SENIOR SPOTLIGHT: Homeniuk makes the most of her MSU experience
MINOT, N.D. – Zoe Homeniuk originally chose to travel more than 1,400 miles north from her home in Texas to attend Minot State University, somewhat on a whim and a simple recommendation.
Her mother, Kimberly (Nelson) Homeniuk '93, recommended Minot State as she graduated from the University.
But there still wasn’t a great connection.
“I knew I wanted to go to college, but I had no idea what I wanted to study,” she said. “My mom talked about the smaller class sizes, a close relationship with your professors, and I would meet people once I got here. But I was still, like, hmm, there isn’t anything specifically drawing me here or anywhere else, frankly.
“I sent my application in, got accepted, and took a step. It was a good step.”
While she was unsure of her future and enrolled at MSU as a geology major, she had a passion in the back of her mind — and a leg up by virtue of dual credit courses taken in high school.
“I think there was always that passion to be a lawyer, and it’s a career where you can get any degree you want, so I never really thought about what I wanted to do to get to that point,” Homeniuk said. “I was a geology major right away, and I didn’t really know what that meant. But I had most of my generals done because of dual credit, so it made it so much easier when I first got here.”
While it took her a little longer than some to figure out what the best path was, it didn’t take her long to graduate. After meeting Neil Roberts, MSU associate professor in professional communication, she found her home.
In just three years, she went from undecided to a graduate.
“The professional communication program is a great program, and after meeting with Neil and seeing you get to be a part of everything, I was just drawn to it,” she said. “I learned I’m not a production person or want to be in front or behind a camera, but I really liked my PR classes and can totally see myself representing a firm or company in some way as a PR representative.
“If you had told me in high school that I would be moving across the country, graduating in three years, and then hopefully going to law school, I would have said no. I’ve always struggled with change,” Homeniuk said. “It’s something I’ve been trying to work on. It was so hard leaving home, I have two younger brothers, so leaving my family was hard. I needed to adjust quickly when I first got here.”
Part of that adjustment came from MSU’s Looyenga Leadership Center and the Leadership Living Learning Community, a community partnership with Minot State Residence Life empowering students for current and future success in leadership, citizenship, and relationship building. It was the perfect opportunity for Homeniuk.
“I was totally a dorm kid,” she said laughing. “There were so many benefits for me. I was signing up for scholarships, and the Looyenga Leadership Center was one that I thought I would enjoy. I was on the student council and captain of the basketball team. I thought it would be a good opportunity for me, and I took Leadership 101. It was really intimidating, but I really liked it, so I stayed in the program and will be one of the first to graduate with the minor in leadership.”
Homeniuk hasn’t decided on a specific school to pursue a law degree yet, leaning toward the University of North Dakota or the University of Arkansas. While she hopes to make a decision by July, she isn’t panicking.
“Since coming here, I’ve done a lot of things outside my comfort zone, in both pro comm and leadership, that have helped me,” she said. “That is something that I’m going to take forward. Sometimes you don’t want to do something, but you have to — you need to — and it will work out.
“I really want to thank everyone who has helped me and supported me along the way.”
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: 05/19/25
