My time as an undergraduate student, graduate student and natural resources professional has straddled multiple disciplines and life experiences. I majored in Sustainable Community Development at Northland College, with just a few credits shy of double-majoring in Natural Resources in 2017. My community-embedded liberal arts undergraduate education prepared me for my interdisciplinary capstone on transdisciplinary water management in the Lake Superior watershed. My time at Northland College positioned me to better understand and value the lived experiences and local knowledge of Paraguayans who I worked with as a Peace Corps environmental conservation volunteer. My undergraduate social science research opportunity and natural resources education and work at Northland enhanced my competitiveness for graduate school, where I earned a dual degree in Environment and Natural Resources and Rangeland Ecology and Management. I am now publishing as a social ecologist, studying climate adaptation in rural Wyoming communities. I moved to Alaska to work with rural communities, furthering the importance of understanding and supporting subsistence culture in predominately Alaska Native communities. My work as a conservation planner at USDA’s Natural Resources Conservation Service in Alaska, pulls heavily from education and work at Northland, where connecting and empowering people to engage in conservation practices is our primary goal. Without the foundation laid at Northland, a melding of ecological sciences and social science, I would have been woefully ill prepared these past 7 years of work and for my continued endeavors as a natural resources professional.

Did your time at Northland lead to a career, friendships, or partners that still play a large part in your life?

Yes! I am still good friends with about 8 Northland peers, one who lives in the same community as I do: Fairbanks, Alaska! I keep in touch with some faculty and community members, who helped me with my professional pursuits and grappling with change and loss. The greater Northland community imbues meaning into “what a small world”: for instance, a fellow alum is a colleague at the Fairbanks Soil and Water Conservation District, a partner with my employer, NRCS.

A Northland education is experiential, practicable, and transferrable. I learned so much beyond memorizing natural resource policy and how to identify birds; I developed a way to responsibly and respectfully live and work in different communities, striving to help make them more just and resilient.

Northland has it faults, but as a community of faculty, staff, students, alumni, even trustees, it continually strives to do better and better the world through its unique educational and experiential opportunities. Despite living in four other communities since graduating, my sense of identity is still partially rooted in the sense of community at Northland.

Ironically, I could not have attended Northland College without the Trustee’s Scholarship that I received. My peers and I did not trust the trustee machinations when we made the final push for divestment in 2017, and I find that that mistrust ensues, rightfully so, to this day. We need new leaders and a new system of accountability, one that upholds divestment, the spirit of students like Parker Matzinger, and the ongoing diligence and care of students, faculty, staff, and alumni. Northland’s mission is more relevant than ever.

I transferred into Northland my Junior year, and from my first day on campus I knew Northland was what I needed.

My first two years of college were at a large state school and my major was “Environmental Science”. Truthfully, I had a really hard time academically there, not because of how difficult the classes were, but from the sheer lack of passion demonstrated by my fellow peers and teachers. Students seemed to just want to pass the class and move on. Straight reading from a text book and there was never hands on activities or people discussing ideas from a multi dimensional lens. (If you know anything about ecology, you know that diversity is key.) My “advisor” didn’t know my name and she regularly missed our scheduled meetings.

As a first generation college student, who had a passion for ecology but still needed guidance, I was heart broken and terrified this was a glimpse into my future of environmental work.

Until one day, my Dad heard Tom Fitz (NC Geology Prof) talk about the Penokee Mines project on NPR. I listened and immediately felt the passion- and I don’t even know that much about geology, but the excitement was there! The next spring my parents drove me up to Northland for a visit, and upon arrival our tour guide (Grace V., who my mom still asks about) says: “Hi, Olivia? Welcome!”

I started the next fall, and in my first class of the semester (ecology) my professor Jon Martin says: “Hey! You must be Olivia. We’re going outside today.”

Today I work as a Forestry Outreach Educator with UW Madison Extension, and the knowledge I gained from the Northland Community was a gift and a seed planted that continues to grow.

Did your time at Northland lead to a career, friendships, or partners that still play a large part in your life?

Where do I begin? My time at Northland led me to meet my partner, best friends, and academic advisors who turned into life advisors. Recently, my academic Advisor, Prof Jon Martin, has turned into a professional connection, which makes me honored and humbled to have. I work in Forestry Land Management and I host Women’s Chainsaw classes. It’s always a struggle to find locations willing to host a group of people and have a few trees we can practice on. I reached out to Jon and he extended a warm welcome and let us use his extra chainsaws & safety equipment!

I think one of the major connections that Northland established for us was the year we worked in Argentina. Sam (my partner) and I had recently graduated, but were eager to diversify our resume before we settled down, and wanted to travel. The connection was made that a NC alum, Peter Dunn, had returned to his home country of Argentina and started the country’s first environmental school, La Lucena! He had come to the states years earlier in search of ways to help people create lasting connections with nature, and studied at NC. In 2019 Peter graciously invited us to stay and teach at his school, and we got to learn about the ecosystems of the Sierras Chicas and teach ecology classes!

Northland meant so much to me and I hope to see it continue in some shape or form so more students may have the opportunities to grow and lead as they find their way in the world.

Northland College and the Chequamegon Bay hold a special place in my heart. Since graduating in 2018, I’ve repeatedly found myself “coming home” to the South Shore because the community bonds fostered at Northland are so strong, the Bay will always be home. The looming potential for closure of the school is devastating. Northland truly did teach me to ‘think differently’ and ‘live differently.’

As an educator and caregiver, I see how powerfully my undergraduate experience impacted the way I carry myself. Professionally, I strive to be open, curious and caring. The faculty at Northland instilled in me a strong sense of belonging, challenged me to think deeply and critically, and prepared me to face the future with hope. I strive to do the same for children in my care. I am a better teacher because of the professors at Northland college, who became more like mentors and friends by the end of our time together.

On a more personal level, Northland set the bar high for adult relationships in my life. I feel blessed to have a Northland “friend family” that continues to show up for each other. In the last ten years, our Northland friend family has celebrated weddings and growing families, grieved the losses of loved ones, and navigated the early years of homemaking and career advancement, held by each other. I don’t take for granted that I have friends who challenge each others’ ideas, push each other to do and be better, support each other, and know how to get down when the clock strikes 10:28.

The world needs institutions like Northland. The world needs communities like those fostered at Northland. I am moved by the many voices and stories sharing their support for the future of the school. I remain hopeful.

Northland is more than just a college, and anyone who has been lucky enough to go there knows that. It’s a community of people brought together by the love of a place and a passion for the world around them. I was changed by the things I learned at Northland and by the things never taught in class. I am so grateful for the walks in the woods I got to take with professors who translated the language of the trees, rocks, and plants to me. I am so grateful for the long hours spent in the caf eating with friends. I am so grateful for the trip I got to take around the lake. I am so grateful to have been shown how to know, love, and live in this wonderful place. I stayed here in Ashland because of Northland, but I will continue to stay because of the community Northland has created.

I was apart of Northland’s Superior Connections program my freshman year and little did I know that trip would lead me to not only the best friends I’ve ever made but my career. I fell in love with living and learning outdoors, my junior year I was apart of our Outdoor Leadership Immersion semester and fell completely in love with Outdoor Education leading me to many of my passions I have today. Northland has consistently shown me to take the good and bad days and make the most of them, from rainy mornings in the Boundary Waters to blizzards in the high desert while climbing and all the sunny days on the big lake! I wouldn’t be the person I am today without the peers and professors I’ve met along my journey.

Some of the best people in my life I’ve met through my journey with Northland College, many of who I met on my very first day and got the unique opportunity to paddle a Voyager canoe with for our Freshman Outdoor Orientation trip!

I hope future students can feel the sense of place and belonging that you gain from Northland’s classes! Lake Superior is such a unique area to be able to live and learn on!!

Northland helped me think more deeply about my connection to the world, and to myself. The writing courses that I took with Tim Z. and Cynthia B., along with the religious studies courses I took with David S., helped me understand the various parts of my identity. Specifically, those courses were essential to me being able to come out as queer. While I may not have been in a space in my life to have been able to come out at Northland, I know that the building blocks of my identity can be found in my writings. I am so thankful for how my professors were able to help me in ways they never expected.

I met my best friend at Northland. I can still remember the day in Damrell’s Social Problems class in our Sophomore year. Alec and I quickly bonded that has lasted for nearly a decade now, and I couldn’t ask for a more supportive friend. From challenges at college to helping me overcome the loss of someone close to me to my gender transition and through a divorce, Alec has had my back. I don’t know where I would be today without having met this amazing person at Northland, but I think he has made every day a little bit brighter for me.

When I was just graduating high school, I visited Northland College to tour the campus and attend a scholarship dinner for newly enrolled students. At the time I was having anxiety over deciding which college to attend in the fall, it was the biggest decision of my early adult life. During the dinner, there was a former student giving a presentation on his research with Dr. Erik Olson monitoring wildlife in the rainforests of Costa Rica. I remember being awestruck and fascinated that Northland offered those experiences to students. That talk played an impactful role in cementing my decision to attend Northland.

For the next four years, I learned the reason why Northland can provide those opportunities. Throughout my college career, I had the privilege of helping my professors with their wildlife research efforts, experiences not typically offered to undergraduate students studying wildlife biology. Getting chills hearing wolves howl for the first time or the childlike joy of grabbing a massive snapping turtle out of a fish sampling net are memories I couldn’t imagine getting anywhere else.

While I cherish my field experiences at Northland, what impacted me the most was the passionate and committed mentorship that I received from my professors. Northland’s professors care deeply about the growth and development of their students. The countless hours outside of the classroom that they poured into teaching me the fundamental skills I needed to become a wildlife biologist is a gift I feel I can never pay back. My professors always believed in me and saw my potential even when I was dealing with personal struggles. Their endless support set me up for success to pursue wildlife technician work monitoring wolves in Alaska, sampling bats for disease, and capturing mountain lions in Colorado. My professors helped make my childhood dreams into a reality.

I hope Northland College can continue its proud legacy of raising the next generation of environmental stewards. I would not be where I am today without that legacy.

How didn’t Northland influence my path?
I came to Northland sight unseen. The college had a paper catalog with a red canoe on the cover, likely pulled up at a campsite in the Boundary Waters. I had visited other schools, however I chose the school that I hadn’t visited because of the power of the mission and courses offered.
At that time there weren’t many 4 year colleges where I could earn a degree in Outdoor Education. Northland promised this shy boy from New Jersey a path to sharing my love of nature, and the tools to help me make a difference.
Funny thing; I never wanted to go to college. Now I can’t imagine what would have happened if this one hadn’t spoken to me.

I am a Northland Yo-yo. I left college and moved out east, out west, down south, but at least once a year I returned to the area to visit friends and look for land. In 1998 I started teaching adjunct courses for the Outdoor Ed program.
In 2001 after a decade of travelling for work I finally found land in the area. With that commitment I also found the college in need of a Recreation Services and Outpost Coordinator. (Now Outdoor Pursuits and equipment support centers) I worked 75% time on staff, taking over the climbing wall and open boating program in the pool, and got the ropes course up and running for a year or two. I also worked 25% time in faculty roles, from teaching 1 and 2 credit courses for Outdoor Ed and Native American Studies, to a 5 or so year stint teaching martial arts for the PE Department.
In 2011 I left my job at Northland and started my own business, made possible by what I learned as a student, then staff, then faculty.
Northland College staff, faculty, and students have all been mentors to me over the years, and continue to be as I still teach the occasional OED class. I do this to stay connected to the school and the energy of the students!

From my experience specifically in the Outdoor Ed and recreation programs, I found that students who put themselves out there as leaders and teachers to their peers grow exponentially more in skills and maturity than students who just had their heads in books or computers full time. They are not the same people after 4 years.
The benefit of small class sizes, access to outdoor learning spaces, and personal attention and relationships between faculty and students cannot be underestimated.
I know that there is always a push for a college to create consumers and high earners. Northland has the more difficult task of taking ideals and mission to make good people.

I’ll reiterate the very real benefit of small class sizes, access to the outdoors, clean air and water, and most of all instilling PURPOSE beyond self.

I hope it can continue. Losing Northland in our area would be like losing the matriarch of your family. I don’t think most people realize just how deep the roots run in our community, and how important this collective of energy, knowledge, passion, and purpose is to the area. Northland College belongs to this land.

Northland, Northland, Northland. To begin, I’d like to express my gratitude to the professors & staff who believed in me, who fostered a first-name basis environment, and encouraged students to undertake graduate-level projects and experiences. Their support allowed me to discover my true passions of community engagement and prioritizing service over self. Without their expertise and guidance, I don’t think I’d have such a deep drive to utilize the skills I cultivated at Northland to make a positive impact in the world. I would also like to show some appreciation to my classmates for their authenticity, which inspired me to break out of my shell and embark on my own journey of exploration. I have never met more genuine, kind, and compassionate human beings than the ones that made up the community at Northland. I also want to express gratitude for my college job through Ashland Parks & Rec at the Bretting Community Center. Sara, Linda & Donna, as well as my peers who worked there with me, allowed me to investigate my love for community engagement on an even deeper level through engagement at Parks & Rec events. And finally, I want to thank the greater community in the Chequamegon Bay Area along with Mother Superior. I don’t even have words to explain how much I enjoyed collaborating with community stakeholders on projects, being out in nature, hiking near Corny, and jumping into the bone-chilling lake. Sometimes it is just what I needed after a long week of learning. I cannot fathom that future generations may not get to experience this wonderful place, where students can opt to walk barefoot across the graduation stage.. (and so I won’t… Long Live Northland & Long Live Chet!)

I was a skeptical parent when our daughter discovered Northland College. Knowing her passions, and doing our research on the college, I knew it was right for her. I wouldn’t realize how perfect it was until it unfolded over the four years she attended. The small campus made her feel comfortable and important. She was never a number. This allowed her to discover how impressive she could be. The hands on learning techniques and having to create and implement ideas, created leadership skills that employers look for. The knowledge, compassion and interaction of the stellar staff was unmatched! Our daughter is an incredible leader, caring about the world and people around her. She is knowledgeable about the environment, world issues and how it impacts different demographics. She understands how important nature is to the newest generation and works hard doing her part in teaching them how to respect the earth and do their part, and absolutely have fun! I am forever grateful to Northland College, its professors and its one of a kind teaching approach in an often overlooked and under appreciated school.

What do you I hope future students can gain from a Northland education?Inspiration to live their dreams. Go out into the world and be leaders and stewards for the future. No other college quite like it.

Dear Northland,

Reflecting on my journey, it’s clear that the person I am today, the successes I’ve achieved, and the path I tread on, are deeply rooted in the experiences and education I received within your inspiring walls. From the start, you taught me not just to learn but to explore, igniting within me a burning curiosity for the natural world. You didn’t just teach me to be a scientist; you sculpted me into one, equipping me with the opportunities, knowledge, and skills essential for success. With the outdoors as my classroom, you transformed learning into an adventure, where every lesson was a discovery and every discovery a step towards my future.

The passion of the teachers at Northland is something that I carry with me every day. Their contagious enthusiasm not only inspired but also challenged me to push boundaries and explore the unknown. Among these remarkable mentors, I especially wish to thank Dr. Erik Olson, whose dedication to teaching has been a cornerstone of my growth. He taught me to ask the right research questions, construct projects from the ground up, and effectively present findings. The hands-on experience working with animals has been invaluable, setting me apart in my field with rare and sought-after expertise right out of college. The caring spirit of Northland, where every teacher strives to make a difference, has deeply influenced me. This community of like-minded individuals, all driven by a shared goal to understand our world and improve it, has been a source of endless inspiration and support. From the cooks who prepared nourishing meals with local food to every person who made Northland the warm and welcoming place it is, I am endlessly thankful.

Northland, you’ve been the foundation of my achievements. It was here that I laid the groundwork for acquiring fully-funded MS and PhD programs, which recently culminated in securing my dream job as a wildlife biologist. In this role, I am proud to develop sustainable, non-lethal methods to mitigate human-wildlife conflict, embodying the values and lessons instilled in me by this school. On a personal level, Northland has gifted me with immeasurable happiness. It was within your community that I met my husband, an encounter that has since blossomed into a beautiful life together, filled with shared dreams and aspirations.

Without Northland, I wouldn’t be where I am today—living my dream and building a meaningful life. You have been more than an educational institution; you have been a home, a mentor, and a guide. For all these reasons and more, I thank you.

~A Happy Camper

Here. If there’s nothing to be done but put love into the ether, I’ll do just that. What else is there to do?

This is for Northland, my little home on a big lake.

The place that has held and crafted so many versions of myself, I can’t even pretend to know them all anymore. It is the home I always crawl back to, where I can play, laugh, and cry in good company. It is the place where I have found the greatest loves of my life. I have been on the most amazing adventures and seen things more beautiful than I ever dreamed possible. And my greatest pleasure was sharing my joy with everyone else.

The last picture in this post is of my final formal class at Northland College. Sitting in the sand, looking out at the big lake, learning about rocks, and wishing that feeling would never end. It was all Enstatite-Peridotite, and now I’m crying and hoping that we’ve done enough good to deserve a miracle. We are all working hard to make it happen. What else is there to do?

I am where I am because of Northland – the faculty, staff and other students showed me a path that has been the source of my happiness and success in my career.

My time at Northland lead to lifelong friendships, it lead to several careers in non-profit outdoor education institutions, two graduate degrees, a decade of teaching at Northland College, then over fifteen years working in public land management. I live in Washburn – I had to return to my roots.

What do I hope future students can gain from a Northland education?

What most of the other students experience – community, unique ideas, an opportunity to explore ways of thinking and knowing. Experiencing the north woods and the Chequamegon Bay Area.

The faculty make these surrounding communities rich. They add to diversity of the region and add expertise, they volunteer for EVERYTHING, and we wouldn’t have events if it wasn’t for them. Northland College is the most important source of immigration of brilliant minds who get hooked on northern Wisconsin and don’t leave. I can’t get through a day in Ashland, Washburn or Bayfield without running into a Northland College I’m proud of.

Northland College is the most important idea I have ever worked hard for and I am heartbroken that it doesn’t appear to be sustainable. As a student at Northland I was very active, as a faculty member I contributed to the Sunshine Community, Alumni Board, Faculty Senate, 100s of Senior Capstone projects. I believed in everything about Northland College and worked tirelessly to try to match the energy that student’s put into these wonderful community projects and ideas.

I met my husband at Northland and some of the best friends I could ever ask for! Everything about the experience at Northland was so community focused and it really fosters strong healthy relationships of all kinds. The mentorship from staff and faculty is so important too! I am not in the field I went to school for but I have no doubt that I was set up for success from Northland’s academics. The faculty there is invested in a type of learning that can be applied in real life. They really teach you how to think critically for yourself and the value of hard work and collaboration which allows you to go in really any direction you might want.

What do you hope future students can gain from a Northland education?

Above all else – community! Times right now are so isolating but Northland does every possible thing to make you not feel alone. Working with others is such a valuable skill and Northland keeps that at the core of all its lessons.

What makes Northland worth holding on to? Love. I don’t know any other institution that is so incredibly and sincerely, lovingly committed to the people involved.

Northland gave me a true liberal arts education needed for work as an ecologist. It gave me hope and practical community-based solution perspectives critical for solving our ecological crises. I got a far better education as a natural resource major than I would have at a larger university while also being able to pursue passions of religious connection. When asked how I describe myself these days I say I enjoy working at the intersection of ecology, religion, and community and repairing and unveiling relationships that connect us all. This is what Northland is all about. More science will not solve our ecological crises. Connection and reciprocity will.

What do you think makes Northland unique or worth holding on to?

• Nature-based spirituality
• Indigenous connections
• Place based approach
• The people

In 2016 I received a recruitment email from the golf coach at Northland College. I had never heard of the school, or even Ashland, WI, but I was compelled to visit. So, my Mom took off a few days of work and we drove all the way from my small hometown in Ohio to this little school on the big lake. I had no clue that we were driving to a place that would become my home.

After my first visit to Northland, I was already certain that it was the school for me. I remember telling my Mom that I had made up my mind before she had even pulled her car out of the parking lot and back onto Ellis Ave. I had never felt so accepted and loved by a community as I did when I first stepped onto campus. It was a feeling that I wanted to hold onto, so I committed. I’m endlessly glad I did.

One of my favorite aspects of Northland was the never-ending list of opportunities there were for students. Northland gave me the space to explore anything I was interested in. Throughout my four years, I was a student-athlete, held many local internships, served as SAAC president, an RA, the editor for The Wedge (the campus yearbook,) and even ran a successful Instagram account dedicated to full glasses of milk in the cafe— all on top of being a student. Through the variety of these experiences, I developed a plethora of skills and knowledge that I value to this day. Northland gave me the confidence I needed to navigate adulthood and become the version of myself that I have always wanted to be.

When I talk to friends and family who attended larger, more mainstream universities, I’ve found that they did not have the same eclectic mix of experiences that Northland offered me. Being fully intertwined in not only the campus, but the local community as well, is something so truly unique.

Finally, and most importantly, I have to recognize the people who made my Northland experience unforgettable: my friends, fellow alums, and professors. I will never come across another community filled with so many kind, informed, helpful, and unique people. Being able to learn and grow alongside such a supportive community is something I will forever appreciate. Post-graduation, I have stayed friends with countless Northland graduates who I still talk to every single day. I have also found that, although Northland is small, there are connections everywhere. The Northland bond is so special, and I’m beyond grateful I get to share it with so many people. More than anything, I hope Northland is able to continue bringing people together, because no matter who they are, this little school has a place for everyone.

With two cupped hands, Northland held the questions of my heart as seriously and tenderly as one might hold the first daffodil of spring. A daffodil that glances upwards into the wise gaze of so many professors whose eyes twinkle with curiosity, the fuel for their fires of love for the world. I got to be a part of the most exquisite bouquet; a community connected to Lake Superior and committed to social and environmental justice. A bouquet of deep crimsons, lacy whites, freaky oranges, dynamic greens, and enchanting blues. One more breathtaking than any individual flower could dream.

My exposure to place-based experiential learning at Northland has radically altered the way I move through the world. The Superior Connections program taught me how to learn about a place, a skill set that serves me every day. Not only did I learn about the glacial story of the Great Lakes, but I learned to love riding my bike down Ellis Avenue to plunge into Superior’s frigid waters immediately upon the first melting of spring. I learned what a compassionate collective response looks like when we responded to COVID or to the fight for gender neutral bathrooms. The list goes on.

Oh! All the adventures…

My passion to look at topics from different lenses was encouraged, and I had the unique opportunity to craft a degree program that fit me perfectly. Rather than conforming my inquiry to a particular discipline, Northland allowed me to weave together a wide breadth of coursework that provided me with greater understanding about what I feel matters most. Outside of the classroom, I got to be an OO and outings trip leader, start a juggling club, run cross country, work with the SOEI, Ecoleague to Prescott College, and go on countless day and camping trips to contextualize and apply my learning.

As a first-generation college student from a low-income rural community, this was only possible with the generous Sigurd Olson Scholarship.

Northland believed in me, and my possibilities have grown in multitudes. It is my deepest hope that generations to come can benefit from such a holistic, value-driven, and inspiring undergraduate education. We need informed citizens to joyfully tackle the compounding concerns of our times. Northland is a vital resource—it is us, and I believe in us.

How did Northland influence the path to where you are today?

My time at Northland was transformative and helped guide me to where I am today. My father, Stepmother, and Wife all went to Northland College. To say Northland influenced my life is an understatement. Without Northland I would not be in the career I am in, and I would not have met my wife and had three beautiful children.

Did your time at Northland lead to a career, friendships, or partners that still play a large part in your life?

My education and degree at Northland College prepared me for a wonderful career in Natural Resources. My current title is Conservation Specialist for the Iron County Land and Water Conservation Department, where I have worked for the past 9 years. Prior to my employment with the county, I was the senior naturalist for 12 years at the Northland Discovery Center where I helped build one of the premier nature centers here in the Northwoods. I am also a business owner of Northwoods Learning Adventures LLC and have provided environmental education to thousands of young people and adults throughout my career. I was elected to the Mercer School Board in 2021 and continue to share lessons learned from my time at Northland. My wife and children are great stewards of the land, and we feel that Northland College was a major influence in our lives.

What do you hope future students can gain from a Northland education?

Connections and a great education. The lifelong friendships I have gained from my time at Northland have been some of the most meaningful experiences I have had. For the past 10 years a group of us Northland Alumni have gotten together to share old and new stories of our time at Northland. These relationships are not always a given at many universities or colleges and I think that Northland strives to make that a part of their mission. To “inspire students to explore the fundamental interconnections between nature, place, and people.” From the very first encounter at Outdoor Orientation to the moment we all walked off that stage during graduation, we all knew that we would be friends forever.

What do you think makes Northland unique or worth holding on to?

Location, quality, connections, and commitment. Located in one of the most unique and beautiful places on earth, Northland has it all. A great campus and a backyard to explore. A quality education- my classes at Northland were so exciting to me that I can count on one hand how many classes I missed in my 4 years at college. And…I think I was home sick and called the professor to apologize. Not only do I still use the knowledge and skills I gained at Northland in my career today, but many of my professors are my friends and colleagues. That is worth something in my opinion and it is something that you cannot find in every educational institution. Class sizes- I’m not the guy that wants to start my freshman year in a lecture hall with over 100 students. For those wanting a purpose and to be engaged in learning, I don’t see how giant lecture halls do it. In today’s world young people want to be engaged and our current education system is not providing that same kind of connection as Northland provides. Commitment- Northland has walked the walk. Committed to the environment and providing quality educational experiences, that’s worth something, and it’s worth saving.

Is there more about your Northland story you’d like to share?

My family would just like to ask the community to imagine a world within Northland College. I Can’t!!

College was a blip on my timeline, something that had to be conquered before I could move on to the next thing. That’s how I treated it: get through this semester, take as many credits as possible, internships over the summer to pad my resume and finish requirements. Finish. Finish. Finish.

And then I was done. And I moved on. Onto the next challenge, the next task.

Northland was a loving part of my past, with fond memories, and great friendships, but in the past. It had little effect on my current day-to-day life…

Then the recent announcement that Northland College might be shutting its doors brought the school back to the front of my brain, where it has stayed and occupied a much larger part than in many previous years.

I’ve asked myself, rather selfishly, “Why does it matter if Northland closes? I don’t have the money, influence, or power to keep it open. Hell, I don’t even have a few dollars to spare to donate. Every nickel, dime, and penny has been accounted and budgeted for.”

Even after making the decision that I was unable to contribute, I still spent time talking to friends, reaching out to former professors, and scouring the website for any piece of information that could provide the smallest amount of hope that Northland might survive.

I kept coming to the same conclusion, “Why bother? There is nothing I can do.”

But my thoughts kept coming back to Northland, to the little school on the big lake.

I was browsing social media and saw a plea for alumni pictures. I headed straight to the memories on my timeline; looking for pictures from nearly a decade ago, but there were so many other more recent pictures that could tell a Northland story. A story of belonging, feelings of home, and the call North.

One word kept repeating in my mind, lifelong.

Lifelong knowledge.

Lifelong passion.

Lifelong friends.

Lifelong memories.

I realized, there hasn’t been a day in my past, nor will there be a day in my future that isn’t affected by my experiences at Northland College.

Every time Wagon Wheel comes on the radio, I’m transported back to the fire pit on Madeline Island where each Superior Connections student receives their sash. I’d never heard the song before, but we all sang at the top of our lungs.

Baking casseroles but craving tater-tot hot dishes.

The crayon picture of a rat hanging on my wall that Emily Leonard drew during midnight pancake breakfast Junior year.

Weekly trivia. What is the biggest lake in the world? Where is the deepest point in North America? What boat did Gordon Lightfoot write a song about?

Frowning at the ice cream selection in the grocery store, because it’s never as good as the ice cream sandwiches sitting atop Nevers Road with the most beautiful view of Chequamegon Bay. And why isn’t cinnamon ice cream a thing anywhere else?!?

When Brian Tochterman marked points off an essay because I used too many semicolons; now I use them; every chance I can; I love semicolons!

Anytime someone asks where I went to school, I hike up my pant leg and ask if they recognize the outline on the back of my calf.

Sitting at a conference table. Fourth floor, Wheeler Hall, Tim Ziegenhagen and Cynthia Belmont conducted symphonies as students picked apart and rebuilt works of fiction and poetry.

David Saetre. Need I say more?

Anyone who has spent time at Northland will attest that even after you leave, there is still a part of you that will find Northland in your everyday world. We must remember that our connection to Northland (and the Chequamegon Bay area, Lake Superior region, Great Lakes watershed, North America, Western Hemisphere, World) is not merely a chapter in our past, but a lifelong bond that continues to shape our present and future.

Northland College is a hidden gem. Where else in the state can you find such a breathtaking setting to study the environmental sciences? Not only that, but the surrounding communities benefit from its outreach programs, events, and more. My own life has been so shaped by the knowledge, skills, and connections that I gained in my time there, and I can’t imagine a Chequamegon Bay without its center for higher education. Let’s pull together and save Northland!

How do you describe the impact of a place where you learned how you wanted to live? I felt so excited about the people I was surrounded by and the content I was learning that I remember explaining to someone that my brain felt absolutely electric. When I share stories from Northland, from either our Geoscience Department or Community, I am consistently met with awe and surprise and reminded of the uniqueness of our school. Northland, to me, was a fun and free space to explore who I was within the support of peers and faculty. I believe there is nowhere else like Northland.

I had the immense privilege of exploring the geology of the Northwoods with Dr. Tom Fitz and Dr. Dave Ullman. The two together create a space of passion and rigor. I earned a competitive internship with the U.S. Geological Survey that propelled my research career. I attribute my successful application to the help of Dr. Fitz during our Wyoming field camp and Dr. Ullman for the opportunity to conduct a masters-level research project as my undergraduate thesis. With their guidance and opportunities, as well as the support of my Northland peers, I’m working on my ideal career path today. Through my graduate research, I’ve found myself in all four corners of the Greenland Ice Sheet, answering questions about its size and response to future warming, while working with researchers who provide future sea level rise estimates to the International Panel on Climate Change. Northland Geoscience prepared me to conduct rigorous science and collaborate with fellow researchers to help prepare the world for the devastating effects of climate change.

It is critical that Northland continues to provide a liberal arts education and creates the pocket of beautiful free thinkers that call it home. The liberal arts education is what this world needs right now. Crossing political boundaries and stepping out of your discipline is desperately needed as the country pushes through this next election and combats climate change. Diverse perspectives from my fellow students paired with my interconnected classes provided me with training that I need to communicate with people quite unlike me. To this day, my dream is to come back and teach at Northland to help prepare a new crop of students to investigate this world while feeling connected to it. I know future students of Northland, should it stay open, will make a difference in the world as liberally educated members of their respective communities.