Every Friday, you’ll find Mary (McConahie) Toso ‘90, director of the Augustana Student Success Center, decked out in navy and gold, complete with her Augustana class ring. On the shelf in her office sits photos from her time as an Augustana student — “90s hair” and all. Toso displays her Augustana pride in many ways and, now, she can display it in the ultimate way — with the 2024 Augie Pride Award.
Toso was recognized with the award on Wednesday, April 17, at the university’s annual Service Awards & Retirement Recognition Ceremony in the Ordal Dining Hall in the Morrison Commons. The Augie Pride Award is given to those who go above and beyond the call of duty to provide exceptional service to the university — nominated by other AU employees.
“One cannot ignore Mary's role as Augustana's biggest cheerleader and champion. Whether at alumni events, student programming or community gatherings, Mary consistently goes above and beyond to promote the core values and achievements of Augustana,” one of Toso’s nominators wrote. “Her infectious spirit and positive energy contribute immeasurably to the sense of community and pride that defines our beloved institution. Where there may be barriers in a student’s personal life, Mary, without hesitation, takes as much time as needed to meet their needs.”
Toso, who has served Augustana for nearly 25 years, said she wasn’t even thinking about the Augie Pride Award when President Stephanie Herseth Sandlin began her presentation. But, as soon as Toso realized she was the recipient, her immediate feeling was gratitude.
“Over all these years, I've just so greatly admired and been so excited for anyone who's ever been recognized with the Augie Pride Award,” Toso said. “I just feel humbled to be in their company. I think about people who have been here like Mark Hecht (director of recreational services), Nancy Davidson (director of advancement operations) and Joni Krueger (registrar & assistant vice provost of academic affairs), who have been Augie Pride Award winners — just to be thought of as a person who's as dedicated to this place as I know all of those people are is humbling. And, when you pour yourself into a place, it means a lot to know that someone realizes it.”
Toso, a Sioux Falls native, has been pouring herself into Augustana since she began in 2000, initially as director of student activities. She has also served as director of alumni engagement, director of internships & employee relations and, now, director of the Student Success Center.
One could say, however, that Toso first began pouring herself into Augustana in 1986, when she stepped onto Augustana’s campus as a first-year student. Throughout her time as a student, Toso was a resident advisor (RA), New Student Orientation (NSO) co-chair, Viking Days co-chair, Augustana Student Association (ASA) senator, The Augustana Mirror editor and member of The Augustana Band.
“I was an English and journalism (double) major, but I realized that the advisors I was working with at Augustana, that these were their careers,” said Toso. “And, I thought to myself, ‘When I think about my Augustana experience, the thing that I've loved the most is this involvement that I've had.’ Jim Bies (retired vice president for student affairs) was my mentor and he helped me find my master’s degree program at Loyola University Chicago so I could get my master’s in college student personnel.”
Toso spent a decade away from Augustana, completing her master’s and starting a family with her husband, Jonathan ‘89, who she met at a Halloween party her first year at Augustana. In 2000, when the director of student activities job became available at her alma mater, Toso applied and interviewed with Bies.
Now, at the helm of the Student Success Center, Toso leads a team that works with students as they design their college experience and engage in high-impact practices such as internships, research and leadership roles on and off campus. She is also a primary academic advisor for first-year students in the School of Business.
“Early last fall, I walked into Mary's office for the first time with not a clue what I was doing,” wrote one of Toso’s student nominators. “I sat down, stressed and greatly overwhelmed with so many questions about resumes, cover letters and jobs. After I finished dumping my frustrations onto Mary's desk, she immediately began to help me build my cover letter and resume from the ground up. She devoted herself to helping me gain confidence in myself and never once failed to answer a question I had.”
Toso’s devotion to her students includes her own children, three of whom are Augustana alumni, as well as a current student. Becca (Toso) Mahowald ‘17, Jacob ‘20, Matthew ‘23 and Elizabeth ‘25, as well as Toso’s husband, Jonathan, were on hand to surprise Toso during the Service Awards.
“For us, we just have a lot of pride that all of our kids are going to be Augie grads,” said Toso. “Just knowing that there's a lot of the Toso family connected to this place, and to have them all here with me on such a special day solidifies and makes me realize, again, how much this place means to me. This runs in our blood. This is who we are. It's also a neat feeling to have our kids be like, ‘My mom really loves this place, and other people realize that she really loves this place.’”
The Augie Pride Award began in 1999. To see all past recipients, visit augie.edu/ServiceAwards.