SENIOR SPOTLIGHT: Working with people
MINOT, N.D. – One of the many purposes of college is to prepare students to enter the workforce. For biology major Jordan Sailer, the workforce — both inside and outside his field — prepared him for college.
Originally from Minot, Sailer stayed in his hometown for his undergraduate degree because it was affordable. On top of his studies, he worked full-time in the produce department of Marketplace Foods so he could pay for his education out of pocket.
“It's a bit of a challenge for sure, trying to balance like all my time,” he said. “The biggest factor that allowed me to balance my school, work, and social life was efficient planning. My work schedule was the same every week, so I always knew when I worked. Every week I reminded myself what I had to do for school and made sure to dedicate the proper time for it. It was tough at first, making time for everything, but once I got a rhythm for it, it became easy.”
Earning a Doctor of Physical Therapy from the University of North Dakota is Sailer’s next life step, but he already is thinking about working while he is there.
“I think I might take my first year off because I heard that's the busiest in terms of schoolwork, but I also have a bunch of friends who work at a pizza place over there, so I might do that,” he said.
Choosing biology at Minot State, Sailer knew he wanted to work with people, but he did not know initially which part of the medical field he wanted to pursue.
“I'm very interested in anatomy and stuff, the human body, and I knew I wanted to work somewhere in the medical field, so I felt like biology was a good undergraduate degree to help me get my foot in the door,” he said. “I knew I wanted to interact with people. I wanted to be able to provide and give back to my community, and the musculoskeletal system was by far to me the most interesting. So after researching something where I could work with lots of people that also was something I'm interested in, physical therapy was one of the top results.”
Shadowing at Trinity Health Rehabilitation and Therapy solidified physical therapy as the field where Sailer wanted to be.
“When I shadowed, I did it for three or four months, so some of the people that came in there came in when I did. They kind of rode it with me, you know, for four months. They're like my buddies now,” he said.
Sailer looks forward to graduate school being the place where he can both meet people and work in his field.
“I'm excited to be more focused on anatomy and physiology,” he said. “All my classes are with the same people. The class of 2025 is who I'll be with for the next three years. It'll be a good way to make new friends. I love interacting with people, meeting and making new relationships, and if people come up with a problem, I like being able to help them and solve that problem for them. I think that will be the most rewarding.”
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: 05/13/22 |
