K.R. Ziarkowski has made a career out of helping people, whether in the classroom or in emergency situations.

St. Cloud State University alumna Kris Nelson knew she wanted to work in the business world, but had no idea it would take her through so many different chapters.

When considering universities, St. Cloud State University student Javelia Morrison-Galimore knew she wanted to find an institution that was welcoming to nontraditional students as well as international and first-generation college students.

A passion and curiosity for art initially led two St. Cloud State University alumni to their alma mater as well as each other.

While Kayla Bergstrand found the assisted reproductive technology (ART) industry by coincidence, she quickly fell in love with the career field.

Charlie Curtis loved their own experience with the queer resource center at their undergrad institution, and works to provide a similarly impactful experience at St. Cloud State University.

Music has always been part of Paul Diethelm’s life.

For St. Cloud State University alumnus David Benusa, accounting is a rewarding way to help others thrive.

Maj. John Donovan has made a career out of using his own experiences to help others. The St. Cloud State University alumnus was instrumental in bringing the Veterans Resource Center to SCSU as well as starting the University’s Recovery Community.

St. Cloud State University alumna Mary Rathsabandith may have fallen into the information technology sector while in school, but that didn’t stop her from taking off in the field.

Pun Chang wasn’t sure what she was looking for in life until she found it.

Dr. Patsy Koay graduated from St. Cloud State University in 2000 with a bachelor’s degree in mass communications and advertising.

Weather has always been fascinating for Mandy Thalhuber.

Dr. Kari Turkowski isn’t letting anything stop her — not even flatlining.

Holly Schreiner stepped foot on the St. Cloud State University campus in the fall of 1996, and never left.

Emma Christianson is a dedicated third-year Construction Management student at St. Cloud State University and is expected to graduate in 2025.

Max Matthaei is excited for the future, and credits his time at St. Cloud State University with helping him get there.

While Dr. Laurie Putnam was named the 2025 Minnesota Superintendent of the Year by the Minnesota Association of School Administrators, she said the recognition is thanks to not just her, but the team she works with in St. Cloud Area School District 742 as well as the community of St. Cloud as a whole.

While Monique Russell initially transferred to St. Cloud State University to save on tuition, she found much more than an affordable education at the University. She found a home.

Craig Fuller didn’t initially find St. Cloud State University on his own; he found it by chance.

Now the senior director of casino operations at New York’s Akwesasne Mohawk Casino Resort, Fuller initially started college in his home state of New York.

Both Jill and Paul Renslow’s connections with St. Cloud State University started long before either of them attended any classes.

Autumn Jotblad is a dedicated student at St. Cloud State University, balancing a busy academic schedule with campus engagement. She is pursuing a double major in marketing and Spanish, along with a minor in business management.

Mohammad Elias may have founded one of the fastest growing private companies in the United States, but he remembers what it took to get there, and wants to help others achieve their goals as well.

“As long as you do your best, your best is good enough” is a mantra Sara Biru lives by, and it’s one she shares with others as she helps guide them through their careers.

A career navigator in HR talent solutions for CentraCare, the St. Cloud State University alumna helps employees of the central Minnesota health care system find their niche within the organization.

An entrepreneurial drive, creative mindset and a desire to impact his community led Chad Germann to start his own business.

More than two decades later, his Red Circle advertising and media agency is the nation’s largest 100% Native-owned casino marketing firm.

While computer and software engineering has long been a natural fit for Paul Tran, helping people has been an underlying passion.

“Punk is about revolting against a society that doesn’t think you deserve a revolution” is one of Jess Von Bank’s favorite quotes. While the quote’s source is unknown, the St. Cloud State University alumna and human resources industry revolutionary said its message couldn’t be more clear.

From the Super Bowl, to the Olympics and now one of the most popular sports documentary series in “Welcome to Wrexham,” Michael Oliver has enjoyed a storied career in sports editing.

Having grown up in Mongolia, St. Cloud State University junior Enkhsolongo “Solo” Sangibat’s life has always been intertwined with the natural world.

A love of helping people is what drives St. Cloud State University junior Bryce Daiker to get involved on campus and pursue a career in biochemistry and molecular biology.

“We're still here. We’re not going anywhere. We’re beautiful people,” is a message BearPaw Shields continuously works to broadcast.

From the Assiniboine and Sioux Tribes of the Fort Peck Tribes in Wolf Point, Montana, the St. Cloud State University alumna is the Indigenous learning community program coordinator for SCSU’s American Indian Center.

For as long as she can remember, Anna Panek Allen has wanted to be a teacher.

Chantal Oechsle was inspired to go back to school after working in her community.

From sergeant, to student, to teacher; life has come full circle for Nicholas Lengyel.

Shriyans Pradhan is not only president of St. Cloud State University’s Student Government Association, but a productive member of the SCSU community and a perfect representation of what it means to be a Husky.

Dr. Lisa Fournier has had a storied career in business, leadership and education. Now an MBA career and leadership development coach with St. Cloud State University, she has been everything from a business founder and chief operating officer, to an implementer, consultant and professor.

Making connections and building relationships is a cornerstone of teaching. That’s what Dr. J. Scott Baker works to demonstrate for his students each day — sometimes dressed as Lumière, a “Bridgerton” character, a Care Bear, or one of the other 200-plus costumes at his disposal.

Music has always been a constant in Adam Welle’s life, through the ups and the downs. He might even go as far as saying music saved him on more than one occasion.

When Huskies track and field and cross country head coach Gabrielle “Elle” Brown first visited St. Cloud State University, she knew she was home.

No matter the outcome on Election Day, the next mayor of St. Cloud will be another St. Cloud State University graduate.

A connection with St. Cloud State University that started during the second wave of the women’s movement will last for generations to come, if Catharine Van Nostrand has anything to say about it.

St. Cloud State University alumnus Nolan Newberg first started creating social media content when he was 13, and never stopped. In fact, Newberg and friend Joe Doerrer turned it into a career.

Kayla Stielow’s love for history has been a central theme throughout her academic and professional careers.

CJ Breen never wanted to give up playing baseball, but when the time came to consider career options, he found the next best thing.

Sarah Drake first visited the continent of Africa in 2011. Her experiences meeting the women and children in the village of Tiébélé, Burkina Faso in West Africa would ultimately inspire the St. Cloud State University alumna to start the nonprofit herARTS in Action.

Eunice Adjei has made it her mission to empower immigrant, ethnic and underserved communities. She said she started developing that passion during her time studying at St. Cloud State University, and it fits perfectly with her role as director of multicultural services at St. Cloud Financial Credit Union.

The Husky pack has a new leader.

Dr. Larry Dietz was named interim president of St. Cloud State University on April 17, 2024, and assumed his responsibilities on July 1, 2024.

As refugees and children of immigrants, Gao Lee and Saengmany Ratsabout know what it's like to be uprooted from their homelands. They said like the coffee plant — which is now grown all over the world and has thrived in new environments, refugees and immigrants create community wherever they put down roots.

Dr. Heather Brown started as director of St. Cloud State University’s Women’s Center in July 2023, but her career in social justice started much earlier.

Jestine Ware is an editor and writer by trade. While she first made her mark writing children’s books that centered around historically underrepresented communities, she now also uses her skills to advocate for those in her own community.

For Andy Roeser, coaching hockey is a way to give children, teenagers and young adults tools and skills to help them build upon going forward.

Everyone has a right to be heard.

Christina Steele grew up watching her cousin struggle to be understood by those around him. It drew her to a career dedicated to those in the autism community.

While he started out in the business world, St. Cloud State University alumnus Drew Bunkers said working in education is his true calling.

In the late-1960s Dr. Michael and Diane Smerdon were two St. Cloud State University students — one studying physics and mathematics, and the other elementary education. One night they met through mutual friends.

The rest is history.

For Dr. Roz Tsai, a passion for learning led her to not just St. Cloud State University, but the United States as a whole.

Joe Nayquonabe has spent his career reimagining and reinventing how American Indian tribal economies grow and prosper, and he’s just getting started.

Seal Dwyer’s mission is to give hope and healing a home in central Minnesota. Through Seal Dwyer Counseling LLC, that mission is accomplished for many in the LGBTQ community every day.

The year 2020 was one of change for most of the world.

For St. Cloud State University alumna Jenny Neuharth, it was literally life-altering.

While her St. Cloud State University chapter is coming to a close, the future is nothing but bright for Kara Cowell.

The Huskies swim and dive team standout and SCSU Women’s Center champion will graduate with a major in biomedical science, a minor in gender and women’s studies, and a certificate in feminist leadership on May 3.

Nancy Dyson has spent almost her entire adult life working with the homeless to make their lives easier in some way, whether making community meals, handing out supplies, offering a mobile shower service or starting the St. Cloud chapter of Laundry Love.

One fateful trip to Kenya changed Lynn Younglove’s life forever, but it also changed the lives of nearly 50 girls living in one of the world’s largest slums.

Well, nearly 50 girls so far.

Making students feel valued and empowered is a daily goal for Landen Parkin.

The St. Cloud State University alumnus is an English language arts teacher and affinity group coordinator for Burnsville High School. Originally teaching ninth grade classes on English, acting and film studies when he first started with the school district, Parkin said his current role is the perfect fit.

Tarra Grammenos has been in the Deaf Community for over half of her life, and has built a career out of helping people feel seen and heard in the justice system.

The St. Cloud State University alumna first started taking American Sign Language classes in high school. She now works as a Minnesota court-certified ASL/English interpreter, largely in the Minnesota court system.

Hodan Omar has built a career out of supporting others.

An educational outreach coordinator with St. Cloud Area School District 742, the St. Cloud State University alumna works to connect underserved individuals with the resources they need, whether it’s in school or out in the community.

From St. Cloud State University, to the NHL and beyond, it has been quite the journey for Bret Hedican.

In 2002, Marit Ortega was looking to take a break from school. She had just earned her degree in biology from St. Cloud State University and moved from part-time to full-time work at the Tri-County Humane Society to gain some more experience before attending veterinary school.

Twenty-two years later, she’s now the executive director.

For Dr. Christopher Lehman, to teach and research history is to find the humanity in generations past.

Art in some form or another has always been central in Mary Bruno’s life.

As a child she helped her father  wash screens from his silk screen printing classes and visited his classrooms. When her dad started acquiring more letterpress equipment and built a studio onto their family’s one-car garage, Bruno could usually be found in that same studio with her dad, and would one day make it her own.

Courage is a characteristic that speaks through actions. 

Sakina, a 2021 graduate of St. Cloud State University, has displayed it throughout her entire life. It took courage to attend university in her home country of Afghanistan, a path often not supported for women.

Jim Eisenreich went decades without answers for why he felt the way he did. Why did he make noises or movements he didn’t want to make, drawing attention to himself that he didn’t want? Why did the symptoms only get worse the more he tried to control them?

What started as a part-time job in high school became a lifelong passion for Kelsey Bean.

Owner of The Chocolate Ox, a candy and ice cream shop with two locations in Nisswa, Bean was first hired to work summers and weekends at the store when she was 15 years old. She never stopped.

Dick Bremer didn’t grow up dreaming about becoming a sports broadcaster someday.

But that dream came true anyway.

Investing in the community leads to a brighter future for everyone.

That’s what Clare and Brandon Richards hope to achieve through their startup Impacks, a tech-powered company that simplifies back-to-school shopping by partnering with schools across the nation to give parents a streamlined way to buy school supplies online.

For the last few centuries, humans have been too much of a driving force behind climate change, primarily through the burning of fossil fuels.

SCSU alumna Dr. Tashiana Osborne is working to change that.

While he may have reached viral stardom over the summer for his Keurig impression, Devon Bowker is much more interested in science and nature.

Comedian and SCSU alumnus C Willi Myles returned to his alma mater to perform for the community in Ritsche Auditorium. It was a happy homecoming.

Thanks to SCSU alums Nic and Paige Dowd and their Dowd’s Crowd sensory kits, many families with sensory sensitivities are now able to enjoy the thrill of attending a hockey game together.

Something incredible is going on at Annandale Art & Textile Center, and a St. Cloud State University alumna is helping to facilitate it.

For alumna Leah Neidecker, St. Cloud State University served as a launching pad for her career in helping physicians save lives. While it wasn’t the first university she attended, she’s thankful it’s where she ended up.