Annual Leadership Awards Celebrate Student Initiative at South Dakota Mines
Spring at South Dakota Mines is a season of recognition, as the university honors student leaders whose impact will be felt long after they've moved beyond campus.
The university recently held its 74th Annual Honors Convocation, a celebration where students are recognized for their distinguished academic achievements, and the Student Leadership Awards, which included adding six students to the Mines Leadership Hall of Fame.
The Leadership Hall of Fame, a prestigious award established in 2000, honors individuals whose contributions have significantly shaped the Mines campus community.
Each year, a selection committee chooses 4 to 6 students who have shown outstanding leadership and made a meaningful impact on campus, according to Cory Headley, director of student engagement and the Surbeck Center.
“The selection committee looks at students who have made significant and measurable contributions during their time as students at Mines, as well as considers any off-campus involvement that would reflect positively on the school,” he said.
Portraits of the 2025 inductees will be added to the Hall of Fame display outside the Beck Ballroom in the Surbeck Center.
This year’s inductees include:
Hagan T. Archer – Archer is a mechanical engineering major with minors in systems and aerospace engineering from Denver. Archer’s university involvement includes Student Associate Senate (including as president in 2024-25), Moonrockers, Engineers and Scientists Abroad, Professional Development Institute and Lambda Chi Alpha. He plans to continue his education and pursue a master's in mechanical engineering.
Cooper Vaughn Emery – Emery is a chemical engineering major with a biology minor from Brookings, S.D. His involvement includes Student Association Senate, Esports, Climbing Club, Theta Tau and Phi Kapp Tau fraternities and Order of the Engineer. After graduation, he plans to work for Rapid City Specialty Products.
Eduarmar Flores Sanchez – Sanchez is a business management in technology major with a minor in mining engineering from Tachira, Venezuela. She is the president of the Society of Hispanic Professional Engineers (SHPE) and plans to pursue her project management professional (PMP) certification to enhance her leadership and project management expertise.
Luke R. Higgins – Higgins is a pre-professional health sciences major from Brandon, S.D. During his time at Mines, Higgins has been involved in Lambda Chi Alpha, president of the Soccer Club and in ROTC. He has also been a part of 13 other campus organizations as well as contributing more than 2,000 community volunteer hours. After graduation, Higgins will be commissioned into the South Dakota National Guard and will head to basic officer leadership course for Field Artillery. He intends to earn his master’s in nursing and become a nurse practitioner.
Annika Jude Schooler – Schooler is a civil and environmental engineering major from Littleton, Colo. During her time at Mines, she was involved in the Hardrocker women’s golf team, Student Athletic Advisory Committee, Circle K, Sustainability Club, Chi Epsilon, and volunteered for the music department. She was also involved in undergraduate research, teaching assistant for the CEE department and graduate assistant for the golf team. After graduation, Schooler will be on active duty in the Air Force as a bioenvironmental engineer lieutenant.
Samantha A. Twing – Twing is a civil and environmental engineering major with a minor in sustainable engineering from Palmer, Alaska. Her involvement includes Alpha Delta Pi Sorority where she was the director of alumnae engagement, Student Associate Senate, past president of the Rocker Car Club, former vice president of the Health and Fitness Club, and Environmental Change and Sustainability Club. She will graduate in December 2025 and work as a water mapping and data analysis intern with RESPEC this summer.
You can find the full list of award winners here, view a photo album of the Student Leadership Awards here, and see photos from the 2025 Honors Convocation here