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.
Blaize Larson
March 9, 2025 - March 15, 2025
- School
- Webster Area High School (6053453548)
- GPA
- 4.1
- Activities
- Blaize is involved in Oral Interp, FCCLA, Robotics, Wrestling Stat, National Honor Society and Student Council. He has been a 3 time State Oral Interp participant and 1 time Medal Winner. He is FCCLA chapter president, has won state and national competitions, and been a officer on a state outreach team. He is Robotics Head this year and has been notebook head and made it to Robotics Nationals 3 times with his team. He is the senior class president. He also was a foreign exchange student 2024 Spring semester from January 10 until June 24, he lived in Malansac, France with a host family.
Blaize Larson is from Webster, SD, located within Lake Region Electric Association, a Touchstone Energy Cooperative.
Max Schuelke
March 2, 2025 - March 8, 2025
- School
- Milbank High School (605-432-5546)
- GPA
- 4.1
- Activities
- Activities & Acheivements Debate Participated: 9, 10, 11, 12 LD Coach and Captian Awards - LD Debate State Champion | 11th - LD Debate Runner-up | 10th - National Extemp Debate 32/900 finish | 11th - Extemp State Finalist | 9th, 10th, 11th - Attended Nationals | 10th, 11th - Fine Arts Student of the Month | 9th HOSA Participated: 11, 12 Awards - Biomedical Debate State Champion | 11th - Attended Nationals | 11th Educators Rising Participated: 11th, 12th Founding Member, State Officer Awards - Creative Lecture State Champion | 11th - Creative Lecture National Champion | 11th Theatre Participated: 9th, 10th, 11th, 12th Head of Costumes, Sound, Lights, Various Roles Awards - Fine Arts Student of the Month | 10th Student Council Particpiated: 9th, 10th, 11th, 12th Class Rep, Vice President, State Secretary Sunday School Participated: 9th, 10th, 11th, 12th Sunday School Teacher NSU Math Competition Participated: 9th, 10th, 11th Awards - Honorable Mention | 10th & 11th
Max Schuelke is from Revillo, SD, located within Whetstone Valley Electric Cooperative, a Touchstone Energy Cooperative.
Maxwell Kulesa
February 23, 2025 - March 1, 2025
- School
- Ipswich Public School (605-426-6571)
- GPA
- 4.25
- Activities
- FBLA, Band, Football, Basketball, Track, NHS
Maxwell Kulesa is from Ipswich, SD, located within FEM Electric Association, a Touchstone Energy Cooperative.
Gretchen Dinger
February 16, 2025 - February 22, 2025
- School
- Groton Area High School (605.397.8381)
- GPA
- 4.11
- Activities
- Gretchen is very active in my school based and non school based activities. School based activities: Varsity Soccer letter winner, Choreographer, Caption, and member of the Color Guard, FCCLA, Flex Band, Pep Band, Concert Band, team manager for volleyball, Show choir tech crew, Dynamics dance team, and member of the HOSA organization. Non School based activities: Active member at Emmanuel Lutheran Church which involves serving coffee and reading. Also a member of the Luther League at Emmanuel. She is also a volunteer volleyball coach for a elementary age team. Honors & Awards: High School All State Band (Sophomore & Junior year), National Honor Society, Tri-M Music Honor Society, Honorable Mention for the Big Idea Competition, Class president, Jr. Snow Queen State Place winner, Girls’ State Representative, Daughters of the American Revolution good citizen award, and National Merit Scholarship Semifinalist. Paid experiences: Full time summer nanny, life guard, swimming lesson instructor, and Assistant at BK Custom Tees and more.
Gretchen Dinger is from Groton, SD, located within Northern Electric Cooperative, a Touchstone Energy Cooperative.
Owan Watson
February 9, 2025 - February 15, 2025
- School
- Sunshine Bible Academy (605-853-3071)
- GPA
- 4
- Activities
- Owan has lettered in basketball three years and track two years. He has also participated in Cross Country. This year he will be a 5th year participant in All-State Chorus. He has been selected to participate in the Wayne State Festival of Honor Bands four times. He has lettered in One-Act Play, Spring Play and Oral Interp. He received Outstanding Actor recognition at Region Oral Interp two years. He has been Section leader in choir all through high school, was named SBA's Outstanding Instrumentalist, Outstanding Vocalist and Outstanding Oral Interper. He has received multiple Superior ratings at Small Group Music Contest and a Superior at Large Group Music Contest. He has been Vice President of his class for three years. This year he started a weekly podcast to recap SBA's athletic events for the week.
Owan Watson is from Miller, SD, located within Dakota Energy Cooperative, a Touchstone Energy Cooperative.
Sheridan Voorhees
February 2, 2025 - February 8, 2025
- School
- Sully Buttes High School (605 258 2618)
- GPA
- 4
- Activities
- Participate in Band, Jazz Band, Chorus, FCCLA, Student Council, National Honor Society, Oral Interpretation, Drama, Volleyball, Basketball, Yearbook, Girls State Delegate, and Sully Buttes History Club.
Sheridan Voorhees is from Onida, SD, located within Oahe Electric Cooperative, a Touchstone Energy Cooperative.
Layke Wold
January 26, 2025 - February 1, 2025
- School
- Chester Area (6054892411)
- GPA
- 4
- Activities
- A Honor Roll | 4 years Honor Society | 2 years Class of 2025 Vice President | 2 years Yearbook | 4 years Varsity Football | 4 years Captain Volunteers to referee youth football games Madison Daily Leader Player of the Week (x2) Varsity Basketball | 6 years Also played summer basketball programs, Sacred Hoops (4 years) and SD Identity (1 year) Created and ran an individual/small group summer training program for younger kids wanting to improve their skills Varsity Golf | 2 years Band | 4 years Choir | 4 years Definitely enjoys being hands-on with the younger kids, he’s come full circle looking up to those upper classmen that were in his elementary classrooms Homecoming Royalty Dual Credit Courses | several taken to jumpstart his college career
Layke Wold is from Chester, SD, located within Sioux Valley Energy, a Touchstone Energy Cooperative.
Nicholas Schmitz
January 19, 2025 - January 25, 2025
- School
- Elk Point-Jefferson (6057302424)
- GPA
- 4
- Activities
- Football Basketball Track National Honors Society Helping Coach Little Huskies football in the fall Academics-Honor Roll Husky Award for Football Dak 12 Conference All Conference Football Award 24-25 SDFBCA Academic All-State Award Lettering in: Football,Basketball,Track, Academics Apart of the State Basketball Team 2023
Nicholas Schmitz is from Elk Points, SD, located within Union County Electric Cooperative, a Touchstone Energy Cooperative.
Carson Ferry
January 12, 2025 - January 18, 2025
- School
- Hanson High School (605-239-4387)
- GPA
- 3.98
- Activities
- National Honor Society (Jr & Sr yr) Track Cross Country Church Youth Group Missions Trips
Carson Ferry is from Fulton, SD, located within Central Electric Cooperative, a Touchstone Energy Cooperative.
William Pirak
January 5, 2025 - January 11, 2025
- School
- Gayville-Volin High School (605-267-4476)
- GPA
- 4.16
- Activities
- Extra-Curricular Activities: • Cross Country (state qualifier for four years, team captain as a junior/senior year) • Basketball (varsity player soph/jr/sr years) • Track (state qualifier junior year-and hopeful for spring 2025!) • Student Council (four years) • Fellowship of Christian Athletes (four years) • Mentoring (four years) • Gayville Lutheran Church Youth Group (four years) • Eagle Scout - BSA awarded July 2024 • Boys State representative (May 2024) Work Experience: Pirak Brothers Lawn Care 2017-2022 • Mowed timely for 20+ local customers under the direction of my brothers who started the business. • Reported time sheets and billing WIlliam Pirak Lawn Care 2022-present • Single handedly, mowed for 15 customers and two cemeteries as needed. • Scheduled, billed and kept contact with all customers • Procured new customers • As I head to college, I’ve made contact with all my customers and a younger lawn mower in my community making sure customers’ lawn are taken care of when I attend UNL
William Pirak is from Gayville, SD, located within Clay-Union Electric Corporation, a Touchstone Energy Cooperative.