Archive Posts
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How St. Thomas Helped a ‘Restless Wanderer’ Find a Home in Paris
AlumniJenny Birkeland ’20 loves walking to work alongside the Seine in Paris. Each morning, she takes in the sights, including the Notre Dame Cathedral and the Louvre. But while Paris may be her home base, she’s rarely in one place for long. As the sub-Saharan Africa program coordinator at the International Energy Agency, Birkeland is…
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California Dreamin’ in Minnesota
Humans of St. ThomasVast fields define the landscape of El Dorado Hills, a small town in Northern California. Once central in the California gold rush, the town is home to Blair Horan ’26. Just like the 49ers before him, Horan is no stranger to the search for gold. While in high school, the California native started and ran… -
Travis Clark Impacts Native American Policy From Washington, D.C.
Business & LawAs a paramedic, Travis Clark (Tzi-Zho-Ki-He-Kah – Eagle Chief) responded to hundreds of calls across Cherokee Nation. It didn’t take long before he started to notice patterns. “Every day was Groundhog Day – seeing the same health emergencies over and over again,” Clark said. “I felt like a gerbil on a wheel.” An enrolled citizen… -
DOD SMART Scholar Leverages Master’s Degree for Career Pivot
People & CulturePursuing a master’s degree while working full time is not always easy to do. And landing a prestigious scholarship after enrollment can be challenging. However, for Frankie Torbor, his ambitions helped him land a SMART Scholarship with the Department of Defense, all while attending evening classes at the University of St. Thomas School of Engineering… -
How a Cybersecurity Course Paved the Way to Defense Department Job
Humans of St. ThomasJohn Morrison ’24 doesn’t know exactly what his parents do for a living – it’s classified. But he’s always been certain about one thing: He wants to follow in their footsteps. “Growing up with them, it made me realize, I want to be just like them,” Morrison said. “They played such an important role in… -
From Aspiring Lawyer to Data Storyteller
Humans of St. ThomasFinding the right career path is rarely linear. As a college student, Xavier Conzet initially considered pursuing a law career, intrigued by its focus on research and evidence-based arguments. But after discovering that the appeal that drew him to law was also present in analytics, he shifted his focus. “I was doing a lot of… -
Public Health Student From Rwanda Leads With Compassion and Determination
Diversity, Equity and InclusionLeaving home for college is a daunting task for many, but for University of St. Thomas student Blessed Uwase, there was the added layer of crossing continents and adapting to American culture. Uwase, who was raised in Rwanda and is majoring in public health at the Morrison Family College of Health, has carved a leadership… -
2024 Tommie Award Finalists Reflect on Experiences
Humans of St. ThomasAs the Class of 2024 prepares to graduate, the Newsroom asked this year’s Tommie Award finalists to reflect on their time at St. Thomas. Here’s what they had to say. Nguyen ‘Lucky’ Phan ’24 What’s your most memorable moment at St. Thomas? I definitely have had a lot of wonderful memories during my journey at… -
Sophomore Innovates for Global Equity
Humans of St. ThomasRecently winning the University of St. Thomas Business Plan Competition and the Fowler Global Social Innovation Challenge with her business concept Waste Compo, Beamlak Petros ’26 is certainly thriving as a Tommie. Aiming to alleviate two issues pressing on Ethiopian society – hunger and shortage of fertilizer, her concept received wide-scale attention on a recent… -
In the News: Anna Swanson Sets St. Thomas Javelin Record One Year After Horrific Crash
In the NewsAnna Swanson, nursing student and women's track and field athlete at the University of St. Thomas, recently spoke with the Star Tribune about how far she has come since a serious car accident left her hospitalized in August 2023 - only about eight months before she set the school record for the javelin throw. From…