Education Dragon Stories

As graduation nears, excitement fills the air as this year’s graduates prepare to walk across the stage. Sejla Dervisic, a third-year senior double majoring in history and political science, is the featured student speaker at the 2 p.m. ceremony.

President Anne Blackhurst sends the Class of 2023 off with well wishes and Dragon Pride.

Blackhurst has served as president of Minnesota State University Moorhead since 2014, when she was named its 11^th president. She is now passing the torch onto the new president as she steps into retirement.

Stephanie Ballard earned her degree in elementary education in 2014 and has come back to her alma mater to give the commencement speech for MSUM’s 2023 spring graduates. 

Political science major, Sami Farrell, is one of MSUM’s 2023 student speakers for Commencement. 

Meet Brad Shamla, one of the newest MSUM Foundation Board members. He learned valuable life lessons as co-captain of the Dragon Football team, which helped him throughout his successful career. He looks forward to supporting future generations of MSUM students and playing a role in their success.

Emma Dettmann's involvement in the MSUM music department has given her the nickname "Heart of the Center for the Arts" for good reason.

MSUM’s SLHS and special education students teamed up in an interprofessional project to strengthen their collaboration skills. 

Director of Graduate Studies Maya Sosa Machado, PhD, shares what MSUM graduate studies looks for in candidates and discusses what has changed in recent years. It has become less about finding the perfect "fit" and more about finding unique voices and new perspectives.

This week, construction has started on the upcoming MSUM Foundation’s Alumni Center. Having been decades in the making, the Alumni Center will be complete by late summer in 2024.

English and film graduates Sean Syverson and John Kapla own one of downtown Moorhead's newest taverns, Swing Barrel Brewing.

Alonzo Cruz, an MSUM early education major highlighted the importance of male representation in the classroom and addressed the stigma and under-representation of men as educators at this year's Student Academic Conference.