Many
South
Dakota Mines graduates show
that scholarships can make a difference in the state’s high-tech economy.
Henry
Wegehaupt is one example.
The young
entrepreneur is building a new business around a cattle-feeding system he
developed while a student at Mines. Wegehaupt
says the Dakota Corps Scholarship helped him make the decision to attend
Mines, which ultimately kept him in state and fueled his desire to support South
Dakota farmers. His company, Provender Technologies, is dedicated to creating value for
cattle operations through automation.
“My
plan was to go out of state for college, and I had already purchased my student
football tickets at UNL; but the Dakota Corps Scholarship was a financial
opportunity I could not pass up,” says Wegehaupt, who finished his degree in electrical
engineering at Mines in 2017. “That scholarship took a big burden off me and my
family, and it allowed me to focus on school.”
As
an entrepreneur, Wegehaupt needs to manage risk. Not having the burden of
college debt made him more willing to take the leap into starting his own
business. While Wegehaupt maintains his humility and works to manage
expectations, his venture is proving very successful so far. At 26, he’s the
youngest person in the state to receive a Small Business Innovation Research
grant.
“The
support of everyone at Mines, the entrepreneurial ecosystem at the university,
and the Dakota Corps Scholarship led me to pursue my definite goals sooner
rather than later. I am really enjoying this endeavor. Had I been worried about
paying off student loans, I might not be in this position,” says Wegehaupt.
The
South Dakota Legislature has approved Governor
Kristi Noem's proposal for $50 million in funding for the new South Dakota Freedom Scholarship. The effort includes philanthropist T.
Denny Sanford and First PREMIER Bank, who are providing $50 million each. An
additional $50 million will be raised from other sources to create a $200
million fund in support of needs-based scholarships.
This
new scholarship will yield more success stories like Mariya Sachek, a 2019
Mines electrical engineering graduate who is now a product marketing engineer at
Vishay in Yankton. The Dakota Corps
Scholarship she received gave her the freedom to focus on her studies while at
Mines. It also helped her quickly get established after graduation. “It allowed
me to find my footing really quickly. I began spending a lot of my paycheck in the
local economy in Yankton right away rather than paying off big student loans,”
says Sachek.
Jacob
Milbrandt agrees. He is a 2019 chemical engineering graduate now employed by POET. “I never wanted to leave South Dakota,
and the scholarships I received gave me an opportunity to stay close to my home
roots and contribute to my hometown economy,” says Milbrandt. He believes
funding scholarships for scientists and engineers will have a solid return on
investment for the state. “The projects I have been involved in while at POET
have had a large enough economic impact to more than pay back the scholarship
investment made in me,” Milbrandt says.
Right
now, about 31% of Mines graduates stay in the state and work in science or
engineering fields. “We’re always trying to increase this number by supporting
the growth of the state’s own high-tech economy. We also need a steady stream
of new students, and this scholarship will help us accomplish these goals,”
says Mines President Jim Rankin. “The timing for the South Dakota Freedom
Scholarship could not be better. The new Ascent Innovation campus in Rapid City
is paving the way for a high-tech economic boom the Black Hills and Mines
graduates make up the backbone of this economy. The South Dakota Freedom
Scholarship will have a very positive impact on the state’s future.”