RPLS Alumni and Friends Newsletter | February 2025
Letter from the Chair
Greetings from Highland North! We have toyed with the idea of creating a newsletter for several years. Would anyone read it? Would anyone care?
In the last few years, as we have moved forward from the pandemic, it became apparent that there are lots of folks in the RPLS community seeking to reminisce, share stories, and keep in touch. This newsletter is created with that spirit in mind. We hope that it will grow to become not just a one-way distribution of information, but instead, that it will be a space that fosters communication and collaboration.
The RPLS program has connected people with their communities and with each other since 1968. Initially, RPLS centered around preparing students to run summer camps and similar programs. Over time, it shifted to emphasize municipal recreation and natural resource management. Today, we continue to embrace those ideals while also incorporating new understandings of issues related to travel, tourism, and special event management. Just as our recreational preferences continue to evolve, so too will our strategies to prepare students for the world what awaits them outside these hallways. We are grateful to all of our alumni, students, community partners, and friends for helping us achieve those goals. We see you, and we thank you.
Leisurely yours,
Jonathan
News and Notes
RPLS Day | We have made the difficult decision to postpone RPLS Day 2025, usually held in April. We are in the process of re-imagining the event to be as welcoming and inclusive to as many alumni and friends as possible and to ensure that our big day will continue to be sustainable well into the future. Please email Jonathan <Jonathan.hicks@mnsu.edu> if you are interested in being involved with the planning process.
Park Planning | In December, students in RPLS 481 – Park Planning presented their final Park Plan Proposal to City of Mankato leaders. Their plan detailed proposed strategies to enhance and revitalize Mni Wašté Park on the west side of the city. Keep an eye on the park in the coming years for numerous important changes recommended by our students!
Camp Maverick Rec N Read | Rec N' Read Programs and Services is an on campus hands-on learning opportunity for RPLS students to gain professional experience in the parks and recreation field. Undergraduate students in RPLS work collaboratively with graduate students in Communication Sciences and Disorders to offer an after-school program for kindergarten through sixth grade youth who struggle with reading and writing. The program include 45 minutes of literacy intervention and 45 minutes of recreation.
Alumni in the News
Congratulations to Jessica Christensen Buck and Maddie Margo on their recent awards from the Minnesota Park and Recreation Association!
Jessica (RPLS Class of 2016) was presented with the MRPA Horizon Award, which is given to a professional with less than eight years in the field. She is the Recreation Supervisor for the City of Corcoran as well as the Treasurer of the Minnesota Park and Recreation Foundation.
Maddie (RPLS Class of 2022) was recognized with the MRPA Meritorious Service Award for her work with the Young Professional and Student Network for which she is currently serving as Chairperson. Maddie is a Program Coordinator for the City of Mounds View.
Senior Spotlight
Allie Filzen, RPLS Class of 2025
Hometown: Winona, Minnesota
Academic achievements:
Dean’s List all 6 semesters at Minnesota State University, Mankato, Recipient of the C. Esco Obermann Scholarship and MRPF’s Kraus Anderson Renewable Student Scholarship.
Extracurricular activities:
President of Rec Club (Recreation Major’s Club), Community Advisor, Spiritual Guide for Maverick Skydive Club
Community involvement:
I have done a lot of work with STAR Center in La Crosse, WI, helping to run their adaptive recreation programming!
In your career, what impact do you want to have on the world?
In my career, I hope to make a positive impact on the lives of others, empowering them and allowing them to flourish by providing easier and innovative access to recreation.
What advice do you have for students just getting started in RPLS?
Dive in! When I switched from another major into RPLS, I found that the community is so welcoming, supportive, lighthearted, and so much fun if you really jump in, get to know others, and get involved.
What RPLS Means to Me
Shayla Harris, RPLS Class of 2025
Hello, my name is Shayla Harris and currently a senior in RPLS, and just like so many others, I did not start off in the parks and recreation field. My freshman year while everyone was getting ready for finals and their first home cooked meal in months, I was in my dorm having a quarter life crisis, realizing I chose the wrong major. I scrolled through the extensive list of majors at Mankato and saw RPLS. So, I registered for some classes and just counted down the days until spring semester. As I came back from break and walked into the beautiful building we all know and love, Armstrong Hall, I was scared out of my mind not sure what to expect or even who I saw sitting next to. As the semesters have passed, I have gotten to not only learn about this field, but go and work at a state park, work as a wrangler in Colorado and a managing natural spaces in Jackson Hole, Wyoming. Currently I am completing my senior internship managing prairies and other ecosystems in Kentucky.
I have gotten to explore my passion and cheer on lifelong friends in and out of the classroom. I have gotten to stress over *so* many group projects; to not take myself too seriously thanks to Rachelle in Recreation Leadership; to love pickleball thanks to Margo; to casually contemplate the meaning of my life at 11 am on a Monday morning thanks to Jim; and I would not have gotten to experience any of it without Jonathan’s famous Intro class. What RPLS means to me is that I not only found a sense of belonging at MNSU but in this field as well. The connections I have built and the personal growth I have experienced here will stay with me and shape my journey long after I leave campus.
Get Involved
We want to hear from you! Tell us about your recent achievements, job announcements, funny stories… or anything else! Please email Jonathan.hicks@mnsu.edu and help us stay connected.
