After winning the Tommie Award and graduating from St. Thomas, five past recipients now work at the university and continue to leave their mark.

Steve Fritz

Athletic Director Steve Fritz, who won the Tommie Award in 1971, said the honor was a great way to finish his college career. He recommended that finalists appreciate what the award represents.

“There’s a certain amount of respect obviously that goes with an award like that,” Fritz said. “The biggest thing at this time in their lives is that they should be enjoying everything that they’ve done.”

Fritz was a standout basketball player for the Tommies, ranking second in career scoring at the university with 1,944 points and leading his team to two MIAC titles.

Fritz began working in admissions the week after his graduation. He has also worked in financial aid and has been an assistant to the President and Director of Admissions. Fritz served as the men’s basketball coach for 31 years before his retirement from the position in 2011 and is still employed as the university’s athletic director.

“St. Thomas was a good place to go to school back when I was in school, and it’s a better place today,” Fritz said. “It grows on you as it’s a wonderful place to be able to work and not have to compromise any of your ideals. And that’s very satisfying in a work career.”

Senior Tommy Hannon, one of this year’s Tommie Award finalists, said Fritz has been a huge role model and embodies everything that is great about the Tommie Award.

“Growing up in St. Paul my whole life, everyone knew who coach Fritz was and his success on the basketball court,” Hannon said. “He genuinely cares about the success and well-being of everyone he knows. As a coach, he stressed academics and family as being more important than basketball.”

Joseph Sweeney

Joseph Sweeney, women’s cross country and track and field coach, won the Tommie Award in 1977. He said his experience at St. Thomas prepared him for life, morally and intellectually.

Sweeney came to St. Thomas from the Chicago area and a family of eight children. Since neither one of Sweeney’s parents attended college, he said it was a great honor for them to see their hard work in raising his family.

“I’ll always have that as a special memory; seeing my mom and dad out in the audience (at graduation),” Sweeney said.

After graduation, Sweeney taught English at Hill-Murray High School, but said he felt a draw to coach at St. Thomas.

“I really did feel like being here was a calling,” Sweeney said. “I think it means something special.”

Sweeney said he wants this year’s Tommie Award recipient to take it all in and recognize the achievement.

“You’re 22 years old, and it seems like such a big big deal. Take a deep breath and enjoy the day when you do get the award,” Sweeney said. “It’s a great honor, and it’s something you’ll carry with you your whole life.”

Mark Dienhart

Executive Vice President and Chief Administrative Officer Mark Dienhart, 1975 Tommie Award recipient, said attending St. Thomas was a transforming experience, and it inspired him to spend time in higher education after graduation.

Dienhart said he was proud to represent what St. Thomas stands for. He said he also noticed that the Tommie Award process has become more formal over the years.

“I’m very much impressed by the not only the process, but the people who were selected,” Dienhart said. “Back then, it was much more based on personal relationships and people you bumped into. When you’ve got 6,300 undergraduates, it just can’t be that way anymore.”

All of this year’s finalists have Dienhart’s sincere congratulations.

“They ought to feel honored to be selected,” Dienhart said. “I know that the quality of St. Thomas students has gotten better and better over the years.”

Rachel Wobschall

In 1981, Rachel Wobschall was the first woman to receive the Tommie Award. She was in the first co-ed class to attend all four years of undergraduate study.

“You can imagine going from an all-male school to a co-ed school,” Wobshall said.

Wobschall said she knew Tommie Award recipients were impressive students and was honored to be among those students. She also found criticism from men on campus for being the first female recipient.

“They made a few comments, but I felt it was a great honor. I knew the company of the people that I was joining the ranks of,” Wobschall said. “That was pretty awesome to me.”

After spending 19 years in government work, Dienhart offered Wobschall a position in the Alumni Center. She is now the Alumni and Constituent Relations executive director at St. Thomas.

She told finalists to enjoy the spring semester of their senior years.

“Don’t wish it to end too soon because there’s a lot of life after your senior year,” Wobschall said. “Relish and savor your last semester as an undergraduate at St. Thomas.”

Stephen Hoeppner

Stephen Hoeppner, 1984 Tommie Award recipient, is now executive director of Development. He said he loved going to St. Thomas because of the interaction with instructors, the learning experience, and the social and faith aspects.

Hoeppner said the Tommie Award celebrates a student from the senior class who appreciated and took advantage of all that St. Thomas had to offer.

After graduation, Hoeppner began working at the university but left to join non-profit organizations United Way and Fraser. He came back again to work in development with fundraising, grant proposals, and building relationships between students, staff, and alumni.

“I keep coming back because it really feeds all of the aspects of my life that are important to me,” Hoeppner said. “Working here now gives me an opportunity to pass on all of those things to a next generation of students and to try to contribute to and enhance the supportive environment.”

Hoeppner hopes students will find ways to take what they’ve learned at St. Thomas and contribute it to the common good, as it says in the university’s mission statement.

“Look for ways that you can give back to a next generation of students so that you can help to offer them the same breadth and quality of opportunities that you’ve taken advantage of,” Hoeppner said.

Senior Adam Martin, one of this year’s Tommie Award finalists, said before he was nominated, he started looking into different positions around campus after he graduates.

“I think the biggest reason I would come back to St. Thomas is just the fact of the education I was given here,” Martin said. “It’s so nice to actually have professors that care about the well-being of their students inside and outside of class, and I think that this is something missing around other campuses.”

Bjorn Saterbak can be reached at sate3878@stthomas.edu.