Founding the SOT/Sem Alumni Council
| The Alumni Council for the Saint John’s School of Theology and Seminary was formed in response to the School’s Strategic Plan goals and objectives and alumni desires to have a closer relationship with the SOT/Sem. Starting in June 2017, a pilot group of twelve alumni met several times to discuss what the aim and structure of such a council would be. This group then created a configuration for the Alumni Council that included two Co-Chairs and 12-14 Alumni Ambassadors. The Co-Chairs and Ambassadors would be a mix of alumni from various ministries and careers as well as people who live locally near Collegeville, throughout the state of Minnesota, and across the country. |
|
The official launch to the Alumni Council came in January 2018 with Bailey Ziegler ’15 and Rebecca Calderone ’14 beginning their terms as Co-Chairs. Ziegler, a 2015 Master of Divinity graduate, was truly instrumental in the creation of the Council and worked closely with the Development and Alumni offices to form and lead the pilot group through its initial five months of discussion and discernment. She served a one-year term as Co-Chair in 2018 and has countined as an Ambassador since 2019. Ziegler also works as the Director of Human Resources for the Diocese of St. Cloud when she is not volunteering on the Council. Rebecca Calderone, a 2014 Master of Divinity graduate, also began her term as Co-Chair in 2018 but remained as such for two years. She now serves as an Ambassador. Calderone is employed as the Director of Pastoral Care for CentraCare – St. Benedict's Community in St. Cloud. |
Bailey Ziegler| In the first year of the Alumni Council, much work was done to finalize what it would look like and its sustainability. Calderone and Ziegler collaborated with the SOT/Sem Alumni Relations and Development offices in selecting and inviting Ambassadors to join the Council. This group met for the first time in April 2018 and now meets annually to ensure the advancement and continuation of the Council into the future. The five priority areas the Council currently focuses on include: connecting alumni with Collegeville, ongoing formation and educational opportunities, community building activities, communication, and networking support for alumni in ministry. |
|
Rebecca Calderone| The Alumni Council hosts the Prayer and Convivium Breakfast at the annual All Class Reunion each summer and plans alumni-centered events throughout the year to coincide with other campus happenings such as homecoming and graduation. The Council hopes many alumni are able to attend these events, so they can connect, learn more about the needs of our alumni, and generate new ideas and feedback. Hope to see you at a future event! |