Magazine

Every day, the Boys & Girls Club of the Bemidji Area is flooded with kids. And welcoming them with open arms are some of Bemidji State University’s finest.

When 6-year-old Jorge Prince first arrived in Minnesota’s Northwoods, he did not speak English. But he’s now fluent in all things Paul Bunyan and, as Bemidji’s mayor, stands just as tall as its favorite lumberjack.

Mark Backlin, a 1979 Bemidji State University graduate, has facilitated over 70 medical missions to over 220 Ecuadorian communities in the past 16 years. He and his teams have helped more than 80,000 patients with sometimes basic, yet often life-changing, care.