Attending VCSU has allowed Sarah Monilaws, a senior from Absaraka, N.D., an opportunity to pursue communication, marketing and digital design, all while putting those classroom skills to use in her internships.

What are you studying at VCSU?
Corporate communication with minors in marketing and digital design

What made you choose a communication degree?
I wanted to do something that allowed me to work closely with people and the organization I am a part of. I also knew that with a communications degree it would give me a variety of career options.

Why VCSU?
I chose VCSU because of the atmosphere and the small campus feel. I came from a small high school and I knew I wanted to have that when I went to college. I love how everyone knows me by name and I can walk around campus and have a conversation with anyone I pass by. I also love that it is close to home and how wonderful the Valley City community is to college students.

What extracurricular activities are you involved with on campus?
I am president of VCSU DECA, North Dakota Collegiate DECA vice president, a Viking Voyage mentor as well as a New Student Orientation mentor and secretary of Viking Catholic. I participate in intramural sports and was a member of the women’s golf team. I have also done PA announcing for some home games. I am the student employee for the VCSU marketing team and I intern with the Valley City Chamber of Commerce!

What has been your favorite memory from VCSU so far?
My favorite memory from VCSU so far would have to be traveling abroad the summer of 2024 and getting to visit London, Paris, Caen, Normandy, and Rouen. This trip was such a wonderful experience and I got to learn so much about WWII and all the history behind it and how it affected the whole world. I’m so grateful for Steven King and the History Club for putting on the trip and I would say if you have the chance to take a trip abroad, do it!

Where is your favorite spot to be on campus and why?
I love hanging out in the bookstore talking to my two friends Jenni Richman and Todd Rogelstad. I love going in there because we always give each other grief and it’s always a good time joking with them.

What are some professional experiences you’ve had at VCSU?
VCSU has opened the door for me in so many different professional aspects of my life! Throughout my time at VCSU I have done a lot of career focused events and activities that have shaped me into who I am today. Some things I have done are, winning NAM Miss North Dakota 2023, completing a 10 month internship with the communications department at Noridian Healthcare Solutions, worked three years with the VCSU Marketing team, attend the North Dakota Professional Communicators Conference as a key note speaker in 2025, obtain my office position for North Dakota Collegiate DECA, interning with the Valley City Area Chamber of Commerce and getting to plan events like our 2025 Community Days and Crazy Daze. I have also started competing in pageants for the Miss America Organization where I have been able to win scholarships and a top interview award!

Walk us through your typical workday.
A typical workday for me looks different than most. On days I work for the Chamber of Commerce, I spend my time coordinating and planning our upcoming events, making member spotlights, putting commercials together, and posting on our social media channels. When I work for VCSU, I spend a lot of my time creating content for our social media channels, interviewing students and alumni for profiles, taking photos of events on campus and I help with the technology side by updating the website and publishing stories.

What have you enjoyed most about your internships?
I love getting to work in a variety of different fields and with different organizations. I have gotten to do a little bit of everything with all sorts of different entities and it has helped me further develop my career aspirations while guiding me down the path that is best for me. All the experiences I have gained through my internships, both good and bad, have helped me grow as an individual and I’m excited to see where I can take these skills after graduation in May!

Any advice for someone looking for an internship?
Step outside of your comfort zone! You never know if you will like something unless you try it and internships are the perfect place to do it! As crazy as it sounds, even a bad internship experience can be a good one because it helps you know what you don’t want to do and it helps you narrow down career options if you are uncertain about what you want to do after graduation. VCSU has a lot of great resources if you are looking for an internship and they are a great way to get your foot in the door!

What are your career goals and how have those internship experiences prepared you for your next chapter?
I want to continue my education and obtain my M.P.A. Once I am done with that, I would like to be a director of marketing/communications for a non-profit organization or an organization that focuses on giving back to the community. This would be best for me as it would allow me to use my creative and people skills to promote a company that is happy to give back to their community. My internships will help me achieve these goals because of the variety of tasks I was able to learn through interviews, public speaking, social media management and so much more! I’m grateful for all my internships because they have truly opened a door for me and my future.

What advice do you have for someone who is thinking about coming to VCSU?
My advice for someone who is thinking about coming to VCSU would be to do it! I have made the best friends in both the students and the staff here. Everyone wants to see you walk across the stage and find success beyond college and it shows the second you go to your first day of classes. Whether you’re a first year student, online, or transfer, the Valley City community and campus will aways make you feel like you’re at home.

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