Celebrating Dragon Veterans
At MSUM, we value the dedication, responsibility and leadership veterans bring to our university, both as students and as employees. We proudly honor all veterans who have served our country and recognize a few of our Dragons veterans for their commitment to serve and to protect.
Ricky Roman, Building Maintenance Foreman, Physical Plant
Ricky served nine years as an Electrical Engineer in the Army Reserves with the 461st Engineer Unit out of Fargo. He served in the Dominican Republic, Great Britain, Germany, Kuwait, Iraq and several bases in the U.S. His says his best experience was training a joint task force in Great Britain on world peace order and riot control. It included multiple nations from Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, England, Germany, and the U.S.
“People should know that the military isn’t just about being ordered around and doing what you’re told. It is being part of something bigger than yourself and making a difference in the world. I’ve always wanted to serve my country for the honor of it,” Ricky said.
Alison Fraase, Office Administrative Assistant, Business Services
Alison served in the North Dakota Air National Guard for four years as an Aerospace Medical Technician with the 119th Medical Group in Fargo. She credits her military service for providing professional work experience.
“I was unsure of what I wanted during my first two years of college. I knew about all ofthe great benefits the ND Air Guard offered, so I decided to enlist. I took a year off from school to complete 10 months of military training in Texas, Mississippi and California. When I returned, I had a sense of direction. I enrolled in college again and graduated on time. I attribute a lot of my personal growth, such as confidence and discipline, to my military service,” Alison said.
Amy Sleath, Senior, Exercise Science major
Amy served as active-duty Army for 10 years as a fueler, medic and occupational therapist in Colorado, Texas and South Korea. She’s been with the North Dakota National Guard for four years. She says the best part of her service has been the experience of protecting the people of America. Military service has also helped her to narrow her passion.
“Being in the Guard opened my eyes to a whole different world of health and wellness and trying to live your best self. My service led me to work in occupational therapy, so when I was looking for a degree, exercise science was a great option,” Amy said.
Brady Bjerken, Junior, Computer Science major
Brady is approaching his second year with the Minnesota National Guard as a 94F Computer Detection Systems Repairer. He’s currently an IT intern at Stoneridge Software. He credits his training for expanding his knowledge in his degree, and for meeting amazing friends along the way.
“Being in the service has taught me a lot about myself and the true importance of discipline and order. Looking back before I left, and now, I do things differently in a good way, and the military helped me with that.” Brady said.
Thank you to all veterans at MSUM, in our community and across the U.S. and U.S. bases for their service!