Anne G.
You could say I was destined to come to Saint Ben’s from birth. My dad graduated from Saint John’s in 1986, and my mom graduated from Saint Ben’s in 1987, and I have had numerous aunts, uncles, and cousins, as well as my sister (’14) graduate from CSB and SJU. When I started looking at where I wanted to continue my education after high school, Saint Ben’s was at the top of the list, and it ended up being the only place I toured. Although I did apply a few other places, Saint Ben’s was the only place I seriously considered, and I have loved every minute of my time here. Even though there have been some difficult moments, the loving community of Bennies and Johnnies has provided me with all the love and support I could have ever needed. This place has helped me grow more than I could have possibly imagined, and graduation day is going to be incredibly bittersweet because it means leaving the place that I have come to call home.
The opportunities Saint Ben’s has provided me have been so valuable. I am majoring in English with minors in Global Business Leadership and computer science. The liberal arts education has allowed me to pursue a variety of interests which will help me in my future goal of attending graduate school for library science. I am a member of the Blazer cross country and track and field teams, and I am currently serving as the cross country team representative on the Student-Athlete Advisory Committee. Being a student athlete has helped me with time management and pushing myself to be the best I can be. In the spring of 2015, I spent a semester studying abroad in Cork, Ireland, which was an unforgettable and irreplaceable experience. I learned so much about what is truly important in life and who I am and who I want to become as a person. I am now a study abroad ambassador along with being a student ambassador for CSB/SJU.
This past summer, I interned at the Hill Museum and Manuscript Library at Saint John’s University. This internship was open exclusively to Bennies and was made possible by a generous donor. I was able to connect with a number of different organizations on campus through this job, and the experience I gained will be something I will continually use in the future. Currently, I work for the Literary Arts Institute as my work study job, which is helping to make Saint Ben’s more affordable for me. I am also gaining skills that I will be able to utilize in any job I may hold in the future.
Thinking back on my time at Saint Ben’s makes me wish that I could start over again as a first year so that I can experience it all again, but I know I will always have wonderful memories of my time spent here. The friends I have made and the growth I have experienced will be with me for the rest of my life, and I know that going to school at Saint Ben’s was the best choice I have ever made. Once a Bennie, always a Bennie!
Anne G. ’16 | Bloomington, Minn.