Meg Nodzon '99 poses with one of her blue ribbon-winning baked goods.

Blue Ribbon Tommie Makes Mark at State Fair, St. Thomas

Meg Nodzon ’99 celebrated the new year in 2013 with a resolution: She was going to enter the Minnesota State Fair baked goods competition for a chance at top prize.

“I love to bake,” Nodzon said. “I have been baking for a really long time, and I thought, ‘I am going to try and get a blue ribbon.’”

Nodzon entered her first items in 2013. And while Nodzon didn’t win a blue ribbon that summer, she certainly enjoyed the taste of competition.

“In 2014, I won a blue ribbon and I won best in show for one of my chocolate mint cookies. Now, I can’t stop,” Nodzon said. Her home-cooked hobby has expanded to entries in more than 60 categories, including 14 submissions this year alone that have already garnered two blue ribbons for her Honey Cheesecake and also in the special gift basket category.

From rhubarb curd bars to honey roasted peanut butter cookies, Nozdon’s hobby is clearly a passion. But this blue-ribbon winner is also a proud Tommie.

“It's really fantastic to be a blue-ribbon winner and a to be a Tommie at the same time,” Nodzon said. “St. Thomas has such a great presence at the State Fair every year.”

Nodzon has been heavily involved with St. Thomas since she graduated, spending six years on the St. Thomas Alumni Board. In addition, she served six years on the College of Arts and Sciences Advisory Board, including two years as the chair.

“I also work for [the GHR Foundation] that gives back to St. Thomas, so I get to be on campus a lot for my job, which is amazing,” she said.

Nodzon’s work at GHR focuses on closing the achievement gap by strengthening urban Catholic schools and funding high-quality, values-based higher education. She also oversees the foundation’s Solutions program, which provides capacity-building grants across GHR’s grantees.

At GHR, Meg’s major accomplishments include implementing the first three Catholic STEM schools in the Twin Cities, creating a private school management network and bringing a program from Boston College to the Twin Cities that addresses out of school needs of students.