The People of the North
What Story Carries You?
Behind our transformational For the North campaign stand the People of the North. They are students, graduates, and supporters of Bemidji State University. Each of them has a unique story, and each of them is carried by it.
Watch our campaign video to learn more about the People of the North and the stories that carry them.
Off and Running
Inspired by Indigenous ancestors, Josie Aitken’s family support is what carries her toward a Bemidji State degree.
'This Is What My Ancestors Fought For'
Higher education exists for people just like Josie Aitken.
Though that truth hasn’t always felt like the status quo, Bemidji State University has embraced the need of shaping itself to serve Indigenous students like Aitken.
“This is what my ancestors fought for,” Aitken said. “There are not very many Indigenous people in higher education, but that number is growing.”
In 2025, BSU graduated an institution-record 84 American Indian students. Soon, Aitken plans to walk across that Commencement stage and become an alumna herself. The senior from Cass Lake is an enrolled member of the Leech Lake Band of Ojibwe who also runs on the women’s track and field team. She shares a warm personality with everyone she encounters — even down to the eight-legged creatures she gently picks up along the Lake Bemidji shoreline. (The wildlife biology major is unapologetically a self-proclaimed spider lover.)
But perhaps the most important element to her college experience is the presence of the American Indian Resource Center. More than just a building — and a beautiful one at that — it rose up in 2003 as a lasting promise that the Anishinaabe have a prominent place in higher education and on the land they’ve long called home.
It’s a declaration that they belong where their people have always been.
“The AIRC is a reminder of my people being in higher education. That’s what drew me to Bemidji State,” Aitken said. “I’ve met a lot of people here who acknowledge that BSU is on Ojibwe land and acknowledge the fact that Indigenous people go through a lot of hardships to get here.”
Every student comes to college with a unique testimony. For Aitken, the story that carries her is that of her family. She grew up surrounded by people who supported her dreams and invested in her future.
Aitken’s mother inspired her to run. Her father was an Indigenous rights advocate. Her eldest sister instilled Indigenous and philosophical knowledge in her, and her other older sister, an assistant professor of Indigenous Sustainability Studies, serves students at the AIRC. What’s more, Aitken now has two nieces who look up to her, and she desires to be a positive role model for them.
Aitken competes to honor all her family has done for her, and she pursues her degree to maximize all she can do for them. Bemidji State, and the donors behind the For the North campaign, have given her that chance.
“It’s important that I have the opportunity to compete at a higher level of athletics and be in higher education as an Indigenous woman,” Aitken said. “And that’s the most important thing: You can be strong and athletic and have all these different things, but to be educated is probably the most important thing you can do for yourself and your people.”
On the track, Aitken runs in the 400-meter dash, the 4x400 relay, and will “sometimes sprinkle in the 200 just for fun.” She’s a Bemidji High School graduate who was raised under the watchful eye of Paul Bunyan and Shaynowishkung — also known as Chief Bemidji. But as she grew up observing events like the Olympics and the World Cup, she noticed there weren’t many women who looked like her or came from a similar background.
But rather than being disheartened by underrepresentation, Aitken viewed it as an opportunity to inspire the next generation — like the nieces following in her footsteps. That calling has led her to athletic and academic scholarships and to the cusp of her degree.
Because Aitken knows the finish line is just the beginning.
“Bemidji State really helped me strengthen my sense of identity,” Aitken said. “If you surround yourself with the right people who make you happy and support you, it really pushes you to where you want to be.”
Written by Micah Friez
Photo credit: Brent Cizek Photography and Lainie Hiller Photography
Off and Running
Inspired by Indigenous ancestors, Josie Aitken’s family support is what carries her toward a Bemidji State degree.
'This Is What My Ancestors Fought For'
Higher education exists for people just like Josie Aitken.
Though that truth hasn’t always felt like the status quo, Bemidji State University has embraced the need of shaping itself to serve Indigenous students like Aitken.
“This is what my ancestors fought for,” Aitken said. “There are not very many Indigenous people in higher education, but that number is growing.”
In 2025, BSU graduated an institution-record 84 American Indian students. Soon, Aitken plans to walk across that Commencement stage and become an alumna herself. The senior from Cass Lake is an enrolled member of the Leech Lake Band of Ojibwe who also runs on the women’s track and field team. She shares a warm personality with everyone she encounters — even down to the eight-legged creatures she gently picks up along the Lake Bemidji shoreline. (The wildlife biology major is unapologetically a self-proclaimed spider lover.)
But perhaps the most important element to her college experience is the presence of the American Indian Resource Center. More than just a building — and a beautiful one at that — it rose up in 2003 as a lasting promise that the Anishinaabe have a prominent place in higher education and on the land they’ve long called home.
It’s a declaration that they belong where their people have always been.
“The AIRC is a reminder of my people being in higher education. That’s what drew me to Bemidji State,” Aitken said. “I’ve met a lot of people here who acknowledge that BSU is on Ojibwe land and acknowledge the fact that Indigenous people go through a lot of hardships to get here.”
Every student comes to college with a unique testimony. For Aitken, the story that carries her is that of her family. She grew up surrounded by people who supported her dreams and invested in her future.
Aitken’s mother inspired her to run. Her father was an Indigenous rights advocate. Her eldest sister instilled Indigenous and philosophical knowledge in her, and her other older sister, an assistant professor of Indigenous Sustainability Studies, serves students at the AIRC. What’s more, Aitken now has two nieces who look up to her, and she desires to be a positive role model for them.
Aitken competes to honor all her family has done for her, and she pursues her degree to maximize all she can do for them. Bemidji State, and the donors behind the For the North campaign, have given her that chance.
“It’s important that I have the opportunity to compete at a higher level of athletics and be in higher education as an Indigenous woman,” Aitken said. “And that’s the most important thing: You can be strong and athletic and have all these different things, but to be educated is probably the most important thing you can do for yourself and your people.”
On the track, Aitken runs in the 400-meter dash, the 4x400 relay, and will “sometimes sprinkle in the 200 just for fun.” She’s a Bemidji High School graduate who was raised under the watchful eye of Paul Bunyan and Shaynowishkung — also known as Chief Bemidji. But as she grew up observing events like the Olympics and the World Cup, she noticed there weren’t many women who looked like her or came from a similar background.
But rather than being disheartened by underrepresentation, Aitken viewed it as an opportunity to inspire the next generation — like the nieces following in her footsteps. That calling has led her to athletic and academic scholarships and to the cusp of her degree.
Because Aitken knows the finish line is just the beginning.
“Bemidji State really helped me strengthen my sense of identity,” Aitken said. “If you surround yourself with the right people who make you happy and support you, it really pushes you to where you want to be.”
Written by Micah Friez
Photo credit: Brent Cizek Photography and Lainie Hiller Photography
The People of the North
Bemidji State’s For the North fundraising campaign is built for students: those who enroll to study, to grow, and to succeed. And the heartbeat of the campaign is the donors: those who advocate and invest in that kind of bright future. Collectively, they are the People of the North.
Through Bemidji State, the North Woods Transforms Lives
Every person at Bemidji State University comes to campus with a unique story.
For some, it’s the legacy of family heritage steeped in BSU origins. For others, unexpected scholarships became the open door they needed to enroll as a first-generation college student. And still for more, Bemidji State was simply the best place to find their calling and launch their future.
So, while each Beaver arrives with a unique story, many leave with a shared testimony.
“All of us came here looking for the next step,” said alumna Muriel Kingery. “We found it here, and BSU was here to support us and to give us room to explore who we were.”
Bemidji State’s For the North fundraising campaign is built for students: those who enroll to study, to grow, and to succeed. And the heartbeat of the campaign is the donors: those who advocate and invest in that kind of bright future.
Collectively, they are the People of the North.
“The whole spirit of BSU is in the people,” Kingery said. “For example, being able to see all the alumni who come back for Homecoming is the best. And when we win, we get to cheer for the football team as they jump into the lake. That tradition is so special to this place. It really shows the joy and the spirit of our campus.”
Bemidji State’s longstanding lake-jump tradition not only adds to the culture of the school, it encapsulates the unique geographical advantages of living in northern Minnesota.
Yes, BSU can offer quirky perks like free parking on the lake in the wintertime and a network of heated tunnels connecting buildings so students can avoid the freezing cold. But it’s more than that. Beyond classroom learning, Bemidji State has unique offerings within nature that community members can harness for good.
“There’s so much opportunity for a student to step into the North Woods of Minnesota,” said alumnus Jordan Lutz. “Our campus’ location on the western shores of Lake Bemidji is a critical component of how we understand ourselves as an institution. The ability to step outside of a building and see the lake, it really helps because we understand the value of the resource that we’re really trying to shepherd.”
Bemidji State has over 6,000 alumni living within a 30-mile radius of campus. Many students come in and realize, like Lutz, that it’s a hard place to leave. And with that comes a sense of obligation to steward the North.
“I am one of those individuals who came to BSU as a student, but find myself a Bemidji resident years later, raising a family,” Lutz said. “During their time at BSU, students will be called upon to make our campus and our broader community a better place. And that is a call to invest, to lean in, and to join us in making a better future.”
‘How it’s meant to be’
Jean Claude Habanyurukundo is an international student from Rwanda. He and his four brothers have spread all across the globe in search of a good education, which he said his culture believes “is one of the ways to make it in life.”
At BSU, and nearly 8,000 miles from home, Habanyurukundo has received the quality education he originally dreamed of. But he’s also benefited from his local community as much as the classroom. As a first-generation college student, Habanyurukundo views his opportunities at Bemidji State as something that will impact his family for generations.
“BSU, with people being close to you all the time to support you, it gives you a big chance to stand out and excel,” he said. “I will tell my children and my grandchildren all the great stories and the good experiences I had at BSU.”
Similarly, alumna Shelana Ysen has seen her professional trajectory skyrocket ever since receiving an acceptance letter from Bemidji State when other schools denied her the chance to succeed. But BSU didn’t just let her enroll — it provided her hands-on experiences that shaped her career path for the better.
As a student, Ysen was originally set on pursuing public relations. But after she begrudgingly got stationed behind a camera at a football game, she discovered immediately that she loved sports production. Because she only needed one chance, and because BSU offered it to her, Ysen now works as the senior event and production manager at the Sanford Center in Bemidji.
“In some ways, college is that expansion of your horizons,” she said. “You may want to do one thing, and you get to campus and you realize there’s so much more you didn’t consider. My whole trajectory, it’s almost like this is how it was meant to be.”
Bemidji State’s faculty and staff are fervent about helping students discover those pathways. Dr. Cory Renbarger, a professor of music and the director of Bemidji Opera Theater, sees it as one of the best parts of his job. It’s why he’s here.
Each year brings new students, new graduates, and new supporters into the People of the North collective. When they combine to establish a mutualistic relationship within the For the North campaign, transformation happens.
“BSU’s mission is to educate students to lead inspired lives,” Renbarger said. “The students, they’re capable. They’re open to discovery. We attract a kind of student that grabs life by the horns on their own. They’re not afraid to try. And I think that’s a great place to start.”
Written by Micah Friez
Carried by Belief
As a student, Dr. Sherry Holloway needed someone to believe in her. She found that support in spades, and now she's offering it to the next generation through a calling that goes full-circle.
Serving as Living Proof, Dr. Sherry Holloway Works to Ensure the North is for Everyone
When Dr. Sherry K. Holloway first arrived at Bemidji State University, she wasn’t sure if she was in the right place.
A first-generation college student and single mother, she arrived with only $4 and her 2-year-old daughter’s hand in hers. Holloway stood on the lawn in front of Hobson Memorial Union and stopped to observe robust campus life with a lingering question staying quietly in her mind: Do I belong here?
The answer, she found, was a resounding yes.
“I wasn’t your typical student,” said Holloway. “But this community welcomed me. My professors even let me bring my daughter to class when I couldn’t afford daycare.”
That kindness became her mission. Dr. Holloway is now an assistant professor in Human Performance, Sport and Health, and she’s the Developmental Adapted Physical Education program coordinator. The story that carries her 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.
Although her own first steps were uncertain, Holloway proved with each forward stride that she was not going to retreat. BSU became more than a campus; it became her home community and a place where she could learn, parent, and grow.
“College wasn’t something I felt prepared to do. But people here believed in me,” Holloway said. “It just felt right to stay here.”
‘The kind of bond that keeps people here’
Encouraged by professors who saw her potential, Holloway found more than just academic direction at Bemidji State; she found a sense of belonging. The professors were her steadfast reliability during those formidable years of balancing motherhood, work, and long hours of study. She began to move from the uncertainty of a new environment with confidence — the same confidence she now helps others discover in their own movement, both in body and in mind.
“My mentors took me out for dinner when I received my doctorate,” she said. “My daughter and granddaughter know them well. They’ve been our lives for decades. That’s the kind of bond that keeps people here.”
After teaching in Bemidji Area Schools and earning her doctorate from the University of Alberta, she felt called back to the university that first shaped her path.
In 2013, when she returned to Bemidji State, she was no longer the young mother who had once wondered whether she was suited to the curriculum or to a higher education lifestyle. She was a transformed professional educator and an inclusion pioneer. She came back with a vision to give others a sense of belonging, along with the skill set to execute it.
Transforming lives through motion
Now in her 33rd year of teaching and 12th at BSU, Holloway leads Bemidji State’s DAPE program with passion. Minnesota is one of 19 states in the nation that requires a license for educators who specialize in adapted movement and inclusion. Holloway's mission is simple but profound: to build a world where every person, regardless of ability, feels they belong.
Her passion for inclusion began years ago. She guided canoe trips, as part of the BSU’s Outdoor Program Center, into the Boundary Waters, and she led summer camps for visually impaired and blind adults. She learned there that “the right pathway to movement can transform lives.”
That belief continues to ripple through her work today. As part of the Bemidji Blue Ox Marathon this fall, Holloway helped ensure accessibility by creating a walk, run, and roll event that supported adapted athletes to participate in an inclusive event.
“Everyone moves differently,” Holloway said. “Events like this remind us that community happens when everyone shares the same space.”
Her advocacy doesn’t stop at Unified sports and adapted athletics. Holloway is working with BSU leaders to plan and implement the first inclusive higher education initiatives at a four-year university in Minnesota, creating opportunities for students with intellectual and developmental disabilities to learn alongside their peers.
“This work goes beyond sport,” she said. “It’s about access, confidence, and connection — helping every student find a sense of belonging here.”
Holloway’s journey has come full circle, and her story is proof that mentorship and care have a multiplying effect. Once an unsure student, Holloway now helps new generations find their footing through the abundance of belief she discovered on campus soon after her arrival.
“The North shaped me,” Holloway said. “Now I hope my work shapes this community in return.”
Written by Allison Conner
Scholarship by Surprise
The For the North campaign has already raised more than $20 million in support of student success stories like freshman Clara Barth’s. It stands as a momentous effort for Bemidji State, defining a new era of impact and community engagement.
For the North Brings $1,000 Scholarship Boost to Freshman Clara Barth
Celebratory music carried across the Bemidji State University campus on Oct. 2, drawing in students, staff and faculty to the Alumni & Foundation’s For the North Block Party. Among the gatherers was freshman Clara Barth, who had wandered over after class, caught up in the energy of Homecoming week.
On that unseasonably hot October afternoon, the crowd grew quiet as the $1,000 scholarship drawing was about to begin. In the audience, Barth — a freshman biology major from St. Francis — was unaware that a moment of chance would soon help shape her first semester at BSU.
There she stood, stunned, holding the winning ticket.
“I was just so surprised,” said Barth, who was one of the two scholarship winners. “That was not what I was expecting to be doing that day at all. While being at BSU, I’ve found myself doing things I never anticipated, and every opportunity opens another door.”
Barth said the crowd’s energy pulled her into the event before she realized it was a celebration of the For the North fundraising campaign. Even when the winning number rang out, Barth wasn’t expecting to be a grand prize winner.
She hesitated for a moment, unsure if she’d really heard her number, but a friend urged her forward. Swept up in the moment, yet still in disbelief, Barth made her way to the stage to happily accept the giant check.
“I knew it was my number, and my friend did too,” she said. “She looked at me and said, ‘Go, go!’ And I’m thinking, oh my goodness, I don’t do stuff like this. I was so nervous, but it was so exciting.”
The For the North campaign has already raised more than $20 million in support of student success stories like Barth’s. It stands as a momentous effort for BSU, defining a new era of impact and community engagement. The campaign will provide scholarships and resources that make college a flourishing experience for BSU students rather than a financially worrisome endeavor.
“I’m grateful for everything Bemidji State has offered me and for all the financial help I’ve received,” Barth said. “It puts me a step ahead in that way. I was expecting to be paying student loans for the rest of my life, but through BSU, I don’t think I’ll have to deal with that — and that’s really amazing.”
‘BSU has been full of surprises’
As Barth settles into her first year at Bemidji State, she’s finding that generosity is etched in nearly every part of campus life — and within a community that encourages her to try new things and chase opportunities she never imagined.
“BSU has been full of surprises,” Barth said. “I’ve been doing things I never expected. There are so many opportunities and outlets here. I can be in different clubs and do all kinds of things through them.”
She’s especially inspired by her involvement in The Wildlife Society, where guest speakers help connect her classroom learning to real-world career paths.
“We had a speaker talk about how their job is to specifically work with ducks,” she said. “That made me realize I could have a job that specializes in working with deer, my favorite animal. It opened my eyes to how many paths there are in this field, and that’s really exciting.”
That realization, paired with the unexpected scholarship win, has given Barth both an energized sense of clarity and a boost of confidence for her future.
Though the donors behind the For the North campaign didn’t write the oversized check themselves, their generosity is already shaping Barth’s academic journey and her ambition to pay it forward when it’s her turn one day.
“With all the help and support I’ve been given, I really want to put it to good use,” Barth said. “Whether it’s through my future job or volunteering, I want to find ways to give back. It feels like the right thing to do after being given so much.”
Written by Allison Conner
“All of us came here looking for the next step. BSU was here to support us and to give us room to explore who we were.”
– Muriel Kingery
The future of the North starts right here, right now. And it starts with you.
For the North is a targeted-initiative fundraising campaign that emphasizes what we all stand for. It leans into how we can channel our story, our gifts and our experiences for Bemidji State students. We want to ensure they never forget the incredible impact northern Minnesota and our institution have on their lives, and we want Bemidji State graduates to shape the future of the North Woods.
Click on a fund below to donate to one of our pillars or to learn more about them.
Want More Info?
Learn more about For the North and view the progress toward our $25 million by clicking the button below or by visiting bsualumni.org/forthenorth.