From the article:
The Minnesota Hospital Association says we have a problem. More than 30 nonprofit hospitals in the state are out of cash to make payroll.

The Hennepin County Medical Center (HCMC) was trending toward that scary position recently. Leadership had claimed all of this year that the state’s flagship safety-net hospital would close in June if it did not receive financial assistance from the Minnesota Legislature. ...

The Role Labor Costs Play

Labor costs are the No. 1 cost for any health system. According to the American Hospital Association (AHA), employee wages, benefits, and contract labor typically account for 50–60% of a hospital’s total operating expenses. “It’s a people-intensive industry,” says Tim Sielaff, executive fellow at the University of St. Thomas Opus College of Business. Sielaff previously served as chief medical officer of Allina Health for five years. ...

“The inflation in the cost of doing business was not supported by the insurance reimbursement structure,” Sielaff explains. “That is a substantial challenge. A safety-net hospital has a different set of challenges than other health systems.” Namely, safety-net hospitals such as HCMC tend to rely heavily on Medicaid and Medicare.

“Being selected as a DFC Excellence Scholar is truly meaningful to me,” said Daniel Akinola. “This scholarship not only helps support my academic journey, but it also inspires me to keep pushing myself, take on leadership roles, and create opportunities for others in my community.”

At DFC, he became a peer mentor, tutor and student leader. He stays actively involved through BESA (Black Empowerment Student Alliance) and ANSA (African Nations Student Association), while also working with Tommie Athletic Productions.

"I was recently selected to be a Resident Advisor, which is an opportunity I’m especially proud of.”

Akinola, who is from Coon Rapids, plans to major in entrepreneurship at the Opus College of Business and minor in philosophy through the College of Arts and Sciences. He said that DFC’s cohort model was a driver in his success. He recalls a Secret Santa exchange with his cohort that was a small moment of revelation about the college's structure.

“It showed me this wasn’t just a group,” Akinola said. “It was a community.”

DFC scholar Kristel Hernandez-Batres came to St. Thomas looking for direction. Born in Guatemala and raised in St. Paul, she arrived as a first-generation college student who didn’t know what she wanted to study.

“I just knew I needed to keep going,” she said.

Encouraged by faculty, she began stepping into leadership roles, mentoring other students and learning to speak openly about aspects of her life, including her experiences as an immigrant and how that impacted her academic journey.

"I learned how to be vulnerable in front of others," she said. "It was important to share with others that they are not alone."

Her experiences led her to decide to pursue a double major in social work and criminal justice. 

“One of my goals is to give back to my community by helping undocumented children and their families in navigating life as a foreign (person),” she said. 

Elizabeth Cuadra expressed gratitude for the DFC Excellence Scholarship because without learning about Dougherty Family College she might not have attended college at all, let alone continue on for a bachelor's degree.

A first-generation college student, Cuadra said Minnesota became her home after a spring break visit from Oklahoma in 2020 turned into a permanent move when the pandemic began. She attended one of the largest high schools in Champlin and was considering entering the military.

“No one in my family had gone to college, so it didn’t feel like a space I belonged in,” she said. “But near the end of my senior year, I heard about DFC and something told me to take a different path and pursue an associate degree.”

She wanted a small college, reminiscent of the close-knit feeling she had in her small Oklahoma town. “DFC felt right,” she said. 

As a student ambassador, she spent time giving tours to prospective students, often meeting those who were still figuring out whether college was even possible. One interaction stayed with her: a student who had recently arrived from Iran and had not been able to attend school before.

“Hearing her determination made me reflect on how powerful education truly is and how many people around the world don’t get the chance to experience it,” Cuadra said, adding that she learned, “Always be open to change. College may be difficult, but never impossible.”

Experiences from small classes, cohort-based learning and close faculty mentorship are part of what defines the Dougherty Family College model and helps students build confidence while navigating the transition to college.

“They don’t need someone to do it for them,” said Buffy Smith, Eugene and Mary Frey Endowed Chair and Dean of Dougherty Family College. “They need access, opportunity and people who believe in them — and they take it from there.”

The DFC Excellence Scholarships are designed to ensure that momentum continues. Funded through the Ryan/Sterbenz Estate and Dr. Eugene and Mary Frey, the scholarships cover tuition and fees for the next three years. This year, five additional graduates will continue their education with support from Wallin Education Partners.

"Since the scholarship program began, more than 100 DFC students have continued their education at St. Thomas," Smith said. "We're grateful for the continued support of the benefactors who make these scholarships possible."

(Select an image for more information about each scholar)

Not pictured: Suliyat Adewale, Ariel Yang

Gabriel Sinche (Not pictured) - "I remember having a discussion with a teacher of mine about how all colleges should be structured around DFC's values. Personally, I enjoyed the communal and supportive environment on campus; everyone gets to know each other, and if you're ever struggling with something, you can always reach out to a friend or a professor."

“For the 10^th anniversary, we wanted to try something different," said Jennifer Gessner, the program manager of e-Fest. It was the first time we partnered with an organization to bring us a real challenge they're facing.”  

Students were placed into teams with peers from other universities and given just three hours to develop a solution for Find Love Safely. The matchmaking and relationship support service for adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities was founded by Katherine Gyolai ’98. 

When Gyolai’s adult son, who has Down syndrome, asked to download Tinder, she was filled with what she described as “panic and heartbreak.” He had previously been a victim of online scamming, and she knew a traditional dating app wasn’t a safe option. After searching for an alternative and finding none, she decided to build one herself.

“Our mission is to change the narrative around relationships and what that can look like for this beautiful community,” Gyolai said at the Innovation Challenge. “Find Love Safely is not a dating app. These are human-led connections led by human beings, not an algorithm.” 

Currently, there is a 2:1 ratio of male to female members. Gyolai challenged students on how they could attract more women to create a more balanced and rewarding experience for everyone.

Students heard directly from a panel of clients and their caregivers, who shared personal, heartfelt experiences.

“We wanted to put students into a situation that feels closer to what they’ll face outside the classroom,” said Bryan Kujawski, director of the Schulze Institute for Corporate Innovation at the Opus College of Business. “You take it on as a group, get creative, bring your own perspective, and think through how you'd address a real need for an actual client.”

The student teams put together their creative brainpower and pitched their ideas in a rapid, round-robin style format. 

“The Innovation Challenge was definitely my favorite part of e-Fest,” said Sam Mahannah ’26, a biology and financial management double-major at St. Thomas. “It was really cool to pitch 15 times in a row without time to adjust or rethink.”

The winning team’s pitch drew from the company’s user personas, which showed women looking to build friendships and expand their social circles. They suggested leading with human connection, rather than finding love, to make it feel more approachable, and reach more women through therapists who already connect people to outside resources. 

“All the students knocked it out of the park,” Gyolai said about the ideas presented. “There’s so much that we’re going to be able to take and implement into our business.” 

The Innovation Challenge was one of four competitions at e-Fest, ranging from rapid-fire pitches to full business presentations. Over the years, e-Fest has awarded more than $2 million to student startups, including a $250,000 prize pool this year across the four competitions. 

CognitionIQ, representing St. Thomas, was selected as one of the 25 finalists nationwide to compete at e-Fest this year. The team took first place in Pitch Slam!, where students deliver 90-second pitches.

“e-Fest has always been about more than competition," said Danielle Campeau, associate dean of the Schulze School of Entrepreneurship and Best Buy Chair. "It’s about bringing together some of the nation’s most innovative student entrepreneurs and creating experiences that challenge them to think bigger, collaborate differently, and solve meaningful problems in real time.”

For more information about the top 25 teams that participated in the finals, visit the official e-fest website. 

Grand Champion | $50,000  
BioMex | Michigan State University: Madhav Aggarwal and Tanvi Gadamsetti  

Runner Up | $30,000
Bobica Bars | Rowan University: Justin Iannelli, and Harrison Nastasi   

Third Place | $20,000
GG Entertainment | Florida Gulf Coast University: Carl Cearc and Bella Logsdon  

Fourth Place | $15,000  
Crystal-XG | Clemson University: David Floyd and Lukas Garcia   

Fifth Place | $10,000  
GuLP | California State University, Sacramento: Ben Duong, Brayan Mejia Nunez, and Umang Vadhar   

Social Impact Award | $10,000  
LowCostomy | Duke University: Jessica Alvarez and John Claude Shaffer   

Ready for Market Award | $10,000  
Fuller Radiance | Buena Vista University: Cody Fuller, Puritie Smith, and Alyssa Jordan   

Brand Builder Award | $7,500  

First Place | $5,000  
TOZ Hair Care | Drexel University: Isabella Passero and Ireoluwa Otegbade   

Second Place| $2,500  
SYP | University of South Florida: Ethan Baker, Marco Tamburini, Fedor Vuksanovic, and Mathis Haugen  

First Place | $10,000   
Cognition IQ | University of St. Thomas: Olivia Keller, Sam Mahannah, Ilham Mohamud, and Breanna Ranglall 

Second Place | $5,000  
BounceBack Pickle | Florida Gulf Coast University: Dillon Rosenthal and William Zhao  

Third Place | $2,500  
Crack'd Up | University of Wisconsin, Madison: Nik Gandhi and Aiden Silverstein  

Professor David Grenardo, who was elected professor of the year by the Class of 2026, hooded the graduates. University of St. Thomas President Robert Vischer conferred the degrees.

In his opening remarks, Dean Daniel Kelly encouraged the Class of 2026 to memorialize the day.

"Today is your day. Today is a day to celebrate," he said. "It is a day of joy, a day to think back about your time at the law school, and a day to recall all the hard work. It is a day to dream big about the future. You are together as a class, in your caps and gowns, with loved ones surrounding you – this moment is one to savor. We honor and congratulate our graduates."

Patrick J. Schiltz, chief judge, United States District Court for the District of Minnesota, gave the keynote address.

A Duluth, Minnesota, native, Schiltz is a graduate of the College of St. Scholastica and Harvard Law School. After serving as a law clerk to U.S. Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia in Washington, D.C., Schiltz practiced law for eight years at what was then the Minnesota firm Faegre & Benson. He left practice in 1995 to join the faculty of the University of Notre Dame Law School.

Schiltz served as the founding associate dean of St. Thomas Law from 2000 until 2003, when he was named to the school’s St. Thomas More Chair in Law and became a teaching faculty member. During his tenure as associate dean, Schiltz established foundational programs, policies and procedures needed for the new law school – from admissions, to academics, to the construction of the school’s building. He was nominated for a federal judgeship by President George W. Bush in 2005.

Schiltz started his commencement remarks by sharing how proud he continues to be of St. Thomas Law, particularly its students and graduates. 

“I am regularly told by judges and by attorneys how impressed they are with St. Thomas grads,” he said. “They talk about how smart you are, and how well trained you are, and how enthusiastic you are, but when I'm at receptions, or I'm at events like this, and people, lawyers and judges, talk to me about St. Thomas grads, they almost always say the same thing about the grad they're talking about. She's such a great person. She's just a great human being. Thank you for making me so proud.” 

Schiltz went on to recount the many times that he made career and personal choices that others advised him not to. He encouraged the graduates to stay true to themselves in their decision-making, pursue their passions, avoid peer pressure and to not live their lives to impress, please or compete with other people.

"Because I was willing to make decisions that everyone else thought were nuts, because I made decisions based on my own values rather than the values of other people, I have had a wonderful career in the law,” he said. “I have met so many great people. I have had so many opportunities to make a difference in the life of others ... there is nothing more satisfying than delivering justice. It's an unbelievable opportunity, and none of this would have been possible if I had done what everybody else thought I should do.”

This year’s elected student speaker was Jacob Fate.

He earned his bachelor’s degree from Bemidji State University and graduated magna cum laude from the School of Law. As a law student, Fate worked in the Federal Commutations Clinic and completed a fellowship with Neighborhood Justice Center, a nonprofit public defense corporation based in St. Paul that offers low- or no-cost legal support and representation. 

Prior to law school, Fate worked as a legal assistant in the Hennepin County Public Defender’s office, which influenced his decision to attend law school. He will rejoin the office as an assistant public defender after taking the bar exam. 

In his commencement remarks, Fate called on his classmates to be attorneys who take the time to listen to their clients in order to better advocate for them. 

“What separates the great lawyers from the rest is their willingness to really listen to a client, so they can tell a compelling story,” he said. “Not just a winning theory of the case, their client’s story.”

Fate went on to explain that for many clients, justice is more than a judge’s ruling.

“It's true that the basic service we will provide is access. In a system designed to exclude, you will use your knowledge of the law to unlock the doors to potential justice,” he said. “But for most clients, for all but the most sophisticated corporate or government clients, what they really want is to be heard. To most people, having their day in court isn't winning on a 12(b)(6) motion. Justice is feeling like someone looked at them like a real person and listened to their story.” 

Treating clients with care and respect, Fate said, “will help you meet your professional responsibility to zealously advocate, yes. Just as importantly, you will be honoring your St. Thomas legal education by respecting the inherent dignity of every person and treating them with compassion, then you will have a chance to be a great lawyer."

For example, a marketer asks an AI tool: “Describe a typical customer for a home fitness brand.” Without context, the AI generates a generic description based on patterns it has seen across the internet. It might assume the customer is young, affluent, urban, or highly athletic. None of those assumptions may match the brand’s real customer base.

As generative AI usage matures, prompt structure and brand context matter just as much as the AI technology itself.

Instead of relying on individual prompt-writing skills, companies are building shared prompt libraries. These typically include prompt templates, intended use cases, high quality example outputs, risks and limitations to consider, and guidance on when human oversight is needed.

Once the prompts are built, share them with your team and set expectations around how they should be used.

This approach helps teams move from isolated experimentation to more scalable and consistent AI workflows. By embedding guardrails directly into prompts, organizations can reinforce brand safety, reduce bias, and improve transparency.

One prompt structure teams use is the PACE framework (Persona, Action, Context, Execution). PACE helps ensure prompts provide enough direction for the AI to generate useful, relevant outputs.

Persona states who the AI should act as.Defining the AI’s role improves reasoning and expertise. For example,“Act as a senior marketing strategist specializing in consumer fitness brands.”

Action outlines the task the AI should perform.Clear instruction reduces ambiguity and helps the AI tool focus.For example, “Describe three core customer segments for a home fitness brand.”

Context is the most important part of the prompt and provides the marketing information the AI tool needs to succeed. It could include brand voice, audience demographics, product details and campaign goals.

This is also where teams can set boundaries. Detailed guardrails help support responsible and ethical AI outputs. Teams can specify risk and legal considerations, avoid stereotypes and align outputs with brand guidelines. Treat context like the rules of the road you’d give a new marketer joining your team. For example, a home fitness brand may say: “Avoid using language that promises weight loss results in 30 days.”

Execution defines how the output should be structured, whether that is bullet points, tables, short summaries, campaign outlines, or file size. These instructions make outputs easier to evaluate and implement.

Along with the PACE framework, ask the AI to explain its assumptions and rationale for any output or decisions it makes. This confirms the AI tool followed your stated constraints.

Three Reusable Prompt Templates for Marketing Teams (using PACE)

Frameworks like PACE and reusable prompt templates can help marketing teams consistently generate higher-quality outputs while supporting responsible AI use.

Organizations that treat prompts not as one-off instructions, but as strategic assets, are better positioned to reduce bias and integrate ethical considerations into AI outputs.

From the conversation:
Rege: I’ve been working in AI and data science for the past two decades now, and earlier, when I started, AI was primarily in narrow applications, like when you go onto Amazon, when you browse something on Netflix, the recommender engine behind the scenes unlocks itself. But in the past three years, it has moved on from these processes behind the scenes to becoming a lot more mainstream. With the large language models and generative AI, you can now generate text, music, videos, and all of those examples that we’ve been seeing.

So this big leap that we have seen in the past just three years is something that you could not have imagined a decade ago. It is important to be ahead of the game, because it also brings up ethical and governance issues, and I realize that there’s a section of the audience that is always fed on fear and concern about jobs, so that’s what this book basically talks about.

Lauren Andrego: Does kind of feel like the Wild West right now with AI? Every app, every website that I use now seems to have a plug-in AI feature. It feels largely unregulated. So, from your perspective, what do you think it needs most pressingly to be regulated right now?

Rege: There needs to be more regulation. Right now, the EU has an AI act, and we have talked about that in the book as well. AI is world over, so when you browse something online, then you make use of an app. That data could be harvested and utilized by an app that could be based in India or China, for example. So, there needs to be a lot more regulation, and even consumers need to be a lot more aware about what information they are volunteering. If you upload your financial information to ChatGPT, it gets utilized for training.

Kelly O’Connell: Sure, and that’s the thing you mentioned. There is a lot of fear, and some of that is warranted, because it’s so unknown, whether it be about jobs or taking over things, or whatever. You mentioned being AI aware, and I think all of us want to be better at this. We know it’s not going anywhere. So, what are your top tips for people to be better consumers when it comes to AI?

Rege: This week I spoke with a CEO of a company that has 1,800 employees around the world, and the CEO said that by the end of the year they’re going to let go of 10% of those employees. When I asked who those employees would be, it would be the employees who do not embrace AI. So the point I’m trying to make here is that you have to be AI literate, that’s No. 1. No. 2 is to lean in on skills that cannot be taken over by AI. ...

"It blew up," said Ayala, who is also an MBA student at the University of St. Thomas Opus College of Business. "I don't even have the words to describe how beautiful that was to see."

Ayala's experience came as the Twin Cities grapples with the impacts of Operation Metro Surge in winter 2026. The cafe, which opened in September 2025 on Grand Avenue as a neighborhood gathering space with book clubs and live music, is one of a handful of businesses operated by Opus alumni or students who found ways to support individuals and families in their communities during this challenging time for the metro area.

Yubi Hassan '24, founder of Bluehorn Tea, provided beverages at community gatherings during the operation.

"Building BlueHorn Tea was never just about selling tea," Hassan posted to social media. "This brand has a deeper responsibility. Not just to grow, but to represent—to create understanding, to bring people into our story, and to build something that fosters connection across communities."

Across the Twin Cities, these efforts reflected a range of responses from business owners seeking to support their neighbors.

Double Tommie alumnus Jazz Hampton '12, '15 J.D., used his business and influence to support community members in need of legal advice.

Hampton is CEO and general counsel of TurnSignl, a mobile app that connects users with attorneys in real time. Originally designed to assist motorists during traffic stops, the platform expanded to address a broader range of legal needs, including immigration-related questions. Hampton and his team worked to provide users with timely information and access to legal resources.

"Everyone isn't going to need these services every day," said Hampton, who is also an adjunct professor at the Opus College of Business. "But what we can provide them every single day is peace of mind, especially for families."

Accessibility is a key part of TurnSignl's model, with partnerships that help cover costs for those who may not be able to afford subscriptions.

"We don't want people choosing between buying a gallon of milk for their family or a parent Signl membership for their child," Hampton said.

The efforts of these alumni reflected a range of responses from business owners across the Twin Cities who sought to support their neighbors even in ways that extended beyond their businesses.

Their efforts reflect lessons from their time at St. Thomas to advance the common good through community support.

Hampton, for example, often points to an ethical leadership course in law school that helped shape his approach to business and service. Ayala credits her MBA program with influencing how she leads and engages with her community.

"I've really leaned into our mission," she said. "We have the ability to influence, and you can influence people in a really good way."

At the center of her most recent course, Science, Media and Social Impact, is how science interacts with the media and public perception. At the core, Eichmeier challenges her class to ask: Who gets to decide what counts as knowledge?

“We are in a place where we have a fragmented media environment with lots of voices,” Eichmeier said. “Some of whom say things that might not align with our consensus of science.”

“She taught me to enter conversations and debates with a firm knowledge of where my expertise lies, and to always explore issues with an open mind, exploring all possible perspectives with an understanding that all issues interact and overlap with society and human communication,” said Elleson Connelly ’28, a chemistry major who is also the communications chair of the Creative Writing Club.

In an article published in 2024, Eichmeier dives into how to communicate science to audiences with low engagement in science and technology during her study of how the “Last Week Tonight” show enhanced the audience’s knowledge on gene editing. That research helps form her class structure.

“In science communication, the natural inclination for people is that knowledge comes from scientists, doctors or other people tangentially involved in other fields that touch science,” Eichmeier said. “But the key point is that our media system has enabled new voices in that discussion of who decides what is knowledge.”

Rather than presenting science as a set of facts, Eichmeier emphasizes how knowledge is curated by media, culture and power.

“But we know that communicating science is so much more than giving facts,” Eichmeier said. “When it involves people having power, or making policies, we know that science doesn’t remain politically free and neutral.”

From public health to emerging technology, students explore how information is communicated and interpreted across audiences.

Centered on discussions, Eichmeier creates a focus on student participation through an expression of critical thinking.

“Within the entirety of my class, is this whole idea of who makes knowledge and what does it mean when knowledge becomes a policy or the way that we operate in society?” Eichmeier said.

Eichmeier encourages students to question assumptions; her course welcomes students from a range of majors who contribute different perspectives to complex topics.

Natulia Momo ’27, who has Eichmeier as an adviser through the St. Thomas student-led news outlet The Crest, described Eichmeier as bubbly and empathetic.

“I think what makes students feel comfortable, whether it’s working or talking to (Eichmeier) is that she’s always giving us the space to talk about something that we’re interested in, and she always wants to hear our ideas on things,” Momo said. “Her conversations always come with jokes, which brings laughter so all of that really makes the relationship less intimidating or awkward.”

Reflecting today’s challenges in media, Eichmeier calls attention to the challenges students will face in the current media landscape and navigating a wide range of sources.

Eichmeier guides students to think about how people form beliefs, especially when intuition is in play.

“One of my arguments in my latest paper was that we have people who want to use their intuition,” she said. “If you trust your intuition to tell you what’s fact and what’s not fact, do you need the rest of the facts?”

A senior at the University of St. Thomas, he grew up listening to Grateful Dead and Led Zeppelin with his dad, who has a collection of guitars on the wall. Now Barrett is a fan of Pink Floyd, John Mayer, and many more rock 'n' roll artists.

In high school, he would flip through photobooks and find images of his dad sporting long hair and a two-necked electric guitar, his twin brother on the drums. At the time, Barrett only played the saxophone.

"I just picked up one of his guitars and started learning," he said.

After buying his own guitar, Barrett got a taste of performing it live in his freshman year of high school. He put together a band and learned 30 seconds of various rock songs to play during time-outs at basketball games.

When look for colleges in the Midwest, the combination of contemporary and classical music programs at the St. Thomas caught his eye. Across his four years as a music business major, with a double-minor in business analytics and recording arts, he has cultivated a community of creative expression.

He found the Pop & Rock club and the student-led record label 480 Collective and began stage managing live events and forming his own band Monarch.

"I've learned that I was passionate about providing people with new musical experiences and also connecting people together to form their own musical groups," Barrett said.

His passion takes shape through the 480 Collective, a student-led record label that began as a capstone course with access to the Schoenecker Center recording studio. Barrett merged his responsibilities with Pop & Rock to lead the collective.

"We decided to form a record label with the purpose of empowering new artists with the resources needed to launch their musical careers," he said.

In the 2024 spring semester, the label signed 11 artists for the first compilation album, Vol. 1, and 12 artists for Vol. 2 in the fall. Currently, the label has 7 upcoming artists for the fall 2025 release.

Barrett hopes that the 480 Collective will continue to grow after he graduates, establishing itself into events like Tommie Fest and Homecoming.

Aside from campus performances, the 480 Collective collaborates with Live Nation for concert ticket giveaways as a way to build relationships with students who may not play music.

"It's impactful and it makes people happy, so I really want that to continue," said Barrett, who plants to take the Law School Admission Test and pursue entertainment law.

"One of the things that I really admire about Ben is that he is incredibly good as rallying people together towards a common goal," said Charlie Sedgwick, who met Barrett during the first week of his sophomore year, bonding over their similar tastes in music and love for the guitar. They worked together on the 480 Collective and other music projects.

"During all of these projects, I found Ben to be a great collaborator and an effective leader and communicator," Sedgwick said. "He always makes sure that others can understand him and that he can understand others."

Music has always been a shared experience for Barrett, and managing live shows is only a snippet of his expertise. Performing with his band, Monarch, unveiled his guitar prowess.

Monarch began in Pop Music Collective, a first-level music course at St. Thomas, under the name Stone Soup. As the group became official, they renamed the band and played their first show at St. Paul Rock Music Lounge. The band release two songs, "Commodity" and "Dying Out Loud."

His skill as a musician has led to leadership opportunities beyond campus.

"He teaches group guitar lessons to Minneapolis kids from a variety of backgrounds, including some who don't speak English," Mared Stoddard Mack, a coordinator in the Department of Music, Film and Creative Studies, said about how Barrett teaches at Guitarra En El Barrio in Minneapolis, a guitar program for Latin children.

"Rather than shying away from this challenge," she said. "Ben has figured out how to connect through guitar, using music as a way to build bridges and find a common bond."

In his nomination letter for Barrett, Chris Kachian, a professor of guitar studies and harmonica at St. Thomas, said, "Mr. Barrett has proven himself to be an individual of the highest order both of character and scholarship. He is a leader in our department and easily earned the respect of his peers and the faculty."

Through the Maxfield internship program, scholars work directly with young learners while developing the skills and confidence needed to pursue careers in teaching and other youth-focused professions.

The Maxfield-DFC internship was founded through a SEED grant awarded to the University of St. Thomas School of Education’s Special Education Department and is now supported through a private donation. The goal of the internship is to create a pathway for students interested in the teaching profession and in working with young people to make a real impact.

By placing interns in classrooms with experienced mentor teachers, the program allows students to learn through observation, practice and reflection while receiving consistent support from supervisors.

During the 2025-26 school year, five Maxfield interns are actively learning and growing in the classroom while also participating in weekly professional development workshops designed to strengthen their instructional skills, classroom management strategies and knowledge of child development.

The combination of hands-on experience and guided training allows interns to progress quickly and take on meaningful responsibilities as the year goes on.

“Because our interns receive weekly professional development, they develop skills at a really impressive pace,” said Molly McGraw Healy, St. Thomas senior director of strategic partnerships. “At this point in the year, it is amazing to see our interns interacting with students, leading small groups, and supporting their host teachers. They are true educators.”

For many interns, the experience has been both meaningful and motivating. Fatima Barranca Romero, one of this year’s interns, shared that working closely with students has been the highlight of her internship.

“A highlight for me in my internship has been supporting students in their reading, math, and behavioral development. It has been incredibly rewarding,” she said. “Every time I walk into the school, I’m greeted with, ‘Ms. Fatima, I missed you. I’m so happy you’re here,’ which reminds me why this work matters. I’ve been able to closely shadow my mentor and observe how she teaches, manages the classroom, and responds to student behavior. The support of my mentor and supervisors, Kellie and Molly, who have supported DFC students throughout their journey in education, makes this experience even more meaningful to me.”

The internship has also helped interns explore different career pathways within education.

“I do plan to explore this industry more as a career pathway by learning about the different career fields in education, from teaching to social work or becoming a therapist for children,” Fatima said. “I have become very passionate about children’s development, and this is a great opportunity to explore all the different pathways. I hope to major in elementary education next year at the University of St. Thomas. I hope I can become a teacher one day and continue to support children, my community, and create a positive change within the education field.”

Program leaders hope the partnership with Maxfield will continue to inspire future educators and strengthen the connection between students and the profession.

“I hope interns will continue to be an important part of our collaborative work at Maxfield, and that many of them will discover education as a field that brings them professional and personal joy,” Molly said.

Through meaningful mentorship, real classroom experience and ongoing professional development, the Maxfield internship program continues to open doors for students who are passionate about working with young people and making a difference in the field of education.