Dr. Maryanne Stevens, RSM, for over two decades has served as President of College of Saint Mary, the Omaha region's only Catholic university for women. Inspired by her upbringing and faith as a Sister of Mercy, Dr. Stevens has led College of Saint Mary to develop several innovative programs to increase accessibility and affordability of higher education, including an on-campus residence hall where single mothers live with their children; a “Kids Club” for children of students and staff to learn remotely during the pandemic; and generous scholarships for undocumented students. In our conversation, Dr. Stevens talks about her upbringing and how it shaped her. She also shares the inspiration of The Sisters of Mercy in her calling to be a nun and a teacher and how that has informed her leadership of a higher education institution with a vision of active idealism.