7 Wall High School seniors receive full-ride scholarships to technical colleges in South Dakota

RAPID CITY, S.D. (KEVN) - Wall High School only has a class of 22 graduating seniors, but seven young scholars will continue their education in the Mount Rushmore State, for free.

These students received full-ride ‘Build Dakota’ scholarships to technical colleges in South Dakota with one stipulation: they must remain in South Dakota for three years after obtaining their associate’s degree to work in the field they choose.

Build Dakota Program Manager Deni Martin said seven students from one small school achieving this scholarship was an impressive feat.

“That is rare, for that kind of percentage to be in, and I commend the school for that,” Martin said.

Part of the student’s tuition is paid by local companies who plan to hire them after two years of school. For employers in rural areas, investing in homegrown talent is one way to address a challenging labor market.

This year marked a decade for Build Dakota scholarships, and Martin said students in the past have found success through the program.

See a spelling or grammatical error in our story? Please click here to report it.

Do you have a photo or video of a breaking news story? Send it to us here with a brief description.

Copyright 2024 KEVN. All rights reserved.