Archive Posts
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From Fiction to Nonfiction: France Aravena on Breaking Into Journalism
Arts & HumanitiesWhile paging through Percy Jackson and the Lighting Thief by Rick Riordan, first-year student France Aravena, like many other young teens, fell in love with the Percy Jackson series. It wasn’t just the fantastical plot that grabbed Aravena, but the hook Riordan used to entrance readers: the iconic disclaimer that Percy makes to the reader,…
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How Tommie Award Nominee Pam Savira ’22 Found Her Footing
People & CultureWhen Pam Savira ’22 found out about her Tommie Award nomination – an award that recognizes students in their senior year for leadership, academics and campus involvement – she immediately thought about using that recognition to help others. “I think just reading their kind words really touched me,” Savira said, referring to the comments from her… -
St. Thomas Senior Is a Twin Cities River Rat
Arts & HumanitiesBeing a neuroscience major with two minors in biology and personal health and wellness would be enough for students, but not for Morgan Williams ’22. During her first two years at St. Thomas, she competed for the university’s swim and dive team, and now fills the role of team manager, along with finding time for… -
Raney Linck – On Finding Passion in Nursing Education
Health & EducationBefore he found his true calling, Dr. Raney Linck tried out a few careers after his bachelor's in mass communication, including as an assistant chaplain at a Baptist hospital and as a sales rep. He was working in sales when he decided he wanted another college degree – one that would allow him to transition… -
Berline Pierre-Louis – Advocating for Change in Patient Care
Health & EducationGiving birth to her own child is what reinforced for Berline Pierre-Louis, a clinical faculty member in the St. Thomas School of Nursing, just what an impact a good nurse can have on society. Her hospital stay gave her a close-up view to the other side of patient-provider relations than the one she experienced through… -
Heather Anderson – Taking Care of Families Through Nursing
Health & EducationAt the intersection of care and education is where you’ll find Heather Anderson, who was raised in the small town of Rushford, Minnesota. Hailing from a family of nurses and educators, Anderson knew she wanted to follow one of these community-oriented paths. The question was: which one? Watching the nursing careers of her cousin and… -
Seminarian Goes ‘All in’ While Preparing for Priesthood
Faith and MissionLocated a little more than a mile east of St. Peter’s Square in Vatican City, the church of San Luigi dei Francesi houses a painting titled “The Calling of St. Matthew” by Caravaggio. The iconic piece of art depicts Matthew the tax collector on the left, hovering over a pile of coins as he counts… -
DFC Associate Dean Advises Scholars to Be 'Themselves, Unapologetically'
St. Thomas 2025 - Expand Pathways through the Dougherty Family CollegeA majority of the scholars at Dougherty Family College, a two-year college at the University of St. Thomas, identify as students of color or first-generation Americans. Brad Pulles, the associate dean of students, can relate to them because his background is similar. Pulles, who was born in Bogotá, Colombia, grew up in Minnesota and attended… -
Tommie Alumnus Maps Future with Help of a 'Village'
Arts & HumanitiesThere’s a phrase that says “It takes a village” – that an entire community of people helps a child achieve. For Shukrani Nangwala '21, he credits his mother, St. Thomas professors and staff, a family friend and even the university’s Urban Art Mapping Project for opening his eyes to limitless possibilities for his educational and… -
Pioneering Alumna Champions Diversity in Public Service
AlumniSt. Thomas alumna Kelsey Dawson Walton '02, '09 MA likes to flash passersby with a warm, welcoming smile. “That's the kind of thing that I think sometimes can be missing in our world,” she said. “I think when you show humanity then you do open doors in life for yourself.” And some doors have opened…