Win-E-Mac Seniors awarded over $100,000 in scholarships

The Win-E-Mac Academic, Athletic and Fine Arts awards banquet was held at the school on Wednesday, May 6, 2015. The banquet was prepared by an array of staff and students assisting on the set up, serving and clean up, while the Win-E-Mac Jazz band performed musical selections for the enjoyment of all who attended.

For the first time in Win-E-Mac history there were Co-Valedictorian’s names. Both Kaysee Mandt and Austin Tadman were awarded the honor. The AAA award, a student who excelled in all three areas (Academics, Athletic and Art’s), were Kara Sonstelie and Austin Tadman.

After dinner, the awards ceremony began with Student Council President, Zach Plante welcoming the students and guests, next Principal Kevin McKeever recognized the high school students who have been on the Honor Roll at least one time during the year.

The presentation of scholarships started with Pastor Tim Lundeen awarding 6 scholarships from Grace Lutheran Church to Hunter Plante, Madison Stuhaug, Chloe Smeby, Chase Svalen, Austin Tadman, and Zac Tradewell; Erskine American Legion (Bailey Throne Post 596) awarded 7 scholarships in the amount of $700 each to Madison Stuhaug, Zac Tradewell, Kaysee Mandt, Maggie Spry, Austin Tadman, Travis Kaster, and Zach Plante; 2  $400 scholarships from Wild Rice Electric were awarded to Austin Tadman and Zach Plante.

The McIntosh First Responders and Firefighters awarded 10 scholarships in the amount of $500 each to Krystal Haugen, Kaysee Mandt, Zach Plante, Marea Schommer, Maggie Spry, Madison Stuhaug, Chase Svalen, Austin Tadman, Matt Thompson and Zac Tradewell;  The Winger Lions presented 3 $500 scholarships to Austin Tadman, Zach Plante, and Kaysee Mandt; there was one $1,000 scholarship from the Elaine Bergman Scholarship awarded to Madison Stuhaug; American State Bank of Erskine awarded 2 $250 scholarships to Austin Tadman and Megan Kangas.

Essentia Health awarded one scholarship in the amount of $500 to Megan Kangas; there was a $1,000 scholarship awarded to Matt Thompson from the Highway 2 Cruisers; East Polk County Fair Scholarship awarded 2 $1,000 scholarships to Hannah Rolf, and Zach Plante.

There were 4 $1,200 scholarships awarded to Adam Shaver, Zach Plante, Hunter Plante and Derek Bekkedahl from the Leo Parent Charitable Trust Fund II; Altru Health Systems awarded a scholarship to Kaysee Mandt; and East Polk County Home Council awarded a scholarship to Hannah Rolf.

Red Lake Electric awarded Jenna Wiersma a $500 scholarship; 1 $500 scholarship was awarded to Hunter Plante from the Communication Workers of American Local 7272; $1,250 was awarded to Megan Kangas from the Matthew Harmon Fallen Soldier Memorial Scholarship.

The Arthur I and Jane B Snustad Foundation Scholarships in the amount of $2,500 were awarded to 10 Win-E-Mac Seniors: Megan Kangas, Kaysee Mandt, Zach Plante, Brittany Rolf, Kara Sonstelie, Maggie Spry, Austin Tadman, Zach Tradewell, Hanna Wiersman and Jenna Wiersma along with the Seniors 6 Win-E-Mac Alumni also received the scholarship, Reed Klinkhammer, Brittney Lee, Kylie Mandt, Hunter Smeby and Luke Syverson. The scholarships from the Snustad Foundation have an option to renew after the first year for an additional 3 years. 

Virgil and Mary Lerfald presented the next group of scholarships to the Win-E-Mac Seniors starting with the Win-E-Mac Alumni Scholarship of $300 which was awarded to 9 students: Austin Tadman, Madison Stuhaug, Maggie Spry, Kaysee Mandt, Zach Plante, Chase Svalen, Hanna Wiersma, and Jenna Wiersma; the Liberty Lucken scholarship for $2,500 was presented to Travis Kaster; 2 Gunter Scholarships were presented to Kaysee Mandt and Austin Tadman, a $500 scholarship from Jeannie Vesledahl  Scholarship foundation was presented to Chase Svalen; Jan Ostenson Scholarship awarded a $500 scholarship to Hunter Plante; 2 $1,000 scholarships from Harriet Grundyson Hudrlik Memorial Scholarship were awarded to Megan Kangas and Kaysee Mandt; $500 from Jim and Nancy Benson Scholarship was awarded to Adam Shaver.

The Thompson Family Scholarship awarded 2 $250 to Adam Shaver and Matt Thompson; 6 scholarships for $1,000 from the Russell B. Hagen Foundation were awarded to Hannah Rolf, Amanda Lende, Anya Eyman, Samantha Burcham, Chase Svalen and Matt Thompson; the McIntosh/Erskine Garden Club awarded a $200 scholarship to Hannah Rolf.

The Tori Sannes Memorial Scholarship of $500 was awarded to Krystal Haugen; Zach Plante received the Cora Grove Scholarship of $500; and the Nick Lerfald Scholarship of $400 each was awarded to Zac Tradewell and Maggie Spry.

Travis Kaster, Amanda Lende, Kaysee Mandt, Adam Shaver, Zach Plante and Austin Tadman were presented scholarships from the colleges they will be attending as well.

One Act Play awards were presented by Bruce McWilliam to Kory Peterson, Mike Revier, CeCe Peterson, Maggie Spry, Kira Basargin, Indiana Nornes, Austin Tadman, Jonah Semerikov, Hannah Marshall, Megan Kangas, Dawn Roed, Anne Weik, Zach Simonson, Mariah McKeever, Chris Kuznetsov, Kelsey Knutson, Breanna Carroll, JoJo Parenteau, Elly Lindberg, MacKenzie Fuller, Joey Revier, and Madison McKeever.

Jessica Gloege presented the Spotlight on the Arts Award to Natalia Froliv. The National School Choral Award was presented by Amanda Shultz to Austin Tadman and the John Philip Sousa Award to Zach Plante.

The Athletic Awards were presented to the students by Athletic Director Aaron Cook. The Mark Schimanski Award was given to Zac Tradewell. The Randy Helgaas Defensive Player of the Year Awards are given to a top player in both boys and girls basketball and a member of both the junior varsity and varsity teams. This year’s winners were, Tyra Wilson, Madison McKeever, Emilian Kiav and Jake Knutson. 

The award of Senior Outstanding Female Athlete was presented to Kara Sonstelie and the Senior Outstanding Male Athlete Award was given to Zac Tradewell. Hanna Wiersma was awarded the Senior Outstanding Female Academic Athlete Award and Zach Plante was given the counterpart of the same award. The Senior Outstanding Academic and Fine Arts Student Award was given to Austin Tadman.