Albany, MN, Native Kristine Kalthoff Named University of Mary 2025 Outstanding Senior
Two-time All-Conference athlete and civil engineering graduate embodies excellence in mind, body, and spirit
BISMARCK, ND — Kristine Kalthoff of Albany, MN, is the 2025 University of Mary Alumni Association Outstanding Senior Award winner. University of Mary President Monsignor James Shea presented Kalthoff with the prestigious award Saturday just hours prior to University of Mary’s 64th commencement ceremony at the Bismarck Event Center.
Kalthoff is graduating in civil engineering. Kristine is known for her innovative thinking, flawless classwork, peer mentoring, exceptional athletic skills, and her ability to balance it all. Her cross country and track and field accolades are many, including a two-time NSIC All-Conference athlete in cross-country and a three-time Academic All-American. She was named 2024 Outstanding Civil Engineering Student of the Year. Kristine said the formation she received at Mary has deeply impacted the trajectory of her life. Upon graduation, Kristine will work as a structural engineer at BARR Engineering in Bismarck. She also plans to return to Mary in the fall to pursue her Master of Business Administration while competing in her final year of track and field.
“Kristine is the kind of student every professor hopes for — sharp, driven, collaborative, and relentlessly curious,” said Dr. Anthony Waldenmaier, associate professor of Civil Engineering at the University of Mary, who nominated her for the award. “Her technical work is meticulous and consistently exemplary — so much so that I’ve used her assignments as the gold standard in my classes. Whether she’s designing structural systems or helping her classmates solve complex problems, Kristine brings clarity, competence, and compassion to everything she does. She’s already making an impact, and her future is exceptionally bright.”
Each year, the teaching faculty at the University of Mary nominates members of the graduating class for this prestigious award, based on their academic achievement, service to the university, and service to the community. The Alumni Association Selection Committee then selects the recipient from the nominees.
“Kristine truly exemplifies what it means to be a servant leader formed in the Benedictine tradition,” said University of Mary Director of Alumni Relations Michael Mortenson, a 2015 University of Mary graduate. “Her excellence in the classroom, her leadership in athletics, and her service to others speak volumes about her character. Kristine embodies our mission of Greatness through Virtue — not only in athletics, but also in her faith life and personal witness. Her involvement with the Fellowship of Catholic University Students (FOCUS) is just one more example of how she uses her gifts to serve others and make a lasting impact on the world. She represents the very best of what it means to be a Marauder.”
This year’s Outstanding Senior nominees included Nicholas Amoranto, Oceanside, CA; Gavin Argent, Minot, ND; Alyssa Becker, Seabeck, WA; Simon Bowden, Fargo, ND; Leo Colling, Jordan, MN; Thomas Cook,Westfield, IN; Raphael Hamilton, Iowa City, IA; Brooklyn Hansen, Dickinson, ND; MaryJane Mayer, Mott, ND; Laura Muggli, Carson, ND; Clare Pankratz, Billings, MT; Maria Rebeca Rodriguez Brannon, Santa Fe, NM; Joseph Schroettner, Oconomowoc, WI; Grace Stroh, Bismarck, ND.