SDSD Foundation Scholarships
The South Dakota School for the Deaf Foundation awards scholarships to students who have received services from South Dakota School for the Deaf, are high school seniors, and have provided service to their school and community. There have been many past recipients from around the state of South Dakota.
Please check out our 2021-2022 scholarship opportunities.
2021 Scholarship Recipients
Denae Baker of Brookings, SD, was awarded a $1,500.00 Scholarship from the South Dakota School for the Deaf Foundation. Denae plans to pursue a degree in Agricultural Business with a minor in Agronomy at South Dakota State University. Denae participated in Future Farmers of America (FFA) from 2019-2021. She has worked at SoDak Labs and is currently working at Little Caesars.
Jackson Counts of Viborg, SD, was awarded a $1,500.00 Scholarship from the South Dakota School for the Deaf Foundation. Jackson plans to attend Dakota Wesleyan University with a major in Music. Jackson was the football and basketball manager. He has volunteered at the Lund Theatre in Viborg and as a student janitor at his school.
Benjamin Dalke of Watertown, SD, is the recipient of an $833.00 Scholarship from the South Dakota School for the Deaf Foundation. Benjamin plans to attend Lake Area Technical College majoring in Public Health. Benjamin was active in football, jazz band, and National Honor Society and served as the student manager for basketball. He has worked for County Fair and The Tree Farm and is currently working at Jeff’s Vacuum Center. He volunteers for the New Life Church Worship Team and the Youth Worship Team.
Abby Dingman from Sioux Falls, SD, was awarded the Minnehaha Sertoma Scholarship in the amount of $1500.00 from the South Dakota School for the Deaf Foundation. Abby plans to attend South Dakota State University. Abby was involved with marching and symphonic band, show choir, concert choir, chamber singers, and musicals. She was first chair flute and qualified for all-state choir all four years of her high school career. Abby is involved in music ministry in her parish, as she sings or plays the flute for services, weddings, and funerals.
Connor Kaup of Hoven, SD, is the recipient of an $833.00 Scholarship from the South Dakota School for the Deaf Foundation. Connor plans to attend Lake Area Technical College to major in Building and Construction. Connor was active in football, track and field, basketball, high school band, marching band, school plays, French club, Student Council, and National Honor Society. He has worked as a farmhand for his family, mowed lawns, and worked for R & L Construction. Connor is currently working at Kaiser Construction. His community service projects have consisted of helping with various FFA activities, serving in church and helping with the church bizarre, mowing lawns, and shoveling snow.
Matthew Olson of Frederick, SD, was awarded an $833.00 Scholarship from the South Dakota School for the Deaf Foundation. Matthew plans to attend North Dakota State College of Science to major in Agricultural Sciences. Matthew volunteers with Frederick Forward in their community events. He is involved with the Youth Empowerment Through Involvement in Snowmobiling (YETIS) program, motocross, basketball, football, baseball, band, and chorus and is a member of the Farmers Union. Matthew works at Olson Farms, Green Iron Equipment, and 281 Repair. Matthew has been active with Frederick Forward for the past eleven years.
Ian Riesinger of Lemmon, SD, is the recipient of a $1500.00 Scholarship from the South Dakota School for the Deaf Foundation. Ian plans to attend Black Hills State University majoring in English. Ian participated in golf, band, pep band, dinner theatre, journalism, Students Against Destructive Decisions, and National Honor Society. His community service experience consists of tutoring Foreign Exchange Students, decorating haunted houses for community children, shoveling and doing yard work for the elderly, and decorating floats for the Boss Cowman Parade. Ian works for Five Counties Nursing Home as a dietary aide and is interning at the Dakota Herald Newspaper.
Kara Smith of Edgemont, SD, is the recipient of the Kevin Roth Scholarship in the amount of $1500.00 from the South Dakota School for the Deaf Foundation. Kara plans to attend South Dakota School of Mines and Technology to major in Chemistry. She has been in volleyball, basketball, track, Future Farmers of America (FFA), pep band and marching band, choir, and stage crew. She volunteers in her community by writing Christmas cards for deployed soldiers, participating in community clean-up day, and tutoring peers.