Hustle and Heart

As a Marauders offensive lineman, Don Pask, ’15, knew that sheer doggedness in the weightroom and at practice would result in success on the field.

That straightforward work ethic began in a loving and competitive family in Prior Lake, MN: His mother was a member of the inaugural USA Women’s Shooting Pistol teams; his late father served two tours in Vietnam.

“My dad said if you want something you need to go get it,” he says. “ If you're willing to outwork everybody, no one will take it from you.”

That emphasis on hustle and heart served him well while majoring in business administration and marketing at the University of Mary — and in the years since. Pask is currently managing partner and general manager for Eide Chrysler in Bismarck, ND, and St. Cloud, MN.

He worked his way up, from part-time work assisting sales reps at Eide Ford in Bismarck in the off seasons to moving into sales himself.

“I started with taking all the photos of the cars that were on the website. I wrote descriptions on our website of the cars and then I helped top performing salespeople with their day-to-day duties. Then one day I just happened to fall into a car deal, and I sold it and then I was like holy cow this is kind of fun. and then I sold another car, and I sold another car and then over some time I figured out that maybe I could make enough money selling cars during the summer to kind of give me enough money to live off as a broke college kid."

The sacrifice and initiative paid off. After graduation he oversaw the used car department, then became general manager for the Bismarck Chrysler dealership in 2020. His most recent promotions came in 2024 and 2026.

In 2020, he also married his wife, Bailey, ’15. The two met in an accounting class at Mary, when he asked for her help during study sessions. Bailey owns and operates Revive Nutrition in Mandan;they welcomed a daughter, Stella, in 2025.

Pask credits the Marauders coaching staff — particularly head coach Myron Schulz, assistant coach Scott Edwards, and strength coach Michael Silbernagel — along with his professors for elevating his goals, building his skills, and growing his faith.

“I'm old enough and mature enough now to understand the life lessons that they were teaching me,” he says. “Through all the stresses and pressures of my professional and personal life, my faith is the thing that keeps me grounded. Making God the center of our relationship has made a massive impact on us. The university lit a fire, and over the past 10 years it has just grown and grown.”

Pask also knows firsthand the value of scholar-athletes off the field. As employees, they are coachable and accountable, manage their time well, and receive constructive criticism without crumbling. Pask now manages his team like a coach, working with his staff to bring out their best.

“When a position opens up at the dealership and I see an applicant is a UMary alum — especially an athlete — I go above and beyond to try to land them here,” Pask says. “And I preach to all my managers: You work for your people; they don't work for you. By driving home that culture and getting our managers to understand it, our store will be that much more successful.

“It's such a blessing that I've had great mentors and support here at Eide. I just kept my nose down and opportunities presented themselves. I don't have an awesome, philosophical answer: Set a goal, work hard, and don't let anybody stop you. Then set more goals.”