Donor Impact Dragon Stories

Tara Baltes had a great experience as a student as MSUM, and is excited to give back as a member of the Foundation Board. She’s taken many of the things she’s learned as a Dragon, including the core values of grit, humility, and heart, and used them in her career as talent acquisition specialist at Bell Bank.

For Chloe Flynn, making valuable connections in MSUM’s SMART Start program helped ease the transition from high school to college.

President Anne celebrates the College of Education and Human Services national accreditation by the Council for the Accreditation of Educator Preparation (CAEP). This recognition demonstrates that MSUM meets rigorous standards for educator preparation, preparing the next generation of educators to succeed in a diverse range of classrooms.

Ellen Case worked multiple jobs while taking classes full-time at MSUM. Remembering that struggle, she is passionate about giving back so that students can focus on their educational experience.

Students Mara DeRung, Emily Watson and Tanner Weyer gathered research for NASA’s Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite (TESS) mission. 

Sierra is an MSUM senior majoring in commercial music and entertainment industries and technology. She can play the euphonium, bassoon, tenor sax, violin, guitar, trumpet, French horn, clarinet, keyboard, string bass and more. On her way to becoming a film composer, Sierra is a multi-talented performer who continually embraces new challenges in the realm of music.

MSUM teaching alumni have a habit of winning awards, and 2022 was no different. Before the calendar switches over, we want to recognize the outstanding work our alumni are doing in their communities.

Next week, MSUM will celebrate Commencement with 290 new graduates and hundreds of their family members and friends. President Anne Blackhurst is counting down the days to this vivid reminder of the transformative power of education and triumph over challenging circumstances.

Disney World, “A Place Where Dreams Come True,” rings true for MSUM student Abbi Williams. Abbi is a part of the Disney College Program and is currently working in Florida as a crew member while attending online courses through MSUM.  

MSUM’s School of Art teamed up with the School of Media Arts and Design (SoMAD) and created a billboard for Churches United that spread the word about the organization’s mission.

Starting college can be an enormous financial burden for many students. While they are getting an education they value, making ends meet can be a struggle, especially for those living independently for the first time. MSUM is assisting students with this burden by establishing the Dragon Pantry.

The holiday video is always a shining example of our students’ creativity, skills and patience for intricate work.