Alumni Awards

Each year, the Mount Marty Alumni Association selects the following alumni awards:

• The Outstanding Young Alumni Award recognizes a recent graduate (last 10 years) for demonstrating loyalty to MMU, involvement in Church and Civic activities, and the expression of the MMU mission in his or her life.
• The Distinguished Service to Church and Community Award is given to an alumnus who exhibits notable leadership abilities in service to their Church and/or community at the local, state, regional, or national level.
• The Distinguished Service to Mount Marty University Award is given to an alumnus who is loyal to the Mission of the University, has shown continued interest and support, and reflects honor upon the school with his or her Christian lifestyle.
• The Distinguished Professional Achievement Award is given to an alumnus who consistently demonstrates leadership, competence, dedication, integrity, and a commitment to continued education in their chosen profession.

2026 Alumni Award Recipients:

Outstanding Young Alumna: Maura (Lysne) Benzine, Class of 2019

"I graduated from Benilde-St. Margaret’s High School in St. Louis Park, MN, in 2015 with plans to attend Mount Marty College. I was excited for a change and the opportunity to pursue my dream of becoming a nurse while continuing to play the sport I had grown up loving, volleyball. Little did I know that the next chapter would bring me not only a career I love, but also a community that would become like family.

After graduating in 2019, I moved to Sioux Falls and was fortunate to begin my nursing career on the Pulmonary Unit at Sanford Hospital. What started as my first job quickly became a place I could call home away from home. I have been incredibly fortunate to work alongside colleagues who have supported me, challenged me, and, over the years, become family. During my time on the unit, I have had the opportunity to serve as a charge nurse and have been in this role for the past four years. It has been a rewarding position that has allowed me to grow as a nurse and leader. I am also proud to serve on our departments Hero Committee, where we recognize and celebrate colleagues for their hard work, dedication, and lifelong commitment to nursing. One of the highlights of serving on this committee has been watching my colleagues receive the hospital house-wide hero award and having the opportunity to share their stories and celebrate the impact they have made on those around them.

For the past six years I have also had the privilege of working with the University of Sioux Falls as a Clinical Instructor. I am grateful for the opportunity to give back by sharing the knowledge and experiences I have gained throughout my career and by helping future nurses during clinical days and lab practicums. Working with these students has been especially rewarding and serves as a great reminder of why I chose to become a nurse in the first place. Outside of work, I enjoy tackling projects around our house, spending time with my rescue dog Finn, getting lost in a good book, and playing sand volleyball during the summer with some fellow Mount Marty alumni. I also got married this past June and am excited to officially introduce myself as Maura Benzine! I am incredibly grateful for the people who have supported me and helped shape the person I am today. As I look toward the future, I’m excited to continue growing, giving back, and allowing God to guide me on the path ahead."

Distinguished Service to Church and Community: Brian Bertsch, Class of 1978

Brian Bertsch spent his career in sales and marketing within the bowling industry, working with several of the field’s leading brands, including Brunswick, Ebonite International, and Strikeforce Bowling.

Volunteerism has long been an important part of Brian’s life. Over the years, he has been active with the Jaycees, served for 15 years as a bowling league secretary, and spent 11 years as treasurer and primary contact for a 300-home homeowners association. After retiring and returning to Yankton in 2020, Brian found even more opportunities to serve the community. He became involved with The Center, where he serves as its Board president. The Center provides recreation, socialization, and nutrition for its members, including more than 50,000 meals annually.

Brian’s interest in local government grew after volunteering for a City of Yankton task force. Since then, he has served on the Parks Advisory Board and the Planning Commission, and he currently serves as an elected member of the City Commission.

His additional volunteer roles include serving as an assistant coach for the Yankton High School bowling program, as a board member of the Yankton Area Concert Association, and as a member of the MMU Alumni Advisory Board.

Brian currently lives in Yankton with his wife, Linda. They have two grown sons, both of whom live in Madison, Wisconsin.

Distinguished Service to Mount Marty: Krystal (Boyle) Diedrichsen, Class of 2004

Dr. Krystal Diedrichsen completed her BSN at Mount Marty University and her MSN at Briar Cliff University. She has worked in a variety of nursing roles throughout her career, but her true nursing passion is in mental health psychiatric care. She has many years of experience with inpatient psychiatric care as well as pre/post anesthesia care and inpatient chemical dependency treatment. Dr. Diedrichsen has worked with children, adult, and geriatric populations. She has been teaching in the undergraduate nursing program at Mount Marty University since 2012 in a wide variety of courses while also serving as a freshman advisor. Currently, Dr. Diedrichsen is the Director of Undergraduate Nursing at MMU. In addition to teaching, Dr. Diedrichsen continues to work on a casual basis as an RN at the Human Services Center and as a substitute RN for the Yankton School District.

Dr. Diedrichsen completed her doctoral degree through Bryan College of Health Sciences. Her research during her doctoral studies focused on leadership and its impact on nursing education. Her dissertation, entitled “Undergraduate Nursing Faculty’s Lived Experience of Authentic Leadership in Nursing Education” was published in ProQuest in 2021. In March of 2022, she presented her research at the Sigma Theta Tau Creating Healthy Work Environments nursing conference in Washington, D.C. Her research abstract was also accepted for poster presentation at the 2022 National Nurse Educator Summit in Seattle, Washington.

Throughout her nursing career, both in practice and in education, Dr. Diedrichsen has served in a variety of roles. She was the Director of Quality and Risk Management at the South Dakota Human Services Center. She was the team lead for initial accreditation for the inpatient chemical dependency treatment program through the Commission on Accreditation for Rehabilitation Facilities (CARF) at HSC. She has experience with accreditation and regulatory bodies reporting and site visit preparation both in the clinical and academic settings. She has served on a wide variety of committees during her time at Mount Marty University. Dr. Diedrichsen has also served in various roles throughout the Yankton Community. For several years, she served as the President of the Yankton Wrestling Boosters and the President of the Supporters of Yankton Middle School.

While Krystal is passionate about her career in nursing education, her greatest joy and biggest accomplishment in life is her family. She and her husband Jed have four children, Cole, Lily, Max, and Ivy. They also have a daughter-in-law, Amber, who is married to Cole. And will soon gain a son-in-law, Paul, who is marrying Lily. Spending time with family and friends is Krystal’s favorite hobby.

Distinguished Professional Achievement, Undergraduate Degree: Mary Lee (Hochstein) Villanueva, Class of 1996

Mary Lee (Hochstein) Villanueva, MD grew up in Nebraska and graduated from Wynot
Public School. She then attended Mount Marty College, graduating in 1996 with
degrees in Biology and Chemistry and a minor in music. In college she participated in
concert choir, band and jazz band. She was involved in the biology club, chemistry club
and student government. Growing up and during her college and medical school years,
she volunteered her time playing the organ/keyboard for her local parish, Holy Family
Parish in Wynot. When she was not playing, she was involved in the church choir. She
graduated from the University of South Dakota School of Medicine and completed her
internal medicine residency and oncology and hematology fellowship at the University of
Nebraska Medical Center. After completing her training, she moved with her husband
and son, Liam to Yankton, South Dakota to practice medicine.

She is currently an oncologist at the Avera Cancer Center located in Yankton, SD and is
a Professor of Internal Medicine at the University of South Dakota Sanford School of
Medicine. She has done an outreach clinic to O’Neill, NE for 17 years. She is actively
involved in numerous medication associations and has authored several medical
publications. Her dedication has been instrumental in establishing the Avera Cancer
Institute in Yankton, SD. She is involved in the Avera Foundation Board, the Avera
Breast Leadership Council, and the Avera Oncology Service Line.

In addition to her medical career, she has a busy family life with a husband, Mike and a
mother of four: Liam, Maya, Kelsey and Laura. She has been involved with her
children’s school and extracurricular activities. Mary Lee and her family have relied on
their faith and commitment to the Yankton Community. She has donated time to the
Yankton Ladies Firefighters Auxiliary, Daughters of the American Legion Post 31, Avera
Sacred Heart Foundation Board, Rotary and the Yankton Children’s Choir Board. She is
also part of the Sacred Heart Monastery Oblate program.

With a blend of character and courage, she provides state-of-the-art oncology care to
her patients in a compassionate manner. Mary Lee is highly respected in Yankton and
the surrounding communities for her professional expertise and her positive
contributions. Her work ethic, intelligence, leadership qualities and empathetic nature
have made a lasting impact on those she serves.