A special scholarship award signing program was held last Wednesday morning at the Wagner Boys and Girls Club. This special event featured two area students, who were being honored as part of a new scholarship opportunity being offered to Yankton Sioux Tribe students who are preparing to step into the next phase of their life after high school.

The scholarship award signing ceremony featured Koby Weverka, of Andes Central High School, who will be attending Mitchel Technical Institute to study diesel power technology and Joi Zephier, of Wagner High School, and will be attending Southeast Technical Institute to study nursing. Both of these students will be receiving the Yankton Sioux Tribe and Build Dakota Partnership Scholarship. They will be the first students to receive this new scholarship. This educational investment involves a new relationship that creates a partnership between the Yankton Sioux Tribe and the Build Dakota Scholarship program, which is funded by a Denny Sanford.

This scholarship is a partnership that will provide these students with the full cost of tuition, books, fees, a laptop computer and the required tools for their educational program over a two year period. The scholarships are valued at $18,000, with each funding partner providing 50% of the funds provided in this scholarship. This type of scholarship is often referred to as a “full ride scholarship”. As stated earlier, this is a new scholarship and represents a historical step for the Yankton Sioux Tribe and also for the Build Dakota Scholarship Program. This scholarship is unique as most scholarship partnerships involve business and industry, with very specific requirements involving the student to return to work for the partner. This scholarship is very different as there are no requirements to return to the area, just to remain in South Dakota working in the field trained in for a three year time period. However, it is hoped the students receiving the scholarship would consider coming back home to help make the area even more successful in the future.

The goal of this scholarship is to encourage and support qualifying and motivated Yankton Sioux Tribe students to successfully complete a Build Dakota Scholarship training program and then become gainfully employed in that profession for three years in South Dakota when completed. To become qualified to apply for the scholarship, students must have earned a minimum of 2.5 GPA in high school, have a good high school attendance history, be involved in positive school and community activities that help show they are motivated students who are clearly motivated to work towards success in their field of study. The students must be accepted into a qualifying program at Mitchell Technical Institute, Southeast Technical Institute or Lake Area Technical Institute, completed the application process for the Build Dakota Scholarship Program at the institution as well as an application for the Yankton Sioux Tribe and Build Dakota Partnership Scholarship. Meeting all of the deadlines, with quality applications were also very important. Students must also complete their FAFSA application for federal funding, obtain housing next to campus, sign a waiver permitting the Yankton Sioux Tribe Education Program contact person to monitor their class attendance and performance records, also meet regularly with the YST Education Program contact person, work closely with the technical school Student Success Center and maintain a minimum 2.5 GPA while in school. All of these requirements speak to the students desire to “train for success”, which is well beyond just attending school full time. When the students training is completed they are not required to return to the area, but must work in the career field for a minimum of a three year period. Failing to meet any part of the standards set forth in the scholarship agreement converts the scholarship to a loan, which is then required to be paid back to the Yankton Sioux Tribe and the Build Dakota Program.

“As can be seen in the requirements and expectations of this scholarship, the Yankton Sioux Tribe and the Build Dakota partnership has set a very clear bar to meet and it relates directly to what is needed to be successful in todays education world and the workplace as well. When designing the partnership requirements and expectations, those involved in the process spent a great deal of time reviewing what creates successful and also failing students. Dana Sanderson, George Langdeau and Clayton Deuter from Mitchell Technical Institute all focused upon what they have seen as key steps that tend to consistently lead to failure or success as students leave home and go off to school. Students need clear direction, motivation, accountability, and a realistic goal along with consistent support that all focusses upon building success. Without these important pieces, failure to often becomes the norm. Enough praise cannot be stated about the high quality of leadership from the Yankton Sioux Tribe Chairman and the Business and Claims Committee members in agreeing to becoming a partner with the Build Dakota Scholarship. Looking into the future and helping to build a real road to success is key to the future of our young people.”

This educational partnership idea will now be shared with others who might want to focus on the successful educational future of truly educationally motivated students in their area. “Watching students succeed and fail over the past 40 plus years has taught us a great deal about what it takes to develop educational success and this has helped in the development of this educational plan. This idea has also helped to encourage the technical schools listed to be a part of this important partnership. We hope other tribes or even businesses to follow the Yankton Sioux Tribe leadership down this path and adopt this plan for their own area, as the technical schools want to see success just as much as we do. The parents/guardians of the students selected for this new scholarship should feel extremely proud of their children for wha they have accomplished. The Yankton Sioux Tribe should be very proud of taking such an important step into the future.” For more information about what is needed to take this step please contact Dana Sanderson at 605-491-0804 or e-mail at danasanderson51@gmail.com