Office of the President

New Center Addresses “What Comes Next?” 

Dr. Marsha Danielson, President Minnesota State College Southeast

With high school and college graduation season fast approaching, countless youth are being asked some variation of: “What are your plans for the future?”

For many high school graduates – and even some college grads -- that’s a loaded question. While some are locked in on attending college, military service or starting employment, many students remain anxious about what comes next.

A 2025 Post-Graduation Readiness Report compiled by YouScience found that 72% of recent high school graduates surveyed agreed to feeling only moderately, slightly, or not at all prepared for next steps. One in three, or roughly 33% of graduates in Minnesota reported having “no clear plan or feeling unprepared for their post-graduation future.”

Even those who are collegebound may not be 100% certain of what they want to study or what career path they want to pursue. According to the National Center for Educational Statistics, 80% of college students will change their major at least once. 
 
The years immediately after high school are so formative, as we navigate adulthood and learn to be independent. This is when many of us discover our life’s passion, while growing personally and professionally.

At Minnesota State College Southeast, students often start in one program, only to discover another discipline they prefer. In some cases, our students weren’t sure they could handle college, only to gain confidence and realize they want to pursue a bachelor’s degree.

That’s why I’m so excited about the opening of a University Center on our Winona campus. This new resource provides a place where students can meet with a dedicated transfer advisor and map out the courses they need to take so after their time at Southeast, they can continue their studies at other Minnesota State colleges or universities.

The University Center also provides a place where representatives from other universities, such as Winona State University, can meet with students and discuss plans for continuing their education and explore financial aid or scholarship opportunities.

Since 2016, Southeast has served as both the technical and community college for our region. You might be surprised to learn that 30% of our majors are pursuing one of our 12 transfer degrees, and those students now account for 20% of our graduates annually.

While we have an unwavering commitment to our technical college roots, today our financial viability as an institution depends on us also fulfilling our community college role.

Megan Kuehni is one of our business transfer pathway students. A Red Wing native who now resides in Winona, Megan plans to pursue her bachelor’s degree in business administration at Winona State in the fall. She thinks the University Center will be a great resource for students like herself.

As the national reports show, not every student is as certain about their plans as Megan. That’s where the University Center can play a vital role.

The idea for the center stems from a conversation I had with Dr. Ken Janz, President of Winona State University, in December of 2023. We were discussing ways to strengthen the relationship between our two institutions, including finding ways to remove obstacles or challenges for Southeast students who wanted to continue their education at Winona State.

Those conversations led to the creation of Barb Nascak’s transfer advisor position, which is funded by both institutions. Barb helps students map out the courses they can start taking as early as high school, so they can earn their degree in as little time and with as little expense as possible. Students love Barb’s personalized attention, and she’s happy to connect them with resources on other campuses, so they will continue to have support and assistance.

Mindful of how often students change majors, Barb encourages students to take courses early on that can be applied toward a variety of degrees.

One of our primary goals at Southeast is to ensure our students feel prepared to earn a bachelor’s degree. This University Center is the latest way that we are working to deliver on that commitment and help our students feel confident about their future.