Individualized Studies major finds success at DCTC
Cullen Sloan, 23, is earning an A.S. in Individualized Studies at Dakota County Technical College (DCTC). Cullen is an active and engaged student on campus. He serves as Student Senate secretary, works as a student ambassador, and participates in TRIO Student Support Services.
He is also vice president of Unified Club, which invites students with or without a disability to build relationships with their peers. Unified Club helps spread acceptance and makes sure everyone feels included and welcome at the college.
Cullen in Italy on one of his many adventures overseas
On track to graduate from DCTC in spring 2026, Cullen is centering his transfer plans on attending Minnesota State University, Mankato. “I would most likely major in history with a minor in psychology to see which one I would prefer for a master’s degree,” he said. “I’m still thinking about my career plans.”
Cullen presented at the Annual Research Conference (ARC) 2025 at Inver Hills Community College in late April. Cullen’s 15-minute oral presentation was titled “Civilizational Mental Health: How Mental Health Can Affect the Health and Stability of a Civilization.” He explained how plenty of things shape conditions that affect the general mental health of a society. If mental health issues occur at a large enough scale, people may start to see cracks, like political instability, conflict, or even a total collapse. Cullen’s presentation incorporated philosophy, history, and psychology to inform current conditions.
“Cullen was the first and only DCTC student to have so far presented at ARC,” said Lisa Tracy, Inver Hills biology faculty and ARC 2025 Committee co-chair. “We had never invited DCTC students to present until this year. With the merger between DCTC and Inver Hills coming up, it made sense. Cullen’s presentation was brilliant! He was open and honest, genuine and hilarious!”
Megan Petersen, former TRIO Student Support Services advisor at DCTC, told him about the ARC 2025 presentation opportunity. Cullen was more than ready to share his research on a topic that has concerned him for some time.
“One of Cullen’s biggest strengths is his bravery when trying something new,” Megan said. “My hope is that the Inver Hills Annual Research Conference planted a seed that encourages him to pursue education beyond his bachelor’s degree. Cullen has the sort of mind that could thrive in a Ph.D. program, if he wanted to go that far. He’s an incredible student, and truly fits the definition of ‘scholar.’ I’m so proud of Cullen!”
When asked what advice would you give students thinking about presenting at a conference, Cullen said. “If you have an idea you would like to present, go for it.”
Cullen added that the general message of his presentation focused on how mental health can have a wide variety of impacts on a societal level even to the point of resulting in widespread instability if things get bad enough.
Faculty and staff perspectives
“Cullen is an excellent student. His extensive knowledge of Ireland and Irish history allows him to make interesting and valuable contributions to every history class he takes.”
Jill Frahm
History Faculty
Dakota County Technical College
“I am so proud of Cullen for presenting at the Inver Hills Annual Research Conference! He has been an excellent student leader at DCTC and continues to push himself out of his comfort zone to learn and grow.
“I have so enjoyed working with Cullen as his (former) supervisor and Student Senate advisor. Cullen has a very bright future, and I look forward to witnessing his continued growth and success!”
Anna Voight
Campus Merger Coordinator & Neurodiverse ERG Chair
Dakota County Technical College
“Cullen has blossomed as a student ambassador here at DCTC; he has gone from shy and reserved to leading tours for prospective students!”
Kristen Pahl
CSS Intermediate
Dakota County Technical College
“I’ve known Cullen since he first started at DCTC, and it’s been incredible to see his growth as both a student and a leader. He started out in a major that wasn’t quite the right fit, but now writing and history are where he truly shines. Cullen is the kind of leader who doesn’t need to be in the spotlight; he quietly steps up, takes on challenges, and always shows up when he’s asked to help.
“Cullen has a true curiosity about people and cultures that isn’t just performative. He’s not afraid to take big steps to learn more, including traveling halfway around the world by himself (just ask him about Ireland). He often says he owes a lot to DCTC for his academic success, but I think we’ve learned just as much from him. Congrats, Cullen!
Melissa Fletcher
Director of Educational Access & Disability Resources
Dakota County Technical College
More about Cullen…
Originally from Eden Prairie, Minnesota, Cullen graduated from Eden Prairie High School, Class of 2020. He is the oldest of four children. His father is originally from Rochester, Minnesota, and his mother grew up in Connecticut. His mother’s grandparents are Irish immigrants.
Tate and Millie
“My mother, myself, my siblings, and my grandfather are all Irish citizens as well as U.S. citizens,” Cullen pointed out. He added that his family has two dogs, Millie and Tate.
Cullen spends much of his free time traveling the world. “I traveled quite a bit last year,” he said. “I visited Ireland for the second time. I traveled to Italy and Iceland this July, and I’ll be visiting multiple different countries starting in Ireland and then The Netherlands, Switzerland, Liechtenstein, Hungary, Germany, Austria, and the Czech Republic. I visited Ireland for the first time two years ago, and during that trip I visited England as well.”
In his spare time, Cullen also enjoys playing video games like Red Dead Redemption 2 and GTA V and just being outside.
Cullen divides his time between his apartment in Rosemount and his family’s home in Eden Prairie.
Cullen life and travels gallery
More about Cullen and his love for Ireland…
Cullen’s great-grandfather’s original home in Ireland
What do you like best about Ireland?
The country is beautiful, lots of green, of course, and its one of the friendliest countries I’ve been to so far.
What’s your favorite place in Ireland and why?
I’ve got a few, but one I’ll mention here is Galway. Out of every city I’ve visited in Ireland, Galway I found to be one of the easiest to get around. Another I’ll mention is the Village of Foxford in County Mayo, which is where my family originates. I even saw the home my great-grandfather grew up in—or at least what’s left of it. The village itself is also in one of the most beautiful parts of the country.
What aspect of Irish culture interests you the most?
There’s so much that it’s hard to choose, so I’ll mention a couple here: Ireland’s very long history and Ireland’s unique language. Elaborating as to why I think would take too long.
Cullen Sloan • Q & A
Cullen Sloan
How has TRIO Student Support Services helped you succeed on your college journey?
I have gotten much more academic advising and help than I ever would have, and for some classes this has literally made the difference between a pass and a fail, and if it weren’t for TRIO, I would have most likely flunked several classes that I was able to pass.
What have you enjoyed most about your Individualized Studies coursework so far?
Just the amount of generals I can choose from, and the fact it has given me time to form ideas of what I might want to do after DCTC.
What field of history, e.g., political, universal, military, intellectual, interests you the most?
It’s hard to pick just one, but some that really interest me would be cultural, military, and political just to name a few.
Three words that describe you as a college student:
DETERMINED. RESILIENT. AMBITIOUS.
Who is your favorite philosopher and why?
I have more than one, but I’ll focus on a couple—those being Socrates and Jaques Ellul. Ellul has in part shaped some of my views on technology. And as for Socrates, I don’t even know where to begin given how influential he has been within philosophy. I should note I have many more “favorite” philosophers.
What person has influenced your life the most and why?
There have been plenty of people who have, so I can’t pick just one. At DCTC, I would say Anna Voight, Maggie Erickson, and Melissa Fletcher have had the most influence on me. They have really helped me grow from someone who was in just really bad shape and just very anxious to who I am now. Outside DCTC, I would say my parents and grandparents. They have helped shape parts of my general outlook on things.
If you could make one thing happen on Earth right now, what would it be?
Where do I start? There are a lot, but one thing that would be hugely beneficial would be for nations and people to engage in dialogue more often rather than resort to warfare.
One word that best describes your experience at DCTC:
GROWTH
Cullen Sloan • 12 Answers
- Favorite sport or physical activity: Long walks, Biking
Place you would most like to visit: There are a lot to choose—I hope to one day visit every country on Earth given I like to travel, see things, and experience different cultures, so I’ll list a few places depending on what I would be looking to see: I have a fascination with visiting historic sites, particularly ancient and medieval, so in that category I’d really be interested in visiting places like Greece, Egypt, Israel, Cambodia, Turkey, Japan and a few others that have at least one ancient or medieval site; Last year, I visited Italy, and I couldn’t get enough of all of the ancient sites there; for nature or nice towns and cities, I would be interested in places like Germany, Austria, Switzerland, Norway, Liechtenstein, and plenty of others; I also will be visiting a bunch of countries this July, including Germany, Liechtenstein, Switzerland, Austria, and a bunch of others- Most exciting thing you’ve ever done: Seeing Roman ruins in Italy and experiencing the midnight sun in Iceland
- Three things you would do if you won a $1 billion lottery: 1) Invest 2) Charity 3) Visit somewhere I haven’t been
- Best book or movie you’ve read or seen lately: Goldfinger
- Time period you would explore if you could time travel: Either medieval Ireland before the Norman Invasion or Renaissance Italy
- One thing you most want to accomplish in life: Visit every country on Earth
Your national bird if you were your own country: Golden eagle- Dream occupation: Historian, therapist, travel blogger
- Person you would most like to meet: I’m not exactly sure who in particular
- Skill you would most like to learn and master: Currently, the Irish Language
- Most important issue or problem facing humankind: Loneliness and lack of human interaction; both are detrimental to mental health, which in turn is detrimental to societal stability
Learn more about the Individualized Studies program at DCTC by contacting:
Admissions
admissions@dctc.edu
651-423-8266
Room 2-110
More about Individualized Studies…
Customize your A.S. degree to achieve your academic and career goals
The Individualized Studies program at Dakota County Technical College allows you to custom-design an associate degree that meets educational and career goals you could not otherwise accomplish through existing college programs. The 60-credit Associate of Science (A.S.) degree is a great fit if you plan on transferring to a four-year college or university to earn a bachelor’s or more advanced degree.
The program is also an ideal option if you are:
- Looking to delve into occupational and/or technical courses in one or more areas of study
- Working and ready to advance your career
- Undecided about your future
- Enrolled in a technical program, but wish to change direction
Martin Springborg
Martin Springborg, DCTC dean of liberal arts and STEM, reports that the flexibility of the program represents a boon for students who need a range of options in their degree planning.
“The Individualized Studies program presents a unique opportunity for students who wish to complete their Minnesota Transfer Curriculum credits or ‘generals’ to transfer to a university or other institution,” Dean Springborg said. “The program also allows students to learn new skills in technical fields that can immediately be applied to their job or career post-graduation. The first course in the program, INDS 1002: Career and Education Exploration, is taught by a vibrant group of faculty representing a broad cross section of DCTC programs.”
Consult an academic advisor to plan your course schedule
Because this A.S. degree will be custom designed to meet your educational and career goals, you won’t find a sample course sequence. Please contact a DCTC academic advisor to discuss your future plans and get help determining which courses you should take and when you should take them.
To earn your A.S. degree in this program, you need to complete three required courses, 18 credits of technical electives, and the Minnesota Transfer Curriculum. Technical electives are occupational and/or technical courses in areas of study that align with your goals. The Minnesota Transfer Curriculum (MnTC) is the format in which general education is defined and accomplished within public two- and four-year colleges and universities in Minnesota.
LEARN MORE…
