The power of the CSB+SJU network
This is the opinion of Angie Krtnick Complin, CSB ‘04.
Dear Bennie,
When I reflect back on the relationships I had upon graduating in 2004, I am overwhelmed with gratitude realizing that those existing relationships (with fellow Bennies, Johnnies, faculty, administrators and the sisters) have deepened beyond measure. I would have never imagined how much more connected I would feel to CSB and SJU post-graduation. One of my biggest fears when I left campus was that all the memories and people would fade into the distance and soon be forgotten—boy was I wrong!
As an alumna of CSB, there are so many ways to stay connected. Shortly after graduating, I volunteered to be part of the Young Alum Committee—planning events for our fellow recent graduates including anything from volunteering, networking and socializing. From there, I found my way onto the CSB Alumnae Association Board of Directors which provided additional opportunity to share my time, talent and treasures with CSB. This led to many new relationships with Bennies and Johnnies that were not on-campus during my four years. It has been such a blessing to connect with those who were on-campus before and after me. We share the common Benedictine values that ground us; yet, we all have varied life experiences that bring diversity of thought and perspective to our relationships.
These new relationships have led me to my last two career opportunities. While serving on the CSB Alumnae Board, I met Judy Zimmer ’84 who hosted one of our meetings at her current company, Salo. Long story short—soon thereafter I joined Salo when I pivoted from my accounting/finance career into executive search/recruiting (using my liberal arts education). While working at Salo, I was introduced to Granite Partners which is led by three Bennie & Johnnie alums—Rick Bauerly ’91, Shelly Bauerly Kopel ’90 and Greg Schumacher ‘91. Another long story short, I joined Granite Partners shortly thereafter where I have been working for the past seven years.
As you can imagine, I feel immense gratitude for all the new relationships I have forged since graduation. The power of the Bennie/Johnnie network is incredible and something I never fully grasped until I stepped foot off campus. While I am sure it’s hard to imagine the day when you leave CSB+SJU like it was for me, let me be the first to reassure you that the best is yet to come.
