Munns family shares love of Saint Mary’s close community
Three generations of the Munns family members thought about how they would describe Saint Mary’s to someone unfamiliar with their alma mater.
Words like “family,” “home,” and “community” came up often. Emily Munns B’12 said she would describe a place where “professors cared about students’ success and would check in with them — even outside of class — and would get to know students by name.”
Rebecca “Becca” (Munns) Cage B’14, M’20 said every department, from admissions to campus ministry, is where “people look out for each other.”
By the time the last Munns alumni, Sarah (Munns) Derouin B’18, took her turn, she wasn’t sure there was much left unsaid.
“I was going to say community and home, a place for opportunities,” she said, explaining that she’d participated in so many of those opportunities, she often overcommitted herself, but ultimately that also led to building relationships and challenging herself.
It’s no surprise this tight-knit family chose these particular words. Clearly, feeling at home, comfortable, and part of a larger active and caring group was important to all of them. They had those relationships at home, so finding them at their university was also important. That’s why they’re invested in Saint Mary’s and its people.
It all began with Robert Munns B’54, who came to Saint Mary’s (then College) from Chicago to study history. His parents researched schools and after finding the Winona college, they made the decision for him about where to go.
Robert particularly remembers the faculty and says his experience inside and outside of the classroom helped him immensely in his career choices, which included teaching in the Twin Cities area. He then spent the majority of his career working for federal government-funded programs for Saint Paul Schools.
These programs helped provide education and training, transportation, and child care for low-income families and their children.
He particularly remembers Brother J. Robert Lane, FSC; Brother J. Raymond Long, FSC B’43; and Brother H. Charles Severin, FSC.
As a freshman in introductory science class with Brother Charles, Robert was once asked to identify a particular kind of tree. Robert, being a city boy, replied, “Well, Brother Charles, it’s a maple tree, of course.” It was not and Brother Charles grinned and joked that he hoped Robert would still be around in four years.
Robert also remembers the Barracks, spending time with the Brothers, and a not-so-winning football team filled with nonethelessgreat guys.
When Robert’s son Mark Munns B’83 was choosing colleges, he was researching several when he happened upon an admissions representative for Saint Mary’s at a college fair. “The idea of following in Dad’s footsteps didn’t factor a whole lot,” he said. But after touring Saint Mary’s again for the first time since he was a kid, he found that it was a good fit.
He chose to major in business administration with an emphasis in accounting, and even though he never read music or played an instrument, he also joined Phi Mu Alpha and served as treasurer for at least two years. Helping with Blue Angels and Gaslights were a highlight of his college career. He was in Dr. Patricia Sommerville’s first class (before she even became a Sommerville), and fondly remembers Brother J. Raymond Long, FSC B’43; Brother Leonard Courtney, FSC B’37; and Brother Robert Smith, FSC B’76, Ph.D., who served as best man at his wedding and is a Godfather to his daughter, Sarah. He also fondly remembers Father Andrew Fabian and Dr. Jeffrey Highland.
“We had a slogan in the day ‘so much for so little,’ ” he said. “It was a great small college that had faculty and the Brothers, who really invested in students as human beings, and I felt that was so important for my development.”
Mark worked in accounting, credit, and collections for 38½ years for a Kenworth trucking dealership. He feels Saint Mary’s prepared him well for his career. Currently, he is working at a Catholic school in Shoreview in safety and security.
Although Mark’s wife, Laurie, is not a Saint Mary’s alumna, he says they’ve adopted her as an honorary alumna because of all the time she’s spent on campus. “Having three generations attend has shown me that a lot of the things that I valued obviously has had an impact on (my daughters),” he said. “They saw what I saw down there and liked it as well. It speaks to the people at Saint Mary’s.”
When Mark and Laurie’s first daughter, Emily Munns B’12, began looking at schools, she toured Saint Mary’s during Minnesota Private College week in high school and did an overnight visit. “At the end of the day, I felt like Saint Mary’s was a good fit. Having Dad go there helped a lot. I knew I wanted to go into business, but I didn’t know exactly what I wanted to do. It was the right decision.”
Emily majored in marketing and sport management and says she enjoyed her business classes immensely, particularly the upper-level ones. “They were tough, but they set me up for where I am today,” she said, adding she is now living in Florida and has worked in several roles in marketing throughout her career.
At Saint Mary’s, she was active in dance team, as well as worked with Chartwells and the Registrar’s Office through work study. Some summers, she worked for the M.Ed. Department. She remembers the Lasallian Core Traditions course (taught by Mary Catherine Fox, AFSC B’75, Ph.D.), going to hockey games, and hanging out at what was then called the Old and New Villages.
And she enjoyed overlapping some years with her younger sister, Becca. They were able to experience aspects of college together.
“Sharing this is unique; it’s pretty special,” she said. “I appreciate what Saint Mary’s done for me, where I am in life, my friendships, and the jobs I’ve held.”
Rebecca “Becca” (Munns) Cage B’14, M’20 declared she was attending Saint Mary’s after tagging along with her older sister during a college tour. “Being two years younger, my parents told me I should go along because those two years were going to fly by. I like to say I knew I was going to Saint Mary’s way before Emily, and she followed me.
“It was just gorgeous, the small feel of the community, for me, was good. I saw this as a good place for me to dip my feet in when I’m ready and slowly find my groove and my community.”
Becca did indeed find her community, particularly among her education professors who continue to serve as her mentors: Scott D’07 and Karen D’07 Sorvaag, Dr. Melissa Luedtke and Dr. David Jackson. “They are what made my experience so wonderful, their love for all their students. They had a huge impact on my life as a teacher and I thank them for how they continue to impact me,” she said. Not only did she graduate with an undergraduate elementary education degree in 2014, she also earned her M.Ed. in Teaching and Learning in 2020 (during COVID-19). She has taught in her own classroom for many years, and after her recent marriage, she is now working as a teaching assistant in a preschool.
“I also sing Dr. Fox’s praises,” she added, listing her other favorites in rapid succession: getting dressed up at Taylor Richmond Benefit dances and raising money for a good cause; being the second person to stay in her room in a then new Brother Leopold hall; the ice cream machine; Zumba classes; dance team; Family
Weekend; the Fall Frolic in the bluffs; the omelet line; the Italy trip with Rob McColl and Preston Lawing; sporting events; Blue Angel; Education Club; the M.Ed. Department; and Together Encountering Christ (TEC), which she said hit her at a time in her faith where she needed that sense of community.
Being part of a legacy family and part of Saint Mary’s legacy, Becca said, blows her away. “The amount of people, and the connections are out of this world and it’s a very small world but anybody can join and be a part of it. Come join!”
By the time Sarah (Munns) Derouin B’18 was exploring colleges, she admits she thought maybe she didn’t want to follow in her sisters’ footsteps.
The biology pre-cytotechnology major, back then, knew she wanted to study something science-related, but wasn’t sure if she wanted to do something patient focused like nursing or physical therapy or if she wanted to be more behind the scenes. Even though she toured her mom’s alma mater, she had already decided that
Saint Mary’s was where she wanted to go to college.
“I followed (my sisters) everywhere. I stayed over with Becca (who was a senior at the time). It was fun. I just knew and I committed. It just felt right. Saint Mary’s became home to me. It felt comfortable. That’s a theme for our family. I could picture myself there. And I knew they had a strong science program and had a connection with Mayo Clinic.”
Sarah took advantage of that connection and went on to the Mayo Clinic’s School of Health Sciences cytotechnology program, did her clinicals, and now works as a cytotechnologist for Mayo Clinic.
Her memories include everything from golf team bonding, morning workouts, studying late, TEC retreats, intramural sports, selling beta fish through Biology Club, going camping with Dr. Jeanne Minnerath, the Student Athletic Committee, being an orientation leader, the Taylor Richmond Benefit Dance, hiking in the bluffs, kayaking on the river, the Italy study abroad, Bloedows, the pre-finals breakfast and tree lighting ceremony, and studying in the new science building.
She worked all three summers at Saint Mary’s. Sarah worked in admissions, outdoor maintenance, and the Master’s of Education department. It was while working with outdoor maintenance that she met her future husband, Drew Derouin B’18, adding to the family legacy.
Robert Munns is proud his son attended and that his three granddaughters were Cardinals as well; one day he hopes there’s a fourth generation to keep the Munns legacy alive.
