Corie Barry is quick to acknowledge the seeds of the success the Best Buy CEO has gone on to achieve were planted during her time as a student at the College of Saint Benedict.
The 1997 CSB graduate – who become one of the youngest executives to join the ranks of Fortune 500 CEOs when she took over her present position at age 44 in 2019 – took time out of her busy schedule to share what she gained from her time at CSB and SJU with the next generation of Bennies and Johnnies Monday night (Feb. 10).
“I did it with help,” Barry said in a conversation with CSB and SJU President Brian J. Bruess, Ph.D. “One of the things that was so important to me when I went to college was that I didn’t want to be one of many. I wanted that individual touch. I wanted to feel like I was important.
“I think about it as scaffolding. There’s scaffolding around all of us as humans. The things that prop us up, and that’s what I gained at Saint Ben’s and Saint John’s. There was this whole network of people there helping with everything from spiritual beliefs to academics to jobs. All of that was scaffolding for me. It was important to have people who helped steer me to what they thought I might be interested in, and ultimately what my skillsets were.”
Barry spoke as part of a reception for accepted students in the Twin Cities area – an event that began with a dessert social and continued with two separate discussions between Barry and Bruess, as well as panel discussions featuring current CSB and SJU students.
The accepted students and their families also got the opportunity to learn more about curricular and co-curricular offerings at CSB and SJU as part of a networking and information fair, as well as having the chance to meet with financial aid representatives.
The annual event was held at Best Buy’s corporate headquarters in Richfield. CSB and SJU Senior Associate Director of Admissions Tony Amelse said a record 240 students registered, a 35 percent increase over last year. The large crowd necessitated the two separate programs featuring Bruess and Barry, as well as the panel discussions, to better fit everyone into the venue’s auditorium.
“This is a great opportunity for students and their parents to see the Bennie/Johnnie network for themselves,” Amelse said. “The entire network is on display – from current students to their faculty and staff mentors, and to all the alums here. They get to not only interact with those people themselves. But they get to see the interactions that happen between our faculty and their current and former students. The whole community just comes alive here.”
In all, 140 members of the CSB and SJU community were on hand to share their experiences.
“This is the essence of who we are,” Bruess said. “We’re a community gathered together. This is a chance for high school seniors to get a closer look at Saint Ben’s and Saint John’s. You have all these faculty, staff and students volunteering to tell our story. And to be here at Best Buy with Corie Barry, the president and CEO and a Bennie herself, is truly amazing. It’s exciting to see this intersection happen.”
SJU senior Jake McCarthy, one of the student panelists, works as a tour guide on campus. He said events like Monday’s are another way to continue sharing his passion for CSB and SJU.
“A lot of my time at CSB and SJU has been spent talking with prospective students and getting to know them,” he said. “And a large part of the reason I wanted to be here tonight was to continue spreading the word about these schools, which really are the best places I’ve ever spent time.”
CSB sophomore Tess Cavanaugh feels the same way.
“I feel extremely supported at this place,” said Cavanaugh, who also spoke Monday. “This is a place that challenges me. This is a place that wants me to grow and succeed. Those two things together are just the perfect combo.”
Xiani Medina, a first-year student at CSB, was among those who attended the event a year ago. She was back Monday, this time as another of the panelists taking time out from their studies to share their CSB and SJU experiences.
“It’s so easy to plaster words on a piece of paper and sell yourself,” Medina said. “But the people who tell the stories about Saint Ben’s and Saint John’s really mean what they say, and it has far more impact than words can describe.
“Hearing those stories, hearing about their own experiences, and the connections that have allowed them the comfort these campuses provide, is important. I wanted to be part of growing that network of Bennies and Johnnies.”
Barry is one of many high-profile success stories in that network. But she said the passion and pride CSB and SJU graduates feel for the two schools extends far and wide.
“It’s more than just an alum network in the traditional way we think about it,” she said. “We advocate fiercely for other alums. We hire other alums. We spend time at events like this because we really want to and we’re passionate about our schools. I’m on the board of trustees. There are lots of different places and boards I could be part of, and this is the choice I made because I’m so passionate about what these schools do that no other schools do.
“It’s an incredible asset, and it goes a lot deeper than just an alum network that will help you get a job,” she continued. “These are people who will be there for anything you need. If something goes wrong with your healthcare, I guarantee there’s a network out there that’s willing to help. If something isn’t working out the way you want when you’re buying a new house, trust me, we have the best real estate agent on the planet and he’s a Johnnie. Every aspect of our lives contains these intersections. I think it’s one of the unsung, important parts of getting an education at Saint John’s and Saint Ben’s.”
