For many Carroll College alumni, graduation is not the end of their Carroll story, it is the beginning of a lifelong connection rooted in friendship, resilience, faith, and community. That connection is especially evident among Carroll’s Golden Graduates, alumni celebrating 50 years or more since earning their degrees. Their stories reflect not only the history of Carroll College, in Helena, Mont., but also the enduring impact a Carroll education can have across generations.
One of this year’s Golden Graduates is Jim Michelotti, a 1966 Carroll graduate whose life and career have remained deeply connected to both education and Montana communities. A Butte, Montana, native raised in the Meaderville and McQueen neighborhoods, Jim came to Carroll College after graduaing from Boys Central High School, following a path that many Catholic school students in Montana took during the 1960s. Carroll represented not just higher education, but the next chapter in a shared tradition of faith, discipline, and opportunity.
At Carroll, Jim earned his bachelor’s degree in mathematics and met his wife, Marjorie, who was also a Carroll graduate. Together, they built a family deeply tied to education, service, and Montana. Jim later earned advanced degrees in computer science and business administration, working with Boeing and IBM before spending three decades teaching and serving in administration at Montana Tech.
During his freshman year, Jim experienced a devastating family tragedy when his sister and brother-in-law were killed in an automobile accident over Thanksgiving break. Looking back, he credits the Carroll community with helping him continue forward during one of the most difficult periods of his life.
“Carroll became my extended family,” Jim said. “There were people there to help us when we needed it.”
That sense of community is a common theme among Golden Graduates. For many alumni, Carroll was never simply a campus, it was a community that shaped their character, strengthened lifelong friendships, and instilled values that continued long after graduation day.
Jim also recalled several memorable stories about student life at Carroll during the 1960s. At the time, Saint Charles Hall served as the center of student life, and students followed strict curfews and mandatory study hours. From 7 p.m. to 10:30 p.m., students were expected to remain at their desks studying while priests walked the halls to verify compliance.
“We were disciplined to study,” Jim recalled. “You had to be at your desk.”
Freshmen were not allowed to leave campus during their first month at Carroll. Jim laughed remembering how trains passing through Helena occasionally delayed students rushing back to campus to make curfew.
Alongside the discipline came strong friendships, mentorship, and community. Jim remembered working campus jobs to help pay for school, including cooking breakfast at the commons, the college dining hall—and participating in intramural sports and campus activities inside the gymnasium, which now is the location of All Saints Chapel. He said many of his closest friendships were formed during his years at Carroll, and he still regularly connects with former classmates, teammates, and fellow Carroll graduates from across Montana, including friends from Butte and Anaconda.
Faith remained a central part of Jim’s Carroll experience and continues to shape his life today. Daily Mass remains an important part of his routine, and one of the classmates who helped him through difficult upper-level math courses at Carroll is still someone he sees regularly at 7 a.m. Mass at St.
Patrick’s in Butte. Jim also spoke warmly about the Rev. Patrick Beretta, describing him as a daily inspiration.
While campus traditions and buildings have changed over the decades, Jim believes the heart of Carroll remains the same: a commitment to developing quality people.
“I think being a Carroll Saint means quality,” he said. “Without a Carroll education, I don’t think I would have had the experiences I had in life.”
Jim’s children and grandchildren have also maintained connections to Carroll College, including his granddaughter, Megan Michelotti, who currently serves the campus community as President Dr. Jennifer Glowienka’s Senior Executive Assistant. Jim said Carroll helped provide opportunities not just for him, but for his entire family.
The Carroll connection within the Michelotti family spans multiple generations. Jim and Marjorie’s family includes Carroll graduates and Montana leaders in healthcare, business, and public service, including their son John, an orthopedic surgeon; Brian, director of the Montana Hospital Association; and grandson Matt, a practicing dentist. Their son Tom graduated from Montana Tech and works with Northwestern Energy in Butte, Mont., while their son Jason attended Carroll before finishing at Montana State University and now operates a marketing business in Austin, Texas. Jim said he and Margie consider their greatest achievement and joy in life to be their family itself—including their four sons, 15 grandchildren, three great-grandchildren, and two more great-grandchildren on the way.
“Carroll has done a lot for the Michelotti family,” he said.
Golden Graduates also bring an important perspective to today’s students. Having experienced decades of life after Carroll, they understand that success is rarely linear. Jim encouraged graduating students to expect both challenges and triumphs and to continue moving forward through each season of life.
“Life’s going to have its ups and downs,” he said. “You’ll get through it.”
Even decades after graduation, Jim continues finding ways to give back to Carroll College. Drawing from his background in technology and administration, he is currently helping modernize Carroll’s Sports Hall of Fame through a project made possible by a donation from one of his closest lifelong friends and fellow Carroll graduates.
As Golden Graduates walked alongside this year’s graduating class during Carroll's commencement, they symbolize something far greater than a milestone anniversary. They represent the lifelong identity of being a Carroll Saint—a bond built on resilience, education, community, and shared purpose.
For alumni like Jim Michelotti, Carroll College is not simply a place where they earned a degree. It is a place that shaped their work ethic, strengthened lifelong friendships, created family traditions, and provided a foundation that carried through every chapter of life. Sixty years later, the pride of being a Carroll Saint still remains.
