FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: April 25, 2000
Contact: Marcy Dowse, director of communications; (651) 690-6829


St. Kate’s junior awarded Truman Scholarship


St. Paul, Minn. — In the United States, 36.5 million people live in poverty. Christina L. McElderry, a junior at the College of St. Catherine (St. Kate’s), is determined to try and change that. Her dedication to economic justice and equality together with a commitment to pursue a career in public policy has earned Christina the distinguished Truman Scholarship awarded by the Harry S. Truman Foundation (www.truman.gov).

McElderry is one of the 61 students in the United States to receive this honor. Five hundred and ninety-nine candidates were nominated by their institutions for their leadership potential, intellectual ability and likelihood of “making a difference.” The announcement of McElderry’s award marks the second national scholarship award received by a St. Kate’s student. Earlier this month, Jena Kline, a senior at the college received a prestigious Fulbright Scholarship to pursue graduate studies in oceanography in Iceland.

“Christina is an excellent student,” said Nancy Heitzeg, Ph.D., College of St. Catherine Truman Faculty Representative. “She deliberately connects her coursework with her concerns for social justice and action. I firmly believe that Christina will someday have a significant impact on public policy at whatever level she chooses to focus — local, national, or international. She is, in my estimation, the embodiment of the spirit and substance of the Truman scholarship.”

A native of Ely, Minn., McElderry is majoring in sociology, urban studies and women’s studies at
St. Kate’s. She is active at the college in student government having served as president of the College Association Governing Board in her sophomore year. She also has served on numerous task forces, including the presidential search task force that selected current president Andrea J. Lee, IHM, as president. As an intern she worked with Hope Community Inc. in the Phillips neighborhood of Minneapolis. Hope is a community development organization working to revitalize a 20-block area of the city.

“As an intern, I researched community development and land-use projects nationally,” McElderry said. “When I realized that accurate demographics were non-existent, I took to the streets, counting empty lots, abandoned buildings and mailboxes, and talking to people. The project has fueled my passion for city planning. I was able to see a truly innovative revitalization vision and the importance of community-initiated and justice-oriented planning.”

McElderry’s plans for the future include completing her degree at St. Kate’s and then pursuing a master’s degree in planning, perhaps at the University of Toronto. Her goal is to work for a city planning department in a large metropolitan area and being able to address antiquated and unjust planning policies.

The College of St. Catherine is the largest Catholic college for women in the country. Through a diversity of programs, the college offers the intimacy of a four-year liberal arts college, the opportunity to complete associate degrees in a variety of healthcare specialties, and eight master’s degree programs. Committed to meeting the educational needs of women of all ages, St. Catherine’s offers many of its bachelor’s and master’s degree programs in both traditional day and weekend formats. With two beautiful campuses in St. Paul and Minneapolis, the college has a total enrollment of 4,372.

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