The path to president

Q. A.

YOU MOVED FROM A SMALL TOWN IN MINNESOTA TO MINOT – HOME OF NORTH DAKOTA’S BIGGEST HIGH SCHOOL – AT THE START OF YOUR HIGH SCHOOL SENIOR YEAR. WHAT WAS THAT LIKE?

I remember the very first day, sitting in the Minot High School parking lot, just freaking out. Finally I mustered up enough courage to go inside. I got my locker, and I wound up having some classes with people who became really good friends, so it turned out to be a really welcoming atmosphere.

Because my high school in Minnesota was a lot smaller, I had to adjust to a larger school. That meant putting myself out there and meeting new people.

So when I moved to Minot, I got involved in National Honor Society. I ended up becoming secretary – one of the officers.

That position turned out to be a great way to meet people. Sometimes people would meet me and say, “Wait, you’ve only been here a year?” They were surprised when I told them that it was my first year.

The management and staff at Blackridge Capital, LLC would like to congratulate our Chief Operating Officer

Brett Lefor

on receiving the 40 under 40 designation. He is a role model for hard work, dedication, and always seeking a better solution. Thank you Brett for sharing your talents with our core businesses.

The management and staff at Blackridge Capital, LLC would like to congratulate our Chief Operating Officer

Brett Lefor on receiving the 40 under 40 designation. He is a role model for hard work, dedication, and always seeking a better solution. Thank you Brett for sharing your talents with our core businesses.

The management and would like to congratulate Brett on receiving the 40 role model for hard seeking a better solution. your talents

Q. A. WHAT DREW YOU TO MINOT STATE?

I had a few different options, and I’d narrowed them down to the University of North Dakota and Minot State. I picked Minot State to stay close to my family at first; I thought I could just do my generals here and then transfer out.

Obviously, I didn’t stay with my original plan. I wound up falling in love with the programs and the professors.

It was totally unexpected, because I didn’t expect people to want to get to know you at such a personal level in college. At bigger schools, you’re a number in the computer system; here, it’s the opposite. Everyone wants to get to know you and to see you succeed in everything, not just academics.

Plus, I got involved in student government my first year. I was elected as a freshman senator that year, so I represented the freshman class.

Q. A. HOW DID THAT COME ABOUT?

One of the faculty members approached me. I had met with her as my adviser initially, then she brought that up, saying, “Hey, have you thought about getting involved in clubs on campus?” Student government elections were coming up, and she thought I’d be a good candidate.

So it was that push from a faculty member that got me involved.

Of course, then I had to run a campaign for myself. I did stuff on social media, I wrote sidewalk chalk across the campus, I got myself out there. I also had a lot of support from my friends from Minot High, many of whom came here.

I was really excited to get that email telling me that I was elected.

Q. A. HOW ABOUT YOUR NEXT STEP, FROM STUDENT SENATOR TO STUDENT-BODY PRESIDENT?

I hadn’t really thought about being the president. But that year, all of our officers were graduating, so it was a completely clean slate, every position was open.

Then the previous student-body president, Alex Buchholz, approached me and asked me if I’d be interested in running. We visited multiple times; with convincing, he ended up getting me to move forward.

I ended up running unopposed. I still ran a campaign just to get my name out there, but I didn’t have the pressure because I knew I had it.

Q. A.

YOU’RE A JUNIOR. WHAT DO YOU HOPE TO DO AFTER GRADUATION?

When I came here, I had no idea about what I wanted to do. I ended up sitting down with Dr. Lorraine Willoughby, the business information technology chair. I had told someone I really like computers and business, and she steered me in Lorraine’s direction.

We talked about the management information systems major, and I’ve discovered that it’s a great fit for me. It’s a growing field within business; it works with computers, information systems and data. It’s an area that I have a high interest in, and I’m glad to have stumbled across it and found such a good fit.

Meanwhile, I’ve been working at Scheels in Minot for the past three years, and that is the best job and the most fun place I’ve ever worked. That’s another area where I’ve been really surprised at how much I’ve grown to love the people there.

Q. A. WHAT IS IT THAT YOU LIKE ABOUT IT?

In October, Minot State University Student Body President Aaron Richard set up shop at a college fair in Bemidji, Minn., to talk about scholarships and recruit students. Being an ambassador is a routine part of Richard’s job.

IMAGE: MINOT STATE UNIVERSITY

Q. FINAL THOUGHTS?

It’s the culture. It’s very customer-service oriented, so we do whatever we can to make sure our customers are successful in whatever activity they’re doing. Whether they’re going hunting, water-skiing or out for a run, we’re very oriented to helping them succeed.

I work on the floor in the clothing and shoe department, so I get a lot of that one-on-one interaction. I’ve been there long enough that I have relationships built with a lot of our customers; I know a lot of people by name.

It’s fun to have them come back and to get to watch their kids grow up and change from year to year.

And Scheels is an employeeowned company, too, which I really like.

So after graduation, I’d like to move down to Fargo to start work in the corporate office. I’m hoping to do something that involves analyzing consumer data and developing ways to research buying patterns, because that really interests me.