ST. JOSEPH, Minn. – As an athlete, Lee Stelten was in season from November through mid-May during her four seasons with the College of Saint Benedict track and field team.
 
As a student and a nursing major, Stelten was busy with clinicals, labs and on-site experiential learning. Even while balancing two busy schedules and demanding regimens, Stelten was one of the best both academically and athletically during her time at Saint Benedict.
 
For her incredible accomplishments both with the track and field team and in the classroom, as well as her work in the community over the last four years, Stelten is the CSB athletic department's 2019-20 Presidential Award Winner. The award is given annually to a senior student-athlete who excels in during her four years in academics, athletics and community service.
 
In the classroom, Stelten maintained a cumulative GPA of 3.84 throughout her four years as a nursing major. She was inducted into the highly respected Sigma Theta Tau International Honor Society of Nursing, was named to the CSB Dean's List every semester and earned MIAC Academic All-Conference accolades as a sophomore and junior – so far.
 
In the community, Stelten has volunteered in a variety of capacities and has taken part in several service programs. On campus, she is a mentor for students entering the nursing program. In 2019, Stelten was selected to be a part of the nursing immersion trip to Belize where she assisted in CPR and first aid training in the community and worked with children, adults, elderly and healthcare workers in the Belizean community. She has also volunteered at Good Shepheard Memory Care Cottages, visiting with elderly residents, and volunteered with West Union Lutheran Church where she delivered Thanksgiving meals to local families.
 
With the track and field team, Stelten etched her names in CSB's track and field record books during her time with the program. She qualified for the MIAC Championships six of her seven seasons with the team, and earned five MIAC honors – including a pair of third-place finishes to earn All-MIAC First Team honors during the 2018 indoor and 2019 outdoor seasons. She earned USTFCCCA All-Central Region honors three times after finishing the season as one of the top vaulters in the region, and graduates with the fourth-best pole vault mark in CSB indoor history and the fifth-best mark in CSB outdoor history.
 
"To honor Lee as a senior, everyone on the track and field team picked a word describing her," CSB track and field coach Robin Balder-Lanoue said of Stelten. "A few of those words were determined, hardworking, humble, unflappable, and dedicated, and while she is definitely all of those things, she is also so much more than a few words. Even though she is the first to laugh and call herself clumsy, she handles her stress gracefully. Despite approaching challenges with what may appear to be reckless abandon, she is measured and precise, and although she has an incredibly full plate, she is fully present and fully dedicated to every moment with every person.
 
"Now, more than ever, it is these qualities that we pray to see not only in our nurses but also in each other."
 
After graduation, Stelten will take a position as an RN in the Twin Cities.
 
"I believe growth is necessary in life, and with the support of others, great things can be achieved," Stelten said when reflecting on her time at Saint Benedict. "Reflecting from senior year of high school to senior year of college, I notice many positive changes and lessons learned. Four years at St. Ben's has taught me to become an ambitious, strong, and confident woman. I believe the foundation of my change occurred around the Benedictine values. These are values I saw brought into my education, sports, professors, coaches, and fellow Bennies. I applied the lessons I learned to activities outside of St. Bens, such as with patients, friends, work, volunteering, and with fellow Bennies. I am excited to share the lessons, values, and skills I learned at St. Ben's with others, including in my career as a nurse."