December graduates have tales to tell

Nearly 600 students will cross the stage to accept their diploma at the Dec. 18 commencement of almost 1,000 fall semester graduates. Each one has his or her own story and here are a few:

Making the most of extracurriculars

Kelvin Schutz, Cold Spring, combined his interests in entrepreneurship and computers as he pursued his degree in computer science.

Schutz got involved in activities on and off campus that combined his interests. He helped to organize the St. Cloud area’s first Startup Weekend in November. He also served as vice president of the E-Sports Club and president of the Entrepreneurship Club.

Schutz fostered his computer skills in the St. Cloud State Visualization Lab for two semesters including an internship in summer 2015. In the Visualization Lab, Schutz worked with integrating the X-Box Kinect into applications to make them even more interactive.

The experience helped him to see the real-world applications for the theories he’s learned in classes. It spurred him to do more research on interesting concepts, he said.

“Kelvin’s been great to have working in the lab because he’s a thorough and diligent researcher,” said Mark Gill, visualization engineer. “He doesn’t just solve a problem, he derives understanding from it.”

 

Accomplishing a life goal

This December Karen Herron is accomplishing her goal — a degree from St. Cloud State University.

Herron started at St. Cloud State straight out of high school, but left school before graduation for a job in information technology.

It was always in her mind to complete her degree, and she never stopped learning. While working in IT, Herron earned her associate degree from Anoka-Ramsey Community College, but still wanted to finish her St. Cloud State degree.

“It’s just something I’ve always wanted to come back here and finish,” she said. “… It’s been wonderful for me. It’s fulfilling. It’s a personal goal.”

She quit her job and took a new one that would bring her closer to the university where she chose a major in marketing to develop her creativity.

During her time at St. Cloud State she developed many friendships with her classmates and professors.

Her hard work earned her recognition from the marketing department when her professors named her the fall 2014 Marketing Student of the Term.

 

Finding her culture in nursing

When Nkeiruka Ogbonna crosses the commencement stage Dec. 18 she’ll be accomplishing her goal to become a nurse.

Ogbonna was inspired to pursue nursing by her mother-in-law who delivered Ogbonna’s children in a small hospital in Nigeria.

“She is a really great woman — very caring,” Ogbonna said.

She wasn’t able to pursue nursing in Nigeria, but knew she wanted to give it a try when she arrived in the United States five years ago.

“And here I am today, graduating,” she said.

Ogbonna, her husband, Uchenna, and their three children came to St. Cloud from Nigeria in 2010 after winning a visa lottery.

The couple wasted no time in pursuing their goal to go into the healthcare field. Both Nkeiruka and Uchenna began pursuing nursing classes at St. Cloud Technical and Community College. They pursued their degrees while helping their children adapt to a new home, adapting to a new culture themselves and welcoming a new daughter in 2012.

Uchenna earned his licensed practical nurse (LPN) from St. Cloud Technical and Community College and will go back to earn his associate degree as a registered nurse. Nkeiruka transferred to St. Cloud State after a year to pursue her bachelor’s degree. She added a gerontology minor because she missed the culture of respect for older people she remembered from home.

She wanted to learn more about older people in the United States and did her internship with Pathstone Living in Mankato. Her new goal is to work with older adults at a hospital.

“Taking care of older people reminds me of my dad, who is now a centenarian,” she said. “Connecting with those people helps me connect back home.”

Through it all she was supported by faculty and staff from the nursing and gerontology departments, who offered advice, support and friendship.

“They were so great,” she said “Very, very hilarious people. … They were so amazing.”

 

From the Air Force to travel and tourism

After 20 years in the Air Force, Betty Johnson, Brook Park, was searching for a transition to civilian work and she found it first at Anoka-Ramsey Community College and then at St. Cloud State.

After retiring as a technical sergeant in 2011, the wife and mother of three was ready for a new challenge, she said.

Education has always been important to Johnson, who earned her associate degree from the Community College of the Air Force while serving and a second associate degree from Anoka-Ramsey Community College in 2013. But she always had a goal of completing a bachelor’s degree. She’s graduating magna cum laude from St. Cloud State this December with her degree in travel and tourism.

Johnson attended St. Cloud State together with her husband, Josh, also a veteran, who graduated in May with a degree in history.

She was nervous about majoring in travel and tourism because she was the only non-traditional student, but her classmates and professors welcomed her completely.

“They’re great,” she said. “Everyone was excellent. … The teachers are excellent. You could tell they love what they do.”

Johnson served as treasurer of the travel and tourism club, helping to revitalize the club this year with canoe trips on the Mississippi and fundraisers.

She’s excited for the next step. She’s hoping to pursue a graduate degree or work developing tourism in a historic town, Johnson said.

 

Finding his passion

Samson Stubbs is a helper. In high school one of his first jobs was as a personal care attendant (PCA).

He was paired with a retired minister who inspired Stubbs.

“I don’t have many grandparents,” Stubbs said. “He’s pretty much a grandfather. We became that close, that’s why I was happy to help him. It was another good experience that led me to where I am.”

His college goal was to major in a field where he could help people.

A double major in information systems and management has helped Stubbs to find a career at United Health Group-Optum, a health services platform.

Stubbs interned with the company and was offered a position prior to graduation. He will start this winter as a business analyst in an 18-month training program within the company.

He worked two jobs through college, often while averaging 16 credits a semester. He continued serving as a PCA until his junior year, and volunteered to continue helping his former client with medical paperwork and other needs. When the man passed away his senior year, Stubbs helped the family with funeral arrangements.

Working and attending classes helped him learn to prioritize and manage his time and sleep schedule, Stubbs said.

“You must realize, it’s temporary,” he said. “You’re working toward a goal. You’re going to do whatever job you’re doing. … You’re just using that to pay bills so you can have a better life in the future.”

His experiences working as a PCA and helping an older person navigate the medical system led Stubbs to accept the position with Optum in favor of offers from other companies.

United Health Group is working to improve the process for finding information about medical processes that will help older people navigate the system, he said.

“This is what I know and this is what I’ve wanted to do,” he said. “I like helping people.”

 

Nursing and fishing

When he wasn’t concentrating on his nursing program or caring for a new baby, Troy Switajewski, Princeton, could be found on the lake with a fishing pole in hand.

The nursing student found the perfect way to connect on campus through the Husky Bass Fishing Club.

“If it wasn’t for the Bass Fishing Team and St. Cloud State I would not have went and fished some of the places I did and have some of the experiences I did,” he said.

Switajewski was introduced to the medical field when he served as a Navy hospital corpsman in Afghanistan, but it was his mom, a nurse for the Minnesota Department of Health, who inspired him to consider the field.

“Her position in healthcare has driven me to strive to get a good education in nursing,” he said.

She was also the person who encouraged him to attend St. Cloud State.

She’s had good experiences with St. Cloud State graduates and knows the program, though young, has a good reputation in the field, he said.

Throughout his time in the nursing program, Switajewski has worked closely with the faculty and staff. Professors helped him make arrangements this fall when he and his wife welcomed their first baby girl.

“They really set you up for success,” he said. “As hard as this program was, I can’t see myself not succeeding in a master’s program because of the quality of the St. Cloud State nursing program.”

He also complimented the work of the Veterans Resource Office staff for their efforts to get student veterans involved on campus and help them work through the GI Bill.

I didn’t use the services all that often, he said. “But I would always get emails … trying to get us involved. That was really nice to see they support veterans so well.”