My name is JoAnna Friesz, and I grew up in Downey, CA - a suburb of Los Angeles, and home of the Apollo Spacecraft.  As a child, I had a heart for accounting yet was encouraged by a high school counselor to become a teacher.  After earning my degree from UCLA, I served 3.5 years on active duty in the U.S. Navy.  After that commitment, I married my husband, Mark, who also served.  When he was stationed in Indiana, I pursued graduate studies at Valparaiso University where I earned a master’s degree in education and a teaching license in Social Studies.

In 1995, we moved to Bloomington.  Since Minnesota did not have reciprocity with Indiana, I had to take three classes to earn the Minnesota Teaching License.  Normandale Community College was located close to our new home and the real estate agent said that it was one of the best community colleges in the country.  My first courses at Normandale were Human Relations, Urban Geography and Anthropology.  I loved each course.  At the time, I was also pregnant with our first child, Kathryn.

One requirement in Urban Geography was to do a driving tour of the downtown area, and note the various ethnic neighborhoods, MN’s industries, and landmarks.  I recruited my neighbor, Nancy, to drive while I took notes for my report.  Beyond introducing me to the Twin Cities, this assignment allowed me to develop a close bond with Nancy who became a mother figure to me and a grandmother to our children.  In Anthropology, I met Carol who noted my interest in spirituality, and we became friends.  Beyond academics, Normandale Community College enabled me to foster lasting friendships.

In 1999, I took Minnesota History with Prof. Nelson.  He even asked me to be his research assistant.  I was impressed that he thought so highly of me as a student.  In hindsight, I regret that I did not jump at that chance.  Yet, back then, I had a three-year old daughter and was Reserve Teaching for Bloomington Public Schools.  It was my plan to substitute-teach when my children were young, and later to secure a full-time teaching position.

Over the next two decades, I earned a science license, continued to reserve teach for Bloomington Public Schools, had a second child, reactivated my commission by affiliation with the Navy Reserves, deployed to Afghanistan, and adopted three children from Poland.  To renew my MN Teaching Licenses during those years, I took courses at Normandale.  By June 2014, the year Kathryn graduated from high school, I was ready for a new challenge.  Disheartened that a full-time teaching position had not materialized, Mark encouraged me to change my dreams.  I had always wanted to be an accountant, so this became an opportunity to rekindle that childhood passion.

That fall, I dove into an accounting degree at Normandale College and loved every aspect of it, from the classroom to the social life.  It was very redemptive.  Normandale then became a place of healing for me - a haven - a welcoming environment where I felt loved, valued and appreciated.  I had Prof. Patel for most of my accounting courses.  Other favorite professors were Prof Schou for Calculus, Prof. McDonald for Physical Geology, Prof. Wolff for Environmental Biology, and Prof. Johnson for Communications.  During this time, I became alive with energy, possibilities, and a sense of purpose.  I did an Accounting Internship, served as a “Peer Tutor” in the tutoring center, and volunteered with Prepare & Prosper, preparing tax returns.  Tutoring was a wonderful experience and a fantastic way to get involved and meet other students.  Brett, one of the students that I tutored, became a friend.  Mrs. Cook, director of peer tutors, was supportive and kind to me.

During those three years, I was also running a household of eight people, making trips to CA to take care of business for my ill sister, caring for my special needs brother, acting as Trustee of his SNTs, and serving in the Navy Reserves.  To be sure, it was a whirlwind of travel, study, and work.  Flying on airplanes, I was always engaged in homework.  Thankfully, that commitment, perseverance, and dedication paid off.  In May 2017, I graduated from Normandale Community College with an Associate of Science Degree in Accounting, with high honors.  Beyond the medallion and gold tassel, I was also adorned with a Veteran stole and a drilling Reservist red, white, and blue braided rope.  Graduating from Normandale was one of the most meaningful moments in my life.  Two weeks prior to graduating, my sister passed on.  I made two 3-day trips to CA to arrange her funeral and for the burial.  I wrote her eulogy inflight.  Suffering for two years with debilitating diseases, we were at peace.  I know that she was with me in spirit on my graduation day.

My Normandale journey also inspired our children.  Kathryn, a student in Normandale’s nursing program, switched her major to accounting after seeing how much I enjoyed it.  She graduated in 2018, with high honors, continued to Augsburg University, earned her CPA, and now hybrid works for a company in CA.  It gives me immense joy and satisfaction to know that my daughter was influenced by me and went beyond me to earn a CPA.  This represents the fruit of both of our labors at Normandale Community College.  In fact, we have a brick in the patio near the Japanese Garden to signify our graduation years and to express our gratitude to Normandale.

Our son Nathaniel graduated from Normandale in May 2025 with an Associate of Arts degree, with high honors.  This represents a major feat for him who floundered a few years, unsure of what he wanted to do in life.  In his uncertainty, I encouraged him to attend Normandale, heralding the wonderful experience that I had.  Thankfully, he listened.  Nathan was quite impressed with the teaching staff at Normandale, mentioning how his professors really cared about him as a person, his growth and success.  Nathan now works as a banker for Wings Financial while also pursuing course work at Metro State University. 

Normandale College is ideal for transfer students since all of Katie’s and Nathan’s credits were transferable to Augsburg and Metro State, respectively.  By far, the high point of Nathan’s Normandale experience was meeting his girlfriend, Salena.  They marched the graduation ceremony together in May.  Salena graduated with an Associate of Science degree in Computer Science, also with high honors.  She is now studying at the University of Minnesota, taking computer science and art classes.

As for me, I use my accounting degree daily – managing several family trusts, preparing court accountings and tax returns, and supporting my Navy work.  My accounting degree from Normandale has opened doors for me, more so than my master’s degree.  Currently, I serve as Commanding Officer of a Navy Reserve Detachment which drills in Gulfport, Mississippi, and work for the U.S. Postal Service in Shakopee.

Normandale College is a fabulous school of higher learning for all people, regardless of age, ethnicity, race, gender, or creed.  It is characterized by an open and welcoming environment, and a keen sense of community.  Normandale truly exemplifies the words “Unity in Diversity”.  This is to be celebrated and encouraged.  When all people are given equal educational opportunities to learn, grow and mature, success is indeed possible, not just for the individual but for the entire community.  Former students go into the workforce using their knowledge, skills, and abilities.  Normandale is a school that gives students wings to fly, and the courage and confidence to aim for the sky.

Our purpose on earth is to serve humanity in the ways that we know best.  If one has the financial means, this can be achieved by giving to charities, faith groups, colleges, and universities.  I give financially to Normandale Community College because I believe it to be a sacred responsibility.  It provides hope and a future for those students who are recipients of such scholarship funds.  I also know what it is like to have a scarcity of funds, to live from paycheck to paycheck, to repeatedly tell our children “No, we cannot afford it”, and to worry how we will pay the next bill.  There were a few rough years in our lives when money was extremely tight due to job losses or transfers.  Thankfully, we survived due to good stewardship of the financial resources that we did have, and my seeking other ways to earn income.  Affiliating with the Navy Reserves in 2004 brought us additional income.  Not only did this enable us to do things beyond our basis needs, but I was able to save enough to afford an adoption in 2011.  Now that we are financially secure, it has become a sacred responsibility for us to help others.  Moreover, when I retire from the Navy next year, I plan to volunteer in Normandale’s Tutoring Center, giving my time and experience to students just beginning their journeys.

This spring, Mark and I established two scholarships with the Normandale Foundation:  one in Math and Accounting, and one in Fine Arts.  These two areas represent each of our passions.  I have always loved working with numbers and doing our home finances.  Mark is a wonderful artist– painting, drawing, and has done beautiful craftsmanship work around the house.  These two scholarships were finalized in OCT 2025 and offered to student applications.  The Normandale Foundation has already selected awardee recipients for this academic year.  This is our way of saying “Thank You” to Normandale Community College.  Moreover, supporting students as they pursue their academic endeavors and dreams for a better life is satisfying and joyful.  We are passing the baton to the next generation with hopes for a better future.

Perseverance leads to success – Involvement enriches it.  It certainly has for me.

Start with a Dream: A Tribute to Mahendra Nath

Normandale Community College advocate and donor Mahendra Nath makes success in life and  business look easy. As CEO and President of Nath Companies, a family-owned business in Bloomington, Mahendra leads a roughly $70 million hospitality enterprise encompassing hotels and properties from Minnesota to South Carolina. It’s a business he and his wife Asha Nath built from the ground up.

The Naths received the 1997 Family Business of the Year Award from the University of St. Thomas, and in 2002, Mahendra was inducted into the Minnesota Business Hall of Fame. But his life and work reflect a calling broader than business alone. He is dedicated to strengthening our community by volunteering as a board member and advisor for the University of Minnesota Medical Center, Northwestern Health Sciences University, Bloomington Noon Rotary Club, Normandale Community College Foundation, and many other charitable organizations. He also helped envision and fund the construction of the Hindu Temple of Minnesota in Maple Grove, one of North America’s largest and most beautiful Hindu temples.

Mahendra accomplished and contributed in all of these ways while remaining “a truly nice person, always trying to help those around him,” according to fellow former Northwestern Health Sciences Board Member Kent Erickson and scores of other business and community leaders whose eyes light up when describing Mahendra. “The people whose lives he has touched are made better. He is a truly good person,” said Dr. Shashikant Sane, a longtime friend and Hindu Temple of Minnesota leader.

For all this success, there was nothing remarkable about Mahendra’s childhood or early life in India, where he was born and raised. His family wasn’t wealthy or unusual in any way. On the contrary, his parents came from humble backgrounds and relied on a single scooter for transportation. A car was way beyond reach – something they could only dream about.

As a teenager, Mahendra dreamed about owning one of the big, black, American cars he saw coming in and out of the U.S. Embassy next to the library he visited in high school. That dream, and the desire to get the kind of job that would make it possible, propelled him to emigrate to the United States in 1964. When he stepped off the airplane, he had three things to start a new life in a new country: his dream, $800, and the bachelor’s degree he earned at Delhi University. For the next year, he did little more than study and sleep in order to earn a master’s degree in industrial engineering from the University of Minnesota. A job offer and his first car soon followed. And thus began Mahendra’s extraordinary rise in the business world.

Mahendra shares the method behind his success with anyone who asks. It centers on an infinitely repeating cycle that starts with a dream. “Dream. And then focus, make the plans you need to achieve your dream, and work hard,” he says. “Anybody who dreams, plans, focuses, and works hard can make their dreams come true. Learn how to dream. The cycle is infinitely repeating because as you grow and learn, your dreams expand. Once you achieve your first dream, you can dream bigger and in ways that include your hopes and aspirations for family and community.”

And if your dreams have little to do with a car or a successful business career? That is not what matters, according to Mahendra. The cycle of dreaming, focusing, planning, and working hard is the key to building a life that brings you peace and happiness, no matter what your dreams are made of.

Normandale Community College and the Normandale Foundation are deeply grateful to Mahendra Nath for his service and generosity, and the power of his example.