Rose Yang (‘19) knew that Duluth was her place. That feeling was reinforced on one of her first trips back to campus as a freshman. “I was riding the Jefferson Lines bus heading back to UMD after visiting family in the Twin Cities,” Yang said. “I could feel tears in my eyes and the sense of feeling like I’m coming back home.”
Early on at UMD, Yang knew what she wanted to do but had yet to learn what it was called. “I met with my academic advisor and said, ‘I want to work with youth and teenagers in the dynamic of their transition into adulthood.’” Her advisor recommended sociology. Yang would go on to graduate with a degree in sociology and a minor in early childhood studies. She’s now continuing her career with institutes that help children, in roles that are both rewarding and tailor-fit to her experience.
Yang fondly remembers the connections she made at UMD. “Growing up, I never had a strong connection in a professional setting,” she said. She also didn’t think she would be successful as a first-generation Hmong student. She appreciated that UMD professors “treat you professionally and as an adult.” Professors like Daniel Glisczinskit, Daniel Martin, Janelle Wilson, and Lindsey Jungman helped her see that she had many opportunities to thrive
Yang’s education at UMD has helped her in her career, not only through her degree but also because of the relevant, hands-on learning she received in and out of the classroom.
One of Yang’s professors helped her find a job opportunity at the Steve O’Neil Apartments in Duluth. There, she worked with families experiencing long-term homelessness and helped with after-school programs. “This coincided with what I was learning in class and applying it in the field,” she says.
In her last semester at UMD, Yang had an internship in Minneapolis at the Washburn Center for Children. She worked with kids under 10 years old with high needs and with learning and educational disabilities. She completed her internship and graduated before becoming a case manager for Simpson’s Housing Services in the Twin Cities where she worked with families and kids who were experiencing homelessness. She also worked on legal processes, budgeting, children’s education, and helped parents build resumes for job applications. Yang then moved on to be a preschool teacher at Little Bee’s in Fridley, MN, working with kids ages 1-5. “I loved that I was able to use what I learned from my work experience and education to create a safe space,” she says.
But Yang couldn’t stay away from the northland and returned to Duluth to work for Northwood Children Services, a non-profit agency providing care, education, and treatment for children with severe emotional, behavioral and learning disabilities. Yang worked with children between 6-17 years old in their highly structured psychiatric residential treatment facility.
Through those experiences, and as she's transitioned from counselor to supervisor, Yang grew more passionate about working with children. And to be able to do it in Duluth, she said, feels right.
Whenever she leaves, she’s reminded that Duluth is home. Driving over the hill, seeing that familiar skyline and the great openness of Lake Superior, “I feel relief and that I belong here,” Yang says.
“In this community, in all of the seasons, I feel safe here." - Rose Yang