Allison Conner
Dr. Gabriela Kiesel is one of the few veterinarians that oversees a complex operation with Jennie-O in various locations across Minnesota, the nation’s top turkey-producing state. She helps yield nearly 180 million pounds of meat for consumers across the United States annually.
A Bemidji State education helped Olson discover that his two greatest passions — science and saxophone — were never meant to compete. They were destined to work in harmony.
Years after asking why Native stories seemed missing from his own education, 2026 Bemidji State University graduate Mitchell Johnson now finds himself at the front of a classroom teaching Ojibwe language and Anishinaabe Studies at Red Lake Nation College.
Anessa DeGroat rebuilt her life in recovery while developing strength and heightened self-awareness to sustain it. Now, the 2025 Bemidji State University alumna is helping others reach that same turning point.
Rachel Kniss has worked her way into a career that demands both resilience and adaptability. And, as she’s discovered, it also requires a good partner.
Megan Nicholls is pursuing her childhood dream at Bemidji State University because scholarships made it possible. And today, donors have the opportunity to support students like Nicholls through Day of Giving.
Both Alyvia Arndt and Brooke Krivich entered the workforce while still enrolled at BSU through the George W. Nielson Foundation paid internship program. Those positions soon evolved into full-time jobs, allowing them to move directly into their career instead of into months of uncertainty.
Joshua Jones found a passion for hydrogeology at Bemidji State, and the McKnight Foundation recently awarded him the Heart of Community Honor for his work at the Red Lake DNR and in the community.
The story that carries Dr. Sherry Holloway is the belief that others placed in her before she had it within herself. Now in a position to pass it on, she’s offering belief to every student who enters her classroom.
Through mock interviews, one-on-one career consulting sessions, and a social hour, approximately 50 students engaged in insightful conversations about what to expect career-wise after graduation.