By Veronica Corey
Communications and Marketing Specialist

Washington, D.C. - Mykal Drosdal has always been driven by a desire to challenge himself and pursue what felt right at every stage of his life.

From switching majors to furthering his education, he remained open to new opportunities, even when it meant relocating.

It was Washington, D.C., that called to him in a special way.

When the position for Executive Assistant in the Office of the Assistant Secretary of Indian Affairs at the Department of the Interior became available, Drosdal knew it was the perfect opportunity - a role he couldn't pass up.

"I still have my moments where I take in everything. Like, I'm really here," Drosdal said. "I knew my career was moving towards D.C."

Similarly, Drosdal knew Minot State University was the campus for him.

"Minot was always kind of like the place for my family, as the place to get like school clothes and supplies," he said. "I think Minot State was the first university I toured. I really liked the layout of the campus, and it was really approachable. I just loved the campus. It was one of those moments, and this is it. I'm really loving everything."

Originally a mass communications major with plans on pursuing journalism, Drosdal's plans quickly changed after his first class with Neil Roberts professional communication associate professor.

"My very first class as a freshman, I was taking radio activity. It was a three-hour class, and we were going over introductions," Drosdal recalls. "I just remember saying I would like to do this and this, and without missing a beat, he was like, 'You know what? You should get into broadcasting. Just check it out for a couple weeks.' He talked to me for a little bit after class and told me about what careers that would be up my alley. Right after that I went to the student building and talked to my advisor."

After graduating in 2020, the broadcasting and professional communication major didn't feel his higher education journey was over. With help from his advisor, former MSU professor Christina Paxman, he moved to Fargo and went to NDSU for his master's in communication.

Once Drosdal completed his master's, he got a job back in his hometown of New Town as a marketing manager at the MHA Nation Interpretive Center for his tribe. He grew up on the Fort Berthold Indian Reservation and is an enrolled member of the Mandan, Hidatsa, and Arikara Nation.

"I really enjoyed working with tribes across North Dakota. We were branching out and were very, very new," he said. "But I just had this inkling of wanting to leave North Dakota and see what I could do with my masters. I definitely loved working with my people, and it was an amazing experience, but I had to think about what I wanted."

A former coworker reached out with an opportunity to make that happen.

"Someone had reached out to a former coworker of mine from Denver. He worked for the Casey Family Program, which is a nonprofit organization, and more specifically, from their Indian child welfare program, where they were looking for an administrative specialist," Drosdal said. "She said take a chance and go with it. I ended up applying and got the job. I was their admin specialist for their WP team for two years."

Although Drosdal loved his job, he felt another pull to venture out east.

"I just felt this weird call," he described. "I remember visiting Washington, D.C., twice in my life prior to moving here, and on both occasions, I knew I was going to be back for some reason. Just the call of it. I knew that my career was moving towards D.C."

The call came as the role of Executive Assistant in the Office of the Assistant Secretary of Indian Affairs at the Department of the Interior.

"It was one of those things. I have everything. I have the qualifications. I'm going to roll the dice and see where it lands," Drosdal said. "I got approved for the interview. A couple of weeks later, they approved me to move here. I was just like, wow, I'm just moving again across the country again, just on the East Coast."

Sticking with his gut feeling, he moved to Washington, D.C. and has been working in his new role since May.

"Currently, I focus on the travel for three principals, the assistant secretary of Indian affairs, Bryan Newland, Deputy Assistant Secretary of Policy & Economic Development Kathryn Isom-Clause, and principal deputy Assistant Secretary of Indian Affairs Wizipan Garriott, as well as some other political appointees within our office. I get them from point A to point B," Drosdal said. "I'm very excited to get through my first year, but moving forward, I want to just focus on working on new skills to help my team and department.

"I feel like I'm getting a good grasp on my travel, but there are some things that I still want to be better at, specifically traveling about to make sure that I can provide more assistance readily as we're getting ready to transition within this next possible administration."

Not only has he been learning on the job, but he is expanding his social circle in the D.C. area.

"Something that I wanted to be better at moving from Denver to D.C. compared to North Dakota to Denver. I really waited for life to happen to me a lot, so I didn't really get into anything. Then, when I moved to D.C., my biggest thing was, like, I wanted to get into leagues," Drosdal said. "I want to start just making sure that I'm making friends, connections, and networking to the best of my ability. I didn't want to wait this summer, so right away, I got into volleyball, flag football, and kickball leagues, to get a feel for those in my area."

"I like to get recommendations by word of mouth from people who have just moved here or are from here," he added. "You can find your own community just by going out and actually doing something."

For Drosdal, that proactive approach fits perfectly with his personal philosophy.

"Sometimes I'm a teacher, but I'm forever a student."

About Minot State University
Minot State University is a public university dedicated to excellence in education, scholarship, and community engagement achieved through rigorous academic experiences, active learning environments, commitment to public service, and a vibrant campus life.

Published: 10/01/24

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