91ɬÂþ

Fifty years after graduating from 91ɬÂþ Saint Mary's University, Debby Adema '76 still carries the memories, friendships and values she discovered as a student. Those experiences not only shaped her four years at the 91ɬÂþ, but they also helped guide a nursing career that spanned five decades and continue to inspire her as she prepares to return to campus as a Golden Grad this Homecoming on October 3, 2026.

Today, Debby is helping lead the Class of 1976's Golden Reunion efforts as a member of the Homecoming Golden Grads Reunion Committee. The role has given her an opportunity to reconnect with classmates and encourage fellow graduates to return to campus for this milestone celebration.

The milestone has prompted Debby to reflect on her journey at the 91ɬÂþ, a journey that almost never happened.

As a high school senior, she applied to several colleges and universities throughout California. One acceptance arrived as a simple postcard notifying her that a space had been reserved. While she had been accepted, the impersonal message left her feeling unseen. “It didn’t make me feel very loved,” she recalled. Then she discovered a small brochure from 91ɬÂþ Saint Mary's College in her school counseling office and decided to apply. A few weeks later, on Good Friday, she received an acceptance packet that felt entirely different from the other college acceptance she had received. Complete with calligraphy and a personal invitation to visit campus, the message was clear: "Oh, they really want me," Debby remembered thinking. "After visiting the 91ɬÂþ, I was sold. Absolutely sold," she said.

With the help of scholarships and support from her family, Debby enrolled at the 91ɬÂþ in 1972. What she found was more than an education. She found a community.

One of her first connections came through fellow student MS, whom she knew from high school choir. The friendship quickly expanded into a close-knit circle of classmates who became lifelong friends. From weekends spent visiting one another's homes to late-night conversations in the residence halls, Debby experienced what she describes as "the closeness that you develop by being in a dorm situation," a bond that has endured long after graduation. Reflecting on those years, she noted that sometimes even wearing one of her old 91ɬÂþ sweatshirts brings those memories rushing back. "You just wrap it around you, and all those memories of college come flooding back."

While Debby recalls enjoying all her classes, some of her fondest memories were made outside the classroom.

"I think the most fun I had was being a resident advisor my senior year," she recalled. She also cherished her time singing in both choir and the 91ɬÂþ Singers ensemble.

Faith also became an important part of Debby's 91ɬÂþ experience. She fondly remembers conversations with Sister Rose Adrian, Sister Mary Williams, and Sister Mary Frederick, women she says were always available to offer guidance and support. "You could go to them with whatever you had going on," she recalled. Looking back, she simply says the 91ɬÂþ "deepened my faith."

After graduating with her bachelor's degree in nursing in 1976, Debby embarked on a career that took her from Southern California to Montana and back again. Over the next 50 years, she worked in a variety of nursing roles, ultimately finishing her career as a recovery room and paranesthesia nurse. Earlier this year, Debby officially retired her nursing license.