2021 Student Leadership and Engagement AwardAward

Mackenzie Balogh is a Physical Education major from Regina, Saskatchewan who hopes to teach at either the elementary or secondary level.  She has been a member of the Minot State University Women’s Hockey Team and was named to the Chi Alpha Sigma, the National College Athlete Honor Society.  She has been a member of Minot State Club of Physical Education (MSCOPE) since 2018. 

In the community, Mackenzie has assisted with Ryan Chevrolet Fun Night and MSU Special Olympics Floor Hockey.  She has also worked security at MSU Men’s Hockey games and volunteered at the Roosevelt Park Zoo during orientation week.

Mackenzie has been on the President’s List and Vice President for Academic Affairs Honor Roll, and is a recipient of the Don and Jayce Anderson Scholarship and the Distinguished and Engaged Scholars Award.  Mackenzie works on campus in the Wellness Center.

Hailing from Minot, Thea Bonebrake has been active in the community, volunteering at Roosevelt Park Zoo and at Sunnyside Elementary School where she helped students to write the alphabet and to read basic words and sentences.  She also volunteers at her church, St. Leo’s Catholic Church.

Thea is a member of MSU Life planning events for the campus, and has served as Director of Entertainment since 2019.  In addition, she is a member of the Honors Society and the Pre-Med Club.  She is a student member of the Academic Advising Committee and works in the Student Activities Office.

Thea has been named to the Engagement Honor Roll, the President’s List, and the Vice President for Academic Affairs Honor Roll.  She is the recipient of the Great Plains Award, a North Dakota Academic Scholarship, the North Dakota Dollars for Scholars Returning Student Scholarship, the James A. Guy Memorial Scholarship, the Rose Morgan Scholarship, the Philip and Barbara Fallis Scholarship, the Glenn Bonness Scholarship, the Alumni Association Scholarship, and the Erma Fahlgren Scholarship.

Having participated in undergraduate research investigating the role of Caper gene in sensory neuron development in mice, Thea is a Biology major who aspires to attend medical school to fulfill her dream of becoming a dermatologist. 

Leticia Cossi de Souza has performed volunteer work with Ave Maria Nursing Home, the Domestic Violence Crisis Center, Recovery Empowered, and KALIX, a disabilities service and support organization.  She has also been involved in the Road to Recovery Music, Art, and Personal Stories (MAPS).

Leticia was an Orientation Leader, assisting new students in their acclimation to Minot State University.  She has been named to the Vice President for Academic Affairs Honor Roll and to the Engagement Honor Roll, and has been the recipient of an MSU Scholarship.

A Psychology major with a Criminal Justice minor, Leticia hopes to go on for a Master’s degree in Forensic Psychology and a Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology to assist those who have been incarcerated.

Jacob Dahl is a Spanish Education major from Couer d’Alene, Idaho.  He has been a guard on the Men’s Basketball Team for the past three years, and was named NSIC All-Academic, and NSIC All-Academic Team of Excellence, as well as the National Association of Basketball Coaches Honors Court.  He has also been listed on the President’s List and the Vice President for Academic Affairs Honor Roll.

Jacob has served as a youth group leader, a food bank volunteer, a volunteer at elementary schools, and has helped to cater community events.  On campus he has served as a member of MSU Life and participated in the Wellness Center Triathlon.

Jacob aspires to teach Spanish, coach, obtain his Ed.S. degree in School Psychology, and to be a great husband and father.

Cameron Deasy is a senior Criminal Justice major with minors in both French and Law and Legal Studies.  He is from Brampton, Ontario.  He has served as a Peer Mentor in the Criminal Justice First-Year Experience class for three years, and represents Minot State University in the Department of Criminal Justice video.

Cameron has been named to the honor rolls multiple times and received the Helen Hoar French Award.  He has been a member of the Baseball Team, receiving both an academic and athletic scholarship.  He has helped to paint the Girl Scouts building in Minot as well as to install and remove basketball flooring in the Minot Public Gymnasium.  He has also worked security at Minot State University Men’s and Women’s Hockey games.

Cameron hopes to pursue a career in law in Canada and perhaps obtain a Master’s degree.

Sami Jo Henry has been the captain of the Minot State Women’s Hockey Team for three years and was named the Most Valuable Player and the Rylee Cygan Memorial Award winner for the 2019-2020 season.  She has held the positions of Vice President and President of the Criminal Justice Club, and has been a member of the Student Athlete Advisory committee.

In the community, Sami Jo has volunteered with the Special Olympics, organized a book drive for the Armchair Project, and organized a food and toy drive for the Salvation Army.  She has been named to both the President’s List and the Vice President for Academic Affairs Honor Roll.

Sami Jo, who is from Balgonie, Saskatchewan, hopes to parlay her degree in Criminal Justice into a career as a crime analyst or juvenile probation officer.

Macy Knudsen, who is from Malta, Montana, has put her leadership experience to work planning programs for the Girl Scouts since 2014.  She also volunteers at the Roosevelt Park Zoo and the Souris Valley Animal Shelter.  On campus, she has been both a Resident Assistant and Residence Hall Director.  In addition, she has been active with the National Student Speech Language Hearing Association.

Macy has received multiple scholarships, including the MSU 4-year Award, the Treacy Foundation Scholarship, the PEO Eaton-Hendrickson Scholarship, the Malta Dirt Daubers Garden Club Scholarship, the Veseth-Njaastad Scholarship, and the Malta Lutheran Church Scholarship.

Following graduation, Macy hopes to pursue a Doctoral degree in Audiology so that she might assist the hearing impaired.

Abigail McGee is a senior Radiologic Technology major from Butte, Montana who has maintained a 4.0 grade point average.  In her time at Minot State, Abigail has been a member of the Track & Field Team and the Cross-Country Team, as well as the Women’s Hockey Club.  She served as a member of the Leadership Council for Cross Country and Track, as a tutor in Organic Chemistry, and has been a part of Pacesetters Bible Study.

Abigail has volunteered at the Souris Valley Animal Shelter, as a security worker at MSU hockey games, and with the MSU Oak Park 5K Fun Run and MSU Rake-a-thon.  Her numerous scholarships and accolades include the Folds of Honor Military Scholarship, the Pat McAfee Military Scholarship, the Montana National Guard Thrift Shop Scholarship, the Minot Women’s Auxiliary Scholarship, the Meier’s Science Scholarship, the Beaver Boosters Athletic Scholarship, the NSIC All-Academic Team of Excellence in both Cross Country and Track & Field, and the Chi Alpha Sigma National Collegiate Athlete Honor Society.

Abigail has her National Certification as an EMT and plans to continue her education in Nuclear Medicine and join the Navy.

Thi Pham is a junior Accounting major from Vietnam with a 4.0 grade point average.  She hopes to pass the CPA exam after graduating with a perfect GPA.  She has been named to the President’s List and received the Roger and Jeanette Christ Scholarship.

Thi is an ASTEP Peer Mentor, a Library Assistant, and New Student Program Leader, and an Economics Note Taker.  She held the position of Treasurer for the Beta Theta Sorority.

Thi has volunteered for the Dancing for Special Stars Event for the Special Olympics and has been a ticket seller for sports events at the MSU dome.  This spring she was a part of the Volunteer Income Tax Assistance program at Minot State. 

Shaena Richard’s long-term goal is to become a Registered Nurse and work at Trinity Hospital in the Mother/Newborn department.  She is a junior Nursing major from Huntley, Montana.

An active member of MSU Life, Shaena has organized several events for students.  She is also a spin instructor at the Wellness Center and a part of the Nursing Student Association.  She has been involved in community clean-ups and tying blankets for a nursing home.

Shaena was the recipient of the Loretta F. Holub Scholarship and a 4-Year Award from Minot State University.

A senior from Leeds, North Dakota, Arnikka Thompson is a Music Education Major whose primary instrument is the clarinet.  She is an active member of the Music Teachers National Association, the Secretary of the National Association for Music Education, and a member of the MSU Concert band, the MSU Beaver Pep Band, the MSU Concert Choir, the MSU Singers, and the Minot Symphony Orchestra.

Her love of music extends to her civic engagement where she has been involved with the Mini-Musician Camp, Christmas caroling, the Messiah Concert, and Minot United to Supply Instruments for Children.

Arnikka is the recipient of the North Dakota State Grant, Minot State University’s 4-year Award, the John Pat Strohm Music Scholarship, the Amstutz/Sundet Woodwinds Scholarship, and a North Dakota Academic Scholarship.

After graduating from Minot State University, Arnikka hopes to direct a high school band.

Lynn Vick is a senior Biology major with concentrations in Chemistry and Physical Science and a minor in Mathematics. Lynn is from Tamuning, Guam.  She has been a member of the Biology Club, serving as Secretary and Vice President, the Pre-Med Club, and the Science Club.  She was a Supplemental Instructor in Anatomy and Physiology I for the MSU POWER Center and a Math and Biology tutor for the Academic Support Center. 

An active volunteer, Lynn has been a part of the Beta Gamma Phi Magic Show, a volunteer and recruiter for the North Dakota Department of Health, a Silver Level blood donor, a trained Crisis Counselor via Crisis Text Line, a Prayer Volunteer with Victory Life Church, and a member of the Minot State University Sustainability Committee, just to name a few.

Lynn is a member of the American Association for the Advancement of Science and the American Chemical Society.  She conducted undergraduate research in the Molecular Sciences and won first place for her poster presentation on the rapid synthesis of N-[1-(4-nitrophenyl)ethyl]-N-methyl formamide.

A recipient of the Erma Fahlgren Scholarship, the Frank and Olga Bauman Scholarship, and the MSU 4-Year Scholarship, Lynn plans to attend the Idaho College of Osteopathic Medicine to obtain a Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine degree and become a rural Emergency Physician.  She hopes also to teach in anatomy or physical sciences on a part-time basis.

Caitlyn Vogel is a native of Minot, North Dakota pursuing a degree in Nursing.  She is a member of the National Nurses Association, the Student-Faculty Association, was Miss North Dakota Teen USA 2018-2019, and was first runner-up at the national Miss Teen USA competition.  Caitlyn was recently named 2021 Miss North Dakota USA!

Caitlyn has completed over 500 hours of community service for several consecutive years.  She is the Founder and Executive Director of the Limitless Fashion Show for women with special needs.  She is also a YMCA referee, coach, and site manager for youth sports.  She is a swim instructor for the YMCA All Kids Adaptive Swimming Lessons, and a dancer and celebrity guest for the North Dakota Special Olympics.  She founded the Downright Perfect Clothing Drive to provide clothing for women and children.  She was a model in the Best Buddies Fashion Show and has made numerous community appearances as Princess Belle from Beauty and the Beast.

Caitlyn is the recipient of an MSU 4-Year Award, the Emerging Scholars Award, the North Dakota Career and Technical Education Scholarship, the Bremer Scholarship and the Rotary Scholarship.  She hopes to stay in North Dakota and continue to impact the community through the field of nursing.

Originally from Accra, Ghana, Lordina Yeboah is a junior Biology major with a Chemistry minor who desires to become a physician and inspire youth by speaking in schools and preaching the gospel.  Lordina is a Senator in the Student Government Association as well as the Coordinator of Events for the Residence Hall Association.

For Welcome Weekend Lordina helped paint, rake leaves, and aerate the soil at Oak Park and paint Christmas decorations for Downtown Minot.  She has also served as a tour guide for Preview Day and participated in science demonstrations for Open House.

Lordina has been named to the President’s List, the Vice President for Academic Affairs Honor Roll, and the Engagement Honor Roll.  She has received the Ray and Alice Hovey Scholarship and the Robert and June Marsh Scholarship.