Celebrating the New Year!

 Wow, 2020 is coming to a close and what a year it has been! Together we welcomed in (although begrudgingly) a global pandemic, conquered online college, and found ways to stay connected even when apart. A LOT happened in 2020, so we wanted to take a moment to focus on some of the highlights, which brought us joy, happiness, and reasons to celebrate this year!

Spring 2020

In March, right before everyone was sent home from Gustavus, we held a fun-filled practice, and played some of team's favorite games

In May, we celebrated four of our Gustie Seniors who graduated, and celebrated with some gusto (pun intended)! Our 2020 class is Judith Hepburn, Maggie Leininger, Abby Mullenbach, and Lucy Thompson. 

Throughout the spring, the team competed in mini team competitions, with weekly technical challenges, fun videos, and kept our competitive spirits high!

Summer 2020

Over the summer, the team was prepping for our fall season, and held their own biweekly practices, where they were able to stay safe, and be together again.

Throughout the summer, we held our team happiness sessions (over zoom), were we spent about an hour each session, playing games, like trivia, balderdash, etc, learning about each other, and simply put enjoyed spending time together!

Another top summer highlight, was our "Tour de Team", where coach and Zoe, visited each Gustie (in the metro area) chatted, and hung out (socially distant of course) for a bit. An incredibly fun day for all!

Fall 2020

On campus, we started off the fall with only our first year and transfer students. We spent three weeks, training with this group, working on increasing our speed of play and comfort level with the ball. Meanwhile, our upperclassmen attended film, and leadership sessions to continuously push themselves to improve. 

On September 29, we had our first full team practice, our on practice fields for the first time in 200 days since being sent home in the spring. WOW! Our practices focused on ball mastery, finishing cooly, and increasing our speed of play. Within all of our practices, maybe the best one was our snow-filled obstacle courses featuring some epic obstacles.  

Our biggest takeaway from this fall was being grateful to train together, no matter how it looked. Being on the same field, working towards the same goals is something to never take for granted again!

As we enter the new year, we can decide to reflect on the positives, and keep a hold of those, as we enter 2021!

What is Jack Frost's favorite part of the school day?

 

Joke Answer:
p.s. snow-and-tell :) 

Gusties Getting Involved in Athletics!

Gusties love getting involved on campus in a variety of ways! Within the Athletic department there are several ways for current Gustie athletes to get involved and make sure the student voice is heard. Check out our current players getting involved-

Hill Crew! Taylor Hemme '21 - Midfielder 

Q: What is the Hill Crew? 

A: As Gustavus Adolphus College’s student fan organization, The Hill Crew’s mission centers around uniting the student body to support Gustavus athletics, fine arts, and campus events to create an atmosphere that is second to none.

SAVE! Kenna West '22 - Forward

Q: What is SAVE? 

A: Student Athlete Volunteer Educators (SAVE) is a group of Gustie athletes who are devoted to educating their fellow athletes on healthy lifestyle choices. SAVE members create, design, and implement programs that encourage academic achievement, healthy promotion, social responsibility and general life skills among student-athletes. SAVE members act as a resource and help athletes make connections with other departments and organizations on campus, raise awareness of healthy lifestyles amongst the Gustavus athletic community through a variety of media campaigns, coordinate the First Year Mentoring Experience (FAME) by being a resource for team mentors and providing social opportunities for all first year athletes. This program assists first year student-athletes during the adjustment process of being a college athlete.
Serve as a liaison between the athletic department and campus departments to promote wellbeing events.

SAAC! Abby (Goody) Goodno '22 - Goalkeeper and Annika Lewis '23 - Defender

Q: What is SAAC? 

A: The Gustavus Adolphus College Student Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC) strives to enhance the total student-athlete experience by promoting opportunity, protecting student-athlete welfare, and fostering a positive student-athlete image. SAAC members help to facilitate communication between student-athletes, varsity teams, and the athletic department, promote athletic events and campus awareness of athletes, organize and partake in community service activities to network and serve the Gustavus and surrounding communities, and solicit student-athlete response to Gustavus, MIAC, and NCAA legislation.

Founder's Day: The Erik Norelius Award!!

Every year, on October 30, we observe Founders Day at Gustavus. In a typical year, we would gather in Christ Chapel at 10 a.m. to hear a message from President Bergman. Then we would clap our hands and stand together to honor the winners of the 2020 Employee Awards. Following the ceremony, we would gather for a reception in Alumni Hall and listen to speeches from the award winners and people who work closely with them. This year, we have combined these elements of Founders Day into one video presentation that includes remarks from President Bergman, an introduction to each of the winners by a colleague, and speeches from the winners themselves.

We are so excited to congratulate Kari Eckheart, our Assistant Athletic Director and Senior Woman Administrator for being awarded the Erik Norelius Award, for the Outstanding Administrative Employee. The award, named for the College’s founder and first teacher, honors an administrative employee who exemplifies the vision, dedication, and service shown by Norelius. Kari is an incredible person, and we are so excited for campus to celebrate her dedication to the athletic department and Gustavus as a whole. Every day Kari serves as an incredible mentor to all coaches and students who she interacts with. Join us in celebrating Kari, and listen to her acceptance speech in the video below!

Make Your Vote Count!

With Election Day just around the corner, many people are talking about voting and the confusion they may feel when it comes to voting by mail. Luckily, Gustavus Adolphus College students have an award-winning team to help them through the process.

The Gustavus Voter Engagement Team, consisting of Sara Kasel ’21, Charlotte Lim ’21, Ben Menke ’22,and Christopher Ortiz ’22–and advised by Amy Pehrson and Megan Ruble–was awarded first place in the Democracy Shark Tank Competition. Hosted by LeadMN, the competition allowed higher education teams to pitch their ideas for supporting student voter engagement to a panel of “sharks,” who had $10,000 worth of funding to help support campuses’ work.

Planning for the competition started last fall, when the group got together and started putting together their plan which includes voter registration events and nonpartisan education.


The team’s goal for the upcoming election is to register 85% of the student body, up from 80% in 2018. Of the registered students, the team hopes to increase the turnout rate to 90%. The team also has been engaging in nonpartisan programming to increase voter education.

“I think it is very important for all voters to find the things that are most important to them (housing, environment, health care) and do the research on where the candidates stand before you go into the voting booth,” said adviser of the Voter Engagement Team and director of the Gustavus Community Engagement Center Amy Pehrson.

Christopher Ortiz, one of the members of the team, has been working hard to engage members of other student organizations in their work.

“[One of my] short-term goals is to have a student rep for each class to help answer questions about voting, so that’s what I’m working on right now. Previously it’s been reaching out to social media accounts of other student organizations to get the word out about our website.” Ortiz said.

In addition to encouraging students to vote, the team is also sensitive to students who may not be able to. They still have ways, however, for students to be involved in the democratic process, including making the debates available for students to watch.

The team is also working on finding students who are interested in being poll workers.

Pehrson has been engaged with voting at Gustavus for years, and has found that looking at voting data reveals interesting–and sometimes perplexing–insights about student voting behavior.

“Broken down by majors, one of the areas less likely to vote is pre-health students. We scratch our heads at that,” Pehrson said. “Maybe students looking into pre-health would be interested in what candidates have to say about healthcare.”

The Voter Engagement Team is especially proud of how their website has come together, and wants people to check it out to find nearly all the information about voting they will need, including links on how to get registered, instructional videos, fact checks on political claims, where candidates stand on different issues, and sample ballots.

Gustavus has a strong history of voter engagement, including being named winner of the Minnesota Secretary of State’s inaugural Ballot Bowl in 2016, when the College ranked first among 68 colleges and universities in the state with a student participation rate of 63%.

“Voting, for me, means the ability to have your voice heard. Historically there have been a lot of groups who haven’t had the right to vote, so to have that is really huge,” Ortiz said.

--

Media Contact: Director of Media Relations and Internal Communication JJ Akin
jakin@gustavus.edu
507-933-7510

--

Resilience of Gustavus

The Gustie community knows how to come together and persevere during hard times! "At 5:29 p.m. on March 29, 1998, an F-3 tornado ripped through Saint Peter, Minn., causing more than $120 million in damages, destroying approximately 400 homes, and taking the life of one boy.

By 9 p.m., the American Red Cross was setting up shelters in the broken community, eventually bringing in 600 workers from 32 states and serving over 40,000 meals as the town worked to recover. More than 10,000 people volunteered to help the Saint Peter community cleanup and rebuild following the tornado, which was part of a record-breaking March supercell thunderstorm that spawned 14 tornadoes in Minnesota." 

Fast forward to spring of 2020, and once again our community faces adversity, along with the world,  dealing with the COVID pandemic. In the spring we headed home, and as a team and community stayed connected over regular zoom sessions. Fast forward again, to the beginning of the 2020 Fall semester, and only First Year and Transfer students were on campus for 3 weeks. This incoming class had a big task ahead of them, keep outbreaks limited and covid numbers low, and all the other class years would be allowed back to campus. This class and community showed once again, when we come together (even socially distant) we can achieve our goals. The first year class did a phenomenal job adhering to guidelines/ protocols, and the upperclassmen were welcomed back to campus towards the end of September. Now, well into October, we are again floored by the resiliency and compassion of the Gustavus community. By conforming to protocols and remembering the bigger picture, we have kept our COVID numbers relatively low, and as a team, we have not had anyone test positive. We are so proud of not only this team, but also to be part of the Gustavus community, and staying together to achieve our goals.

Gustavus Female Athlete of the DECADE!

The past decade has produced a wealth of exceptional Golden Gustie student-athletes and tlast month, fans had the opportunity to vote for the Gustavus Male and Female Athletes of the Decade for 2010-19. The women’s bracket featured 24 athletes from the 2010-19 era. Women's Soccer had two former athletes in the bracket: Madison Ackiss '17 - a prolific goal scorer, and Ashley Becker '19 - the best goalkeeper to go through the Gustie Soccer program. 

After battling through all the rounds, Ashley Becker '19 was in the championship match-up, and took home the crown of Female Athlete of the Decade!! The Gustie Soccer community came together to bring home the gold in a fierce final. Gustie near and far, young and older, rallied the troops, and we ran away with the voting. In a time where we seem far aways from each other, it was incredible to witness Gustie Soccer coming together to support one of our own!

Each player in our program is unique: unique in their leadership, unique in their learning styles, unique in their path to reach their max potential. We love that all our players are unique and we strive to get to know each player on an individual level to help them adjust to college on and off the field in order to accomplish greatness – and greatness looks different for each player!

Ashley Becker is a great story of thriving under our mission to create an individualized plan to help each player reach their max potential. As a Farmington, MN high school graduate who played for Dakota Rev Club, Ashley came in on a mission to become the best goalkeeper she could be. 

Ashley’s resume is impressive, however her leadership style and ability to bring out the best in her peers on the field is what her legacy is all about. Ashley will be remembered as a player who helped change the course of the program. Who made our goal of re-establishing ourselves at the top of the region attainable. Even more than that, Ashley instilled a sense of belief into every one of her teammates that, within our Gustavus Women’s Soccer program, you can accomplish your dreams and achieve greatness – in whatever way that looks for you. 

Team Happiness Sessions!!

When COVID-19 hit in March, none of us anticipated that this would last 6 months and counting. We sadly had to say goodbye to our team, and find ways to stay connected virtually. Like many, we took to zoom, and had weekly team meetings. 

We quickly realized that these meetings were the best part of our week, and quickly dubbed them our, "Team Happiness Sessions!" While our sessions were a great outlet to escape the monotony of quarantine and online classes, we more importantly continued to build our relationships and team camaraderie. We played trivia, balderdash, told each other stories, and at the end of the day enjoyed spending time with each other, even through a computer screen.

This past Monday, we celebrated our 21st Team Happiness Session since March! Although we love our happiness sessions, we are glad to welcome back all of our upperclassmen to campus in 5 short days. Since we'll finally all be together again, we won't have any upcoming sessions. However, we know the energy we put into enjoying our 21 happiness sessions will pay off on the field, with stronger bonds. 

 

Student-Athletes Post College Outcomes!

Being a student-athlete is an amazing feat! We get to play the sport we love at an incredibly high and competitive level. We play with teammates, who share our passions, for our institution, which we care deeply about, and are proud to represent. While we always share anecdotal stories of why/how being a collegiate student-athlete has a positive influence on our life, we wanted to share some formidable research, which illustrates the positive effects of following your dreams!

The study split their conclusions into undergraduate experiences and post-college outcomes, meaning they took a look at life overall, while in college, and how former student athletes faired after graduation. All were compared to non-student athletes, and their experiences during and post college.

As an undergraduate student, athletes were more likely to feel as though their professors cared about them as a person. Athletes were also more likely to have one or more mentor/professor on campus who encouraged them to follow their goals and dreams. Athletes were also more likely to hold a leadership position on campus, and graduate in 4 years or less. Again, all of these metrics were compared student-athlete to non-student-athlete.

Post-college comparisons showed that former student-athletes were more likely to be thriving socially, physically, and financially. In addition, former student athletes are more likely to pursue advanced degrees compared to non-student athletes. Finally, former student-athletes were more likely to have a job waiting for them after graduation, than non-student athletes.

*All information was reported from Gallup's 2020 research article, "A Study of NCAA Student-Athletes: Undergraduate Experiences and Post-College Outcomes". Here's the article:

https://ncaaorg.s3.amazonaws.com/research/other/2020/2020RES_GallupNCAAOutcomes.pdf

#WhyGustavus Series: Getting Lost in Italian Culture

An exciting new experience comes from Jessie Strobush, who traveled abroad to Italy (pre COVID-19). While being confident in herself, she was able to find new landmarks and easily find her way home. She made new friends, visited new cities, tried new things, and most importantly truly experienced Italian culture!

January 2020 was one of the best months of my life. Other than Canada, I had never been outside of the United States before, so flying to Italy for a month long study abroad trip was a very new and exciting experience for me. As I sit here reflecting on my time abroad, I can’t help but admire how much I have grown. Specifically, I gained a lot of confidence in my ability to navigate a foreign country. I never really had to use public transportation back home, so I was nervous not only about using it in general, but also having to use it in unfamiliar cities in a foreign country. Within the first week, however, I learned that public transportation is very easy to navigate, and I became confident in my ability to use public transportation– whether it be boat, bus, or train– to get around the city.

Most of the trip, however, was spent walking from place to place. Some of my favorite memories from the trip was walking around the various cities with no destination in mind, getting lost but also never actually feeling lost because I felt confident in my ability to find familiar landmarks and get home that way. I grew a lot from this exploring because, prior to this trip, I had never really had a chance to “get lost” in a city because my goal was always to drive from point A to point B and stay on a schedule. I did not realize how easy it would be to orient myself in new environments and how relaxing it would be to just wander without a set itinerary. Getting lost is a very rewarding experience.

Throughout the trip, I also became more confident in my ability to communicate with Italians. When I first came to Italy I felt really intimidated by the idea of being immersed in foreign language because I had never had to deal with that, but I quickly learned that Italians are really helpful if you attempt to talk to them in Italian. I became more confident using basic Italian phrases, so much so that saying “grazie” instead of “thank you” is a natural response. However, I did not get as much experience speaking Italian as I had hoped because most Italians speak English and I never ran into a situation where I had to communicate with someone who did not speak any English. The fact that so many Italians were able to speak to me in English reminds me of how privileged I am to know English and be able to use my native language to communicate with people in a foreign country. Really, the only time I was challenged was when I was trying to read labels at the grocery store. I was easily able to feel comfortable with communication because I was not forced to learn a new language, which I feel is both a blessing and a curse. Regardless, I am still grateful that I was able to learn some new phrases and get a little bit of practice using Italian.


Finally, I also enjoyed immersing myself in the Italian eating culture. At the beginning of the trip we would eat dinner at 7:30PM, which felt really late to us but was considered really early for Italians. By the end, however, I was eating dinner closer to 9:00PM! I tried a lot of new foods on this trip as well, including focaccia bread, tiramisu, espresso, spritzes, and lots of wine. Even if I did not always like the food I tried, I was still proud of myself for trying new foods. Some of the foods even started to grow on me. For example, I came into this trip with a strong hatred for wine but now, while I’m still not a fan of red wines, I do enjoy drinking Proseco and Chardonnay. Overall, adopting the Italian food customs helped me to feel like I was immersing myself in a new culture, and gaining that experience helps me to better appreciate the cultural differences between Italy and Minnesota.

As for the course itself, after coming to Italy I have a much stronger appreciation for the Renaissance. I remember learning about the Renaissance and its significance in school, but coming to Italy helped me to better understand the minds of the artists. For example, we started our trip by studying the ancient Roman ruins just like Brunelleschi, Michelangelo, and other Renaissance artists, so by the time we went to Florence and looked at their art I could see how they were influenced by the Roman ruins. Italy also helped me to better understand just how large the Renaissance was. The Renaissance lasted for several centuries, but I didn’t process exactly what that meant until I saw the massive amount of art and architecture and how it progresses over time. Seeing just how much Renaissance art exists in Florence and other cities around Italy also helped me to process just how much the Renaissance directly impacted everyday life in Italy. Not only that, but the Renaissance also led to the development of humanism, increased observation, and many other cultural changes that define the world we live in today. If the Renaissance had not occurred, my everyday life would be much different. The Renaissance was extremely important, and coming to Italy helped me to better understand this importance.

Overall, I am very grateful that I was given this experience to study abroad in Italy. I learned so much about myself, the Italian culture, and the Renaissance, and I met so many amazing people that I can now call friends. I may have only been in Italy a month, but the memories I made will last a lifetime. Traveling to Italy has made me a more confident person, and I will use this confidence to continue to travel the world. Arrivederci Italia.

~Jessie Strobush

Tim Kennedy - Gustavus Legend

Tim Kennedy ("TK") is most definitely a Gustie legacy! Recently, the MIAC highlighted TK's accomplishments over his career within the MIAC and Gustavus. In echoing the spotlight, we are shouting out one of our former head coaches, who lead the program to a 20-39-2 record while at the helm. 

"Affiliated with the MIAC for nearly four decades, Tim Kennedy has carved out a legacy of leadership, dedication, and innovation during his time at Gustavus Adolphus College. “TK” graduated from Gustavus in 1982 and began his professional career at his alma mater two years later as an intern in the sports information office. He went to serve in numerous roles at the institution over the next 30-plus years, including stints as an admission counselor, residence hall security officer, head women’s basketball and women’s soccer coach, and sports information director - a post he held for 21 years before being promoted to vice president for marketing and communication in 2011. Always a forward-thinker, TK brought innovation to the Gusties’ sports information department by utilizing photos, video and audio streaming, and social media as a means to spotlight Gustavus student-athletes. Kennedy has been a mentor to numerous student-workers, graduate assistants, and fellow SIDs over the years as well, and was recognized by his peers with the MIAC’s Mike Augustin Award in 2012 for his outstanding contributions to the conference and its student-athletes. He has also received the Bob Kenworthy Community Service Award from the College Sports Information Directors of America (CoSIDA) for his civic involvement at Gustavus and in St. Peter, Minn."

(MIAC Athletics)

Campus Beauty!

If there's something we love, it's beautiful sunrises from the top of campus, overlooking the river valley! Check out some of these awesome summer sunrises with the Nobel Science center in the foreground, and the chapel in in the background. 

#WhyGustavus Series: Housing Advocacy from Saint Peter to Capitol Hill

Gustavus’s junior, Marie Osuna, begins to spread awareness of Habitat for Humanity, following a trip to New Mexico she learned how to help by visiting the Habitat for Humanity Organization where she would learn how she could help by herself. On a trip to Washington in the Spring Semester, she has learned to Spread the awareness and rally people. Marie has spread her voice among others in just a few short days, and is expecting to do so much more!

While all my friends and fellow Gustavus Adolphus College students packed their backpacks and headed out for the first day of spring semester classes, I was packing up my suitcase and heading for the airport. Instead of sitting in my classes for the first week, I flew to Washington D.C. alongside Amy Pehrson, Director of the Community Engagement Center, for a different kind of education at Habitat on the Hill, Habitat for Humanity’s national conference.

Marie Osuna in front of the U.S. Capitol.

I have been involved with Gustavus’s Habitat chapter since my first year of college, when I went on my first spring break trip to Taos, New Mexico. I fell in love with the nonprofit organization the first time I stepped onto a build site, learning quickly how big of a difference I could make just by using my own two hands.

Two years later, I serve as a co-president for the Gustavus chapter alongside incredible leader and friend Abbie Biegner. This year for spring break, Gustavus will be sending about 70 students to four different locations across the country: Tucker, Georgia; Georgetown, Delaware; Hattiesburg, Mississippi; and Newland, North Carolina. I am excited to be going to North Carolina!


But this trip to Washington D.C. wasn’t going to be the typical kind of Habitat trip I’m used to, consisting of hammers and dusty build sites. In D.C., I learned more about the work Habitat does worldwide, and the impact advocacy and voting have on the well-known organization.

After spending the whole first day of the conference listening to Habitat volunteers, homeowners, and affiliates from across the country talk about what they need from elected officials to ensure that people everywhere can affordable housing, I woke up on Wednesday morning feeling ready to talk about Habitat to everyone on Capitol Hill. In front of the United States Capitol building, I stepped out of my comfort zone and attended my very first rally, advocating for affordable housing and spreading awareness about the work Habitat for Humanity does. It was amazing to hear members of Congress from across the political spectrum deliver speeches in support of our mission. In such a divided world, Habitat is something everyone seems to agree on.

Marie Osuna (center) and Amy Pehrson (right) advocate alongside CEO of Habitat for Humanity International, Jonathan Reckford

After the rally, I attended five back-to-back meetings with various Minnesota representatives (well, mostly their legislative aides, but that’s the reality of advocacy work, I learned). However, I was so excited that we were able to meet with Senator Tina Smith in person, and I even got the chance to tell her about all the incredible Gustavus students who are passionate Habitat volunteers.

During the first few meetings, I felt nervous and mostly let others do the talking. But I soon quickly learned that those in office are interested in what students have to say. I would get questions about my major and job plans, and of course my role in Habitat. In every meeting, I felt myself becoming more confident and better able to articulate how policy changes on the House and Senate floors are able to make a difference, even for student volunteers.

In just a few short days, I found my voice in D.C. and was able to use it to advocate for others.

The skills I learned at Habitat on the Hill can be used in so many other ways, but I’m most excited to take my skills home and teach others about leadership, advocacy, and how one person can make an impact in this big world. It’s a lot of hard work, but the process is actually rather simple: educate yourself on the issue, be clear about what you need, and take your seat at the table without hesitation. You belong to be there.

###

Media Contact: Director of Media Relations and Internal Communication JJ Akin
jakin@gustavus.edu
507-933-7510

Alum Highlight Series: Coursey Edwards '17

This month's alum highlight is Coursey Edwards '17! Coursey was a midfielder for the Gusties and is currently a nurse on the Birthing floor at Methodist Hospital in Minneapolis. We are pleased to introduce you to Coursey:

Why did you decide to attend Gustavus?
I decided to go to Gustavus because I felt it gave me what I was looking for academically and athletically and I valued what LBK had to offer with the soccer program. I also felt I would benefit from the small class sizes and the opportunities the college had to offer, again both academically AND athletically. But ultimately what made me choose Gustavus was how much I felt at home on the campus and with the team.


What was your top Gustavus Soccer Highlight?
Definitely going to the National Tournament in 2015. Duh!

What advice would you give to a first year student at Gustavus?
My advice would be to step out of your comfort zone and try new things. Once you graduate you will be put in situations you are not used to or may not feel as comfortable in. The more you practice that, the better off you will be once you graduate. Try an extracurricular activity for fun or because it is something totally different. Go to an event you wouldn’t normally go to or grab a friend and join something new. Experience all you can while it is at your fingertips. It will benefit you in the long run. Snowballing off that advice. Find those you trust and get along with and embrace, enjoy, and live in the moment with those people. Your Gustavus experience is your experience and it will be what you make of it!

What advice would you give to a senior in high school deciding between schools to attend?
Think about the feeling you got when you stepped onto campus. Think about the interactions you had with the staff there, the students walking around campus, and everyone you may have met on your tour. Your college experience will be heavily impacted by the people and relationships you make at whatever school you decide. I truly believe the people are what make it the right choice and the right place for you. (Obviously Gustavus because of the outstanding faculty and students, but I digress)

What did you major in at Gustavus?
I majored in Nursing.

What extracurriculars were you involved in at Gustavus?
I was involved in the Student Athletic Advisory Committee and also was a Class Representative for my nursing class.

What field are you in now? How did you end up there? How did Gustavus prepare you to go into this field?
I now work as a Registered Nurse in the Family Birth Center at Park Nicollet Methodist Hospital. Prior to graduation I was fortunate enough to receive a contingent offer to join the team at the Family Birth Center & have been there since graduating in 2017.The Gustavus Nursing program prepares all students extremely well regardless if they choose to pursue bedside nursing or not. Throughout my time at Gustavus I was able to immerse myself into the hospital setting through clinical work at various hospitals, one of which included Methodist Hospital. I feel that opportunity prepared me for where I am today.

Did you study abroad while at Gustavus? If so, where, and what was your experience like?
During my sophomore J-Term I traveled to Europe. I went on the Olympic Quest trip to England, Ireland, France, and Germany. My experience abroad was brief, but still taught me about how different cultures live.


Is there anything else that you’d like to share about your Gustavus experience?
I think another great thing about Gustavus is the fact that River Rock is right down the road. I would argue that River Rock has the best quiches around & their homemade caramel latte is to die for. But I would also like to add that I had the best experience at Gustavus. I was able to graduate with my degree, play a sport I love, gain lifelong friendships, and create memories and experiences that will last forever. If you reference my answer to [the advice question] I think that will help you do the same with your college experience.

Gustavus Honors Day

Every year, Gustavus host's Honors Weekend on campus, where they recognize the academic achievement of our students! This year, while we couldn't be together to celebrate, we wanted to express how incredibly proud we are of both Maggie Leininger and Abby Mullenbach! 

Magnuson Award - Established in 1991 in recognition of the Honorable Paul Magnuson ’59, chief judge of the U.S. Federal District Court in St. Paul and former trustee of the College, to recognize the significant contributions that individual students and student groups make to campus life. Each year, outstanding students and student organizations are nominated by fellow students, faculty, administrators, or staff for recognition and a selection committee assembled by the dean of students reviews nominations and determines honorees in three categories: individual student leaders, campus organizations, and student-initiated events.

Guild of St. Ansgar - Is named for the first Christian missionary to the Scandinavians (and in honor of St. Ansgar’s Academy, the name by which the College was known in the first decade following its founding), is an honorary society for seniors at the College. It was established in the spring of 1952 in response to a desire to recognize the overall achievements—scholarship, leadership, and participation in extracurricular activities— of graduating seniors.



President's Honor List - The President’s Honor List comprises those students who have a cumulative grade point average of 3.7 or better (on a 4.0 scale) through January of the academic year.

The Foundation of Gustie Soccer

Overall Philosophy
"Be the best we can be in all areas of your life!" This is our goal, and we aim to accomplish this by getting 1% better everyday. As coaches, our biggest role in development is building trust and belief with each player in order to push you outside of your comfort zone, and into your growth zone. With this, we are here to guide you through the process, failures, and successes, because together, we can accomplish amazing feats both on and off the field!


Soccer Philosophy
Our brand of soccer is the Gustie Tempo! It is a possession based style, that focuses on controlling the tempo of the game with quick combination play, looking to switch the point of attack and interchanging positions. We feel this is the best type of soccer to play, coach, and watch! We continue to build the Gustie family with people who are excited to learn, contribute their own perspectives, and enjoy each moment together!


Academics
We know how important academics can be in your college search process and we want our players to pursue their passions both on and off the field. Being a DIII student-athlete is an incredible accomplishment, and we encourage our players to make the most out of it! Want to study abroad, you'll have the opportunity here! Want to go into the medical field, teaching, business? You can follow your passions here! Unsure what you want to study, but excited to figure it out? We'll help you through that process!


Community
Community Service is a part of the Gustie Soccer player DNA. We fully embrace how we are role models as student athletes, and always look for ways to give back to our community. Our team is super competitive, as we’re sure you are too, and we look to win the annual team community service award! We are on a 5-year run, which is about 300-400 about team community service hours per year.


You! Individualized Plan
Our goal is for you to reach your max potential on and off the field during your career at Gustavus! Everyone has a slightly different path in achieving this goal, and we support each player through the process with an individualized plan. We spend extensive time getting to know each player through individual meetings, voluntary training sessions and film sessions. Through this we build our foundation of trust with each player and learn how to best motivate and continuously push each of our student-athletes to their best!

Alums on the Frontline!

Our amazing alums are Making Their Life Count!

Check out what they are doing below!

Valerie Belanger '15
The former midfielder now works at Mercy Hospital on the Orthopedic, Surgical, and Medical floors!

 Chelsea Bayer '11

This Gustie is an OBGYN at University of Michigan. Even during a pandemic, labor and delivery never stops! Chelsea and her floor are taking care of new moms, while they expect to open a field hospital soon!

Sally Morrow '18
Sally played in the midfield for Gustavus during her career, and now provides child care in St. Peter!

Trina Rinke '19

The former center back, is now a long term substitute teacher at Laketown Elementary in Waconia. With the adjustments, Trina now records videos for lessons to keep her students engaged! 

Hannah Sturtz '18 and Coursey Edwards '17

We get to highlight two Gusties here! Both Hannah (left) and Coursey (right) work on the birthing floor at Methodist Hospital in Minneapolis. Hannah was a forward and Courset was a midfielder for the Gusties!

 

Roisen Granlund '17

Roisen was a goalkeeper for the Gusties and now works at the Mayo Clinic, in the cardiac surgical ICU. Roisen and her floor, take care of babies through adults, who are immediately out of heart surgery! 

Ana Norell '11

Ana currently works as a family medicine physician in Minnesota. The practice is anticipating a surge in sick patients, and are trying to keep providers as healthy as possible. To limit the number of providers and patients in the clinic, most visits are done by phone or teleconference. We also get a great photo of Ana's 4-legged coworker!

Laurel Jordan '88

Laurel is the head of the Physical Health and Exercise department at Qatar Academy Dona, a high school in Qatar! Laurel has adjusted her PE classes online with a mix written assignments and videos of workouts that her students will do!! 

Be sure to follow us on instagram, twitter, and facebook to stay up to date with Gustie Soccer!

Instagram @GustieSoccer

Twitter @GustavusSoccer

Facebook Gustavus Women's Soccer

Alum Highlight Series: Tam Meuwissen '13

A 2013 Alum, Tam Meuwissen, is highlighted this month! Throughout the winter Tam is competed in the Red Bull Ice Cross circuit and plays for the US Women’s National Bandy Team. This past winter, Tam took third in the ice cross race in Minnesota! More recently, Tam was highlighted in an article in the SWNewsMedia! Check it out!
We are pleased to introduce Tam:

Why did you decide to attend Gustavus? 

I first visited Gustavus with the hockey coach to get to know the school and the hockey program a little bit better. As soon as I stepped on campus I knew Gustavus was where I was going to go. I saw how strong the school was academically and athletically and just felt like it was the right fit.
What did you major in at Gustavus? 

Exercise Physiology

What extracurriculars were you involved in at Gustavus? 

Soccer, Hockey, Lacrosse, SAAC, Gustavus Class Officers

What field are you in now? How did you end up there? 

I currently work as a Healthcare Economics Consultant at Optum. I worked for a series of medical device companies doing sales and marketing but ultimately found a good fit with Optum doing data analytics.

How did Gustavus prepare you to go into this field? 

Specifically, through the statistics and economics classes i took at Gustavus, but more broadly and more importantly, to keep an open mind and learn a new skill in order to get the job done and done right.

Did you study abroad while at Gustavus? If so, where, and what was your experience like? 

I did not study abroad but I was fortunate enough o go on the hockey team’s Europe trip and play the Swiss National Team while we were there.

What was your top Gustavus Soccer Highlight? 

Beating St. Thomas 1-0 on senior day in the 2011 season for our lone senior. It was special to share that moment with her.

What advice would you give to a first year student at Gustavus? 

Stay open minded; try everything once; whatever you do, try your best at it; work hard, no matter the score.

What advice would you give to a senior in high school deciding between schools to attend? 

Visit each school you are interested in. Choose which one feels best from there.

Is there anything else that you’d like to share about your Gustavus experience? 

Some of my greatest friends and memories come from my time at Gustavus. I truly enjoyed my time there and recommend this school to anyone who is interested.

#WhyGustavus Series: Alumni Successes: Tara Selly ’13 finds the oldest fossil

Tara Selly, A geology major ‘13 recently found the oldest fossil gut and made New York Times’ front cover! After Gustavus, she moved down to The University of Missouri where she would get her masters, and finally a job where she would continue her studies. We are all so proud of her!

In January, Tara Selly (Geology ’13) made the New York Times’ “Science & Technology” front page for helping to discover the oldest known animal gut! She is now an assistant research professor Geology at the University of Missouri, and helped make the discovery in her role as the assistant director of the University’s X-ray Microanalysis Center where she operates scanning electron and x-ray microscopes.

Jim Schiffbauer, center, and Tara Selly, right, work with Brock Andreasen in the X-ray Microanalysis Core facility, one of University of Missouri’s core facilities. View from inside the micro-CT. Image provided by T. Selly

In the New York Times article (L. Joel, 1/10/2020) she and her colleagues explain how they received these fossils and used powerful microscopes to create a 3-D image of the interior structures; when Tara saw the results, she knew right away they had an interesting find.

The ancient guts can be seen in red in the micro-CT 3D rendering (top) of one of the cloudinomorph specimens (bottom). Image provided by T. Selly

At Gustavus, Tara did summer research with Julie Bartley investigating how organisms decay, and how that might affect what gets preserved in the fossil record. It was an interesting summer — we kept getting deliveries of gallons of ocean water and algae for her to grow and observe! She earned two graduate degrees at the University of Missouri before being hired there, where she has continued her studies of fossilization and the evolution of early life forms.
When asked for some words of wisdom to share with Gustavus students, she replied: “Be creative and investigate what makes you curious. I looked for the animal that made these tubes, not expecting to find anything. What I found instead, however, was really amazing!”

#WhyGustavus Series: Fundraising Underway for Lund Center Expansion Project

Gustavus has planned to launch a new project starting as soon as possible. The Expansion of the Lund Center, Gustavus’s wellness, and athletic facility. The fundraising begins to support the 60 million dollars new project. With new additions incoming, the new Lund Center will be looking fresh. The Project is expected to be completely finished by late 2024. So, with your help, we can reach the fundraising goal!

The Gustavus Adolphus College Board of Trustees recently approved a plan to move forward with the development of construction documents for the proposed expansion and renovation of Lund Center, the College’s wellness and athletic facility.

Fundraising is underway for the ambitious $60 million project, which calls for a 160,000 square-foot expansion that will include new academic spaces, workout areas, offices, and an all-season field house with synthetic turf.

“The increased space and state-of-the-art facilities will support the incredible academic work that takes place here and honor our rich athletic tradition while creating an even greater experience for future generations of Gusties,” said Tom Brown, director of intercollegiate athletics.


An exterior rendering of the proposed Lund Center expansion and renovation project looking east over Hollingsworth Field.

When it originally opened in 1984, Lund Center was celebrated as one of the best athletic facilities in NCAA Division III. The proposed project will dramatically increase the size and scope of wellness and athletic facilities at Gustavus, providing a best-in-class experience for students, faculty, athletes, visitors, and members of the campus community.

“First and foremost, it will enhance the College’s commitment to wellness and wellbeing, and it will help us continue to attract outstanding students to Gustavus,” Brown said.

Highlights include:
A new academic wing housing improved classrooms, faculty offices, and a 120-seat lecture hall
The Human Performance Lab will more than double in size, supporting student research and hands-on learning in exercise science and athletic training programs
Upgraded locker rooms will provide improved spaces for visitors, employees, and varsity athletic teams
A new office suite will support athletic coaches and administrators and alleviate overcrowding in current office areas
The proposed 60,000 square foot field house will add all-season practice, exercise, and recreation space for multiple varsity sports, club teams, and intramural leagues.

$30 million has already been raised for the project, and an aggressive fundraising and planning timeline is underway as the College seeks to complete the project by late 2024.

“It will be the continued partnership of our generous alumni and friends that will enable us to deliver this project on time for our students,” said Thomas W. Young ’88, vice president for advancement.

The project is one of the major outcomes of Show the World, the College’s $225 million comprehensive campaign that was announced in September.

For more information about the Lund Center expansion and renovation project, visit the Show the World campaign website.

###

Media Contact: Director of Media Relations and Internal Communication JJ Akin
jakin@gustavus.edu
507-933-7510