Adapting NURSING for the 21st century Alumni Association & Development Foundation • Spring 2021 4 - 14 -21 2 CONNECTIONS Spring ’21 CONNECTIONS STAFF Vice President for Advancement Rick Hedberg ’89 Managing Editor Michael Linnell Greetings from the MSU Writing Staff campus! Winter in Minot Michael Linnell Amanda Duchsherer ’06 has been mild for much Dan Fagan ’18 of this season, but it Emily Schmidt roared to life in early/mid Jeff Bowe February. As I type this Photographers afternoon, it is minus 10 Richard Heit ’08 with a wind chill of minus Janna McKechnie ’14 37. These are the days that Photography Coordinator always make me especially Teresa Loftesnes ’07/’15 appreciative of our other Publication Design three seasons in North Doreen Wald Dakota! Alumni Happenings We are nearing the Janna McKechnie ’14 midpoint of the spring Baby Beavers semester, and I want to Kate Marshall ’07 publicly applaud our Class Notes entire community of Bonnie Trueblood students, faculty, staff, In Memory and administration for the Renae Yale ’10 roles they have played in ensuring the campus has ADDITIONAL PHOTO CREDITS: remained open this entire academic year. We have had our peaks and valleys like any other university, ON THE COVER: Minot State University but as the light at the end of this pandemic tunnel slowly gets brighter, I am heartened by the resilience nursing professors Carrie Lewis, April Warren, and Melissa Fettig inside the new nursing simulation lab in Memorial Hall. The space tripled the amount of andof everyone teamwork who have has beenhelped incredibly lead MSU important to a safe and characteristics. successful year. Great You lessons will find for a ourfew students,glimpses forinto me, simulation space Minot State has to offer COVID life at MSU on pages 30-31. It has been far from a normal year, so flexibility, creativity, patience, students. and for our entire MSU Family! Katie Poore; p. 9 photo furnished by Katie The feature story of this issue focuses on a signature academic program at Minot State University, Poore. Judie Boehmer; p. 13 photo furnished by Judie Boehmer and appears in Connections with permission from the family of the learnand a aboutfield that some has of certainlythat historical been perspectiveat the forefront as well of society’s as the current fight againststatus of COVID-19, the program that and of nursing.some patient. This photo was taken before otherMSU has recent a long highlights. and distinguished It is certainly history an important of five decades time in educating the nursing highly profession, skilled nurses, and we and are youhonored will strict COVID-19 precautions of social distancing and face masks at UC Davis Children’s Hospital. Another essential component at MSU is the North Dakota Center for Persons with Disabilities Hopkins always there to offer a helping (NDCPD).and excited Now to build celebrating upon our its 30thlegacy anniversary, of excellence NDCPD in nursing has provided education. (and continues providing) critical hand; p. 14 photo of The Minot Daily News services for thousands of North Dakotans. We are proud of the 30-year history and proud to be the furnished by Pam Hopkins. Anchors aweigh as Clayton hits the high home of NDCPD, and you will learn more about the essential mission and statewide impact of the seas, p. 18-19 photo furnished by Summer center in these pages. Clayton. A foundation for the future; p. 20-21 photos furnished by Jag Chohan. A wild ride, p. 22-23 photos furnished by Please also enjoy profiles on current students and alumni to see the varied academic and career Max Patzner. paths they are following. There are so many unique stories to tell through the experiences of MSU Q&A with Steve Grabowski, p. 24-25 photos alumni, and these profiles are always a special favorite of mine. courtesy of Utah State Athletics. Strong foundation helps NDCPD continue “normal”We are 2021! looking ahead to the spring thaw, and excited to have some opportunities of getting together to change lives, p. 26-28 photos courtesy in-personThanks during for your the continued months ahead support (see of page Minot 33). State Here’s University wishing and everyone our students, a safe, healthy, and as happy,always and … of NDCPD. GO BEAVERS! Connections is published two times a year by the Minot State University Alumni Association and Development Foundation. Send comments, articles, or photo submis- sions to: Connections MSU Alumni Office 500 University Ave. West Minot, ND 58707 Steven W. Shirley, Ph.D., President Ph: 701-858-3399 or 1-800-777-0750 Fax: 701-858-3179 Email: [email protected] Third class postage paid at Fargo, ND 58101. CONNECTIONS Spring ’21 3 Inside this issue CONNECTIONS Volume 29 | Number 2 6 14 18 20 22 24 26 Be seen. Be heard. Be inspired. 4 CONNECTIONS Spring ’21 Cover story 6 Adapting nursing for the 21st century THE ALUMNI Nursing program graduates speak out: 9 Katie Poore ASSOCIATION 11 Brendan Weidler 13 Judie Boehmer IS NOW ACCEPTING NOMINATIONS FOR THE 2021 Feature stories 22 A wild ride 26 Strong foundation helps NDCPD continue to change lives 30 Campus life during COVID-19 AND THE 2021 Athletics feature story 24 Q & A with Steve Grabowski Every issue New series — Where are they now? 14 Hopkins always there to offer a helping hand 15 Alum from Day One profiles: students, faculty, and staff NOMINATE AN ALUM who has excelled in his/her 18 Under 30: Anchors aweigh as Clayton hits the profession, in service to their high seas community, or in service to 20 Under 40: A foundation for the future Minot State. 29 Development Foundation: Changing lives and making dreams come true PLEASE VISIT MinotStateU.edu/alumni 35 Class notes to complete the nomination 38 In memory form and for a full list of qualification criteria and 39 Baby Beavers former participants. CONTACT the Alumni Office Have you had a recent change to your at 701-858-3373/800-777-0750 with additional questions. HOME, SEASONAL, or EMAIL ADDRESS? Deadline to submit nominations: PLEASE CONTACT Bonnie Trueblood, MSU Development Foundation March 31, 2021. at 701-858-3399, by email at [email protected]. or online at MinotStateU.edu/alumni CONNECTIONS Spring ’21 5 Cover story 6 CONNECTIONS Spring ’21 by Amanda Duchsherer Advancing nurses’ vital role in transforming health care around the world came to the forefront of the public’s mind in the midst of a global pandemic. CONNECTIONS Spring ’21 7 In hindsight, the World role in transforming health without a pandemic, there lives as nurses, would be Health Assembly declaring care around the world — is no such thing as a normal, doing the same thing.” 2020 the International Year came to the forefront of the ideal work condition. The Minot State Depart- of the Nurse and Midwife ment of Nursing has been a global pandemic. pivoting and adapting since aptly timed. public’sAs governments, mind in the midstinstitu of- “We’re used to being its inception. With humble couldn’tOriginally have designatedbeen more in tions, and myriad people Minotflexible State and Universitypivoting,” a nod to the 200th anniver- adjusted and adapted in nursingCarrie (Olesen) instructor, Lewis said. ’01, nursing, Sister Mabel Meng, sary of visionary nurse and ways never before imagined, “And in that way, a university roots — the first director of nurses continued to show nursing department is also refrigerators, a secretary, birth, the secondary theme up and do their work. In unique because we are the andshared an additionalan office with faculty tables, leader Florence Nightingale’s ones who, in our previous member — the program — advancing nurses’ vital the nursing field, with or MSU nursing students during the 1980s 8 CONNECTIONS Spring ’21 17 Bachelor of Science in Nursinggraduated (BSN) its first students class ofin moved from Cyril Moore Hall to1973. Hartnett As the Hall department to Memorial Hall, name changes, cur- riculums, accreditations, and technology were also evolving. Most recently, a $246,000 Sister Mabel Meng • circa 1973 CARES Act grant tripled the Immediately after graduation, straight into the belly of the beast: Katie (Eshenko) Poore ’20 went “It has been a great learning Trinity Hospital’s COVID-19 unit.- thing so new to everyone, and opportunity,” she said. “It’s some only read about in books while in schoolit’s something — about that pandemics you usually and things like that. I’ve learned so much throughout the past six months.” establishedPoore has a beencareer expanding as a massage her medical therapist, knowledge stayed atsince home withenrolling her three at Minot children, State. and A non-traditional moved to Wyoming student, while she her first husband was stationed at Francis E. Warren Air Force Base. When her family landed back in her hometown, she set her sights on a new vocation. “I had heard so much about the Minot State nursing pro- gram, how it was very competitive to get into. I was feeling up to the challenge, plus the tuition rates are lower than any other school in the area,” she said. “I wanted to be prepared for what I was getting into. I recommend Minot State to She credits much of her success to the comradery between theeveryone students when and it nursing comes tostaff. nursing; it’s a great program.” time, and in the nursing program, you become like a family. You“It’s get tolike know a family. each It’s other a small both but in schoolbig campus and in at your the samepersonal lives,” she said. “While it’s competitive, you knew that you always“Our had COVID someone patients, to go a lot to ofif youthem needed are there extra for help.” a long time so weRelationship get to really building know them,” has continued Poore said.