http://www.southeastmn.edu/news/blog.aspx News and Events at Minnesota State College Southeast. Copyright 2026 MSC Southeast. All rights reserved. Winona and Red Wing, MN (July 8, 2026) – Two members of the Minnesota State College Southeast administration have been appointed to serve on commissions with the American Association of Community Colleges. Vice President of Strategic Initiatives, Steve McNaughton, has been appointed to a three-year term on the AACC’s Commission on Institutional and Financial Resilience. Southeast’s Ashlesha Pawar, the College Institutional Effectiveness Officer, has been appointed to a three-year term on the AACC’s Commission on Research, Data, and Strategic Narrative. The American Association of Community Colleges (AACC) is the primary advocacy organization for the nation’s community colleges. The association represents more than 1,000 2-year, associate degree-granting institutions and nearly 10.5 million students.  The AACC convenes six national commissions focused on various issues and topics that affect community colleges like Southeast.   McNaughton and Pawar began serving their terms effective July 1, 2026. Southeast’s Vice President for Student Success, Amy Maxeiner, continues to serve on the AACC’s Commission on Small, Rural and Regional Resilience, a role she was appointed to in 2025. “To have three cabinet members appointed to serve on commissions for such an influential national organization is a tremendous honor and a testament to the quality of leadership and reputation of Southeast,” said Derrick Lindstrom, Interim President for Southeast. Winona and Red Wing, MN (July 8, 2026) – Two members of the Minnesota State College Southeast administration have been appointed to serve on commissions with the American Association of Community Colleges. Vice President of Strategic Initiatives, Steve McNaughton, has been appointed to a three-year term on the AACC’s Commission on Institutional and Financial Resilience. Southeast’s Ashlesha Pawar, the College Institutional Effectiveness Officer, has been appointed to a three-year term on the AACC’s Commission on Research, Data, and Strategic Narrative. The American Association of Community Colleges (AACC) is the primary advocacy organization for the nation’s community colleges. The association represents more than 1,000 2-year, associate degree-granting institutions and nearly 10.5 million students.  The AACC convenes six national commissions focused on various issues and topics that affect community colleges like Southeast.   McNaughton and Pawar began serving their terms effective July 1, 2026. Southeast’s Vice President for Student Success, Amy Maxeiner, continues to serve on the AACC’s Commission on Small, Rural and Regional Resilience, a role she was appointed to in 2025. “To have three cabinet members appointed to serve on commissions for such an influential national organization is a tremendous honor and a testament to the quality of leadership and reputation of Southeast,” said Derrick Lindstrom, Interim President for Southeast.... http://www.southeastmn.edu/news/blog.aspx?id=17455&blogid=148 Wed, 08 Jul 2026 14:13:26 GMT http://www.southeastmn.edu/news/blog.aspx?id=17455&blogid=148  Winona and Red Wing, MN (July 1, 2026) – Hunger doesn’t take the summer off.  While Minnesota State College Southeast serves fewer students during the summer months, its food pantry is still open three days a week on the Winona campus.  Come fall, when the pantries resume regular hours of operation on both campuses, students will have even greater support and resources thanks to two generous donations.  The Taylor Family Farm Foundation awarded Southeast a $17,000 grant to help with the cost of purchasing high-quality, nutritious food options for Southeast students. A separate, $5,000 donation from the Foundation for Essential Needs, will help the college purchase a new freezer, allowing more storage capacity for frozen food options.  “This past school year saw unprecedented usage of both campus pantries,” said Tracy Rahim, Southeast’s Student Life and Basic Needs Coordinator. “We served more than 250 students and distributed more than 10,000 pounds of food during spring semester alone. These grants and donations are our lifeline to ensure that we meet our mission of building a supportive campus community by providing supplemental food support to enrolled students in need."  The grant from the Taylor Family Farm Foundation will allow Southeast to re-open its Virtual Food Pantry this year, which serves students taking online classes who do not reside in Winona or Red Wing and cannot easily access on-campus food pantries, Rahim said. The Virtual Food Pantry suspended operations after spring semester 2025 due to a lack of funding and increased demand for food at the on-campus pantries.  Rahim said the new freezer will significantly expand the college’s capacity to serve students, giving the college more space to store frozen protein and frozen produce items from the food bank. While these resources are often available at little to no cost, the supplies available have historically exceeded the pantries’ storage capacity.   "The added freezer will allow the pantries to fully take advantage of these offerings, resulting in both cost savings and improved food variety,” Rahim said. “The savings can be redirected to meet other student needs, while increased access to protein-rich foods, fruits and vegetables will better support student health, academic focus, and overall well-being.”  A 2023-24 study conducted by Temple University’s Hope Center for Basic Needs found that 41% of college students nationwide (and 39% of Southeast respondents) experience food insecurity. Many reported skipping meals or eating less food than they should because they could not afford it.  “By addressing immediate needs of all students no matter where they are located, we aim to create an environment where students can focus on their studies without the added burden of food insecurity and other basic needs,” said Rahim.   Winona and Red Wing, MN (July 1, 2026) – Hunger doesn’t take the summer off.  While Minnesota State College Southeast serves fewer students during the summer months, its food pantry is still open three days a week on the Winona campus.  Come fall, when the pantries resume regular hours of operation on both campuses, students will have even greater support and resources thanks to two generous donations.  The Taylor Family Farm Foundation awarded Southeast a $17,000 grant to help with the cost of purchasing high-quality, nutritious food options for Southeast students. A separate, $5,000 donation from the Foundation for Essential Needs, will help the college purchase a new freezer, allowing more storage capacity for frozen food options.  “This past school year saw unprecedented usage of both campus pantries,” said Tracy Rahim, Southeast’s Student Life and Basic Needs Coordinator. “We served more than 250 students and distributed more than 10,000 pounds of food during spring semester alone. These grants and donations are our lifeline to ensure that we meet our mission of building a supportive campus community by providing supplemental food support to enrolled students in need."  The grant from the Taylor Family Farm Foundation will allow Southeast to re-open its Virtual Food Pantry this year, which serves students taking online classes who do not reside in Winona or Red Wing and cannot easily access on-campus food pantries, Rahim said. The Virtual Food Pantry suspended operations after spring semester 2025 due to a lack of funding and increased demand for food at the on-campus pantries.  Rahim said the new freezer will significantly expand the college’s capacity to serve students, giving the college more space to store frozen protein and frozen produce items from the food bank. While these resources are often available at little to no cost, the supplies available have historically exceeded the pantries’ storage capacity.   "The added freezer will allow the pantries to fully take advantage of these offerings, resulting in both cost savings and improved food variety,” Rahim said. “The savings can be redirected to meet other student needs, while increased access to protein-rich foods, fruits and vegetables will better support student health, academic focus, and overall well-being.”  A 2023-24 study conducted by Temple University’s Hope Center for Basic Needs found that 41% of college students nationwide (and 39% of Southeast respondents) experience food insecurity. Many reported skipping meals or eating less food than they should because they could not afford it.  “By addressing immediate needs of all students no matter where they are located, we aim to create an environment where students can focus on their studies without the added burden of food insecurity and other basic needs,” said Rahim. ... http://www.southeastmn.edu/news/blog.aspx?id=17454&blogid=148 Wed, 08 Jul 2026 14:09:55 GMT http://www.southeastmn.edu/news/blog.aspx?id=17454&blogid=148 Minnesota State College Southeast Announces Spring 2026 Dean’s List Winona and Red Wing, MN (June 30, 2026) – Minnesota State College Southeast in Red Wing and Winona, Minnesota, is proud to announce the President's List for Spring Semester 2026.  A total of 330 students were named to the Spring 2026 President's List. To be eligible for the President's List, students must complete a minimum of 12 letter-graded credits during an academic term and achieve a GPA of 3.5 or above.  "The students appearing on this list combine a strong academic performance with the drive to push themselves to pursue a full course load," said Dr. Marsha Danielson, President of Minnesota State College Southeast. "I applaud their achievement and their dedication to their educational goals."  Students come from across the country to study at Minnesota State College Southeast. While most of the students on the President's List are from Minnesota (246) and Wisconsin (42), students came to Southeast from Arizona, Colorado, Florida, Iowa, Idaho,  Indiana, Kentucky, Louisiana, Massachusetts, Maine, Michigan, Missouri, Mississippi, Montana, Nevada, New York, North Carolina, North Dakota, Ohio, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Texas, and Washington as well as Canada and South Africa.  The President's List for Spring 2026 is posted on the Southeast website.  Minnesota State College Southeast Announces Spring 2026 Dean’s List Winona and Red Wing, MN (June 30, 2026) – Minnesota State College Southeast in Red Wing and Winona, Minnesota, is proud to announce the President's List for Spring Semester 2026.  A total of 330 students were named to the Spring 2026 President's List. To be eligible for the President's List, students must complete a minimum of 12 letter-graded credits during an academic term and achieve a GPA of 3.5 or above.  "The students appearing on this list combine a strong academic performance with the drive to push themselves to pursue a full course load," said Dr. Marsha Danielson, President of Minnesota State College Southeast. "I applaud their achievement and their dedication to their educational goals."  Students come from across the country to study at Minnesota State College Southeast. While most of the students on the President's List are from Minnesota (246) and Wisconsin (42), students came to Southeast from Arizona, Colorado, Florida, Iowa, Idaho,  Indiana, Kentucky, Louisiana, Massachusetts, Maine, Michigan, Missouri, Mississippi, Montana, Nevada, New York, North Carolina, North Dakota, Ohio, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Texas, and Washington as well as Canada and South Africa.  The President's List for Spring 2026 is posted on the Southeast website. ... http://www.southeastmn.edu/news/blog.aspx?id=17453&blogid=148 Wed, 08 Jul 2026 14:09:24 GMT http://www.southeastmn.edu/news/blog.aspx?id=17453&blogid=148 Dean of Technology Promotes His Book of Poetry  Winona and Red Wing, MN (May 27, 2026) – By his own admission, most people are surprised to learn that Jake Griggs is a published poet, given his full-time job as Dean of Trade and Technology at Minnesota State College Southeast.   “It’s not an intersection that most folks expect,” Griggs said. “Hopefully people are intrigued enough to read a couple of poems of mine, and then that leads to another poet or poem elsewhere.” Ultimately, he hopes it inspires others to write or follow whatever passion they have. “It’s never too late to pull on a thread that’s been speaking to you.”  Griggs’ collection, “A Midwestern Introvert’s Atlas,” published earlier this spring, includes his first published poem, “O’Leary Lake,” as well as his longest work, a nine-page piece called “Waterways of the North,” that evolved from journal entries he first captured during a trip to the Boundary Waters in 2008.   “It’s as much about perseverance and wayfinding as it is about these amazing physical places that I’ve got a connection to,” Griggs said. “I think a lot of my best work is like that, but this one feels more magical to me because it took so long to arrive.”  Griggs suggests most of us are first introduced to poetry via nursery rhymes or children’s books like those of Shel Silverstein. He’s personally drawn to existentialist and nature poets, rattling off a laundry list of his favorites. Griggs credits closely reading the work of Larry Levis as having led to breakthroughs in his own writing, and revisits Levis’ “Winter Stars” often.  Most of the poems featured in the book were written between 2020 and 2024, a time that coincides with Griggs taking courses in Mankato State’s Master of Fine Arts in Creative Writing program. What started as an online diversion during the pandemic eventually led to Griggs earning his MFA this spring. He said his professors and classmates helped him refine his work.  People familiar with the coulee region may get an added kick out of this collection.  “Several poems in the book refer to local places and perspectives,” Griggs said. “It’s not every day you’ll run across a poem that mentions a place like Bucksnort County Park, and you can say to yourself, ‘Hey! I know where that is! I’ve been there before!’”  Those “place-based” poems informed the title, while also helping Griggs see his world differently.  "I hope it helps people think more broadly about the world around them too, both in what they know and what they don’t,” Griggs said. “I’m an introvert that has to work at being extroverted, and sometimes I need a little direction. So, this book is kind of like an invitation. It’s about doing those things for myself, and hopefully leaving a few breadcrumbs for anyone else interested.”  Griggs will hold a book release reading of “A Midwest Introvert’s Atlas,” June 4 at 7 p.m. at Ridgeway Community School (35564 Winona County Road 12) in Houston, Minnesota. The event is free to the public.  Dean of Technology Promotes His Book of Poetry  Winona and Red Wing, MN (May 27, 2026) – By his own admission, most people are surprised to learn that Jake Griggs is a published poet, given his full-time job as Dean of Trade and Technology at Minnesota State College Southeast.   “It’s not an intersection that most folks expect,” Griggs said. “Hopefully people are intrigued enough to read a couple of poems of mine, and then that leads to another poet or poem elsewhere.” Ultimately, he hopes it inspires others to write or follow whatever passion they have. “It’s never too late to pull on a thread that’s been speaking to you.”  Griggs’ collection, “A Midwestern Introvert’s Atlas,” published earlier this spring, includes his first published poem, “O’Leary Lake,” as well as his longest work, a nine-page piece called “Waterways of the North,” that evolved from journal entries he first captured during a trip to the Boundary Waters in 2008.   “It’s as much about perseverance and wayfinding as it is about these amazing physical places that I’ve got a connection to,” Griggs said. “I think a lot of my best work is like that, but this one feels more magical to me because it took so long to arrive.”  Griggs suggests most of us are first introduced to poetry via nursery rhymes or children’s books like those of Shel Silverstein. He’s personally drawn to existentialist and nature poets, rattling off a laundry list of his favorites. Griggs credits closely reading the work of Larry Levis as having led to breakthroughs in his own writing, and revisits Levis’ “Winter Stars” often.  Most of the poems featured in the book were written between 2020 and 2024, a time that coincides with Griggs taking courses in Mankato State’s Master of Fine Arts in Creative Writing program. What started as an online diversion during the pandemic eventually led to Griggs earning his MFA this spring. He said his professors and classmates helped him refine his work.  People familiar with the coulee region may get an added kick out of this collection.  “Several poems in the book refer to local places and perspectives,” Griggs said. “It’s not every day you’ll run across a poem that mentions a place like Bucksnort County Park, and you can say to yourself, ‘Hey! I know where that is! I’ve been there before!’”  Those “place-based” poems informed the title, while also helping Griggs see his world differently.  "I hope it helps people think more broadly about the world around them too, both in what they know and what they don’t,” Griggs said. “I’m an introvert that has to work at being extroverted, and sometimes I need a little direction. So, this book is kind of like an invitation. It’s about doing those things for myself, and hopefully leaving a few breadcrumbs for anyone else interested.”  Griggs will hold a book release reading of “A Midwest Introvert’s Atlas,” June 4 at 7 p.m. at Ridgeway Community School (35564 Winona County Road 12) in Houston, Minnesota. The event is free to the public. ... http://www.southeastmn.edu/news/blog.aspx?id=17434&blogid=148 Wed, 03 Jun 2026 10:21:56 GMT http://www.southeastmn.edu/news/blog.aspx?id=17434&blogid=148