College of Saint Benedict and St. John's University Presidents Visit St. Augustine's College

On Thursday, March 3, 2022, St. Augustine’s College received a visit from the presidents of St. John’s University (SJU), and its sister school, the College of Saint Benedict (CSB), James Mullen Jr. and Laurie Hamen, respectively. Both schools are located in Minnesota.

They were accompanied by Alex Schleper, Director of International Admissions, Anne Sumangil, Director of Alumnae Relations, Peggy Ladner and Clif Britton, SJU Trustees, Mari Mullen, wife of SJU president, as well as Bahamian CSB/SJU alumni, Dennard Cleare, Terrance Bastian, Basil Christie, Alpheus Finlayson, and Philip Galanis, who is on the SJU Board of Trustees.

They were greeted by Marici Thompson, Acting Principal, and Benedict Dorsett, Assistant Principal.

St. Ben’s and St. John’s has a special relationship with St. Augustine’s College as SAC was founded in 1945 by a Benedictine monk, Fr. Frederic Frey, who came from the St. John’s Abbey. Many priests from the St. John’s Abbey taught at SAC, and many SAC graduates have attended SJU/CSB, including several SAC staff members, Brittany Basden '13, Joanna Bain '01, Ashley Foulkes-Moss '15, and Brianne Gibson '15. (They are also SAC graduates.)

Before St. Augustine’s College became co-ed, many SAC students received the Benedictine scholarship to study at John’s University. It was only offered to Benedictine schools at the time.

In 1961, CSB and SJU became co-ed. Four years later, in 1965, the then Xavier’s College, and all-girls school at the time closed the doors of their high school and sent their students to St. Augustine’s College, which then became co-ed. The girls who attended SAC could now be eligible for this scholarship, and many of them took advantage of the opportunity.

The scholarship, now called the Presidential Scholarship, is open to all high school students, and the Honorable Glenys Hanna Martin, Minister of Education has signed a memorandum of understanding, committing to increase scholarships to students who receive the Presidential Scholarship from $10,000 per year to $11,000 for private school students, and $15,000 to $16,000 for public school students.

After receiving a tour of the SAC campus by Acting Principal Thompson, the CSB/SJU delegation gave a presentation to a group of eleventh graders.

President Haman spoke of the appreciation that CSB/SJU has for their students from The Bahamas, leading with the fact that in 2021, both commencement speakers for CSB/SJU were Bahamians.

Haman said that there are four things that comes to her mind when she thinks of Bahamian students, brain power, character, faith and family, and leadership.

“My son had a Bahamian roommate when he went to St. John’s, his first time living with someone [from outside of the United States]. It changed his life because of that person’s faith and family values. His roommate would come to our house every Thanksgiving,” said Haman.

While she admitted to the students that the main reason she came to The Bahamas was to sign for more scholarship opportunities for deserving students, she really came to extend an invitation to them to apply to CSB/SJU.

“There are 1700 Bahamians who have graduated from St. Ben’s and St. John’s and…I would like you to think of yourselves as welcome,” said Haman.

President Mullen added that “because you are remarkable people, you’re going to have opportunities in life if you go on to college. What I hope for each and every one of you is that college would be the most magical time of your lives. And I hope that for many of you, that magical time will come at St. Ben’s and St. John’s and I think it could be for the following reasons: The Benedictine tradition on which the school was founded is about community…It is about inviting every person to achieve the most that they can achieve. So, if you come to St. John’s and St. Ben’s, you will have faculty…who will know you, inspire you and work with you…You will have other students who will be your friends, and those friendships last for your entire lifetime.”

He also told students that they “will be challenged to be leaders” whether they choose to stay in Minnesota or return home, “and that is the magic that you will find.”

He ended with telling the students that “we would be honored to have you at St. Ben’s and St. John’s.”

Mr. Philip Galanis then gave remarks encouraging student to take advantage of the opportunities such as the financial arrangement between the Bahamas government of the Bahamas and the College of Saint Benedict and St. John’s University.

“I want you to recognize that education is the key that is going to unlock tremendous doors of opportunity. When I sat where you sat, about 51 years ago, I did have any idea that I would study philosophy or political science…I didn’t have any indication that I would study accounting at the graduate level. I had not an inkling of an idea that I would go on to become a CPA, and I certainly didn’t know…that I would be involved in the politics of this country [as a member of parliament]. What provided that opportunity for me was the education I got at St. Augustine’s …and at St. John’s and St. Ben’s. So, I want to encourage you to recognize that 51 years from now, you could be standing where I stand or an even better place than where I stand if you apply yourself,” said Mr. Galanis.

The St. Augustine's College Student Council then presented CSB/SJU presidents and Alex Schleper with gifts as a token of our appreciation for their visit to the Big Red Machine.