View the current list of winners for this year’s Scholar of the Week program. The Scholar of the Week program is a partnership between Dakota News Now and your local Touchstone Energy Cooperatives that honors the region’s accomplished high school students. Each weekly winner receives a cash award from their local Touchstone Energy Cooperative and is featured on Dakota News Now. All winners are also eligible to receive one of the three scholarships that are given away at the annual Scholar of the Year banquet. Nominations for the weekly awards are submitted by area school principals and faculty, whose selections were based on excellence in the classroom and service in the community.
Alyssa Meyer
March 10, 2019 - March 16, 2019
- School
- Faulkton HS (598-6266)
- GPA
- 4
- Activities
- Actively involved in FFA, Band, Chorus, One-Act Play, Oral Interp, and All-School Play. All-State Chorus (4 year member)
Alyssa Meyer is from Orient, SD, located within FEM Electric Association, a Touchstone Energy Cooperative.
Lauren Wittler
March 3, 2019 - March 9, 2019
- School
- Sully Buttes High School (6052582617)
- GPA
- 3.95
- Activities
- Volleyball Basketball (YTC All Conference - 2 years) Golf (Placed at state individually - 3 years) Track & Field ( Placed at state individually - 3 years) FCCLA (Chapter President, State Current Trends team, State Outreach team, national qualifier) Oral Interp (State qualifier) Yearbook Student Council Class President Youth for Christ Academic Letter Mission Trip to Puerto Rico Mission Trip to Kansas City Study Abroad - 6 weeks Girls State delegate HOBY delegate Junior Snow Queen National Honor Society Chorus Band Member of First Presbyterian Church of Onida American Legion Citizenship Award
Lauren Wittler is from Onida, SD, located within Oahe Electric Cooperative, a Touchstone Energy Cooperative.
Antonia Block
February 24, 2019 - March 2, 2019
- School
- Wilmot (605-938-4647)
- GPA
- 4
- Activities
- Band 8 years (Drum Major, Student Director), Chorus 8 years (All State Chorus 4 Years), Oral Interp 4 years (State Qualifier 2016), FCA 3 years, St. Peter's Guitar Group 3 years, Presidents Award for Education EXcellence, John PHillips Souza Music Award, WHS top ranked student since her freshmen year, Student of the Month Junior Year.
Antonia Block is from Wilmot, SD, located within Whetstone Valley Electric Cooperative, a Touchstone Energy Cooperative.
Jamie Bludorn
February 17, 2019 - February 23, 2019
- School
- Webster Area High School (605-345-3548)
- GPA
- 2.74
- Activities
- Participated in the band one year and in the choir for three years.
Jamie Bludorn is from Webster, SD, located within Lake Region Electric Association, a Touchstone Energy Cooperative.
Codi Schmidt
February 10, 2019 - February 16, 2019
- School
- De Smet High School (605-854-3423)
- GPA
- 4.22
- Activities
- -Member of FCCLA freshman year (Received Gold at FCCLA Nationals) -Member of National Honor Society since sophomore year -Class President sophomore year -Student Council Representative junior year -Student Council President senior year -Character on Track senior year -Participated in Math Contest all 4 years of high school -Academic Honor Roll -Academic All-State -Received Superiors at piano festivals -2018 Homecoming Queen -Selected Champion of Character -Member of Cross Country and Basketball teams
Codi Schmidt is from De Smet, SD, located within Kingsbury Electric Cooperative, a Touchstone Energy Cooperative.
Janae Kolden
February 3, 2019 - February 9, 2019
- School
- Clark High School (6055323605)
- GPA
- 3.95
- Activities
- Janae is involved in FCCLA (Family, Career and Community Leaders of America), FFA, National Honor Society, Basketball, Volleyball, Track. She is a chapter President in FCCLA, and a chapter President in NHS and a chapter Treasurer in FFA. She is a starter on the athletic teams. Janae shows real leadership and has been a student that organizations can count on, especially in a small school. Janae has done much volunteering in the community and elementary schools Janae does well in classes and is taking 3 dual credit classes this first semester of her senior year.
Janae Kolden is from Vienna, SD, located within Codington-Clark Electric Cooperative, a Touchstone Energy Cooperative.
Jarret Haven
January 27, 2019 - February 2, 2019
- School
- Northwestern Area School District (605-887-3467)
- GPA
- 4
- Activities
- 4 years--Cross Country, Basketball, Track-4 years Academic All-State all sports; FBLA 7th place nationally-Agribusiness, 18 time state place winner; FFA, District Officer, 3 time grand champion goat showman, 2 time medal winner livestock judging; FCA, 2 years team leader; 4-H, 5 time grand champion goat showman, 3rd place overall breeding goat at sweet 16 showdown, pin holder in goat, cattle, dog, wood science, plant science, crops and weeds; National Honor Society; Student body president.
Jarret Haven is from Brentford, SD, located within Northern Electric Cooperative, a Touchstone Energy Cooperative.
Maggie Huizenga
January 20, 2019 - January 26, 2019
- School
- Platte-Geddes High School ((605) 337-3391)
- GPA
- 4
- Activities
- Activities / Accomplishments throughout High School: • Been involved in cheer, volleyball, track, choir, band, boys basketball stats, FFA, FCA, and our local youth group • Inducted into National Honor Society • Received Sophomore and Junior Scholarship for being top of my class • Team captain of the volleyball team • Made it to Honor Choir six years in a row • Been working at our local grocery store since freshman year and have been a lifeguard the past two years • Have kept a 4.0 GPA • Taking dual credit courses (personal finance, college algebra, speech, psychology) to get a head start on generals in college Community Service: • Played and talked with disabled children at the St. Jude’s Disabled Children’s Hospital • Fed the homeless at a soup kitchen in Sioux Falls • Helped with our local Kid’s Shopping Day, taking kids around town helping them buy things for their parents • Donate blood at every school blood drive • Helped at Vacation Bible School every summer • Apart of our school’s PALS program • Read scripture in church, sing at our church Christmas program
Maggie Huizenga is from Platte, SD, located within Charles Mix Electric Association, a Touchstone Energy Cooperative.
Kassidy Clark
January 13, 2019 - January 19, 2019
- School
- Corsica-Stickney High School (16059465475)
- GPA
- 4
- Activities
- basketball-4 year participant, volleyball- caption senior year and 4 year participant, yearbook-4 year participant, FCCLA- four year participant and secretary of chapter, one-act play-4 year participant, all-school play-4 year participant, 4-H- 8 year participant,student council- 6 year participant and 6 years being vice president of class, and national honor society- 2 year participant and vice president senior year
Kassidy Clark is from Stickney, SD, located within Central Electric Cooperative, a Touchstone Energy Cooperative.
Sydney Tlam
January 6, 2019 - January 12, 2019
- School
- Mount Vernon (605-236-5237)
- GPA
- 3.87
- Activities
- • 4 years basketball • 4 years volleyball • 4 years golf • Girls state participant-city auditor • HOBY participant • Citizen Washington Focus trip participant • 4-H member • FFA member • Teen Leadership Conference participant • 2 years student council class rep- fresh, soph • 2 years class president- junior, senior •
Sydney Tlam is from Mount Vernon, SD, located within Central Electric Cooperative, a Touchstone Energy Cooperative.