northern today 14 spring 2014 “Once I visited I couldn’t say no to Northern.” Ethan Brown’s path of success at Northern State University started with a journey from his hometown in Texas to Aberdeen. Brown, a native of Flower Mound, Texas, had a list of 20 schools across the U.S. that were the right size and price, and that had the right study abroad opportunities. He narrowed the list down to five – including Northern – and traveled the country with his parents to visit each campus. NSU’s WolfPACT Scholarship, low tuition and the Center for Excellence in International Business were big draws for him. Once he visited, he said, “I couldn’t say no to Northern.” Brown’s achievements have included winning an elite scholarship to attend a conference in the nation’s capital and winning an elite geography competition right here in South Dakota. It’s been quite a year for Brown: • In November, he was the only student awarded a scholarship from the South Dakota World Affairs Council (SDWAC) to attend the World Affairs Councils of America conference in Washington, D.C. Only 25 students from across the country were selected to attend the confer- ence, which was dedicated to the top six issues facing the national security of the United States, including cybersecurity. • In January, Brown participated in a personal cybersecurity panel at the SDWAC Cybersecurity Symposium on the South Dakota State University campus in Brookings. • In March, he and two other Northern honors students who are geography minors, along with an alum of Northern who is in the master’s program in geography at SDSU, won the Geography Bowl at the 45th annual SDSU Geography Convention. Brown majored in biology and environmental science and minored in chemistry and geography. He started at NSU as an international business major, but he switched when he realized his interests were more in international affairs and less in business. In 2012, he studied abroad in South Korea. Brown’s college experience has also included an internship with the state of South Dakota as a naturalist at Custer State Park; and an internship with Northwoods Wildlife Center, a nonprofit wildlife rehabilitation and conservation organization in Wisconsin. Brown graduated in May and plans to go straight into law school. With a superb LSAT score, he had his choice of law schools – he was accepted at the University of Kansas; the University of South Dakota; University of St. Thomas; University of California, Los Angeles; and Tulane University. Ultimately, he chose the University of Kansas because of that university’s excellent scholarship offerings and its career services, including an active alumni network. Brown said Northern prepared him for his success by helping him realize what he wanted from his future. He went through a lot of different potential career paths – including international business, teaching at a high school or college level, working in the state or federal park system, working as a veterinarian, working as a medical doctor – before deciding to pursue a career in law. “I was able to find ways to gain expe- rience and insight into each of these fields to decide if it was right for me,” he said. “I am confident that no matter which path I chose, I could have been successful because Northern gave me opportunities in each. Once I did focus, Northern was right there with all of the resources and tools I needed to succeed.” An ability to think theoretically and ask pointed questions led NSU senior Katelyn Kippes to survey a sample of Northern State University students and ask: Would you have an abortion if your baby tested positive for Down syndrome? The survey added a twist - respon- dents also were asked whether they knew a person with Down syndrome. Kippes found that respondents’ knowl- edge of people with Down syndrome did not have a significant effect on their likelihood to choose abortion or prenatal testing. “The results didn’t prove what I thought, but it did open my eyes to the fact that people who don’t know someone with Down syndrome can feel the same way as someone who does,” said special education major Kippes, 22, whose oral presentation of her work won top recognition at NSU’s 2014 Undergraduate Research Forum. Kippes surveyed female NSU students ages 18-26 for her project, titled “Down Syndrome: The Effects of Knowing on Prenatal Testing and Abortion Decisions.” Her mentor is Dr. Erin Fouberg, professor of geography. “She has an ability to think theoreti- cally that a lot of my students her age don’t have,” said Fouberg. “She makes connections between ideas that seem disparate.” Kippes appreciates the challenges and opportunities she’s experienced in NSU’s honors program. “Northern is known for its great education programs, and it’s going to get even better,” Kippes said. “But the biggest asset I’ve gotten is being in the honors program – it really pushes you to become a better student.” Soccer and a WolfPACT scholarship brought Kippes to Northern, and the atmosphere made her glad she stayed. “I like the small class sizes, and especially in athletics, it’s a communi- ty-based atmosphere. The girls on the team are my second family,” she said. Kippes switched her major to special education after missing her family and realizing how much they – especially her sister – mean to her. Her sister, 12, has Down syndrome. “I find her incredibly fun,” Kippes said. “I wouldn’t want her any other way; I love the way she is and the impact she’s had on my life and family. “If no one had Down syndrome, no one would understand what it’s like to be different.” Kippes graduated in May and is originally from Somerset, Wis. After graduation she plans to pursue a master’s degree in speech pathology. Kippes appreciates challenges of Northern State University Honors Program “I like the small class sizes, and especially in athletics, it’s a communitybased atmosphere.” Trip from Texas to Aberdeen leads to success students to watch
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