Southeast Technical College awards 172 full-ride Build Dakota Scholarships

This piece is sponsored by Southeast Technical College.

Southeast Technical College recently welcomed 172 new students to campus in a celebratory event recognizing their full-ride scholarships through the Build Dakota program.

Mayor Paul TenHaken and Dana Dykhouse, chair of the Build Dakota Scholarship Board and South Dakota Board of Technical Education, as well as CEO of First PREMIER Bank, were on hand to congratulate students.

“You have been given a tremendous gift,” TenHaken said. “I can only imagine what it is like to come out of school with no debt and go right into the workforce. What a gift that is.”

The Build Dakota Scholarship covers 100 percent of a student’s tuition, fees, books, uniforms, technology and other expenses. In return, recipients commit to working in South Dakota in their field of study for a minimum of three years after graduation.

This year marks the largest cohort to date and the third year that 100 percent of STC’s Build Dakota Scholarship recipients are industry-sponsored. This cost-sharing model is beneficial for area employers, who are feeding their workforce pipelines, and it allows STC to optimize Build Dakota Scholarship dollars to award more students scholarships.

“We’re thrilled to have more industry sponsors on board this year than ever before,” said Kelli Rogotzke, Build Dakota coordinator at Southeast Technical College. “Even more exciting is that several partners have already committed for next year, ensuring they can continue supporting — and even increase — the number of students they sponsor for the 2026-27 school year. It’s a powerful show of confidence in our students and the value they bring to South Dakota’s workforce.”