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The recently established Office of Scholarly Engagement (OSE) is home to several programs that work together to reach those goals. “OSE is the hub for students to learn about and participate in as many engaged learning opportunities as possible,” says D’Ann Urbaniak Lesch, strategic director of the office. “By bringing together already robust programs, OSE helps students to better see the connection between the programs and how each effort can build their holistic St. Kate’s experience and prepare them to lead and influence.”

Two OSE offerings, the Antonian Honors program and Competitive Fellowships, recognize student excellence and encourage further accomplishments.

The Antonian Honors program offers students of exceptional ability and motivation the opportunity to study and work with one another and with faculty mentors. Honors students complete four inter-disciplinary honors seminars and produce a senior-year honors project of original research or creative work. They participate in a supportive community of scholars and are offered leadership opportunities in the Honors Program Student Association.

One remarkable example is Margaret Piecz ’22, a biochemistry major whose senior project, “A Deeper Understanding of Nutrient Transport: Using Electro-physiology to Characterize Membrane Transporters,” is as important as it sounds. Her research has implications for genome sequencing, according to Rafael Cervantes, PhD, Department of Communication Studies faculty member and director of the Antonian Honors program.

For the 2021–22 academic year, the University counts 239 honors students, including 33 seniors working on honors projects. Competitive Fellowships in a wide array of academic and career areas, as well as geographic locations, are available for application by Katies throughout the year.

Many of these nationally competitive awards cover graduate school expenses, while others support internships or other undergraduate opportunities. In all, more than 20 different fellowships are open to sophomores, juniors, and seniors, along with at least as many additional opportunities for students in the Henrietta Schmoll School of Health.

Our students and alumni wisely benefit from these fellowships to expand their knowledge, skills, and credentials in their fields. Last fall alone, five Katies completed Fulbright applications. Three others recently completed Fulbright fellowships: Addison Cross ’20, conducting research in El Salvador; Alexia Martin ’19, serving as an English teaching assistant in Colombia; and Erin Nelsen ’20, earning a master’s degree in the United Kingdom. Many St. �������� students are in various stages of the long process for other fellowships.

Donors to LEAD & INFLUENCE: The Campaign for the Next Level of Excellence can support high-achieving students in many ways through OSE programs. In 2020, for example, one generous alumna, Colleen Curran ’75, established the Margaret Reuder Sutton ’50 Travel Fund (see below). To find out how to establish or contribute to a fund helping high-achieving Katies, contact Beth Carney at 651-690-6836 or eacarney@stkate.edu.

This fund provides financial assistance for student travel to:

• interviews related to application for prestigious post-graduate fellowships
• interviews for advanced degree programs at top-tier graduate and professional schools
• major conferences at which they make presentations or share their research.

The fund’s founding donor, alumna Colleen Curran ’75, earned her BA degree in French, then her JD law degree from Rutgers University. She achieved a successful career as vice president and managing counsel for Ameriprise Financial and is a lifelong learner and traveler. A staunch St. �������� supporter and advocate, she has served on the Board of Trustees, taught courses in business law, and served as president of the Alumnae Association. Today, Curran serves on the Campaign Cabinet for LEAD & INFLUENCE: The Campaign for the Next Level of Excellence.

Margaret Reuder Sutton ’50 was St. ��������’s first student Fulbright grant recipient. She double-majored in French and English, and following graduation traveled to France (on the Queen Mary!) to teach and study French at Lycée Jules-Ferry in Paris. She returned to Minnesota and began a career as a French and English teacher, also earning a master’s degree in special education and pioneering teaching in that field. Sutton raised eight children and was “a dynamic person who always gave of herself,” says son David.

Marilyn Grochala Gorham ’76, fellow alumna and former trustee, has added generously to the fund. We invite others to consider supporting this or any other St. Kate’s priority with gifts to benefit Katies.