Republican-Eagle: Students from far and wide go the distance to train at Southeast
by Katryn Conlin, September 28, 2024
With Fall Semester off and running, the hallways, classrooms, and labs at Minnesota State College Southeast in Red Wing are once again busy. Excitement is in the air as students come from far and wide to study at the college.
Southeast's Red Wing campus is unusual in that it draws students from across the country to study in its signature musical instrument repair and building programs.
In addition, due to its proximity to Minneapolis-St.Paul, students commute from the Twin Cities to Southeast.
Originally from Kenya, nursing student Ruth Shimaka moved to Texas in 2012 and then to Minnesota in 2016. A 39-year-old mother of four, she drives to the Red Wing campus regularly from her home in Champlin, Minn., a 75-mile commute made tougher by rush hour traffic.
But Shimaka says, "It's worth it! There is a lot of support at Southeast. The teachers are always available, always on top of it, always asking you if you need help."
To save money, Ruth completed many of her nursing prerequisites online. But she loves Southeast's new Nursing and Health Sciences Center.
"It's like a real hospital! Hands-on learning is the best," she said.
Hailing from El Paso, Texas, Miguel Mauricio registered for the Band Instrument Repair (BIR) program sight unseen - without even visiting Red Wing. At age 22, he has a bachelor's degree in music education from the University of Texas at El Paso.
He became aware of the BIR program when his flute professor brought a repair specialist into his studio class.
"It seemed interesting. When we asked her about schools, she mentioned Red Wing," he said.
Further online research convinced him that Red Wing was the place to go.
"Wherever I looked it up, everyone said good things about it. Red Wing was always the first on the list for instrument repair," he said.
South Carolina native Kiran Hafner studied music therapy one year at Florida State University in Tallahassee before deciding it wasn't the right direction. A 19-year-old viola player, she had always been fascinated by violin making.
"I went online and googled 'how to become a luthier.' I learned about different schools and programs and Violin Repair and Making at Southeast best fit my needs and wants."
Like Mauricio, she signed up for the college without even visiting campus in advance.
"I didn't know anything about Red Wing. This is the furthest north I've ever been!" she said. "But when I first drove through, I really liked it. It has a lot of charm."
"Coming from a big city, it's much smaller," said Mauricio. "I like the parks, the trees, the sunrise, the views. Red Wing is very beautiful, very welcoming."
However, neither Hafner nor Mauricio found housing in town. Both are driving cross-country to attend Southeast. Hafner got a place in River Falls through Facebook Marketplace; Mauricio found an apartment in Cannon Falls.
The challenge of learning new skills brought all three students to Red Wing, and the quality of instruction has made the journey well worthwhile. They appreciate the personal attention and the close college community.
"I was excited and nervous the first day, but at the same time I felt comforted by how small the college was. I was intimidated by everything that was to come -- it was a little scary at first," Hafner said. "I'm eager to learn as much as I can, building my confidence and newfound skills."
"My teachers have done a very good job of introducing us to the tools and machines we use in BIR like lathes, buffing machines, and torches," said Mauricio. "They are very encouraging about everything despite the fact that I haven't done any of those things before."
Shimaka will graduate in Spring 2025 and take the national board exams to become a registered nurse.
"I'm excited about becoming a nurse, applying the knowledge and rules that I have learned here," she said. "I really want to get a job and work with patients. I am focused on finishing school because this is my future -- not only for me but for my kids."