Mary Jesse (2019)

The name Mary Jesse has become synonymous with Luther College at the University of Regina (LCUR). As one of Luther College’s longest-serving employees, Mary had a profound impact on the students, faculty, and staff as well as the larger University of Regina community over the span of her thirty-year career.

After convocating from LCUR with a Bachelor of Arts Honours in 1981, she began working at Luther in November 1982 as an Entrance Counsellor, driving to high schools all over Saskatchewan, sharing the Luther experience. Five years later, she moved into the role of Public Relations Manager spending her time equally between the High School and University campuses. In 1990, she became the first Registrar of Luther College, where she remained until her retirement in 2015, working with students as they navigated higher education.

Mary embodied LCUR’s motto of “Think deeply. Act passionately. Live faithfully.” She had the vision to build the Luther community by creating an open and supportive Academic Office. She was the primary advisor for all Luther students from admission to graduation, and they were always Mary’s top priority. She flawlessly balanced her registrarial portfolio with her commitment to student success. Students were always at the forefront of Mary’s mind when approached for advice on decisions about the College and its academic program.

Mary was highly respected throughout the U of R community given her experience and ability to see the bigger picture with a thoughtful perspective. She was a member of multiple committees and regularly volunteered to serve the campus including volunteering to sit on the committee when the U of R computerized its entire operating system under Banner. Mary wanted to ensure that the federated Colleges would have a voice, and went above and beyond putting in many additional hours while having a young family at home. Mary was also an integral part in the planning and hosting of Luther College’s 75^th and 100^th Anniversaries and the North American Interfaith Network conference.

In June 2019, as a pinnacle of her illustrious career, Mary received the Western Association of Registrars of the Universities and Colleges of Canada (WARUCC) Service Award in June 2019.

Mary and her husband, Howard (a Luther resident from 1973-1978), have two children Christeen (U’12) and John.