As higher education in prison expands across the country following the restoration of Pell Grant eligibility for incarcerated students, Minnesota is building a statewide model centered on access, academic rigor, and cross-institutional collaboration. The Minnesota Consortium for Higher Education in Prison (MNCHEP) was established to help colleges and universities develop and expand high-quality, degree-bearing educational opportunities for currently and formerly incarcerated Minnesotans.

Minneapolis College has received the Hunger Free Campus Designation for 2026 from Minnesota State. This designation recognizes efforts to reduce and eliminate food insecurity among student populations. 

Over the past six years, 83 students at Minneapolis College benefited from the National Science Foundation’s grant to improve Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) scholastic and career opportunities for low-income students. 

At North High School, it was a shop teacher with a keen eye for his students’ individual strengths who first recognized and brought attention to Jasmine McConnell’s remarkable talents. Jasmine McConnell was creative, willing to try new things, good with her hands, had a sense of spatial awareness, was able to follow detailed instructions, and practice patience when things didn’t go as planned. These skills have continued to serve her with every educational and career pivot she’s made. 

For generations, metalworking has been both a skilled trade and an art form—a hands-on craft that challenges you to think creatively, solve problems, and build with precision. The Welding and Metal Fabrication program at Minneapolis College combines technical instruction with real-world experience to prepare students for entry-level careers in manufacturing, construction, and a wide range of industrial fields.

Tiffany Lor received the Minnesota HR All-Star Award, an honor recognizing exceptional human resources professionals in the state, awarded by the Minnesota State Colleges and Universities system to system-wide standouts.

Hsu Lay Wai is one of 60 community college students from across the country to receive the Cook Undergraduate Transfer Scholarship from the Jack Kent Cooke Foundation. The scholarship will help Hsu Lay Wai, a biology graduate of Minneapolis College, complete her bachelor’s degree in medical lab science at the University of Minnesota.

At age 68, international student María Tobalina is building her skills, her knowledge, her resumé, and her network at Minneapolis College following a decades-long teaching career in her native Lima, Perú. 

María’s path hasn’t been easy. She raised three children, prioritizing their education. All three achieved college degrees and two have earned master’s degrees. Now she is a grandmother, far from home, adapting to modern technology and new ways of learning.

Minneapolis College is pleased to announce that WCCO reporter Reg Chapman will serve as the emcee for the 2026 Commencement Ceremony on May 18 at the Minneapolis Convention Center.

A Gulf War veteran, Chapman earned his Bachelor of Science in Broadcast Journalism from the University of Nebraska Omaha. He is a recipient of the Edward R. Murrow Award for Investigative Reporting, multiple Associated Press awards, and honors from the Society of Professional Journalists. Additionally, the YMCA has recognized him as a Black Achiever.

The Minnesota State Transportation Center of Excellence is proud to announce that Anna Chadwick, Aircraft Maintenance Technician Program Instructor at Minneapolis College, has been named Outstanding New Educator of the Year.