Hear how this Senior Passionately Leads both in the Community and Beyond
Hear how Chloe Shelton Passionately Leads both in the Community and Beyond
Tell us about yourself! Hello! I’m Chloe Shelton, a senior studying Finance with a minor in Leadership. While originally from Boise, Idaho, I now call myself a proud North Dakotan. The past four years I’ve been on the UND Dance Team, with the last three as a team captain, cheering on the sidelines for the hawks and competing at UDA Dance Nationals in Orlando. I’ve sat on the executive team for Dance Marathon at UND, since its inception on campus in 2020. Dance Marathon is a non-profit student organization that fundraises for Sanford Children’s in Fargo, and we have raised over $50,000 for the hospital. This past year I’ve had the honor of being the Executive Director of the organization. I have served as the Chief Financial Officer for Kappa Alpha Theta in 2021 and worked as an Admissions Ambassador for two years. Currently, I work as an Operations Assistant for the Division of Research and Economic Development at UND.
What made you choose UND? My junior year of High School, Miss America was from North Dakota, so I decided to look at schools in the state. After stumbling across UND’s website, I instantly fell in love with the pictures of the campus. In June 2018, (over a year before I came to school here) I applied to UND without ever stepping foot on campus, let alone the state. In July, I got accepted, and I’m very positive I was the first to apply for the fall 2019 semester, as I got the information for fall 2018. That October, my family and I went to campus for the first time, and I knew UND was where I was meant to be. I went to my first ever UND hockey game and got to sit in a suite (of course leaving the rest of my family in the nosebleeds). After that it was the easiest yes ever!
How has the Nistler College prepared you to be a woman in leadership? Since I started at UND, I’ve always felt a strong urge from professors, faculty and staff about the importance of being involved on campus and building your resume. With my minor in Leadership, I’ve learned a lot on how to be a good leader and a good follower and I’ve been very fortunate to put a lot of what I have learned in the classroom as a leader on campus. I originally wasn’t going to pursue a minor, but thanks to my academic advisor Judy, I now can say I have one! The Pancratz Career Center also has a mentee program that I’m privileged to be a part of this year. My mentor Miriah has encouraged me to put myself out there, put the skills and tools I’ve learned to use, and to believe in myself. It’s been impactful and powerful to have female leaders like Judy and Miriah to help guide me and help me grow.
What does it mean to you to be a woman a leadership? Surrounding myself with like-minded individuals has helped me grow, be more confident, and become the person I am today. I have been surrounded by other amazing women who also hold leadership positions and always want to better themselves! As a woman in leadership, I am able to help young girls realize their potential and know that they can do anything they set their minds to.
How have you given back during your college career? In 2020 Dance Marathon, a nationwide movement fundraising for Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals, was brought to campus. Since then, I’ve had the opportunity to serve on the executive team, starting as Morale co-chair in 2020, Event Operations Chair in 2021, and most recently Executive Director. Since my start on the board, we’ve raised over $50,000 for Sanford Children’s Hospital in Fargo! This organization means so much to me as my younger sister Claire is a Type 1 Diabetic and used to get treated at a CMN Hospital. Knowing that other patients and their families are receiving excellent care, comfort, education and confidence has been so rewarding. Changing kids’ health to change the future has been one of the most rewarding parts during my college career.
What are your future plans? With so many opportunities out there, I am still deciding what opportunity to pursue. In June I will be competing for the title of Miss North Dakota, and hopefully going on to the Miss America Competition. If I win, I plan on staying in North Dakota and fulfilling my passion of giving hospitals the best care for their patients as a medical sales representative. However, I also have a passion for travel and got the travel bug after my internship in Dublin, Ireland and am currently going through the process of becoming a flight attendant.
