Three women stand in front of Mariucci Arena. Two are dressed in graduation gowns and holding diploma covers.

3 Sisters Connected By Carlson MHRIR Degree

Wednesday, June 10, 2026

By Rose Semenov

For three sisters, earning their master’s degrees is a family affair. Marissa, Samantha and Annah Mellum now share more than just a sibling bond — they each hold a Master of Human Resources & Industrial Relations (MHRIR) degree from Minnesota Carlson.

Long before navigating the MHRIR program together, the sisters were already used to sharing experiences — from growing up on a farm to even working at the same Applebee’s. Samantha, ’22 MHRIR, the second-oldest sister, was the first to complete the MHRIR program.

“It's the best decision I've ever made,” said Samantha. “If you look back on my career, that's the pivotal moment for me where my career really took off. How I showed up as an individual and a professional both grew so much. It truly changed my career, and my sisters both saw that and then decided that it was the best thing for them.”

Different Pathways to the Program

As Samantha went through the program, she’d meet up on campus with her younger sister Annah, who at the time was an undergraduate student at the University of Minnesota’s College of Education and Human Development.

“We would meet up with each other and hang out in the Carlson breakout rooms, and she was talking about her experiences and what she was learning in her classes, and that kind of got me into the field of human resources,” said Annah, ’26 MHRIR. After earning her bachelor’s degree, she decided to apply to Carlson’s MHRIR program.

Key Takeaways

Three Sisters, One Degree: Marissa, Samantha and Annah Mellum all earned MHRIR degrees from Minnesota Carlson.

Accelerated Career Growth: Since completing the program, the sisters have achieved major career and compensation growth.

Alumni Network: The sisters credit Carlson's supportive network as a distinct advantage in their career paths.

At the same time, Marissa, the oldest Mellum sister, was looking to elevate her career path. With six years of experience in recruitment and talent acquisition under her belt, she set her sights on the program to elevate her skills and pivot to a different HR function.

“One thing that we all three have in common is we don't want to feel stagnant,” said Marissa, ’26 MHRIR. “If we feel like we're not learning or we're not progressing in some way, we're going to be searching for something more. Carlson really added that something more.”

Leaning On Each Other

Marissa and Annah, the oldest and youngest sisters, both started the program in Fall 2024. It meant having a built-in study buddy during classes and made for friendly competition when interviewing at the same companies during on-campus recruitment.

“We all come into this with different backgrounds, and we're all in different areas,” said Annah. “It's nice to be able to bounce my ideas off of someone, even for school projects. Because I'm thinking this one thing, but maybe I won't be thinking about the negative aspects of it, but that's where Marissa and Samantha can come into play and say, ‘Well, have you thought about this?’”

Three women pose together. The one in the center is dressed in a graduation gown and is holding a diploma. — Samantha Mellum (center) earned her MHRIR degree in 2022 and poses with sister Annah (left) and mother Julie (right). Courtesy: Mellum Family

Marissa found opportunities to tap into her professional background, drawing real-world applications from her years in the field.

“All of those roles really reflected the work that I was doing, and I was able to participate in class and really understand in those conversations what was being talked about,” said Marissa. “It added a tremendous amount of value to the work that I was doing.”

Beyond the class projects and study sessions, having a close-knit connection provided an essential support system when their grandfather passed away that fall. Leaning on each other, they encouraged one another through a difficult time.

“I couldn't have gotten through it without Annah by my side,” said Marissa. “Just when you think it's kind of weird, we're both doing this at the same time, there is truly a reason for everything.”

A Strengthened Bond

Following commencement, Marissa is starting a role as an HR pathways associate at Land O’Lakes, and Annah will be an HR generalist for Indian Motorcycle. Samantha is currently in her second rotation of an HR leadership development program at U.S. Bank. Beyond landing these roles, all three sisters have seen a significant return on their investment with major career and compensation leaps since joining the program.

And now there’s more than their sisterhood standing behind them.

“The Carlson alumni network is such a huge sell,” said Samantha. “The networking that you can do and the people that want to reach out to you and truly want to see you do better because we all came from the same place is just something that I haven't seen before.”

A family bond — strengthened by a Carlson degree.

“We're each other's best friends,” said Samantha. “We just continue to do everything together, but still continue on our own paths.”

3 girls each sit on a horse. Each horse is decorated with show ribbons. — The Mellum sisters as children showing horses at a competition. Courtesy: Mellum Family

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