The distance from Crookston, Minn. to Indianapolis, Ind. is 879 miles. But for Sara Kaiser, a communication major attending the University of Indianapolis, it might as well have been one million.

While Kaiser showed up to college with dreams of one day working in sports information, she was becoming less confident in her choice. The prospect of making little money, along with working nights and weekends, didn’t appeal to her, exactly.

That and sideline reporting during football games turned out to be much less fun than she originally imagined.

“When the coaches are screaming and you’re like, ‘uh…hi!’” Kaiser said.

Battling homesickness and questioning her future, Kaiser took a job as a work study for the admissions office at her school. As this was a few years before social media, Kaiser’s days were filled with stuffing mailers to send out, but it was in that office that she found an unexpected path.

“I realized you can do this whole help students and get involved have a good experience as a career,” Kaiser said. “So my very first job was working in an admissions office.”

Encouraging involvement

Nowadays, Kaiser is the Coordinator of Student Organizations and Activities at the University of North Dakota. Her next big project is the Spring Student Involvement Fair, Wednesday Jan. 25, in the Memorial Union Ballroom from 11 a.m. until 1 p.m.

Kaiser has been hosting events like the student involvement fair for quite some time, and in her opinion, the importance of these events can’t be stressed enough.

“Not that college isn’t fun and exciting without doing anything outside of the classroom,” Kaiser said. “But I think the things that make college memorable are the experiences that you have outside of the classroom and this is a great way to see what is available for students.”

The event will feature student organizations from all over campus and will serve as a chance for students to speak with other students representing their respective organization.

Along with the organizations, there will be up to six nonprofit organizations coming in the hopes of finding volunteers for different events in the future. One of the nonprofit organizations attending this years student involvement fair is the Special Olympics of North Dakota, who will be looking for student volunteers to assist in running tournaments in the future.

Encouraging students

Kaiser’s drive can be factored down to her dedication toward students. She believes wholeheartedly that encouraging students to get out and experience all the campus and community has to offer is the key to success.

“Research shows that when students get involved in the first six weeks of school, they’re more likely to stay enrolled in school and earn better grades,” Kaiser said.

Striving to make the community experience as enriching as the school experience, Kaiser assist in setting up events for students like movie nights, bowling nights and swimming at Canad Inn.

Giving back

Though Kaiser left her hometown years ago, she’s glad to be back in North Dakota, but more specifically, she’s glad to be at UND.

“This is home,” Kaiser said. “But for me, I find UND a fantastic place for students. You can get involved in so many things or you can just pick your one or two little niche things that interest you.”

Kaiser’s love for the community pushed her to give back as much as she can.

“It’s a way to make a difference in my community,” Kaiser said. “People who are educated are more likely to vote, they’re more likely to participate in their community, they volunteer…. I think that’s important and in some ways it’s giving back to my community. I want to help students be good citizens, not just earn the A, get your degree and head out the door.”

Matt Eidson is the News Editor for The Dakota Student. He can be reached at [email protected]