Student and Staff Spotlights

“Sports are something that I am very passionate about and I want them to be a part of my life for as long as they can.”

“I found that I was most interested in pursuing a career in pediatric occupational therapy due to its focus on helping and supporting children reach their full potential and developmental milestones.”

“I grew up around computers with my grandma and father both teaching classes, computers became something I really enjoyed working with and figuring out!”

“When I became a mom, my priorities changed. I accepted a job at my daughter’s school as a paraprofessional and decided education would be my second career.”

“Even though they were over 5000 miles away from me, I still felt as if I was already part of the VCSU family before even arriving.”

“Many of my professors, advisors and friends are actively involved in my life and career. I cannot recommend Valley City State University enough to anyone coming out of high school or a 2-year college.”

“I have zero regrets choosing VCSU! Without the professors in the education program, I wouldn’t be teaching my own classroom as a student teacher.”

“I have already accepted a kindergarten position at Eastwood Elementary in West Fargo and started on November 4th. I love my school, students, and colleagues! I do plan to come back to VCSU when I decide to get my masters degree!”

“Since Valley City is a smaller community, attending VCSU has led me to make so many valuable connections.”

“VCSU’s MAT program gave me the flexibility as well as the support I needed to complete my master’s degree in just under 2 years. The courses were all online but the instructors were all accessible as if they were in person courses.”

“Music has always been a huge part of my life. It’s everywhere. I have always wanted to share music with others and I want to teach music to those who may need it most.”

“I come from a small town, and VCSU had that same feel right away. The people make you feel welcome, and they want to know you.”

“You can always change your situations. They might be forced upon you, but you can change and become the best version of yourself that you can be, whatever that looks like.”

I love exploring different regions of the country and learning about new cultures. As a family we love to be outdoors and have spent many days over the past year hiking and enjoying warm days at the beach.

When I first toured VCSU, I fell in love with their education program because of the many experiences I would get in the classroom.

“I enjoyed getting the chance to get to know my professors in my department along with my preceptors in the athletic training room. I had a lot of fun at bingo nights and enjoyed how quiet and calm campus is. I appreciated that as I was leaving Valley City I could say I created a relationship with my professors that will last well beyond my four years here.”

I also loved that I could work, be a mom to my kids, and still work toward my goals!

Campus carpenter and artist, Ryan Boll is a lifelong Viking. His work on campus is many years in the making and shouldn’t go unrecognized. So, if you’re still making your way towards learning how to learn, don’t hesitate to stop and say hello.

“I became interested in this subject through a historiography class I took in the fall semester of 2023. My research project in the class was on reconstruction, a period of American history after the Civil War when the federal government secured civil rights for the recently freed Americans in the South. The project examined what historians consider the successes and failures of reconstruction in the South. My SOAR project is an extension of the research I did for the historiography paper.”

Many of my classes I took at VCSU helped me be prepared for my career based on being placed in schools for observations, teaching to my peers with feedback, and building those relationships with current educators in the field that you can reach out and share ideas with!

“I have always had a passion for the outdoors, hunting, and fishing. After spending 10 years in the construction industry I decided to change careers and wanted to work with wildlife.”

“VCSU above everything teaches you to be a lifelong learner. I feel like that is something I’ll always have with me.”

“After graduation, I would like to get into Basketball skill development training while also coaching the sport during the season. I would like to eventually get into a Sports Information Director or Athletic Director type role.”

“When Alex Klever began his college career, he had no idea it would lead to him traveling across the country for one of the best internship opportunities of his life. Now, as graduation approaches, he wouldn’t have had it any other way.”

“I owe a lot to this university. VCSU has provided me with so many opportunities to grow as a person. VCSU gave me the opportunity to self-discovery, intellectual growth, and personal development. VCSU offers a platform for students to thrive in many aspects while forming lifelong relationships.”

“That tight knit community goes such a long way. In the past four years I’ve made so many great connections with so many great people because that family aspect is so huge here.”

“Additionally, as History Education major there were several required classroom practicums I had to complete that I was able to satisfy while working as a paraeducator. I was also able to do my student teaching in the school at which I worked, which helped a lot.”

“I am not exactly sure which path I’ll take, but I feel confident that I’ll acquire the skills at VCSU for any career I want to pursue.”

“I was originally a student at NDSCS in Wahpeton, once I graduated there, I made the decision to transfer to VCSU once I learned how involved and well-known their education program was.”

“I had an amazing Biology teacher in high school that encouraged me to always keep learning. I also have always been interested with nature, since we lived deep in the woods I was always outside.”

“Though my degree in music is not in line with my career,” he said, “that isn’t to say that the broad scope of my education didn’t help get me where I am today. Because I had such a solid educational foundation, I was able to take advantage of whatever career opportunities came my way.”

VCSU always felt comfortable in the sense that any time you were on campus you felt like you belonged.

I also appreciate the way that the Valley City community supports the university, taking Viking Pride beyond the campus and supporting the arts and athletics throughout Valley City.

“I remember a final project of having to make a complete and detailed business plan and present it. It gave me insight to what it takes to plan something like this and how difficult it can be but it sparked my motivation to make it real.”

“I knew it would not be an easy journey, but there are so many great faculty members in the science department who push me to be my best!”

“Being at VCSU, you will develop strong relationships with your professors if you take the time to do it. There are people who genuinely care about you and want you to succeed.”

“Don’t overload yourself with the pressure of playing a key role in five different clubs. Experiment with different clubs, attend when you want to, and feel free to change your mind.”

“I started with an exercise science major at my junior college but once I transferred to VCSU, after getting my associate degree, I chose strength & conditioning because I wanted to work with athletes and put what I learned into practice, especially biomechanics and kinesiology.”

“VCSU is a place where I’ve felt very embraced by each of my programs and faculty. The professors seem to genuinely care about propelling your career and giving you the opportunity for success in your field. It’s a supportive and intimate environment that I couldn’t imagine would be replicable at a larger institution.”

“I chose Human Services after realizing that not only did I want to help disabled individuals, but I wanted to help them in a bigger way than just their education. I wanted to help them in their everyday lives.”

“I would tell a student looking to pursue a degree in MLS that it is a program that requires time and effort. It is also a program that will focus on many subjects like Hematology, Microbiology, Chemistry, etc. In the end, it is a challenging but rewarding profession with many job opportunities available.”

“With a History Education major, I would specialize in history and one other subject. The Social Science Education major provides a broader study of the social sciences and allows me as to teach more subjects and topics within Social Studies.”

“Studying business here at VCSU provides a multitude of opportunities for future endeavors. The faculty and business department staff are always there to assist in any way that they can!”

“My first visit on campus I remember meeting with various staff and advisors, and I could feel their encouragement as we sat down to look at what classes and extracurriculars were offered. The benefit of going to a smaller college, I knew I would get that one-on-one relationship with the faculty, and it really showed as time went on.”

“Everyone has to nerd out about something. For me, it’s plants. I’m fascinated by how they operate, their ecosystems, their niches. There are just little things about different species that are really cool.”

“My most fond memories from VCSU are of working in the research labs over the summer and through the school year. Dr. Delorme and Louis Wieland lead research labs and field studies through a number of different grant programs. This provided students, including myself, an introduction to scientific methods and research which was an asset in graduate school.”

“…but to me, it’s all about the students. If they have an interest, they can join the team. We have had freshmen to seniors involved in research. When a student comes to me with an idea, my usual reaction is “let’s figure this out so you can do it.”

“The CSSE department and VCSU career services really does a phenomenal job in helping a student who wants to be proactive in the career hunt and search so I already have a job, that I am currently working, before even graduating and receiving my degree. I give all the credit to my department and career services for helping me achieve this.”

“VCSU has prepared me for real-world situations. Moving from Arkansas to North Dakota has been an adjustment, but for the type of work I’m considering, being adaptable is important. Especially if I plan to coach on the collegiate level for a few years. It’s also shown me the importance of creating relationships with individuals and getting out of my comfort zone.”

“Let’s be honest, it’s hard to speak chemistry, and the ability to explain a subject you love and seeing the light bulb *click* in the student’s minds is what drove me to get my Chemistry Education degree, as well as a Physics Minor, and STEM ED certificate.”

“I chose VCSU because it has the major that I want, and I am from Valley City, so it was a no brainer when the opportunity came about. I was also grateful I could keep my many jobs around town some of which include a mowing business and my high school tech job.”

“We have a lot of students involved with art. I tell the students that regardless of the career they choose, they will need a creative side of it as well. My students are doing art shows and the work necessary for college credit. Earning college course credits helps them to reach for the stars.”

“With the skills I have gained and the people I have been fortunate enough to meet at VCSU, I am optimistic for the future. As of now, I hope to meld my two career paths together to help in the development and creation of accounting software.”

“Whenever I see someone wearing my socks or shirts, it is pretty surreal. Wright Foot didn’t exist three years ago. Now it has customers and fans all over the world. I really enjoy making people laugh and now I get to do that for a living. I am grateful for that every single day.”

“Learn. But actually, take the time to learn. College is an atmosphere where ideas and high-level thinking surround each student. It’s a crazy atmosphere. To future students, take advantage. The best thing about a small university is the increased emphasis on single-student success.”

“The science department has the best professors in my opinion, by talking to my professors I took their recommendations and took a newly offered hydrology course for fun, and now look… I’m a hydrologist!”