Members of the class of 2026 at the College of Saint Benedict and Saint John’s University are about to go their separate ways.
They’re heading out into the world where they will make the lessons they’ve learned during their time on campus the foundation on which they build their futures.
But even as they pursue careers, start families and follow whatever direction life calls them toward, they will always have a support network to lean on.
That’s because being a Bennie and Johnnie doesn’t stop at graduation – it’s for life.
That’s one of the messages CSB and SJU President Brian Bruess stressed in his remarks during commencement ceremonies at both schools held Saturday (May 16) on a sun-splashed morning and afternoon on the two campuses.
“Graduates, here’s the truth,” Bruess said. “You are prepared. You are capable. But you are not meant to do this alone. You will be both helpers – and people who need help. You will be called to lead, to serve, to lift others up. And there will be moments when you must rely on and trust others – when you need community, guidance, support.
“That’s not weakness. That’s the human condition … and the human curriculum. And it is at the very heart of what you’ve learned in these places. Because Benedictine life has always been about community – about showing up for one another, about recognizing that we belong to each other.”
“So yes – go out and lead,” he continued. “Go out and make a difference. But don’t forget to look around. Don’t hesitate to signal when you need help. And when you see someone else signaling – turn the boat around. Because that’s who you are. You are part of something enduring.”
This marked the third-straight year commencement ceremonies at the two schools were held on the same day. The celebration began with the 169th annual commencement at SJU Saturday morning in the Abbey and University Church, followed by the 111th commencement at CSB Saturday afternoon in the Clemens Fieldhouse.
A total of 376 graduates (340 undergraduate and 36 graduate students from the Saint John’s School of Theology and Seminary) took part in ceremonies at SJU while 332 graduates (315 undergraduate, 12 doctoral candidates and five master’s) participated in the ceremonies at CSB.
One of that group was Ana Dailey, a double major in psychology and Hispanic studies who was chosen as the CSB student commencement speaker. She too spoke of the enduring bonds she and her classmates have formed during their time at the school.
“Leaving college does not mean that those footprints will fade away, for a piece of us will always remain here,” said Dailey, who was part of the Experience HUB at CSB and SJU and helped restart an Irish dance club on campus, while also playing a role in a number of theatrical productions.
“But instead those footprints will multiply and spread as we make our way in the world. And as we walk through the rest of our lives, we must use everything we’ve learned here to make sure that world is kinder and more just.”
The chosen student speaker at SJU was Robert Christy, a global business leadership major and finance minor who spent the past four seasons on the Johnnie hockey team. He echoed similar sentiments in his remarks.
“Being a Johnnie just doesn’t end here today,” said Christy, an assistant hockey captain this past season. “It will be a living, everyday thing as we go on our own journey into the real world. So don’t go on and be a stranger: stay connected, say hi to that person you pass wearing Johnnie red, come back for that homecoming tailgate and football game or even mentor those next Johnnies entering in the workforce.
“Wherever life may take you, remember where you came from and be proud of showing these Johnnie values of humility, resilience, brotherhood and commitment to leave things better than you found them.”
Michael Kelly, M.D., a 2020 SJU graduate and family medicine resident physician at Mayo Clinic, delivered the SJU main commencement address – drawing on lessons he gained from a difficult upbringing and the subsequent academic and professional triumphs that followed.
“All of you deserve this moment,” Kelly told this year’s graduating class. “But here’s the truth. Our lives are not defined by one moment. They’re built in the quiet. In the choices that no one sees. In the days that no one celebrates. And the moments when it would be so much easier to quit — but you don’t.
“For me, that looked like trusting in God’s plans when I just didn’t understand them. Choosing to invest in a future I couldn’t yet see. And learning that some of the deepest meaning in life is found in helping other people, even when you’re trying to heal yourself.”
The commencement address at CSB, meanwhile, was delivered by Sally Koering Zimney, a 1999 Bennie graduate who has gone on to become an award-winning speaker and a presentation coach. She encouraged this year’s graduates to “go for the no” – to push beyond what at first might seem impractical … or even impossible.
“So let’s normalize something right now,” she said. “Seventy-one percent of leaders experience self-doubt. And based on my experience, the other 29 percent are lying. They are lying.
“In fact, if you are not experiencing self-doubt, I wonder if your dreams are big enough. Self-doubt is not a sign that you’re not ready. It is not a verdict on your potential. It is not the truth. It’s a story – a loud, coercive, deeply annoying story that we often tell ourselves right before we’re about to do something that matters. That self-doubt story thinks it’s protecting you. But it’s actually keeping you small.
“And as you walk out of here today into whatever is next … new places, new roles, new rooms where you’re the youngest, or the only, or the most terrified person at the table – that voice will get louder,” she continued. “Because that’s its job. And your job is to do it anyway.”
- The top five majors in the combined graduating class at CSB and SJU were global business leadership (101), accounting (72), biology (52), nursing (51) and psychology (51). Among graduating Johnnies, the top majors were global business leadership (77), accounting (56), exercise and health sciences (28), computer science (20), finance (18) and psychology (18). Among graduating Bennies, the top majors were nursing (49), biology (35), psychology (33), elementary education (27) and global business leadership (24).
• At Saint Ben’s, the invocation was delivered by Cindy Gonzalez, the director of CSB Campus Ministry. The final blessing was provided by Sister Karen Rose, OSB, the prioress of Saint Benedict’s Monastery. Abbot Douglas Mullin, OSB, of Saint John’s Abbey delivered both the invocation and final blessing at SJU. LeAnne Stewart ’87, the chair of the CSB and SJU Boards of Trustees, provided the welcome at both ceremonies.
