Illustrations by Lauren Mortimer
These Macalester alumni have built remarkable careers. We asked this year’s Distinguished Citizen Award winners: “What’s something you wish people knew about your work?”
Jane Breckinridge ’86 and David Bohlken ’86
“When I began working in monarch butterfly conservation, I was appalled to discover that no one from the governmental agencies or the major conservation organizations had considered tribes as potential partners in these efforts. After millennia protecting these butterflies who are sacred to us … we have earned a right to have a seat at the table as decisions are made about how to save them.”
After twenty-five years in the corporate world, Breckinridge, a member of the Muscogee (Creek) Nation, dedicated herself to this cause. Her husband, Bohlken, founded and owns the Minnesota State Fair Butterfly House. Together, the two have worked to spark public awareness and interest in pollinator conservation.
Dr. Geoffrey Gates ’70
“Everyone talks about leadership, but several of the roles of which I am most proud are ones in which I have contributed my talents to a group in which I was not the leader. I have often been a leader in my long career, but the most valuable lesson I learned is the ability to recognize good leadership and lend my talents to the group when that was what was needed. ”
Gates graduated from Macalester at the height of the Vietnam War. Identifying as a conscientious objector, he joined International Voluntary Service and served at a high school in Tây Ninh province in South Vietnam, then with the British and Australian Quakers to support Vietnamese children in orphanages. As a physician at the Mayo Clinic and in retirement, he would return to Vietnam to volunteer and reconnect with neighbors.
Dr. Christy Haynes ’98
“The scientific achievements that I often get credit for are all collaborative efforts with hard-working junior colleagues who were willing to go on a journey with me. Almost none of our advances are what we expected when we started the work. There are almost no ‘Eureka!’ moments with a single person in a white coat in a lab; most real progress is slow, messy, and collaborative.”
In her work as chair of the Chemistry Department at the University of Minnesota, Haynes rarely makes discoveries in a moment of solitude. Rather, her research on nanomaterials happens in an intentionally collaborative environment.
Dr. Mani Mokalla ’96
“I want people to know that doctors, and particularly those who serve vulnerable populations, do this work because of internal rewards that can’t be measured in dollars. We are simply here to serve our fellow humans. American physicians work within a broken system. I feel that trying to serve all when access to healthcare is not treated as a right is a futile endeavor.”
When Mokalla was a child, he and his family fled their home in Iran to escape war, immigrating to the United States. With deeply rooted values grounded in serving others, Mokalla built a career as a pediatric hospital physician. Today, while practicing at Children’s Minnesota, he keeps an envelope filled with dozens of thank-you notes from his patients and mentees.
Michael Wammer ’61
“I want people to know how rewarding being a volunteer can be. You can change people’s lives, as well as your own, by serving others. It’s been a privilege to be able to serve my community throughout my lifetime.”
Wammer has held countless volunteer roles in his community, including as a hospice volunteer where he developed a singular connection to a WWII veteran; president of the Cormorant Lions Club; and school board member for the Lake Park-Audubon School District. His volunteer work complemented a successful career in insurance, which Wammer viewed as a “vehicle meant to be in service to others.”
Graduation is just the beginning. We asked this year’s Service and Global Citizenship Award winners: “What keeps you investing in the Mac community?”
Justin Brandon ’00
Alumni Service Award
“Shared experiences at Mac created a special bond that lives through group text messages, birthday parties, weddings, pictures on social media, and family vacations. The support I received from faculty, staff, and friends was instrumental to my success at Mac and beyond. I welcome the opportunity to pay it forward and support Mac in becoming the best institution possible.”
That desire to pay his Macalester experience forward led Brandon to volunteer as an Admissions interviewer and as an Alumni Board representative, including roles as president and as the Board of Trustees liaison. Today, he serves on the Athletics Advisory Board, and you’ll see him volunteering at events like Reunion and Mac In Your City.
Kim Cole ’96
Alumni Service Award
“Coming back to Mac reminds me of the person I resolved to be when I graduated. I was an idealist, committed to making the world a better place, part of a community of friends that were chosen family, clear in who I was and what I stood for, and ready to take on what was next. When I return to campus, I am inundated not just with fun and meaningful memories, but also lessons learned and a renewed sense of self.”
Since graduating, Cole has built a career as a nonprofit leader, working across educational, religious, and youth-centered organizations. Her commitment to service includes dedication to Mac, where she is a two-term Alumni Board member, a Mac In Your City host, and a longtime Class Agent.
Abby Dos Santos ’01
Alumni Service Award
“When I was nominated to the Alumni Board, I was looking for volunteer work that would counteract the negative news I was experiencing during the first Trump administration in DC. I also wanted to connect with people who held similar beliefs to me about a global, multicultural world. I continue to spend time investing in Macalester because I see all the amazing work that Macalester continues to do for students and, in turn, what Macalester alumni do for the community.”
A former student employee in the college’s Admissions Office and a member of Mac’s volleyball team, Dos Santos now combines her love of Macalester with a desire to cultivate relationships. She has served as Alumni Board president and chaired the Athletics Working Group.
Dr. Sarah Ziegenhorn ’11
Young Alumni Award
“It often seems that I meet other Mac grads on a weekly basis—including those who work across government, academia, and nonprofits. Our shared history has been crucial in developing partnerships that support improved care for vulnerable communities and reduced overdose deaths. I’ve felt comforted knowing that I’m working with others from our Mac community toward shared values, goals, and ethics.”
Sarah Ziegenhorn studied community and global health at Macalester. She got her start in harm-reduction work right after graduating, driving a van around Washington, DC, distributing vital resources to keep the community safer and healthier. After moving back to her home state of Iowa to attend medical school, she founded the Iowa Harm Reduction Coalition, which has provided direct services to people with substance use disorder, as well as advised policymakers on harm-reduction focused addiction policy.
Dr. Susan Brown ’07
Catharine Lealtad Service to Society Award
“Macalester is a place where values are lived, not just stated—where curiosity, inclusion, and service are woven into everyday interactions. The community continues to inspire me with its willingness to engage thoughtfully with complexity, to lead with empathy, and to invest in developing people who want to make a meaningful difference in the world.”
As a senior research and development leader at Dow Chemical, Brown has helped shape a safer and more sustainable future—and the next generation of scientists and engineers. At Dow, her inclusive leadership and commitment to fostering a diverse workplace includes membership in the Women’s Innovation Network and the Global African Affinity Network, and mentorship through the Building Engineering and Science Program.
Rev. Anne E. Derse ’76
Charles J. Turck Global Citizen Award
“I came to Macalester because of its focus on service and international affairs, and I am delighted the college continues to do the good work of preparing global citizens and people committed to service. My experience at Mac definitely set me on my career path in the US Foreign Service and now in community service. I believe in the value of a global and service-oriented worldview.”
A career foreign service officer with the US State Department, Derse served throughout Asia, Europe, and the Middle East. Highlights of her distinguished career include supporting the establishment of the new US embassy in Iraq and appointments as US ambassador to Azerbaijan and Lithuania. After retiring from federal service, Derse became an ordained minister and now pursues a ministry of social justice, community engagement, and international peacemaking.
Do you know someone who exemplifies Mac’s values of internationalism, multiculturalism, and service to society? Nominate them for an Alumni Award. Learn more: macalester.edu/alumni/alumniawards.
