Stories

Crystal Prose

Crystal Prose

Design and Engineering Technology

I was looking for a local college that supports veterans and has a better student-per-instructor ratio than some of the larger universities. Minnesota State Community and Technical College was the perfect fit.

Chris Osowski

Chris Osowski

Design and Engineering Technology

Getting my degree from M State in 2021 opened up career opportunities that would have otherwise been much harder to pursue. 

2012 M State Accounting graduate Jessica Tolifson

Jessica Tolifson

Accounting

I was a nontraditional student in that I didn't start until my mid-twenties and did the online program. I worked full-time while I did the program, and I needed the flexibility to be able to do both.

Josh Hansen, 2019 M State graduate, at the Moorhead campus in 2023

Josh Hansen

Associate of Arts - Liberal Arts and Sciences

When I made my decision to enroll, I went from a lost man to determined due to the passing of my older brother. My fiancee is an M State alum, and I wanted to be better for the love of my life, for my brother's memory, and for myself.

Heidi Peterson, 2018 M State Nursing grad

Heidi Peterson

Associate Degree Nursing

Struggles with drug and alcohol addiction prevented me from following through on my first two attempts at college, but I went to treatment and got sober in 2012, and things changed for me.

Nathan Onstad

Nathan Onstad

Associate of Arts - Liberal Arts and Sciences

M State gave me the strong academic start I needed to continue on and earn my bachelor’s degree at North Dakota State University, where I finished top of my class in mechanical engineering.

Austin Olds

Austin Olds

Business

M State directly jump-started my professional career. The college's program options and flexibility allowed me to gain relevant full-time work experience while still in school and also put me on a path to obtain my four-year degree.

M State Engineering grad Mohammed Mohammed, at the Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco, California

Mohammed Mohammed

Engineering

I finished the Engineering program at M State in 2020, went on to North Dakota State University to finish my bachelor’s degree in Civil Engineering, and now I’m a master’s degree student in the GeoSystems program at the University of California, Berkeley.

Jolee Soma

Jolee Soma

Criminal Justice

I like M State because it’s a smaller school with smaller class sizes but the education is just as valuable as at bigger schools. My instructors have real-world experience, and I have a lot of opportunities to get involved at the school and in the community.

Matt Grommesh

Matt Grommesh

Plumbing Technology

I wandered around in different jobs, trying to find what I was good at. After I took a job in a pool and hot tub store, I learned how to repair them and fix leaks.

Autumn Spaeth

Autumn Spaeth

Computer Programming

In my first year of college, I attended a big university, but I did not enjoy it. I had a lot of free time, so I started to teach myself to code since that was something that had always interested me.

April Damlo

April Damlo

Accounting

Like many high school seniors, I started college and then had to drop out because life threw a few too many curve balls. I tried to go back on a few different occasions, but something always came up.

Michael Brunette

Michael Brunette

Graphic Design

My wife was the one who pushed me to go back to school and told me all about M State! I have been a working musician here in Fargo Moorhead and a music teacher for extra income.

Tony Doll

Tony Doll

Human Resources

I work full time for a trucking company in Fargo as a driver recruiter. There’s a significant need for human resources professionals in the trucking industry, which is a very unique industry with all kinds of challenges you won’t find in a regular siloed company setting.

Dana Haugen

Dana Haugen

Health Information Technology/Coding

My experience with M State was a positive one, and I would recommend it to anyone. I had been a medical transcriptionist since 1990, but it was clear that my profession was becoming extinct.

Ryan Brown

Ryan Brown

Criminal Justice

I knew this was the school for me when I went to check out the college and met Jeff Nelson, the Criminal Justice coordinator. He is very knowledgeable about law enforcement topics, and he works with you if you don’t understand something.

Katharine Strom Rozanas

Katie Strom Rozanas

Music
Molly Stanley

Molly Stanley

Human Resources

I wanted a place to start my college career that had a strong focus on student success and engagement.

Erin Nissen

Erin Nissen

Limited Scope Radiography

I realized that what I was previously going to college for was just not a good match with the future lifestyle I desire. I work in the radiology department at the main Sanford hospital in Fargo.

Shawna Davenport

Shawna Davenport

M State allowed me to achieve a goal that did not seem possible for a large portion of my life. I was a single mom, working full time, trying to make ends meet. The ability to earn my degree online on my own schedule made this all possible for me.

Alicia Tribble

Alicia Tribble

Human Resources

Everyone is so inviting and helpful at M State, and that’s what I love the most about going here.

Emily Canning

Emily Canning

Cosmetology

I attended the Massage Therapy program at M State in 2010 and had always been interested in adding into my career in the Cosmetology program.

Angela Morris

Angela Morris

Health Information Technology/Coding

I was a little worried about living in a remote town in Alaska and studying at M State, but it turned out to be a great experience.

Rachael Buhr

Rachael Buhr

I chose M State because it was close to home, and I never really thought of going anywhere else. They have the Accounting program I was interested in, and I had always heard amazing things about the college.

Shawna Christie

Shawna Christie

Management and Marketing

M State helped me to realize that I could be more and has opened my eyes to what the world can offer.

Sarah LaSart

Sarah LaSart

Associate of Arts - Liberal Arts and Sciences

I attended M State as a PSEO student, earning my AA degree while completing my last two years of high school.

Abby Kimball

Abby Kimball

Early Childhood

M State provided me with the lab experience and knowledge that gave me confidence when I went out into the early childhood field and got a job.

Megan Yoder

Megan Yoder

Early Childhood

Before I enrolled at M State, I didn’t really know what I wanted to do for my career, but I knew that I wanted to work with children in some way.

Ashley Devier

Ashley Devier

Nursing Programs

At M State, the instructors want to see you succeed – you know the teachers care. That makes the program so completely different than anything I’ve experienced.

Tanya Weets

Tanya Weets

I chose M State based on the ease of online learning, as well as the specific courses in the Web Design program. M State’s instructors and staff are incredibly helpful and responsive.

Rhonda Swanson

Rhonda Swanson

Child and Adolescent Therapeutic Behavioral Health
Nursing Programs

I have always had an interest in adolescents with mental health disorders. As I was waiting to get into the nursing program at M State, I thought this would be a great opportunity to learn more about mental health.

Keila Schmitz

Keila Schmitz

Heating, Ventilation, Air Conditioning and Refrigeration

I planned on going into the medical field and looked into massage therapy, physician’s assistant, nursing and medical lab technician programs. The more I thought about it, I just didn’t think that would suit me.

Tanner Jorgenson

Tanner Jorgenson

Diesel Equipment Technology

I chose M State’s Diesel Technology program over others in part because of the location and what it has to offer, but also because of the welcome I received when I toured the facility.

Tristan Trosvig

Tristan Trosvig

Associate of Arts - Liberal Arts and Sciences

After taking PSEO classes during high school, I started my sophomore year at M State in Fergus Falls with all but 22 credits completed. Like most AA students, I dabbled in a bit of everything in terms of subject matter.

Matthew Benjamin

Matthew Benjamin

Business Transfer Pathway

I chose M State because of the smaller class sizes. Having been out of high school for 17 years, coming back to school caused a lot of concerns for me.

Christopher Tuinstra

Christopher Tuinstra

Design and Engineering Technology

I chose M State because they have a program that fits me perfectly, and it’s within driving distance of my home. I was working in manufacturing, and I didn’t want to change fields when I’ve been in the industry for 15-plus years.

Jack Wenglewick

Jack Wenglewick

Cybersecurity

After 25 years working in the IT industry, my employer closed their Fargo office and sent the jobs to other locations around the world. Not having a degree in my field negatively impacted my search for a new job.

Ashley Goebel

Ashley Goebel

Management and Marketing

I chose M State because I was going back to college seven years out of high school, and I appreciate that there are other people at M State doing the same thing.

Sandrine Kouhe

Sandrine Kouhe

Dental Programs

I grew up in Fargo with my family and chose M State in Moorhead because not only is it affordable, but they also had my program there. I really enjoyed my time there and can say that M State sent me in the right direction.

Abdullahi Hashi

Abdullahi Hashi

Associate of Arts - Liberal Arts and Sciences

After coming to the United States in 2008 and surviving that first harsh winter, I thought of higher education. M State Fergus Falls was the nearest campus and, since I had a passion for agriculture, I enrolled without thinking twice in the Sustainable Food Production program.

Chelsie Isacson

Chelsie Isacson

Nursing Programs
When I first entered M State, I was unhappy with my life, working a job to make ends meet and dragged down with the responsibilities of being a single mother. I wanted more with my life, and I wanted more for my daughter. I decided that I would try and at least walk into the school and see what, if any, options I had.
Katie Mastel

Katie Mastel

Medical Administrative Assistant
Initially I planned to pursue a degree in nursing, but after completing my CNA certification I realized that hands-on medical care was not the right fit for me. After doing a bit of research, I discovered M state offered a Medical Administrative Assistant program and thought that would suit me perfectly.
Delaney Rick

Delaney Rick

Management and Marketing
My academic journey was never the easiest. I always struggled … so I didn’t know if college was for me. After being put on academic probation at three colleges, I decided that I needed a break from college and started looking for a job instead.
Corey Knauss

Corey Knauss

Nursing Programs
I had a 21-year profession as a massage therapist, and unfortunately my body could not keep up with the work. I chose M State Detroit Lakes (for my nursing degree) after researching courses and costs from a number of schools.
Wendy Kieffer

Wendy L. Kieffer

Health Information Technology/Coding

I enrolled at M State due to the list of programs available. I enjoyed being able to talk to the instructors before signing up for a program.

Kelly Bischof

Kelly Bischof

I am positive that all the courses I am taking and experience I am getting at M State will help me tremendously when I start actively looking for a job again in the near future.
Haroon Al Hayde

Haroon Al Hayder

Associate of Arts - Liberal Arts and Sciences
Education and learning encouraged me to enroll at M State. I chose Liberal Arts and Science as my degree because I wanted to take some inspiring classes like philosophy, leadership, public speaking, religion and humanities.
Jamie Azure

Jamie Azure

Management and Marketing
Thank you to M State and the magnificent staff for making my dreams come true, even if I didn’t know of those dreams at the time.
Lydia Bradrick

Lydia Bradrick

Nursing Programs
I knew several people who went through the nursing program in Fergus Falls, and I really appreciated the opportunity to go through an affordable two-year RN program.
Sydney Anderson

Sydney Anderson

Associate of Arts - Liberal Arts and Sciences
I chose M State because I don’t learn well in bigger classrooms. I have a harder time asking for help when I can’t get the one-on-one help that I need from a teacher. I knew that being in smaller classrooms would help me not feel so overwhelmed. Plus it’s close to home!
Maddie Stephenson

Madelyn Stephenson

Computer Programming
M State has guided me onto great paths that I never saw myself taking. I have gotten to meet so many great people at cyber security conferences and participated as an alternate at the College Cyber Defense Competition.
Andrew Hanson

Andrew Hanson

Architectural Drafting and Design
M State allowed me to absorb the concepts and skills required for my profession. I was provided with opportunities to practice what I had learned through real-life applications, including an internship with a commercial design-build company.
Jacob Kremin

Jacob Kremin

I chose the Cardiovascular Technology program because I wanted to help people and be in the medical field.
Josh

Josh Mickelson

Engineering
Easily the best decision I made in my college career was going to M State. I was able to stay ahead of my bills and pay for tuition along the way, so now I have very little debt.
Caleb Riermann

Caleb Riermann

Construction Management
I went to M State for Construction Management and had a job lined up before I left college. My current title is project manager/estimator, and I work for Amerect Inc.
Ashley McDaniels

Ashley McDaniels

Engineering
M State instructors are awesome. All of my instructors genuinely care about each student’s success. M State’s faculty is one-of-a-kind.
Joe Bessler

Joe Bessler

Health Information Technology/Coding
I chose M State after researching and contacting many different online colleges that offered an HIT program that would allow me to sit for the AHIMA RHIT and CCS certifications.

Filters