Kristen McCoy has been an upcycler for 29 years, and is equal parts designer, upcycler, tailor, and problem-solver. She is of the belief that vintage is the most glamorous form of eco-friendly clothing and if something in your closet is too small, damaged, or out of date, it can be repurposed into a creative piece you’ll be proud to show.

Imagine being in the middle of a critical, time-intensive project and you need a large industrial machining provider. Depending on the scope of the work, you may consider having it done offsite, but that isn’t always practical, possible, or efficient. 

The Random Acts of Kindness (RAK) Fund is known throughout Minneapolis College for helping students meet basic needs such as one-time emergency expenses, transportation costs, food, and fees related to taking certification exams after graduation.

Recognizing the importance of providing emergency grants and seeing first-hand how a financial hardship impacted some of the dedicated students in the Nursing Program where he was teaching, faculty member Paul Bernstein encouraged the start of a RAK Fund designated for Nursing students. 

Minneapolis College is pleased to announce that WCCO reporter Reg Chapman will serve as the emcee for the 2025 Commencement Ceremony on May 19 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.

Minneapolis College is known as a place where students can map out their future and earn an education designed to take them to the places they want to go in life. It offers affordable pathways to high-quality degrees, diplomas, certificates, and more.  

A new pilot program called We Thrive Women in the Trades, supported by the Women’s Foundation of Minnesota, will provide $200,000 to support a new initiative recruiting women into trade programs at Minneapolis College over the next two years. This pathway to high-demand, well-paying jobs champions asset-building career solutions benefiting women and their families.

At Open Your Heart to the Hungry and Homeless, a local nonprofit organization, the belief is every Minnesotan should be free from hunger and homelessness. To that end, they provide financial and technical support to homeless shelters, food shelves, and domestic violence shelters throughout the state. 

To support their overall goals in the community, they are offering $60,000 in matching funds to Minneapolis College over the next two years for donations made to the College’s Open Your Heart Scholarship Fund.

The Building Owners and Managers Association (BOMA) of Greater Minneapolis has awarded 11 scholarships to students pursuing careers in commercial real estate and building management, including two students involved with the Commercial Real Estate Diversity Collaborative (CREDC) on January 23, 2024. The scholarships are aimed at students who are either studying commercial real estate or planning to become building engineers. 
 

According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, individuals with a college degree on average earn more than those with only a high school diploma, and this earnings gap continues to widen. Yet for many prospective students, their dream of earning a college degree is overshadowed by the fear of student loan debt. Rising tuition costs are becoming their most challenging barrier.

Several sectors of Minnesota’s economy are facing an impending workforce shortage, and the colleges and universities of Minnesota State have a critical role to play in meeting this shortage – in terms of the credit, non-credit, and customized programs it offers, the partnerships it forms, and the contribution it makes to the state’s economic vitality.