ABERDEEN, S.D. ¨C For Itzel Brick, becoming a first-grade teacher at Simmons Elementary in Aberdeen, South Dakota, was more than a dream; it was a journey marked by hard work, resilience and opportunities. Many of those opportunities came from the Freedom Scholarship at Northern State University.

Brick, a 2024 graduate with a bachelor's degree in elementary education, looks back on her time at Northern with gratitude. ¡°Getting scholarships meant I could spend more time on campus and focus on my classes without constantly worrying about tuition,¡± she said. ¡°¡­

ABERDEEN, S.D. ¨C Northern State University will hold its annual spring plant sale from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Thursday, April 10.

The sale, which is open to the public, will take place in MeWaldt-Jensen Room 144B, the classroom attached to the MJ greenhouse.

Plants available at the sale will include succulents, geraniums, bulbs and more. Cash or check only will be accepted.

For more information, please contact Dr. Jodie Ramsay at Jodie.Ramsay@northern.edu.

ABERDEEN, S.D. ¨C During Spring Break 2025, members of the Northern State University Speech and Debate team traveled to Athens, Ohio, to take part in the Pi Kappa Delta National Speech and Debate Tournament, hosted by Ohio University.

Representing NSU were students Abiah George, Hannah Smith, Haylee Bohnet, Kaitlyn Maas, Liv Ashley, and coach Gus Foote. The team had one of its strongest showings in recent memory, placing 5th in debate, 10th in speech, and 8th overall in the Small School Division¡ªmarking the program¡¯s highest combined¡­

ABERDEEN, S.D. ¨C The top winners of the 42nd annual Northern South Dakota Science and Mathematics Fair have been announced, earning all-expenses-paid trips to the prestigious International Science and Engineering Fair (ISEF), which will take place May 10-16 in Columbus, Ohio.

The senior high team project winners are Anna Ahlberg and Corban Landis from Aberdeen Central High School, recognized for their project, AI Personalized 3D Printing of Transcatheter Aortic Valve Replacement.

Two individual students also earned the opportunity to¡­

ABERDEEN, S.D. ¨C Northern State University and the NSU Foundation are excited to host the upcoming 2025 GiveNDay, an annual fundraising event dedicated to supporting Wolves students and strengthening community ties. The event will kick off at 12:00 p.m. on Wednesday, April 2, and conclude at 12:00 p.m. on Thursday, April 3.

GiveNDay celebrates Northern State University's rich history of excellence and showcases the unwavering spirit of its community. The event provides an opportunity for alumni, faculty, staff, students, and friends of NSU to unite and¡­

ABERDEEN, S.D.?¨C Northern State University alumnus Eric Pedersen has been named the 2025 South Dakota Special Education Staff of the Year, a statewide honor selected from more than 70 nominees.

Pedersen, a special education teacher at Aberdeen Central High School, was recognized during the South Dakota Special Education Conference in Rapid City, where he was announced as the winner among five finalists. The award, which is based on nominations from parents or guardians of students, celebrates educators who go above and beyond in their work with students who receive¡­

ABERDEEN, S.D.?¨C Tim Mooney, author of the Breakneck Shakespeare series of plays, will perform two one-man shows on Friday, April 11, in the Johnson Fine Arts Center Main Theater at Northern State University.

At 1 p.m., Mooney will present Lot o¡¯ Shakespeare, a fast-paced performance featuring monologues from more than a dozen of Shakespeare¡¯s plays. The order of the monologues is determined by a lottery, and the audience participates with their own IAGO (Bingo) cards.

Reviewers describe ¡°Lot o¡¯ Shakespeare¡± as a fast-paced, comedic performance that brings¡­

ABERDEEN, S.D. ¨C Christian Wells, a sophomore McNair Scholar at Northern State University, has been accepted as a summer intern at the University of Minnesota Medical School. He secured a position in the prestigious Pre-MSTP Cancer Research, Education, and Training Experience (CREATE) Program at the university¡¯s Twin Cities campus.

Through this program, Wells will have the opportunity to work under the mentorship of Dr. David Potter, M.D., Ph.D., an MIT-trained expert and a member of the Breast Cancer Program at the Masonic Cancer Center. The center, a¡­

ABERDEEN, S.D. ¨C The Northern South Dakota Science and Mathematics Fair, hosted by Northern State University, will celebrate its 42nd year on Thursday, March 27, 2025, bringing together top young scientific minds from across the region.

Approximately 180 students in grades six through 12 from 12 area schools will showcase their research projects at the fair, representing counties including Brown, Campbell, Day, Edmunds, Faulk, Hyde, Marshall, McPherson, Roberts, Spink and Walworth.

A panel of 35 judges from Aberdeen and surrounding areas will¡­

ABERDEEN, S.D. ¨C Dr. Lori Hendrickx, RN, EdD, CCRN, CNL, professor of nursing at Northern State University, was recently featured in USA Today¡¯s MediaPlanet ¨C Careers in Healthcare supplement. Her article, "Compassion in the Country: The Beauty of Rural Nursing," explores the unique challenges and rewards of providing healthcare in rural communities.

In the piece, Hendrickx highlights the critical role rural nurses play in ensuring access to quality healthcare, emphasizing the¡­