My name is Jax Wilder, and I am a new communications assistant for the College of Education and Human Service Professions (CEHSP). At the moment, I’m a freshman majoring in psychology here at UMD; ever since middle school I’ve known I’ve had a passion for helping people, so I plan to eventually find a career as a counselor or therapist. If I don’t end up in Canada, I’ll probably stay in Minnesota, because I don’t think I could ever leave this beautiful state behind for good.
I spent the first 18 years of my life in Ogilvie, Minnesota—a small town an hour and a half southwest of Duluth. I grew up taking trips to Duluth every so often, and fell in love with the city fairly quickly. I don’t miss a lot about small-town living, but I do (somewhat) miss the rural-ness and the community I found with my local Taekwondo gym. Besides softball in middle school, Taekwondo was the only extracurricular activity I did. I hope to find time in my schedule to continue teaching the martial art and furthering my own progress; I’ve been practicing for around eight years now and teaching for close to three, and it’s something that I am still very passionate about and thoroughly enjoy doing.
Fun fact: Along with playing the only actual school sport in my lifetime so far, I also developed an obsession with goats when I was in middle school, and it never truly went away. I still have two goats–Oreo and Rocky–that my dad is taking care of back home. They joined me for my senior photos and honestly, I wish they could’ve joined me in college.
After spending so long in one place, it’s nice to leave everything I’ve known behind for a while to pursue psychology and discover what exactly it is that I want for the future. It’s going to be an incredibly enlightening experience, even if it’s a little stressful at times. I’m also hoping to find more time to pursue hobbies like drawing, making (well, let’s be honest, it’s more like modifying) my own clothes and jewelry, and finding new places to explore.
I’m happy that I get to study within CEHSP as well as work here; it’s an environment I already feel comfortable in and I can’t wait to contribute to CEHSP’s mission. I’m also excited to get to know others who are doing amazing things for the community and help to tell their story.