Seniors Katie Clem, Molly Minick, Piper Ogden and Bridget Walicki have been selected as valedictorians for Saint Mary’s 178th commencement ceremony. All four seniors will be speaking at the event.
Katie Clem
Originally from Fort Wayne, Indiana, Clem wanted to continue dancing in college after high school and connect with the academic side of the subject. She decided to attend Saint Mary’s to be able to shape her education through the College’s interdisciplinary self-designed major, majoring in arts innovation and leadership through this program and adding a second major in religious studies and theology.
“I knew I would have an opportunity to study dance and then also bring in some of those other subjects that I think support dance studies really well, like psychology and social work. Also, because I grew up dancing, I grew up in a community of women … and I knew that I wanted more of that in college,” Clem said.
However, she said she felt something was still missing from her academic journey.
“I found that the language of psychology and social work was not enough to talk about the depth of the dance experiences that I was having. So at the end of my junior year, I decided to add a second major in religious studies and theology because I felt like I needed that perspective as well,” she said.
Her senior research comprehensive project was a ballet performance she led, directed and performed in alongside eight other dancers in December. She continued her project this semester with a film version of the performance alongside additional side projects.
“To support that, I also did a [senior research comprehensive project] in religious studies and theology, thinking about spirituality and dance and how [dance] can help you express things that words can’t. I've had two research grants as well, both of which were looking at psychology and dance and how dance therapy can be helpful for survivors of sexual trauma,” Clem said.
Throughout her time at Saint Mary’s, Clem has been involved in a variety of dance organizations on campus. Her main focus has been the Dance Ensemble Workshop, the College’s student dance company. She has also been a member of the Saint Mary’s dance team as well as TransPose, a tri-campus dance group, for two years.
She recommends students explore different areas of study outside of their majors and take full advantage of the liberal arts education provided by Saint Mary’s. “Bring different pieces of knowledge together because I think that’s where the most exciting research and creativity comes from,” she advised.
Clem will attend Harvard Divinity School through an interdisciplinary program. After receiving her master’s of divinity, she plans to work in nonprofits tailored towards dance and dance therapy and start her own dance collective.
Molly Minick
Minick, originally from Juneau, Alaska, chose Saint Mary’s because of her dad, who went to Notre Dame.
“He was technically a Saint Mary's student for a year, because when he went [to] Notre Dame, there was no Ireland study abroad program for them, so the way that they did it was … through Saint Mary’s,” Minick said. “He did choir at Saint Mary’s and he took classes at Saint Mary’s, so he was really connected ... Lots of his friends that were Saint Mary’s students were women that I grew up around and they’re all kind of doing really awesome stuff now.”
Minick switched her major to political science at the end of her junior year and has a double minor in anthropology and history. She chose to pursue a political science degree to better suit her pursuit of a career in Arctic policy.
“I was really lucky in that the political science department is super supportive with [switching majors], and they’ve really worked to make that work for me,” Minick said.
Her senior comprehensive research project was focused on the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea and its implications in the Arctic region. She analyzed the impact of the Convention on the United States, which is not party to the agreement.
“I was interested in that because in the Arctic [the Convention is] a really important thing, because it determines how far away from a state’s land border countries can interact with the water. So when it comes to Arctic shipping routes, which are becoming very important with the melting sea ice, this is a very important convention. I looked at how countries and states in the Arctic are interacting with this convention and what it means for the United States to not be part of it,” Minick said.
She also worked with Nell Haynes, assistant professor of global studies, to research the effects of artificial intelligence in the contemporary world of art.
Minick was also president of the political science club and participated in the collegiate choir for all four years under Nancy Menk, who is the same choir director her dad had when he was a student.
For current and incoming students, she recommends they “make the most of every second.”
“Make sure that you’re taking advantage of everything that Saint Mary’s has,” she added.
After graduation, Minick will be attending the University of Alaska Fairbanks for a master’s program in Arctic and northern studies with a concentration in Arctic politics and policy. She hopes to work in international and foreign policy within the Arctic region.
Piper Ogden
Ogden, originally from Reynoldsburg, Ohio, chose Saint Mary’s for the small campus and the opportunity to be in small classes. She also said that the education program at the College allowed her to develop her own professional interests.
“I came in knowing I wanted to study elementary education … You get so many different field placements throughout your time here and I knew that if I was going into teaching, I really wanted the opportunity to spend time in the classroom and really confirm that this is what I wanted to do,” Ogden said.
Ogden spent her senior year as president of both the Education Club and Fiat Club, a Marian ministry group. During her sophomore and junior year, she was a member of Dance Marathon, an organization that fundraises for Riley Children’s Health. At the Center for Faith, Action and Ministry, she spent multiple years organizing weekly Eucharistic adoration and arranged a Eucharistic procession last fall.
“My involvement in all of these clubs have really just allowed me to grow in my own confidence [and] grow in my own understanding of other people’s experiences to become a more well-rounded individual as I prepare to teach full time,” Ogden said.
For her senior research comprehensive project, she student-taught at Beiger Elementary School in Mishawaka during the spring semester of her senior year. Her work included making a portfolio with different lesson and unit plans along with an assessment cycle, for which student researchers would need to identify a need in the classroom, develop a pre-assessment, create lesson plans and then deliver a post-assessment.
Outside of Saint Mary’s, Ogden was part of the National Council of Teachers of English and traveled to Columbus and Boston in the fall of her junior and senior year, respectively. She said these experiences allowed her the chance to engage in a professional learning community with thousands of other teachers.
“I learned a lot about new practices, best practices and how I can improve my own teaching. Within each of those years that I went to the conference, I also participated in a round table session called ‘The Future Is Now,’ that was specifically for undergraduate and graduate students studying education,” she said.
Ogden will be graduating with her bachelor’s degree in elementary education and minors in math and reading. After graduating from Saint Mary’s, she will begin a master’s program through the Providence Alliance for Catholic Teachers program at Providence College, through which she will receive her master’s in literacy and will concurrently teach third grade at St. Michael’s School in Fall River, Massachusetts.
She advises students to “say yes to every opportunity that presents itself. Every day offers new surprises and new opportunities. Of course, as college students, it’s very overwhelming, but I found that just saying yes to things offers you so much.”
Bridget Walicki
Walicki, originally from Jackson, Michigan, will be graduating with a bachelor’s degree in business administration in accounting and will serve as an audit associate at the accounting firm KPMG in Chicago.
At Saint Mary’s, Walicki has been the treasurer at the College’s pickleball club since 2023 and was a study abroad peer advisor following her study abroad experience in Maynooth, Ireland. She also served as the campus ambassador for KPMG, through which she assisted students in finding and obtaining accounting opportunities.
