North Dakota State College of Science (NDSCS) proudly recognizes the academic excellence of two students recently honored by Phi Theta Kappa (PTK), the international honor society for two-year colleges. 

Cierra Erickson, a Dental Hygiene student at NDSCS, has been named a 2025 New Century Workforce Scholar and will receive a $1,500 scholarship.

New Century Workforce Scholars are selected based on academic accomplishments, leadership, activities, and how they extend their intellectual talents beyond the classroom. More than 2,100 applications were submitted from over 1,300 college campuses nationwide, with only one Workforce Scholar selected from each state. 

Erickson earned the top score among North Dakota applicants in the All-USA Academic Team Competition. She also serves as the Vice President of Scholarship for the NDSCS PTK Beta Mu Rho chapter, helping connect members with scholarship opportunities. In addition, she is Co-President of HOSA–Future Health Professionals during its inaugural year as an NDSCS student organization. Erickson is also an active participant in the Science of Leadership program at NDSCS, an immersive leadership experience that fosters skills such as critical thinking, problem-solving, communication, and self-reflection. 

“Cierra has truly challenged herself to get involved on campus this year and has stepped up to take on leadership roles,” said Erin Johnson, NDSCS PTK advisor. “It has been exciting to watch her grow as a leader, gaining confidence and making a meaningful impact along the way.” 

NDSCS has a long-standing tradition of producing New Century Scholars and is proud to count Cierra Erickson among its many high-achieving graduates. 

Kaylee Stegora, a Liberal Arts student at NDSCS, has been named a 2025 Coca-Cola Academic Team Bronze Scholar and will receive a $1,000 scholarship. 

The Coca-Cola Scholars Foundation sponsors the Coca-Cola Academic Team program by recognizing 50 Gold, 50 Silver, and 50 Bronze Scholars each year, awarding nearly $200,000 in scholarships. Each recipient also receives a commemorative medallion. 

“The Coca-Cola Scholars Foundation has a long history of providing financial assistance to outstanding students at community colleges,” said Jane Hale Hopkins, President of the Coca-Cola Scholars Foundation. “We are proud to partner with Phi Theta Kappa to make it possible for more deserving students to achieve their educational goals and support tomorrow’s global community leaders.” 

Students are nominated for the academic team by their college administrators and selected based on academic achievement, leadership, and service to both college and community. 

“Kaylee represents everything we hope for in a student scholar—dedicated, community-minded, and driven to achieve both in and outside the classroom,” said Jeff Hart, NDSCS PTK advisor. “Her commitment to personal and academic growth will make a lasting impact.”

A team of NDSCS students from the Architectural Modeling and Design Technology and Construction Management Technology programs secured 3rd place in the associate degree category of the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB) Student Competition. The event took place during the 2025 NAHB International Builders’ Show® (IBS) in Las Vegas, NV and featured teams from 11 comparable college programs across the U.S. In total, 76 teams representing universities, technical colleges, community colleges, high schools, and career technical schools participated in the annual competition. 

For more than 30 years, the NAHB has hosted this student competition during the International Builders’ Show (IBS), providing students the opportunity to apply the skills learned in the classroom to a real construction project. Teams develop and submit a comprehensive construction management proposal, which is judged by executives of the construction company who build the actual project the previous year. 

Student teams began project preparations, including written proposals to address real-life scenarios, during the fall semester. Each team was given a design problem and building criteria, requiring them to produce drawings, sketches, material estimates, labor calculations, and a complete construction schedule. Teams then traveled to the IBS, where they presented their solutions to a panel of industry experts on February 24-25, 2025. 

“NDSCS has competed nationally at the International Builders Show for 15 years and we always have awesome lessons to show for the hard work that is put forth. Students worked so well together and really took the task of developing their project seriously – thinking outside the box and networking was their focus and they finalized a project they should really be proud of!” said Lara Lekang, NDSCS Architectural Modeling & Design Associate Professor. “I’m so proud of what they accomplished and received with their 3rd place award.” 

Reflecting on their time in Las Vegas, Lekang continued, “Beyond the competition, we all had a great time in Las Vegas – touring “The New American Home 2025”, seeing the newest technology, and of course the sights of the city. The construction industry supports these students’ hard work, and I hope they carry these lessons into their future careers!” 

Learn more about the Construction and Design programs available at NDSCS by visiting NDSCS.edu/Academics.

Twenty-one North Dakota State College of Science (NDSCS) Collegiate DECA members showcased their business acumen at the North Dakota Collegiate DECA Career Development Conference held at the Holiday Inn in Fargo on February 13-14, 2025. The competition brought together approximately 85 students from eight colleges and universities across North Dakota. 

Collegiate DECA is an international organization that prepares college and university students for careers in business. The organization’s programming engages students from a variety of academic disciplines, with a focus on business-related areas such as marketing, management, and entrepreneurship. Collegiate DECA activities complement and enhance students’ college curriculum. 

NDSCS students achieved impressive results during the North Dakota Conference, with numerous finalists qualifying to compete at the International Career Development Conference (ICDC) in San Francisco this April. 

Top award winners in individual events include:

• Torrie Mack – Finalist, Entrepreneurial Operations
• Ryan Otoole – 3rd Place, Entrepreneurial Operations
• Nicholas Langenwalter – 2nd Place, Entrepreneurial Operations
• Addison Gerdon – 2nd Place, Fashion Merchandising and Marketing
• Zoey Bohnenstingl – 3rd Place, Human Resource Management
• Ava Howard – Finalist, Human Resource Management
• Sumer Roberts – 2nd Place, Retail Management
• Nicholas Ulrich – 3rd Place, Retail Management
• Kameron Parker – Finalist, Sales Management and Leadership
• Leah Tibbetts – 2nd Place, Travel and Tourism 

Top team event winners include: 

• Kameron Parker/Ryan Otoole – 3rd Place, Business Ethics
• Ava Howard/Torrie Mack – 2nd Place, Business Ethics
• Sumer Roberts/Seth Kenna – Finalists, Entertainment Marketing
• Addison Gerdon/Leah Tibbetts – 1st Place, Marketing Communications
• Cooper Klosterman/Nicholas Langenwalter – 1st Place, Sports Marketing 

“I was pleased at how well our students performed. As is usually the case, almost all NDSCS Collegiate DECA members are first-year students who have never competed before, going against seasoned juniors and seniors from four-year colleges who have experienced both state and national competitions,” commented Gregory Anderson, the faculty advisor for NDSCS Collegiate DECA. “I will be very proud to see several of our students take the next step at the International Conference in April.” 

Photo caption: 

NDSCS Collegiate DECA students 
(L to R) Front Row: Carley Hoff, Julia Anderson, Ellie Meyer, Zoey Bohenenstingl, Sumer Roberts Middle Row: Jace Johanson, Nicholas Langenwalter; Avery Malme, Kameron Parker, Addison Gerdon, Nicholas Ulrich, Ava Howard, Torrie Mack. Back Row: Cooper Klosterman, Leah Tibbetts, Carson Andel, Seth Kenna, Peyton Kadel, Khouba Toure, Brandon Henderson, Ryan Otoole