Rural North Dakota Students Win $15K in Scholarships

Six graduating seniors from a small rural North Dakota high school are heading to college with a combined $15,000 in scholarship support, thanks to a fund that has now invested more than $221,000 in local students over the years.

The Minot Area Community Foundation awarded the scholarships through the Anna S. and Harold A.C. Bergstrom Scholarship Fund to students from Mohall-Lansford-Sherwood High School. Eva Klokstad, Zoe Labatore, Brielle Volk, and Brooke Zimmer each received $3,000 awards, while Zoey Anderson and Drayson Johnson received $1,500 each.

What makes these scholarships special is their mission. Students had to demonstrate how their chosen careers would benefit rural North Dakota communities, keeping with Harold and Anna Bergstrom's original vision of strengthening the region they called home.

The selection process looked at more than just grades. Students needed to show both academic achievement and a clear understanding of how their future work would make a lasting difference in rural communities facing unique challenges.

The Ripple Effect

This scholarship program represents something bigger than financial aid. It's a promise between generations that someone who grew up in rural North Dakota will bring their education and talents back to serve communities that need them.

Jason Zimmerman, president of the Minot Area Community Foundation, emphasized the deeper meaning behind the awards. "It is meaningful to continue honoring Harold and Anna Bergstrom's legacy by helping local students pursue education and careers that will make a lasting difference in rural communities," he said.

The $221,000 invested since the fund began represents more than two decades of rural students gaining access to higher education. Each scholarship recipient becomes part of a growing network of professionals committed to strengthening small town America.

These six students join dozens of others who have benefited from the Bergstroms' vision, creating a multiplying effect of talent and dedication flowing back into the communities that raised them.