Voting for our ten Outstanding Seniors begins today and will close on Wednesday, February 22. Please use this form to vote. Voting is limited to seniors, faculty and staff only.
The following criteria are used to determine the Outstanding Seniors; (1) Academic commitment and accomplishment (2) Leadership and involvement (3) Commitment to the Lasallian Catholic mission and (4) Nomination by peers/faculty/staff. Please vote for one male and one female nominee which are listed below in alphabetical order by last name. The Outstanding Seniors will be announced on Founder’s Day on March 14, 2023.
Guy Cardinal, son of Robert and Sharon of Maplewood, Minn., is a Management and Business Intelligence and Analytics double major and is minoring in Public Relations. At Saint Mary’s, Cardinal has participated in Public Relations/Business Club, Student Senate, Lasallian Collegians, Knights of Columbus, and Deprecor. He also played on the club hockey team, served as an orientation leader, was a peer minister, and worked in the admission office. After graduation, he plans to move back to the Twin Cities while pursuing a Master’s of Business Administration (MBA) degree through Saint Mary’s accelerated program.
Brady Lindauer, son of Kevin and Deb Lindauer of Cary, Ill., is a Finance and Business Intelligence and Analytics double major. At Saint Mary’s, Lindauer was the captain of the men’s hockey team, vice president of the Data Analytics Club for a year, and worked with the Lasallian Sport Institute. He also participated on the Business Case Competition team against other Lasallian universities across the United States. After graduation, he will work for Fidelity Investments in Sarasota, Fla., as a financial representative.
Brandon Merfeld, son of John and Heather Merfeld of La Crosse, Wis., is a Biology major. At Saint Mary’s, Brandon has participated in Delta Epsilon Sigma (national honor society) and Tri-Beta (national honor society for biology). He also has played on the baseball team, worked as a tutor, served as Student-Athlete Advisory Committee president, and participated in various clubs. After graduation, he plans to attend medical school and become a physician.
Joseph Schauf, son of John and Amber Schauf, of DeForest, Wis., is a double major in Finance and Management. At Saint Mary’s, Schauf serves as the vice president of financial affairs on the Student Senate, is president of the Pre-Law Society, and is a member of the Delta Epsilon Sigma and Delta Mu Delta honor societies. He has also worked as an admissions ambassador and executive and operations intern in the Office of Admission. Following graduation, he plans to attend law school and pursue a career as an attorney.
William Sepsis, son of John and Bessie Sepsis of Lombard, Ill., is a Management and Business Intelligence and Analytics double major. Sepsis has been active in the arts and athletics alike. In the arts, he’s been a member of the choir and the music fraternity, Phi Mu Alpha, serving as president his senior year. His athletic contributions include serving as a captain and president of the MUTS Ultimate Frisbee team and being a frequent intramurals and gym enthusiast. Additionally, he has had considerable involvement with the Student Activities Committee. He has also been a calculus tutor, a member of Delta Mu Delta honor society, and has made the Dean’s List every semester at Saint Mary’s. He is currently working in La Crosse, Wis., as a business analyst intern for United Health Group, and plans to take the role full-time after graduation.
Grace Howard, daughter of Michael and Sarah Howard of Eagan, Minn., is a Psychology major with an Art minor. She is very involved in the arts on campus, including choir, band, Sigma Alpha Iota (SAI) music fraternity, art shows, and variety shows such as Fireside and Blue Angel. Howard has held several leadership positions in clubs and organizations on campus, including serving as vice president of membership in SAI as well as a resident assistant for the past two years, including this year in Skemp Hall. She is a member of the Lasallian Collegians club, Delta Epsilon Sigma honor society, Psi Chi honor society, and participated in the Lasallian Honors program at Saint Mary’s. After graduation, she plans to attend graduate school and eventually conduct research in psychology.
Christa Ingabire, daughter of Damascene Rusanganwa and Beatrice Ntawangundi of Kigali, Rwanda, is a Computer Science major and Business Analytics minor. At Saint Mary’s, Ingabire has served in executive roles for the Merging Intercultural Experiences (MIX) club, most notably as president of the club her senior year. She has also been a member of the Black Students and Allies group and Data Analytics clubs. She is a member of Delta Epsilon Sigma (National Scholastic Honor Society), and she is a peer tutor. She has been a resident assistant for three years and has worked at the International Center and the IT helpdesk. After graduation, she plans to take her skills into the workforce and hopes to become a data scientist.
Mackenzie Kelly, daughter of Meghan and Gregg Kelly, is from Brookings, S.D., and is a Biochemistry major with a Biology minor. At Saint Mary’s, Kelly has participated in Tri Beta (National Biology honor society) and will be presenting her senior research at the American Chemical Society conference this spring. She also participated in Deprecor, which is a night prayer and community building club, as well as worked with Campus Ministry as a peer minister. Additionally, she held a leadership position in the Future Health Professionals club. After graduation, she would like to find a job in medicine or with a research laboratory somewhere between Brookings and Winona.
Sophia O’Neil, daughter of Brian and Wendy O’Neil of South Jordan, Utah, is a double major in English Literature and Political Science. At Saint Mary’s, she is a member of Sigma Tau Delta (English national honor society), was elected to the Student Senate as a class officer her freshman and sophomore year, as well as to the executive board her junior year. O’Neil has also participated in the Student Commission of Enrollment Committee, Buddies Club, Voter Engagement Committee, and served as the Student Senate president her senior year. She also played on the varsity soccer team, serving as a captain, competed in intramurals, and worked as a Cardinal ambassador for the Admission Office over the last four years. She has volunteered at the Winona Humane Society and has helped organize a system to assist university clubs fulfill service hour requirements. After graduation, she plans to take her LSAT and then apply to law school in the next application cycle. After law school, she hopes to specialize in either immigration or environmental law.
Catherine Pierpont, daughter of the late Scott Pierpont and Barbara Pierpont of Holt, Mich., is a Biology major. At Saint Mary’s, Pierpont has played on the varsity hockey team, serving as an assistant captain, and competed in intramurals. She is a member of Tri-Beta national honor society and serves as the secretary on the chapter’s executive board. She also is president of Green Bandana Club and has served on Student Senate as a class officer and as vice president for student affairs. Over the last four years, she has worked as a monitor in the ice rink, Geospatial Services intern, an executive orientation leader, tutor, resident assistant, and Cardinal ambassador for the Admission Office. She also has volunteered with the Winona Humane Society, Winona Youth Hockey Association, and the Rochester Special Hockey Team. After graduation, she hopes to attend medical school and pursue a career as a radiologist.
