Kelly (Pavlak) and Domenic DiPietro, both 1999 alumni of Saint Mary’s University of Minnesota, recently finished paying off their student loans.
They say they are grateful that, because of the Catholic Educator Promise at Saint Mary’s, their daughter Giana — who will be starting school at Saint Mary’s this fall — won’t ever have to worry about long-term student loans.
Saint Mary’s is proud to offer the Catholic Educator Promise, a new initiative supporting the families of those who dedicate their careers to Catholic education. Through the donor-funded initiative, Saint Mary’s will offer free tuition to the dependent children of faculty and staff members employed by K-12 Catholic schools across Minnesota, beginning spring 2025. Eligible students will receive a “last dollar” grant that covers the remaining tuition costs for four years of study after all other scholarships and grants.
Giana is a senior at Saint Agnes School in Saint Paul, where her mother has served as the food service director for the past 10 years. They’re used to seeing each other every day at school.
Kelly DiPietro had been working part time and took a job at Saint Agnes to both make a little more money but also to have the same schedule as her children. “I’m around them probably more than they want me to be,” she jokes. “I really like the students here; it’s fun to see them every day and notice the new haircuts, and ask them about the game they had the night before. It’s a close knit community.”
It’s always been important to Kelly DiPietro that her children attend Catholic schools. “I like how Saint Mary’s is welcoming to anyone, regardless of faith background, and I sense that there are so many things to do on campus to access your Catholic faith,” she said. “That’s huge for kids who are getting out on their own. They could easily say they don’t have to or want to participate in faith-related things. That support system is great. It allows them to make their adult decisions while surrounding them with everything they need for a faith-based college experience.”
She and her husband plan to live vicariously through their daughter. “It’s nostalgic,” she said. “We had our experiences (at Saint Mary’s), and it’ll be fun to see what things are the same, like what professors are still there …. And then experience new things through her eyes too.”
Visibly outgoing and friendly, Giana is excited to meet lots of new people, get involved on campus, and start down her career path. After serving as a teacher’s aid, she’s already fallen in love with watching the light bulb go off in students’ heads when they learn, and she would like to either be a Saint Mary’s Catholic education major, or become an elementary educator major with a minor in Spanish. Service and getting involved with Campus Ministry are also on her list.
“Throughout the college decision process, I knew I wanted to find a strong community where people wouldn’t judge you for being Catholic, and I was excited about Saint Mary’s Catholic community … I like that there’s a chapel on campus and Mass, and I like being able to have access to activities,” she said.
When Kelly DiPietro told her daughter about the Catholic Educator Promise, Giana said it took a while to sink in. “It finally hit me that this is a crazy opportunity,” she said. “The fact that you are helping and repaying people who give to Catholic schools means a ton. This is a life-changing opportunity that will mean a difference to me years past college.”
Her mother agrees. “Being recognized as a Catholic school employee, we don’t get paid as much as public school employees; we do the same amount of work and have the same commitment but on a considerably different pay scale,” she said. “I saw Father Burns (Saint Mary’s president) at a Saint Agnes event, and I couldn’t thank him enough. This is going to mean a lot to Giana and if our youngest decides to go there too. It’s really paying it forward.”
“The Catholic Educator Promise reflects our unwavering belief in the transformative power of education and our mission to extend that opportunity to the families of those who serve in Catholic grade, middle, and high schools,” said the Very Rev. James P. Burns, IVD, Ph.D. president of the Saint Mary’s. “By offering this grant, we honor our core values of faith, service, and community, ensuring that the next generation of Catholic leaders can pursue their academic endeavors here.”
Learn more about Saint Mary’s Catholic Educator Promise and Cardinal Promise here.
