Winona Daily News Campus Connection

Student life at Southeast ramps up under the guidance of new student life coordinator

September 12, 2024

Just try keeping up with Tracy Rahim, Minnesota State College Southeast's new Student Life Coordinator. She's constantly on the move, bouncing back and forth between the Red Wing and Winona campuses, writing grants, creating community partnerships, and developing a myriad of student activities.

Tracy originally came to Winona to attend Winona State University, where she earned a bachelor's degree in communication studies and a master's degree in counselor education. After almost 25 years working in residence life and student activities at WSU, she said she was excited about the challenge of creating the new student life coordinator position at Southeast.

"This position is a great blend of my previous student life experience as well as my counseling education," she said.  

Tracy has been at Southeast for about eight months. "I can already tell that our students crave a college experience, so they can feel like they are a part of a real campus community, not just showing up for class and leaving right afterwards." 

Accordingly, she is trying to grow college organizations that give students an outlet for special interests and the opportunity to learn more about their fields of study. 

"I am excited to help the Student Senates on both campuses re-establish themselves. With more consistent guidance I hope they will they feel empowered to help shape the Southeast experience and be a true voice for the students on campus," she said.

Other activities tie together other important issues and opportunities. "For example, we played Grocery Bingo last week -- it was a fun chance for students to not only win some groceries but also to learn about campus and community resources that are available to them." 

Meeting basic needs

Besides developing Student Life initiatives, Tracy works on basic needs issues. According to Hope Center at Temple University surveys, the percent of food-insecure students at Southeast remained steady at 41% from 2019-2023.

"I have seen what having a stable source of food in our pantries has meant for many of our students who are struggling financially," she said. "We know that food insecurity can be a factor in why some students feel the need to drop out of college."

Tracy has put in concerted effort to find grants and participate in other programs to provide funding for students in need. Current grants help fund The Pantry on both campuses as well as the new Food Oasis in the Winona campus Transportation Center. 

"We are now an agency partner with Channel One food bank out of Rochester, which allows us to purchase food -- especially proteins, produce, and dairy -- at a free or very reduced rate," Tracy said. 

"And we've also received grant funding to launch a pilot 'virtual food pantry' for students in our online academic programs this year who do not reside near one of our campuses," she added.

 Last spring, Tracy worked with Abbie Fields, a violin repair program student, to obtain SNAP Education and Training benefits that helped her cover the cost of specialized tools needed for her program. 

"One of the most unexpected and enjoyable parts about this was forging a friendship with Tracy," Abbie said. "She was incredibly supportive and an active part of my transition from being a student who qualified for government assistance to being a professional employed in my field of study -- at a salary that disqualifies me for such programs." 

Abbie added that Tracy even helped her prepare her for job interviews. "I was excited to tell Tracy the fantastic news that I had found a well-paying job with benefits, and I felt that she truly shared in my joy!"

Tracy is determined to create a vibrant, student-centered experience at Minnesota State College Southeast. 

"I know it will take time to build a strong Student Life program, but I hope the students are already feeling more excitement on campus with the activities and events I've been planning," she said. "I believe every student needs to develop a sense of belonging on their campus through involvement and the services they receive."

Photo captions:
Above: Student Life Coordinator Tracy Rahim arranged donated food items in The Pantry at Minnesota State College Southeast's Winona campus.  
Below: Violin Repair program student Abbie Fields worked with Tracy to obtain a SNAP E&T grant.