We just awarded our 2026 scholarships to high school seniors from Sioux Falls, Brandon, Harrisburg, and Tri-Valley!

Since 2005, we’ve given nearly $100,000 to local students through our scholarship program.

Each of this year’s five winners received $1,000 toward their continuing education, and all they had to do was submit a short application and a 30- to 60-second video answering the following prompt:

Tell us about a time you saw a need or opportunity and took action. What was the result, and what did you learn?

Scholarship recipients were selected based on a combination of academics, financial need, and the quality of their video response.

Allow us to introduce you to the winners:

Addison Scholten – Brandon Valley High School

As a member of the Best Buddies program at Brandon Valley High School, Addison Scholten took on a leadership role that involves planning events and playing an active role in pairing students together.

“It’s a program where students with disabilities and students without disabilities are paired to create meaningful friendships and promote inclusion,” Addison explained.

She added that through the program, she’s learned about the positive impact one person can make on the life of another.

“It’s made me realize that what truly matters in life is not school or sports,” Addison said, “but the people you meet and the relationships you make along the way.”

Addison plans to attend Creighton University for exercise science in the fall. Way to go, Addison!

Avery Rodgers – Roosevelt High School

“During my senior year, I was able to join the Avera Academy,” said Sioux Falls senior Avery Rodgers, “where I took dual credit courses at Southeast Tech and shadowed various areas in healthcare at Avera.”

This experience opened her eyes to how compassion and attentive care is so needed in healthcare.

“I have seen how even the smallest actions can make a patient feel seen, supported, and safe,” Avery said.

She emphasized the importance of relationships and teamwork in creating a positive environment for families, adding that “these experiences strengthened my passion for healthcare and showed me the kind of provider I hope to be.”

Avery will go on to study exercise science at South Dakota State University. Nice work, Avery!

Ellie Barber – Brandon Valley High School

Especially with college on the horizon, Brandon Valley High School senior Ellie Barber felt she needed to be more financially independent.

“I didn’t want to rely on other people,” she said, “…but at the time, I was also struggling to find a job that didn’t make me miserable.”

Rather than complaining about the situation, Ellie took action by researching options, exploring higher-paying jobs, and considering fields that aligned with her interests, such as psychology and working with children.

“Because of that, I’ve become a lot more independent and intentional about my future instead of just taking whatever comes my way,” Ellie said. “I learned that sometimes the ‘need’ isn’t something big — it’s realizing that you have to take control of your own situation and actually do something about it.”

Ellie also took action by applying for this scholarship, and she’s earned $1,000 toward studying psychology at Augustana University. You’re crushing it, Ellie!

Macey Boese – Tri-Valley High School

“Last year, I noticed that I was spending a lot of my time stressed out and feeling overwhelmed by balancing school and my outside life,” said Tri-Valley High School senior Macey Boese. “I realized that if I didn’t make a change, it would start affecting my grades and my mental health.”

Macey created a daily schedule and began keeping a small journal to track her progress and reflect on what was and wasn’t working.

As a result, she felt more organized and less stressed, and she improved her grades in every class.

“My friends even asked me for tips because they saw how much I had changed,” Macey added. “From this experience, I learned the value of self-discipline and planning ahead. I realized that taking initiative for my own growth can have a big impact on not just me and my success, but my confidence and well-being.”

Certainly, Macey will apply these skills as she studies nursing at South Dakota State University. Good luck, Macey!

Regina Stoeser – Harrisburg High School

Harrisburg High School senior Regina Stoeser saw a need last summer for more coaching and opportunities within women’s wrestling.

“I decided to start my own business, and I coached private lessons for female wrestlers all summer,” Regina said. “This was a really cool opportunity because I was able to steward my gifts, which is a big core value for me and also for First National Bank.”

Through the experience, Regina formed new relationships with the female wrestlers, with their parents, and within her community.

“This really just taught me a lot about myself in that I can be an entrepreneur, I can start my own business, and, at the same time, I can use my talents for good and to help grow my sport,” Regina said.

It should come as no surprise that Regina plans to pursue business and exercise science at Fort Hays State University in Kansas. Well done, Regina!

Congratulations to our 2026 scholarship winners

We want to thank all the students who took the time to submit an application this year; your hard work and commitment to your future education is commendable, and we have no doubt that you all will do great things.

And, congratulations to Addison, Avery, Ellie, Macey, and Regina. We can’t wait to see what you do next!