English Department > December 2008 & May 2009 Graduates

December 2008 & May 2009 Graduates

Stephanie Aitken   Jedediah Anderson   Kimberly Anderson   Shaina Anderson   Emily Balamut          Nicholas Bingham   Joseph Bowen   Rachel Brenner   Jolene Brink    Brandon Drazich   Hanna Gilsvik   Alexandra Haider   Austin Hall   Katherine Hallau   Erica Hanson   Lynn Headington   Melissa Hendrickx   Alexander Johnson    Joseph Kuka   Andrea Lewandowski   David Lundeen   Andrew Madson   Madeline Neenan   Leah Niebur   Emily Persichetti   Chelsea Pettit   Victoria Piehowski   Kathryn Pyle   Kendra Rajchel     Carrie Rogers   Anna Schumacher   Laura Schwarz   Joan Spring Stefanie Strapko     Megan Vetsch   Adam Wander

No pictures available for:    Brian Downes     Kathleen Fistere     Lucia Johnson     Nikolas Nadeau
Jeffrey Sommerfeld    John Steinmetz    Sadie Stommes

	Stephanie Aitken Major(s): English No additional information available.

	Jedediah Anderson Major(s): English No additional information available.

	Kimberly Anderson Major(s): English No additional information available.

	Shaina Anderson Major(s): English and Communication Minor(s): None Special Achievements: President's Scholarship, Study Abroad, published in January and May St. Ben's magazine Immediate plans after graduation: Living in the Twin Cities and job searching!

	Emily Balamut Major(s): English Minor(s): None Special Achievements: London Study Abroad 2007, Pseudonym Club, British novels club leader Immediate plans after graduation: Get an internship at a publishing firm somewhere...hopefully.


	Nicholas Bingham Major(s): English Minor(s): Latin Special Achievements: Dean's List-entire academic career, Study Abroad-London-Spring 2008, Attention Starved Children Improv Comedy Troupe Member, Abstract accepted for the 23rd Annual National Convention of Undergraduate Research (NCUR), Honors student, Presented at the 21st Annual NCUR. Immediate plans after graduation: Work abroad either in Korea or Japan.

	Joseph Bowen Major(s): English Minor(s): Philosophy Special Achievements: President's Scholarship, Wrestling Team, Rugby Team, Deputy Grand Knight of the Knights of Columbus, All-Around Nice Guy Immediate plans after graduation: Walking across the country to promote awareness

	Rachel Brenner Major(s): English Minor(s): Secondary Education Special Achievements: Study Abroad in London Immediate plans after graduation: I am going to be moving back to Lakeville, MN until I find a teaching position somewhere , possibly in Texas.

	Jolene Brink Major(s): English, Life Minor(s): None Special Achievements: I started college knowing I was an English major. During my time, I've dedicated my time to the literary club Pseudonym. I helped organize poetry slams, started the lit magazine Surfaced, and met with various poets and authors, including: Billy Collins, W.S. Merwin, and Charles Simic. I spent the fall of my Junior year living on the Greek Island of Paros writing poetry and painting. Last summer I worked on a manuscript for a book of poetry and volunteered time teaching poetry classes at the Journey Home Center for Women. Immediate plans after graduation: During the Summer of 2009, I'm biking to Washington D.C. from St. Paul with a group called the Trek to Re Energize America (www.trektoreenergize.org). In D.C., we're going to lobby for legislation on climate control and a clean energy economy. Next fall I'll be teaching in Thailand, India, or China. Someday I want to live in Seattle, brew coffee, peddle around the city and work for non-profits until I go to graduate school. In the end, I want to end up on a community farm with lots of vegetables, apple trees, a few ducks, and many good friends to pass the days with.


	Brandon Drazich Major(s): English Minor(s): Philosophy Special Achievements: English thesis, advised by Dr. Madhu Mitra: "We're Different, We're Better, Now Leave: Fanon's Violence, Gandhi's Nonviolence, and Identity Formation in Anti-Imperial Resistance and Neocolonism." Dean's List. Study Abroad: Port Elizabeth, South Africa. Independent Study Abroad: Annecy, France. President/Founder of CSB/SJU Cycling. 2008 Fund for Theological Education Fellow Alternative Spring Break Trip Leader. Immediate plans after graduation: After graduation, Bradon will take a gap year to volunteer, hopefully in the area of restorative justice. He plans to attend law school after this year, focusing on conflict transformation and human rights in societies in transition.


	Hanna Gilsvik Major(s): English Minor(s): None Special Achievements: Study Abroad Cork, Ireland, President's Scholarship, Dean's List: Spring 2006, Fall 2008, Big Brothers Big Sisters Immediate plans after graduation: I plan on volunteering in Minneapolis and volunteering with Americorps for a year or two, hopefully either through the Admission Possible program or Minnesota Reading Corps.

	Alexandra Haider Major(s): English and Communication Minor(s): None Special Achievements: South Africa Study Abroad, Buzzed Coordinator, Modern Dancer Immediate plans after graduation: City of the Lakes AmeriCorps: Which means I am going to be a tutor/mentor in a Minneapolis school.

	Austin Hall Major(s): English No additional information available.

	Katherine Hallau Major(s): English Minor(s): Environmental Studies Special Achievements: Study Abroad Ireland - Cork, Peer Resource Program Member Immediate plans after graduation: Au-pair in Paris, France

	Erica Hanson Major(s): English and Spanish Minor(s): None Special Achievements: Dean's List, Spain Study Abroad Spring 2008, Wind Ensemble Percussion Section Leader, Studio One Club Member, Spanish Club Member, Ballroom Dance Club Member Immediate plans after graduation: Currently, my immediate graduation plans include a three-week trip traveling around Europe: from May 19-June 10 three of my best friends and I are celebrating our college graduation by spending some time abroad. Our potential itinerary includes the following countries and cities: London, England; Edinburgh, Scotland; Galway, Ireland; Madrid and Segovia, Spain; Paris, France; Interlaken, Switzerland; Vienna, Austria; and Rome, Italy. Even though I'm not sure where I'll be working after college, my hope is that once I return from Europe, I'll start working at a full-time job somewhere in the Twin Cities Metro Area. I decided not to apply to graduate school right away after college because I wasn't quite sure what I wanted to study, but I do want to go to grad school eventually. So after about two years working at a full-time job, I'm hoping that I will be able to go to grad school and that whatever company I'm working at will help pay for my education. At the moment, I'm either thinking about pursuing a program in English Language and Literature, Mass Communication, or Autism Spectrum Disorders. Unfortunately, I haven't found a master's program for Autism Spectrum Disorders besides a certificate program for teachers, but I'm hoping that a formal graduate program is created in the near future.

	Lynn Headington Major(s): English Minor(s): Secondary Education Special Achievements: Study Abroad South Africa Spring 2008, Softball and Volleyball Intramural member, Reunion Scholarship, Margaret Menning Scholarship, graduating Cum Laude Immediate plans after graduation: Go home for the summer to work and then find a teaching job in Minnesota for the fall

	Melissa Hendrickx Major(s): English and German Minor(s): None Special Achievements: Dean's List, Regent/Trustee's Scholar, Study Abroad in Austria Immediate plans after graduation: teaching middle school English in the Rio Grande Valley in Texas as part of Teach for America

	Alexander Johnson Major(s): English Minor(s): None Special Achievements: Photography/Design Editor for The Record, London Study Abroad Immediate plans after graduation: Live


	Joseph Kuka Major(s): English No additional information available.

	Andrea Lewandowski Major(s): English Minor(s): Asian Studies Special Achievements: Study Abroad in Tokyo, Japan Immediate plans after graduation: Work as an English teacher in Okinawa, Japan

	David Lundeen Major(s): English Minor(s): None Special Achievements: Dean's List Fall 2008, St. John's Rugby Team member and president of the #8 ranked team in the nation Fall 2007, Study Abroad - Galway, Ireland Immediate plans after graduation: Have fun, go fly fishing, and travel the world.

	Andrew Madson Major(s): English No additional information available.


	Madeline Neenan Major(s): English Minor(s): None Special Achievements: Graduation Summa cum Laude with All College Honors (December 2008), Study Abroad in South Africa Spring 2008 Immediate plans after graduation: Currently working in Ireland as an aupair, hoping to work on a vegetable farm starting in May.

	Leah Niebur Major(s): English Minor(s): Art Special Achievements: Greco-Roman Study Abroad, Studio One, Companions on a Journey Immediate plans after graduation: Hopefully take a little break, then more job searching! Trying to keep an open mind for whatever comes my way.

	Emily Persichetti Major(s): English Minor(s): None Special Achievements: Theater Scholarship, Dean's List Fall 2007 and Fall 2008, Honors Program, Honors Thesis, 12th Annual Student Juried Art Exhibit at SJU-Spring 2008, Student Film Festival at SJU-Spring 2008 Immediate plans after graduation: Unsure

	Chelsea Pettit Major(s): English No additional information available.

	Victoria Piehowski Major(s): English and Spanish Minor(s): None Special Achievements: Dean's List, Study Abroad in Spain, Co-Chair of Pseudonym Immediate plans after graduation: Um. Ask me in a month.

	Kathryn Pyle Major(s): English No additional information available.

	Kendra Rajchel Major(s): English Minor(s): Art Special Achievements: Dean's List, Study Abroad in London Spring 08 and May Term in Spain 07, OSC ski club member/housing coordinator, JEC films committee member, Studio 1 Art Editor Immediate plans after graduation: Interning for an event planner for Coors, and grad school in the Fall of 2010.

	Carrie Rogers Major(s): English and Communication Minor(s): None Special Achievements: Regent/Trustee's Scholar, Dean's List, Study Abroad Japan, Study Abroad India, published in Studio One, Editor-in-Chief for Studio One 08-09, Record copy editor, Record copy desk chief, ballroom dancer Immediate plans after graduation: Find work as a writer, copywriter, or editor in the Twin Cities. Save up to go to publishing school in New York.

	Anna Schumacher Major(s): English Minor(s): Psychology Special Achievements: Dean's List Spring 2007, British Novels Club member, Varsity Basketball 2005-2007, Big Brothers Big Sisters Immediate plans after graduation: I plan to continue my education in hopes of becoming a Speech and Language Pathologist.

	Laura Schwarz Major(s): English Minor(s): History Special Achievements: Dean's List, Regent/Trustee Scholar, Dr. Angeline Dufner Scholarship, DES Honor Society Immediate plans after graduation: Hopefully a job. My plans are really uncertain right now!

	Joan Spring Major(s): English, Theology Minor(s): None Special Achievements: Chair of Fides et Ratio Immediate plans after graduation: Continuing the study of Theology at the graduate level and volunteering in an elementary school in St. Cloud with Minnesota Reading Corps.


	Stefanie Strapko Major(s): English Minor(s): None Special Achievements: Immediate plans after graduation: Continuing education and Dental Hygiene


	Megan Vetsch Major(s): English Minor(s): Art Special Achievements: Dean's List, Regent Scholar, Study Abroad London 2007, Theater Scholarship, S. Kristin Malloy English Scholarship Immediate plans after graduation: Try to find a job in Arts Administration or at an arts non-profit in the Midwest (Minneapolis or Chicago). Down the road probably attend grad school for Arts Administration or something similar.

	Adam Wander Major(s): English Minor(s): None Special Achievements: published essay in Studio One Immediate plans after graduation: Undetermined