University of St. Thomas

Shana Koalshea, Class of 2008

Why did you want to go to the University of St. Thomas?

I made my decision to go to the University of St. Thomas almost on default. I had not originally intended to spend my undergraduate career here. It was one of my “safety” schools. My applications were accepted at each university, so I had a tough decision to make. I flew to New York; I visited Madison and I wandered around UST. Never before had I felt instantly comfortable. The campus is beautiful! Each student, member of our faculty or staff I passed on the sidewalk smiled or said ‘hi!’ There were a group of men, who looked like grumpy grandfathers, playing music in the lower quad, a game of Frisbee going on around them and a student snoozing under one of the tall trees. Seriously, can you get much better than that? None of the other schools made sense anymore – UST was were I wanted to be. The next few years were not going to be easy financially because of my decision to attend UST, but I knew I would be happy.

What was it like to be a woman on campus? What experience was most difficult, or important, or funniest, oddest, or most memorable? It would be helpful to describe when you were here and how that might have affected your experience. We would also invite you to reflect on how elements of race/ethnicity, social class, religion, etc. also impacted your experience.

If one can get past the daily competition amongst women students- who has the newest? The best? The brightest? -Overall, I think being a woman on campus, here at UST, was like being a woman on any other campus. I’m Caucasian from a middle- to upper- class background. I’m Christian, albeit not Catholic. My viewpoint due to my social standing and background is probably a bit biased.
I had classes taught by powerful women in Twin Cities industry. They balanced an academic life, a career and their home. These women made me feel empowered; they offered insight and their stories.

How did your time at St. Thomas change the way you look at or interact with the world?

My time at St. Thomas changed my interactions with the world through simply opening me to it. We’re still quite sheltered here at UST – our viewpoints are commonly shared; our ideas commonly expressed among the “educated elite.” Despite all this, I have had the opportunity to tutor and mentor young children at a not-so-privileged middle school. Through one of my courses, I was able to talk to an 80plus –year- old man about his stories and his life. St. Thomas offered me interactions with those I would not have approached myself. St. Thomas forced me to interact, thus forcing me to become a better person.

What elements of the University’s mission do/did you most identify with? What have you taken with you; in other words, how did your years at UST affect you later in your life/career?

I have yet to leave the arches of St. Thomas, but I will soon enough. I know that I will take with me integrity, faith, and a desire to be challenged. I will become an opener of doors for someone else through charity – time, energy and money. I have become a woman who is well-respected, but most of all, who truly respects and loves herself.

If you had one wish for future women at UST, what would it be?

To be given the same opportunities I was given: To have someone watching out for her financially so that she can truly attain the best education in the Midwest – one that allows her to explore her faith, her community, and academics.