SMSC Endowed Scholarship Recipients Announced

Prior Lake, MN – The Shakopee Mdewakanton Sioux Community today announced 52 new recipients of the Shakopee Mdewakanton Sioux Community Endowed Scholarship for the 2012-2013 school year. This is the fourth group of students to receive the scholarship at the University of Minnesota. Forty-five of the first three groups of 59 students will continue to receive the scholarships they were originally awarded for the 2009-2010, 2010-2011, and 2011-2012 school years; four students have graduated thus far.

Continuation of the scholarships is based on grades and financial need.

“We want Indian kids to further their education so that they can go back to their reservations and help their people. We want to help them as they are developing into the next generation of leaders,” said SMSC Chairman Charlie Vig.

The SMSC Endowed Scholarship was established in 2008 through a $2.5 million gift from the Shakopee Mdewakanton Sioux Community into an endowment fund which earns interest which the University of Minnesota then matches to provide scholarships for American Indian students.

The SMSC scholarship program is designed to recruit and retain talented American Indian students with demonstrated financial need. The SMSC scholarship program is administered by the University's Office for Equity and Diversity. To date, 112 students have received the Shakopee Mdewakanton Sioux Community Endowed Scholarship.

The primary goal of the SMSC scholarship program is to support incoming University of Minnesota freshmen and transfer students with demonstrated financial need. Scholarships may also be awarded to newly-admitted graduate and professional students in specific disciplines. For undergraduates, scholarships are renewable for up to four years or until graduation (whichever comes first) contingent upon academic performance. For graduate and professional students, the length of funding is contingent upon academic performance, the school of enrollment, and degree program and will be determined on a case-by-case basis.

The 52 scholarship recipients come from across the United States and from a number of different tribes. Nineteen of the students are from Minnesota tribes. Twenty-five are graduate students; 27 are undergraduates. Thirty-one are female; 21 are male. Twenty-seven attend the University of Minnesota, Duluth Campus; 14, the Twin Cities Campus; and 11, the Morris Campus. Twenty of the scholars are in the Master of Tribal Administration and Governance program at Duluth. Majors for the scholars range from biology to education to architecture and include chemistry, art, history, social work, criminology, psychology, and medicine.

Students previously awarded the SMSC Endowed Scholarships come from as far as New York, Utah, Oklahoma, and Colorado. Previous recipients have majors as diverse as Forensic Science to Music to Biochemistry to Dentistry.

For each cycle applications materials received by March 1 are given preference. The final deadline is September 1. For more information go to http://www.shakopeedakota.org/scholarships.html.

For a complete list of scholarship winners, please go to: http://www.shakopeedakota.org/scholarships/2012 winners.pdf.

Last Name Tribal Affiliation Major Status Campus

Annette, Emily White Earth MTAG Grad Duluth

Annette, Billie White Earth MTAG Grad Duluth

Auginash, Chad A. Red Lake Band Electrical Engineering Undergrad Duluth

Bellanger, Evelyn L. White Earth MTAG Grad Duluth

Big John, Jerome B. Lac du Flambeau MTAG Grad Duluth

Bighorn, Leslee E.R. Fort Peck History Undergrad Morris

Blackwell, William J. Grand Portage MTAG Grad Duluth

Boyd, Nicole Red Cliff Band MTAG Grad Duluth

Brengman, Hannah L. Ojibwe Biochemistry Undergrad TC/Duluth

Bruguier, Jeaninne M. Lac du Flambeau MTAG Grad Duluth

Bushyhead, Hana S. Eastern Band of Cherokee Architecture Undergrad Twin Cities

Charging Hawk, Aliina K.k Rosebud Sioux Tribe MTAG Grad Duluth

Crego, Travis L. St. Croix Band Education Undergrad Morris

Day, Caryn A. Mille Lacs Band MTAG Grad Duluth

DuMarce, Eric Sisseton-Wahpeton Oyate Elementary Education Undergrad Morris

Forrest, Rachel Koasek Abenaki Art Undergrad Morris

Goodthunder, Vanessa R. Lower Sioux History Undergrad Twin Cities

Goodwin, Cheri L. Red Lake Band Social Work Grad Duluth

Hawkins, Diana Sisseton-Wahpeton Oyate Biology Undergrad Twin Cities

Heberer, Erica R. Fort Peck Undecided Undergrad Morris

Heino, Jared Red Cliff Band Criminology Undergrad Duluth

Her Many Horses, Lorna Rosebud Sioux Tribe Education Grad Twin Cities

Jackson, Lisa Mille Lacs Band MTAG Grad Duluth

Kelsey, John Nottawaseppi Huron Band of Potawatomi Medicine Grad Duluth

Knutson, Nora Red Lake Band American Indian Studies Undergrad Twin Cities

Mathson, Moriah D. Tlingit Pre-med Undergrad Morris

McCormick, April Grand Portage MTAG Grad Duluth

Mora, Olivia R. Pomo Marketing/Communications Undergrad Morris

Myers, William G. Grand Portage MTAG Grad Duluth

Nelson, Michelle D. Turtle Mountain Undecided Undergrad Morris

Neusser, Michael W. Sault Ste. Marie MTAG Grad Duluth

Paron, Jasmine L. Red Lake Band Undecided Undergrad Morris

Peters, Maya Sisseton-Wahpeton Oyate MTAG Grad Duluth

Pierre, Cage Avoyel_Taensa Thearer Arts Undergrad Twin Cities

Poitra, Jesslynn Turtle Mountain Biology Undergrad Duluth

Poole, Annemarie Cheyenne & Arapaho Tribes of Oklahoma Social Work Grad Duluth

Reed, Francis L. Turtle Mountain Undecided Undergrad Morris

Ridley, Samantha Standing Rock Sioux Tribe Biology Undergrad Morris

Rolof, Keith Keweenaw Bay Indian Community MTAG Grad Duluth

Sather, Donovan G. Red Lake Band MTAG Grad Duluth

Shelerud, Kate Lac Courte Oreilles Nursing Undergrad Twin Cities

Smith, Gary Mille Lacs Band Art Undergrad Twin Cities

Stech, William White Earth Special Education Grad Duluth

Stout, John A. Bois Forte Band Chemistry Undergrad Twin Cities

Sutherland, David B. Constance Lake First Nation American Indian Studies Undergrad Twin Cities

Thompson, Angela Pawnee MTAG Grad Duluth

Thompson, Shane Little Traverse Bay Bands of Odawa Indians Recreation, Parks, & Leisure Undergrad Twin Cities

VanderVenter, Carmen Red Cliff Band MTAG Grad Duluth

Wilkins, Nazhone Navajo Sports Management Undergrad Twin Cities

Williams, Jaimin Fond du Lac Psychology Undergrad Twin Cities

Wilson, Desirie Red Lake Band MTAG Grad Duluth

Wolfe, Jeanne M. Lac du Flambeau MTAG Grad Duluth