MENU

Alan Gilbertson, an Auto Body Repair and Refinishing Technology student at the North Dakota State College of Science, has been named the first recipient of the new North Dakota Career Builders Scholarship. The scholarship was established by the 2019 Legislative Assembly to encourage students to seek educational opportunities in high-need and emerging occupations within the state.

The North Dakota Career Builders Scholarship provides matching dollars for private sector student sponsorships. Gilbertson was eligible for the scholarship thanks to a sponsorship by Modern Auto Body of Grand Forks, N.D.

“I had learned about sponsorships from NDSCS Career Services,” said Gilbertson. “When Shelley Blome from the Financial Aid office called and told me about the North Dakota Career Builders Scholarship, I was in disbelief.”

NDSCS Director of Financial Aid Shelley Blome has now helped seven students receive funds from the North Dakota Career Builders Scholarship. “We are seeing some students receive more than $10,000 when combining their sponsorship with matching scholarship programs,” she said. “This is a great opportunity for our students to help pay for the cost of their education in these high demand fields.”

For Modern Auto Body General Manager Scott Loscheider, sponsoring a student was a new way to help fill a workforce need, and the North Dakota Career Builders Scholarship supports that effort. He made the decision to sponsor Gilbertson after Gilbertson spent time working at Modern Auto Body for a job shadow experience and summer employment.

“It can be hard to find technicians,” said Loscheider. “By providing a sponsorship, we are able to encourage and support a student who has potential, and to help fill an opening at our shop. I’m glad the state created the North Dakota Career Builders program and I hope it helps more students recognize that going into the trades is a good plan.”

“I want to let people know that this scholarship is available and that you don’t have to sit behind a desk to make money – you can work on cars,” said Gilbertson. “This is a good way to encourage people to get into these careers that need people.”

North Dakota Career Builders Scholarship recipients must live and work in North Dakota for three years following their degree completion, and must be admitted to a qualifying high-demand program. At NDSCS, all academic programs qualify for the scholarship program except for Culinary Arts and Liberal Arts. Additional information about requirements for the North Dakota Career Builders Scholarship is available online at ndscs.edu/ndcareerbuilders.

The North Dakota State College of Science in Wahpeton, N.D., awarded degrees, diplomas and certificates to Wahpeton, Fargo, N.D., and online summer 2019 graduates. The graduates are: 

CALIFORNIA 
San Diego: Chenoa Bumpus, A.A.S., Emergency Medical Services

MICHIGAN 
Detroit: Kyle Fowlkes, A.A., Liberal Arts

MINNESOTA 
Akeley: Milena Cain, A.A.S., Automotive Technology
Barnesville: Kylie Hinsz, A.A.S., Dental Assisting
Beardsley: Marsha Geray, A.A.S., Pharmacy Technician
Belle Plaine: Abraham Ngaima, A.A., Liberal Arts
Brainerd: Vanessa Barnum, Certificate, Emergency Medical Services
Breckenridge: Ethan Swenson, A.A.S., Robotics, Automation and Mechatronics Technology
Chanhassen: Leif Tang, A.A., Liberal Arts
Elbow Lake: Rory Island, Certificate, Emergency Medical Services
Fergus Falls: Genevieve Junkert, A.S., Liberal Arts
Graceville: Lorra Arens, A.A.S., Pharmacy Technician
Henning: Chelsey Cordes, A.A.S., Emergency Medical Services
Isle: Nathan Hummel, A.A., Liberal Arts
Kerkhoven: Aaron Collins, A.A.S., John Deere Tech
Menahga: Eva Johnson, A.A.S., Emergency Medical Services
Moorhead: Tory Bratlien, A.A.S., Welding Technology
Perham: Elizabeth Sonnenberg, A.A.S., Dental Assisting
Rosen: Gretchen Rademacher, A.A., Liberal Arts
Wadena: George Kveton, A.A.S., Emergency Medical Services

NORTH DAKOTA 
Bismarck: Sydney Keller, A.A.S., Dental Assisting
Casselton: Benjamin South, Certificate, Welding Technology
Dickinson: Kylie Lantz, A.A.S., Dental Assisting
Ellendale: Nataye Worrel, A.A.S., Pharmacy Technician
Fargo: Robert Baptista, A.A.S., Emergency Medical Services; Kateri Epperson, A.S., Liberal Arts; Dylan Erdmann, A.A.S., Precision Machining Technology; Nicole Henning, A.A.S., Emergency Medical Services; Deayeah Kweku, A.A., Liberal Arts; Evan Poitra, A.A.S., Emergency Medical Services; Mikayla Weston, A.A.S., Emergency Medical Services
Flasher: Secora Schmidt, A.A.S., Dental Assisting
Lawton: Allison Halvorson, Certificate, Dental Assisting
Mandan: Kayla Pich, A.A.S., Dental Assisting
Mapleton: Gavin Gustafson, A.A.S., Diesel Technology
Marion: Jacey Alber, A.A.S., Emergency Medical Services
McLeod: Riley Houge, A.A.S., Business Management
McVille: Mercedes Dion, A.A.S., Dental Assisting
Page: Kaitlyn Atkinson, A.A.S., Dental Assisting
Tolna: Taylor Donohue, A.A., Liberal Arts
Wahpeton: Hannah Dahm, A.A., Liberal Arts; Paige Gunderson, Certificate, Dental Assisting
West Fargo: Haley Meier, A.A.S., Emergency Medical Services; Haboniman Simon, A.A., Liberal Arts; Caden Wyse, A.A.S., Construction Management Technology

SOUTH DAKOTA 
Aberdeen: Makenzie Carroll, Certificate, Dental Assisting
North Sioux City: Brooke Harder, A.A.S., Occupational Therapy Assistant

GHANA 
Anloga: Wonder Kponor, A.A.S., Emergency Medical Services

A.A. = Associate in Arts
A.A.S. = Associate in Applied Science
A.S. = Associate in Science
 

North Dakota State College of Science hosted North Carolina Congresswoman Virginia Foxx on Wednesday, August 28. The Congresswoman visited NDSCS at its Wahpeton campus and Fargo location to learn about the College’s successful practices in delivering career and technical education.

Congresswoman Foxx is a strong advocate for career and technical education and identified NDSCS as a premier provider of this career-focused academic programming. While visiting NDSCS, she heard from College faculty and staff and toured the College’s state-of-the-art labs. NDSCS representatives highlighted the College’s work in a variety of innovative areas, including building industry partnerships and supporting student sponsorships.

“We are honored Congresswoman Foxx chose to visit NDSCS,” said NDSCS President John Richman. “This is another example of our college being recognized as a national leader in providing career and technical education, and we were happy to share information about the exciting work of our faculty and staff to grow these programs.”

North Dakota State College of Science will add to its successful line-up of athletics teams with the addition of baseball in the 2020-2021 season. The Wildcat baseball team will play in the Mon-Dak Conference and will compete at the NJCAA Division III level. 

“We are excited to add more opportunities for student athletes by beginning a baseball program,” said NDSCS Athletics Director Stu Engen. “We recognize that baseball is a very popular sport in southeast North Dakota and the surrounding region, and we look forward to adding a Wildcat baseball team to our five other successful athletics programs at NDSCS.”

The search will soon begin for a head baseball coach, who will immediately lead player recruitment efforts to fill a roster for the team’s inaugural season. The Wildcat baseball team will host its home games at John Randall Field in Wahpeton, N.D. The team will play a fall schedule of scrimmages, and will compete in conference play in the spring season.

The NDSCS baseball team will join an athletics department that consists of nationally competitive teams in volleyball, football, men’s and women’s basketball, and softball. Additional information can be found online at ndscswildcats.com. 

North Dakota State College of Science students will have two new co-curricular opportunities when the upcoming academic year begins. The College is adding clay target (trapshooting) and esports teams, which will both begin competition in the 2019-2020 academic year.

“Participation in trapshooting and esports is growing rapidly in our region,” said NDSCS Vice President for Student Affairs Jane Vangsness Frisch. “We are committed to providing a variety of co-curricular options that match our students’ interests. The addition of these new club teams will offer even more opportunities for our students to become actively involved in the College community. Research shows that students who are involved outside the classroom do better academically and socially.”

The NDSCS eSports Team will be affiliated with the National Association of Collegiate eSports and will compete year-round against other collegiate teams across the nation. The team will compete from the newly renovated Game Room in the Hektner Student Center at NDSCS in Wahpeton.

The NDSCS Clay Target Team will participate in the Minnesota Collegiate Athletic Conference (MCAC) and will compete against teams from Minnesota, North Dakota and Wisconsin. The MCAC Clay Target season is a six-week season that begins in early September and culminates with a championship in mid-October in Grand Rapids, Minn.

Additional information is available online at ndscs.edu/clubs. Students who are interested in joining either of these new teams can contact the NDSCS Student Life department at 701-671-2401 or ndscs.studentlife@ndscs.edu.