A Need for Necessities

We have many necessities in our lives. Eating and sleeping are a couple obvious needs that we cannot live without. However, we also have lifestyle necessities such as our public utilities. One important public utility is gas, which provides our homes and businesses with fuel for heat and energy. This important necessity requires highly qualified construction and service workers to ensure the utility is working at peak performance.

Gas Utility Construction and Service

At M State, we offer a diploma program in Gas Utility Construction and Service. This program provides students with knowledge in maintaining and operating high- and low-pressure natural gas distribution. Currently, M State’s program is the only Gas Utility Construction and Service diploma program in Minnesota and North Dakota.


This program can be achieved in just two semesters at M State. Our affordable classes provide individuals with the opportunity to obtain a degree and enter the workforce in as little as nine months. Class sizes are small, so students receive a personalized education with hands-on instruction.

This field is estimated to have seventy-three current job openings, and it is expected to increase by over six percent over the next four years. Students can expect to make up to $63,000 a year in the field, with 50 percent of workers making about $42,000 a year. Openings are located throughout areas of Minnesota, North Dakota and South Dakota.

Get Started With M State

For students looking to enter a rewarding and in-demand field, look no further than M State’s diploma program in Gas Utility Construction and Service. Visit our Gas Utility and Construction Service page to learn more about this program. Start your career with M State, today!

Fame and Fortune after a Two-Year Degree

If you’ve been near the internet recently, then you may have heard about actor Tom Hanks thanking his community college experience for his many accomplishments. In honor of Mr. Hanks, we at M State Wadena thought we would compile a list of other famous individuals that started from a community college.

1. Tom Hanks
Tom Hanks attended Chabot College in Hayward, California after lousy SAT scores and minimal funds for tuition. From there, Hanks went on to star in over 50 movies, and he has received 4 Golden Globes and 2 Academy Awards.

2. Clint Eastwood
Eastwood is an accomplished actor, filmmaker, and composer. Eastwood almost entirely gave up acting when he went to Los Angeles City College to study business administration.

Photo courtesy of Gage Skidmore

3. Sarah Palin
Before running for Vice President of the United States, Sarah Palin attended two community colleges; they were North Idaho College and Matanuska-Susitna College.

4. George Lucas
George Lucas is most known for his work for the Star Wars series. Before he became a director, Lucas went to Modesto Junior College to study anthropology.

5. Walter Elias Disney
Better known as Walt Disney, he attended Metropolitan Junior College, now known as Metropolitan Community College, in Missouri. Disney went on to create Technicolor cartoons and Walt Disney World -- just a fraction of the Disney empire that exists today.

6. Nolan D. Archibald
Nolan D. Archibald was once the youngest CEO of a Fortune 500 company while at Black & Decker Corporation. Archibald attended Dixie Junior College, which is now known as Dixie State College of Utah.

Want to add to the list? Comment below with more famous individuals that came from a community college!