School of Education Awards Night Highlights Achievements, Scholarship Recipients
“The School of Education is composed of humble people, who don’t often step into the spotlight of recognition,” said Jacqueline Wilber, Ed.D., director of Student & Professional Services and lecturer in the School of Education. “After all that has occurred in the past few years in the field of education, it feels necessary for us to take a step back and appreciate each other and to acknowledge our triumphs among the tribulations.”
School of Education Dean Amy Schweinle, Ph.D., took the stage to review the school’s successes over the last year. Some of the highlights included the following.
- U.S. News & World Report ranked the USD School of Education number one in the region for online graduate programs in education, tied with the University of Nebraska–Lincoln and outranking all schools in South Dakota, North Dakota, Minnesota and Wyoming.
- The School of Education Alumni Association hosted the 2023 Destination Delzell event in October and presented 2023 Legend of Delzell Awards to Jana Danielson, Jolinda Gray, Joan England and Orla (Chris) Christensen.
- The 2023 Class of USD’s 30 Under 30 included six graduates from the School of Education, including Bailey Lagge, Dallas Doane, Katey Ulrich, Katie Nour, Liz Pekas and Matt Decker.
- The 2024 South Dakota Teacher of the Year (George Hawkins), 2024 North Dakota Teacher of the Year (Sheila Peterson) and 2023-2024 National Teacher of the Year (Rebecka Peterson) are all graduates of USD.
Schweinle also highlighted several ways the USD School of Education is supporting South Dakota in addressing the teacher shortage.
- The School of Education will receive $15,000 from Start Today SD and the U.S. Department of Labor and Regulation to develop a Teacher Fellows Registered Apprenticeship Program to support USD education students.
- The highly successful Teacher Pathway program has expanded from the Sioux Falls School District to include the Harrisburg School District and the Yankton School District as well as the CORE Educational Cooperative to recruit high school students to become teachers in rural areas.
- The Sioux Falls School District received a generous donation to support nearly 150 Teacher Pathway students.
- USD – Sioux Falls now offers an elementary education degree to help meet the demand for qualified teachers in South Dakota’s largest city and provide more opportunities for students to pursue their career aspirations.
In addition, attendees heard from the four division chairs – Gabrielle Strouse, Ph.D., counseling and psychology in education; Jesse Sealey, Ed.S., Ed.D., educational leadership; Jessie Daw, Ph.D., kinesiology and sport management; and Daniel Mourlam, Ed.D., teacher residency and education – about achievements, grants, award winners and scholarship recipients in each of their respective areas.
During the 2023-2024 academic year, nearly $225,000 in scholarship funding was awarded to School of Education students. In a video that ended the night, students said, “Thank you” to donors and shared ways in which various scholarships have impacted their lives for the better.
Scholarships and scholarship recipients include the following.
Coyote Commitment Scholarship Recipients
Allan D. & Lois E. Nelson Family Scholarship Kennedy Vold
Andrew D. & Carrie Aust Olson Memorial Scholarship Abigail Buskohl
Benjamin & Ruth Rossow Scholarship Carly Starr
Bernice Newell Memorial Scholarship Carlie Rieffenberger
Bobb Ann Lyon Scholarship Aden Dominisse
Cragg Family Scholarship Katie Heimgartner
Donald L. Bechtel-School of Education Scholarship
- Briana DeWitte
- Anna Risty
- Brooklynn Ver Steeg
- Elena Whalen
Elizabeth Fritsch Memorial Scholarship Christina Spomer
Genevieve R. Cool Memorial Scholarship Ciera Himes
Heartland Consumer Power District/Dan & Dot O'Connor Scholarship Alexander Irvine
John & Helen Buehler Scholarship Savannah McGraw
John and Patricia Cruzeiro Scholarship Elena Whalen
Marie (Reetz) Turney, Samuel Reetz Turney & Dello Halsted Turney Memorial Scholarship Hattie Giblin
Mark W. Delzell Memorial Scholarship Maddison Barnhart
Maureen Senner Pickering & Leland Steele Scholarship Catherine Reiter
Norman G. & Mildred L. Herren Scholarship Maia Kennedy
Norman Ward Memorial Scholarship Aaron Lingen
Otto Ullrich Scholarship Bailey Nielsen
Roger & Sandy Schaffer Scholarship
- Maddison Barnhart
- Anna Brown
Russell & Jane Dokken Scholarship
- Melissa Bunner
- Sydney Conley
- Savannah McGraw
- Landyn Mlady
- Logan Thurston
- Katie VanderVeen
- Tatum Villotta
Sharron Elizabeth Enstrom Riise Scholarship Garrett Watson
The Allen and Mavis Stearns Scholarship Cambell Fischer
Tony Cacek Outstanding Social Studies Student Scholarship Emersyn Sudbeck
Viola & Cecil Kipling Jr. Family Scholarship Brooke Creviston
School of Education Scholarship Recipients
Allen and Linda Leck Scholarship Jordy Alvarez-Martinez
Bill Matousek and Marjory Caldeira Scholarship Kaitlyn Tassler
Caitlyn Carman Education Scholarship Aidan Feddes
Colleen Yunker Scholarship
- Keira Hillrichs
- Jeslyn Huinker
- Maia Kennedy
- Veronica Rhead
- Charles Schroeder
Constance L. Hoag Scholarship Dylan Buchholz
Dr. Wayne H. Evans, Sr. & Patricia Evans Teacher Education Scholarship Shelby Wright
Edis Juel and Sidney E. Anderson Scholarship Olivia Shroyer
Grant Heckenlively and Geri Heckenlively Brook Scholarship Mark Loofe
Horace and Donna Walter Scholarship
- Briana DeWitte
- Laina Juergens
- Emma Weisz
- Elena Whalen
Jane Bartling Christensen Scholarship Brooke Creviston
Jeanne Spilde Gonzenbach Scholarship
- Savannah McGraw
- Rodriguez Garcia
- Andres Torres
Karen E. & Dale L. Hofwolt Education Scholarship
- Kelynn Anawski
- Noah Sorgdrager
- Regan Stoick
- Eva Volk
- Tanner Warwick
Mary Wanserski Memorial Scholarship Rebecca Kronaizl
Robert "Bid" & Jonette "Joni" Miller Scholarship Kennedy Kahler
Roger H. Davies Memorial Scholarship Abigail Buskohl
The Rush Family USD Scholarship Benjamin Kohls
Counseling & Psychology in Education Scholarship Recipients
Anita Johnson Gwin Scholarship Catherine Orban
David & Kay Olson Counseling Program Fund Reed Keen
E. Gordon Poling Memorial Scholarship Madelyn Wade
Hee-sook Choi School Psychology Scholarship
- Bailey Todd
- Todd Velianski
Robert H. & Myrtle E. Knapp Scholarship
- Daniel Bishop
- Todd Velianski
Education Leadership Scholarship Recipients
Dr. H.C. "Rus" Rustad Memorial Scholarship Diana Eastman
Dr. Harry Dykstra Memorial Scholarship Jordan Likness
Dr. Jan Ebersdorfer Women in Administration Scholarship Tiffany Shonerd
Dr. LeRoy Nelson Scholarship Philip Schonebaum
Dr. Perry L. Uhl Memorial Scholarship Kay Bas
Dr. Phil Vik Leadership Scholarship Zachariah Gors
Dr. Shawn P. Winthers Memorial Scholarship Endowment Merideth Wald
Floyd & Marlys Ann Boschee Scholarship Matthew Dykstra
Frederic Petersen/North Central Association Scholarship Lisa Carlson
James Flevares Memorial Scholarship Shanice Hall
One Room Rural School Teacher Commemorative Scholarship Paige Petry
Teacher Residency & Education Scholarship Recipients
Ben & Lillie Otto Scholarship Abbigail Nelson
E. Louise Coover Memorial Scholarship Thomas Lewis
Hazel Linderman Scholarship Dylan Buchholz
Patricia Tschetter Mendell Memorial Scholarship Candace Hanson
Robert & Elizabeth Wood Elementary Education and Special Education Scholarship
- Kellie Jones
- Karlee Kasperbauer
- Carlie Rieffenberger
- Kazlyn Schulz
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