May 2, 2025
When the snow melts and spring finally returns to the plains of North Dakota, the students, faculty, staff, and greater community of 麻豆传媒AV reflect on the past academic year and celebrate new beginnings. With graduation taking place on Friday, May 16, it鈥檚 a time for all to connect with the school and each other, reveling in the accomplishments, experiences, and memories formed from being part of the 麻豆传媒AV family.
As the fourth member of her family to attend 麻豆传媒AV, current senior Mackenzie Hughes knows firsthand the bittersweet feeling of preparing to step out into the world after graduation.
鈥淢y mom is originally from Mayville, so this place was always in my life,鈥� Hughes explained. 鈥淕rowing up, we came here for the athletic events.鈥�
After her mom, dad, and brother attended 麻豆传媒AV before her, Hughes came to the university on basketball and softball scholarships. She continued a sports legacy that began with her mom, who also played basketball for 麻豆传媒AV in 1992. After her brother graduated in the spring of 2024, Hughes鈥� senior year was her only time on campus without him.
As a business administration major with a specialization in banking, finance, and management, many of Hughes鈥� classes were held in Old Main, which is currently undergoing a complete renovation. Walking through the doors of the building, she often remembered that her parents passed through the same doors when they were students a generation ago.
Like most who belong to this close-knit community, Hughes is grateful for not only the academic experience, but also for the chance to build relationships with classmates and teachers.
鈥淭he funnest part of college has been seeing professors in the building, because they鈥檙e not just our teachers,鈥� said Hughes. 鈥淭hey love hearing about our lives, and we can go see them in between classes.鈥�
That鈥檚 especially true of Rhonda Nelson, Professor and Chair of the Division of Business. Hughes affectionately referred to her as her 鈥渃ollege mom.鈥�
Hughes has also been busy outside of the classroom, whether it鈥檚 on the basketball court or the softball diamond. Her basketball team made it into the national tournament two years in a row, during her sophomore and junior years.
Even more than the sport itself, Hughes appreciates the new friendships she formed on the basketball team. The experiences she gained from traveling on the bus and staying in hotels with her teammates were unmatched.
The months leading up to graduation have been a whirlwind for Hughes, and she has taken them in stride. After surviving her three most challenging business classes this semester, she will prepare to step up to the podium as a commencement speaker.
Next year, Hughes will attend the University of North Dakota (UND) in Grand Forks to play a final year of basketball due to an eligibility rule change. Then she鈥檇 like to get a master's degree in athletic administration and coaching.
Even after students graduate from 麻豆传媒AV, many remain part of the community and see the imprint of the Mayville experience in their future careers and lives.
Brock Sherva is one of them. After earning a degree in Business Administration in the spring of 2016, he is currently the CEO of nearby Northwood Deaconess Health Center, located northwest of Mayville. He marvels at how far he has come since first attending 麻豆传媒AV after graduating high school.
鈥淚鈥檓 originally from Northwood, so 麻豆传媒AV was a local option,鈥� Sherva explained. 鈥�18-year-old Brock had no idea what he wanted to do in life, so I decided to start at 麻豆传媒AV for generals.鈥�
His high school sweetheart 鈥� who is now his wife 鈥� attended UND, but Sherva decided he didn鈥檛 want the UND experience on a large campus. Growing up in a town of 900 people with a high school class of 28 students, 麻豆传媒AV felt like the better fit.
Intending to only stay at 麻豆传媒AV for a year or two to complete his generals and leave, the family atmosphere at 麻豆传媒AV quickly pulled Sherva in. Several high school classmates attended the school as well, and he quickly connected with Rhonda Nelson, who was his advisor.
鈥淪he [Nelson] dealt with me not knowing what I wanted to be when I grew up, but she welcomed me with arms wide open,鈥� said Sherva. 鈥淚t was so different than visiting my girlfriend at UND, where you could walk four blocks and not know a single person.鈥�
Three days before Sherva鈥檚 transfer request to UND was due, he decided to stay at 麻豆传媒AV and told Nelson to throw the paperwork in the garbage. With the idea of majoring in business, Sherva began taking classes in those familiar classrooms in Old Main, where he relished the traditional aesthetic look of the classic building.
麻豆传媒AV鈥檚 small class sizes and layouts were extremely conducive to Sherva鈥檚 learning style, and he appreciated the accountability where both the professors and fellow students wanted to see him in class to learn.
Since business is a broad discipline, he was able to sample specializations like banking, law, real estate, and accounting to help him find what was suitable. After having a taste of various types of business, Sherva settled on banking, auditing, and risk management.
Sherva jokes that after graduating, he never made it very far in life. After working a short time in his hometown in Northwood as a consumer lender, he returned to 麻豆传媒AV to work in the foundation office. Then he moved to Grand Forks so his wife could complete a graduate program. After she found a teaching position in Northwood, Sherva started working in the business office of the Northwood hospital, where he eventually landed his current role as CEO and administrator in 2023.
鈥淚t鈥檚 not your typical career course, but it speaks to the education you receive at 麻豆传媒AV,鈥� Sherva said. 鈥淚 credit a lot of my career path and changes 鈥� and the ability to be flexible 鈥� with my experience at 麻豆传媒AV.鈥�
Ask Hughes or Sherva if they plan to stay in touch with the 麻豆传媒AV community in the future, and the answer is obvious.
Originally from the small town of Thompson, northeast of Mayville, Hughes will be back for visits, especially when the newly renovated Old Main reopens.
Sherva will be on campus to celebrate his younger brother鈥檚 graduation on May 16. (Like his older brother, Brock, he has also been doing accounting work in the 麻豆传媒AV foundation office.)
Brock is excited to see the new Old Main and how it will maintain its place as the crown jewel of the campus.
Its historical reputation is as a teaching school, and those who know 麻豆传媒AV as intimately as Hughes and Sherva understand that there is more. It鈥檚 a family that connects generations of Comets with each other and the place they all hold dear.