By Alexis Chambers, St. Kate’s Student and Mary’s Pence intern.
Growing up, I would hear the elders in my community reiterate the phrase, “It takes a village to raise a child.” Communities of people collaborating to provide a stable infrastructure for the next generation is a re-occurring theme that has shaped the most impactful moments in history.
Mary’s Pence, a women-led organization founded to support the financial and holistic needs of other women-led grassroots organizations, has helped reshape the cultural experience of St. Catherine University students through their collaboration with the campus’s Center for Community Work and Learning.
This year, Mary’s Pence was recognized with the Community Partner’s Award at the 2026 Seed Coalition Award ceremony for its outstanding work providing students with enriching opportunities to enhance their professional and leadership skills for navigating the non-profit world.
The Seed Coalition was created to strengthen student learning through civic and community engagement by building partnerships with higher education institutions. In their Perceptions of Partnership study, the organization recognized that one of the frameworks structuring the coalition among the Seed Coalition, community-based organizations, and partnering institutions, such as St. Catherine’s, is based on transformational partnerships with long-term goals, rather than transactional partnerships that lead to short-term goals.
Mary’s Pence reflects this commitment to long-term support by offering eligible women-led grassroots organizations the opportunity to receive funding across multiple grant cycles, supporting more sustained social change initiatives. In this model, community partners do more than serve as liaisons between higher education institutions and students; they are co-educators within an educational village that prioritizes deeper learning engagement activities for students. Mary’s Pence has provided students with the opportunity to create special projects, including data collection for public health initiatives and the development of marketing and branding strategies.
During my Spring 2026 semester with Mary’s Pence, I learned the art of incorporating holistic wellness into digital storytelling while upholding a strong brand identity for their Marketing and Communications department. I also had the opportunity to be part of their annual UN NGO Commission on the Status of Women Panel, and their monthly Third Thursday meeting, where grantee partners provide updates on their organizations’ performance and upcoming community events. It was an honor to be in community at the Seed Coalition Award Ceremony and witness a memorable moment for both Mary’s Pence and St. Catherine University. Mary’s Pence does an amazing job engaging students in practical and creative work opportunities that help students align with the values of social justice and leadership. Congratulations, Mary’s Pence, and continue being a change-leading organization that supports the willpower of all women!