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I always wanted to be successful in life and do something with real passion behind it. I felt I’d be good at nursing. I’ve watched several family members struggle with things and when I’m able to help others, it comes back full circle. I first wanted to be a CRNA because I like dealing with people, but then my patients would be asleep! I know I would like to continue my education and keep working with people.

My mom went to St. Kate’s two years before I decided to go there. It seemed a really welcoming, inclusive place. I meet all kinds of people who have similar goals. I was accepted on my second try. I just really wanted to go there. It has a very diverse population that’s representative of the area. We had only one person of color in my entire school growing up! Now I’ve met so many different kinds of people and I’m really close to them. The atmosphere sets you up for experiences like that.

I began spring of 2020 and went right into the online thing. Now I’ve been back on campus since fall semester. I’m also part of the Student Nursing Association, which takes up most of my time.

After I first started, I was overwhelmed with everything and wondering how I was going to make it work. I have ADHD, a learning disability. I’ve always struggled in school. I went to the O’Neill Center and talked to somebody and started the process from there. I’ve been surprised by how supportive my teachers have been. When I first approached people about it, I got a very positive response.

I would tell potential students to tour the campus because it’s beautiful. Think about what your life would be like. Picture yourself here. After I first talked with someone in admissions, I went downstairs to get coffee and I could really see myself being a student.

I have a degree in social work and a minor in business administration. I chose social work because acts of service have always been a passion of mine. Coming from an East African community, it’s essential to do what you can to help another.

I took a course at St. Kate’s when I was in high school and I fell in love with the school’s mission of social justice. That’s something many students shared—learning how to incorporate social justice into our individual lives.

I am a Page Scholar from the Page foundation, which is a scholarship program awarded to students of color who graduate from a Minnesota high school and attend a Minnesota post-secondary institution. You get financial support to pay for college while serving communities that look a lot like yourself. It’s really being able to be that representative, that role model for children, saying you, too, can achieve and go to college. The staff and faculty allowed me to ask billions of questions about my career paths, and about managing and balancing things.

In my senior year, I had the opportunity to take part in the Assistantship Mentoring Program and be a college teaching assistant. One of my professors said I would be a great fit. I thought, ‘me?’ I took on this role just as social distancing was starting. It was online, but the process was very creative, and I learned a lot about myself. At the same time, I was volunteering, interning at an agency, and being a children’s literacy mentor. Despite the social distancing, I did thrive. Because of these opportunities, I have developed lifelong connections with the agencies I’ve served.

Once I was able to apply what I've been learning, it brought to light what exactly they were teaching us in our social work program. St. Kate’s gave me the skills to build that confidence, awareness, and education, and to incorporate that into my work. It brought together academics with personal passion.

I've been selling my whole life as a way to just move myself along. Selling antique typewriters is one thing I've been doing to support myself while at St. Kate’s.

Some friends encouraged me to become the first in my family to get a bachelor's degree. I started at Normandale Community College. The regular presence of a St. Kate's representative helped build a strong relationship before I ever applied. To have someone say to me, ‘you belong’ is an important part of my story.

I've always held St. �������� in high regard having grown up here. I thought, ‘Oh, that's a private college that’s so hard to get into and it's demanding.’ It is demanding! You have to earn your education because there's a legacy here. You become the endowment of St. Kate's—an ambassador—by becoming part of the college. I see people out in the world and can almost pin it—they went to St. Kate’s. They have this spirit running through them.

I find St. Kate’s to be welcoming of all people which is important to me, especially being a returning adult college student. They’ve been super helpful to me having followed a non-traditional path to college.

For me, the financial investment was not the focus, it's the quality of the education and knowing I have instructors who give me focused attention. One of the biggest things about St. Kate’s is the professors truly do invest in their students.

The Counseling Center surprised me because they cared and were able to get a broad look at my situation. I struggle with learning, and they put supports in place I wouldn't be able to get anywhere else.

Someone considering St. Kate’s should take a deep look at the resources available for students of all walks of life. There is something for you at St. Kate's. There's a safe community here—safe physically and a safe place to find people to confide in to deal with whatever issues you're struggling with. You’ll become stronger in many ways. I really do feel like attending St. �������� is leveling up my whole life.

I worked for a company that had a partnership with St. Kate’s, so I signed up for the certificate program. I wasn’t going for an entire degree. But, later, the faculty suggested it. I’m glad they took time to help me figure that out. This program was a launching pad to me switching careers.

My talents were affirmed by the faculty and my fellow students. Most important for me was that St. Kate’s has a very inclusive policy on who gets to attend. I don’t identify as female. All the professors I had first introduced themselves by name, then said their pronouns. I thought: Huh, that’s cool. That awareness is not present at most places. For members of the LGBTQ+ community, that stuff really matters. Not everyone gets that at college.

There were a lot of group projects in the first year or so. Often in group projects, there are people on your team who don’t pull their weight. But it wasn’t that way at all. I was surprised how eager students were to help each other. I’d say most of the people I encountered were motivated, humble and compassionate.

I would love to be Chief Diversity Officer of a major healthcare organization. I want to be the person who helps others get where they want to be. The most helpful course ever was Strategic Communications with Dr. Jermaine Davis. It was really a turning point in my program and self-realization. I knew it was time to go do what I feel called to do. After a recent job interview, I sent a note to Dr. Davis that said: Your class is one of the top reasons I got this job. I really like the way St. Kate’s engages the whole person and wants folks to get to know themselves and clarify their passions and goals. Asking, through introspection, what am I called to do?

If you just want to read a bunch of books, don’t come here. If you want to experience transformation, St. Kate’s is the right place for that kind of work.

I was born and raised in Zimbabwe. When I was 16, I must have applied to over 100 colleges. I was using the American Embassy space where they help students from less privileged areas. I remember vividly the first image I saw from St. Kate’s. It was of the pond—with the words ‘to teach women to lead and influence’. I yearned for that. I knew going to school with other women would be powerful. That was my starting point. At 17, I moved to Minnesota and started at St. Kate’s.

I graduated in 2007 with a nutritional sciences degree. Then life hit me hard.

When I moved from Zimbabwe, I was running from pain. I was a survivor of childhood sexual assault and my father was violent. I actually wrote a letter to myself, saying I don't want to be in this community, I want to go away and get a good education. That was my dream which I have done and am so proud of. But I had an invisible knapsack on my back: trauma. I went into the wrong relationships and married a man who was abusive like my dad. Everything came to pass in that linear way because I had unhealed trauma. When I met with social workers, I felt inspired. I wanted to be like them. I wanted to serve back. So I returned to St. Kate’s, graduating in 2015 with a social work degree.

Now every morning I do God's work and it doesn't feel like work. I get to talk to my clients like they're my sisters. I minimize pain in ways nobody could do for me. I’m a founder of a nonprofit organization called Phumulani Minnesota, African Women Against Violence. Phumulani is a Zulu word meaning level of peace. We work to end all forms of gender-based violence using a culturally specific lens. It’s holistic in that we have coaches who can address depression, chemical abuse, different root causes. We offer career and leadership development. Everything is to prevent a woman from going back to her abuser.

Recently I was granted a 2022 Bush Fellowship, so now I can complete my doctoral studies. My dream is to be a renowned researcher for the prevention of childhood trauma.

I’m a first-generation student. My mom never attended high school. When I was six, we moved from Mexico to South Dakota. I remember she thought that first fall was winter and dressed me in about seven layers.

I am a DACA student and St. Kate’s offered the best financial aid and the most attention and support. That attracted me because I hadn't been given much attention in high school. I wouldn't have been given this much support if I’d gone to a larger school.

Anything international has always been my passion. In high school, I was interested in history because I saw how US policy dictated how they handled minorities. For me, history is a study of accountability. You can see how our country has responded to issues and how we can become better. I’d like to be an immigration policy advisor, promoting more humane policies.

Growing up, I wasn’t really aware of social justice issues, but here I could explore and be an activist alongside my peers. For me, it was always immigration, but now there is racial justice, climate change, housing disparities.

When I got here, I was immediately introduced to MIPS (Multicultural and International Programs and Services), which is open to anyone. MIPS helps us feel connected and valid. There I met the most helpful mentor ever who taught me to feel confident and to put myself in leadership positions.

I am a 2021-22 Newman Civic Fellow. We are now working on creating a website for undocumented students in rural states so they have a path—a college map—to higher education.

Here, they stress the importance of being ready for the workforce. So through the Center for Community Work and Learning, I got an internship at the Immigrant Law Center. It’s a paid position, which is rare. I’ve also gained a lot of experience through joining the Student Senate. The event planning, organizing and public speaking I do for my job—that’s all been developed through Student Senate.

I've always loved history. I wanted to become more of an expert while understanding how history affects the disparities of life today. I'm currently working towards graduate school—specifically, law school. I'm working towards becoming an advocate.

I did not know much about St. Kate’s. I really loved the message of educating women to lead and influence. I saw that being projected here, not only in classes, but in the kind of work environment they have. They didn't just talk about it. I stayed because I love the overall message and the people. I can see it in other students and in the kind of opportunities they have.

I was surprised by how supportive students are. One day during my first year, some people came knocking on my door. They said, ‘Oh, hi, we just wanted to say hi and meet you.” Then we went around the whole building. That really helped connect us all. Just seeing how you're welcome here was really impactful for me and made me feel really comfortable, especially being from out of state and not knowing anybody from Minnesota. I felt that welcoming environment throughout my first year.

During my second year, I was invited by one of my professors to become part of the AMP (Assistantship Mentoring Program) program. This opportunity supported me money wise, too, as I had compensation. It wasn't like I had to negotiate, saying, ‘Well, I love this job and I want to do something impactful, but I also have financial needs.’ I really appreciated being able to do both.

It was a great opportunity to apply my history and knowledge while at the same time, learn my own history. We researched racial covenants and disparities in Minnesota and how our past affected our future. I love our fighters. I want to be part of working towards advocating for housing rights, especially for homeowners of color.

I come from a family of a lot of nurses and they roped me in. My senior year in high school, my mom signed me up to take a certified nursing assistant class. It was fun and not like any other class I’d been in. I really liked it.

I had no idea about St. Kate’s until my senior year. I liked that they guaranteed me a place in the nursing program if I met requirements A, B and C. I didn’t want to put all my eggs in a basket and then have a program deny me if they didn’t like, say, my interview. St. Kate’s said we will take you and teach you and through our program you’ll go into the workforce and wow your patients.

I had no idea how holistic the nursing program was going to be. St. Kate’s has helped me see people for themselves entirely and not just why they’re in the hospital. You’re caring about people more than their illness. Say someone has a head injury but they also wear a hijab. It’s asking how do we support them as a person, not just as a head injury?

I wanted as much experience in a hospital as possible. Between my junior and senior year, I was able to take an internship. The staff helped me prepare. I didn’t have a resume or cover letter, so I got help from Career Services to bolster those and became a better applicant.

Colleen Curran ’75 was a St. �������� trustee from 2004 to 2007 and currently serves on the Campaign Cabinet for LEAD & INFLUENCE: The Campaign for the Next Level of Excellence.

Curran’s role is the latest example of her active involvement at St. Kate’s, which also has included teaching as an adjunct professor of business law, participating on several advisory committees, one of which established the Alumnae Association, and another that spearheaded the name change to “University”, and serving as president of the Alumnae Association. All of this she accomplished while building her career in financial services; she retired from Ameriprise as vice president and legal counsel in 2012.

In addition to giving of her time and talents, Curran also has built a decades-long history of philanthropic support of the University based on her advocacy for the liberal arts. “My St. �������� education honed my critical thinking and communication skills and gave me the confidence and love of learning that sustained me throughout my career and today in retirement,” she said. 

Curran’s generosity to the campaign has come in the form of financial aid to students and support for Our Lady of Victory Chapel.

“When I heard that some St. �������� students were invited to conferences to present research papers, but didn’t have the financial ability to pay for airfare and a hotel room, I knew I had to do something. I worked with Beth Carney [’82, vice president of development and alumni relations] in the Development Office to create the Margaret Reuder Sutton ’50 Travel Fund. Margaret Reuder Sutton was the first St. �������� student to receive a Fulbright grant. She spent a year teaching and studying French in Paris, which is dear to my heart, since I was a French major, and I’m still studying French today,” said Curran.

When I decided to pursue nursing, I wanted to follow the family path. My mom is an RN who graduated from St. Kate’s. Plus, I just really liked the school. My mom was so excited. She had a couple sweatshirts from when she was in the program, and now I literally wear one of my mom’s old school sweatshirts on exam day. Every time, I’m like, ‘Hey, she passed her exams. I can do this, too.’ My dream is to work in critical care—ICU or IMC. I also have a strong interest in transplant center care.

I come from a small town and went to a private Catholic elementary school. I knew I preferred a smaller community and class sizes. I didn’t want to be just one of the students, I wanted to make a name for myself. I also love the diversity here and learning about other cultures.

Right away, I took advantage of the Student Nursing Association, a student-led club on campus. The goal is to make friends with people you might not sit with in class. When I had the opportunity to be a representative my junior year, I said absolutely! I want to use my leadership skills as best as I can.

Another opportunity is I can take ACTC classes—for me, band—at St. Thomas. Band was something I did in high school that I wanted to continue in college. I’m so incredibly happy I did, as it’s a break from studying anatomy and diseases. It’s something fun I do purely for my own enjoyment.

I love going to an all-women’s school. Just because it’s all women doesn’t mean it’s teaching an old-fashioned perspective. It fosters an environment for women’s voices to be heard. Like the St. Kate’s motto, it gives women the space ‘to lead and influence.’ To foster themselves as individuals.

I work in the healthcare industry now as a Nursing Assistant. It does cross my mind that the health care I’m going into is vastly different than when I first started college. But there have been so many medical advancements because of this pandemic, it makes me excited to see how many more treatments we can come up with to help our community. The possibilities are endless.