Couple look back on time at SCSU and the careers the University helped launch

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

Jill Renslow, now chief business development and marketing officer at Mall of America, earned her degree in marketing and speech communications from SCSU in 1998. Paul Renslow is an account resource manager with TEKsystems and earned his degree in communications from St. Cloud State in 1997.

For Jill — who grew up in the St. Cloud area — there was no doubt when it came to what college she would attend.

“I’m super proud to be a Husky. I grew up in St. Cloud, so it was convenient for me to go to SCSU,” she said. “My parents still live there, so it's great to be able to visit often.

“I think it's a really special university within the state.”

Paul said his family has longstanding ties with SCSU, and he even served as a ball boy and water boy at different Huskies athletics events growing up.

“(SCSU) was an easy decision. I really didn't consider going anywhere else. There's a legacy; there's a history at St. Cloud with our family, with aunts and uncles, my father,” he said. “It was never not an option for me.”

The couple met at Applebee’s in St. Cloud, where Paul was a bartender at the time. They’d eventually be crowned the 1997 winter week king and queen at SCSU. While enrolled, they both went on a “life-changing” study abroad trip to Denmark with the speech communications department, and held leadership roles within SCSU’s student chapter of the American Marketing Association.

Both would end up launching their careers while at St. Cloud State. Paul received an offer to be a recruiter while giving a campus tour as part of the AMA student chapter. In Jill’s senior year, she started a marketing internship with Mall of America — her “Disney of the Midwest” — and had a full-time position with the company by the time she graduated.

“Marketing being my degree that I went into, I was very interested in the creative process,” she said. “I’ve grown to love the strategy element of marketing and I love being able to drive the consistency of a brand—not just the visual identity, but the overall strategy and personality that create a meaningful connection with consumers.”

For Paul, helping others either kickstart or continue their careers is a very rewarding pursuit.

“Job searching can be one of the most stressful experiences in a person’s life, outside of major personal events,” he said. “So being a conduit of that for individuals has been very rewarding. You can change a lot of lives.”

Each of the Renslows are heavily involved in charitable efforts, both within and outside of their respective workplaces. Mall of America has collaborated with numerous organizations and causes, Jill said, one of which is the Special Olympics.

“With the Special Olympics USA games coming to Minnesota in 2026, we’re going to be working with a lot of the families and athletes and working with not only the Minnesota chapter for Special Olympics, but also the national chapter,” she said. “To be able to bring that joy, especially to the athletes; they're very special and I love working with them. There's a special place in my heart, for sure, for the Special Olympics.”

Paul was heavily involved with the Pinky Swear Foundation in its early years, a family foundation started in honor of his cousin who passed away from cancer as a child. The Foundation supports children with cancer and their families by helping cover everyday expenses — such as housing, food and transportation costs — so that families can focus on their children.

For the couple, their proudest achievements to date are their children.

“We’re incredibly proud of our children and the strong foundation we’ve built as a family. Seeing them grow into independent, capable young adults has been one of our greatest joys. But honestly, I mean the foundation we both grew up with; our families gave us the tools that we attempted to roll out with our kids,” Jill said. “I think we did a pretty good job.”

“Whenever we're in the community or interacting with folks who come up to you and acknowledge interacting with your child, telling you you how impressed they are … Yeah, gets me emotional just talking about it,” Paul added.

Jill encouraged students pursuing a career in marketing to gather as much information as possible as they look to launch their careers.

“Get out there and do multiple internships. Make a list of those brands that you would love to work for and that align with your morals and your values and where you want to head as a young professional,” she said. “I’m always encouraging young people to never set their sights low; shoot high. You never know what's possible. Just put yourself out there.”

Paul had his own advice for students as well.

“Get involved in clubs that align with your passions and travel abroad,” he said, before adding with a chuckle, “And try to get a job as a bartender. You might just meet your future wife.”