1. CHARACTER REFERENCES
“I am honored by the opportunity to write about Kaelyn Friese’s great character. I met Kaelyn about two years
ago at an event that she planned to promote some opportunities available to the students on campus. Then I got
to know her more over the past 2 months in the Context of the NSBE (National Society of Black Engineers)
organization. The first thing that stuck out to me with Kaelyn is how approachable and resourceful she is. Kaelyn
is easy to talk to and willing to help. She does not wait for the students to come to her; she reaches out instead
and always tries to put herself out there for the students to know the available resources. Kaelyn’s visionary
mindset and dynamic personality give her the ability to encouraged, support and advise students easily. Kaelyn
holds a really high work ethic and can connect with any anyone given her adaptability skills. She is a true leader;
really humble and always trying to improve herself.”
Agre Eliakim Balle
Mechanical Engineering Student – SCSU
“Kaelyn is extremely positive and if you want some positivity in your life invest some time to get to know her.
Kaelyn is very resourceful and has been very supportive of me. With many of the challenges I’ve encountered
Kaelyn has always been present and encouraging, always encouraging me to never give up.”
Peter Ojambo
Mechanical Engineering Student – SCSU
“Kaelyn inspires with her passion and enthusiasm to help students take charge of their lives on campus. She
embodies creativity with her ideas of how to help instill change in the College of Science and Engineering,
enabling the school to meet the ever changing needs of its students. Because of her ideas and leadership,
students now have a voice that is met with action through the Dean’s Student Advisory Board. It is here she uses
her wisdom and expertise to provide students with not only the tools to help our campus be a wonderful place,
but also with the ability for students to become leaders themselves.
Kaelyn’s drive is what makes the Dean’s Student Advisory Board a success on campus. She has the ability to see a
bigger picture for the students she works with. This helps her provide beneficial experience to build a skill set that
makes them an asset to any team they join.
When the Dean’s Student Advisory board meets, Kaelyn comes prepared with organized research, knowledge,
and tools to aid the student members with taking action to improve the campus. She is continuously finding
ways to educate herself to maintain the qualities of a strong leader, student, mentor, and faculty member. She
presents her findings to the group to broaden the knowledge and abilities of its members. In these meetings I
find Kaelyn to be a truly admirable.”
McKenzie Kulseth
Meteorology Student – SCSU
“Kaelyn does her work with passion because she cares about the success of the students she works with. She has
demonstrated this by reaching out to different student organizations to make sure they were getting the help
and support they need from their department and from the Dean's Office. She has also helped with different
student orientation events even outside of her regular work hours.”
Syntyche Koumaglo
Electrical Engineering Student – SCSU

2. “I have been working with Kaelyn as a graduate intern for a year and she is one of the best advisers, mentors,
and supervisors. She provides various resources, knowledge, and opportunities to help me grow on a personal
and professional level. She perceives potentials of each student and encourages students to acknowledge their
own potentials to be successful. She is always available to communicate with and support students and also
commits to students’ success and development. She has inspired me with her passion and commitment as a
student affairs professional. It was really an honor to have a chance to observe her role and work throughout my
internship experience.”
Sohee Yook
College Counseling Student Development Student – SCSU
“I know Kaelyn from St. Cloud State University where she is the Student Relations Director for the College of
Science and Engineering. Also, I am a member the Dean’s Student Advisory Board which Kaelyn developed, and is
now in charge of. Kaelyn is an amazing person, and I am glad that she is someone who I have had the chance to
get to know and work with. Kaelyn is always looking for ways in which she can help not only current students,
but also future students as well. Her work with developing and coordinating the Dean’s Student Advisory Board
exemplifies this. Kaelyn is also tremendously supportive of students. She is someone who students can go to and
feel safe when they have a problem. This is something that I know from personal experience.”
Caroline Bang
Mathematics Student – SCSU
“My name is Savanna Hosler, I met Kaelyn when I was on a 2-week school trip in South Africa in spring of 2015.
Kaelyn's radiant personality connected us instantly, once we got back to the states we kept in touch. Into the
next school year, I expressed to her how I wanted to find an internship, she without hesitation offered me one
under her in the department she worked for. Currently I am still her intern and love learning from her. Since the
day I met Kaelyn I knew she was going to be a lifelong friend, she creates an atmosphere around her that
inspires me to pursue my dreams and push limits. Getting the chance to see her work and empower other
students is amazing and I am always baffled at how effortless she makes it look when I know it is not easy. She
knows how to take action and have endless passion in everything she does which is contagious, it allows others
to strive to be like her. Having Kaelyn in my life as a friend and role model has only enhanced my life and allowed
me to go about living with a purpose.”
Savanna Hosler
Communication Studies Student – SCSU
“It has been 2 years since I’ve known Kaelyn. She approached me during my presidency of Society of Women
Engineers to discuss opportunities for our students and our organization. In addition to this, I had the honor to
be involved in the College of Science and Engineering Deans Advisory Student Board, where I closely worked with
Kaelyn. Kaelyn has a strong character of dedicated and effective leader. As a leader of the Deans Advisory
Student Board she went above and beyond in many ways, she always came prepared for meetings, her level of
organization was very high and impressive, always encouraged us to step out of our comfort zones and take
leadership roles. She set many examples and motivated many of us to never give up and always strive for
success. For example, one of her ways to keep us motivated on Friday evening was starting the meeting with
motivational videos. Her discussions and stories always challenged us to think out of the box.
Furthermore, Kaelyn has very optimistic and enthusiastic character. She is always able to spread the positive
energy around herself and be an amazing role model not only for the students she is surrounded with, but for

3. faculty members across COSE. She is very approachable and easy to talk to and has the ability to make students
not afraid to open themselves or ask for assistance/advice.
Kaelyn is very dedicated person and she is never afraid to invest herself and her time in whatever she is doing.
For example, she had helped in many ways during preparation for Horizons 2015. She is very knowledgeable
person and always has an answer to any question students ask.
Her advices and stories are hard to forget, will be always be remembered and passed onto younger
generations.”
Irena Jovanovska
Electrical Engineering Student – SCSU
“You have been a great support to me during my entire time as a SCSU undergraduate student. I did learn a lot
from all of our conversations. I used to go to school without a plan, and no real goals…I knew I wanted to be a
good engineer, but I was scared to create, and make personal designs, because I thought I was not smart
enough to start a business. Luckily, I got to talk to you, and now I can define myself as a person with big dreams!
I am currently making a 3D CAD design of a product that I am planning to commercialize next year, plus I am
having a few different ideas that I hope to finalize, and manufacture 5 years from now. You are so friendly,
smart, dedicate to your work and most importantly, you always have the desire to help and motivate students
like me. I am currently designing one of the last pieces of my product, and I hope some day you will be proud of
me. Thank you again for everything!”
William Timagni
Mechanical Engineering Student – SCSU
“Kaelyn and I started to get to know one another through a College of Science and Engineering event as a
student presenter. As a student, I was able to help at her events. Through many events, I learned she is a very
enthusiastic and dedicated worker. She will go through the extra mile to achieve student success. Kaelyn's
support toward students is phenomenal. She sees success in every single student, and will find ways for students
to present their work at conferences or events. Student success is her top priorities. She will find ways in her
schedule to have meetings with students and find solutions for them such as; presenting at conferences, finding
the next classes or schools, or even jobs in their fields. She is very dedicated and passionate, and she will not give
up until her and students goals are met.”
Inti Chanthirath
Bio-Physic Student – SCSU
“Kaelyn Friese has served as a mentor during my bachelors, masters, and now professional career. Her ability to
challenge you to strive for your goals, while supporting you to work through adversity, is immeasurable. Her
dedication to students, especially underrepresented students, exemplifies the work ethic I aim to practice
everyday.”
Austin Johnson
Professional – Community Connections Program Coordinator – SCSU
Kaelyn dedicates herself to the students with whom she works. I had the pleasure of meeting Kaelyn in 2010,
when I began as a freshman at St. Cloud State University (SCSU). At the time, Kaelyn was a graduate assistant
for Multicultural Student Services (MSS). During my last years at SCSU studying within the College of Science &
Engineering (COSE), Kaelyn became Student Relation Coordinator of the COSE and School of Computing,

4. Engineering & Environment (SCEE). Kaelyn was also a leader and mentor for both the SCSU National Society of
Black Engineers (NSBE) and the SCSU Chapter of the NorthStar STEM Alliance. I was also involved in these
organizations as an undergraduate student.
Kaelyn is unique in that she plays the role of an educator, supporter, advisor and mentor, while being able to
connect and relate to students in a way that most benefits them both short-term and long-term. She
consistently follows through with students to make sure that they know their options and rights, that they form
and stick to their goals, that they know where to find tools and resources, and that they are working to gain the
skills they need to succeed. Kaelyn leads with her strong work ethic, enthusiasm, extensive knowledge,
persistence, and caring nature. She encourages students to make the very most of their time in school while
building on skills and seeking helpful opportunities for the future.
Tashiana Osborne
Climate Science Graduate Research – University of San Diego