I chose to further my education and attend the University of St. Thomas. 

Alright, that's all I got. 

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Just kidding.

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Major: Business Administration

Concentration: Marketing Management

GPA: 3.91

Honors: Magna Cum Laude | Beta Gamma Sigma Honor Society | Dean's List: Fall 2016 - Present | UST Merit Scholarship

Participation: American Marketing Association | Sports Business Club | Catholic Studies Leadership Interns | Catholic Men's Leadership

 

Here's what I have to say about my time at UST. 

 

Coming out of High School, I knew I wanted to study within business, and I also knew I wanted to stay in the Twin Cities area. My college decision came down to two schools: St. Thomas and the University of Minnesota. I had always grown up dreaming of being a Gopher, and yet when it came time to choose I let my younger self down and chose St. Thomas.

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Why? Two reasons. First, St. Thomas is a Catholic school, and I was coming into college knowing my faith was important to me and that I wanted to grow in it. Second, I felt I would be more of a student and less of a number at a significantly smaller school. 

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For the first two years I was at St. Thomas, I was sure I had made the wrong decision. 

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I never truly felt like I was attending a Catholic University. So why the heck didn't I just go to the U of M and at least have some fun on the weekends going to the hockey and football games? 

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I just put my head down and kept focusing on my academics. I came here to get a degree. I would at least accomplish that, even if I never got the college experience I always heard about. Academically, I was thriving. I found that the vast majority of my professors at UST were incredible, especially within Opus, and I was getting better grades than I expected going in, working to keep my GPA above 3.90. 

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I was not excited to come back for my Junior year. I was halfway done, and just wanted to get it over with. Then I got involved in helping out on a retreat with Campus Ministry. That retreat changed my life. Through my connection on that retreat in September to one of Campus Ministry's Peer Minister's, I applied myself for the position. 

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I fell in love with St. Thomas over the past year. Working as a Peer Minister through Campus Ministry has been one of the biggest blessings of my life. There are so many good people here, and I cherished the opportunity to live within such a great community. To live with all of my best friends around. To serve my fellow students by walking with them in faith and in life. 

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I was very conscious all year that my time here was quickly coming to an end. I was desperately trying to make every day count, to take in the experience , the community, every hour I was awake (and finish strong in school). And then we all got sent home two months before we were planning to graduate. 

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I was already dreading leaving the place it took me so long to fall in love with. The transition to online classes was a challenge, but the emotions of having to leave it all behind are far more difficult to deal with. It feels like I've had 8 weeks of my friendships, of my experience, of being a Tommie taken from me. 

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On May 23rd, 2020, I will graduate from the University of St. Thomas. I won't get to walk across a stage in front of my family. But I know one thing for sure: I will never regret choosing the University of St. Thomas. 

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Roll Toms