The goal for 2026 Orientation Chair Sheerah Paintsil ’27 is for every new student to feel like they have a place at Concordia.
Sheerah Paintsil ’27 | Brooklyn Park, Minnesota, and West Fargo, North Dakota
Major/Minor: Communication Studies; Social Activism
Please tell us about yourself.
I’m from the Twin Cities (born and raised in Brooklyn Park, Minnesota), but I’ve been in the Fargo-Moorhead area for the last few years. I’m a communications major with a social activism minor. Outside of school, I love braiding hair, finding new places to eat, binge-watching reality TV (especially “Love Island”), and spending time with the people I care about. People usually think I’m hard to approach because I can come across as serious or blunt at first, but I’m actually really chill and laid back once you get to know me (still kind of blunt though lol). I joke around A LOT, love getting to know people’s stories and life, and I’m always down to try something new. College has pushed me outside my comfort zone, and some of my favorite memories have come from saying “yes” to opportunities I never expected to enjoy.
How did you hear about Concordia and why did you choose to attend college here?
I heard about Concordia through my high school advisor, who encouraged me to apply for the Community Achievement Scholarship. I was set on going to Howard University as that was my dream college since I was in sixth grade so, when I got the CAS scholarship, I was happy and sad at the same time. I had my first visit after receiving the scholarship, and the way they made me feel here gave me hope that it would be worth it. I remember praying before receiving the scholarship that if it is in God’s will for me let it be done, and it was. Since then, I have gone through a lot here, all of which has made me appreciate what Concordia has to offer.
What do you enjoy the most about the Fargo-Moorhead area?
I like how low-key it is. I am someone who went to high school in this area, both Davies and Sheyenne, and was involved in my community as well, so being able to still have huge connections throughout the area and go places and be able to say “hey” to people I know is always a good time. I also really like that everything is within 10-15 minutes of each other because, coming from a big city, that’s clutch.
What campus activities are you involved in?
I am not too heavily involved. Outside of Orientation, I am a writing tutor at the Writing Center in the Center for Student Success (CSS) and love all the connections that I make.
What inspired you to apply to be the Orientation Chair?
Honestly, my friends. Everyone was telling me to apply because it seemed like something I would do, especially since I had recently changed my major and my future is very similar to what the Orientation Chair role asks of you, so I went out on a limb and did it. A big part of that was because of how much everyone knew my own experience wasn’t the greatest and how many things I wanted to change. Additionally, as an Orientation Leader last year, I helped many of my clubbies with things that made them comfortable enough to ask me for help post-Orientation and be someone they can talk to about things. I wanted to curate that experience for everyone who comes in contact with me.
What are your main responsibilities as the 2026 Orientation Chair?
As the 2026 Orientation Chair, I do a lot of the planning that goes into making Fall Orientation happen. I work with campus partners to coordinate the schedule, reserve spaces, organize events, and make sure all the moving pieces come together. Alongside my Orientation Committee, I help recruit, train, and support our Orientation Leaders so they feel prepared to welcome incoming students.
I also coordinate Hands for Change, one of my favorite parts of Orientation, where new students head out into the Fargo-Moorhead community to volunteer with local organizations. A big part of my role is constantly thinking about how we can make Orientation even better. I look at feedback from previous years, listen to what students wanted more of, and work with others across campus to create an experience that feels exciting and meaningful. At the end of the day, my biggest goal is for every new student to feel like they have a place at Concordia, get a real sense of what college is like, and leave Orientation ready for everything that’s ahead. I’m also just really excited to meet this year’s incoming class!
Fall Orientation is your first chance to find your place.
How would you describe Fall Orientation to an incoming student?
Fall Orientation is your first chance to find your place at Concordia. It’s more than just leaving home and starting college. It’s about meeting people, building friendships, getting connected with campus resources, and feeling like you belong before classes even begin. You’ll have fun activities, traditions, and opportunities to ask questions, but you’ll also have Orientation Leaders who have been in your shoes and genuinely want to help make your transition easier. It can feel overwhelming at first because it is a lot of stuff packed into three days, I won’t lie, but by the end of the week, my hope is that you leave feeling more confident, connected, and excited for what’s ahead in your Cobber journey.
What was your favorite part of Orientation as a first-year student?
I would say Hands for Change. I always loved volunteering in high school, so being able to do that in college was fun. My group went to the Great Plains Food Bank and helped package up some food items, and that was low-key like a competition to see which group could bag the most food the quickest, which made it more fun! It reminded me of Feed My Starving Children, which my aunt had taken my cousin and me to a couple of times.
What are you most looking forward to for this year’s Fall Orientation?
I am most looking forward to the clubs getting together and surprise dances! The clubs always have a lot of anticipation from both the leaders and the incoming class, so just seeing them say bye to their parents and immerse themselves in the Cobber experience is always fun to see. The dances ... Well, I won’t say too much about that, but it is DEFINITELY a highlight!
How did you decide on your major and minor?
I originally was a STEM Discovery Scholar in chemistry until my junior year. I was always good at science growing up and, coming from a family of nurses and doctors, it felt right. My sophomore year, I had gone through a lot and almost transferred out of Concordia. During my junior year, I took Intercultural Communication because I needed another class and, from the first week in that class, I couldn’t shake the feeling that I belonged in the communication department. I was someone who was heavily involved in my community, an extrovert, and even spoke at my high school graduation but, for the last three years in STEM, I was an introvert, not involved, went straight from my dorm to class and back, and was feeling just very not Sheerah. I met with CSS and discussed things then made a leap of faith to follow my heart. When I made the change to communications and social activism, it was like things started to fall in line. I got out of my shell, I took more risks, I evolved mentally and academically, I made connections I never thought imaginable, and I truly felt like this is what college is supposed to feel like ... this is what Sheerah is supposed to feel like.
What has been your favorite social activism class? What makes it your favorite?
I will say ACT 301: Making Change Happen. It was taught by Dr. Kristen Theye, Dr. Michelle Lelwica, Brandon Baity, and Sunet Rubalcava. Each person has their own teaching style and content they teach, but all were equally meaningful. It was my favorite because it made me realize there is no “perfect activist.” I had the experience of creating and facilitating an activist panel with my classmates, and that message continuously rang throughout the session because all our panelists had a different upbringing that led them to want to invoke change. Regardless of what they went through, they wanted to be the change they wish to see in the world. That class teaches you that lesson continuously with the readings you have, the stories you hear, and the history you see. All an activist needs to be is someone who takes dedicated action to create a change that can help society, and I believe I am doing just that!
How has Concordia prepared you for your future?
I always say that the biggest prep for me has been Dr. Theye’s classes. I took her public relations and organizational communication courses, and they gave me a VERY real experience into what I would encounter in the real world. Her assignments in those classes can be rigorous but, in the end, you realize just how much it can be a reality for people on a day-to-day basis and drive you to want to learn more. Same with ENG 110: Writing to Engage with Dr. Stephanie Lemmer. That class really makes you think critically about the world surrounding you, and how much of who you want to become depends on who you are and what you think now. Intercultural Communication with Dr. Connor Wilcox will forever hold space in my heart too. As a Black woman, much of what we discussed hit home for things I wish were discussed more and opened my eyes to perspectives I didn’t think of, as well as educating me on a plethora of things. In the future, that class will serve as a great reminder when I talk with people who differ from me because we all truly have something in common, and one thing is being human.
What are your postgraduate and career goals?
I hope to attend grad school for either my master’s in social work or my master’s in communications with a concentration in organizational communication. I would love to be a director of communications, as well as run a nonprofit or become a clinical social worker and open up my own private practice in an urban or low-income area. I also hope to continue leading in positions where I can make a change and, after my master’s, get another degree in business administration. I want to be three degrees hotter!
What do you value most about being a Cobber?
I value being able to talk to people and not feeling weird doing it. I am someone who can strike up a conversation with anyone I meet, no matter the history. At Concordia, I often just compliment or smile at people, and sometimes they do it back. Low-key, the folks who come in and out of the music and communication buildings are the chattiest and are fun people I talk to, so I am always speaking to someone from there. I also love how teachers are real. They aren’t just “office hour warriors” who assign and go home. I have formed great connections with many faculty because of their realism and how they connect to what students talk about and what we may be experiencing because they too remember that time for them; sometimes I forget that they are my professors.
What has made you feel at home here?
For me, a few people from my club during First-Year Orientation and my major. Being a communication major, you are always in Olin, so all the faculty and students there are great to talk to. Everyone there by default will have to speak even if they are uncomfortable, so just strike up random conversations or overhear something and then reply and the group talking about it laughs; it’s the little moments. Also, I met some great people during Orientation 2023 and got to be a part of a discontinued Club Belonging. It was so fun, and the people I met ended up becoming my roommates and some of my best friends. I truly could not have made it for a long time here at Concordia without them and the CSS. Additionally, during the warmer days, you see everyone around campus, people reading outside, eating lunch outside, and you get to experience the stereotypical college that you see in movies at this small, private school, which always makes it feel worthwhile.
What advice would you give to a new student who is looking for a place to belong at Concordia?
Join the clubs, put yourself out there, and connect. A lot of my first two years at Concordia, I would go to class and then right back to my dorm. It is easy to fall into that routine when you don’t feel like you belong. A big part of getting out of that was forcing myself to go to things like DEIC (the Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Commission), CEC (Campus Events Commission), ISO (International Student Organization), BSU (Black Student Union), and CASA (Concordia African Student Association) events or even just random clubs that have things I am interested in. Everyone at Concordia, especially those coming from bigger cities, often longs to form a connection because the school is small, so those clubs made me get more of that experience I wanted.
Anything else you’d like to share?
I am an on-campus braider as well, and offer great pricing for guys and girls who want their hair to flourish even if they are away from home!
Published July 2026