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ɫ���� launches areas only online bachelor’s degree in addiction counseling that takes as few as 2.6 years to complete

BISMARCK, ND — There is a popular saying, ‘not all heroes wear capes.’ That is true, but in this case, Kurt Snyder used to wear a wrestling singlet with a big Marauder on the chest. He wore the Marauders uniform for his second attempt at collegiate wrestling.

His first stint in college happened at one of ɫ����’s rival schools. It came and went about as fast as being on the losing end of a takedown and pin during a wrestling match. Except, his opponent in 1988 was an alcohol addiction that led to failing grades causing him to quit the team and drop out of school.

“My addiction really destroyed something I loved in my life,” said Snyder, in an interview with ɫ����’s alumni magazine, Momentum. “I loved wrestling, and I remember walking away from it feeling just tremendous regret.”

Just like that, his dreams of wrestling collegiately seemed dizzied and dried up like an unending hangover. His brother-in-law reached out to Snyder and encouraged him to get help. That providential encounter and subsequent counseling eventually saved his life and helped him overcome his addiction. A year later, his brother-in-law, a man who Snyder regarded as a brother, died from suicide. With the regret of being unable to provide help for him before he died, Snyder helped take care of his nephews and was their biggest cheerleader at their wrestling matches. At one tournament in 1995, legendary ɫ���� coach, Milo Trusty, happened to be in attendance scouting potential recruits who could become future Marauders. At that moment, with still some years of athletic eligibility remaining, neither he nor the coach realized Snyder, a man watching from the stands, would be Trusty’s newest recruit that day — and oldest at the age of 30 — seven years after last putting on a collegiate uniform.

After their encounter, “I sent Milo a heartfelt letter, saying I think I could be a good influence on the team, I have tremendous regrets, and I would just like an opportunity,” recalled Snyder.

Trusty gave Snyder a chance at being an athlete at ɫ����, and an opportunity to earn a degree in his newfound passion for addiction counseling. Being a walking billboard for a profession that turned his life around, he understood the importance of this calling, the capacity he had to impact others in need of treatment, advice, and encouragement, and pay forward the second chance at life it gave him.

That same ɫ���� bachelor’s degree in is all online now and takes as few as 2.6 years to complete. The state of North Dakota does not require a master’s degree to apply for an addiction license. Once someone fulfills all the required coursework and internships, they are eligible to take the exam and apply for licensure.

ɫ����’s online degree is designed for the busy, working professional, giving students an in-depth understanding of addictive behaviors in society and teaches them the dynamics of addiction. Graduates with this degree can choose career paths as a substance abuse counselor, addiction counselor, prevention administrator, behavioral health administrator, and case manager.  

Heidi Nieuwsma, chair of ɫ����’s behavioral sciences at the Liffrig Family School of Education and Behavioral Sciences (LFSEBS), believes they are living the university’s mission and those of its founders — the Benedictine Sisters of Annunciation Monastery — serving the needs of the region and beyond by providing not only a well-trained workforce but also helping communities across America with the addiction crisis.

“Research indicates that employment of substance abuse professions in the US is projected to grow 23 percent from 2020 to 2030, much faster than the average for all occupations,” added Nieuwsma. “By offering an online addiction program, the ɫ���� is ready to take an active role in training addiction counselors. Our curriculum is student friendly, in that the required internship hours are integrated in the senior year of the curriculum and can be completed in any approved addiction facility with qualified supervisors. Offering an online addiction counseling program is designed to readily assist students from rural or city demographics to gain access to educational opportunities. This program is strategically created to help fill the many needs in our communities. It is one of our goals to work alongside our communities and our students to help reduce the many job openings and positively contribute to combating the addiction crises in our communities.”   

That’s where the partnership with Snyder comes in. He now oversees 120 employees as executive director of the Heartview Foundation in Bismarck — a nonprofit that provides treatment for drug and alcohol addiction. With Snyder’s experience, support, and need for addiction counselors, ɫ����’s program can be a guide for students and their bridge into the career field. 

During Nieuwsma’s last visit together with Snyder, “I was reminded how Kurt’s education and his many years of experience in the addiction field has positively impacted clients and local and state agencies within North Dakota. His leadership style is unique in that he has inspired individuals, families, groups, and local and state agencies to place the topic of addiction as a priority in North Dakota. He is clearly an inspiration to anyone that wants to make a positive impact in their community and is thinking of beginning or restarting their college education or changing careers. He is living proof of somebody that has created positive outcomes when combining servant leadership and a degree in addiction counseling.” 

“My career, because of my bachelor's degree in addiction counseling, has given my life meaning and purpose,” added Snyder. “It is the most significant accomplishment while at the ɫ����.”

Injuries most of the year prevented Snyder from having a winning regular season in 1995-96, but his work ethic and