Derham Hall Opened Doors for Cherie Riesenberg '68
December 12, 2024
For Cherie Doyle Riesenberg ’68, Derham Hall brought her out of her neighborhood and into the city as a whole, allowing her to meet people from all over St. Paul and the Twin Cities
“It was a wonderful experience,” she said. “We had a very loving class. People were very kind and generous with each other. I met lifelong friends.”
Derham Hall not only helped Doyle Riesenberg find lifelong friends but also nourish a lifelong passion. She’s grateful for the flexible scheduling Derham Hall offered, which was new when she started high school and allowed her to explore her interests.
“The Sisters of St, Joseph were ambitious and willing to try something experimental,” Riesenberg said. “I was interested in the fine arts and so I got to take those classes, even though it meant skipping higher math. I loved Ms. Orput. She was a tremendous woman and brought a lot of drama to the presentation of art history.”
At the end of her senior year, Doyle Riesenberg’s classmates voted her the “Best Artist.” She continued to pursue a bachelor’s degree in fine arts from Macalester College, a school she had passed every day on her bus ride to Derham Hall.
“It just looked like there was something to learn there,” she said. “I wanted to continue with the same quality of education that I felt like I had gotten at Derham Hall, and that’s where I thought I could do that.”
Riesenberg went on to get her MFA from Cranbrook Academy of Art in Michigan. She taught painting at the College of Art and Design in Minneapolis. She was later encouraged to apply for a position at Macalester. There, she worked as Curator of Exhibitions and taught in their art department for the next 20 years, while also showing her work throughout the region and nationally.
She returned to the CDH community when it was time to send her daughter, Cecelia Riesenberg ’08, to high school.
“It was a good experience for my daughter and launched her into college and young adulthood with experiences that helped shape her as a young woman,” Riesenberg said. “We wanted to show our appreciation.”
Riesenberg and her husband, Chuck, contribute to CDH’s tuition assistance program to help fund scholarships for students who might not otherwise be able to attend CDH.
“Derham Hall High School provided a great college preparatory curriculum for me,” she said. “My father and grandfather went to Cretin, where the Christian Brothers’ mission had been to serve the less fortunate. Our family wanted to support the continuation of those missions at CDH.”
In 1998, CDH presented Riesenberg with the Carondelet Award, which recognizes a woman who reflects the Sisters of Carondelet’s values and has become distinguished in her career or field of endeavor.
“It’s been great to continue my relationship with CDH,” she said. “One of the wonderful things has been getting to talk with the development office about the impact of our donation. I’m very happy to contribute in that way.”
Make an impact today!
You can still make a 2024 gift to Cretin-Derham Hall in support of our students and the Campaign for Raider Excellence. There are three easy ways to give:
- ONLINE - Donate Here Today
- PHONE/EMAIL - For stock transfer instructions or credit card donations, please email Peggy Gartland Schafer '79 at pschafer@c-dh.org or call 651-696-3318.
- MAIL - Please make checks payable to Cretin-Derham Hall and mail to:
CDH Advancement Office
550 S. Albert Street
Saint Paul, MN 55116
Thank you for being part of our incredible community! If you have already given a gift this year, Thank you!