Winners

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.

Grace Anderson

January 28, 2024 - February 3, 2024

School: Hills-Beaver Creek HS (507.962.3240)
GPA: 3.94
Activities: Volleyball, Knowledge Bowl, Math League, High Honor Student, Post-Secondary Enrollment Options (PSEO), Homecoming Queen.

Grace Anderson is from Beaver Creek, MN, located within Sioux Valley Energy, a Touchstone Energy Cooperative.

Avery Norris

January 21, 2024 - January 27, 2024

School: Elk Point-Jefferson (605-356-5900)
GPA: 4
Activities: band, jazz band, choir, drum line, volleyball, golf, student council, NHS, science fair, and newspaper NHS and Student Body president, drum major, attending All-State Choir for two years, being editor of the newspaper, attending Quad State Honor Band, placing 2nd in her category at state science fair her sophomore year and 1st her junior year, and A Honor Roll since freshmen year.

Avery Norris is from Elk Point, SD, located within Union County Electric Cooperative, a Touchstone Energy Cooperative.

Rain Swenson

January 14, 2024 - January 20, 2024

School: Woonsocket High School (605-796-4431)
GPA: 4
Activities: Activities- Oral Interp, School Play, Art Club Director, Varsity Golf, Choir, Regional Music Festival, Taekwondo, National Honor Society, Student Council Treasurer, Girls State Representative. Volunteering- School Concessions, Feeding South Dakota, Community Clean-up. Job- Cashier at Woony Foods Food Market.

Rain Swenson is from Wessington Springs, SD, located within Central Electric Cooperative, a Touchstone Energy Cooperative.

Jackson Peck

January 7, 2024 - January 13, 2024

School: James Valley Christian School (605-352-7737)
GPA: 3.43
Activities: Three time letter winner in basketball and track, four time letter winner in soccer, soccer team captain, Senior class President, High Honor Role, Student Council, Band, Church Youth group community service

Jackson Peck is from Huron, SD, located within Dakota Energy Cooperative, a Touchstone Energy Cooperative.

John Mortrude

December 17, 2023 - December 23, 2023

School: Dell Rapids Public High School (605-428-5473)
GPA: 4
Activities: Education-Dell Rapids High School GPA: 4.0 Class Rank: 1 of 65 Act Composite Score: 29 High School Credits By Graduation: 33.75 College Dual Credit Hours By Graduation: 24 Community Service ● Mission Trip to Jamaica with The Rescue Church (11) ● Church on the Street (10) ● Habitat for Humanity (10,11,12) ● Referee Youth Wrestling Tournament (9,10,11,12) ● Referee Middle School Football Jamboree (12) ● The Banquet (10) ● Elementary School Football Signing/Question Day (11) ● St Francis House (12) ● RFK Camp Volunteer (12) ● Madyson Barbee Memorial Scholarship Fundraiser (11,12) Leadership Opportunities ● South Dakota Boys State 2023 ○ City of New York Mayor ○ Minnehaha County Auditor ○ Court Appointed Defense Attorney ○ South Dakota Senator ○ South Dakota Attorney General ○ Passed The Bar Exam ○ Boys Nation Interviewed Candidate ● Service Leadership Academy by The Humanity Launch Athletics ● Football (9,10,11,12) ○ Playoff Qualifier (9,10,11,12) ○ State Champion (11) ○ Letterwinner (11,12) ○ Academic All State (12) ○ Fellowship of Christain Athletes Seminar (10,11,12) ● Wrestling (9,10,11,12) ○ Team Captain (11,12) ○ Class A All State Honorable Mention (10) ○ State Tournament Qualifier (10) ○ Letterwinner (9,10,11) ● Track (9,10,11,12) ○ State Meet Qualifier (9,11) ○ Letterwinner (9,10,11) ● Baseball (9,10) Extracirricular/Student Organizations ● SQUAD - Supporting Quarriers United And Dependable(11,12) ● TATU-Teens Against Tobacco Use (11,12) ● Quiz Bowl (11,12) ○ Team Captain(12) ● National Honor Society (11,12) ○ Leadership Position Community Organizations ● Sons Of The American Legion Member (12) ● Member of Lutheran Church of Dell Rapids ○ Rally Sunday Volunteer (12) ● Mutual Ministry Committee (10,11,12) Special Awards ● Bausch and Lomb Honorary Science Award ● American Legion Good Citizen Award Work Experience ● Kimmel Properties LLC (9,10,11,12) Other Things To Know About Me ● Veterans Community Project Fundraiser (12) ○ Over $1,000 and counting ● Enjoy riding motorcycle (11,12) ○ Reason to Ride Poker Run (Ronald McDonald House) ○ Warriers for Mick Poker Run (ALS) ● Enjoy Hunting, Fishing, and Campin

John Mortrude is from Dell Rapids, SD, located within Sioux Valley Energy, a Touchstone Energy Cooperative.

Tayden Wells

December 10, 2023 - December 16, 2023

School: Vermillion High School (605.677.7000)
GPA: 4
Activities: Soccer every year in high school, club soccer, basketball and baseball freshman year, track during junior year, lettered in soccer every year, National Honor Society, Team Captain for soccer, helps to coach youth soccer, referee youth soccer, participated in Missouri River Clean up day 2023, works at Mart Bros Construction

Tayden Wells is from Vermillion, SD, located within Clay-Union Electric Corporation, a Touchstone Energy Cooperative.

Parker Lessman

December 3, 2023 - December 9, 2023

School: Parker High School ((605)297-3456)
GPA: 4
Activities: Track, 4-H, FFA, FCA, Basketball, Quiz Bowl, Math Club, Choir, NHS President, Vice President of Student Council

Parker Lessman is from Chancellor, SD, located within Southeastern Electric Cooperative, a Touchstone Energy Cooperative.

Joseph Tegethoff

November 26, 2023 - December 2, 2023

School: Mitchell Christian School (605-996-8861)
GPA: 4
Activities: Multimedia, English (9th-11th), Spanish, Geometry, Precalc, and Personal Finance Academic Excellence Award; band; choir; All-State Chorus (10th-11th); Robotics team CEO; Cross Country State Qualifier; Student Council President; National Honor Society; Boy Scout (Eagle Scout Project - clean up the bike trails in Mitchell cutting down dead trees, trimming trees, and clearing dangerous conditions on trails); Basketball; Track; Spring Play; School praise team; youth group praise team at church; Mission Trips: Mexico to build houses, Belize, Sioux Falls (homeless outreach); lifeguard; maintenance volunteer work at school during the summer

Joseph Tegethoff is from Mitchell, SD, located within Central Electric Cooperative, a Touchstone Energy Cooperative.

Katie Schulte

November 19, 2023 - November 25, 2023

School: Yankton High School (6056657378)
GPA: 4.15
Activities: Student Council, Leadership Committee for National Honor Society, Senior Class Treasurer, Competitive Dance Team, Competitive Cheer, Sideline Football Cheer, Sideline Basketball Cheer, Science Olympiad, Fellowship of Christian Athletes, HOSA, Homecoming Committee, Prom Committee, YHS Spring Musical, Studio Dance at Academy of Dance, Youth Discipleship

Katie Schulte is from Yankton, SD, located within Bon Homme-Yankton Electric Assn., a Touchstone Energy Cooperative.

Chayse Shoemaker

November 12, 2023 - November 18, 2023

School: Webster Area High School (6053453548)
GPA: 4.08
Activities: Chayse is involved in National Honor Society, Robotics, and FFA. He also helps run Bearcats TV and announces at many of our sporting events. He has been on the honor roll all semesters of his high school career and has earned his Academic Letter.

Chayse Shoemaker is from Webster, SD, located within Lake Region Electric Association, a Touchstone Energy Cooperative.