“Bemidji State University and Northwest Technical College are key assets in our community. Beyond the fact that they are wonderful institutions, I think of the knowledge and strength of their faculties and the vibrancy their students bring to our community.

“Students work in our organizations, hold internships in our businesses and volunteer in places like the Boys & Girls Club, Bemidji High School and our area elementary schools. There are a number of ways students are out helping our community, and this under-the-radar impact makes a big difference.

“While I like to think about the impact students make on Bemidji, the BSU and NTC faculty bring a wealth of knowledge and understanding to our community, too. Whether it’s in the arts or working with the history center or serving on a local board, they support Bemidji with their time and expertise.

“And, you can’t forget about the things BSU and NTC bring to the community that adds value to our lives — speakers on topics that are of local or national importance, music performers, artists, guest lecturers and more. We all benefit from the work that BSU and NTC do to bring new knowledge into our area.

“In terms of economic impact, the fact that we have thousands of students and hundreds of staff and hundreds of faculty, all of these people are bringing money into our local economy and adding value to our community. It’s a many-faceted benefit we receive from the university. Take, for example, the marketing that BSU and NTC do to generate interest in our part of the world — we ride the coattails of that. We couldn’t pay for that. This is just one example of how Bemidji has benefitted from having Bemidji State University and Northwest Technical College as part of our community.”