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Tag Archive: the Bridge

January 30, 2019

Alumna Jamie Thyrion overcomes obstacles on path to success

Below is an article from the Fall 2018 Donor Edition of the Bridge. See more articles from this edition of the bridge and see a full archive of past issues by visiting finlandia.edu/thebridge

As a student at Finlandia University, Jamie Thyrion (‘08) balanced raising an infant son, working a part-time job and tutoring other students while working toward her business degree. Make that work takes sisu, and there’s no shortage of it for this exceptional FinnU graduate.

An Ahmeek native [...]

January 24, 2019

Bob Ubbelohde left a lasting mark

This summer the Finlandia University community was devastated to learn former president Bob Ubbelohde had passed away at the age of 75.

The former president is still fondly remembered on campus, especially by employees walking behind the Hoover Center to the area where he was often found and available for the kind of casual conversation you just can’t have in a board room. While those memories are exciting, Ubbelohde will always be remembered for two incredible accomplishments – Advancing Suomi College [...]

January 19, 2019

Finlandia joins community in response to crisis

Finlandia employees volunteering after the June 2018 flood that ravaged the Copper Country.

Copper Country Strong

Early on the morning of Sunday, June 17, 2018 the Copper Country was changed forever as about seven inches of rain came down, mostly between 2 and 5 a.m. For some it was a night they’ll never forget as thunder boomed like a rock band was hitting its mark right in people’s bedrooms, water streamed into basements and first floors after rushing down [...]

August 9, 2018

Dawn Kilic’s Worldly Adventures

When Dawn Kilic leaves her home, it feels like she’s  in a utopian globalist world. Her four children, who range from ages 3 to 15, speak several languages, including English, Turkish and Russian. She’s surrounded by people from Korea, Nigeria, all over Europe and her husband, Veysel, hails from Turkey. Life in the relatively new country of Kyrgyzstan has a feel quite different than the Finnish-American upbringing she had in the Minneapolis-Saint Paul suburb of Burnsville. It’s an experience she [...]

July 25, 2018

Latest edition of the Bridge in mailboxes now

Over the last few weeks alumni and friends of the university have received copies of the latest edition of the Bridge, our university magazine. This latest edition included student and alumni stories, a recap of the latest news from around campus and letters from campus leadership. Over the next few weeks feature stories from the magazine will also be posted on our website and shared with our community that way.

The Bridge is published twice a year, and a full archive [...]

July 25, 2018

Alums make a case for a pre-law path

Being at a close-knit, liberal arts school students get the opportunity to explore different options for their futures. These alumni saw their path to law school through Finlandia, while one Upper Peninsula lawyer has already proven that track as she followed her childhood passion.

Brierra Ruska, a 2015 Finlandia graduate, and current University of North Dakota Law School student was asked a question that changed her life two weeks before graduation. 

Dr. (Richard) Gee (head of the Criminal Justice department) [...]

January 3, 2018

From Finland to Finlandia to Philadelphia

Finnish exchange student Ilkka Kortesluoma’s path to working for NHL’s Philadelphia Flyers

It was 4 a.m. when Ilkka Kortesluoma first arrived in Michigan’s Keweenaw Peninsula. The Senior Director of Ticket Sales for the Philadelphia Flyers still remembers stepping off that bus into the fresh middle-of-the-night late-summer Keweenaw air. The late night soon gave way to morning light, and the once-in-a-lifetime experience for the Finnish exchange student began. He finished his last year of university in Finlandia University’s International [...]

December 28, 2017

Kathleen Harmon is a nurse with sisu

Experience at Finlandia key to Harmon’s success

Kathleen Harmon in 1986 as she graduated from Finlandia University.

Anyone from the nursing program’s 1986 class would have a hard time forgetting Kathleen Harmon’s inspirational finish to her collegiate experience. Harmon had her first child on January 6, 1986 and less than a week later she reported to her first class of her final semester. When Harmon went to the nursing pinning ceremony and graduation that spring, she proudly included her [...]

February 10, 2017

The life of a nursing student explored in Finlandia Fridays

This week Finlandia Fridays is joined by senior nursing student Laura Kent, who was featured in the fall 2016 edition of the Bridge. Finlandia University has long been known for its nursing program, and Kent found it to live up to the reputation. As a nursing student with a full-time job Kent has faced some difficulties, but will be graduating this May in excellent standings. The promise of a meaningful career after school motivated her to continue with the [...]

nurse practitioner
December 22, 2016

Laura Kent: Nurse in Training

Finlandia University has long been known for its nursing program. For senior Laura Kent, it has been as great as advertised.

“The best decision of my life was coming here for nursing,” she said while envisioning the three years she has completed at Finlandia. Those three years included a lot of challenges for the 23-year old student who is also working a full-time job that often includes night shifts at Aspirus Keweenaw in nearby Laurium. However, the promise [...]

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