Grads Over the Summer
Greta Cunningham ‘23, Communications Intern
August 10, 2023
In the coming weeks, Cretin-Derham Hall’s 2023 graduates will begin moving into college campuses across the country, starting employment, or heading off on gap years. Since graduating in May, they have been able to work, spend time with friends and family, and explore passions and interests, all in preparation for the next step in their academic and professional journeys. Hear from three recent graduates to see how they’ve spent the summer months.
This summer, Tavary Un ‘23 (left) started work as a Certified Nursing Assistant after completing classroom and clinical instruction and passing Minnesota’s certification exam to become licensed. She’ll be starting at the University of St. Thomas this fall, where she plans to major in biology with a minor in pre-health.
“Working as a CNA this summer, I’ve loved that I’ve been able to get to know the residents I work with on a personal level,” she said. “It’s great getting to know their past stories and listen to all their advice while I help them with things they might no longer be able to do anymore.”
Riley Klaus ’23 (middle) has used this summer to further develop his experience in sports reporting. For the past five years, Klaus has posted NFL and college football breakdowns to his YouTube channel, Riley’s Redzone. This fall, he plans to study sports media and analytics at Virginia Tech and participate in their student-led media outlet, 3304 Sports.
“This summer, I have been focusing on preparing for my opportunity at Virginia Tech by studying the team rosters of both the Hokies and their opponents. I have been creating slideshows and spreadsheets to memorize the player names, player numbers, and stats,” he said. “I had the opportunity to watch a Northwoods League baseball game from the press box this summer next to a fellow Virginia Tech student who has been interning as the play-by-play commentator for the St.Cloud Rox this summer. It was amazing to witness what live radio broadcasting is like behind the scenes from the box, and it excites me about what could possibly be my future.”
For the last three years, Ella Keating ’23 (right) has worked as a dining room server at Carondelet Village. The senior living facility is stewarded by and home to many members of the Sisters of St. Joseph, the original founders of Derham Hall and sponsors of CDH. This summer, Keating has continued to serve their community as she prepares to study computer science at the University of Notre Dame this fall.
“Many of my residents spent their free time or even their entire careers working for justice in a variety of ways and were happy to share stories about their lives with me,” she said. “As I was learning about social justice in Spectrum (an interdisciplinary class for CDH seniors), at work I was hearing personal stories from some of the most underrated activists in our community. I’m so grateful that I’ve been able to learn so much from and spend so much time with these wonderful sisters.”
The CDH community is excited to see what lies ahead for the Class of 2023.
“While our graduates had many academic and co-curricular successes, it is truly special to see how they love the dear neighbor and touch hearts,” said Principal Mona Passman. “I am proud and heartened when I hear about the impact they are making in our community.”