapel by the river, and when you enter, you see the altar and it is full of flowers, Rosaries, and images of all of the saints,” she said. “ It made me think of all of the churches and chapels in Latin towns where people take the liberty to go and put flowers or saints on the alter because it is their own expression of faith.”
After visiting the chapel, the sisters traveled to a migrant shelter, where they were able to meet with migrants who were waiting to cross the border. Sister Maryud spoke of one interaction with a woman that was deeply impactful.
“I met a 23-year old woman who had just had a C-section because, after her two-month trip that included crossing the river, she had presented complications in her pregnancy and needed a C-section for her baby to be born. Her baby was so small, and she had another 6-year-old sleeping by them. She told me that she was not Catholic but that she believed in a God. She said that if it was not for God, she would not have been able to make it here. I was able to hold her little baby, and when I had the child in my arms, I felt the fear in the baby himself. I cannot even explain it in words. It was as if the baby was jumping every time he moved, as if he was scared. Everything must have been a traumatic experience for the young woman, and it was as if this fear had been transmitted to her baby. It is all very impactful to me.”
According to Sister Maryud, many of the people the sisters interacted with at the shelter were concerned about their children who had fallen ill. Many in the shelter also had no bags for their belongings or did not possess any belongings at all.
Sister Maryud also had the opportunity to visit the Reynosa Plaza, where nearly 3,000 people were living in tents.
“It touched my heart,” Sister Maryud said. “We had to carefully walk, watching our steps not to hit a person, or step on someone else’s belongings and food. It is hard to imagine that people live in these conditions.”
The last place the sisters visited during their trip was the Casa del Migrante, which Sister Maryud said had a different environment compared to the other shelters they visited.
“There were a hundred migrants that day and I felt like this place was more welcoming. The people were happy, and it was like this because they felt like they were at home. There were tortillas, and you could smell homemade food. It was a space that not only welcomed the migrants but also stood up for them. The Bishop mentioned that he was very grateful to Catholic Extension for coming, for their donations, and for accompanying the people,” she said.
Even when the trip had ended, the sisters were able to continue sharing their faith.
“In the airport, we saw people who were just arriving, who had no idea about what was to come. They arrived without a suitcase, and the Sisters started pulling their own bags out to give them to the people. We wanted to help them, and we told them where their gate was. It was priceless to see how grateful they were when they hugged us and said goodbye, thanking us for being their family. It was beautiful, and I am so grateful to God for allowing this opportunity. It would be nice if all of the sisters could go to the border and have that trip to experience, because I believe that it gives you even more motivation to work for the people and be with them. I appreciated this experience a lot, and I wish for other people to experience this and serve with more love, strength, and commitment,” Sister Maryud said.
Reading the Data
Data analytics might be made up of numbers, but ask Ellyn Vranicar M’20 and she’ll tell you it is really all about storytelling.
“Collecting and consuming data doesn’t mean anything if you can’t clearly visualize it to derive insights and tell a story that will ultimately make an impact,” says Vranicar, the manager of data analytics and reporting at W.W. Grainger in Lake Forest, Ill., North America’s leading broad line supplier of maintenance, repair, and operating (MRO) products.
At Grainger, Vranicar works with finance departments across the company to collect their data and present the information in a clear, concise way that enables the departments to use data-driven decision making. She oversees a team of data visualization developers who create visual representations of data and trends, thereby empowering other members of the company in their decision making.
When it seems like there is an overwhelming amount of information to share with her partner departments, Vranicar falls back on a philosophy she learned as a student in Saint Mary’s M.S. in Business Intelligence and Data Analytics program: Keep it simple.
“Saint Mary’s has taught me a lot about communication strategies. For example, less is more. Simple really goes a long way — it is easy for end users to understand and interpret with minimal to no learning curves, which ultimately leads to high adoption rates,” says Vranicar, who heard about the Saint Mary’s program from her cousin, who had come across it in his own work in higher education.
“I always knew that I wanted to get my master’s, but I was never really sure what I wanted to get it in. I knew I didn’t want to pursue one just to get it. My cousin told me about this program, the master’s in Business Intelligence and Data Analytics at Saint Mary’s, because he knew that’s where my passion was,” she says. “My cousin raved about the program and the program director, Michael Ratajczyk B’03, M’05, and his passion in creating this program and continuously improving it. I signed up for the program literally the next day, in spring 2019.”
Vranicar graduated from the University of Iowa in 2012 with an undergraduate degree in finance and a minor in Spanish. She chose a career in data analytics because she saw potential in the growing field, and the Saint Mary’s program was the ideal complement to her day job. At the time, she was working as a senior client consultant at Donlen, a vehicle fleet leasing and management company based in Bannockburn, Ill., where she analyzed data and metrics to improve efficiency and cost-saving measures. She started working at Grainger in October 2019, before graduating from Saint Mary’s in December 2020.
Vranicar is based in the Chicagoland area and did not have to leave home to earn her master’s degree, because the Saint Mary’s program is entirely virtual. “I really felt a sense of flexibility, because many of us in the program had full-time jobs and families and many other responsibilities while taking these classes,” she says. “So that was definitely part of my decision making [in choosing Saint Mary’s].”
Vranicar also appreciated the emphasis on real-world business scenarios in each of her courses, and the opportunity to interact with her remote classmates and provide each other with feedback. “It wasn’t just about the technology and the analytics. It always had a communication component to it, which is critical in today’s world,” she says. “A good portion of the work that you did in each of these courses was participating with your classmates, giving your perspective and gaining their perspective. It was a virtual environment — we were all across the country — but it didn’t feel that way.”
Gathering different perspectives is essential to how Vranicar leads her team at Grainger, and she says she loves the opportunities for creativity and problem solving that each day on the job brings.
“Within our team, we all approach problems differently, which has proven really helpful and successful in the work that we do. It allows us to brainstorm solutions with various approaches and ultimately move forward with a product that is going to be the best solution,” she says. “In leading our team, for me, it’s encouraging creativity, out-of-the-box ideas and solutions. It’s OK to fail, which allows us to learn from those opportunities and improve upon new ones. My favorite thing about being a people leader, which I’ve only been for just over two years now, is the coaching, mentoring, and helping my team members grow, develop and learn new skills, and advance their career.”
With all the supply chain issues caused by the pandemic, there is more demand than ever for the expertise from Vranicar and other data analytics experts. And amid the uncertainty, she’s sticking to the keep it simple philosophy she learned at Saint Mary’s.
“Across industries, things that previously arrived the next day or in a couple days could now take one, two weeks, or longer. The demand is greater than the supply,” she says. “Companies are leveraging their analytics to drive business decisions and to flex, given the supply chain disruptions. What I’ve learned is that, many times you might be sharing an end product with individuals who are not as analytical as you are and sticking to the basic visualizations will be more well-received, because it’s easy to interpret. There’s no learning curve and users really can focus on the findings.”
By Maura Sullivan Hill
Liberal arts in action
When Armando Salgado B’14 graduated from Saint Mary’s, he planned on utilizing his psychology major to either become a clinical counselor or to attend medical school and become a psychologist.
Then, he says, life happened.
Instead, Salgado married his college sweetheart, Danielle Pues B’15, had three beautiful children, earned an M.A. in Industrial and Organizational Psychology, and built a successful career in the sales industry over the past eight years, the last five in the pharmaceutical and medical device industry. About a year ago he became an immunology specialist with Janssen Biotech, the pharmaceutical company of Johnson & Johnson.
Salgado specializes on a biologics portfolio within Janssen’s Immunology Division. He educates medical professionals on the latest infusion therapies for patients who suffer from these debilitating diseases.
“I specialize in the therapeutic area for irritable bowel disease, where there is no cure, but every therapy treats a patient differently to get them into remission,” he said.
“I’m passionate about this. My grandmother had Crohn’s disease, and I saw how debilitating it was. When I was younger, these therapies didn’t exist. It’s part of my passion to be in this role to help these patients. Science and therapy have advanced a long way.”
Armando said his career may not have gone the way he originally planned, but in addition to fulfilling his dream of helping others, he’s finding that the skills he learned obtaining a liberal arts degree at Saint Mary’s — and as one of Saint Mary’s inaugural First Generation Scholars — come into play every day.
“The liberal arts education and content prepared me for what happened in the real world,” he said. “Life throws real situations at you. Getting married and having kids at such an early age made me have to pivot and utilize all those assets in other ways. All those soft skills are definitely coming into play.”
The idea of pairing business, science, and psychology with interdisciplinary study — as Saint Mary’s has done within Aquinas Hall on the Winona Campus — makes sense to him as it’s the three disciplines he utilizes in his current position.
“Psychology is applicable to any field where you interact with humans and behaviors,” he said, adding that earlier in his career, he worked directly with psychiatrists, and being able to speak knowledgeably about disease states to his customers was beneficial.
As a business administration and management minor, Salgado said he learned how to read a room and obtain the information needed for his clients. Additionally, he obtained a background in analytics, specifically looking at business and marketing trends and strategizing messages accordingly.
And, although, he admits science may not have been his strength at Saint Mary’s, the study skills he learned as an FGI Scholar with memory tips have been very helpful when he needs to launch a new therapy or device and has four weeks of training to learn the science behind what he’s promoting.
For Salgado, his position also gives him a great deal of autonomy. “You get a territory, and it’s your job to grow it, so that’s the best part,” he said. “I’m the only rep in this territory, in charge of 80 customers, and I am the face of Janssen Pharmaceuticals for them. I’m the CEO of my own territory. I don’t have a corporate business office. I’m in the field, driving from customer to customer (both larger medical institutions but also private practices), so every day is different and new.”
And he has more time to spend with his wife and family, including Armando III (age 4), Viviana (age 2), and Camila (7 months).
When Salgado looks back at his years at Saint Mary’s, it’s natural many of his memories revolve around his wife, whom he met as a sophomore. “Next would be the faith component,” he said. “I don’t think my faith would be where it is today if it wasn’t for Saint Mary’s. It was important to me to go somewhere with similar values my families had and the values I wanted my family to have in the future. I also think about the relationships that were built.”
Salgado said he had also been accepted into Michigan State, but once he learned he had obtained the First Generation Initiative Scholarship to attend Saint Mary’s tuition-free, there was no question he would attend Saint Mary’s.
“At the time, I was oblivious to its actual significance. I understood it was a free college education, and obviously that is important, but I took for granted all of the resources they provided,” he said. “Looking back, what FGI was was a support system, not just about providing free college tuition and study hall assistance. It’s a community there to make sure you’re not only getting into the program but also succeeding throughout the program. It’s a program that is breaking the statistics of failing rates of minorities in college, and I hope it continues to grow.”
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