The Future of MHS Students

The Future Of Mandan High Students

Professionals share their stories with students looking into their fields of work — Kelsie Hildebrand, Editor-in-Chief Senior Shayla Newgard

“Over the last few years, I have been involved in a volunteer based program run through the police department. This program has made my respect for service members grow immensely. However, I have also realized I do not want to be a police officer, detective, lab scientist, ect. I love learning about the laws and charges, and I have always been good at arguing and getting my point across which has made me realize I want to be an attorney. I do not want to defend people I know should be put in prison, but I know I will have to work up to be a prosecuting attorney and take cases I may not want to. I think I have known that going into criminal justice/ law/political science has been something that I have wanted to do for a few years. I plan to attend BSC before I go to UND and law school. My post college plans are not fully decided, however I hope to intern at a law firm while I am finishing law school. I want to stay in ND, but depending on my family I would be willing to move.”

Attorney Meggi Ihland

“I began my undergraduate career at UND in the pre-physical therapy program. I came out of high school not knowing what I wanted to do, and I thought that may be an interesting career path. After my first semester, I realized biology and the medical sciences were not for me. I later took an interest in my American Government class and ended up switching my major to political science. That switch was the catalyst for me picking up criminal justice classes. I do not have any lawyers in my family, so the thought came completely organically. When it came to researching the job of an attorney, I realized that a successful attorney is a semi-expert in many areas outside of the law. I thought this would be the perfect career for a life-long learner. Being an attorney is a lot of work.

The amount of work and type of work will vary greatly, though, depending on the type of law you practice and whether you work private or for the State. I do mostly plaintiff work, which means I represent the injured or aggrieved person. With private practice comes working long hours and often working weekends. My job specifically involves a lot of writing, research, and public speaking. Mentally, it can be exhausting, but if you love it, it is the best job. I completed 8 years of school total (5 years undergrad and 3 years law school). If an individual still has student loans, that is highly dependent on their specific financial situation and the law school he or she attended. Comparatively, the University of North Dakota School of Law, my Alma Mater, is reasonably priced and you still obtain a fantastic legal education. I knew a lot of law schools looked for that star GPA, so I made sure to have a very well-rounded resume to compensate. I ended up doing well in law school, I think because the subject matter really spoke to me. When you find what you love, it is much easier to study. I think my path was exactly as it was supposed to be. I encourage everyone to be open to new experiences and to change.”

Senior Isaiah Jasmann “I have wanted to be a pastor since I was in the seventh grade. The church has helped me out in so many different ways, and some of the pastors there have impacted me tremendously. I want to help out others the way Evangel helped me. I plan on going to SEU online through a program at my Church called Midwest Leadership Center (MLC). Through that I will be doing online school and an internship in the course I choose (Youth Ministry). I’m excited to see what my future has in hold for me!” Pastor Josh Skjoldal “I did not know that I wanted to be a pastor until after I graduated from college at NDSU. My vocation was going one direction and my heart and passion were going another direction, so I did an internship at a local church and ministry opportunities kept coming up after that. There are different levels of pastoral education, so it can vary to some degree. I graduated from NDSU, but then completed 27 classes to become an ordained pastor in our denomination. I also have a Masters in Organizational Leadership, but that is not a requirement for being a pastor. We are in the middle of a major expansion project, so the biggest steps coming up for the church will be opening the new auditorium, lobby, and the coffee shop (Joyhouse Coffee). My biggest projects recently have been raising up a leadership team and establishing a new two-year vision plan, plus taking on a new leadership position in our network of churches and joining a couple of new boards. I would encourage you to sit down with someone and ask questions, start serving at your church or do a church internship. At Evangel, we have a program called the Midwest Leadership Center (MLC) which gives students both handson ministry experience and college credits through Southeastern University. I would have liked to know how expensive it was going to be! In all seriousness, I would have liked to know that it is okay to figure it out along the way. The most important thing is to end up doing what you actually want to be doing, instead of just sticking it out and staying committed to a career path that you do not really enjoy. Give yourself the grace to figure it out.” 14 October 2020 Feature