St. Rose Normal School was founded in 1890 by the Franciscan Sisters of Perpetual Adoration, and what would become Viterbo University has been well known and respected for excellence and innovation in teacher education ever since. Viterbo has graduated thousands of top-notch teachers through the years. Meet four who are truly making a difference in their profession and the lives of their students.

A chance encounter brought Gordon Murphy into Viterbo's engineering program after two decades working in manufacturing. When he pays his tuition, he goes down the second-floor hallway of the building named for his grandfather, W. Leo Murphy.

Since earning her Master of Arts in Servant Leadership Degree, Julie Bennett ’12 is leading and living her faith as CEO and executive director of the Society of St. Vincent de Paul's Madison operation, overseeing a $16 million budget and 280 employees.

Music theatre graduate Lauren Johnson ’21 made a leap last summer, moving to New York City just in time to land a part in a national tour of Hairspray. She'll feel right at home when the tour comes to the Viterbo Fine Arts Center Feb. 4–5.

Beginning his second year as choral music professor and department chair at Viterbo University, James Wilson couldn't be happier he made the move from Delaware to La Crosse. “The students are extremely talented, the facilities are high quality, and my colleagues have been great to work with,” he said.

Sharing what you love with others would certainly provide the basis for a rewarding career. For senior Rhiannon Baasch, that love is music, and she’ll be doing just that as a student teacher next semester and as a professional music educator after earning her degree in May.

Biopsychology major Melissa Kay McCarthy ’11 talks about her twin passions—music and helping people with mental health issues—and how those two paths converged with the July 2022 release of her first studio album, "Hourglass."

English major Tim Metzler ’13 talks about his journey as a comedian, from laughing around the family dinner table to becoming a top-tier member of Chicago’s legendary Second City troupe to his recent audition for "Saturday Night Live."

Music theatre major Maya Richardson ’19 talks about her burgeoning stage career, which includes landing the starring role of Ariel in the Chanhassen Dinner Theatres’ production of "Footloose" and a national tour with "Paw Patrol Live!"

When Justin McKnight graduated in 2000 from Pennsylvania's Bucknell University, he was the first in his family to get a college degree, thanks to athletic scholarships he earned for his skills in an unusual sport. McKnight went on to earn a master’s degree in mental health counseling in 2016 from Viterbo University, where he taught as an adjunct professor before taking on the position of Viterbo’s director of counseling services.