Growing up on a family farm in northwest Minnesota influenced Brandon Kasprick’s entire life path. His time on the farm inspired his passion for public service, and his family instilled that from a young age.
“Work wasn’t about the financial motivation, it was about becoming something larger than yourself and finding a passion that brings you through day by day,” he said. “You have to love your work.”
Brandon’s dad is a farmer and his mother is a teacher. They both saw their work as a calling, whether it was feeding the world or supporting the next generation. Even the most mundane or frustrating tasks - like picking rocks out of a field - were in service of that greater calling. Brandon knew he would find his own calling and the first step was pursuing higher education.
In 2017, Brandon began attending the University of Minnesota as an Honors student majoring in political science and biology. During his first year of school, he took an Honors course on international relations that would end up influencing his entire time in school. He loved the small class size, especially as a first year student.
“We were able to dive more into the issues and have more robust conversations - not just with the other students but also with the professor,” he said.
He ended up staying in contact with that professor, John Freeman, throughout his undergraduate career. When the time came to write his thesis, he asked Dr. Freeman to be one of his advisors. Brandon’s thesis focused on how rural Minnesota residents responded to the trade war. It was a way to combine all of his interests: science, policy, and public service.
In addition to completing his Honors thesis, taking seminars, and participating in non-course experiences, Brandon took every extracurricular opportunity he could. From interning with Senator Amy Klobuchar’s reelection campaign to working as a student research assistant, each role got him closer to where he is now.
“There are a lot of opportunities at the U, but there’s still a path for you to carve your own way,” he said.
After college, Brandon moved to Washington D.C. to work for as a researcher for the U.S. Senate Committee on Armed Services, using his scientific background in the political field. He spent nearly three years in that role before another opportunity opened up - this time in Minnesota. He now works as a policy advisor for Governor Tim Walz.
“For a farm kid from northwestern Minnesota, there’s no greater honor than to serve the governor on agricultural issues,” he said.