After 35 Years, This Tommie Finally Finished What He Started

Just one semester short of earning his undergraduate degree from St. Thomas in 1976, first-generation college student Martin Strommer dropped out for a career opportunity. He figured he’d graduate later. “Later” stretched into a 35-year postponement to crossing the finish line of this milestone his family was eager for him to reach.

Beginning with elective requirements, Strommer started classes at what was the College of St. Thomas in the fall of 1972. "I didn't apply myself very much," he said. "I tried to look inconspicuous, sitting in the back of the classroom so the professors wouldn't see me."

In those first years, Strommer realized he lacked inspiration for what he thought was a clear path to earning a business degree. He took a chance on an art class at the College of St. Catherine's and finally felt he was on the right track. Through the Associated Colleges of the Twin Cities cross-registration program, he completed courses at St. Kate's, Macalester, Hamline and Augsburg.

His love for art, particularly photography, propelled him through his college years; however, he dreaded his final year because he feared not having a strong enough portfolio for his senior capstone art show. 

In early spring of 1976, Strommer, with just six credits left to complete at St. Thomas, ventured full-time at a job opportunity he started around Christmas his senior year. The timing felt impossible to ignore. What he thought would be a temporary pause stretched into decades.

“I was so close,” Strommer said. “I always thought eventually I’d get back and finish.” 

Life, however, had other plans.

Strommer built a successful career, moving from Minnesota to Florida, Georgia and eventually Pennsylvania. He rose through the ranks of the rental industry, managed major operations, spoke on a national level, and became president of the Minnesota Rental Association, spearheading the new emerging business opportunities in the special events equipment industry. Yet even as his professional life flourished, the unfinished degree quietly stayed with him.

“It haunted me,” Strommer said. “I felt like I had unfinished business.” 

For years, he avoided calls from the St. Thomas Engagement Center. The diploma he never earned remained a deeply personal disappointment — especially because of what it meant to his family. 

Raised in the Rice Street neighborhood of St. Paul, Strommer grew up in a Catholic household rooted in the traditions of St. Bernard's Parish. he served as an altar boy before Mass transitioned from Latin to English, sang in the choir and once considered becoming a priest. His father, a contractor who lived with cerebral palsy, taught him resilience and compassion. His mother, who had been raised Lutheran before marrying into a strict Catholic family, dreamed of seeing her son become the first in the family to earn a college degree.

“It broke my mother’s heart when I dropped out,” Strommer said. “I would have been the only child with a college degree.” 

By 2010, after decades of considering a return to college, Strommer found himself at another crossroads. Encouraged by his wife, Lucy, he decided it was finally time.

“I said maybe I’ll take one class now and one later,” Strommer recalled. “And Lucy said, ‘No, you’re taking both now. Get it done.’” 

The decision to follow his wife's advice changed everything. 

Serendipity was in play when Strommer reconnected with St. Thomas and met Dr. Michael Jordan. Jordan, in his St. Thomas roles as a professor of English beginning in 1982 and then as associate vice provost for undergraduate studies from 2005-2015, had an innate desire to forward academic excellence.

Karen Lange, vice president for Student Affairs, noted Jordan was an academic through and through.

“He believed in the importance of a liberal arts education and in the value of expanding your mind to be the best person you can be,” she said. “Leading with integrity, kindness and sincerity, Dr. Jordan was a brilliant man who put in the time to make sure students had the best experience.”

Jordan carefully reviewed Strommer's transcript history and helped Strommer chart a path to graduation. Jordan worked with academic counselors and the Committee on Studies to permit Strommer to graduate under the 1972 course catalog requirement if he completed just six remaining credits.

“I’m sure Marty getting his degree was very important to Dr. Jordan,” Lange said. “He would put in the time for students because he cared so deeply about the student experience – even one that spans years.”

For Strommer, Jordan’s guidance was transformational.

“I was really fortunate to connect with Dr. Jordan,” he said. “He made it happen.”

Jordan encouraged Strommer to take transferable courses wherever it worked best for him. With his East Coast address, Strommer enrolled in night classes at Wilmington University in Delaware while continuing his work. More than three decades after leaving campus, he found himself back in the classroom alongside students young enough to be his grandchildren.

This time, though, he approached school differently. 

“If I had to do it over again, it would’ve been a straight-A deal,” Strommer said. “I just appreciated it more.” 

After successfully completing the final credits, Strommer mailed his transcripts back to St. Thomas. On a later visit to Minnesota for a family wedding, he arranged to meet Jordan in person.

“I wanted to shake his hand,” Strommer said. “I told him, ‘God rest my mother’s soul — she passed away before I graduated. But I know she knows I did this.’”

Jordan responded with a joke Strommer still laughs about today.

“He said, ‘You did really good in those transfer classes. Too bad you didn’t do as well when you were here,’” Strommer recalled.

Realizing the Goal  

In 2011, Strommer officially earned his degree in art history from the University of St. Thomas — 35 years after he was originally expected to graduate.

That same year, his nephew, Father Paul Strommer, also graduated from St. Thomas, earning his undergraduate degree in philosophy while in formation at St. John Vianney College Seminary.

Noting his Uncle Marty’s contagious sense of humor, Father Paul recalled he and Strommer joking about walking in a commencement ceremony together.

“We didn’t walk,” Father Paul said. “But at some point we could reunion together. This year is 15 years since graduating – it is a sort of symbolic reunion.” 

Though Strommer didn't participate in a commencement ceremony, receiving his diploma marked something profound.

“When it arrived, I bought the fanciest frame I could find and hung it on the wall,” he said.  

His uncle's unconventional path to his degree reminded Father Paul of a quote from Saint Mother Theresa of Calcutta.

"Mother Theresa spoke about 'letting God write straight with crooked lines,'" he said. "Even if our story has delayed or unexpected turns, we can always complete our journey and reach a destination. We can continue moving toward the finish line and eventually cross it."

Strommer's experience also transformed his relationship with St. Thomas and his mindset on giving back. 

“For 35 years, I never donated,” he said. “But once I got the diploma, I finally felt like I belonged. I felt like I was part of the St. Thomas alumni family.” 

Today, Strommer gives regularly to support scholarships and students, inspired by the same spirit of generosity that shaped his Catholic upbringing. 

“I firmly believe that whatever you give comes back to you,” he said. 

He points to moments throughout his life that reinforce this belief: opportunities, friendships and unexpected blessings that arrived after acts of generosity. But his giving philosophy is rooted less in transactions and more in gratitude.

“My gifts help students who can’t afford it,” Strommer said. “And those students calling alumni — they deserve kindness, too.” 

Now retired, Strommer continues looking for ways to serve others. Recently, he signed up to volunteer with the American Red Cross disaster response team, helping transport supplies during emergencies. 

For him, service, faith and generosity are inseparable, and he recognizes that life is something we do together. “Don’t be afraid to ask for help,” he said. “And be true to yourself. Remember that you’ll get back tenfold what you give.”