Staff with Purpose and Passion: Stephanie Kroll

Stephanie Kroll leads community outreach to support future rural physicians at the University of Minnesota’s CentraCare Regional Campus.

Stephanie Kroll began her career journey at St. Cloud State University and joined the University of Minnesota Medical School CentraCare Regional Campus St. Cloud in 2024 as the Admissions Manager. Kroll’s efforts in this role are rooted in her commitment to providing overall support to students and expanding outreach to address critical healthcare needs within rural communities. As Kroll states, “I think success right now is, for me, getting information out to students to understand who we are.”

Her day-to-day work focuses on preparing prospective students and assisting various subcommittees with applicant review and recruitment efforts. For Kroll, no two days are ever the same. 

Kroll credits much of her job satisfaction to her team’s collaborative support, noting that their professional connection is what makes her daily work so fulfilling. She deeply values the encouragement she has received throughout her time at the CentraCare Regional Campus in St. Cloud. “I consider them to be very supportive, and I think we work really well together. That's also one of the things that I've really enjoyed about this role, is how well our office and team works together. 

A large part of Kroll's role revolves around managing and planning campus events and workshops. “We host lots of events because we're doing recruiting efforts," Kroll explains. "We'll have different groups come in, different workshops, and things like that. So a typical day is never the same.” One recent highlight was Rural Youth Health Day on April 18th. The event gave local students between the ages of 9 and 18 a hands-on opportunity to explore various medical occupations, engage with medical equipment, and gain valuable knowledge about future careers in medicine. 

Events and workshops are crucial for early outreach and to introduce students to the rural mission. As a newer campus, outreach begins with local institutions around St. Cloud and reaching out to institutions in rural areas. Kroll says it is important to create opportunities for future applicants so they have prior knowledge as they continue their medical journey. 

The CentraCare Regional Campus St. Cloud’s mission is directly supported by Kroll’s long-term goal of fostering high-quality, equitable healthcare across all communities. “We're training high-quality physicians who are going to go work in rural communities," she says. Her role is vital to attracting passionate, driven students dedicated to advancing their education and addressing the critical needs of rural communities."They will be successful because they went to the University of Minnesota and because they were at CentraCare Regional St. Cloud campus.”

Ultimately, Kroll encourages aspiring students to persevere and chase their passions. “If they want to be a physician, they need to pursue it," she emphasizes. "Just because you get a 'no' the first time does not mean that you're not qualified or cannot be an excellent physician.” She stresses the importance of finding a way to make your goals happen, even if the path requires a few detours. “If it's really what you want to do, find a way to make it happen.”