One More Reason to Be Moorhead Proud

My love and appreciation for Moorhead are well-documented in this column. So, it’s nice to know I can still be surprised by our hometown and its ability to keep evolving. This week, in fact, I was awe-struck by the unveiling of the Moorhead High School Career Academy, which I toured during its grand opening.

As a member of the Champions Committee for Moorhead High School, I’ve had an insider’s view of the careful planning that’s gone into the curriculum for the Academy—the goal of which is providing a personalized and relevant education for our high school students. Organized around eight career pathways, the curriculum provides opportunities for hands-on exploration and preparation in areas as diverse as health and human potential, manufacturing and transit, information technology and design thinking, entrepreneurship and business, and farm to table. Within each pathway, the focus is on authentic, individualized, and rigorous learning.

But even with my understanding and appreciation for the curricular innovation the Academy represents, I was unprepared for the state-of-the-art design of the building. Suffice it to say that not once during my hour-long tour did I find myself thinking of the Sam’s Club that formerly occupied the space.

Instead, I was amazed by the beauty and functionality of the space, which has been redesigned to create maximum natural light. Equipped with medical, automotive, welding, construction, and culinary labs, the building also contains ample space for students to gather and study. There’s also a spectacular event space where future guests will be served meals created by students in the culinary arts program. Every detail was clearly designed with students and their learning in mind. The result is a truly inspiring educational space—and one more reason we should all be proud to call Moorhead home.

Dr. Anne Blackhurst served as Minnesota State University Moorhead’s 11th president from July 1, 2014 to June 30, 2023.