Outstanding Seniors

By Sarah McDonough
Cardinal Staff

Ten seniors were nominated from the class of 2009 to receive the Outstanding Senior award. Each nominee has some advice to offer for a successful college career.
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*Outstanding Senior award recipient

Jakub “Kuba” Szymanski*
Hometown: Opole, Poland
Major: Accounting, with a statistics minor
Plans after graduation: To earn a graduate degree in accounting and start a professional career as a Certified Public Accountant.
Advice for underclassmen: Get the most out of your four years here by getting involved. I have learned so much and have grown from the shy person I used to be to the person I am now.



Emily Berg*
Hometown: Owatonna, Minn.
Major: Spanish and K-8 education with a concentration in language arts
Plans after graduation: Teach through Teach for America, Alliance for Catholic Education or Lasallian Volunteers.
Advice for underclassmen: Try to get involved right away. It provides lots of challenges and opportunities.



John Nolte
Hometown: Owatonna, Minn.
Major: Chemistry
Plans after graduation: Applying for the Master of Arts in Instruction program at SMU, and eventually teaching junior and senior high school science.
Advice for underclassmen: Make sure you do what you love to do. The four years go by fast.




Maria Borgerson
Hometown: Bellingham, Minn.
Major: Biology
Plans after graduation: Attending the University of Minnesota-Duluth for medical school to become a family practice physician.
Advice for underclassmen: Get involved right away and don’t hold anything back even though it might be something you’ve never done before. Four years down the road, these will be the things you remember.


Neil Leibundguth
Hometown: Westchester, Ill.
Major: Political Science
Plans after graduation: To pursue a doctorate in Political Science and to teach at the college level.
Advice for underclassmen: Find a club on campus, work hard and possibly move your way up and get a head leadership role.




Kaitlin Depuydt
Hometown: Mankato, Minn.
Major: Pastoral and Youth Ministry
Plans after graduation: Hopes to work in campus or youth ministry and eventually do pastoral ministry within parishes.
Advice for underclassmen: Get involved. Find something you are passionate about and become a leader.





Julia Jergenson
Hometown: Houston, Minn.
Major: English Education
Plans after graduation: Find a teaching position in the Twin Cities.
Advice for underclassmen: Devote yourself to the passionate pursuit of your goals. There is no limit to what you can achieve if you are willing to risk everything.




Ryan Langr
Hometown: Mankato, Minn.
Major: Theology, and a psychology minor
Plans after graduation: Eventually earn a doctorate in theology, and possibly psychology and teach at the university level.
Advice for underclassmen: Get involved in a crowd that you can find your niche in.




Teresa Gill
Hometown: Fort Collins, Colo.
Major: English
Plans after graduation: Attend graduate school and eventually teach at the university level.
Advice for underclassmen: Form relationships with professors because they are good mentors.





Gary Borash
Hometown: North Pairie, Minn.
Major: Environmental Biology, with a music minor
Plans after graduation: To earn an advanced degree and live on a farm.
Advice for underclassmen: Get involved and enjoy it.