What's Next for the Class of 2022?

Cody Robinson: My name is Cody Robinson. I am majoring in mass communications with an emphasis in graphic communication and a minor in marketing. I am from a super small town in Northeastern Colorado. After graduation, I plan to keep working at the job I'm currently at, which is the Belle Fourche Beacon. And then I'm also going to be working at Prairie Berry as a brand and marketing associate and I start there May 11th. Something I'll miss most about Black Hills State is probably um...definitely the area. Um...I mean I'm not leaving, but like the views from campus are just like...amazing. And I do love all the facilities and the small-town feel of the classes and getting to know your professors. And it's not just like you're left in the dust and everyone wants you to succeed here. And you're not going to be forgotten so I think it's a really awesome culture that we have here.

Nolan Maher: I'm Nolan Maher. I'm from Bismarck, North Dakota and I'm a mathematics, physical science, and chemistry major. After graduation, I'll be going to the University of Minnesota Twin Cities in the fall, to pursue graduate studies in physics. I'd like to do research, at least for the foreseeable future, and eventually maybe do a professorship and teach at a university somewhere. The thing I'll miss most about Black Hills State and the area is like the environment. Uh...growing up in Bismarck, I mean we had the river and stuff, but there wasn't a lot of nature stuff you could really do. And like around here you can go hiking you can uh...just running, running was great, and being on the cross country and track team. Approaching graduation I have mixed feelings of fear and excitement. Afraid because like I'm completing one more part of my life and although I know that I'm probably gonna go to grad school next year, I don't know what that's gonna be like that's an entirely new ballgame. Excited to...to start that new process, to see where it takes me.

Ruby Lindquist: My name is Ruby Lindquist and I'm an English major graduating this May. Um...I'm from Alaska and I've run cross country and track and field here for the past four years. In Alaska I do a lot of mountain running and trail running and I think that's a big reason why I competed here for BH in cross country and track and field because it's just such a huge passion of mine. And I actually want to continue that. My plan is to basically train for trail and mountain running and eventually, hopefully, gain a sponsor for that so I can continue that far down the road. So those are kind of my immediate plans for after graduation, as I think I have um...this...this talent and I feel like it'd be almost silly of me to not try to, you know, continue that a little bit more and kind of dig into that passion. I think that...I mean college has prepared me to like go into the big world and you know it is intimidating, but it's also really exciting to graduate.

Alyssa Jones: My name is Alyssa Jones, I'm a major in psychology with a minor in Spanish and I'm getting a certificate in criminal justice. I'm from Madison, South Dakota. I think my favorite memory at Black Hills State was being a part of my research lab. I've gotten to know so many people through that and form really close connections with those people. What I'll miss most about Black Hills State is the sense of community, like everybody kind of knows everyone, and the beautiful scenery of course. I'm feeling very excited for graduation, I'm going to miss BH but I'm also really excited for what's going to happen in the future. Black Hills State prepared me because um...we have some wonderful professors here, they challenge you, but they also really help you and it was awesome to have that kind of relationship with the people that I look up to.

Gracie Kosters: My name is Gracie Kosters, my major is elementary education and I am from the Black Hills area. After graduation, I have been hired at Sturgis Elementary School to teach first grade. So that's where I will be going next year. I am very excited about it. I will miss the close community that it is you really get to know everyone in your classes and your class size is pretty small so you get to know your professors as well. My favorite memory would be from this last year, my senior year, because of...I'm a part of elementary education. The way that that's set up is, you end your college here with the people who are also going to be graduating as teachers. And I've got to be really close with all of those individuals and I probably have made lifelong friends there. As I approach graduation I'm feeling very nervous, but I'm really excited for the next adventure in my life to start. Black Hills State has prepared me for my future just through my courses and everything and like I said, I've met lifelong friends here that I'll be able to rely on at different points in my life.

David Miller: My name is David Miller. Um...I'm from Oswego, Illinois and my major is environmental physical science. After graduation, I'm going to spend the summer working hopefully and then I'm actually going to be pursuing a master's degree at Central Washington University looking at geological sciences. Favorite memory at my time at Black Hills State was probably getting to present my research in Portland, Oregon. The university gave me the opportunity to do undergraduate research and then present it and then just going to a place I'd never been before to present and network and share all the things that I learned and meet so many cool people was an amazing opportunity that I wouldn't have gotten. As I approach graduation, I'm really excited for the next step going to get a master's degree is going to be a really really big thing. Functionally Black Hills State has prepared me because they've just given me the education baseline that I need. And without Black Hills State, I don't think I would have gotten necessarily that quality of education and that, that guidance, that direct guidance form my advisors and professors.

Lex Brady: I'm Lex Brady, I am a graphic design major, and I am from Powell, Wyoming. Plans after graduation is to be working with the Black Hills Pioneer here in Spearfish, which is great because I really wanted to stay within this area. One thing I will miss about Black Hills especially is just the people that I've interacted with, and the opportunities that I've had here, especially within my field. They've really just prepared you for giving you the skills and the knowledge to make you feel comfortable in the field that you're entering in. And that's what I liked about, originally, Black Hills in general. My favorite memory right now is participating in the Senior show. I've never done an art show at all before. I've never seen my art actually in a show. Once it happened, once the reception happened, it was just more like, "oh." It was just a sigh of relief but also just like, "Oh wow! I actually have things that are in the show." So it was great, I really loved that part of it. It was fun.

Pasiensia Lockman: Name's Pasiensia Lockman, my major is elementary education with speech communication, with an emphasis in theatre, and I am from Scottsbluff, Nebraska. After graduation, I plan to get a teaching job somewhere in the Black Hills. I don't have a specific age group, I really find myself loving whatever age group I'm with. If the opportunity arises, I would love to coach theatre, or one acts, or something in the performing arts. I also want to continue my education and get my master's in administration or teaching and education. Black Hills State has prepared me for my future by providing me with, providing me with awesome real life experiences to student teach. I just feel really prepared, and I feel like I haves some great resources. As I approach graduation, I am feeling really excited. I feel really prepared to go out into the world and be a real functioning adult. Um...yeah, I just feel really excited and prepared, and ready to rock and roll.