NORTHERN TODAY 13 SPRING 2015 STUDENT HIGHLIGHTS studying abroad, he said, and it might allow him to travel across more of the country. Before he left, he said he was looking forward to seeing the country’s architecture and was most excited for the opportunity to visit an impressive scrolls library located in South Korea. The scrolls library will satisfy his curiosity for Asian artifacts and old written works in general, while also helping him understand the printed history of Korea, he said. Lout thanked NSU and the Gilman Scholarship for giving him the opportunity to travel the world. He encourages other students to talk to Hannum about studying abroad to see what destinations might interest them. “You get to meet new people from all around the world,” he said. GAINING MARKETABLE SKILLS The experience isn’t just enjoyable – it also can help make students more employable. “Studying abroad, particularly to a nonEnglish speaking country, is not only fantastically fun, but it will set you apart in any job interview,” Hannum said. “While other applicants talk about their classroom experiences, you can talk about that time you had to negotiate with a shopkeeper who didn’t speak English or when you took the wrong bus home and had to find your way back. The skills you don’t even realize you are learning abroad because you’re having fun are what employers are looking for in their future hires.” Lout said he’s not sure what he wants to do after college, but studying abroad will benefit his future career because he wants to work for a company that has the opportunity to do business overseas. Dawn is also unsure of his future career, but he is considering becoming a history professor, museum curator or attending seminary in California (his father, David, is a minister). Studying abroad, he said, would help with any of these proposed paths. Visiting South Korea will help him see how perspective on historical events changes based on the cultural and geographic location of those who observe how events unfold. “If I am to call myself a true history professor, I must be aware of how history can be interpreted by different people of different cultures,” he said. If he chooses to become a museum curator, the study abroad experience will help him in a similar way, with the added bonus of improving his ability to identify an artifact from Asia. And if he decides to become a minister, the experience will help by improving his ability to communicate with people. ‘A TRANSFORMATIVE EXPERIENCE’ Usitalo said that studying abroad allows students to experience life – trying new foods, meeting new people, hearing and learning other languages, getting to know a different culture – far more than in a traditional classroom setting. “Studying abroad can be a transformative experience,” he said. And now that Dawn has taken his advice, he hopes the experience has a lasting impact. “I’d like him to experience a very different way of living; to talk to people who think far differently than he does, and to appreciate these differences,” Usitalo said. “And when he returns, I hope he’s inspired to see more of the world (and to read more about it as well).” Fast-paced nursing program prepares students for career Northern State University graduate Sarah Hintz was able to continue her education and earn her nursing degree all in the same place, thanks to the accelerated nursing program. “It was one of the best decisions in my life because I was able to get done with nursing school and into the nursing field in such a short amount of time,” said Hintz, of Woodbury, Minn. “With other programs, it would have taken much longer.” Hintz graduated from NSU in May 2013 with a Bachelor of Science in biology and a minor in chemistry. She graduated from the accelerated nursing program – a joint program offered by NSU and South Dakota State University – in December 2014. Hintz now works in the emergency department at North Memorial Hospital in North Minneapolis. She said the accelerated nursing program has helped prepare her for her career in the nursing field. “The fast pace of the program helped me be prepared for my career, because often nurses have to work in fast-paced environments,” she said. “The program also had a lot of hands-on opportunities, which made the transition from student to nurse easier.” Those hands-on opportunities included simulations; open lab times; check offs, where students had to prove their skills; and clinicals. Hintz said she would definitely recommend this program to other students. “Everyone that is involved is amazing and has great knowledge of the nursing field,” she said. “The class size is small, and you get to know your classmates very well. The instructors are your biggest fans and are so supportive the whole way through.” NSU student Matthew Dawn, who is studying abroad in South Korea, is pictured in downtown Seoul near a manmade river (top), and also photographed the Gyeongbok Palace (bottom).
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