By Allyssa "A.J." Joseph
Published 8:29 am on January 26, 2026
When I packed my bags for Bemidji in 2023 and left Denver to accept the role as executive director of the Bemidji State University Alumni & Foundation, I knew I was stepping into a major new chapter. What I didn’t imagine, however, was writing the opening letter for a publication as historic and heartfelt as the one you're about to see now.
While we love our traditional alumni magazine and will certainly keep it in rotation, we decided this time to bring you directly inside the For the North campaign. This special edition shares heartfelt stories, goals and opportunities for you and all Beavers to be For the North.
The recipe for a $25 million success
How does an institution successfully launch a major fundraising campaign, following a seven-year hiatus after the success of the first? The recipe is simple, but the ingredients are everything.
You must begin with visionaries: Our Alumni & Foundation Board of Directors knew that the time was ripe to build upon our momentum and launch a new campaign. Add a president determined to bridge the gap to the future for BSU’s financial prosperity, supported by a first spouse committed to building community. Sprinkle in an executive director with the flair of creativity and discipline to build a measurable plan. Mix in a heaping of amazing staff who stepped up to operate the day-to-day needs in addition to pursuing the big-picture dreams.
And then the not-so-secret ingredient: Top it off with thousands of donors with gifts to unique passions that have spanned all across campus. We’ve felt the support from both the first-time giver who is just getting involved in philanthropy and transformational donors like Mike and Tracy Roberge, who endorsed our work with For the North’s lead gift and the momentum needed to go public in August. With that alignment and commitment, our $25 million campaign was truly born.
Finding our passion for the North
For the North continues to create storybook endings. That’s because it taps directly into the love and passion we all hold for Bemidji State and its unique position in northern Minnesota.
I never thought I’d be hugging a beaver mascot like my life depended on it, reading studies on keeping our lakes clean, feeling my soul awakened at a powwow, or tearing up at the Hall of Fame banquet over legends named Bob Peters and Chet Anderson, who I’ve never even met. But that is what For the North has done: It’s brought out the very best of our BSU experience, reminding us of what makes our time here so special.
As you read, I hope you can connect how our three pillars — Student Success; Enrollment and Recruitment; and Facility Upgrades and Faculty Excellence — will solidify BSU’s place in serving the North and beyond. We hope it inspires you to invest, knowing that future generations of students, faculty, and staff will feel that same powerful connection.
Thank you for reading. We’ve accomplished so much already, and I hope you will come alongside us as we skate toward our $25 million goal in support of Bemidji State!
Allyssa "A.J." Joseph
Executive Director, BSU Alumni & Foundation
