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LinkedIn Alumni Group Merging with Augsburg College Group

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linkedinFor those of you who attended the Auggie Networking Event on Tuesday, February 9, in Hoversten Chapel, a highlight was the demonstration of using the College’s LinkedIn group to reach out to other alumni or students. Join the Augsburg College group and increase your ability to connect with other Auggies across every field. For those who are open to being contacted for networking or mentoring, join the sub-group Auggie Student-Alumni Connections. Note: you must be part of the Augsburg College group first. For tips on connecting with Auggies across all disciplines via LinkedIn, see the how-to guide shared at the networking event.

The Augsburg Alumni LinkedIn group is in the process of merging with the College’s group. If you’re not already connected with the Augsburg College group now, do so today. The Augsburg College Alumni group will close at the end of April 2016 in an effort to form the most robust group for building connections among Auggies everywhere.

Auggie Pride for Auggie Athletics

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This week is NCAA Division III Week, a celebration of all the wonderful things that Division III is all about. We have so much to celebrate. Congratulations to …

•  The men’s hockey team and Augsburg men’s hockey coach Chris Brown, who was named MIAC Coach of the Year for his leadership of the MIAC-champion Auggies. Eight Augsburg men’s hockey players earned postseason honors from the MIAC.

Hockey screenshot•  Enjoy a video of that magic moment when Mack Ohnsted scored in the third overtime to lift Augsburg over St. John’s to the MIAC men’s hockey championship, sending the Auggies to the NCAA Division III national playoffs.

•  Augsburg men’s hockey goalie Jordyn Kaufer, named to the CCM Hockey/AHCA Division II-III All-America Team. Kaufer is Augsburg’s 34th All-American in men’s hockey.

•  Augsburg women’s hockey qualified for the MIAC postseason playoffs for the fifth time in school history. The Auggies third-place conference finish was the team’s highest MIAC finished since 1999-00, when the team won the conference and regular season playoff titles. See the team video.

•  Augsburg’s wrestling team finished fifth at the NCAA Division III National Championships, and had four All-Americans this year.

longendyke_wrestling•  Augsburg wrestler Donny Longendyke qualified for a spot in this weekend’s U.S. Olympic Wrestling Trials in Iowa City, Iowa.

•  Maria Loughlin (All-MIAC) and Jenna Orth (All-MIAC Sportsmanship Team), who earned MIAC women’s basketball postseason honors.

•  Stan Nelson ’43 will be honored with the Bud Grant Distinguished Minnesotan Award by the National Football Foundation on April 17.

•  Missy Strauch, head athletic trainer at Augsburg College, will receive the Fred Zamberletti Award from the National Football Foundation.

•  Augsburg wrestling alumni Scott Whirley ’82 and Henry Gerten ’98 who were inducted into the National Wrestling Coaches Association Division III Hall of Fame.

Stay tuned to Auggie Athletics for the latest. Spring sports, we’re ready for you!

Remembering Martin Sabo

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2011 scholarship brunch photo, (from left) Martin Sabo, Juventino Meza Rodriguez, Sylvia Sabo, Renee Van Siclen, and Ben Krouse-Gagne for the Martin Olav and Sylvia Lee Sabo Scholarship for Leadership in Public and Community Service.
2011 scholarship brunch photo, (from left) Martin Sabo, Juventino Meza, Sylvia Sabo, Renee Van Siclen, and Ben Krouse-Gagne for the Martin Olav and Sylvia Lee Sabo Scholarship for Leadership in Public and Community Service.

With great sadness, Augsburg College announced the loss of U.S. Representative Martin Sabo on March 14, 2016. Sabo, a 1959 alumnus of Augsburg College, was a national leader and public servant, and an inspirational legend dedicated to revitalizing the role of higher education in equipping students for active engagement in citizenship and democracy.

Sabo led a full and accomplished life, and the many heartfelt remembrances that have been shared since his passing are a testament to the impact he made in our community and nation as a member of the Minnesota House of Representatives and the College’s Board of Regents. On the College’s website, you’ll find a tribute to the remarkable work and contributions that Martin and his wife, Sylvia, have made to Augsburg.

Augsburg has been blessed by the life and work of Martin Sabo. He will be greatly missed and long remembered. Our thoughts are with his family, including Martin and Sylvia’s daughters, Karin (Sabo) Mantor ’86 and Julie Sabo ’90, and their families.

President Paul Pribbenow spoke about the enormous impact of Martin Sabo with WCCO, and the state, and local and national media covered Sabo’s passing extensively.

Augsburg is deeply honored to be able to carry on Sabo’s legacy with the important work of the Martin Olav Sabo Center for Democracy and Citizenship, where he remained active. Since 1995, 96 Auggies have had the distinction of being Sabo Scholars, awarded to juniors and seniors who have interest in and a commitment to engagement in the political process, public policy, and/or careers in public service.

Professor Phil Adamo learned about Martin Sabo’s passing while he was in the midst of writing a piece about Sabo that describes Sabo’s history, time at Augsburg, and run “For members of the College community,” Adamo writes, “Representative Sabo will always be a part of Augsburg. We knew him when.” Please enjoy this excerpt from professor Phil Adamo’s sesquicentennial history of Augsburg College. Harry Boyte, senior scholar in public work philosophy for the Sabo Center for Democracy and Citizenship, shared in a recent Huffington Post article his experiences working with the late Martin Olav Sabo ’59. Continue reading “Remembering Martin Sabo” →

Alumni Invited to Masterworks Spring Concert Reception

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Masterworks spring concert bannerJoin Augsburg alumni and the Augsburg Alumni Board for a dessert reception following the Masterworks Chorale of Augsburg’s Spring Concert, “Finlandia Meets Earth Day,” on April 23.

Visit with chorale members, members of the Augsburg Alumni Board, Masterworks Director Dr. Peter Hendrickson ’76, and composers Steve Heitzeg and Olli Kortekangas.

Admission to the concert is free. 

RSVP online or call the Alumni Association to register at 612-330-1085.

Masterworks Chorale of Augsburg Spring Concert – Finlandia Meets Earth Day
Date: Saturday, April 23, 2016
Time: 2 p.m. Concert
3:15 – 4:30 p.m. Reception
Location: Central Lutheran Church,333 S. 12th St., Minneapolis, MN 55404

Featuring: Litanies for the Living by Steve Heitzeg
Seven Songs for Planet Earth, by Olli Kortekangas – Midwest Premiere in Minneapolis

Seven Songs for Planet Earth, Finnish composer Olli Kortekangas’s symphonic cantata with Earth Day texts by Wendell Berry, will receive its Midwest premiere on the Earth Day weekend, with mezzo-soprano Nicole Warner ’01, baritone Aaron Larson, Nancy Grundahl’s children’s choir Angelica Cantanti, and the Masterworks Chorale of Augsburg College, conducted by Peter Hendrickson. The work was first performed in 2011 in Washington D.C., and has since received both American and Finnish performances.

We hope to see you there!

Auggie Alumni in the Classroom: Bill Koschak ’91

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Bill Koschak Auggies are everywhere, including back in the classroom!  Last week, Bill Koschak ’91 came back to speak to the seniors in the Business and Religion Keystone class led by Lori Lohman & Josh Miller. His topic? To speak about his vocational journey, his career path, and advice he would give students today.

Koschak had much to share about his journey from entry level job to partner at KPMG, to vice president of finance at General Mills, and now chief financial officer at YA Engage (formerly known as Young America). He noted he was especially thankful for his adviser, business professor Stu Stoller who first encouraged him to look into public accounting. Koschak made sure Stoller would be in attendance so that he could personally thank him.

Additionally, Koschak shared that he has had three strong mentors in his career who were instrumental to his career growth. These mentors were workplace leaders he admired for their management style, ethical behavior, and focus on work-life balance. He made a point to engage with these leaders and check in with them regularly. What started as occasional meetings turned into mentoring relationships that opened up many doors. He challenged the students to seek similar relationships as they start their careers.

Koschak is one of many alumni who have been invited to share their experiences with current students. If you are interested in speaking in classrooms or sharing your stories, contact Volunteer & Alumni Engagement Manager Katie Radford ’12 at radford@augsburg.edu.

#AuggieAsks Alumni

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Dear Alumni,

With more than 1,500 alumni staying connected with Augsburg via social media and in so many other ways, we would love to hear from you. Every month, we at the Augsburg Alumni Association are going to ask you a question via social media and we would love to hear your feedback. We want to hear your ideas about upcoming events, special programs, favorite memories, volunteering, continuing education, and so much more. In every monthly e-newsletter, we will pose a question for you, the alumni, and we’ll follow it up on Twitter and Facebook. We’re looking forward to hearing your thoughts and ideas, and we hope you will share your stories with us!

Homecoming planning is already underway here on campus for Sept. 23-24, 2016. The April 2016 #AuggieAsks question is: What would bring to campus for Homecoming? Do you a favorite idea for Homecoming that you’ve never seen or would like to see again? What makes Homecoming great for you?

Have any questions of your own? Tag #AuggieAsks to Augsburg Alumni on Facebook or Twitter, or let us know at alumni@augsburg.edu, and we’ll get back to you right away.

Thank you for your ideas!

— Katie Koch ’01

Loan Repayment Workshop Open to Alumni

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Do you feel overwhelmed or uncertain about your federal loan repayment options? We are here to help! Attend a loan repayment workshop hosted by Student Financial Services at Augsburg.

Date: Wednesday, April 13

Time: 5:30–6 p.m., Loan information presentation
6–7 p.m., Counselors available for personalized help
Location: Sverdrup 204
Visit: augsburg.edu/studentfinancial/loans/loanrepayment to learn more about your options or to register for the event.
We will show you how to determine how much you owe, federal loan repayment options, loan forgiveness options, and consolidation. This event is open to both alumni and current students. Bring your FSA ID and an estimate of your 2015 earnings.

Augsburg Alumni Unite to Volunteer and Celebrate Earth Day!

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day of service-1Are you looking for an opportunity to make a difference this Earth Day? Enjoy networking with Auggie alumni and some current students who need a study break! Want to learn more about gardening and don’t mind getting your hands a little dirty? With groundbreaking preparations afoot for a new building on campus, the community garden needs your help!

The community garden serves as a place to connect the campus and community through food. In order to continue to fulfill this mission there’s a lot of work to do – raised beds to beautify, pollinator gardens to rework, and all general love and care is appreciated. All of this will help gardeners start the season off right. Come ready to learn, dig, and “grow”!

What: Augsburg Community Garden Earth Day Volunteering and Celebration

Who: All Augsburg alumni are invited to assist a small group of student volunteers on this joint project

When: Earth Day, Friday, April 22, 6 – 7:30 p.m.

Where: Augsburg College Community Garden—Corner of South 7th St. & 20th Ave. South, near parking lot G

What to bring: wear clothes and shoes you don’t mind getting dirty. Gloves, tools, and gardening 101 education provided!

Proudly hosted by the Young Alumni Council

RSVP today!

Throwing Weight Around

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Tom Dahlin holding trophy and American flag
All photos by Tom Dahlin/Getty Images.

As an Augsburg student, Jon Dahlin ’05 needed to find an event that would enable him to contribute to his track team’s success. His track coach, Dennis Barker, suggested the hammer throw would be a good fit—much better for him than the other throwing events. And Coach Barker was right-on. But neither of them likely suspected that years later, Dahlin would compete in various highland games, both nationally and internationally—and would rank 7th in the 2015 International Highland Games.

While at Augsburg, Dahlin not only set a hammer throw record; he shattered his own record by 14 feet in his senior year, achieving an NCAA Division III automatic qualifying standard in the men’s hammer throw. The new mark that he set—a 58.22-meter (191-foot, 0.0-inch) effort—was the second-longest hammer throw in the country, and his record still stands. He also holds the Augsburg record for the 35-pound weight throw, 16.48 meters (54 feet, 1.0 inches).

Tom Dahlin throwing

In 2007, as he viewed highland games on ESPN, Dahlin decided they looked like a lot of fun. He decided to compete. Scottish and Celtic in origin, highland games include heavy athletics (stone put, caber toss, weight throw, hammer throw, sheaf toss, weight over bar, etc.), as well as dancing, drumming, piping, and other types of Scottish entertainment. Weight over bar is Dahlin’s favorite, and he says the feeling of throwing a large weight more than ten feet above his height and watching it sail over a bar is “absolutely incredible.” At recent games in Arizona, hundreds of spectators stood within feet of him as he prepared to toss the weight, and he could feel the reverberations of their screams and cheers in the soles of his feet. He is convinced that helped him get the winning toss that day. Continue reading “Throwing Weight Around” →

Parent Update from Financial Services

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The 2016-2017 FAFSA (Free Application for Federal Student Aid) can be completed online at FAFSA.ed.gov two to three weeks after filing the student’s and parent(s) 2015 federal taxes. Remember to use the IRS Data Retrieval Tool to directly import the tax information, and make sure to submit the FAFSA by signing with your FSA ID. The priority deadline for completing the financial aid application is May 1.

Registration for the summer/fall 2016 terms begins April 4. Students who have unpaid spring charges, or are not up-to-date on their payment plans, will be unable to register.

Tuition accounts must be paid-in-full for a diploma and/or transcript to be released; please see the Parent Information tab at  augsburg.edu/studentfinancial for instructions on  making a payment.