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.
Baylee Enander
December 3, 2017 - December 9, 2017
- School
- Hitchcock-Tulare School
- GPA
- 4.072
- Activities
- Volleyball, Basketball, Track, FFA, Student Council, Mentor-Mentee Advisor, Football Statistician, FCCLA and member of the science quiz bowl team.
Baylee Enander is from Frankfort,, SD, located within Northern Electric Cooperative, a Touchstone Energy Cooperative.
Olivia Christensen
November 26, 2017 - December 2, 2017
- School
- Lake Preston
- GPA
- 4
- Activities
- Volleyball Oral Interpretation Competitive Cheerleading One Act Play Basketball Choir Sideline Football Cheer All School Musical Sideline Basketball Cheer Show Choir LYO Band Marching Band Jazz Band
Olivia Christensen is from Lake Preston, SD, located within Kingsbury Electric Cooperative, a Touchstone Energy Cooperative.
MIchael Sees
November 19, 2017 - November 25, 2017
- School
- Irene-Wakonda School
- GPA
- 4.05
- Activities
- Extracurricular Activities: 1. Cross Country ? Ran varsity and lettered all three years of high school. 2. Track ? Lettered all three years of high school. 3. Baseball ? Played the summer of 9th and 10th year. 4. Bass All State Delegate 9th,11th, and 12th year. 5. Lettered in choir 9th and 11th year. 6. In 9th was an alternate for Tenor SD Jr. High Mixed Honor Chorus. 7. Sang in the 2017 Boys State Choir. 8. Performed in One Act 9th year. 9. Perfect attendance all three years. 10. Made A-Honor roll all three years 11. I-W Academic letter award all three years. 12. Became part of the IW Honor Society in 2017. 13. GPA 4.026, 28 ACT. 14. Went to 2017 Boys State, was an alderman in the city of Dallas. 15. US Senate Nominee both 11th and 12th years. 16. Nominated for Sophomore Leadership at USD. 17. Was a junior and senior class representative in student council. 18. Enjoy spending time reading at home. 19. Spends time working full-time at Broom Tree Retreat Center and Family Camp during the summer. Community: 1. Have spent 10 hours annually in the St. Agnes Sigel church cleaning and participating in soup kitchens. 2. Prepared and served meals at the Yankton banquet for those in need. 3. Spent 100+ hours mowing and maintaining the cemetery at St. Agnes Sigel.
MIchael Sees is from Irene, SD, located within Bon Homme-Yankton Electric Assn., a Touchstone Energy Cooperative.
Madisen Martinez
November 12, 2017 - November 18, 2017
- School
- Vermillion High School
- GPA
- 4
- Activities
- National Honors Society Varsity Basketball Varsity Track and Field Student Council Random Acts of Kindness Students Against Destructive Decisions Hugh O'Brian (HOBY) Girls State
Madisen Martinez is from Vermillion, SD, located within Clay-Union Electric Corporation, a Touchstone Energy Cooperative.
Jill Donnelly
November 5, 2017 - November 11, 2017
- School
- Elk Point-Jefferson High School
- GPA
- 4
- Activities
- Activities oral Interpretation, science fair, CCD, National Honors Society, student council, basketball, newspaper, high school rodeo, 4H rodeo, Youth Discipleship, Friends? Feast, Special Needs Rodeo
Jill Donnelly is from Elk Point, SD, located within Union County Electric Cooperative, a Touchstone Energy Cooperative.
Samantha Schindler
October 29, 2017 - November 4, 2017
- School
- Elkton High School
- GPA
- 3.94
- Activities
- Volleyball, Basketball, Track
Samantha Schindler is from Lake Benton, MN, located within Lyon-Lincoln Electric Cooperative, a Touchstone Energy Cooperative.
Marco Walker
October 22, 2017 - October 28, 2017
- School
- Estelline School District
- GPA
- 3.913
- Activities
- Student Council Treasurer, Honor Roll, National Honor Society, Oral Interpretation, Broadcast Technology
Marco Walker is from Estelline, SD, located within H-D Electric Cooperative, a Touchstone Energy Cooperative.
Nathan Hulscher
October 15, 2017 - October 21, 2017
- School
- Florence High School
- GPA
- 4
- Activities
- Football Basketball Track
Nathan Hulscher is from Florence, SD, located within Codington-Clark Electric Cooperative, a Touchstone Energy Cooperative.
Minda Warns-Bartelt
October 8, 2017 - October 14, 2017
- School
- Waubay High School
- GPA
- 4
- Activities
- National Honor Society, Oral Interpretation, One-Act Play, cheerleader, 4-H, and yearbook.
Minda Warns-Bartelt is from Waubay, SD, located within Lake Region Electric Association, a Touchstone Energy Cooperative.
Hannah Even
October 1, 2017 - October 7, 2017
- School
- Baltic High School
- GPA
- 3.99
- Activities
- Football Cheerleader - 4 years Basketball Cheerleader - 4 years Junior High Cheer volunteer - 2 years Senior Competition Dance Team - 12 years Assistant Dance Teacher at Dynamic Dance Studio - 3 years National Honor Society - 2 years Volunteer at South Dakota State Parks - 4 years Baltic High School Character Counts - 1 year Senior Class President and member of the BHS Student Council
Hannah Even is from Baltic, SD, located within Sioux Valley Energy, a Touchstone Energy Cooperative.