MSUM and CHURCHES UNITED EXPAND PARTNERSHIP cultivatingcommunity

Minnesota

State University

Moorhead (MSUM) education professor Steve Grineski started partnering with Churches United for the Homeless seven years ago when he required students in his Social Foundations of Education class to complete 12 hours of volunteer service at the shelter.

“It was a wonderful opportunity for my students because most don’t get an opportunity to work with kids at an emergency homeless shelter,” Grineski says.

He retired from MSUM in 2015 and joined Churches United part-time in 2017. One of the first things he did was propose a comprehensive and enduring partnership to MSUM and Churches United leadership that would build upon the service learning project he started seven years ago. They embraced it. Today, Grineski works to continue the partnership with MSUM and children's programs at the shelter.

“The shelter has a lot to offer that could benefit the university,” Grineski says. “And the kids at the shelter would certainly benefit from college mentors.”

Over the years, hundreds of MSUM students have volunteered at Churches United. They mentor, supervise and transport to field trips, assist with special events, plan and implement story time and much more.

Kayli Fitz, an art education major from Sioux Falls, South Dakota, started volunteering through a class and continues to volunteer at the shelter on her own.

“My experience at Churches United is one I treasure,” Fitz says. “I have developed strong relationships with the kids, and it’s evident they feel the same.”

Rachel Green, an elementary inclusive education major from Fargo, transports preschoolers to TNT Fitness for open gym and co-leads the shelter’s Computer Club.

“We meet once a week and use the computers for kids to participate in fun, online educational activities,” Green says. “Churches United does an incredible job of providing opportunities for children to be involved in different activities.”

Volunteers help ensure a positive impact on families. The growing alliance with MSUM enriches the lives of children by providing:

• opportunities to interact with young adults

• access to activities in which they might not otherwise get to participate

• mentors for children beyond their family structure

• interactions with college students to demonstrate the possibilities of higher education

These experiences impact student volunteers and present ways to grow professionally.

Iam constantly reminded to think about each child as a whole and to consider not only their cognitive development but their physical, social and emotional development,” says Green.

“To

United. She started volunteering when her professor presented an opportunity to work on art projects with children.

“It was definitely a good opportunity to gain experience that wasn’t in a traditional classroom,” says Feir, who is in her first-year teaching K-6 art in Perham, Minnesota. She says the volunteer experience has given her a more compassionate perspective on life and people.

“If I were told that one of my students is battling homelessness, I think I am now better prepared to help that student,” Feir says.

This partnership truly impacts MSUM students and the Moorhead community.

“For college students, interacting and working with diverse people groups expands their horizons and compassion and is a professional asset,” says Marissa Jensen, coordinator of Art Club and an MSUM art education graduate who teaches at Moorhead High School. “I believe it creates individuals who can connect with, care about, and invest in other people; the kind of people who want to make the world a kinder place. I think that’s the most important part of this experience.”

Jacky Volkert, a health services administration major from St. Paul, Minnesota, agrees. She’s been volunteering with the same family for two years.

“It’s fun knowing I’m making their day a little better,” Volkert says. “There is a lot of intrinsic gratification.”

Beyond personal satisfaction, each interaction provides an opportunity to make this community a better place.

“It might sound cliché, but serving others just spreads the love. I think that’s a huge deal in today’s world,” Volkert says. “And hopefully, the kids I volunteer with will learn to give back, too.”

Dana Bisignani Women’s Center Coordinator

Dr. Ruth Lumb Paseka School of Business Professor

Kirsten Jensen Chief Marketing Officer

Planning Out Your Life

goals involves careful decision-making. For example, postsecondary education is (or at least should be) an important component of this process. Sometimes these decisions can be handled alone, and sometimes support is needed. Independent college counselors provide advice to students who want to pursue postsecondary education.

After working as a college counselor, I stepped out of my comfort zone and left the Dominican Republic to pursue my PhD at NDSU. My life’s plans at that time involved returning home immediately after finishing to work as a scientist. But there is always a margin of error in these intentions, and I met John, whom I married and settled down with, in the Red River Valley.

Working for the Dominican government, which meant traveling between Moorhead and Washington, D.C., as well as reflecting on my personal experiences, I grasped the nuances of scholarship applications. I was amazed with the num- ber of prospective candidates who contacted me, asking questions or needing extra support to apply for these programs. So I went full circle and specialized in college counseling through UCLA Extension. This program has opened the door to new resources and data about the field.

Now, if you wonder if there are benefits to working with an independent college counselor, I’ll list a few:

1We

help students find the RIGHT-FIT FOR SCHOOLS.

We assist in creating a list of schools based on fit. Families should hear the word “fit” often when hiring a college consultant because it is important to assess what school attributes are important for the student, and what qualities the institutions are looking for. Of course, nobody can guarantee acceptance anywhere, at least if they have an honest approach.

We do not intend to replace THE SCHOOL COUNSELOR.

It is really important for the student to understand this particular point: Build a relationship with school counselors, because we can’t and won’t compete with these. If the student and the family wants us to, we can work in collaboration with them, but our work does not always overlap.

3 We prepare an INDIVIDUALIZED PLAN.

If a family decides to hire a college consultant, this should work with the student’s needs and goals. It’s good to have dreams and we should listen to them carefully, but we should also provide guidance based on data. Some students will benefit from attending big universities, some from attending small colleges, and some from attending technical or vocational school. We find many people pay a lot of attention to rankings, and that can be a problematic way of creating a schools list. There are many factors that are taken into consideration to create these rankings that don’t always relate to an individual students’ needs.

WE CARE.

Most consultants want to advise students who are truly motivated to pursue higher education and try to adapt to their possibilities. Our society benefits from educated individuals, be it university or technical school. There are families, especially those of first generation students, that feel that they can’t afford college, so they don’t even try. Others simply don’t reach out to their counselor when they should because they lack confidence.

5

WE ARE AVAILABLE.

The American School Counselor Association recommends a counselor to student ratio of 1:250, however the national average in the U.S. is 1:439. The Minnesota ratio is an alarming 1:659. There are many instances of counselors who are overwhelmed with large caseloads and other school duties. Independent college counselors work to fill the existing void and, in the majority of cases, are honest professionals who work to see an increase in student numbers in the postsecondary education institution pipeline.

FOR MORE INFORMATION, visit A.J. Kognos Independent College Counseling online at ajkognosconsulting.info.