University Vice President and Director of Athletics Phil Esten speaks to a crowd, flanked on the right by College of Arts and Sciences Dean Bill Tolman. The pair, along with President Rob Vischer, announced a $25.2 million donation to the College of Arts and Sciences and athletics Wednesday at Monahan Plaza. (Anya Capistrant-Kinney/The Crest) 
Senior Camryn Rintoul talks about her experience balancing playing for the women’s soccer team and academics. (Anya Capistrant-Kinney/The Crest) 
Student a capella group Candenza sings to commemorate the event. (Anya Capistrant-Kinney/The Crest) 
Vice President for Mission, the Rev. Chris Collins, delivers a blessing to the crowd. (Anya Capistrant-Kinney/The Crest)
St. Thomas announced a $25.2 million donation from an anonymous donor to the College of Arts and Sciences and the university’s athletic program at a ceremony Wednesday at Monahan Plaza.
University President Rob Vischer said that the donation helped complete fundraising for the Lee and Penny Anderson Arena, which is currently under construction. The donation will also go toward creating a Center for Disciplinary and Intercultural Education and creating a scholarship for female student athletes who major or minor in the College of Arts and Sciences.
“This Center for Interdisciplinary and Intercultural Education will broaden our students’ understanding of the world and prepare our graduates to tackle global challenges,” Vischer said.
The anonymous donor, who is also an alum, was inspired to make the donation after John P. Monahan donated $20 million to the College of Arts and Sciences in November, Vischer said.
As for the arena donation, St. Thomas announced it exceeded its fundraising goal of $131 million on April 16. Vischer said the anonymous donor’s gift helped the university reach this goal.
Dean of the College of Arts and Sciences Bill Tolman said the donation would help foster a new initiative in the CAS’ strategic plan to support interdisciplinary and intercultural teaching and research.
“The College of Arts and Sciences plays an integral role (in addressing) the greatest challenges we face as a society … Addressing them requires understanding across communities and countries and across different perspectives and disciplines and humanities, social sciences, mathematics, sciences, engineering, the arts and more,” Tolman said.
The initiative’s website writes that the college will “promote transformative experiential education focused on addressing pressing global challenges.”
Tolman said that these challenges include “climate change, global sociopolitical stability (and) human health.”
Phil Esten, university vice president and director of athletics, said that the donation is helpful for the athletics program to continue to engage with the community at the university.
“This gift will serve as inspiration for our 175 student athletes that will train and practice and compete in the new arena,” Esten said, “(This will) continue to fund scholarships for our student athletes, providing access and affordability at a critical time.”
Senior Camryn Rintoul, who is on the women’s soccer team, said that she appreciates St. Thomas’ commitment to the future of academics and athletics because of her major in actuarial science and the balance of being a student athlete.
“This is not only a celebration of where we are now, it’s an investment in what’s ahead. So thank you for believing in students like me and what we can accomplish,” Rintoul said.
St. Thomas further marked the occasion with a performance by a capella group Cadenza and a blessing from the Vice President for Mission, the Rev. Chris Collins.
“Though our donor remains anonymous, her impact will be anything but invisible,” said Board of Trustees chair Jodee Kozlak.
Anya Capistrant-Kinney can be reached at capi2087@stthomas.edu.
