Minot State becomes Jelleberg’s home away from home
MINOT, N.D. – Adyson Jelleberg has found a home away from home at Minot State University after transferring from Dakota College at Bottineau.
“I am a transfer student, but it truly doesn’t feel that way. I am from Bottineau, North Dakota which is only about an hour and 15 minutes away from Minot,” she said. “I was born and raised in Bottineau and went to school at Bottineau Public School grades K-12.”
Jelleberg has always been very involved in the communities she has found herself in and finds joy in relating with the people as well.
“I have done a couple jobs throughout my life. I have been a waitress at a local restaurant, I was a camp counselor at Camp Metigoshe (a youth camp north of Bottineau), an assistant at a law firm, and I am currently a resident’s assistance at The View Assisted Home. When I was in high school, I was in almost all the clubs,” she said. “My senior year, I was elected the student senate president. I think this was because I was always so outgoing and knew everyone.
“I was the student you would see leading the chants at the sporting events but also the girl who sat in the hallways studying for her next test. I have always been a Bottineau girl and always will be.”
Jelleberg states that she saw similarities between Dakota College at Bottineau and Minot State and that convinced her that MSU was her next step.
“My experience at Bottineau was great,” she said. “I will never forget my time there or take it for granted. It was two years of my life that I will look back at and cherish forever. It really lived up to the slogan it has. ‘Start small, go far Dakota College at Bottineau.’ It prepared me for the next steps in my educational degree. It pushed me to be the best I can be and helped me to be confident in moving on.”
While her transition to Minot State from Dakota College was good, the nerves were present in the beginning because Minot has a larger population than what she was used to in Bottineau. After getting acquainted with fellow classmates and professors, every day began to get better and better.
“I started joining clubs and interacting with other students and that is what did it for me. I feel like I have another home away from home here at MSU,” Jelleberg said. “The process was fast and simple to transfer and once I got going, it was hard to stop. My experience at Minot State thus far has been great, and it just gets better every day.”
Jelleberg has known she wants to teach in elementary education for a while now, specifically fourth and fifth grades. Thankfully, this will now be made possible due to her admittance into the teacher education program which she accredits her professors for the smooth process.
“When I was in high school, I got the great opportunity to work in the fourth and fifth grade classrooms. I was a teacher’s assistant for two or three years. It was the best parts of my days. I would look forward to going into their classes to work with the kids and teach them something new every day,” she said. “I have babysat since I was 12, and I loved to babysit. It was the same when I worked as a camp counselor. I felt like I could make a difference in the lives of the children I met. That is when I knew what I wanted to do.”
She intends to jump right into teaching after school before going for her master’s, for which she intends to get her into the administration field of education.
“Once I get my master’s degree, I would like to start looking for administration jobs,” she said. “I would like to teach for a while longer though as well, you can’t critique a classroom if you haven’t been in one.”
Jelleberg attributes all she knows to her mother, her main inspiration who is an eighth grade ELA (English language arts) teacher at Turtle Mountain Middle School in Belcourt. She has been a teacher for 30 years.
“I aspire to be like her one day and touch the hearts of as many people as she has,” she said. “She was a single mom who gave me the best life I could have ever imagined.
“I was busy in all the activities I wanted to participate in, and she made sure I got what I wanted and did what I needed to do. She truly did it all to make sure I had the best life possible. She worked so hard and sometimes even had multiple jobs to make sure I had the best of the best. When I started hockey, through middle school and high school, we would have to travel six-plus hours sometimes to get to the places to play. She made sure I could do that.”
Jelleberg recognizes the huge role her mother played in the lives of her students and she desires to be as impactful in the lives of her potential students as well.
“My mom’s students’ love her,” she said. “When I say they ‘love’ her, I mean some of her students from some of her first classes will run up to her in Walmart yelling ‘Ms. Jelleberg, I missed you.’ That is what I want.”
Though Jelleberg is eager to jump into teaching after graduation, she is making the most of her time at MSU.
“I have loved my time so far here at Minot State and I can’t wait to see what the next year here brings me,” she said. “I have only been here a short amount of time, but this place has made an impact on me. I will cherish my time from here forever.”
About Minot State University
Minot State University is a public university dedicated to excellence in education, scholarship, and community engagement achieved through
rigorous academic experiences, active learning environments, commitment to public service, and a vibrant campus life.
Published: 04/20/23
