Part of a Community

When Kristen Bednar '09 was weighing her college choices, several factors tipped the scales in favor of St. Lawrence. The strength of the alumni network — which ranks fourth nationally by the Princeton Review — was one. She also had personal connections to students and alumni who had a great experience during their time on campus.

"I felt like I was going to be able to gain and contribute a lot and feel like I was part of a community," Bednar said. 

The inaugural winner of the Daniel F. Sullivan Athletic Leadership and Community Service Award, Bednar was a member of the women's soccer program for two years and the Nordic ski team for four. She made earned a trip to the NCAA Skiing Championships her sophomore and senior seasons and she was involved in many other aspects of campus life. 

"I feel like I learned a lot from St. Lawrence," says Bednar. "For me it was just saying yes to stuff, like just go for it, just try some things and see what you think. Your voice is valuable and you have an interesting perspective … I guess it's bravery in a way, but also a willingness to try new things and know that in general, people will be very supportive of you." 

An economics major who minored in creative writing, Bednar went on to pursue her MBA from the University of Rochester's Simon Business School. Knowing she wanted to be involved in brand management, Bednar interned at Bausch + Lomb, an eye health company, in Rochester, New York. 

Looking for a new adventure, the Vermont native jumped at the opportunity to take a position at Nutro, a natural pet food company owned by Mars, based in Nashville, Tennessee. As a Nordic skier who had never lived south of the Mason Dixon line, she considered the move to be an opportunity to "study abroad in my own country." She stayed in Nashville for six years, gaining professional experience and eventually taking on brand management for Greenies, a pet treat brand that offers dental treats that promote overall pet health.

While Nashville offered Bednar a great adventure, eventually her wanderlust struck once more. She left Mars, sold everything that didn't fit in her car, took a "millennial sabbatical," and traveled for six months, spending three months backpacking in Southeast Asia, a month in New Zealand, and came back to hike the Long Trail in Vermont. 

After her "sabbatical," Bednar began prepping to move out West when colleagues from Mars offered her an opportunity to run a small startup brand called PUPPO. She settled in Boulder, Colorado, as the general manager of PUPPO, a direct-to-consumer dry dog food company.

"I'm trying to do this thing sort of all by myself," says Bednar. "So while that is really draining because there isn't a team for me to go ask to help to do something, I just have to try to figure it out myself and I like that challenge of it."

Being in Colorado has allowed Bednar to get back to her skiing roots, where she now coaches a U16 Boulder Nordic Junior Racing Team; fellow St. Lawrence Nordic skiing alumni Caroline Carpenter Lustgarten '12 and her husband, Eric Lustgarten '14 are also members of the coaching staff. While her work for PUPPO has her currently working a lot on her own, coaching has offered a chance to work within a team structure again.