St. Paul's first woman and Asian American mayor, Kaohly Her chose The O'Shaughnessy for her inauguration in recognition of St. Kate's as a women's and Minority Serving Institution. Photo courtesy of the City of St. Paul.
On January 2, St. Paul’s first woman and first Asian American and Hmong mayor was sworn into office at The O’Shaughnessy. Mayor Kaohly Her selected St. Catherine University, as one of the nation’s only women’s colleges with a Minority Serving Institution designation, for the historic inauguration.
“When we thought about where we would be doing this swearing in, it was so important that we honor the fact that there is a women’s institution here that has been teaching and educating women for many generations,” said Mayor Her during her first address in the office. “Thank you, St. Kate’s, for hosting us here today.”
The ceremony packed The O’Shaughnessy with over 1,300 St. Kate’s students, alumni, faculty, staff, as well as public figures Representative Betty McCollum ’87, Minnesota Senate majority leader Erin Murphy MAOL’05, Saint Paul Public Schools superintendent Stacie Stanley ’97, ’02, MAED’05, EdD, and Senator Amy Klobuchar.
Onstage, Her was surrounded by a number of other historic “firsts,” including Debbie Montgomery, the first Black woman elected to the St. Paul City Council; Susan Kimberly, the country’s first transgender deputy mayor in a major city; and Choua Lee, the first Hmong publicly elected official in the United States. Marcheta P. Evans, PhD, St. Kate’s first African American president, and Mary Kunish ’95, Minnesota state senator and University trustee, were also among this group.
“The strong women standing with me here onstage broke barriers,” said Mayor Her. “It is because of their achievements that we keep opening new doors and shattering ceilings. No woman accomplishes something big without standing shoulder to shoulder with the women who did it before them. I am so honored to have you here with me.”
Mayor Her, center, met with current students to discuss their experiences and goals.
Building for the future
Last week, Mayor Kaohly Her returned to the St. Catherine University campus — this time, offstage. The 56th mayor in the office, Her spent the morning visiting with St. Kate’s leadership and current students, discussing University resources already in place and further possible collaborations with the City of St. Paul to support women in their education.
Mayor Her met with leadership, faculty, and students for a tour through central campus spaces. After Our Lady of Victory Chapel, Her got a glimpse of Coeur de Catherine and its student hubs, including the Abigail Quigley McCarthy Center for Women, Centers for Equity and Belonging, Muslim prayer space, Career Development, and finally the Office of Scholarly Engagement. There, the mayor talked with current students, some of whom shared their research through Summer Scholars and the Assistantship Mentoring Program, while others discussed their leadership work through Civic Engagement and Student Senate.
Mayor Her visits Our Lady of Victory Chapel during her tour of campus.
Mayor Her met with St. Kate's leadership members such as President Marcheta P. Evans, PhD, Senior Vice President Khatmeh Osseiran-Hanna, and Assistant Vice President D'Ann Urbaniak Lesch.
University faculty, staff, and leadership visited with Mayor Her about existing student resources and possible collaborations with the City of St. Paul.
Students shared research and discussed leadership experiences through the Office of Scholarly Engagement.
Victoria Lo ’26, Student Senate president, found the mayor’s visit rewarding. “It was such an amazing opportunity to see her interest in our students and how she interacts with others. She's so warm and intentional in her actions!” said Lo. “I would be honored for Mayor Kaohly Her to come visit St. Kate's Student Senate later this semester.”
Seeing the impact of student support and opportunities at St. Kate’s, and ways to build more together, is strong motivation for her, Mayor Her said. “It’s this type of thing that gives me the energy to keep going, because whatever I am doing here isn’t for right now — it’s for the future of what these students are going to inherit and take forward. Knowing what you are doing at St. Kate’s helps me build on that as well.”
“We were honored to welcome Mayor Her back to campus,” said President Evans. “Seeing our students so energized in their discussion with her — speaking with confidence about their research, their leadership roles, and their commitment to making a difference — underscored our purpose driving the work we do each day. We all, university professor or elected official, have a crucial role to play supporting the women leaders who will shape our future.”