Saint John’s Prep is proud to present the impressive list of colleges and universities that our outstanding Class of 2025 will attend in the fall of 2025. This comprehensive list showcases the diverse range of academic interests and ambitions within our graduating class, reflecting their hard work, dedication, and the strong foundation they’ve built during their time at Prep.

We celebrate each student’s unique journey and look forward to seeing the incredible contributions they will make in their chosen institutions and beyond.

Below is a comprehensive list of colleges and universities for the Saint John’s Prep Class of 2025.

Boston College
Carleton College
Colgate University
College of Saint Scholastica
Colorado School of Mines
Concordia College, Moorhead
Concordia University, Saint Paul
Creighton University
DePaul University
Gustavus Adolphus College
Harvard University
Iowa State University
Macalester College
Minneapolis College of Art & Design: MCAD
North Dakota State College of Science
Ohio State
Penn State University
Red Lake Nation College
Saint John’s University
Trinity College, Dublin
Trinity University, San Antonio, TX
University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA)
University of Minnesota-Twin Cities
University of Saint Thomas
University of Texas at Arlington
University of Wisconsin-Madison
Virginia Military Institute
Yale University

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During our commencement ceremony each year, Principal Dr. Christine Glomski and Head of School Jon McGee award several senior awards to individual graduates. These outstanding young people have shown exceptional academic achievement, leadership, and contributions to the school community. The members of the Class of 2025 graduated from Saint John’s Preparatory School on May 23 in the Saint John’s Abbey Church in Collegeville, Minnesota.

The following graduates received the senior awards:

The Leadership Award goes to the senior who has shown leadership during their time at Saint John’s Prep. This year’s recipient is Natalie Kayser. She is the daughter of Sherry and Jason Krebsbach, and Chad Kayser of St. Cloud. She will attend the Iowa State University in Ames, Iowa next semester.

The Benedictine Spirit Award recognizes a student who strives to make the Benedictine values a part of his or her daily life, and subsequently, a part of all our lives. The 2025 Benedictine Spirit Award recipient is Brett Penk, the son of Stacy and Derek Penk of Watkins. He will attend Yale University in New Haven, Connecticut in the fall.

The Citizenship Award goes to the senior who has consistently promoted respect for, and the building up of, the Saint John’s Preparatory School community. This year’s recipient is Sylvie Bechtold, the daughter of Kay and Gary Bechtold of St. Joseph.  She will attend Creighton University in Omaha, Nebraska next year.

The 2025 All-Around Student Award goes to the senior who is seen as having made the greatest contribution to the Prep School in a variety of ways, academic, extracurricular, social and spiritual. This year’s recipient is Elizabeth St. Hilaire, the daughter of Alexandra and Thomas St. Hilaire of St. Cloud. She will attend Boston College in Chestnut Hill, Massachusetts next fall.

sjprep.net

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Saint John’s Prep is proud to announce students who are graduating with honors on May 23, 2025. These students are the highest academic achievers of the Class of 2025. To graduate with an honors diploma from Saint John’s Prep, students must achieve a minimum of three academic distinctions, completing an interdisciplinary senior capstone project, and earn a cumulative GPA of 3.75 or higher. Students pursue areas of academic distinctions by completing advanced research, essays, and projects in their preferred fields of study.

The Baccalaureate Mass and Commencement ceremony will occur on May 23 at 3:00pm at the Saint John’s Abbey Church in Collegeville, Minnesota. St. Cloud Diocese Bishop Patrick Neary, C.S.C. will preside and Saint John’s Abbot Douglas Mullin, OSB will concelebrate. Graduates selected Biology teacher Sarah Paselato give the faculty address and Liam Spychala of Albany to give the senior address.

Scroll down to learn more about our honors graduates, their college plans, and capstone project topics.

The 2025 Honors Students in alphabetical order are:

Sylvie Bechtold is the daughter of Kay and Gary Bechtold of Saint Joseph, Minnesota. She is graduating with distinctions in Science, Visual Arts, and English. Sylvie will attend Creighton University in Omaha, Nebraska and major in Studio Arts and Biology. Sylvie’s capstone project explored this question: “In what ways did the intertwined studies of art and anatomy during the Italian Renaissance contribute to advancements in both fields, and what influence is still present in these subjects today?”

Amanda Bolton is the daughter of Nicole and Aaron Bolton of Sartell. She is graduating with distinctions in Science, Social Studies, English, and Math. She is a National Merit Scholar.Amanda will attend the University of California Los Angeles. She plans to major in Public Health at UCLA. Amanda’s capstone project explored this question: “To what extent might human germline genome editing—considering He Jiankui’s experiment—challenge medical implications, ethical dilemmas, and social dynamics regarding genetic modification?”

Sarah Bolton is the daughter of Nicole and Aaron Bolton of Sartell. She is graduating with distinctions in Science, Math, Social Studies, and English. Sarah will attend the University of California Los Angeles. She plans to major in Public Health at UCLA. Sarah’s capstone project explored this question: “Why is there a higher prevalence of ACL tears in female athletes, and what preventative measures can be implemented to minimize this risk?”

Isabel Crue is the daughter of Kelly and Jarrett Crue of Saint Joseph. She is graduating with distinctions in Science, Performing Arts, World Languages, and English. Isabel will attend Concordia College in Moorhead, Minnesota. She will major in Biology and Chemistry. Isabel’s capstone project explored this question: “How do the lyrics of Kendrick Lamar’s album, To Pimp a Butterfly, reflect the societal issue of racial inequality?”

Annika Dauer is the daughter of Eileen and Brian Dauer of Cold Spring. She is graduating with distinctions in Social Studies, Performing Arts, and English. She will attend Trinity College in Dublin, Ireland. She plans to major in Classics, Ancient History, and Archeology. Annika’s capstone project explored this question: “What does Odysseus’ role as a character in derivative works say about the societal values across time?”

Elizabeth “Lizzy” Diethelm is the daughter of Julie and Paul Diethelm of Saint Cloud. She is graduating with distinctions in Science, Social Studies, and Visual Arts. She will attend Macalester College in Saint Paul, Minnesota. Lizzy will major in Psychology. Lizzy’s capstone project explored this question: “To what extent does bipolar disorder affect creativity, and how did it affect Vincent Van Gogh’s creativity and works of art?”

Jackson Glomski is the son of Christine and John Glomski of Saint Augusta. He is graduating with distinctions in Math, Science, and English. He will attend Colgate University in Hamilton, New York. He is will study Biology and Neuroscience. Jackson’s capstone project explored this question: “To what extent have the advancements made in biostatistics impacted physicians’ ability to create care plans more accurately for their patients?”

Alayna Neal is the daughter of Michelle and John Neal of Saint Cloud. She is graduating with distinctions in Science, Performing Arts, and World Languages. Alayna will attend the University of Wisconsin in Madison, Wisconsin. She plans to study Chemistry and Spanish. Alyana’s capstone project explored: “In what ways do poverty or societal attitudes have an impact on the healthcare treatment gap of depression in the United States and Mexico?”

Brett Penk is the son of Stacy and Derek Penk of Watkins. He is graduating with distinctions in Social Studies, Performing Arts, English, and World Languages. Brett will attend Yale University in New Haven, Connecticut. He plans to major in Political Science. Brett’s capstone project explored: “How is art used as rebellious expression in China, Spain, and the United States under government oppression in the late 20th century and the early 21^st ����Գٳܰ���?”

Liam Spychala is the son of Casey and Jason Spychala of Albany. He is graduating with distinctions in Science, Performing Arts, and English. He will attend Concordia College in Moorhead, Minnesota. He plans to study Biology. Liam’s capstone project explored this question: “How do stories, like the one told through BBC’s Planet Earth II, showcase the power of storytelling in general population education on scientific subjects?”

Elizabeth St. Hilaire is the daughter of Alexandra and Thomas St. Hilaire of Saint Cloud. She is graduating with distinctions in Science, Math, Social Studies, Performing Arts, English, Visual Arts, and World Languages. Elizabeth will attend Boston College in Chestnut Hill, Massachusetts. She plans to study Biochemistry. Elizabeth’s capstone project explored this question: How did the rise of Wastewater-Based Surveillance during the Covid-19 pandemic change the privacy of today’s public in the United States, and is government action ethically necessary? 

Benjamin “Ben” Suo is the son of Ping Suo of Saint Cloud. He is graduating with distinctions in Math, Visual Arts, and English. Ben will attend Harvard University in Cambridge, Massachusetts. He is currently undecided on his field of study. Ben’s capstone project explored: “How do digital voice assistants (DVAs) influence children’s emotional, cognitive, and social development, and in what ways can early exposure to such technology shape the behavior of future generations?”

Aspire to Excellence Curriculum
Saint John’s Preparatory School offers the Aspire to Excellence curriculum. Students may pursue advanced areas of academic distinctions by conducting additional research, essays, presentations, and projects in their preferred fields of study. Students earn an honors diploma from Saint John’s Prep by achieving a minimum of three academic distinctions, completing an interdisciplinary Senior Capstone project based on a combination of research, creative work, writing, and exhibition, as well as earn a composite weighted cumulative GPA of 3.75 or higher.

For more information about our school and the Aspire to Excellence curriculum, visit sjprep.net/academics/aspire-to-excellence-curriculum.

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Saint John’s Preparatory School announces the largest gift commitment in its 168-year history, made by alumna Ann Marie Stock ’78 and her husband David Campagna. The couple’s transformative support has helped propel the school’s comprehensive fundraising campaign beyond its $10 million goal. Launched in April 2024, the Prep Forward – Our Time is Now campaign has secured more than $12.5 million to fund three distinct priorities: faculty, facilities, and financial aid. The Stock-Campagna gift will support student scholarships.

“I am a first-generation college student born and raised in St. Joseph who benefitted from scholarships at Prep,” said Ann Marie Stock. “I want to give back, making that possible for other students from Central Minnesota.”

Stock, a member of one of SJP’s first coed classes at Prep, credits the school with shaping her future. “Prep helped me believe that I was ‘college material’,” she said. “Prep positioned me to succeed in college and graduate school, which led to a fulfilling career in higher education. My years at Prep aided in the development of my intellect and my self-confidence.”

Currently a senior academic leader at William & Mary in Williamsburg, Virginia, Stock reflects and speaks often about education’s enduring impact. “A single course or faculty member can shape a student’s life. Education is the best investment we can make.”

The gift is a cornerstone of SJP’s campaign, which is focused on investments in faculty, facilities, and financial aid, ensuring the Prep experience is available to students of all backgrounds for generations to come.

Jon McGee, SJP’s head of school, expressed profound gratitude for the couple’s generosity: “Ann Marie and David’s extraordinary generosity is a powerful statement about the value of education and the mission of Saint John’s Prep,” said McGee. “Their gift will open doors for generations of students, particularly those who may not have thought a place like Prep was within their reach. It will transform lives—and in doing so, it strengthens our entire community.”

The Stock-Campagnas believe deeply in education as a tool for empathy and understanding. Campagna, an international business development leader in the energy sector, said “Prep excels at helping students from around the world make sense of people, ideas, and perspectives different from their own—and that’s more important than ever.”

Stock, a scholar in Hispanic Studies with an international reputation for her unique understanding of Cuba’s culture concluded, “Prep connected me to a place and a community, while helping me see further and beyond.”

The couple’s record-setting gift not only honors the past—it ensures a bold and inclusive future for Saint John’s Prep and the students it serves. “We hope others will join us in supporting this campaign because securing the future of Prep ensures that this remarkable school in Central Minnesota continues to inspire the next generation of thought leaders and engaged citizens of our world,” said McGee.

For more information on the Prep Forward – Our Time is Now campaign, visit sjprep.net/prepforward.

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Saint John’s Prep School Students Earn AAA Award

Collegeville, MN:  Seniors Sylvie Bechtold and Michael DeMars are the 2024-25 Saint John’s Prep recipients of the “Triple A (Academics, Arts and Athletics) Award” by the Minnesota State High School League (MSHSL). According to the MSHSL, the purpose of this program is to recognize and honor high school seniors who have excelled in the classroom, on the athletic field, and in the fine arts. The two will be honored at the Section 5A Triple A Award Banquet on January 15 in Paynesville.

Sylvie Bechtold

Sylvie is the daughter of Kay and Gary Bechtold of St. Joseph. Sylvie is the captain of the varsity basketball team, and varsity cross-country team. She runs distance events for the track and field team and received the team’s Leadership Award in 2024. Sylvie is the Character Branch Leader for the National Honor Society and a Writing Center tutor. Sylvie is an accomplished painter, designer, and illustrator who has had work published in the Prep literary magazine, the Triangle. She also shows her work at area festivals including the Millstream Art Fail.

Sylvie is not sure of her major in college yet, but she plans pursue classes that combine her interests in both science and art. She would like to study subjects that will eventually support her efforts to attend medical school. “Art has helped me bring creative perspectives to other academic subjects. For example, I studied human anatomy to paint an Italian Renaissance-style self-portrait for my Honors Capstone project.”

Michael DeMars

Michael is the son of Amanda and Dan Demars of Sauk Rapids. Michael is the captain of the varsity basketball team, and the varsity soccer team. In the off-season he plays soccer and takes part in a summer campus work-out program. Michael is also an experienced ceramicist who also creates artwork with digital photography and drawing.

Michael plans to attend college in the fall and will major in some type of engineering. He believes that participation in athletics and the arts fosters the development of valuable skills that will help him in college and his career.

“I really love to create ceramics pieces. There are a lot of creative opportunities in each piece, and I can create whatever I feel like making. Creating art helps you improve your critical thinking and creativity. In my case arts have helped me improve my skills that will help me with my engineering career.”

Awards Banquet

Both Sylvie and Michael will be honored at the MSHSL Section 5A Triple A Award Banquet in Paynesville on Wednesday, January 15. Each will give a short speech and share details about their academic, athletic, and artistic accomplishments. Two Section 5A award recipients will be selected to move forward to the regional banquet. The MSHSL awards two statewide scholarships to young people each year.

Criteria for the Triple A Award include: exhibiting citizenship characteristics and be a respected individual in their home communities and school, have participated in a MSHSL-sponsored athletic program and fine arts activity, maintain a GPA of 3.0 or higher, and comply with the MSHSL’s Student Code of Conduct.

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This Thanksgiving Saint John’s Prep students, faculty and staff are helping the community by donating food and money to the St. Joseph Community Food Shelf. Students in grades six through twelve collected $1,800 in cash donations and 900 food items! The annual food drive was successful because of the generosity of Saint John’s Prep students and their families.

Matt Beck, the director of the Saint John’s Prep Benedictine Center for Leadership, Service, and Community, coordinated this extraordinary campaign. “This food drive is a very important resource to provide holiday meals for families in need. This annual effort is also beneficial for our students and leads to valuable discussions about empathy, gratitude, and community responsibility.”

Each year Prep hosts a lighthearted competition between middle school homerooms and upper school advising groups. Mr. Beck says, “Students had fun competing to collect the most money and food! A group of freshmen, led by English teacher Robert Erickson, raised the most money and a sixth-grade homeroom, led by Middle School teacher Carlee Biechler, collected the most food. Both of these teachers live in St. Joseph. The winning classrooms will get a fun cookie party as a prize.”

The food bank is now distributing the food to families in the St. Joseph area. Prep students brought in non-perishable food items including canned vegetables, boxes of stuffing, dry biscuit mix, cans of broth and cream of mushroom soup, bags of potatoes and other holiday staples. The money will be used to purchase turkeys, pies, buns, and other perishable items. More than 30 families with a hearty and healthy Thanksgiving meal. Mr. Beck says the Food Bank has received a matching grant that will double the Prep monetary gift. The $1,800 donation will grow to $3,200 to support local families.

Clients of the food shelf must live in the St. Joseph area. The address is 18 Birch Street E., Saint Joseph. Donors or Clients can contact the Food Shelf via email at stjosephcommunityfoodshelf@gmail.com.

Saint John’s Prep students are in grades 6-12. They are from 14 different countries and 20 Minnesota communities. You can learn more about our school and our programs at sjprep.net.

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The SJP swimmers and divers finished the season with an exciting appearance at the MSHSL State Class A Championships this past weekend.

At the State meet, the 200 Free Relay, with Lilah Mohs ’27, Izzy Westling ’26, and alternate Regan Douvier ’28, edged out cross-town rival Tech High School to a riveting 11th place finish! The Apollo/Cathedral/SJP Swim and Dive team placed 16th overall in a field of 42 teams this weekend in State Class A. This is the first year for this swim and dive partnership with Saint John’s Prep, Saint Cloud Cathedral and Saint Cloud Apollo.

Izzy swam two individual sprint events, placing 6th in the 50 Free and 3d in the 100 Free earning All State honors in both events.
At the Section 6A meet on November 9, Izzy ’26 defended her 2023 section titles and earned the title of 2024 Section 6A Champion in the 50 Free and 100 Free. At the seciton meet, in the 50 Free, she broke the all-time Apollo andCathedral/Saint John’s Prep records as well as the pool record with a 23.86 punching a ticket to the state meet. In the 100 Free at the section meet, she went in a blistering 52.08 to set new all-time Apollo and Cathedral/Saint John’s Prep records and breaking her pool record set last year while qualifying for state. Izzy was named the 2024 Section 6A Swimmer of the Year.

The team thanks all the students and parents who made the trip to the University of Minnesota Aquatic Center’s pool to show their support! The swimmers and divers appreciate all of the support from families and fans this season!

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Below is a comprehensive list of colleges and universities for the Saint John’s Prep Class of 2024.

Boston College
University of California San Diego
Carleton College
Concordia College Moorhead
College of Saint Benedict
Denison University
Drake University
Franklin and Marshall College
Hamline University
Lawrence University
Loyola University Chicago
Luther College
Macalester College
University of Michigan Ann Arbor
University of Minnesota Duluth
University of Minnesota Twin Cities
University of North Dakota
University of Notre Dame
Pratt Institute
Purdue university
Saint Cloud State University
Saint John’s University
Saint Scholastica
University of Saint Thomas
Syracuse University
Temple University
University of Wisconsin Madison
Virginia Tech University

Click here to learn more about this outstanding class of Johnnies!

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Saint John’s Prep is proud to announce the top ten students in the 2024 graduating class. These students are the highest academic achievers of the Class of 2024.

On Friday, May 24, 2024, all 47 Saint John’s Prep seniors will take part in the Baccalaureate Mass and Commencement ceremony on campus at the Saint John’s Abbey Church in Collegeville, Minnesota. St. Cloud Diocese Bishop Patrick Neary, C.S.C. will preside and Saint John’s Abbey Abbot Douglas Mullin, OSB will concelebrate.

The Class of 2024 selected English teacher Kelly Fitch to give the faculty commencement address. Senior Adelaide Miron of St. Cloud will give the student commencement address. The Saint John’s Prep Class of 2024 has students from ten countries and five Minnesota cities. Eleven students are graduating with honors. All 47 graduates will advance to a four year college or university.

The top ten students in alphabetical order are:

Evan Danielson is the son of Michele and Nathan Danielson of Sartell, Minnesota. Evan is graduating with distinctions in science and social studies. He is a National Merit Scholar. He will attend the University of Minnesota- Twin Cities and major in engineering.

Patrick Duffy is the son of Megan and Brendon Duffy of Cold Spring, Minnesota. Patrick is graduating from Saint John’s Prep with honors. He is graduating with distinctions in science, math, social studies, and performing arts. He is a National Merit Scholar. Patrick will attend the University of Notre Dame in South Bend, Indiana and major in business analytics and economics.

Nick Hansen is the son of Denise and Greg Hansen of Saint Joseph, Minnesota. Nick is graduating with distinctions in science and social studies. Nick has committed to run track and cross country at Lawrence University in Appleton, Wisconsin. He will major in computer science.

Clara Lamberts is the daughter of Tina and William Lamberts of Saint Cloud, Minnesota. Clara is graduating from Saint John’s Prep with honors. She is graduating with distinctions in science, world languages, and social studies. Clara will attend Carleton College in Northfield, Minnesota. Clara is undecided about her major.

Miranda Louis is the daughter of Tina Louis and Lance Louis of Cold Spring, Minnesota. Miranda is graduating from Saint John’s Prep with honors. She is graduating with distinctions in math, world languages, performing arts, science, and social studies. Miranda will attend Denison University in Granville, Ohio. Miranda is undecided about her major.

Megan Mahowald is the daughter of Marissa and Bob Mahowald of Sartell, Minnesota. Megan is graduating from Saint John’s Prep with honors. She is graduating with distinctions in English, world languages, and science. Megan will attend Boston College in Boston, Massachusetts. She will major in biology and German.

Adelaide Miron is the daughter of Aimee and Joel Miron of Saint Cloud, Minnesota. She is graduating from Saint John’s Prep with honors. She is graduating with distinctions in English, performing arts, and science. Adelaide will attend Macalester College in Saint Paul, Minnesota where she will major environmental studies and theatre.

Aaron Ruesink is the son of Darcy Ruesink of Saint Joseph, Minnesota and Craig Ruesink of Saint Joseph, Minnesota. He is graduating with distinctions in science and performing arts. Aaron will attend the University of Minnesota, Duluth. He will major in Chemistry.

Hanqi “Harry” Tao is the son of Lan Liu and Jun Tao of Shanghai, China. He is graduating with distinctions in science and math. Harry will attend the University of California in San Diego. He will major in Chemistry.

Lincoln Hennes-Vix is the son of Tamara Hennes-Vix ’96 of Saint Joseph, Minnesota and †Robert Vix ’95.  Lincoln is graduating from Saint John’s Prep with honors. He is graduating with distinctions in English, math, science, and performing arts. Lincoln will attend the University of Minnesota-Twin Cities and major in physics.

Aspire to Excellence Curriculum
Saint John’s Preparatory School offers the Aspire to Excellence curriculum. Students may pursue advanced areas of academic distinctions by conducting additional research, essays, presentations and projects in their preferred fields of study. Students earn an honors diploma from Saint John’s Prep by achieving a minimum of three academic distinctions, completing an interdisciplinary Senior Capstone project based on a combination of research, creative work, writing, and exhibition, as well as earn a composite weighted cumulative GPA of 3.75 or higher.

For more information about our school and the Aspire to Excellence curriculum, visit our website at sjprep.net or sjprep.net/academics/aspire-to-excellence-curriculum.

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Dr. Christine Glomski has received the 2024 Leadership Award from  With more than 165 school members, MINNDEPENDENT is the largest organization serving private and independent schools in Minnesota. The Leadership Award recognizes the hard work and dedication of principals and school leaders who instill passion in the people they work with, bring innovative ideas forward, and advocate for the importance of private and independent education in Minnesota.  

In his nomination letter, Head of School Jon McGee noted that Dr. Glomski “leads gracefully and graciously, never losing sight of our primary purpose to provide extraordinary learning experiences for our students. Perhaps most importantly, she has created a palpable positive and joyful atmosphere in the school for our students, our faculty, and our families.”

Dr. Glomski will be honored with this award at a banquet on April 28 in Mendota Heights, Minnesota.

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