National scholarships and fellowships, which offer significant prestige, educational and networking opportunities in addition to monetary benefits, require very strenuous and lengthy applications. They are highly competitive and often draw hundreds of applicants for only a handful of such scholarships.

“Not only is this a record year for USD in terms of breadth of scholarships awarded, but no other regional institution came close to having this many different national scholarships awarded to their student body in 2016. It reflects well on both the excellence of our students and the education they are receiving at USD,” Abbott said.

The winners, their hometown, area of study and links with details on each award:
Truman: Joshua Arens; Yankton, South Dakota; chemistry major and Spanish minor.
Fulbright: Angela Luedke; Omaha, Nebraska; graduated in 2013 with a double major in international studies and French with a minor in political science; will work as an English teaching assistant in Morocco.
Fulbright: Christopher Zimmer; Rapid City, South Dakota; graduating Saturday with a bachelor of science in political science and history; will work in Greece as an English teaching assistant.
Critical Language: Jenna Hayes; Sioux Falls, South Dakota; double major in English and anthropology and minor in Russian; studying Russian in Russia.
Critical Language: Kaleigh “Rose” McLaughlin; Cedar Rapids, Iowa; double major in international studies and history; studying Azeri in Azerbaijan.
Goldwater: John Slunecka; Sioux Falls; double major in medical biology and chemistry and a minor in interdisciplinary sciences.
Goldwater: Jade Fostvedt; Vermillion; major in chemistry (American Chemical Society certified degree track) and a minor in mathematics.
Udall: Tamee Livermont; Martin, South Dakota; medical biology major and minors in interdisciplinary sciences and communication.
Gilman: Christina Bushinger; Sioux Falls; double major in anthropology and international studies and a minor in biology.
National Science Foundation Research Experience for Undergraduates Fellowship: Martin Munoz; Vermillion, but originally from Lima, Peru; majoring in political science and international studies.

Additionally, USD had one honorable mention for a Goldwater: Kristie Schmidt from Monroe, South Dakota, who’s majoring in medical biology.

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