Life After College helps Minot State student-athletes build professional connections
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For Minot State University senior student-athletes, preparing for life after college involves more than finishing a degree or competing in their final season. It also means learning how to confidently enter professional settings, build relationships and make connections that can extend well beyond graduation.
Last Wednesday, those skills were the focus of Life After College, a professional networking meet-and-greet designed specifically for senior student-athletes. The event brought together Minot State students, Beaver Booster members, alumni, and other members of the Minot community for an evening focused on communication, confidence, and relationship-building.
Conni Ahart, a member of the Minot State University Board of Regents, opened the evening by discussing the importance of making a positive first impression. She emphasized that a first impression begins as soon as someone walks into a room and that preparation is an important part of succeeding in both business and social settings.
"Being prepared is stacking the deck in your favor," Ahart told students.
The event gave student-athletes an opportunity to put that advice into practice. Rather than simply listening to presentations, students were encouraged to introduce themselves, start conversations with people they did not know, recognize positive nonverbal communication, and move throughout the room to engage with different groups.
For many students, the experience highlighted how easy it can be to overthink something as simple as starting a conversation.
Aidan Shumate, a nursing major, said the event helped him recognize that challenge while giving him practical tools to address it.
"No matter how much of a people-person you may be, starting an important conversation with anybody can be something you can easily overthink," Shumate said. "Being a part of this event pointed that out to me very quickly but also provided me with the tools and the practice to confidently go about any introduction in any circumstance."
Mia Aberle, who is pursuing majors in business management, entrepreneurship, marketing and international business, said the event provided an opportunity to grow personally while connecting with members of the community.
"Being able to attend the Life After College event is such a great opportunity," Aberle said. "I value the chance to step outside my comfort zone while learning new skills. It's also lovely to connect with those who call Minot home."
The importance of those connections was also emphasized by Blaine DesLauriers, retired bank president at First International Bank & Trust, who attended and spoke at the event.
"I thought it was a great event, and I was impressed with the student athletes," DesLauriers said. "Being able to offer an event like this offers important life skills for 'Life After College.'"
DesLauriers encouraged students to recognize that professional relationships are built on more than simply collecting names or business cards. The relationships developed during college can become valuable throughout a person’s career, he said.
"A relationship is not just who you know, but who knows your work ethic and your character," DesLauriers said. "That's what's important."
Maintaining those relationships can also create opportunities in the future, whether through an internship, mentorship, job interview, or even a future business partnership.
The Life After College event was the first of three sessions planned for senior student-athletes during the academic year. The message of the first session was straightforward: students do not have to know exactly what to say or whom they should approach when they walk into a professional setting. They simply need to be willing to take the first step, introduce themselves, and begin a conversation. For Minot State’s graduating student-athletes, those conversations may become the beginning of relationships that continue long after their final class, game, or season on campus.