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Brayden Schmeichel, a Construction Management Technology student at North Dakota State College of Science (NDSCS), has been named a 2024 New Century Workforce Scholar and will receive a $1,500 scholarship.

This scholarship program is sponsored by The Coca-Cola Foundation and Phi Theta Kappa (PTK) Honor Society, and supports students at associate degree-granting institutions on a national scale. Students nominated for the Workforce Pathway should be planning to enter the workforce after completing a certificate or associate degree.

New Century Workforce Pathway Scholars are selected based on their academic accomplishments, leadership, activities, and how they extend their intellectual talents beyond the classroom. Over 2,200 applications were received from students in more than 1,300 college campuses across the country. Only one New Century Workforce Scholar was selected from each state.

Brayden’s selection was based on the score he earned in the All-USA Academic Team Competition, where he was the top-scoring student from North Dakota. Brayden has also served as the Vice President of Service for the NDSCS PTK chapter and helps organize their service learning projects. As a Construction Management Technology student, Brayden recently represented NDSCS at the International Builders Show ® (IBS) in Las Vegas, NV with his classmates.

“Brayden is very deserving of this recognition” said Erin Johnson, the NDSCS Phi Theta Kappa advisor, “I have watched Brayden embrace new leadership roles within our academic honor society and in other campus activities. He is a great representative of our NDSCS student body and demonstrates how students becoming active on campus builds skills and opportunities for their future.”

NDSCS has a long-standing tradition of New Century Scholars, and is proud to count Brayden among the list of high-achieving students that come out of our institution.

Brayden and the other New Century Scholars from around the United States will be recognized in the fall.

North Dakota State College of Science (NDSCS) is proud to announce the expansion of its Agriculture department with the introduction of new AAS degrees in Precision Agronomy and Precision Agriculture Technician.

These programs are crafted to meet the growing demand for skilled professionals in the agricultural industry and to support the CHS Foundation mission of developing a new generation of ag leaders. CHS and the CHS Foundation recently awarded $96,000 to NDSCS to help reach these goals. That grant will help NDSCS purchase and implement a variety of GPS receivers and field displays; purchase and install John Deere AutoTrac and ActiveYield; and purchase and implement a planter row unit test table.

“The CHS partnership is invaluable to the Precision Agriculture Technician program at NDSCS. The high-tech equipment provided by this grant will provide innovative, real-world training. NDSCS students will now be even better prepared to take on the challenges ahead in their ag careers,” shared Craig Zimprich, Program Director at NDSCS Agriculture.

The new Precision Agriculture Technician program is meticulously designed to train students in the latest technological advances in agriculture equipment. It prepares students for careers where they will sell, troubleshoot, and repair precision equipment, a critical need identified by major precision equipment dealers. The program offers extensive hands-on experience, including a paid internship and the opportunity to operate state-of-the-art machinery at the NDSCS Kosel Family Land Lab.

“Training in precision agriculture and experience with precision agriculture equipment are essential skills for today’s graduates,” says Megan Wolle, president, CHS Foundation. “Through this partnership, NDSCS students will be ready to tackle new precision ag challenges and pursue careers in the agriculture industry.”

NDSCS's commitment to diversity and inclusion is integral to its vision, fostering a respectful and supportive environment that celebrates individual differences and promotes cultural appreciation. Chandra Langseth, a program instructor on the CHS Dakota Plains Ag producer board, exemplifies this commitment, enhancing program development and workforce diversity in collaboration with CHS.

“We are fortunate to have Chandra lead our Precision Agriculture program. She is very talented and provides valuable insight coupled with practical knowledge for the students here at NDSCS,” shared Zimprich.

The college's innovative strategies include interdisciplinary teaching, leveraging expertise from NDSCS's diesel and manufacturing faculty to ensure that graduates possess comprehensive technical skills. The program's success is already anticipated, with the North Dakota Legislature allocating approximately $20 million for facility enhancements to advance precision agriculture education at NDSCS.

The program's SMART goals are ambitious and well-defined, focusing on equipping students with practical skills in data management, equipment calibration, and troubleshooting. The long-term impact is clear: NDSCS aims to be a national leader in precision agriculture training, providing students with the knowledge and practical experience needed for immediate career success.

NDSCS's strategic partnerships and collaborations with industry leaders, including CHS Foundation, ensure that the curriculum remains cutting-edge and relevant. The program is set to be sustainable, with funding strategies involving the reinvestment of proceeds from the NDSCS Kosel Family Agriculture Land Lab and ongoing support from industry partners.

The college plans to promote the program through various channels, including opportunities for high school students and active engagement with FFA organizations in North Dakota, Minnesota, and throughout our region.

Learn more at NDSCS.edu/Ag.

North Dakota State College of Science (NDSCS) is proud to announce that thirty-six NDSCS Collegiate DECA members competed at the 2024 North Dakota Collegiate DECA Conference on February 21st and 22nd.

This annual competition brings together some of North Dakota's best and brightest business students from eight different colleges to compete in various business case study events.

Students were entered into one individual event and were also paired up in a team competition. In both experiences, the students were presented with a real-world business problem and then asked to solve the scenario in front of judges. Area Fargo/Moorhead business professionals served as judges for this event. 

NDSCS Collegiate DECA had 28 members qualify to compete at the 2024 International Career Development Conference in Austin, Texas in April.

Top award winners in individual events include:

• Emma Hagemeister (1^st Place) Sales Management and Leadership Event
• Wyatt Rittenhouse (2^nd Place) Retail Management
• Natalia Nazario (2^nd Place) Entrepreneurship Operations
• Madison Hagan (3^rd Place) Travel and Tourism 
• Adnan Rahman (3^rd Place) Entrepreneurship Operations
• Triton Kaercher (3^rd Place) Financial Accounting
• Lucas Allen (3^rd Place) Hotel and Lodging
• Moriah Blazek (3^rd Place) Human Resource Management

Top Team Event Winners Include:

• Kylie Geray and Emma Hagemeister (2nd Place) Business-to-Business Marketing
• Ava Bladow and Corissa Lang (2nd Place) Business Ethics
• Myah Jelinek, Natalia Nazario (2nd Place) Entertainment Marketing
• Lauren Oster and Savannah Puetz (2nd Place) Event Planning
• Moriah Blazek and Taylor Slominski (2nd Place) Marketing Communications
• Lucas Allen and Mathias Kackman (3rd Place) Marketing Communications

Gregory Anderson, the faculty advisor for NDSCS Collegiate DECA, commented “I was pleasantly surprised at how well our students performed. As is usually the case, almost all NDSCS Collegiate DECA members are first-year students who have never competed before, going against seasoned juniors and seniors from four-year colleges who have experienced both state and national competitions. For our students to do well, they had to display a certain level of confidence, and I think that is what showed. I will be very proud to see a number of qualifiers take the next step at the International Conference in Austin, Texas.”