Scholarship Profiles - Taylalyn Kaczmar, Clayton Ledahl, & Gracey Russell

Let us introduce three more Dakota West Annual Scholarship recipients from three different Dakota West branches. Taylalyn Kaczmar of Watford City will be starting at North Dakota State University this month working towards her goal of becoming a physician’s assistant. Her thoughts on the importance of communication relate directly to her future plans.

“Once in the medical field, discussion with providers and patients will be critical for the best and efficient care to be provided. I recognize that having effective communication in the workplace can determine and impact how well my relationships with my superiors, coworkers, and patients will be. I have been practicing good communication skills, and I will continue to improve these skills. I strive to be the best I can for those around me, and I feel that communication will make that difference.”

Also pursuing a career in the medical profession, Gracey Russell of Washburn recognizes the impact of both current global circumstances and the importance of communication now more than ever.

“With the current situation throughout the world, scientists, doctors, and government officials need to communicate so that there is a cure coming, the proper precautions are taken, and that people need to stay away from others and certain things, such as indoor dining need to be closed.” Gracey resumes her studies this month at Bismarck State College where she will be studying Nursing.

Clayton Ledahl of Grenora will be studying Business Management in his home county at Williston State College and is already planning for life after college and how Communication will play a role in his success.

“After I graduate college I plan to open and run my own business. If I do open up my own business, I would have to do interviews with potential workers. In order to do this I’d be communicating with the people I’m interviewing. After I hire workers, I would have to talk with them every day, as well, beings they work for me.”

We wish Clayton, Gracey, and Tayla an exciting and productive school year as they reach towards their long-term goals. They certainly represent what we hope for and partner with our members to provide every day. Good luck to all our scholarship recipients!

Member Calendar - September 2020

Autumn may be on the horizon with back-to-school plans developing and summer excursions winding down, but this is the perfect time to wish all of the Dakota West Scholarship recipients great success as they embark on their new year of learning and growing. We’re so glad to have each of you Grow West with us!

Throughout the autumn, watch for new employee profiles, important security reminders for National Cybersecurity Month, and – dare we say it – the excitement of the holiday season, whatever it may look like this year for each of us. For now, download or print our September Calendar and enjoy the last five weeks of summer between now and Labor Day!

Scholarship Profiles - Hannah Johnson & Morgan Reiser

Dakota West applauds two more of our scholarship recipients: Hannah Johnson of Grenora and Morgan Reiser of Turtle Lake, both of whom are heading into their second year of college. These women rely heavily on Communication and shared their experiences on their applications.

Morgan studies Nursing at Dakota College at Bottineau but found herself in an unusual situation midway through her second semester. “I had left campus for spring break without my books, only carrying my laptop to check up on my classes. Soon, it was communicated across the state that students could not return to campus. I started to panic, as I had no books and now, I had to continue my education through online learning. If not for communication with the school, I would have had to navigate classes without my book. Thankfully, I was able to rush back to campus and grab my books and more clothes.”

Hannah, a two-time Dakota West Scholarship recipient, is making a career out of Communication at the University of North Dakota. “Currently, communication in the world has adapted from face-to-face interactions to other forms, due to the coronavirus pandemic. Regardless of being in a time of adapting to different circumstances or not, we should try to communicate effectively so the illusion that communication took place, is not a problem.” Hannah is also seeking a double major in Marketing.

We proudly recognize these young women as they continue their education here in North Dakota and thank them for being outstanding members of Dakota West Credit Union.

Watch for more individual profiles of these outstanding young members throughout the summer.

Scholarship Profiles - Ethan Kobos & Charles Eriksmoen

Throughout the summer we are featuring our 2020 Dakota West Scholarship recipients and sharing their thoughts on the value of Communication from their applications. Today we introduce Ethan Kobos of Watford City and Charles Eriksmoen of Mohall.

Ethan plans to study Cyber Security at UND and wrote this about his view of the importance of Communication, “I recognize that communication is a skill that I will carry with me throughout my entire career as I develop relationships with clients who entrust me with their security numerous vulnerabilities and will expect me to the able to effectively communicate their shortcomings as well as how to address them.”

Charles will be starting his second year at Bismarck State College in the fall. He knows the impact Communication has on his future plans as a cattle rancher, “Communication affects me pretty hard right now because I am just getting started in my business of ranching and I am just starting to meet all of the people I need to know most such as marketing advisors that can help me contract my calves so I can get the best possible price for them. I also need to be able to talk to my parents about all of my plans because they need to know what I am doing in case they have any good advice for me to stay on the right track to become successful in the ranching industry.”

We celebrate our scholarship recipients, their parents and families, and all the members of Dakota West who support the education goals of these young members. Congratulations Ethan and Charles!

Watch for more individual profiles of these outstanding young members throughout the summer.