A Cobber Family Legacy

Jennie Reinan ’19, Apple Valley, Minn.
Major: Business with a concentration in Healthcare Leadership

Why did you choose Concordia?

I first looked at Concordia because my mom went here, my grandparents met here and I have a whole bunch of other family members who also attended. You could say that the Cobber ring is really important in my family. So, I decided to do the Twin Cities Road Trip during the fall of my senior year of high school. That experience really solidified my decision to come to Concordia because I met such welcoming people, liked the vibe of campus, and felt like I fit in. During the trip, I stayed with Katie Beedy ’18 and she was great. I still tell her to this day that she’s the reason I came here. I also did a mentorship my senior year of high school in a dental office. The dentist was a Cobber and said that Concordia had really high acceptance rates into dental school (at the time, I wanted to be a dentist).

What is one of your favorite things about Concordia?

What I love about Concordia is that opportunities are afforded to students to get real-world experience with things that they’re passionate about. I didn’t necessarily intend to get involved in the on-campus activities that I did, but Concordia has such a supportive environment for cultivating that kind of involvement (it’s almost like you have to try to not be involved). I really like that there’s just so many different clubs/organizations and leadership opportunities that every single person, no matter what their major is or what they're passionate about, can find some way to develop real-world skills that are very transferrable.

What’s the best part about going to college in Fargo-Moorhead?

I’m going to be honest. I didn’t like Fargo-Moorhead when I first got here. It’s very different than where I’m from. It’s extremely flat and it took me a long time to adjust to that. What really changed my mind and made me like Fargo-Moorhead was spending a summer here because I got to see how lively people are, how much really is going on, and how much revitalization of downtown there is. That made it a lot easier to find things to do in the winter because I realized those things were happening — I just had to go out and find them. My favorite thing about Fargo-Moorhead is how friendly people are and how easy it is to make connections in the community and, because it is so small, how easy it is to be impactful.

Have you had a favorite professor or class?

My favorite professor is Shelly Gompf. She is my advisor and the director of the healthcare program. She’s so bubbly, energetic, and passionate. Even when teaching subject matter that might not be the most interesting, she does a really good job of making it realistic and applicable, so class is never boring. My favorite class was BUSN 307: U.S. Healthcare Delivery, taught by Shelly herself. I really liked it because it’s the intro course to the healthcare program and affirmed for me that healthcare was what I enjoy and want to study.

Why study healthcare leadership at Concordia?

I think healthcare leadership is such a cool “business” because the product you’re selling is saving people’s lives. Getting to be a part of that is priceless. Since it’s a really dynamic time in healthcare and the scene is shifting a lot, entering as a leader gives me the opportunity to shape the field and truly make a difference because so much is happening right now.

I also love that healthcare is a “people business” and I’ll get to have a lot of different types of experiences (e.g., strategic thinking, financial management, leadership, etc.).

You didn’t start out in the healthcare program. What advice would you give a student who is considering changing their major?

At first, I was studying something I wasn’t passionate about and it made it hard for me to do my homework, go to class, etc. When I switched majors, it was like a lightbulb turned on. I was like “oh, I actually like studying, going to class, and spending time with my professors.” So, if you’re questioning switching, just do it. If you’re having doubts now, they’re not just going to go away. Audit a class and see what you’d be dealing with. Talk to people in that major and ask them to give you their honest opinion about it. Find out what your skills are and see if a future career down that path will complement you well.

What advice would you give a prospective student who is interested in healthcare?

For someone considering studying healthcare, talk to Professor Gompf or Dr. Daniel Anderson. They have a lot of experience in the healthcare field between the two of them and can give a good perspective of whether or not healthcare might be the right fit for you. They are also just really fun people to talk to. If you’re studying healthcare here, you have to commit because it’s one of the programs here that’s super defined. If you’re in the healthcare leadership program, you are studying to be a healthcare administrator. So, get as many experiences as you can and get into the healthcare field as much as you can — be a CNA, volunteer, get into a position that will make you hireable.

Tell us about your involvement on and off campus.

Freshman year, I was on Hallett Hall Council, where we planned building-wide events. Sophomore year, I was a Resident Assistant in Erickson Hall, where I worked to create a welcoming and inclusive living environment for first-year students. It wasn’t until my junior year when I really started getting involved. I was an Orientation Leader, where I positively shaped my club’s perceptions about Concordia by being energetic and acting as a support system beyond Orientation Week (shoutout to Club 16). I was the Academic Affairs commissioner for SGA (basically the main liaison between SGA and Academic Affairs faculty), where I had meetings with the Career Center staff. I worked with Dr. Krys Strand on deciding who would get the research grants from SGA funding. That year, I also worked as a member services representative at Town and Country Credit Union. This year, I am chief of staff (like the HR person) of SGA, where I deal with internal conflicts, committee placements, new member orientation, and bonding activities. I am one of the founders of the Women in Business club, where I am the secretary and do things like take notes, support other members’ roles, etc. I also volunteer at Family HealthCare in Fargo, which started as a requirement for class but turned into something I genuinely just like to do.

How has Concordia helped you grow?

Concordia has helped me grow by teaching me to learn from everybody else in the room. Growing up, I was told that I was very smart (which was a good thing), but it was eye-opening when I got to Concordia and I wasn’t the smartest one in the room anymore. It was a good thing for me to experience because I had to learn to listen more than I talked. I found the value in placing myself in a situation where I am not the smartest one in the room (by being surrounded with really intelligent people who could shift my perspective on things and make me rethink the things that I thought).

What’s next for you?

This summer, I’m interning as a prerequisite for graduation. After that, I think I want to take a gap year to get a job and some experience in either Fargo or St. Paul, which is close to my parents. Then, I plan to go to graduate school for healthcare administration at either the University of Minnesota or the University of Denver (where my sister works). Ultimately, I hope to work in a C-suite or as a healthcare administrator or vice president of human resources for a healthcare system.

Photos: Kara Lee ’20

^{Published March 2019}