By Micah Friez
Published 3:17 pm on November 27, 2024
Dave Dahlen’s morning routine starts out like anyone else’s.
But before he arrives to work at Mayo Clinic in Rochester, he always completes his ensemble with an eye-catching signature.
“I wear bow ties every day,” he says. “And yes, it’s every day.”
That’s who Dahlen is: a man who, once he commits, goes all in.
Such an admirable quality can also be said of his recent involvement with Bemidji State University. The 1989 graduate has been eagerly invested in BSU happenings since re-engaging with the university, and he’s found great fulfillment in doing so.
“Frankly, I haven’t been very good at keeping up until just the last few years. So I’m glad to re-establish the connection,” Dahlen says. “But alumni events are a real opportunity to keep in touch with what’s going on at Bemidji State and to maintain that connectivity with folks in the area. Being around (fellow Beavers) gives me a sense of pride.”
“I think Bemidji State is one of the best-kept secrets in the state of Minnesota.”
– Dave Dahlen
Dahlen was ever-present during the Alumni & Foundation’s social in Rochester on Nov. 21. He also went the extra mile by giving a tour of Mayo Clinic facilities to BSU faculty members and other representatives – while intentionally sporting his striped green and white bow tie for a Bemidji State theme, no less.
“Dave personifies the kind of engagement we hope to see in all our alumni with his enthusiasm and initiative,” says Angela Schmidt, the foundation’s director of alumni and career advancement. “What makes him so special is not just his active involvement but also his genuine passion for helping others succeed.”
Bow ties for Bob
Dave is not the only member of the Dahlen family to rock a bow tie.
His oldest brother, Bob – who graduated from Bemidji State in 1983 – was first to begin wearing one every day when he served as a pastor in Goodridge. Dave slacked off back then, only wearing bow ties on Fridays.
But Bob was diagnosed with acute myeloid leukemia and ultimately died in April 2022. So now, Dave’s daily bow ties are more than just a fashion accessory. They’re a tribute.
“Ever since he’s passed away, I wear bow ties every day because he wore them every day,” Dave says. “Even if I’m working from home, if I’ve got to be on Zoom, I’ve always got a bow tie on.”
Despite his grief, Dahlen’s warm smile completes his look. He’s cheery as can be, and he picks up frequent bow tie compliments while ushering around the BSU delegation as Mayo’s sharpest-dressed (albeit unofficial) tour guide.
He zips around with vigor and proudly shares the good news that Mayo produces. He’s clearly grateful to work here, currently serving as the education compliance officer at the Mayo Clinic College of Medicine and Science. He describes his position as one akin to a job in a university’s academic affairs office.
Dahlen credits BSU for being one of the first launching points in his lifelong trajectory. And it all roots back to his involvement as a student, whether that be signing up for EuroSpring, his work study job as a campus tour guide or his participation in the Red Line Swingers pep band.
“I think Bemidji State is one of the best-kept secrets in the state of Minnesota,” he says. “I’ve worked with a lot of people who have gone to what we consider very prestigious institutions, places like Harvard and Yale and Johns Hopkins. The fact of the matter is, it doesn’t matter where you go to school. It matters what you do with the opportunities that you are afforded while you’re there.
“I took full advantage of a small-school experience and I've been able to parlay that into what I guess I might call a successful career, working at the No. 1 institution for healthcare in the United States.”
What’s poppin’ at Mayo Clinic
A proficient tour guide, Dahlen escorts the crew in and out of buildings, up and down elevators and back and forth around the Mayo Clinic campus. He went to BSU for history, so he beelines to all of Mayo’s most impressive highlights and is meticulous while recounting its past.
They pass by Andy Warhol paintings, an Auguste Rodin sculpture, beautifully preserved architecture and budding construction sites for new facilities on the way. But Dahlen is perhaps most proud of his coveted downtown parking spot, which he finally secured after working at Mayo for 15 years.
Today, that waiting list for employees is 22 years long.
The tour intersects with plenty of Dahlen’s peers, many of whom offer glowing reviews of their bow-tied colleague and some of whom even attended Bemidji State. Naturally, Dahlen begins recruiting them to that evening’s BSU social just a few blocks down. (And, unsurprisingly, they end up attending due to Dahlen’s persistence.)
“Alums like Dave remind us that BSU doesn’t just produce talented professionals; it shapes compassionate leaders and genuine people who positively impact the world.”
– Angela Schmidt
Dahlen also arranges for a visit with Karen Helfinstine, the vice chair of education at the Mayo Clinic College of Medicine and Science. Helfinstine gladly sits for the meeting and talks shop with Bemidji State’s Jeffrey Bell, dean of the College of Sciences and Health; Angie Fournier, psychology professor; Michael Hamann, biology professor and department chair; and Marci Maple, nursing professor.
But the journey isn’t complete until a jaunt down to Carroll’s Corn, a popcorn shop founded in 1993 by former Bemidji State swimmer Pat Carroll. (Dahlen, who appreciates another BSU connection, says he comes by about twice a week.)
Once customers step inside, the heat of the popper hits just as fast as the sweet aroma. Everything in the overflowing store has been made fresh that day because demand is so high. Each kernel, whether delivered to a Mayo hospital room or shipped internationally, is popped in the store.
Dahlen, of course, humbly accepts another bow tie compliment before departing with his goodies.
‘It’s been really good to reconnect’
Not long after the tour ends, Dahlen waltzes into the alumni social with his wife, Anne. The two mingle, grab pizza and find a conversation to drum up with other attendees.
Much like when discussing the history of Mayo, he comes alive in this setting.
“It’s been really good to reconnect,” Dahlen says of attending the social, now the second of its kind in Rochester. “It’s my opportunity to meet with BSU folks who are in the area. I used to work with Sara over there in the medical school. So we had that connection already.”
Almost the entire guest list is comprised of new attendees, but Dahlen has been itching to get back ever since the first Rochester social took place in January. Likewise, Bemidji State was eager to host him again.
“We take a lot of pride in having individuals like Dave represent BSU globally,” Schmidt says. “He embodies hard work and success, but he also demonstrates kindness and humility and a commitment to making a difference. Alums like Dave remind us that BSU doesn’t just produce talented professionals; it shapes compassionate leaders and genuine people who positively impact the world.”
It’s not a one-off anomaly, either. Dahlen served on an Alumni Leaders in the Classroom panel during Homecoming this fall, and he’s been on the lookout for other ways to get involved. He admits he wasn’t a particularly great student (though he guarantees “I had the most fun of any freshman on the campus at that point”), yet he’s found a familiar sense of community while around fellow Beavers once again.
In fact, he’s so comfortable around them that he unwinds early. He unties his bow tie and loosens the collar of his dress shirt, relaxing in his chair as the event nears its farewell.
But as soon as he hears rumblings of a new alumni event coming to Arizona, Dahlen quickly finds a second wind: “Well, I want to go!”
