Archive Posts
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Microsoft Leader Returns to Mentor Tech-Minded Tommies
Humans of St. ThomasMaria Magambo ’27 wondered what a career in product management entailed, so she used social media to connect with Naadia Sayed ’11 MS, a University of St. Thomas alum in the field. Sayed is a product manager at Microsoft. The two hopped on a virtual call and Magambo left the one-hour conversation feeling inspired. “Naadia…
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Opus Alumni Businesses Support Locals in Need
AlumniWhen East Day Cafe co-founder Stephanie Ayala set out a small storage bin inside her South Minneapolis coffee shop for customers to donate a few items for families in need, she wasn't expecting much response. But a few hours later, dozens of food items and toiletries filled the front of the cafe. "It blew up,"… -
St. Thomas Day Spotlights Six Tommie Honorees
AlumniOn St. Thomas Day May 6, the University of St. Thomas recognized and celebrated Tommies who are sparking meaningful change in the world as they live and extend the St. Thomas mission. These Tommies are making an incredible impact on campus, in the local communities, across the country and around the world. The 2026 recipients… -
DFC’s First Alums Reflect on Finding Belonging
University NewsAlum Mesum Haider ’19 AA, ’22 wasn’t searching for Dougherty Family College. But once he heard about it, he knew it was the right college for him. “At Dougherty, it wasn’t about being tolerated,” he said. “It was about being embraced.” Before arriving on campus, Haider had spent his K-12 years feeling out of place… -
Journalism Under Pressure: Major Garrett at Finding Forward
University NewsMajor Garrett still remembers what it felt like to walk into a newsroom and see the morning paper waiting on his desk. “It’s about this thick,” he said, demonstrating with his fingers set apart. “Five sections. Pictures are great, the headlines are great, the story selection is amazing. And you look around the newsroom… and… -
Poet Enda Wyley Honored by President of Ireland, Receives 30th O'Shaughnessy Award
ArtsThe Center for Irish Studies and College of Arts and Sciences at the University of St. Thomas announced Enda Wyley as the recipient of the 30th Lawrence O’Shaughnessy Award for Poetry. The only prize of its type in the world, the award is granted to a poet resident in Ireland who makes significant contributions to… -
Now a Medtronic Engineer, Alum Matthew Jerrard ’21 Inspires Tommies
Humans of St. ThomasMatthew Jerrard ’21 knew by early middle school he wanted to study computer science. He discovered this by creating CraftBukkit servers in the sandbox video game Minecraft, which is simply customizing gameplay to create a unique experience. “I knew from that point on I was going into software engineering,” said Jerrard, who majored in computer… -
Under-Told Stories Project Nominated for Peabody and Emmy Awards
Professional NotesTwo projects produced by The Under-Told Stories Project, a collaboration between PBS and the University of St. Thomas, have been nominated for the News Emmy and Peabody awards. The Under-Told Stories Project is run by St. Thomas employees Fred de Sam Lazaro and Simeon Lancaster '17. "We are deeply grateful for the opportunity to tell… -
Marc Lore and Vik Uppal on Risk, Reinvention and Rebuilding
University NewsWhen he was 4 years old, Marc Lore didn’t say he wanted to be a CEO. He said he wanted to be a farmer. That was because “they grow stuff from nothing.” It was a child’s answer, but also, in hindsight, a blueprint for the person who would become the serial entrepreneur who founded the… -
Brad von Bank '95: Investing in Opportunity and Community
AlumniFor Brad von Bank '95, choosing St. Thomas for his bachelor's degree was about more than proximity, it was about purpose. “I was committed to play football and baseball, and St. Thomas had a great reputation in the business community,” he said. “It offered a faith-based education and felt like home.” Now serving on the…