Why Dragons are the Region’s Most Career-Ready Journalists

Part classroom, part newsroom, Minnesota State Moorhead’s School of Communication and Journalism is the laboratory producing the most sought after and career-ready journalism graduates in the region.

Through Campus News, Moorhead’s signature journalism experience course, students step into a fully functioning, simulated newsroom each spring. From story pitching and scripting to shooting, editing, and anchoring, students produce a professional, pre-recorded weekly that airs on Prairie Public Television. Led by Emmy-winning instructors and shaped by real newsroom expectations, the process is proven through and through.

Dragon journalists are landing prestigious internships, making immediate impact in local and regional media, and walking into newsrooms already fluent in the language of deadlines and storytelling. In the past 15 years alone, Moorhead journalism students have earned more than 600 awards and honors – a testament to the excellence expected of a Dragon journalist.

For current seniors Selah Jacoway, Nate Coen, and Drew Berg, that classroom-to-newsroom pipeline has shaped their confidence, capabilities, and career trajectories. Before graduating, each is already contributing daily to local newsrooms, and having their work aired to tens of thousands of people. 

Drew Berg, WDAY

Senior broadcast and multimedia journalism major Drew Berg has the unique opportunity to have his work featured on a mainstream local news channel, WDAY News, while still a student. 

“I remember watching ESPN SportsCenter before I went to grade school each morning, and that’s how I fell in love with reporting. I’ve known I wanted to work in media since sixth grade,” Drew says. 

Before beginning his internship with WDAY, Drew was working at a newsroom closer to home, honing skills with Minnesota State Moorhead Campus News.

“At Moorhead, I get instruction from many professionals. For example, the chief content officer at Forum Communications Company, Mary Jo Hotzler, taught my reporting class. Kevin Wallevand, who I work with now, taught my campus news reporting class. Kerstin Kealy and Dana Mogck taught my writing class. It’s been great to learn from those actively working in the media business,” he says. 

For Drew, the main difference between Moorhead and WDAY’s newsrooms is the pace. 

“I went from having three hours to edit a story to only an hour and a half. It’s been easier to speed up than I thought; the people I work with really helped me adjust.” 

Drew has collaborated with many Moorhead alumni in the media scene. 

“A lot of the staff at WDAY are Dragons, which has been nice because they know where I come from and what my educational background was like,” he says. 

Drew loves having a job where he gets to do something different every day. 

“In this field, I get to constantly work on a different story and meet new people,” he says. “Campus News helped me learn how to talk to strangers, which is a huge part of my job.” 

Drew’s participation in Moorhead’s journalism program gave him hands on experience for this daily variety. 

“I think the difference-makers that set the program apart are the Flypaper student marketing agency program that Kay Beckermann runs and Campus News led by Aaron Quanbeck. We have a professional setup for news programs that airs on television, and we’re taught by Emmy-winning journalists,” he says.

After working in a professional newsroom, Drew feels at home in the industry. He’s written stories about his university and community, getting called in on weekends for breaking news coverage. He loves the thrill of adapting on the fly. 

“The WDAY internship has opened my eyes to a whole new and wider field, making me consider newsrooms across the country.” 

Selah Jacoway, KVLY

is driven to inform and connect her community. This summer she's doing that as a multimedia journalist at KVLY, part of . The Dragon broadcast journalism major and media analysis minor from Burnsville, Minnesota is seizing opportunities that are rare for students.

Selah’s days start with morning pitch meetings, followed by interview setups, writing, filming, and crafting news packages. In the afternoon, she helps to shape the day’s newscasts and sometimes she steps into the anchor chair – a responsibility that rarely is earned by students. 

“Anchoring is nerve-wracking,” she says. “You don’t get a second take. But I was vocal about wanting to do it, and they threw me right in. Now I’m growing every day — better cues, better articulation, and more confidence.” 

That confidence started long before the internship. After transferring to Minnesota State Moorhead in pursuit of a true broadcast journalism program, and a scholarship through the North Star Promise, Selah toured campus and immediately felt at home. “I felt like I was supposed to be here,” she says. 

Her experience in Moorhead’s Campus News program gave her a major advantage. At Moorhead, journalism students don’t simply watch how a newsroom works – they live it. “What I do at Valley News is literally what I did in Campus News. It’s real-world training inside the classroom,” she says. 

“This program sets you up to be four steps ahead.” 

Selah credits much of the program's success to coordinator Aaron Quanbeck, who leads the broadcast journalism program. He not only holds students accountable and helps them refine their skills but also brings in news producers from stations across the region to critique student work. One of those visits would give Selah the opportunity to meet her future supervisor at KVLY. 

“Aaron puts you in positions to succeed,” Selah says. “If your work isn’t great, he’ll kindly tell you and guide you to make it better.” 

As Selah looks toward graduation in 2026, she is already ahead of the game — gaining the kind of experience some reporters don’t get until years into their careers.

“This program sets you up to be four steps ahead,” she says. 

Nate Coen, KFGO

Nate Coen is a self-starting storyteller making a name for himself as a rising voice in local news. As a multimedia and broadcast journalism major, he’s turning his on-campus experience into on-airwave impact.

Nate has been working at KFGO, a Fargo, North Dakota based radio station, for a year. He was introduced to Paul Jurgens, the news director for KFGO, through Campus News.

Every day looks different for Nate, as he brainstorms, researches and writes stories and social media posts, or heads out to breaking news scenes to gather quotes and capture photos.

For example, he’s gotten to report on breaking news like the recent “Big Beautiful Bill” rallies that took place in Fargo-Moorhead, outside of Representative Michelle Fischbach’s office.

“I got over there and talked to some of the patrons about how they were feeling. One of the coolest parts was that I took a photo that we sent to the Minnesota News Network, who picked it up and sent it to stations all over the state,” Nate says.

Through his initiative and preparation Nate has earned the responsibility of going live on a few Saturday broadcasts and gotten to cover breaking news in the field.

Nate says that his experience as a Dragon is what made him stand out amongst other applicants. Before graduating, he already had honed skills like media writing, interviewing techniques, and photography.

“I worked in Campus News for two years and I started working at KFGO because of Campus News. Our supervisor for the student group, Aaron Quanbeck, brought in Paul Jurgens, the news director for KFGO, to come speak to us,” he explains.

This proverbial handshake, paired with Nate’s preparation as a member of Campus News, helped him open the door to his current on-air role.

“Being able to go to an employer and say ‘I’ve done these things, like Campus News. I’ve got real in-field experiences’ is important,” says Nate.

Recognizing the importance of learning through experience, Nate recommends, “You have to take as many classes and opportunities as you can. There are so many resources here (at Moorhead).”

When Preparation Meets Purpose

With live newsroom experience, strong faculty connections, and an ever-growing portfolio, Nate’s gone from preparing for a career in media to living it – all before graduating.

For students like Selah, Nate, and Drew, Campus News sharpened their skills and raised their game. They learned to craft strong stories while honoring deadlines.

They’ve anchored, reported, and contributed to statewide coverage. At Moorhead, this level of preparation is expected.

From Prairie Public to KFGO and WDAY, Dragon journalists are already making an impact. This is what it looks like when preparation meets purpose. This is what it means to be a Dragon.