Celebrating 30 Years of Weekend College (WEC) Alumnae and Their Accomplishments!

To read the January 2008 SCAN article on WEC, its alumnae and students, click here...

Here are profiles of some of our alumnae:

Mayor of Burnsville, Elizabeth B. Langhilde Kautz WEC '82, Republican, was solicited by President Obama for advice because of her reputation for responsible and collaborative leadership. She's the second vice president of the U.S. Conference of Mayors. For more...
For a SCAN interview with Mayor Kautz...

Meet Kathleen Weflen WEC '81. She's passionate about the natural world and editor-in-chief of one of Minnesota’s most popular magazines — The Minnesota Conservation Volunteer. More »

Weekend College Wellness Entrepreneur --Gloria Birch WahrenBrock '81 Opens Second "Massage Envy" In Less Than a Year! After opening her first Massage Envy clinic in Hudson, WI in 2006, she opened a second clinic in Stillwater, MN in 2007 and has plans for one more in the area.

"As I think back on St. Kate's, it is always with a sense of gratitude and thankfulness that I was given the opportunity to experience a truly women's college experience.   Perhaps because I had various college and university experiences earlier, the time at St. Kate's is particularly precious to me and brought me to this place in life." For more...


My WEC Experience by Amy Lindgren WEC '86

Founder and Owner of Prototype Career Service and Pioneer Press Career Consultant

Having entered St. Kate's in 1979 at 17, I remember working feverishly in the day program until I suddenly realized, somewhere around the age of 20, that I wasn't running a race.

With very few credits left to earn, I took the advice of a College administrator who suggested that I stop out, as I was also working three jobs and managing my terminally ill mother's house. Incredibly, I was so focused on maintaining my scholarships, and the money I needed to juggle the bills, that quitting college for a while had never occurred to me.

He was right. This administrator, who wasn't even an advisor, gave me the best advice I ever received at St. Kate's. I slowed down to one or two courses a year, and switched to Weekend College, finally receiving my diploma in 1986. Oddly, I remember the feeling of Weekend College more than the material we covered: the peaceful, if somewhat deserted campus in those early WEC years; the platters of sticky, stale muffins left for us on side tables in Mendel Hall; the ridiculously easy parking; the delicious sense that everyone in the classroom was as serious about each class as I was; and the absolute knowledge that I was in control of my own learning experience.

That sense of control spread to other areas of my life and led me to start the company that I still operate today. When I give talks I sometimes say that I opened my business while I was in college, which, while technically true, is somewhat misleading. Yes, I was still a student, but I was very much in the world, thanks to class scheduling that made such a thing possible.

The administrator who advised me left the College the year after our conversation, without knowing the difference he made in my life. I have sometimes thought that if it takes a village to raise a child, he's my proof that it takes a whole campus to graduate a student.


Lois Schultz Zemke WEC ‘93

As a pondering “returning student” at the age of 46 (more than 20 years ago) – a wise retired sister in the CSC counselor’s office suggested I “follow my heart” and not aptitude tests and academic scores. “What have you always wanted to do in your heart?” she asked. I followed my heart into an elementary teaching career and with the guidance of St. Catherine’s, the Holy Spirit, and my family, I am fulfilled and have tried to mentor many others with the same advice.


Patrice Goodermont WEC '89

I recall taking time to be part of the 10^th year anniversary of Weekend College at St. Kate’s. The speaker was on stage at O’Shaughnessy Auditorium, full of enthusiasm, explaining “Weekend College gives new meaning to the word ‘leisure.’” My colleagues and I burst out laughing. In our world of 40-hour workweek, weekend college, studying and collaborating on projects. We would ‘grab a sandwich’ and eat enroute to class. It seemed like we deleted any activity that wasn’t essential – so that pretty much left only sleeping and eating. We relished semester breaks for a chance to do cleaning and cooking. Those with families got to reconnect with loved ones. We treasured those years of learning at St. Kate’s like making it through boot camp – although quite extended. We felt like we’d been challenged on all levels and survived. We have bonds and friendships that have lasted through the years. Fondly,




Kim McDonald, WEC ’09 in social work, is volunteer Guardian ad Litem with Ramsey County and soon-to-be job seeker in her field. Her daughter will be a freshman at St. Kate’s in the fall.

“When my sister entered St. Kate’s, she was fun loving, yet timid and shy. I watched her grow into a confident, empowered, and informed person engaged in her community. She encouraged me to follow her lead. . . . However, it’d been over 20 years since I’d been in school, and I had all but given up hope of returning to college. But at my sister’s graduation ceremony, I watched such a variety of people receive their diplomas, that I realized college was not just for 19-year olds. Making the decision to return to school was one of the best decisions I have ever made . . . .

“The professors and students in the WEC program enjoy a comradeship second to none. They not only support each other in the classroom but outside it as well. … The WEC social work program is comprised of an incredibly diverse group of women and their life experiences enrich classroom discussions, providing substance to the curriculum being taught. . . . . I would love to be able to find a position as a hospital social worker where I can utilize the skills I gained during my senior field placement. Instead of waiting for things to happen, I am now able to make things happen, and that is such a gratifying feeling I am an example of St. Kate’s mission: educating women to lead and influence. I am so confident in St. Kate’s ability to transform women into educated and dynamic leaders that I am delighted that my daughter will be a freshman at St. Kate’s this fall.”

Debbie Heilig WEC '09, in business administration, works as a senior solutions manager at Deluxe Corporation. She is proceeding to the MAOL program in the fall. The primary focus of her job is to develop strategic plans for integrated direct marketing programs for financial institutions.

“When I attended an information session, I fell in love with the campus and everything associated with St. Kate's. All of the St. Kate's professors value me as a person and my life experience, and the other students are so much like me, working women with families, that it helps me to strive to do my best (my husband jokes that I'm succumbing to peer pressure by hanging around with over-achievers!) … I took The Reflective Woman as my first course and it really helped me get back into school and think about my values. I can honestly say that TRW was so different from any course I’d taken at other institutions. I am taking The Global Search for Justice right now and the two are perfect bookends for my St. Kate's degree. The focus on leadership, change management and learning about social injustice is a perfect way to learn how to apply my education to the community and society.”

“I've been able to immediately apply many skills in my jobs in Marketing and in Delivery at Deluxe Corp. As I approached my senior year, I was able to take 2 MAOL classes as an undergraduate. The Ethics and Leadership class synched my decision to continue at St. Kate's with the MAOL’s focus on effective, enduring, ethical leadership. These skills will be useful in my professional and personal life. Also, the friendship and networking I've developed with students and faculty have been incredible and something I want to continue.”


Students Gain Networking Advice from Alumnae in Career Mingling Event
“I've learned to take advantage of any event St. Kate's puts together. You never know how much you will learn or who you may meet, but it’s always worth it.”

Lynn Wolander WEC '09
For more...

WEC Alumnae Met at a KATIES CONNECTING EVENT
Some alumnae from the Weekend College met at The Billabong Aussie Grill and Pub in Bloomington and brainstormed about how they could assist the Alumnae Association and the College. For more...