by Dennis Dalman
It had all the markings of a major movie-premiere celebration: cameras flashing, a limousine, a walk down a red carpet and golden globe-shaped trophies handed out.
Except this wasn’t Hollywood. It was the Benedicta Arts Center on the campus of the College of St. Benedict on the evening of Feb. 7. The gala event was the official premiere of a television show called “The College Tour: CSB/SJU.” The 30-minute show is part of an ongoing series of “College Tour” shows produced by Amazon Prime. The one of CSB/SJU is the first one filmed in Minnesota. Last fall, producers and a film crew visited the two colleges and filmed the campus buildings, glimpses of downtown St. Joseph and 10 segments, each featuring one of 10 students commenting on their experiences at the colleges.
One of the students is Ashley Tarrolly, a senior majoring in economics and finance who was raised in St. Cloud.
“It was amazing; it was so much fun,” Tarrolly said in an interview with the Newsleaders. “The admissions team made it so special. It was emceed by Brother Richard Crawford (chair of the Fine Arts Department) and Cory Piper (Dean of Admissions). They did such a great job. They introduced us and gave us each a golden-globe trophy.”
After dinner at the home of CSB/SJU President Brian J. Bruess and his wife, Tarrolly and the nine other students rode to the arts center in limos and then walked into the center on a rolled-out red carpet. In the auditorium they were welcomed by parents, faculty and fellow students.
Tarrolly will graduate in May and has a job lined up in Minneapolis at a place where she interned last summer: Piper Sandler for which she will serve in health-care investment banking.
In the TV show, Tarrolly is the first of the 10 students to be featured. She gives her comments while standing by the coy pond at CSB and on the third floor of Main Building.
Her comments/advice to students is to form strong bonds with faculty and staff. By building good relationships one on one, so many things happen: confidence, trust, forward momentum and an altogether satisfying learning experience.
Tarrolly is a member of the campus tennis club and the Entrepreneur Club. She is a fervent advocate of the Catholic Benedictine values and traditions, which include high standards, stewardship and the importance of listening to others.
The following are brief summaries of the other nine students featured in “The College Tour: CSB/SJU,” which was produced and hosted by Alex Boylan. The series is now in its 11th season. The filmed segments at CSB/SJU were all filmed at various locations on both campuses.
Kaidan Popp
From Redmond, Wash, he is a senior, working on his major in strategic communications studies.
He is studying social justice and the environment and loves meeting new people, the fine arts and varsity sports, and the perfect place for the pursuit of those passions are the CSB/SJU campuses, he said.
Jocie Larson
From Litchfield, she is a senior majoring in biochemistry, pre-med and minoring in theology.
She appreciates all the support she and other students receive from the professors and the St. Joseph community. The campuses offer a fine balance of academic, recreational and social activities. She has worked on helping develop anti-cancer agents, inspired by a grandfather who had cancer.
Kobe Forbes
From Nassau in the Bahamas, he is an aspiring engineer who wants to reduce climate change, the effects of which he knows well in the Bahamas. A member of the SJU Senate, the campus, he said, feels like a “home away from home.” He praised the two colleges for the many social activities, the mutual support from faculty and students and the diverse worldwide cultural influences.
Clair Moonen
From Delano, she is a senior completing her political science major on a pre-law track.
She loves all the overseas studies programs made possible by CSB/SJU. She has done ethnographic studies in Brazil, studies in Rome of ancient civilization and Renaissance art and will be U.S. delegate to the United Nations Climate Change Conference in Dubai. She took part in a Washington, D.C. study program and worked in a paid internship in the U.S. House.
Jimmy Buck
From Orono, he is a senior, majoring in psychology and pre-med, with a minor in neuroscience.
CSB/SJU allowed him to “become the best version of himself,” which helped him to serve and to lead, such as at the Multicultural Center at CSB. For three years he has been a wide receiver for the nationally ranked Johnnies football team. He is also the president of the St. Jude’s Children’s Hospital Fundraiser on campus and has helped raise $150,000 over three years.
Stacey Delgado
A Latina from Chicago, she is a junior majoring in strategic communication studies with a minor in global business leadership.
CSB/SJU is a place to “follow your dreams” every day, and she appreciates the encouragement and empowerment inspired by others. She is president of the Explorers of American Cultures Club and likes to help represent under-supported groups. She also volunteers with Campus Ministry and enjoys folk dancing.
Luke Budzyn
From Woodbury, he is a junior majoring in global business leadership and minoring in communication.
He said he has received a solid education, with lots of experiential education, which CSB/SJU are renowned for and that include study-abroad programs.
He is on the SJU basketball team, he enjoys attending Johnnies football games and enjoys fishing on campus.
He has already completed an internship in the Twin Cities.
Ashley Ortizcazarin
From Plymouth, she graduated from CSB in 2022 after earning a major in individualized design and a minor in communication. She now works in design for Target Co. in the Twin Cities.
She always loved art and fashion while growing up. She launched and ran a business for fashions after working in a costume shop.
Choosing CSB was an easy choice, she said, because she was well aware of its quality since her great aunt is a nun in the St. Benedict Monastery in St. Joseph.
Matt Gish
From Bemidji, he is a 2022 graduate of SJU, having earned a major in biochemisty and a minor in neuroscience.
He is now studying at the Mayo Clinic School of Medicine and will become a physician. After graduating SJU, he spent a year in Kenya, Africa with Benedictine volunteers. At SJU, he was a member of the Health Initiative and ran for the SJU track team. He also led a non-denominational ministry.
He loved the “great vibe on campus,” the small class sizes and the quality mentorship from professors.
Ashley Tarrolly
