2023 Student Leadership and Engagement Awards

Luke Anderson, from Minot, is a finance major with a minor in marketing who holds a 3.9 cumulative grade point average. He has been active as a Student Government Association senator, the secretary of the Finance Club, and a member of the MSU Choir. He has also participated in the Looyenga Leadership Institute. Luke is the recipient of several scholarships, including the North Dakota Academic Scholarship, Ove Jorgensen Scholarship, Aas Family Scholarship, Wuttke Scholarship, and United Community Bank Scholarship. He has been involved with the Minot Area Council of the Arts Youth Advisory Committee, the We Call Minot Home Project, and Minot CRU Ministries. Luke hopes to continue his education with a master’s certificate in urban and city planning with a goal to work as a city planner in Minot so he can continue to make his community a great place to live.

Kelby Armstrong is a Minot native studying biology with the goal of becoming a dentist. The junior is also pursuing a minor in chemistry and currently has a cumulative grade point average of 3.77. A member of the men’s wrestling team, Kelby was team captain this past season and also represents the team on the Student-Athlete Advisory Council and is currently the secretary for the organization. He was named MSU Wrestling Newcomer of the Year in 2021 and has twice been named to both the national Wrestling Coaches Association Academic All-American and the Northern Sun Athletic Conference (NSIC) All-Academic Team. He is a youth wrestling coach with the Dakota Rattlers Wrestling Club, member of the Pre-Professional Club, and volunteers at Roosevelt Park Zoo and with Prairie Grit Sports helping children with special needs participate in gymnastics. He has received numerous scholarships including the Alumni Association Scholarship, Rose Morgan Scholarship, Jock Stevic Scholarship, North Dakota Space Grant Consortium Undergraduate Scholarship, and the Minot Rotary Scholarship. He has been named to both the President’s List and the Vice President for Academic Affairs Honor Roll. Among his long-term goals are qualifying for the Division 2 National Tournament and attending dental school so he can set up a new practice in Minot and give back to the community.

Téa Boeckel is a junior nursing major from Minot who holds a 3.77 grade point average. She is a member and secretary of the Minot State University Nursing Student Association as well as director of membership for the North Dakota Nursing Student Association. She is a member of the Minot State volleyball team as well as the leader of MSU Chi Alpha. Téa has been involved with the ASTEP program and has volunteered with the Matthew 25 Project, the Revive Coffee Shop at Journey Church, and Night to Shine, a prom for kids with special needs. She has been named to both the President’s List and the Vice President for Academic Affairs Honor Roll and has received the North Dakota Academic Scholarship Award and the St. Joseph’s Nursing Scholarship. Following graduation, she would like to become either a labor and delivery or NICU nurse before continuing her education to become a family nurse practitioner. Téa would also like to coach volleyball to give back to the sport which has meant so much to her.

Grayson Bonilla is a junior biology major from Helena, Montana who is also completing an associate degree in art and carries a 3.47 cumulative grade point average. Grayson is a member of the Minot State cross-country and track & field teams and served as the vice president of the Student-Athlete Advisory Council (SAAC) for two consecutive terms. As part of SAAC, he has been involved with the Green Bandana Project, It’s On Us, Diversity and Inclusion, It’s a Slam Dunk, Don’t Drive Drunk, and the BESPYs. He has been named to the All-Academic team in cross-country, indoor track, and outdoor track. He is also a part of the English Club and has volunteered with the Souris Valley Animal Shelter, Ward County Elections Office, and Prairie Grit Adaptive Sports. Grayson hopes to obtain a graduate degree in human genetics and one day to contribute to the scientific understanding of the human genome.

Alina Gonzalez, from Rocklin, California, is a senior with a dual major in business management and marketing and a minor in law and legal studies carrying a 3.66 grade point average. She was a member of the Minot State softball team for four years and has been involved in the Entrepreneurship Club since 2021. She has volunteered with Meals on Wheels and Norsk Hostfest and has assisted with softball skill development clinics. She has received an athletic scholarship and the Robert Sando, Roger and Ann Looyenga, and the Severson Entrepreneurship scholarships. She was named to the NSIC All-Academic Team in 2021 and the NSIC All-Academic Team of Excellence in 2022 and was selected to participate in the Looyenga Leadership Institute. Earlier this semester, a scholarly paper which she co-authored titled "Exploring the Influence of Media and Political Party Affiliation on Perceptions and Responses to the COVID-19 Pandemic" was published. She plans to attend law school to fulfill her dream of becoming an attorney and assisting individuals, groups, and organizations with their legal needs.

Surrey native Alexander (AJ) Gorthy is a junior art education major with concentrations in deaf studies and ceramics and carries a 3.97 grade point average. AJ has been very involved in residence life on campus, having served as a representative and president of the Residence Hall Association and a resident assistant, including being the RA for the Leadership Living-Learning Community. Gorthy was also the Art Club director, a Sodexo Committee member, and a member of Students of North Dakota United. He has attended leadership workshops earning four leadership badges and was an Orientation Leader for two years. He planned, designed, and created a mural for On the Rocks Lounge and is a volunteer gallery assistant for the Northwest Arts Center — when he isn’t busy or working on schoolwork. He has been named to the President’s List each semester as well as the Engagement Honor Roll in Fall 2022 and has received numerous North Dakota University System and Minot State University scholarships. His career goal is to teach middle school and/or high school art to rural public schools. A true North Dakotan who loves the snow, but does not care much for the wind, he hopes to stay in North Dakota for his career.

Megan Klebe is a senior music education major from Minot with a 3.72 cumulative grade point average.  She has been the social media manager for Minot State University’s chapter of National Association for Music Education as well as a member of the MSU band, jazz band, and choir. She was a teacher with the new Minot Beginner Community Band, conducting a piece for their concert, and also teaches trumpet and voice lessons. She has performed in three operas with the Western Plains Opera Company and was the trumpet section leader for the Minot City Band. She has organized and led a student organization that helped raise over $700 and received eight instrument donations to give to students in the surrounding area. She was also an assistant director in the Western Plains Children’s Choir. Megan has been named to both the President’s List and the Vice President for Academic Affairs Honor Roll and was recently awarded the Outstanding Student in Teacher Education Award. Megan has accepted a position teaching elementary music in Surrey and hopes to attend graduate school to earn a master’s degree in vocal performance.

Fadzai Madavo is a senior from Harare, Zimbabwe completing her degree in biology (pre-med) with a chemistry minor and a concentration in physical sciences and currently has a 3.22 grade point average. She is a sprinter for the Minot State track & field team and has represented her team on the Student-Athlete Advisory Council. She has also served as both vice president and president of the Diversity and Inclusion Council for Student-Athletes and as a senator with the Student Government Association. She is a member of MSU Life and plans events for campus and is an Orientation/Welcome Week Leader, helping new students adjust to campus. She was a resident assistant, a member of the International Club, and a Tennis Club member, and has worked at the Wellness Center since 2020. She has been named to the President’s List and the Vice President for Academic Affairs Honor Roll, as well as the Engagement Honor Roll. She received the Robert and June Marsh Scholarship and the Xcel Energy Scholarship. She has volunteered with the Restore Thrift Store, Roosevelt Park Zoo, Special Olympics, Dancing with the Special Stars, and Project Bee. Fadzai plans to work for a year as a medical scribe before pursuing a master’s degree in public health, with an end goal in attending medical school to be an orthopedic surgeon and returning to Zimbabwe to open a surgical clinic.

Brayden Pawluk, a junior elementary education major from Petersfield, Manitoba, Canada, currently maintains a 3.96 grade point average. He is a member of the American Collegiate Hockey Association (ACHA) National Champion men’s hockey team. He was named to the 26-player roster for the ACHA Team Canada that competed in the 2023 World Cup of University Hockey, recently held in Carța, Romania. But his talents are not limited to hockey — he also won the Badminton Intramural Championship. Brayden has been named to the President’s List every semester and holds the highest cumulative grade point average on the hockey team. He has volunteered as a youth hockey coach both in Minot and in several communities in Manitoba. He also volunteers with the sledge hockey program sponsored by Prairie Grit and has put in clinical hours with the ASTEP Program. As an educator, Brayden hopes to be a leader and role model for his students and aspires to help children grow and develop the essential characteristics to be exceptional humans and positive contributors to society. He is considering a master’s degree in educational leadership or educational administration to one day be a principal.

Hannah Grace Peterson is a junior social work major with a leadership studies concentration from Minot with a 3.87 cumulative grade point average. Hannah is a member of CRU Campus Ministries and the Student Social Work Organization and served as the student voice on the Minot State Co-Curricular Committee. She is a three-year orientation leader helping to welcome new students to campus and has been instrumental in starting the Launching Leadership Conference for North Dakota high school students and serving as a group leader and Americorps member with the program. She participated in the Emerging Leaders Program and has been on both the President’s List and Vice President for Academic Affairs Honor Roll. She has been very involved with Prairie Grit Adaptive Sports and is a board member for the Limitless Fashion Show. Following graduation, Hannah hopes to obtain a master’s degree in social work with the goal of becoming a licensed clinical social worker. Her dream is to work for Prairie Grit Therapy as a family counselor that is tailored towards families that have received a diagnosis that is life changing. She wants to offer families hope when it comes to the process of understanding the diagnosis, sibling relationships, marital relationship, and the overall functioning of the family.

Sophia Rinehart is a senior carrying a 3.85 grade point average from York, Pennsylvania. As a nursing major, she has been active in the Minot State Nursing Student Association having served as the director of community health for the Minot State chapter and the director of local arrangements and graduate consultant on the North Dakota Board. She has been a student member of the Nursing Department Curriculum Committee and the Nursing Department Student Faculty Affairs. She is also involved with the North Dakota Center for Persons with Disabilities as a student scholar researching local programs to provide school readiness aid to children with developmental delays. She has organized blood drives, participated in the Out of Darkness Walk, and volunteered for Trunk or Treat. She is a member of Omicron Tau Nursing Honor Society and twice received the Loretta Holub Scholarship. She hopes to find her niche in the nursing profession in women’s health or public health and eventually attend graduate school.

Breianna Smestad is a senior biology major with a chemistry minor and business concentration. Hailing from Plymouth, Minnesota, Breianna has a 3.77 grade point average. She is the president of the Student-Athlete Advisory Committee and the Pre-Professional Club and is a member of the Diversity and Inclusion Council and CRU Campus Ministry. As a member of the women’s basketball team, Breianna was named an NSIC Myles Brand All-Academic with Distinction Award winner. The award is one of the most prestigious honors bestowed by the NSIC to senior or graduate-student NSIC student-athletes who have a cumulative grade point average of 3.75 or higher. She was recently named to the NSIC All-Academic Team of Excellence. In addition, she has earned Academic All-District, the Clyde A. "Stretch" Nelson Scholarship, President's List (three times), Vice President for Academic Affairs Honor Roll (three times), membership in the Chi Alpha Sigma college student-athlete honor society, the Jock Stevick Scholarship, the Bob and Pat Nelson Science Scholarship, and the Beaver Booster Scholarship. She volunteers with the Courageous Heart Ministry and has spoken to the Girl Power group at Sunnyside Elementary School. After graduation from Minot State, she plans to attend the University of Minnesota School of Dentistry to become a Doctor of Dental Surgery with an aspiration be the owner of a dental practice and give back to those in her community through dental work.

Emedion (Dion) Udokop is a senior computer science major with a minor in health management science from Port Harcourt, Rivers, Nigeria and holds a 3.7 cumulative grade point average. Dion was the vice president of the Student Ambassadors, representing Minot State to prospective students. She has also been an orientation leader, helping new students adapt to college life. She was a senator in the Student Government Association and a peer mentor for the First Year Experience program. She was also the president of Sign On, the ASL club. She has volunteered with the YMCA, Restore Thrift Store, and the Roosevelt Park Zoo and participated in the Out of Darkness Suicide Awareness Walk. She is the recipient of the Judge Wallace Berrning Scholarship, Math/Computer Science Department Scholarship, and Robert and June Marsh Scholarship. She has been named to both the President’s List and the Vice President for Academic Affairs Honor Roll as well as the Engagement Honor Roll. She was named the Academic Services Center Student of the Month in June 2021. She co-authored "Time Series Analysis in Forecasting Monthly Average Rainfall and Temperature (Case Study, Minot ND, USA)," published in the International Journal of Data Science and Analysis. She plans to continue her education with a master's program in computer science, focusing on artificial intelligence (AI), and eventually pursuing her doctorate and more specialized knowledge in AI and natural language processing.

A biology major from Thousand Oaks, California, Sarah Upton is a senior who has earned a 3.71 grade point average while also managing a minor in chemistry and a concentration in physical sciences. For the past three years she has been the captain of the Minot State women’s soccer team and was named a second team all-conference player this past fall and is a four-year All-Academic award winner. She has also been part of the Diversity and Inclusion Council and the Science Club. Sarah has been on both the President’s List and the Vice President for Academic Affairs Honor Roll and has been awarded several scholarships including the Division of Science scholarship, University of North Dakota Aerospace NASA Scholarship, and an athletic scholarship. She has volunteered with the Community Learning Center teaching science to children and with the Minot Soccer Association supervising the Soccer Youth Clinic. In addition, she is involved with the North Dakota Chapter of the Wildlife Society. In midst of all her accomplishments, she has also done directed research and worked two part-time jobs. She hopes to get a master’s degree in wildlife management and conservation with a goal of working for a federal or government agency researching and protecting the world’s habitat.

Sophie Wedar is a senior from Minot with a 3.71 cumulative grade point average earning her exercise science and rehabilitation major, coaching and fitness and wellness specialist minors, and concentrations in strength and conditioning and sports medicine. She was a member of the women’s basketball team for three seasons and three times was named to the NSIC All-Academic Team. She is a member of the Kin Krew (kinesiology club) and completed an exercise science internship. She is currently conducting research in instrumented assisted soft tissue mobilization (IASTM) to give insight on more effective approaches to treating tissue limitations and achieving tissue mobility. She participated in the Emerging Leaders Program and has been named to both the President’s List and the Vice President for Academic Affairs Honor Roll. She has received multiple scholarships including the Rotary Scholarship, ND Career and Tech Ed Scholarship, Alumni Association Scholarship, Emerging Scholars Award Scholarship, Betty Iljana Scholarship, and Rose Morgan Scholarship. She has been an active volunteer, giving time and talent to the North Dakota Special Olympics, Minot State basketball camps, the Girl Power Club, MSU Science Day for Kids, Norsk Hostfest, the Souris Valley Animal Shelter, and more. Sophie hopes to continue her education to obtain a doctorate in physical therapy and become a successful physical therapist in the NBA, helping expand the field for women in medicine in professional sports.