A Reputation Here, There and Everywhere

From the air above to business below, Minnesota State Mankato enjoys a widespread reputation across disciplines and across borders.

By Joe Tougas ’86 and Grace Brandt ’13

From the time he saw the war film “Black Hawk Down,” Sungjin Choi wanted to be a pilot for his country’s military. 

He was 10 or 11 in his home city of Incheon, South Korea, when he saw the film, and it stuck with him into adulthood. He saw the pilots in the movie as problem-solving heroes. And the desire to fly remained with him as he entered the South Korean Air Force. 

But an irregular heartbeat detected shortly afterward disqualified him from flying military jets. Disappointed, he nonetheless kept his ambitions skyward, ultimately choosing to pursue a career in commercial aviation—which led him to Minnesota State Mankato.  

After serving as a captain in the intelligence division of the South Korean Air Force between 2014 and 2018, Choi worked in Japan as an electrical engineer at M-Plus, a company that produces batteries for electric cars. 

Tiring of workdays that stretched from 7 a.m. to 11 p.m., he started looking for flight schools overseas. He discovered frequent mentions of Minnesota State Mankato’s aviation program listed among the best in his online searches. Although that reputation was enticing, what clinched it for him was Minnesota’s famously diverse weather. 

“This school has a better reputation, and the weather conditions here are similar to Korea,” he said. “So I chose here because I can experience many kinds of weather.” 

At 34 years old, he enrolled as a first-year student at MSU in fall 2024. His first semester involved some courses outside the aviation program, including the Intensive English Program to help with his speaking, writing and reading in English. By his second semester, he was in aviation classes, in planes and working toward his goal. 

Choi is one of hundreds of students who arrive each year from other countries to attend MSU, many of whom say they do so because of the university’s reputation. 

“We really are a destination for our international students and our international partners,” said William Coghill-Behrends, dean of global education at MSU. 

“International students have always been a part of MSU’s identity,” he said. “They just bring a richness to the experience for everybody here, in particular domestic students. To have the kind of global experience that they have at MSU because they’re in classes with students from 107 different countries around the world—that’s just incredible.” 

In March, Coghill-Behrends attended the Asia Pacific International Education Association Conference in India. In a question-and-answer session, he identified himself as representing Minnesota State Mankato. 

“I actually heard some noises in the crowd, and then afterwards, several people were saying to me, ‘Minnesota State Mankato, what have you guys done? You have such a big international student population.’” 

He had answers. 

“I think [students] know that we’re affordable, that we do a good thing here. Our students are getting job offers before they graduate—domestic job offers and job offers abroad. We’re producing results for these students and their families, and so they recognize us as a good investment. And word of that spreads.” 

The Trump administration’s rash of visa suspensions and ICE detainments on international students across the country affected several at MSU, including one student who was detained for a month before being released. Coghill-Behrends said both the university and the Greater Mankato community took as much action as they could to demonstrate care for international students and their families. 

“Messaging to students, messaging to families, being clear with our staff throughout the unit that we needed to expect and anticipate and be ready for lots of student questions,” he said. “Some of our immigration advising meetings, for example, would turn from nuts and bolts of immigration advising to assuaging people’s anxiety and their fears.” 

Information sessions were established during the period for not only students, but also for faculty and staff, he said. 

“This is how communities respond when these kinds of crises pop up. We had the resources and the soul to do it.” 

As he spoke in early summer, Coghill-Behrends said he was concerned about a federal initiative to pause new student visa appointments to all applicants. Visa denials were increasing across U.S. institutions from a 26 percent denial rate to 41 percent. 

Even in such circumstances, MSU’s tradition and reputation with international students is showing its staying power. 

“I do think, as a result of everything happening in the world, there is a good chance there will be fewer international students studying in the U.S.,” Coghill-Behrends said. “My goal is that there won’t be fewer international students studying at MSU.” 

A Professional Stage 

While MSU’s Ted Paul Theatre is known regionally as a top-tier venue for plays and musicals, the university’s Department of Performing Arts has launched several careers in television and cinema. 

Cedric Yarbrough, star of Comedy Central’s “Reno 911” and AMC’s “Lucky Hank,” and character actor Spencer Kramler are among those who have gone through the program and publicly praised MSU’s theater.  

In a January 2025 interview with the Minneapolis Star Tribune, Yarbrough, who stars in the Clint Eastwood drama “Juror #2,” noted: “I got dramatic training at Minnesota State University. I’m still trying to impress my professors there.” 

In a fall 2023 interview with Today magazine, he credited the university with his well-rounded abilities to tackle heavy roles and comic ones with equal zeal. 

“I learned at MSU to learn as much as I possibly can about this business—about comedy, about dance, about musical theater, drama. I learned as much as I possibly could so I could be a very well-rounded actor.” 

“The theater department was, and is still, one of the best you can find for a regional theater school,” said Kramler, a Los Angeles actor and casting coach, in 2022. 

“The production design, the opportunities to be on stage. I was doing five plays a year every year. There was no time to do anything else except theater, which was all I wanted to do. By the time I was done with Mankato, I felt I had a whole professional career.” 

Rusty Ruth ’14, director of theatre and associate professor of communication arts/theatre at Wayne State College in Wayne, Nebraska, received his MFA in directing from MSU’s theatre department. He enrolled largely due to the praise he heard for MSU while an undergraduate student at the University of South Dakota. 

“I chose MSU because I knew it was one of the best MFA programs in the Midwest,” he said. “My mentors in undergrad said that Mankato had a strong reputation of preparing professional theatre practitioners and that the rigorous workload would sharpen my skills as an artist.” 

Industry Rep 

As Ben Schmitt considered how to find quality employees for positions at Truck Bodies & Equipment International (TBEI) in Lake Crystal, the general manager saw an obvious opportunity: connecting with Minnesota State University, Mankato. TBEI already has internships in place that connect university students to real-world experience, and nine alumni currently work for the company. It just made sense to return to the university to find quality engineering graduates to fill much-needed positions. 

“Hiring new talent these days is very difficult, so anything we can do to build a pipeline to local schools is always beneficial,” Schmitt said. 

Schmitt started working with Katie Jolicoeur, director of career services at the university, in February 2025. Since then, the university has been extremely open, inviting TBEI representatives to visit campus and keeping them informed of upcoming career fairs and other opportunities to connect with students. 

TBEI is looking to add more internship positions beyond hiring recent graduates—and they’re focusing on Minnesota State Mankato instead of other universities. Besides the local connection, Schmitt said he’s been consistently impressed with how prepared university graduates are to step into the workforce. 

“[With engineering], a lot of universities’ programs are very theoretical, but there’s not a lot of practical or hands-on experience,” he explained. “I’ve hired engineers that couldn’t change the oil on a car; they’re very, very smart engineers but don’t have that hands-on experience. But the MSU [alumni], they’re very practical with a strong work ethic and going the extra mile, plus the overall knowledge and skills that are quite impressive.” 

TBEI isn’t the only company that looks to the university for highly skilled and well-prepared graduates. According to Jolicoeur, the university receives talent inquiries from companies across the U.S.—and even internationally. Fortune 500 companies such as Google, Amazon, Grant Northam, Target and others in industries ranging from accounting to aviation either visit campus to recruit or reach out to Jolicoeur to explore hiring opportunities. Since January 2025, 38 more than 75 employers have contacted her. 

One big way the university helps form new pipelines is through its annual Career and Internship Expo, where employers engage with students on campus. This year, the university is partnering with six other higher education institutions and opening the event to alumni in addition to current students, in the hopes of hosting the largest expo they’ve ever had. Jolicoeur said they’re also planning to reinstitute a second expo in the spring. 

CLOSER TO HOME 

Besides directly connecting companies to applicants or interns, Jolicouer’s office also finds other ways for industry leaders to strengthen pipelines with the University. Area leaders are able to schedule visits to campus, often offering one-on-one conversations with students to be less intimidating; participate in mock interviews to help students prepare for future job hunts; and sit on advisory councils to offer perspective on what curriculum should include. 

One of the University’s oldest industry partners is Taylor Corporation. The company has consistently hired University students as interns and alumni as full-time employees in positions ranging from sales to computer science, according to Brent Christopherson, director of talent acquisition.

“[The relationship] has improved every year, [and] it has to continue to improve,” he said. “They’re literally building the next generation of workforce for companies like Taylor.” 

Early Career Sales Leader Jack Hansen has experienced both sides. He interned at Taylor Corporation from December 2023 until he graduated in 2024, receiving a job offer immediately. Now, he oversees the company’s sales internship program. 

Hansen said his program typically has about 10 interns at a time. While full-time job offers aren’t guaranteed, he said there’s a high demand right now—but it really just comes down to if the intern is a good fit. A lot of the time, with University graduates, it’s a good fit. 

“Our partnership with [Mankato State] is our most valuable,” he said. “If we didn’t have such a connection to campus and we weren’t involved or trying to reach students, we wouldn’t have the level of talent that we have today.” 

Jolicouer said industry demand shifts throughout the years, with more need for healthcare and even an AI focus recently. Overall demand, however, has been steady. For Jolicouer, that’s evidence of why these industry partnerships are so vital. 

“Having these partnerships helps everybody,” she said. “It helps us in higher education stay attuned to what’s happening in the industries to make sure our curriculum is staying current out in the real world. On the flip side, it helps employers for us to be producing these graduates with the skills they need because it’ll save them time and money on onboarding if their new hires already have these skills. [Additionally], there’s a goal to grow [and] keep students within the region, [which] can also help attract more organizations and more employers. If they know we’re producing excellent graduates who are up-to-date on industry, they’re going to want to build here. It’s a win-win-win for everybody.”  

These are a few examples of how MSU continues to build a reputation through the quality of its programs as well as its proven commitment to real-world learning, inclusivity, and career readiness. As the student body grows, so does that reputation around the world.