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.
Bayden Schneider
December 2, 2018 - December 8, 2018
- School
- Chester Area School (6054892411)
- GPA
- 4
- Activities
- I am nominating Bayden Schneider as a Touchstone Energy Scholar. Bayden achieves at a very high level academically while taking multiple difficult high school and college classes that are preparing him for a world beyond the doors of Chester High School. He maintains a 4.0 with these difficult classes as he is really committed to his academics. He is also extremely busy being involved in many activities in and out of school such as baseball, football, basketball, 1-Act drama, chorus, band, FFA and Honor Society to name a few. He has earned 2 summer scholarships through South Dakota School of Mines and Technology due to his academic achievements and summer camps that he has been involved in with engineering. He has also mentored children during the school year giving back to the school and community and volunteering his time to help his elderly neighbors with multiple jobs from taking docks out to mowing and snow removal and working on their roofs and landscaping. Bayden also volunteers at his church with soup suppers, cleaning the church, and church breakfasts and serving the banquet in Sioux Falls as well. Bayden does all of this while being a fulltime (in the summer) lifeguard from April through August for the past 4 years. He is also CPR and WSI (water safety instructor) certified as a lifeguard. Bayden has also been involved with EmPower Youth Leadership Program through Sioux Valley Energy where he has learned about COOPs and community enrichment that he has brought back to the Chester Area School and community. Without reservation I recommend him for this honor as he is a student that is greatly involved in his community while maintaining high academic standards and being a leader for his classmates.
Bayden Schneider is from Brant Lake, SD, located within Sioux Valley Energy, a Touchstone Energy Cooperative.
Justin Sorensen
November 25, 2018 - December 1, 2018
- School
- Vermillion High School (677-7035)
- GPA
- 4
- Activities
- cross country 9-12, basketball 9-11, track 9-12, National Honors Society 11-12, Fellowship of Christian Athletes 10-12, Boys State, Catholic Youth Organization, Tanager Volunteer Day 9-12, Volunteering at Welcome Table, Community Garden, Farm with dad.
Justin Sorensen is from Vermillion, SD, located within Clay-Union Electric Corporation, a Touchstone Energy Cooperative.
Alex Maas
November 18, 2018 - November 24, 2018
- School
- Dakota Christian School (6052432211)
- GPA
- 3
- Activities
- Activities Football - all four years Basketball - all four years Track - Freshman, Junior, and Senior Drama - Freshman, Sophomore, Junior, and senior if we have one Student Council - Freshman, Junior, and Senior Prairie Readers - 1st grade through Senior year Choir - all four years Band - all four years Archery - Freshman, Junior, Senior Trap shoot - Junior, Senior Awards Football - lettered four times, most improved sophomore year Basketball - lettered twice Track - lettered once Drama - lettered once Was on Student Council 3 times Choir - lettered all four years Band - lettered once Archery - "lettered" 3 times Highest GPA - twice so far
Alex Maas is from Harrison, SD, located within Douglas Electric Cooperative, a Touchstone Energy Cooperative.
Kelsi Nooney
November 11, 2018 - November 17, 2018
- School
- Scotland (6055832237)
- GPA
- 4
- Activities
- Volleyball, Basketball, Track, Cheerleader, NHS, School Play, Girls State, Governor's Luncheon, TATU, Community Play, Volunteer at Heartland Humane Society, National Guard
Kelsi Nooney is from Scotland, SD, located within Bon Homme-Yankton Electric Assn., a Touchstone Energy Cooperative.
Olivia Gohl
November 4, 2018 - November 10, 2018
- School
- Ipswich Public (426)
- GPA
- 4
- Activities
- NHS, FBLA, band, volleyball, basketball, numerous art awards (placed three years at the SD duck stamp competition, Faulkton art show ribbons, and placed 3rd at the NSU High School Art invitational). Olivia works so hard in all of her subjects, and juggles, school, college courses, and various activities. She is extremely involved in the arts, and spends most of her free time working on her projects. She also interns for me and helps the younger children with their art. Olivia is very deserving of this award.
Olivia Gohl is from Ipswich, SD, located within FEM Electric Association, a Touchstone Energy Cooperative.
Audrey Cihak
October 28, 2018 - November 3, 2018
- School
- Aberdeen Central HS (6057258100)
- GPA
- 4
- Activities
- Speech & Debate (two years), National Honor Society (Vice President), Volunteer Soccer Coach, Link/Crew Leader, Peer Tutor (two years), Church Youth Group Leader (two years), Soccer, Dance (two years)
Audrey Cihak is from Aberdeen, SD, located within Northern Electric Cooperative, a Touchstone Energy Cooperative.
Lucas Breske
October 21, 2018 - October 27, 2018
- School
- Waubay High School (605-947-4529)
- GPA
- 4
- Activities
- Football Captain, basketball, track, National Honor Society, FFA, church youth group, honor roll, oral interp, one-act play, volunteer ref for jr. high basketball, and various community service projects
Lucas Breske is from Waubay, SD, located within Lake Region Electric Association, a Touchstone Energy Cooperative.
Katie Wollschlager
October 14, 2018 - October 20, 2018
- School
- Millbank High School (6054325546)
- GPA
- 4
- Activities
- Katie is a member of the Milbank Honor Society, Milbank Honor Roll. Katie has participated in the South Dakota Big Idea Competition, and World Food Prize. Katie is a member of the TATU (Teens Against Tobacco Usage) Katie is a player on the Milbank Volleyball, Basketball and Track team. Katie is also a FFA member and Milbank Choir.
Katie Wollschlager is from LaBolt, SD, located within Whetstone Valley Electric Cooperative, a Touchstone Energy Cooperative.
Morgan Roe
October 7, 2018 - October 13, 2018
- School
- Florence High School (605-758-2412)
- GPA
- 4
- Activities
- Track, Basketball, Choir, and 4-h
Morgan Roe is from Florence, SD, located within Codington-Clark Electric Cooperative, a Touchstone Energy Cooperative.
Jack Olson
September 30, 2018 - October 6, 2018
- School
- Rutland High School (605-586-4352)
- GPA
- 3
- Activities
- 3.633 GPA, National Honor Society, National History Day National Competitor (Washington D.C.), cross-country, basketball, track, Empower representative, student council, all-school play, one-act play, band, chorus, FFA.
Jack Olson is from Rutland, SD, located within Sioux Valley Energy, a Touchstone Energy Cooperative.