Many students start at a community college, unsure of what they want to study or what they want to do next. But what truly matters is using your time purposefully, gaining experience, getting involved, building relationships, and finding your place on campus. Before he graduated from NHCC with a business transfer pathway AS degree, that’s exactly what Casey did!
If you’re thinking about transferring to a four-year institution after NHCC, this is the Q&A for you!
What were your intentions when you first started at NHCC?
I honestly had no idea what I wanted to be doing with my life. So I figured I’d start with my local community college and see where it took me. If you told me I’d be getting my associate’s degree with a 3.9 GPA my senior year of high school, I would have laughed in your face!
How did you know you wanted to transfer after you were done here?
I made it this far! Why not finish off the four-year degree?
What helped you decide which school you wanted to transfer to?
My amazing ethics professor, Dr. Jensen, helped me. While applying for schools to transfer to,
I selected every Minnesota school in the Common App, just to see what they would offer for scholarships. I asked Dr. Jensen if I could use him as a reference, and he was happy to oblige.
He noticed that one of the schools I applied for was Gustavus Adolphus College, the same school he graduated from! He encouraged me to look into the school, and I found that it was everything
I was looking for in a school!
How did NHCC assist you in the transfer process?
They made the transfer process unbelievably easy. It got to the point where I went to my counselor to see if I was missing anything because it felt too good to be true!
What should other students know about transferring from NHCC to another school?
Make sure to research your options and figure out your choice as soon as possible. I was set on going to the University of Minnesota’s Carlson School of Management for quite a while, until my counselor showed me that they’d only accept about half of my credits, and I’d have to go to the
U of MN for at least a semester before I was even told if I’d be accepted!
Just in general, why should students go to college?
Don’t get me wrong, there are a lot of amazing jobs you can get without a college degree.
But with a college degree, your options and financial freedom will drastically expand. If you can afford college, please go!
What did you like about going to school at NHCC?
North Hennepin Community College really puts the “community” in community college. When I first arrived, all I did was go to class and then go home. It wasn’t till one day, I was going for a walk and saw an ad for Student Senate and decided to check it out, and I’m so glad I did. I met so many amazing people at North Hennepin, and I’m so sad to leave them all as soon as I met them.
To any new students, I plead with you to get involved. North Hennepin is such a fantastic, welcoming community with lovely people waiting to meet you.
While at NHCC, Casey got involved in Student Senate, worked on campus with our Public Safety department, and made the Dean’s List multiple times. This spring, he successfully transferred to Gustavus Adolphus College, where he’s continuing on as a business management student.
We wish you the very best in all of your academic and career endeavors, Casey! You’ve got a great future ahead of you, and we look forward to seeing what you’ll do next!