“I’m going to talk to you about the next seven years of your life and how important they are to each and every one of you in terms of the rest of your life,” Brent Teiken, CEO of Sundog, told the Moorhead High School seniors during the opening presentation on April 28.
Following Teiken’s presentation, the seniors attended a career fair in the field house with more than 40 businesses and education institutions, representing a full spectrum of careers and educational opportunities.
In the gymnasium, Moorhead High freshmen heard from Jenni Huotari with Eide Bailly before leaving for a SPUD-Venture — a tour of one or two businesses in the area.
While the seniors and freshmen participated in these career and college-readiness experiences, juniors took the state-required ACT test and sophomores took the state-required reading Minnesota Comprehensive Assessment.
During the opening presenting to seniors, Teiken shared his story of graduating from Moorhead High School, working his way through college, and trying to figure out what he wanted to do in the future. Connections he made at age 19 had an impact on his life years later.
“Your story is going to differentiate you,” Teiken said.
He encouraged students to make their stories matter, and he cautioned them about avoiding these mistakes: staying in your comfort zone, setting unrealistic expectations and avoiding positive influencers or mentors.
“The best time to work on a career is before you have one,” Teiken said. “What interests me and those employers out there is your story – what sets you apart.”
During lunch, the freshmen heard from Mayor Del Rae Williams and Miss North Dakota Jacky Arness during presentations at Safari Theatre in Moorhead.
Williams told the freshmen to always learn and ask questions. She shared some examples, including her story of deciding to run for mayor of Moorhead.
“Sometimes you just need to take a risk for something you’re passionate for,” she said.
Williams also had students practice their superhero poses, which she used to regain her confidence before a candidates forum during the mayor’s race.
Arness told students how she became involved in the Miss America program and how it has provided scholarship money, professional skill development and relationships.
“I’m here to tell you some things I wish I had been told as a ninth grader,” Arness said. “All of your decisions are going to set you up for future opportunities.”
Arness made the decision to run for a student senate position at Bethel College, where she is a student. While she didn’t win the freshmen senate race, she did learn the difference between being a good leader and having a position of leadership. After losing the race, she got involved in other groups on campus. She was later appointed to a position on the student senate. The next year she ran for student body vice president and won.
Arness explained that she hadn’t let that feeling of embarrassment over losing her first race stop her from trying again.
“All of you are going to fail,” she said. “How you respond to failure will change your life.”
This was the same with her first pageant. She didn’t win her first local title, but she made the choice to try again. In her second year competing, she won Miss North Dakota, which allowed her to have one of the best experiences of her life.
“You are the only person in charge of your happiness and life,” Arness said.
