We Are Johnnies: Jack Grabinski '23

What would Saint John’s University have missed out on had Jack Grabinski not decided to enroll here?

Well, to start out with, a whole lot of success on the diving board.

The junior from Sauk Rapids-Rice (Minnesota) High School is already a two-time All-American who very likely would have already had two appearances at the NCAA Division III national meet under his belt had that competition not had to be cancelled the past two seasons due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic (he had already qualified for nationals before the pandemic’s onset as a freshman during the 2019-20 season).

Jack is one of the best athletes I’ve had the pleasure of working with,” SJU head swimming and diving coach Ben Gill said. “He works hard every day, but keeps everything in perspective. He has a laid back personality but a competitive edge like no one I’ve met before.”

Then there is his academic success.

Grabinski maintains an exceptionally high GPA and has been named a College Swimming and Diving Coaches Association of America (CSCAA) Scholar All-American the past two seasons. In addition, the double-major in biology and environmental studies works on the school’s grounds crew and has volunteered for Outdoor U/Abbey Conservation Corps.

He is also part of Full Circle Greenhouse, a student-run group that grows and sells vegetables to students.

But what would Grabinski have missed if he had been unable to enroll at Saint John’s?

“There’s the community feel that everybody talks about here, but it’s true,” he said. “Everyone is so welcoming and you do feel like you’re a part of something.

“But there’s also the outdoor setting with the Arboretum which is perfect for me. I had a class that looked at how people impact different ecological systems. And Saint John’s has a prairie restoration project right on campus. So you have the perfect lab right here. I wouldn’t have had those kinds of experiences had I gone someplace else.”

Fortunately, because of scholarships, he didn’t have to.

Grabinski receives the Gary Youso Scholarship, the Coborn Family Scholarship, the Eldon Siehl Memorial Scholarship, a Trustees’ Scholarship and a Legacy Scholarship.

“Scholarships made it possible for me to be here,” he said. “I loved Saint John’s. But I wasn’t sure about the price. At the end of the day, though, I was amazed that - with the assistance I received – it was more affordable here than any other place I looked.

“Scholarships made the difference.”

And for that, he is grateful.

“I would say thank you to everyone who donates (to the scholarship fund),” he said. “They make it possible for myself and so many other students to be here. I’m so appreciative of everything they do.”

#WeAreJohnnies

We Are Johnnies: Nathan Freier '88 [9/11 Retrospective Series]

Nathan Freier ‘88

For Nathan Freier, it seems every year brings one of those days – sunny, warm, not a cloud in a vividly blue sky.

And then the memories of that morning come flooding back.

“On the morning of 9/11, I was in relatively early because we had a fairly important meeting about a planning document that was of interest to the entire Pentagon,” said Freier, a 1988 Saint John’s University graduate who at the time was a major in the U.S. Army working in the Pentagon – the headquarters of the U.S. Department of Defense, located just across the Potomac River from Washington D.C.

“It was the annual planning document that lays out what the military hopes to do and all its priorities.”

The meeting was taking place in a giant cubicle farm on the third floor, fourth corridor, C-Ring. And while it was ongoing, someone working nearby leaned in to say a plane had hit one of the Twin Towers at the World Trade Center in New York City.

“I remember thinking that was bizarre given what a nice day it was – both in D.C. and New York,” Freier said. “You would have had to be blind to run into the World Trade Center on that day.

“But the meeting continued on.”

That is until the same person leaned in again a short while later to say a second plane had hit the other tower.

“At that point, I remember asking my friend who was in the meeting with me if we should be in this building right now,” Freier said. “We had no idea there was a third and fourth plane that had been hijacked. But it was clear we were under some sort of attack and we were worried about a truck bomb or something like that.

“My boss was out of the office that day, and I remember we went into his office because he had a TV,” he continued. “We watched President (George W.) Bush’s initial response to the planes hitting the World Trade Center.

“Then we walked out and we couldn’t have taken more than five-or-10 steps when, bang, the whole building shook. And I heard the sickening sound of collapsing metal, like when two cars collide.”

That was at 9:37 a.m. (EDT) – just 34 minutes after the second plane hit the second tower in New York. American Airlines Flight 77, which had taken off from nearby Dulles International Airport, has been hijacked and flown into the west side of the Pentagon – almost directly under the office Freier was in.

“I can remember pushing my buddy down and I’ll never forget the look in his eyes when he got up,” he said. “He had these wire-rimmed, Radar O’Reilly glasses on and his eyes were so wide.

“He said ‘We need to get out of here.’ And I used an expletive agreeing with him.”

Freier and his group did evacuate, eventually making their way across a parking lot to Lady Bird Johnson Park. In the park, he came across an Air Force colonel on his cellphone, and Freier asked if the colonel would call his wife Jeanne (a 1988 graduate of the College of Saint Benedict) to let her know he’d seen Freier safely outside the building.

“My wife kept that message for years after that,” Freier said.

But after realizing everyone inside would need to be accounted for, Freier and his group slowly worked their way back to the Pentagon – arriving at around the same area they had exited the building.

That was when they saw a military hospital bus pull up. And he and others went back into the building – which was filling rapidly with smoke – to see how they could be off service. He spent the next several hours in and around the Pentagon – mostly in the center courtyard – even raiding a restaurant and vending machines to secure needed beverages for firefighters battling the intense blaze, and assisting with other tasks.

“I’d never been that close to firefighters doing their work on such a large scale like that,” he said. “And I’ve never seen sacrifice and service at a level anywhere close to what I saw from them that day.”

Eventually, after calling his wife from a payphone and helping to haul parasols that had been over picnic tables in courtyard to a triage unit that had been set up outside the building, Freier and others were told they needed to leave.

But his wallet and car keys – as well as his military beret – were still in his office where he had left them.

Someone gave him a ride to the nearest subway station that was operating and gave him $5 to pay the fare. But he ended up getting on the wrong train and had to take it all the way to the end of the line before circling back.

“I had to ride it back all the way to where I started from, then transfer back to my train,” he said. “But I was just in a fog.”

He finally made it his station where he found another payphone to call his wife to come get him. But while his day was finally over, 9/11 marked the beginning of a long decade ahead.

Freier would end up involved in helping develop plans for the War on Terror, and he made several visits to Iraq – the first two (in 2005 and ’07) in uniform, and the last two (in 2008 and ’10) as a civilian advisor.

“9/11 and its legacy have always been both personal and business for me,” said Freier, who is now a researcher for the Army War College, who works from his home in Red Wing, Minnesota, where he is also the head football coach at Red Wing High School.

“On a personal level, there was of course the trauma of being there in the middle of the day’s horrific attacks. I am sure 20 years on, I have never really processed it the way a therapist would recommend one should. When anyone asks ‘Where were you on 9/11?’  I say ‘Pentagon room 3C450.’ 3C450 was a large unremarkable open cubicle farm at 9:36 a.m. on Sept. 11th, 2001. One minute later, at 9:37 a.m., it was quite remarkable as only two floors separated it from what remained of American Airlines Flight 77. May the 184 innocent souls that lost their lives in that instant in the Pentagon rest in peace.

“As for business, 9/11 started what seems like a lifetime of strategy development experiences over the course of at least the next nine years. Frankly, all my work in strategy and defense analysis in the two decades since 9/11 always had some DNA-level connection back to the attacks and their impact on U.S. strategy and strategic planning.”

More From the 9/11 Retrospective Series:

1. Pete Welle ‘84: SJU grad recalls being at WTC site on the morning of 9/11

2. Tom Burnett ‘85: Remembering a 9/11 American hero – and a wonderful uncle

We Are Johnnies: Kevan Donohue '22

Prior to his senior year at Providence Academy in Plymouth, Minnesota, Kevan Donohue ‘22 made a trip that left a lasting impression on him.

The then-16-year-old spent a month-and-a-half of his summer volunteering at a trade school in Ecuador (his mother’s native country) that serves children from underprivileged backgrounds.

“Some of the families there come from really tough circumstances and working with them put a lot of things into perspective for me,” Donohue said.

“I realized how lucky I’ve been to be born in this country where we have systems and opportunities in place that a lot of other people don’t have. It made me want to make the most of the chances I’ve been given, and use them to try and make the world a better place.”

Donohue said that desire to give back has been encouraged and enhanced during the time he has spent at Saint John’s University.

But the Hispanic studies major and political science minor said his SJU experience would not have been possible were it not for the assistance scholarships have provided.

The oldest of three brothers, he currently receives the Stephen J. Mickus Scholarship, the Allan Mulligan Family Scholarship and a President’s Scholarship.

“My parents have to put three kids through college, so I really had to consider the financial impact to our family before making a choice about where I was going to go to school,” Donohue said. “Saint John’s was very generous. They offered the most support of any school I applied too. That really lifted a lot of financial stress for myself and my family.”

It also allowed him to follow in the footsteps of two of his uncles, both of whom attended SJU and played football for legendary former head coach John Gagliardi.

His father, however, attended longtime archrival St. Thomas. But Donohue said his dad put any past allegiance aside when he saw how excited his son was to enroll in Collegeville.

“He wasn’t as upset as I thought he would be,” Donohue said with a laugh. “He was happy for me.

“When I saw what I was being offered in scholarships, I was so stoked. I remember breathing this huge sigh of relief and being filled with this incredible feeling of anticipation. I couldn’t wait to get up here.”

Since arriving on campus, Donohue has become deeply involved in campus life, both through his classes and as a member of the SJU Men’s Chorus where he worked with legendary director Axel Theimer, who retired at the conclusion of the 2020-21 school year after 52 years at SJU and the College of Saint Benedict.

“I’ve made so many great friends here and I’ve gotten to work with so many great people,” Donohue said. “Axel is just an amazing guy. So is Matt Lindstrom (a professor of political science at SJU/CSB and the director of the Eugene McCarthy Center for Public Policy and Engagement).

“That’s just to name a few.”

Donohue will graduate in May and hopes to become involved in the political process himself, perhaps in the short-term by working on a political campaign. He’d also like to use his education and language skills to work with Hispanic communities in the U.S. or abroad.

Those are all goals he said his time at SJU has positioned him well to achieve.

And for that, he is grateful to the donors who helped make it possible.

“I just want to thank them so much,” he said. “I really appreciate the possibilities they’ve opened up for me and so many others.”

#WeAreJohnnies

We Are Johnnies: Edwin Torres '16

Overcoming challenges is nothing new for Edwin Torres ’16.

When he was a small child, his parents were forced to leave both he and his brother behind in El Salvador when they came to the U.S. in search of a better life for their family. He was reunited with them in California when he was six, but the road was far from easy. By the time he graduated high school, his family had moved 12 times and he had attended 10 different schools. On two different occasions, they found themselves homeless.

He said getting the chance to attend SJU opened up new doors and new worlds of opportunity for him. So he knows first-hand how important it is to make sure others are able to afford their own Saint John’s experience.

#WeAreJohnnies

We Are Johnnies: Julio Ojeda-Zapata ’85

Julio Ojeda-Zapata ’85

Enrolling at Saint John’s University was truly a leap of faith for Julio Ojeda-Zapata. The native of the San Juan, Puerto Rico area had never set foot on campus before he arrived here as a first-year student in the fall of 1981.

“I hadn’t done any college visits and I went to Saint John’s sight unseen,” said Ojeda-Zapata, a longtime reporter for the St. Paul (Minnesota) Pioneer Press who has been covering the changing face of technology since the mid-1990s.

“I got dropped off in the middle of nowhere in a place I’d never been before. But it ended up working out. I loved my time there.”

Ojeda-Zapata majored in political science at SJU, but he already knew journalism would be his true calling – an insight that dated back to when he started writing for La Flama, a student paper at Colegio Espíritu Santo parochial school in Hato Rey, Puerto Rico.

He also wrote for The Record during his time at SJU, then earned his master’s degree in journalism at the University of Illinois. He worked for the Chicago Reporter, a monthly magazine, for a year, before returning to Minnesota to work at the Star Tribune as a summer intern, he then joined the Pioneer Press as a general assignment reporter in 1987.

“Saint John’s had such a solid liberal arts program, which was perfect for me,” he said. “I went on to the University of Illinois to get my master’s and that was preparing for my career. But during my four years at Saint John’s, I was able to sample a little bit of everything which helped me become more well-rounded.”

In the mid-1990s, Ojeda-Zapata transitioned from his general assignment role into covering the technology beat, just in time for the dot.com bubble and eventually the advent of social media. He’s also written a number of books about consumer technology, business tech and mobile productivity.

His 2008 book, Twitter Means Business: How Microblogging Can Help or Hurt Your Company, was one of the first written about the emerging social media giant.

He’s currently part of the newsroom’s online team, though he still occasionally writes for the newspaper as well. He is also a contributing editor for TidBITS, a website for Apple enthusiasts. His work has also appeared in a variety of other print and online outlets, including Macworld.com, Mpls.St. Paul Magazine and the San Jose Mercury News.

“Writing for TidBITS has been a true privilege for me,” he said. “I read the site for years and years before I started writing there and I never dreamed my name would one day be on the masthead.”

And Ojeda-Zapata said he still looks back on his time at Saint John’s with great fondness.

“I picked Saint John’s on instinct, but within two days of arriving there, I knew I’d picked the right place,” he said. “I made so many great friends there right off the bat. It’s just a beautiful place to be.

“Even now, when I come back and swim out to the raft (on Lake Sagatagan) and lay in the sun, there’s nowhere else in the world where I feel more relaxed.”

#WeAreJohnnies

“I picked Saint John’s on instinct, but within two days of arriving there, I knew I’d picked the right place.”

— Julio Ojeda-Zapata ’85

We Are Johnnies: Jaime Ramirez ’00

Jaime Ramirez ’00 and his family

Two decades into his professional career, Jaime Ramirez can proudly say he helps people and makes a difference every single day.

Perhaps that shouldn’t come as much of a surprise, though, because it’s exactly what Ramirez has been doing basically since his arrival at Saint John’s University.

“I was very fortunate being at Saint John’s, coming from a family where I was the first to go to college,” said Ramirez, who served SJU as an admissions student tour guide and as founder and director of an outreach program for Hispanic/Latino youth. “I had experiences with a lot of wonderful men and women who would take the time to listen, to talk, to advise, to impart wisdom.”

That’s what Ramirez now does for others. He serves as a clinical social worker in the Outpatient Mental Health Clinic at St. Cloud Veteran’s Health Administration Medical Center, where he has provided care since 2007.

“In my role, I provide individual, couples and group psychotherapy for veterans as well as clinical case management – that’s helping veterans navigate the VA healthcare system,” said Ramirez, who lives in Sartell with his wife Carolyn – also a VHA clinical social worker – and their kids Jasmin (10), Alejandro (8) and Ariana (6).

“It is a very humbling profession, and it is one that is very rewarding. When it comes to helping people, you work until you get as far as you can and your energy takes you, then you call it a day and pick it up the next day.”

The roots for that career of service sprouted at Saint John’s.

“He was an agent for change,” said SJU Director of Admission Marketing Tom Voller-Berdan ’88, who helped recruit Ramirez in 1996. “He’s just this kind, generous person that loves Saint John’s and Saint Ben’s.”

As an SJU sophomore, Ramirez founded the Fast Forward Youth Program, an Hispanic/Latino youth college initiative and outreach program through the CSB/SJU Admission Office.

“It involved me going to high schools and speaking about my experience in life and how I got to Saint John’s,” said Ramirez, who subsequently recruited over 400 CSB/SJU students to serve as tutors and mentors for Hispanic/Latino students in Central Minnesota during his years as director of FFYP. “We’ve really got to go to the source. We’ve got to plant the seed.”

After graduation, Ramirez worked as an SJU admissions representative from 2000-05 before heading to grad school, nonprofit work in San Diego and to the St. Cloud VA.

“I’m always looking to evolve. I’m always looking to improve things,” Ramirez said. “When we look to the profile of a good Saint John’s student, these are the things we look to – service and leadership.”

#WeAreJohnnies

“When we look to the profile of a good Saint John’s student, these are the things we look to – service and leadership.”

— Jaime Ramirez ’00

Murgo’s inspiration launches G’NICETV

Murgo Gabriel ‘21 (L) and Ravi Alston ‘21

Saint John’s University senior Communication major Gabriel Murgo dedicated countless hours in the Bill Kling Lab over the last four years to building G’NICETV from the ground up.

In Feburary 2021, Murgo officially launched G’NICETV LLC. with the help of Johnnie alum Bob Foster. Murgo describes G’NICETV as a multi-media entertainment platform that focuses on pop culture, hip-hop, rap, R&B, sports, fashion, comedy and food.

“I want to be able to create content that’s dope for the culture and subcultures through my different digital web series,” Murgo said of his “Wuss Da Deal” series, where he conducts interviews of up-and-coming artists all around the country before they hit the mainstream. Murgo has done interviews with artists from California, Florida, Minnesota, New Jersey and Chicago, but he especially likes to focus on artists from his hometown – San Bernardino, California – to bring positivity to his community and give those individuals growing up in that environment a platform to display their work and talents.

 “G’NICETV has a real creative, authentic way to create positive content, and if I can do that coming from a rough environment why not do it? I will never forget where I came from,” Murgo said.

Murgo and producer Yike Mike

He also has created the “Ya Heard Me” podcast, on which he interviews artists, comedians and NFL athletes to talk about their experiences growing up, how they got to where they are now, and just to have good conversations on how they feel about things that are going on in the world. The podcast streams on nine different platforms.

Murgo has learned a lot during his time at CSB/SJU. He took an intercultural communication course where he learned about different cultures and subcultures, and he compares that learning to his own G’NICETV platform.

“That learning is no different from G’NICETV,” he said. “It gives you an insight of people from different backgrounds and how they express their backgrounds through their sense of creativity. It doesn’t matter if you’re Hispanic, Asian, Black, Hawaiian or whatever – we like to highlight entertainment that comes from those cultures and show it in a positive manner.”

Check out what G’NICETV has to offer on YouTube and the nine platforms that host his podcasts to get an inside look at the work he has created during his time at Saint John’s.

#OnTheComeUp #EntrepreneurSeries #WeAreJohnnies

About the Author:
Ravi Alston is a senior Johnnie majoring in Global Business leadership. He is a student intern with the Saint John’s University Institutional Advancement team for the spring 2021 semester.

We Are Johnnies: Valentin Sierra '10

Valentin Sierra '10

His home region has always been extremely important to Valentin Sierra. So too has been the concept of service.

But to serve at home the way he is doing now, Sierra first had to travel far and wide. And his time at Saint John’s University was an important stop on that journey.

“Saint John’s, to me, meant the whole world,” said the 2010 SJU graduate, who is now the secretary of economic planning and development for his home state of Caldas in his native Colombia.

“It changed my perspective on things. It enabled me to apply for the Master’s degree of my dreams (in public policy) at Harvard. It set me up with an internship in the city of my dreams in Washington D.C. But more than anything, Saint John’s meant grit and growth. It was a constant learning process. And it was such a supportive environment. It allowed me to discover and believe in what I was capable of doing.”

But Sierra’s voyage of self-discovery began well before he arrived in Collegeville. He grew up in Manizales, Colombia (the capital of the Department of Caldas) during a period when the country was racked by civil war.

Valentin Sierra '10 conducts an interview with Juan Manuel Santos, former president of Colombia on the CSB/SJU campus.

A scholarship enabled him to come to the U.S. and attend St. Cloud (Minnesota) Cathedral High School as an exchange student. From there, a speech he delivered at an event at St. Mary’s Cathedral in downtown St. Cloud drew the attention of the late Vern Dahlheimer, who spent many years working on behalf of social justice causes in the St. Cloud area.

Dahlheimer – along with an anonymous donor – helped provide the financial support needed for Sierra to enroll at Saint John’s where he excelled, majoring in economics and political science, working for the Eugene J. McCarthy Center for Public Policy and Civic Engagement, and earning acceptance to the Phi Beta Kappa national honors society – becoming the first international student at Saint John’s to receive such recognition.

A series of internships followed, as did a Master’s degree in international economics and finance from Johns Hopkins and the Master’s degree in public policy from Harvard.

With that résumé, he could have gone anywhere in the world and likely had his pick of jobs. But he chose to return to Caldas, where he helped elect longshot candidate Luis Carlos Velásquez Cardona governor in 2019.

He now serves as one of Cardona’s top aides, helping his home state meet the challenges in front of it – including the economic impact of the global COVID-19 pandemic.

“I was able to get so many opportunities in the U.S.,” he said. “But I never entertained the idea of staying there. I always knew I was building the portfolio and tools I needed to come back and serve my region.

“The Benedictine values of service and caring for one another that were instilled in me at Saint John’s just reinforced my decision to come back to Colombia.”

#WeAreJohnnies

“The Benedictine values of service and caring for one another that were instilled in me at Saint John’s just reinforced my decision to come back to Colombia.”

— Valentin Sierra ’10

We Are Johnnies: John Laird '21

Within the past year, Saint John’s University senior Global Business Leadership major John “Jack” Laird started his own LLC called Laird Outfitters – a clothing company focused on outdoor wear for hunters when they aren’t hunting, such as lounging around a deer camp or everyday wear.

Laird’s business began with the concept of creating a company that focused on specialized gear he had devised. He developed ideas, worked on prototypes and put his lifetime passion for hunting and being outdoors into his idea of creating high-quality equipment for hunters all over the world.

He immediately ran into budget issues. But thanks to the Entrepreneurship Center on the Saint John’s campus, Laird was able to meet with many professionals who helped guide him to where he is now. Laird Outfitters (https://www.lairdoutfitters.com/) quickly took off as a company along the lines of Patagonia, with hats shirts, and sweatshirts featuring comfort and style.

“Sometimes, your family will tell you what you’re doing is good and working well,” Laird said. “It really took the Entrepreneurship Center and the people there to help me take a step back and pursue my passion in a different and better way.”

The clothing is ideal for those who enjoy being outdoors, and it was a big part of his vision to have many Johnnies sporting his gear during the long, cold winters in Collegeville.

“I love seeing people around campus supporting me and wearing my winter gear,” Laird said. “It’s a direct feeling of contribution to the community. It also feels great to know the Entrepreneurship Center is able to see a student succeed. This is what they truly care about – helping others.”

Laird is very appreciative of all family, professors, and fellow Johnnies who have supported him on his journey of creating Laird Outfitters. He hopes to see more Johnnies sport his gear on campus and to continue to be part of a success story of hard work paying off.

#WeAreJohnnies

About the author:

David Cullen is a senior Johnnie majoring in Global Business leadership and minoring in Exercise Science and Sports Study. He loves creating content and reaching out and communicating with others. He is a student intern with the Saint John’s University Institutional Advancement team for the spring 2021 semester.

We Are Johnnies: Edwin Torres ’16

Edwin Torres ’16

After playing a key role in the campaign to re-elect U.S. Senator Tina Smith last November, Edwin Torres decided to take a little time off to decide what came next.

With an impressive resume that also includes serving as the National Latino Outreach Director for the presidential campaign of Amy Klobuchar, Smith’s fellow senator from Minnesota, Torres had no shortage of potentially lucrative options.

But when Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz’s office approached him about helping to lead the state’s COVID-19 vaccination efforts, Torres couldn’t refuse.

So, since January, the Saint John’s University graduate has been working 10 to 12 hours a day – often seven days a week – as the state’s COVID-19 Vaccine Outreach Director, helping connect Minnesotans with the shots that will soon hopefully help bring the ongoing global pandemic to an end.

“This is by far the grandest thing I’ve been able to do when it comes to the size and scope of people impacted,” Torres said. “I’m very proud of the work we’ve done. We have a lot of work left to do, of course. But we’ve gotten a lot accomplished. Minnesota has been among the top states in the nation when it comes to vaccine distribution.”

Senator Tina Smith and Edwin Torres ‘16

Torres’ duties include reaching out to BIPOC, non-English speaking and undocumented communities, some of which have been hit hard by the spread of the virus and don’t always have access to needed medical care.

That’s a struggle Torres can understand. When he was a small child, his parents were forced to leave he and his brother behind in El Salvador when they came to the U.S. in search of a better life for their family.

He was reunited with his parents in California when he was six, but the road was far from easy. By the time he graduated high school, his family had moved 12 times and he had attended 10 different schools. On two occasions, they found themselves homeless, and obtaining medical care was often difficult.

“I’m someone who never had health insurance,” said Torres, who continues to receive two-year extensions to live and work in the U.S. as a member of the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) community.

“From when I got to this country at the age of 6 until when I enrolled in college at age 18, I never went to a dentist. We never had medical care. Being undocumented and living in the shadows, that’s something that just wasn’t there. So to now be able to assure that our most vulnerable communities get the vaccine, which is lifesaving, is just an incredible privilege. To be able to help out families that look like mine is so humbling.

“I can’t imagine a better way to spend my time.”

Minnesota Lt. Gov. Peggy Flanagan has worked closely with Torres on vaccination outreach, including to employees in the state’s food processing sector. She said the level of understanding he brings to the table has helped him form genuine connections with those he is trying to reach.

“Part of outreach is sometimes having the hard conversations,” Flanagan said. “But he answers all the tough questions and forms real bonds.

“He’s smart, compassionate and empathetic. He really cares about people and community and that comes through.”

 #WeAreJohnnies

“To be able to help out families that look like mine is so humbling.”

— Edwin Torres ’16

We Are Johnnies: Alejandro Guzman '19

Alejandro Guzman ‘19 coaching

The road that brought Alejandro Guzman from Immokalee, Florida to Saint John’s University has now taken him to another seemingly unlikely destination and challenging career path.

A nutrition major and exercise science minor? Teaching high school biology and chemistry? In Houston?

Alejandro Guzman '19 likes to make teaching and learning fun

“It’s very rewarding. You can really see the appreciation that a lot of these kids have,” said Guzman, who is finishing his second year of teaching high school freshmen and sophomores at YES Prep East End – part of a group of 21 Houston charter schools with a college preparatory emphasis that serve students who are 97 percent Hispanic or Black, 90 percent first-generation college students, and 85 percent economically disadvantaged.

“A lot of families are just truly trying to push for their kids to have a better education,” added Guzman, who also coaches East End’s varsity boys basketball and volleyball teams. “We want to make sure that from an early age we’re starting to introduce that you can go to college, you are college-ready, things like that,”

Hopefully, their experience can mirror Guzman’s own First Gen experience at Saint John’s.

“My four years at Saint John’s were so amazing. I never thought it was going to be that great,” said Guzman, who was one of the first four success stories of the Immokalee Scholarship Program that provides scholarship support for students from one of America’s poorest communities.

“I was able to be part of the Urban Scholars internship in Minneapolis, so I was feeling after graduation I was going to work with public health or some type of government work with public policy. But teaching just kind of fell into my lap and I ran with it.”

Part of Guzman’s immersion into his students’ lives in Houston has included steering them toward his own footsteps.

“Last year, I was rocking a Saint John’s sweatshirt on a Friday, and a student – she was a senior, great student, president of the senior class – said, ‘Oh my gosh, did you go to Saint John’s? I’m going to Saint Ben’s!’ “ Guzman said.

“I tell all my kids, ‘Senior year I’m making you apply to Saint John’s – every one of you.’ “

Guzman’s long-term vision, however, is focused elsewhere.

“My plans are still to one day go back to Immokalee and take all my knowledge, become the first councilman representing Immokalee or the first mayor,” he said. “That’s still my future goal.

“I’m just trying to do my best. Hopefully with the hard work it leads me to be in a position to do even more great things and inspire others.”

“My four years at Saint John’s were so amazing. I never thought it was going to be that great.”

— Alejandro Guzman ’19

We Are Johnnies: Michael Pineda '21

When Michael Pineda arrived at Saint John’s University as a freshman in the fall of 2017, he was told about the Eugene J. McCarthy Mentor Program which pairs College of Saint Benedict and Saint John’s students with individual political and community leaders.

It’s meant as a way to offer current students sources of support who can provide a road map as they begin exploring avenues to success academically and in later life.

Pineda, a graduate of Verbum Dei High School in Los Angeles who was raised by a single mother and is the first member of his family to attend college, was paired with Steve Chavez, a 1974 SJU graduate who is now a lawyer in the Twin Cities.

“He ended up doing so much for me, including offering personal and professional support,” Pineda said. “And when I offered to try to pay him back, he refused and told me to pay it forward instead.

“That’s something that really stuck with me.”

Pineda, a senior global business leadership major who serves as the lead video production specialist for Instructional Technology, has had a chance to serve as a mentor to many during his time on campus.

As part of his duties, Pineda supports the Kling Media Lab and Video Studio with a wide range of classes, lectures, podcasts, interviews, newscasts, music videos and more. During the COVID-19 pandemic, he rapidly created many of the training resources and video tutorials that made it possible for the CSB/SJU community to move online quickly, and to take advantage of the digital tools that would become commonplace as a result of hybrid learning and video conferencing.

For his efforts, he was named the SJU Student Employee of the Year for the 2020-21 school year.

“Michael is a born leader and a natural mentor,” said Ethan Wittrock, an Instructional Technology specialist who serves as Pineda’s supervisor. “His style of leadership is also a testament to our Benedictine-influenced understanding of service-based leadership.”

Pineda would like to apply his aptitude for teaching by pursuing a career as an instructional technology specialist. But before that happens, he will spend a year abroad volunteering as a member of this year’s cohort of the Benedictine Volunteer Corps.

“More than anything, I try to look at what I do here at SJU as a baseline for future generations,” he said. “My grandmother came to this country as an immigrant just hoping to survive. My mother became a resident. I’m just the next in the series of steps my family has taken to continue improving our quality of life.”

“I try to look at what I do here at SJU as a baseline for future generations.”

— Michael Pineda ’21

#We Are Johnnies: Bradley Fering '21

Senior Brad Fering has taken full advantage of the entrepreneurship center at Saint John’s University during the past year.

Bradley Fering ‘21 and his start-up 4K Productions

Fering has launched his own company and LLC, 4k Productions, a drone and photography company specializing in drone flying lessons for children and adults while also producing merchandise and wallpapers/posters.

“I bought my first drone one day as an impulse buy, and it turned out to be one of the best purchases of my life,” said Fering, who fell in love with shooting high-quality pictures of his cabin on a lake in Northern Minnesota and decided he could start a company with his newfound passion.

Fering thanks his professors for their guidance and the Donald McNeely Center for Entrepreneurship for giving him ideas and the confidence he needs.

He will be giving lessons this summer to children who want to learn how to fly drones. Fering didn’t start the company for the income, but his focus on teaching children gives them a fun outdoor activity while teaching them a new skill they hopefully will fall in love with – just like Fering did.

Teaching others while also shooting overhead shots of the beautiful campus for use on CSB/SJU social media pages speaks to how Johnnies are always in it together.

Fering is excited to keep shooting and teaching others the art of drone photography. He also knows that if it wasn’t for Saint John’s University its people, none of this would have been possible.

#WeAreJohnnies

About the author:

David Cullen is a senior Johnnie majoring in Global Business leadership and minoring in Exercise Science and Sports Study. He loves creating content and reaching out and communicating with others. He is a student intern with the Saint John’s University Institutional Advancement team for the spring 2021 semester.

Johnnie Entrepreneur Video Series

Ravi Alston ‘21 sits down with Bradley Fering ‘21 to discuss Brad’s business venture "4K Productions", and to share some drone photos and videos captured from Collegeville.

About the creator:

Ravi Alston is a senior Johnnie majoring in Global Business leadership. He is a student intern with the Saint John’s University Institutional Advancement team for the spring 2021 semester.

We Are Johnnies: Simeon Farquharson ’21

Simeon Farquharson ’21

Simeon Farquharson ’21 flew from the sunny Bahamas one day during his senior year of high school to cold and snowy Collegeville, Minnesota. Despite the weather, he instantly fell in love with Saint John’s campus and the people he was spending the weekend with for his visit.

“It just felt right, and I felt at home even though I was so far away” he said.

Farquharson arrived at Saint John’s in August 2017 and moved into Tommy Hall, where he met many friends he still has today and plans on having for a long time. When asked about his favorite part of his four years at Saint John’s, he answered “the people” before the question was complete.

Simeon Farquharson ’21

Farquharson spoke of the struggle of being a student living in The Bahamas but taking classes online in a different time zone when many of his classmates were in Minnesota during spring semester of his junior year.

“It was really hard,” he said. “I have many siblings and The Bahamas shut down fast. This meant there were four of us in a small living room all trying to do our separate schoolwork. This experience changed my life and it made me miss the people at Saint John’s more than ever.”

But that experience also bolstered his resilience and connected him to the greater community at CSB/SJU.

“Everyone is extremely hard-working, and my professors and classmates were understanding and had my back the entire time” Farquharson said.

Simeon Farquharson ’21

He’ll never forget the community at Saint John’s, and Saint John’s will never forget him either. Farquharson has been a member of Saint John’s Senate, a resident advisor and a member of the men’s volleyball team, and he’ll be the Commencement speaker for the Class of 2021 this May.

Simeon thanks all his teachers, resident advisors, friends and coaches for his experience and for allowing him to be so successful and leaving a legacy greater than he imagined when he arrived at Saint John’s in 2017.

#WeAreJohnnies

About the author:

David Cullen is a senior Johnnie majoring in Global Business leadership and minoring in Exercise Science and Sports Study. He loves creating content and reaching out and communicating with others. He is a student intern with the Saint John’s University Institutional Advancement team for the spring 2021 semester.

We Are Johnnies: Logan Lintvedt ’21

Logan Lintvedt ’21

Logan Lintvedt ’21 had long given thought to the idea of one day becoming a teacher.

But until he arrived at Saint John’s University, the Delano (Minnesota) High School graduate says he wasn’t entirely sure that was the profession he wanted to enter.

He credits his time in Collegeville – and specifically an interaction with one of his professors – for helping him realize his true calling.

“It was always a thought I had in the back of my head, but there was this idea that maybe I should look at a career where the pay scale was a little higher,” said Lintvedt, an elementary education major who is also a member of the Johnnies tennis team.

“But after I got here and started taking classes, I began to realize this was the route I wanted to take. One of my professors – Allison Spenader – talked to me about how much we need more educators, especially at the younger grade levels. The system is overtaxed and we’re not able to do as much as we need to do in order to make sure that all kids are able to thrive.

“That really hit home and inspired me to want to do my part.”

Lintvedt is now on his way to doing just that. He is student-teaching at Oak Hill Elementary School in nearby St. Cloud this semester.

Then, after graduating this May, he will spend a year abroad in Uganda as a member of the Benedictine Volunteer Corps - a position that will give him additional hands-on teaching experience.

After that, he plans to pursue a full-time teaching career.

“I don’t know if I’d be doing that were it not for my time at Saint John’s,” he said. “Being here has really helped crystalize what it is I want to be doing. That sense of giving back and being part of a community is something they really stress here.

“The people I’ve met at Saint John’s are going to be my friends for the rest of my life. And I don’t think the opportunities I’ve gotten – especially something like the Benedictive Volunteer Corps – would have happened had I gone anywhere else.”

But he said his Saint John’s experience might not have been possible were it not for scholarships.

“Originally, I didn’t know if I’d be able to make it work,” said Lintvedt, who receives the Hal and Mary Duffy Scholarship, as well as a Dean’s Scholarship.

“Private colleges sometimes have this stigma of being really expensive. But when I got back my scholarship and financial aid information, I was shocked at how affordable it actually was. I’m really grateful to everyone who helped make that happen. I’m so glad it all worked out the way it did.”

So are those he has gotten to know during his time on campus,

“Logan is just an outstanding person,” said Jack Bowe, his head tennis coach. “Both in the classroom and on the court.”

Lintvedt said such sentiments are definitely reciprocal.

“I’ve gotten to know so many great people at Saint John’s - my professors and classmates, my tennis teammates and coaches,” he said. “I never imagined I’d be at a place where your professors care about you as much as they do here.

“Everyone wants to see you find what it is you want to do and be successful at it.”

[You can support students like Logan with a gift to the Saint John's Student Fund here: https://www.givecampus.com/7wpvdo]

#WeAreJohnnies

Creating a Legacy for Saint John's University Alumni: Conner Wagner '19 and Max Martin '19

Conner Wagner and Max Martin look back fondly on their time at Saint John’s University.

And finding a way to commemorate that experience was the genesis behind a venture the 2019 graduates recently launched.

Conner Wagner ‘19 (left) and Max Martin ‘19 (right). Co-Founders of Legacy, LLC and proud Saint John’s University Alumni

The duo are offering custom-made graduation watches, created exclusively for Saint John’s students and alumni through a company entitled Legacy LLC.

The watches – which feature the familiar hexagons of the Abbey Church and a Benedictine cross as a centerpiece on the front and an individual’s name and class year engraved on the back – are personally built for each purchaser by Wilk Watchworks – a Canadian-based, family-run company.

The high-end watch contains Swiss movements and the dials are hand painted. Ten percent of every purchase is donated to the Saint John’s University Scholarship Fund.

“Max and I were both economics majors (at SJU) and we had a lot of classes together,” Wagner said. “So, one day, I pitched him this idea and he said ‘Let’s do it.’

“Class rings are great, but they aren’t always functional in every situation. We wanted to create something that can be worn in any situation – from a business meeting to more casual settings.”

“Saint John’s becomes a home away from home for so many people who go here,” Martin added. “So why not have a small piece of home that you can wear around your wrist wherever you go? Something to remind you of the years you spent here.”

Both Martin and Wagner said the resources they were able to draw on at SJU helped them get their venture off the ground.

“(Former SJU Director of Annual Giving) Raj Chaphalkar ’08 worked with us in the Institutional Advancement Office and that helped a lot,” Martin said. “And Margrette Newhouse (a 1988 College of Saint Benedict graduate and director of the Donald McNeely Center for Entrepreneurship) helped us access a lot of the resources available through the E Scholars Program.”

A Legacy Timepiece

The company has been up and running since last fall, and Martin said among the notable alumni who have purchased a watch are a member of the SJU Board of Trustees, former SJU football standout Ben Bartch (now with the NFL’s Jacksonville Jaguars) and others.

At the moment, the only watch offered is at the high end of the price range. But both Wagner and Martin said the plan is to introduce a lower-cost option and a CSB timepiece in the coming months.

The pair are also open to the possibility of one day expanding their efforts to include additional schools.

But for now, the focus is on the campus community that meant so much to them.

“Saint John’s has been a big part of my life,” Wagner said. “Those four years between (there) high school and (college) graduation were a time of a lot of individual growth. I learned so much and I loved my time there so much.

“I think a lot of alumni feel the same way. And that’s why having something to remember that time by is so important.”

To find Legacy LLC online, or on social media:

Website: legacyllcwatches.com

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Legacy-LLC-101146725010784

instagram: https://www.instagram.com/legacywatches__/

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/66309733/admin/

We Are Johnnies: Ty Chiko '12

A 2012 Saint John’s University graduate is one of 31 performers selected from a pool of 500 international contestants to advance to the semifinals of the prestigious Lotte Lenya Competition.

Ty Chiko, a native of the Bahamas, now resides in Arizona where he teaches music, and has embarked on a successful performing career.

Ty Chiko ‘12

The competition, named in honor of famed opera singer Lotte Lenya (and wife of well-known composer Kurt Weill), recognizes singers/actors of all nationalities ages 19-32 who are “dramatically and musically convincing in repertoire ranging from contemporary Broadway scores to opera/operetta, including the works of Kurt Weill,” reads a description on the competition’s website.

The competition is sponsored by the Kurt Weill Foundation for Music.

A release said the 2021 competition, the first rounds of which are being held virtually, drew 500 applications, which is a record. Applicants came from 29 countries and 39 U.S. states. Each had to submit a video featuring four contrasting song selections including musical theater, opera and a selection from the Kurt Weill repertoire.

Chiko’s submission included “Where Is The Life That Late I Led” from Kiss Me Kate, “It Never Was You” from Knickerbocker Holiday, “Make Them Hear You” from Ragtime and “O Lawd Jesus, Heah My Prayer” from The Emperor Jones.

“I've known about this competition for years, but have always thought that I was not ready for it,” said Chiko, who is in the process of changing his name from Ty Cox. “I still somewhat feel this way because I'm sometimes too self-critical about my artistry.

“However, I decided to give it a shot while we're living in this virtual world and it's easy to send in video auditions versus finding finances to fly somewhere and audition. It's all paid off so far and I'm going into the next round hopeful and ready to share art.”

Chiko now moves on to the semifinal round, which will take place via video audition and online coaching sessions next month. A release said that for the first time since the competition began in 1998, two previous top prizewinners will return as judges.

The finals are scheduled to be held in person on May 29, the release stated. Or, if circumstances related to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic do not allow for that to be possible, they would be held in late August in either Rochester, New York or New York City itself.

The release said the final round will be streamed live on the Lotte Lenya Competition website (https://www.kwf.org/pages/lotte-lenya-competition.html), and available as a broadcast on OperaVision (https://operavision.eu/en) shortly after the finals are completed.

Top prizes in the competition are $20,000, $15,000 and $10,000. But the release said discretionary awards from $3,500 to $5,000 “recognize outstanding finals performances of individual numbers or particular aspects of performances.”

“It's incredibly exciting,” said Chiko, who is in the final year of pursuing his doctoral degree at Arizona State University and is also an Amputee Coalition peer visitor and youth counselor.

“It's said that when you do something with no expectations, you save yourself from getting hurt. I went into this competition with no expectations, and on the flip side of getting hurt, if you succeed, you feel a wonderful sense of pride and accomplishment.

“I'm extremely grateful to have made it this far. I get to represent my country, the amputee community, my schools and my family when I take the stage and all of those groups are holding me up and moving me forward. I could not be more thrilled.”

#WeAreJohnnies

We Are Johnnies: Will Fischer '20

Will Fischer ‘20

It was an ordinary senior year with an abnormal ending for Saint John’s University alum Will Fischer, who graduated in 2020.

“It didn’t really seem real when everything got cancelled because of COVID, but a big silver lining for the situation was all the people who lived in Saint Joe really were able to grow together,” he said.

Fischer loved his time at Saint John’s, and to him the most memorable thing was the community, friendly faces and kindness of everyone around him. He chose Saint John’s because he had heard stories about the Johnnie network and all the connections he could make, but he never imagined one day during his final semester he would find a job because of it.

Fischer was a member of the football team for three years and a board member for Square One – a student-run nonprofit organization. Like hundreds of other seniors at CSB/SJU, Fischer saw his senior-year experience diminished by the pandemic. He was able to look at it in a good light, just like when his football career ended by an injury.

“The members of CSB/SJU really reached out, helped out, and motivated me every day,” he said. “I couldn’t have made it through those times alone. They gave me a reason to keep working”.

Fischer found a job with SPS Commerce during his senior year after meeting an alum during a networking event. He spoke about the importance of the community and how it is unmatched by any school – in Minnesota or the country. He speaks highly of SJU and misses the beautiful campus and the faculty who try their hardest to get to know every student and celebrate their students’ success even more than they do.

Fischer is excited to come back to campus and see it again for the first time since he graduated in May 2020. He is beyond thankful for his experience and wants to give a piece of advice to every student still there.

“Don’t be afraid to reach out to as many alums as possible,” he said. “They are there for you and they remember the stresses of college and after graduation of picking a career. I can confidently speak for all alums that they are willing to help out and they want to hear from current students.”

Fischer’s words are a testament to the strength of the SJU alumni community and how the community values of SJU stand strong months, years and decades after graduation.

About the author:

David Cullen is a senior Johnnie majoring in Global Business leadership and minoring in Exercise Science and Sports Study. He loves creating content and reaching out and communicating with others. He is a student intern with the Saint John’s University Institutional Advancement team for the spring 2021 semester.

Axel Theimer '71: A Gift for Music

[On this page you fill find a profile of Axel Theimer ‘71 from Saint John’s Magazine, videos, and ways to support his scholarship - scroll all way to the bottom of this page to explore! ]

It was just a tour stop - one of many Axel Theimer made as a member of the internationally-renowned Vienna Boys Choir.

But something about his brief stay on the Saint John’s University campus in early February of 1958 made a lasting impression on the then-12-year-old Austrian singer.

“We were here for two-or-three nights,” Theimer recalls. “What was great was that the members of the (Saint John’s) men’s chorus at the time made their rooms available to us.

“My roommate and I stayed in the room of a guy (Norm Virnig ’61) who gave us a Saint John’s sweater. And I cherished that thing. It was gray and red and said Saint John’s University on it. I wore it so often back home, even after it got too small for me. Eventually, people had to tell me they didn’t think I could wear it anymore. I literally wore it out.”

That attachment was perhaps a sign of things to come as Theimer would return to Collegeville just over 11 years later – in the summer of 1969 – to take over from Gerhardt Track as the choral director at SJU.

And he has remained here ever since, building a tradition of choral excellence that has now spanned multiple generations.

“He’s been an incredible boon to Saint John’s and Saint Ben’s,” said acclaimed musician John McCutcheon ’74, who sang in choir for Theimer as a student at SJU and has remained close to him over the years.

“He’s benefitted the school in so many ways – some that people won’t even recognize until after he’s gone.”

But, having recently turned 75, the professor in the College of Saint Benedict/Saint John’s University Music Department and director of both the CSB/SJU Chamber Choir and the SJU Men’s Chorus has decided it is now time to step away.

He announced last fall he plans to retire at the conclusion of the 2020-21 school year, leaving a giant void department chair David Arnott said will be difficult to fill.

“He’s the John Gagliardi of the music department here,” said Arnott, referencing the legendary late SJU head football coach who retired in 2012 after 60 seasons in Collegeville and more wins than any coach in college football history.

“He’s been here longer than all of us. In fact, three tenured members of our department weren’t even born yet when he started teaching here. But we’re not just losing that vast amount of institutional memory and a truly accomplished teacher. We’re also losing all of the things he does – and has done for decades – that aren’t part of his job description. Organizing tours every year, organizing venues, and so much more.

“His light is always the last to go off in the (Stephen B. Humphrey Theater building) each night.”

Those who’ve learned from and worked with Theimer over the years echo the same sentiments:

“The legacy Axel leaves at Saint John’s and Saint Ben’s will be everlasting,” said Ty Cox ’12, who has gone on teach music, as well as embarking on a successful performing career.

“And that’s a credit to his kindness and patience, as well as to how quietly effective he is at getting the best out of people. He’s managed over the years to consistently make great music out of choirs with people who come from all different backgrounds – not all of them musical. But the quality of the music has always remained so high.”

“I didn’t come into Saint John’s as this serious music major with an understanding of classical theory and all that,” added Joe Mailander ’08, who sang in both the Chamber and Men’s Choruses at SJU and has gone on to a Grammy-winning recording career as one half of the children’s music duo The Okee Dokee Brothers.

“I was just a folk musician. But he accepted me for who I was and made a place for me in his choirs. I learned so much from working with him.”

“I went into teaching music and he was a vital part of that process,” said Elizabeth Gust ’07, a CSB alum who taught music in public schools for 11 years and still serves as director of the Twin Cities Girls Choir.

“I knew I could always go to him to ask questions and he was always available to work with my students in different capacities over the years. At the very basic core, he’s a humanist. He cares deeply about people and making a connection with them.”

Getting started

Track, who conducted Theimer when he was with the Vienna Boys Choir, got back to Collegeville first.

And he, in turn, opened the door for his protege.

“He was my choir director,” Theimer said. “In fact, he was the director of the boys choir when we visited SJU. He then took over here, and he was very active when it came to traveling with the Men’s Choir. They came to Vienna several times, and whenever they did, I went to the concerts. So we stayed in touch. And he knew I had been active in conducting (with Chorus Viennensis, the adult performing partner ensemble to the Vienna Boys’ Choir).

“So when he left, he recommended me here.”

Though his initial job title was choral director, Theimer’s role in the early years was really that of a jack-of-all-trades musically speaking.

“Anything you could possibly be asked to do was in my first contract,” he recalls with a chuckle. “There was conducting the men’s chorus and giving voice lessons, teaching music theory classes and even giving piano lessons. I look back on those days now and it seems totally insane. But there was a real push to build the (music) program and increase numbers.

“So we all did everything we had to do to make that happen.”

Even by pitching in when it came to other departments – like athletics. Having played soccer growing up, Theimer was soon asked to take over the head coaching reins of the SJU soccer program – which had only been established in 1967.

He stayed on the job for three seasons – from 1970-72.

“When they heard I was from Europe, and that I had played soccer, some of the guys on the team came to me and asked if I wanted to coach them,” he recalls. “I said, ‘I’m not a soccer coach. I don’t know anything about it.’ But I bought a couple of pamphlets and books about coaching soccer so it at least seemed like I knew what I was talking about.”

Theimer was more at home in the concert hall. And he made an immediate and positive impression on those who were part of his first choir at Saint John’s.

“News traveled slower in those days,” recalls Mark Karnowski ’71, who went on to a long career as a city administrator, including almost 15 years in Princeton, Minnesota before his retirement in 2017.

“So a lot of us weren’t even aware that Gerhardt had left until we showed up back on campus that fall. Then it was just the unknown. Axel had such an impressive resume. But you wondered if his style would be a departure from what we’d been used to. As it turned out, his style was very similar to Gerhardt’s. Which made sense because they’d worked together.

“Axel was basically our age, or just a little bit older. So I’m sure that must have been a bit difficult for him, especially in those days. There is always the temptation to want to hang out with the guys you are in charge of directing. But I thought he balanced that really well. He was easy to relate to, but you knew he was in charge.”

Building the legacy

When Theimer first arrived at Saint John’s, the music departments at SJU and CSB were separate entities.

That soon began to change as the two departments merged into the one that exists today. As part of that process, some of Theimer’s duties began to change while new opportunities opened up.

Chief among them was the formation of a joint choir featuring students at both schools.

“As the time I got here, coordination between Saint John’s and Saint Ben’s was just beginning,” Theimer recalls. “There was no mixed choir yet. We got that started and that became part of my load.

“We didn’t even have a name for it at first. It was just a baroque choral ensemble and we performed music for Christmas. Eventually, that became the Chamber Choir.”

Those Christmas performances eventually grew into the Christmas at Saint John’s performances that have become a holiday staple in Collegeville.

“At first, it was just students getting together around the Christmas tree after the tree lighting ceremony,” he said. “It was rather informal. People would bring some instruments and we just started to make music. But as the tree lighting ceremony became bigger and bigger, more people started to show up. Santa would come and we’d open the Founders Room up to handle the overflow.

“Eventually, we had the idea to turn it into a concert.”

As the choir grew in size, McCutcheon said Theimer began to create opportunities for students to showcase individual talents.

“Most of our rehearsals were over at Saint Ben’s in those days, and there was a pizza place right off the main drag in St. Joe,” McCutcheon said. “Afterwards, he and I, and usually a couple of other students, would go over there to eat. We’d talk and get to know each other better.

“Axel loved folk music. And eventually he broke (himself), I and a Saint Ben’s student off into a trio. And when we’d go on tour with the mixed choir – which is what we called in back then – he’d have us get up and play a couple of songs as part of the show.

“He did that for other students as well. And I always thought it was great way to allow people to hone their individual skills. Because in a big mixed choir, if you don’t have the greatest voice and you don’t want to push yourself, you didn’t have to. But if you’re part of a vocal quartet, and you have to hold down the tenor part, it helps you improve and grow.”

Taking it on the road

Touring also became a key part of the choir experience during Theimer’s tenure at SJU and CSB.

Over the years, his choirs toured Asia, Europe, the Caribbean and most of the U.S. – making memories those who were part of such trips will never forget.

“I just remember how patient he was with all the guys,” Cox said. “He always kept the atmosphere light-hearted. I played a lot of card games with Axel on those bus trips.

“We went to so many interesting places, singing in different churches and other venues all over the country. I saw a lot of the U.S. during my four years at Saint John’s thanks to Axel.”

Theimer said several tours stand out in his mind.

“Our first trip to Europe was through an organization called Friendship Ambassadors,” he said. “It was to Romania, which at the time was run by (Nicolae) Ceaușescu and was one of the most brutal and tightly-controlled communist countries in Eastern Europe. That was an incredible experience for our students to see what it was like to live under that kind of oppression and control. I think they came back with a different understanding of what it was like to live behind the Iron Curtain and how much they should cherish the freedoms they had in this country.

“One of the best U.S. tours came during the last year they had January Term here. We went out to the west coast and we sang at all the different state capitols along the way. We stopped at several mission churches along the coast and sang there as well. It was a really wonderful trip.”

A leading voice

In time, Theimer’s influence expanded beyond SJU. He presented master classes, workshops and seminars at state, regional, national and international conventions and conferences.

He also conducted All State Choirs, Choral Festivals and Honor Choirs in the U.S., Europe and the Far East.

In 2001, he was named the American Choral Directors Association of Minnesota’s Choir Director of the Year. Three years later, he was inducted into the Minnesota Music Educators Association Hall of Fame.

And in 2011, he received the ACDA-MN lifetime achievement award.

He also became the founder and artistic director of Kantorei (a Twin Cities-based vocal ensemble which started 33 years ago as a CSB/SJU alumni choir to give graduates the opportunity to continue making music together, and is now one of the premiere vocal ensembles in Minnesota), and the Amadeus Chamber Symphony, a chamber orchestra for Central Minnesota musicians.

And he is the co-founder and has served as music director of the National Catholic Youth Choir, as well as being a member of the faculty and the executive director of the VoiceCare Network.

“Music for Axel really is a calling,” said Richard Witteman ’89, a musician who has played with fellow SJU alum George Maurer ’88 since 1984, and who plays trumpet in the Amadeus symphony.

“It’s part of who he is and how he lives. I think it would be hard for him to think of what he’s been doing as just a job. Music captured his soul early on and he’s made it his mission to bring that positive energy out in others.”

But through it all, CSB/SJU has remained Theimer’s home base.

Though he twice interviewed for other jobs – once at a school in Wisconsin early on, and once at the University of North Texas in the 1980s (a job he was actually offered) – he never gave serious thought to leaving.

“I started to develop so many connections here,” he said. “Part of it may be that I come from a country where people don’t move around much. That could explain some of my desire to stay in one place this long. And then there was the stability it provided for my family.

“But there never really was a reason for me to go someplace else. Simply because I felt so comfortable and welcome here. And I had all the artistic freedom anyone could hope to have.”

Those who have known him over the years find it hard to imagine music at SJU without him.

“He’s been such a Saint John’s staple over the years,” Mailander said. “He’s meant so much to that music program. It will be strange to see the transition to someone new. But he should be proud of everything he accomplished there.”

In tribute to Theimer, Gust helped organize a virtual performance video featuring around 188 SJU and CSB choral alumni.

“When the colleges announced Dr Theimer's retirement, I immediately called a fellow choir alumnus and friend - Kim Kuhl,” she said.

“We knew immediately that we wanted to thank Axel for his profound impression on our lives. In most cases, a farewell concert is held for the director and alumni are often invited to come back and sing.

“Because of the (ongoing COVID-19) pandemic, we knew that there would most likely not be a chance to gather alumni together to sing, but we wanted to give his students a way to sing for him again before his departure. We had both been part of virtual choirs since Covid began, and thought this would be a way for singers to share their voices, even though they may be far apart, and help celebrate the director who taught us so much, and who for many, continues to be a large part of why they still sing.”

For his part, Theimer is proud of the tradition he’s built. But true to his nature, he’s quick to share credit with the many students he’s worked with over the years.

“People say I had a positive influence in their lives, and I’m always thrilled when I hear that, but truly I just consider myself lucky I had the opportunity to be here this long,” he said. “Music is such a big part of everyone’s life. I’m grateful to have had the chance to help so many people participate in it over the years.”

The preceding story also appears in the latest edition of the SJU Magazine.

Videos:

Although the Covid-19 pandemic has put in-person concerts on hold, singers from the classes of 1971-2024 found a way to honor their beloved director, in song, across the screen.

Axel sat down to reflect on his 52 years of service, as well as his hope that the endowed Choral/Vocal Music Education Scholarship he has established can provide a needed boost to the next generation of music educators.

The program featured a presentation of the President’s Medal to Axel Theimer ’71, a longtime member of the music department faculty and director of both the CSB/SJU Chamber Choir and SJU Men’s Chorus.

To Honor Axel:

Give to the Theimer Scholarship fund at SJU

Learn more about this scholarship he has established

We Are Johnnies: John Oliver '18

John Oliver spent a season as a graduate assistant coach for the Minnesota Gophers men’s basketball team and is now branching out in new directions.

Since graduating from Saint John’s University, John Oliver has added a few things to his resume:

• A Master’s degree in Sports Management from the University of Minnesota

• An internship working with the U of M athletic department’s Golden Gopher Fund

• A season as a graduate assistant coach for the Gophers men’s basketball team

• An internship as a recruiter in the UPS employment office in Chicago

• His first recorded song, Okay J.O., produced in Minneapolis and now available on Apple Music and Spotify

That’s all. For now, anyway.

“It’s my life. I keep trying to find different ways to live it,” said Oliver, who became a Collegeville campus icon because of his drive, his effervescent personality and his determination to play college basketball despite being born without a left hand.

That was all part of his triumphant story at Saint John’s, which began as uncharted territory for a kid from Southside Chicago.

“When I first got on Saint John’s campus, I was like, ‘Man, this is different.’ I’m a big-city kid,” Oliver said. “Saint John’s helped me to grow up. It’s very hard for me to be uncomfortable in any situation.

“I’m not the biggest nature guy, but just being out in the woods at Saint John’s, by the lake – I think about it a lot when I have a lot going on.”

John Oliver and his teammates

Which is most of the time. And Oliver’s first foray into music – “feel-good music, hip-hop rap with a very ‘up’ beat to it” – won’t be his last.

“I feel like I’ve always been creative in a lot of things I do. Since I love music so much, why not try and be creative in that?” Oliver said. “I played it for my grandparents – they were dancing.”

What’s next? Maybe coaching. Maybe motivational speaking.

“I’ve taken what I’ve had, and I feel like the sky’s the limit,” Oliver said. “It’s one helluva story. I want to be an inspiration through my words, through my accomplishments, and start sharing my story with others.

“Saint John’s showed me I could accomplish anything I really put my mind to.”

In honor of February’s celebration of Black History Month, the annual celebration of the culture and achievements of African Americans in the United States, Saint John’s University would like to share profiles of prominent Black alumni from the past three decades and highlight their stories, reflections and accomplishments.

These profiles will be included in the upcoming Winter/Spring issue of Saint John’s Magazine, as part of a 32-page package that examines and celebrates the history of African Americans at SJU.

#WeAreJohnnies