Heat. Heat. Heat. Heat. Heat. Heat. So Heat. Heat. Heat. Heat. Heat. Heat. Oh, I like Good evening everybody. On behalf of the Little Falls Kuanas
Club, I'd like to welcome you all to the 2026 Kuanas Scholarship Reception. My name is Kyle Hogarth. I'll be your MC this evening. Tonight, we gather to celebrate a remarkable group of students whose hard work, perseverance, and character have
brought them here tonight. Before we begin, I'd like to invite everyone to take a moment of silence to reflect with gratitude for the people gathered here, the achievements that brought us together, and the opportunities ahead for the young men
and women we celebrate tonight. Thank you. Similar to the way we start all of our regular Kuanas meetings, I invite you to stand for the pledge of allegiance. I pledge algiance to the flag of the
United States of America and to the stands nation indivisible with liberty and justice for all. >> I believe my whole job here tonight is to keep this program moving. So, at this
time, we're going to get started and we have a a small uh a small change with the agenda. The Sons of America is first that'll be a little bit later with the other American women scholarship. Our first scholarship award is the Jason
and Diane Spillum Education Scholarship presented by Jay Stom. Good evening everyone. I'm Jay Stone and this is my mother Diane. My five sisters and I established the Jason and Diane Education Scholarship to honor our
parents and their lifelong commitment to education as well as to support a graduating senior pursuing a career in the field of education. My father Jay dedicated 33 years to the Little Falls School District as a math teacher and a coach before retirement.
Even after retirement, he committed to students in the community through 16 years of service on the school board. My mother Diane, who's here with me, also shared that passion for helping young people as well. She volunteered for many years with Mr. Henderson's fourth grade
classroom at Lincoln Elementary, making a lasting impact on the lives of the college students. I just want to say our applicants this year were all phenomenal and it's very difficult for my siblings and I to decide who to give the scholarship to, but we feel that we have
uh a fitting uh recipient this year. It is special as well that this year's recipient was a student in Mr. Henderson's classroom during the time my mother volunteered and that Mr. Henderson was the reason she began to see education as a meaningful and inspiring career path. It's my honor to
congratulate Abby Horton as this year's recipient. And if you would get a picture with our communications director, photographer, Melissa. Thank you, Jay and Diane. Congratulations, Abby. Our next scholarship
is the Carl Hegna Memorial Scholarship presented by Marie and Ken Hegna. This $1,000 memorial scholarship has been established in honor of Carl Hick. Carl
died by suicide during the junior year of high school on January 4th, 2003. He enjoyed everything to do with being in the outdoors such as hunting, fishing, water skiing, snow camp. This scholarship fund will be an award, annual award to students pursuing
careers related to natural resources for criminal justice. Since Carl's death, we have come to hold four words and what they mean to us very close to our hearts. We call them Carl's three L's and one H.
Learn, live, love, hope. Learn always keep learning from good things and bad. Learn from all those around you. Keep your mind open for learning new things. Never be afraid to learn. Live. Live each moment, each hour, each day. Choose
to live and make a positive difference. Live each day to make it a better day before because you live. Love. Love your family, friends, and stranger. You need the way God loves you. Every
day tell yourself, "Today I will make at least one person smile by my actions of love." Love is a gift that keeps given. Hope. Hope is faith, dreams in the future. Hope is your tomorrow. You must
hang on to it. Keep your hope alive. The HNA family prayed, "All graduates will learn from the past, live in the present, love others, and hope for the future with faith and trust in God, your
family, and your friends. You are never alone." This year's recipient is Noah Cameron. Thank you, Carla Marie. Congrats, Noah. The next scholarship is the Consolidated Telephone Company scholarship presented
by Chad Converse. Good evening everyone. Like to see the smiley faces out there. So I'm Chad Congress. I'm a director for Consolidated Telephone Company. Most of you or some of you anyway just know us
as CTC. We abbreviate for that. And and we provide uh phone, internet and video services or internet. You can get a gigabyte if that's what you need and then down from there. So, one of the things we we do is try to
invest something in our communities. And by doing this, u we also give a scholarship to so I think this year we're giving out nine across our our service area. And then um
because we like to have community interest and that helps us. And these scholarships we know is uh awarded to students who have shown some hard work, dedication and a commitment to their
future. So, we're proud to recognize and support these people that across the different schools that we serve and and in the taking of their journey after they graduate from high school. We know
that part can be a little complicated for some people. But tonight it's my honor to present the CTC scholarship to MOLE CONGRATS, STELLA. Thank you, JEFF. Our next scholarship is the Jeff
Schilling Life is Good Memorial Scholarship presented by Pam Schilling. On behalf of our my brother Dean and I and our families, we would like to thank all of the students who applied for the life is good scholarship. Another hard
decision with many great applicants. While Jeffrey had many obstacles to overcome with his eyesight, he truly believed life is good and he said that a lot. While only one student will be rewarded this scholarship tonight, know
that we appreciated each and every one of your essays. Again, it was a great it was a hard decision to choose. This year, we are hoping the young man we picked will bring back to our community his profession as a welder. With that said, we wish to award the Life is Good
Scholarship to Alex Petroski. Congrats, Alex. Thank you, Pam. Our next scholarship is the Pine Country Bank Scholarship presented by Doug. Sorry, Tim. subbing for Mr. Dollar. So, through the generosity of Pine
Country Bank, they award a $500 scholarship to someone interested in going into business. And this year's recipient is Jake Snider. Thank you, Tim. Congrats, Jake. Our next scholarship is the Divine Nursing Scholarship presented by Amber
Wilson. >> Hi, my name is Amber Wilson. I'm the manager for Divine Home Care here in Little Falls. Um with me tonight, I have one of our uh RN case managers, uh Lindsay Durkis. Um we are honored to be back another year to hand out another
scholarship. Um this is a $1,000 scholarship. Um this is awarded to a graduating senior that has um is pursuing a nursing um profession. Um this young lady has a strong passion for helping others and has worked hard
academically. I am pleased to present the 2026 Divine Homeare Nursing Scholarship to Emma Vanirick. Congratulations, EMMA. >> CONGRATS, EMMA. Thank you, Lindsay and Amber. Our
next scholarship is the Jack Capital Scholarship presented by Mary Rose Capital was my son and he has passed 15 years from an ATV accident. He was a hockey player. So, we award a scholarship to a
hockey player, a players, hockey player every year, and I thank those that apply. And I'd like to award this to Berlin. Congrats, Paul. Thank you, Mary Mary Rose. Our next scholarship is the Abigail
Sigler Fine Arts Memorial Scholarship presented by Lisa Sigler. This never gets easy. Good evening, class of 2026, parents and guests. The Abigail Sichler Fine Arts Memorial Scholarship was created in 2017
by family and friends as a way to remember and honor Aby's life and her love for music, theater, and the arts. I am both humbled and amazed at how many students applied for Aby's scholarship. I love looking through all of the
applications and especially enjoy reading about how the fine arts have impacted their lives. You would think that giving out Aby's scholarship would get easier over time. Honestly, it doesn't. Grief is a strange thing, and
it has a way of remaining a constant in my mom heart. Life is full of ups and downs, and I'm so grateful for a community that continues to support our family in so many ways. The stage was a place where Abby once stood, performed,
and enjoyed her love for music, theater, and life. It was a safe place for her, a place where she was able to be herself. This year's recipient shared similar sentiments. So much so that it brought me to tears. Legacy is about being
remembered, and there is nothing that brings a person more joy than being remembered and acknowledged. Life is like a stage. There will always be people watching how you live your life. Don't be afraid to be real, be yourself,
and do your best at whatever it is you choose to become. Sorry. Our family has chosen to award this year's Abigail Sigler Fine Arts Memorial Scholarship to a student that I have witnessed growing up into a
wonderful, well-rounded, honest, and real young man. I'm excited to see his future unfold. Congratulations to John Allen. >> Congrats, John. Our next two scholarships
are the AVID scholarship and the Carol R. Straw Memorial Education Scholarship presented by Becky Straw. Good evening everyone. The first scholarship I'm going to present tonight is for a program called AL, which I
worked with for eight years since its inception in Little Falls. It's a national program that is intended to help students become better students to learn communication skills, organizational skills, uh working together and um um helping each other
and they work as a team. This year there were 10 students in the AVID program as seniors and they had started that as ninth graders. So this year's scholarship that I established uh for $500 five years ago goes to Haley
Vienna. The second scholarship that I'm going to offer tonight is in memory of my husband, Carol Straw, who graduated from Little Falls many years ago, was a teacher in rural Morrison County, went to Anoka, was a teacher and a principal in Anoka, and then joined the US uh
agency for international development and went to Vietnam and Afghanistan as an education advisor. When he was finished with his tours overseas, he returned to Washington DC and worked in the office of education, the Peace Corps, and again
an agency for international development. All of that involving education. When we moved back to Minnesota, I uh started my career here at Little Falls High School and taught for 27 years. and I'm back again doing the AVID program. My
daughter Sarah receives wonderful special education services and graduated from Little Falls High School. So, it is with great pleasure that I'm offering this scholarship to Abigail Horton who is
going into education. Thank you, Carol. Or Becky. >> Yeah. Congrats, Haley and Abigail. Our next scholarships. Our next scholarships are the dandelions scholarships and the PEO chapter BBMN
education scholarship presented by Linda H. Well, good evening everyone. Um, we're going to be giving two $1,000 scholarships. Our Danny Alliance group is a group pretty small of women that are dedicated to serving the community.
And we chose after looking through a lot of scholarships applications Abigail Henry and Tech Tamray Eucha for both both of our scholarships. So come on up.
And then I'm also a member of a international group uh PEO. It was started in the 1800s when women were having to meet in secret at night and send messages by code that we were going
to meet in somebody's attic someplace before women had the right to vote or really go to school. So over the years, we've given away almost $14 million worth of scholarships for women to pursue their dreams. And after reading
through all of the applications of which were very informative, um we decided to choose Grace Brinkman and Tamuraya. Thank you, Linda. Congrats, Abigail.
Tamari. Our next scholarship is the Mid Minnesota Federal Union Credit Union scholarship presented by Tamber Garza. My name is Tamara Garza and I am the director of marketing with the Minnesota Federal Credit Union. We are honored
here to present a scholarship to one of our graduating seniors. First, I'd like to congratulate the class of 2026. As you look forward to your life beyond high school, take a moment to remember how you feel right now. Remember the hard work and
dedication it took to reach this milestone. Be proud of your growth and achievements. We recognize that the future of our communities will be led by students like you. Mmfcu is here to come alongside your families and school to be a part of
providing a solid foundation for you to grow. We are proud to present our scholarship of $500 to Caitlyn Bensky. Thank you, Caitlyn, for being a member of Mid Minnesota and best wishes to all of you for a bright future.
Thank you, Timber. Congratulations. Our next scholarship is the Air Force Academy Appointment Scholarship presented by John Reo. Good evening. My name is John Ray Boy.
It is my pleasure to represent the United States Air Force and the United States Spa Space Force to present an appointment to the United States Air Force Academy in Colorado Springs, Colorado. This appointment is going to a very deserving young man, Riley
Sherping. This prestigious appointment equates to a 4-year full ride scholarship at a top tier university worth over $600,000 and includes intensive military and leadership training. The Air Force Academy accepts only the best of the
best. This year, of the over 10,000 very accomplished applicants, only 1,200 were appointed to the to enter the academy. So, you can see how truly outstanding Riley is. to develop as leaders. Cadets at the Air Force Academy take part in a
wide variety of programs, including flying aircraft, freef fall parachuting, competitive athletics, military training, and foreign exchange programs around the world. At the same time, they will attend classes ranging from aeronautical and electrical engineering
to history and political science. At the end of four years, they will have earned a bachelor of science degree in their choice of 30 majors and will be commissioned as a second lieutenant in either the United States Air Force or the United States Space Force.
Graduates of the Air Force Academy have gone on to be road scholars, titans of industry, politicians, generals, heroes, athletes, and astronauts. I can't wait to see what great things Riley will do.
So without further ado, on behalf of the President of the United States, Riley Sherping is hereby appointed as a cadet in the United States Air Force Academy class of 2030. Congratulations and welcome to the LONG
CONGRATULATIONS, RILEY. Thank you, John. Our next scholarship is the West Point Military Academy Appointment presented by Chris B. Good evening.
My name is Chris Fulton. Uh, and I'm honored to be here this evening in Little Falls to represent the United States Military Academy at West Point. Just a little bit about West Point. Some of you may have been there. Established in the earliest days of the
Revolutionary War on the west point of the Hudson River, 50 miles upstream from New York City. In 1802, under the presidential leadership of Thomas Jefferson, the Military Academy was established to develop
engineers primarily as we expanded west. It still remains an engineering school, although it's so much more than it was then. And for all of its history, it has been a development of leadership for those
that go out and represent our country and win our country's wars. Uh, a little bit about me and the connection. I graduated from West Point in 1981. So that this year marks my 45th uh reunion when I go back there this fall
and watch Army football beat some team. I'm not sure which one yet. I I love the Army. I stayed in it for 30 years. Gradu graduate retired about 15 years ago and moved back to my hometown up in Grand Rapids. So again, glad to be here with
you all this evening. I couple other things about this particular scholarship. Every student, every cadet is a scholar uh person at West Point. In fact, if there's any youngsters out here or folks
that have youngsters and you're trying to steer them with direction, you get paid to go to a military academy every month. You get paid money to go to a military academy. Now, the Air Force is a little more expensive than the Army, but the West Point education uh runs
about $450,000 over the 47month uh education period that a cadet is at West Point for before their commission as a second lieutenant. A lot of words on the appointment letter. If I could uh have Nicholas
Spring please come forward. West Point provides leaders of character for our army who are inspired to careers as commissioned officers and to a lifetime of service to the nation. So congratulations Nicholas. Congrats, Nicholas. Thank you, Chris.
Our next scholarship is the Flint Hills Resource Discovery Scholarship presented by Preston Bla. Thank you. On behalf of Clint Hills Resources, I'm pleased to present this scholarship award to an individual who has attained superior academic
achievement and who also has a driven spirit. Flint Hills resources produce produces, markets and transports refined products which are essential to power and improve people's lives. We are built upon mathematics, science, engineering
and want to see the next generation of students who are interested in these areas themselves. with the 2026 Discovery Scholarship Flint Hills Resources Awards. Eli Miller. Eli, we wish you continued success as you embark on your next
academic adventure. Congrats, Eli. Thank you, Preston. Our next scholarship is the Alpha Delta Kappa Carolyn Hell Memorial Scholarship presented by Kathy Adam. He didn't put it down quite well enough.
I'd like to present our $500 scholarship tonight to someone who is going into the field of education. And we are honored to present to Ariana Weller. Congrats, Adriana. Thank you, KATHY.
Our next two scholarships are the Voyer 40 and 8 scholarships presented by Alex Warzeka. The Society of 40 men and eight horses known as the 40 and8 is an independent honor society of US veterans founded in
1920 by American legionnaires. Inspired by World War I French box cars used to transport 40 men or eight horses. The organization focuses on camaraderie, fun, charitable initiatives like nurses
training and child welfare. The two recipients of the $1,000 nurses training scholarships are Abigail Henry and Emma Pavaric. Thank you, Alex. Congrats, Abigail and Emma. Our next several scholarships are the
Randall area scholarships presented by Kathy Adam and Glenda Davis. Thank you. Our Randall Area Scholarship was originally set up in 1989, so we've been around a while. We set it up to
show the children in our community that we believe in them and we want to support them and help them go forward in the world to make it a better place. It was originally funded by local service organizations. Now it is funded by my plants and
memorials. This year we were very grateful to the Knight Elementary Association known as KA to donate the amount left in their treasury when the school was closed to our scholarship fund.
Tonight's memorials that we have are in memory of the Ron Mueller family by Ron Mueller. Grandma Annie Sharon, and I put Grandma in front of it because she was a foster grandparent at Dr. Nate for many, many
years, and she could have run the school. And of course, Gary Ganon, who was a member of our scholarship committee and one was one of the original people to help set it up. And tonight we have a member of our new
enlarge scholarship committee and Mrs. Davis. And she is honored to be here because all of the recipients that we are giving our 10 $1,000 scholarships to were in her second grade class.
And our first scholarship goes to Marray Callahan. Okay. Well, we'll go to number two. Chast. Second is Cassidy Hints, Ben Huner, Evelyn Houston, Isaac Hollis,
Miley Maro, Ivan Patri, and Jacob Stavish, but he is not with us tonight. and Oliver Werski back in for the picture. Thanks, Glenda, Kathy. Congrat students.
WE'RE ALL THINKING ABOUT WHO ELSE is in Glenda's second grade class, right? Coming up, our next scholarship is the Polish Echo Scholarship presented by Scott Flu. It's my pleasure to be here tonight
representing the Polish Echo. I want to thank everyone who applied for the scholarship. Uh tonight's $250 scholarship is presented to Benjamin Schilling. Congrats, Ben. Thank you, Scott.
Our next scholarship is the American Legion Auxiliary Scholarships presented by Pat Sawada. in behalf of the American Legion Auxiliary. This student uh along with all of her credentials wrote a beautiful
essay uh what what being an American means to me. I'm proud to give this scholarship on behalf of the American Legion Auxiliary to Samantha Bonberg. Congrats, Samantha. Thank you.
Our next several scholarship are the American Legion Post scholarships along with the Sons of American Legion scholarship and the American Legion writers scholarship presented by Chuck Paris. Good evening everybody. I'm proud to uh
be here to represent uh our local American Legion family tonight, presenting uh five $1,000 scholarships among the American Legion Post itself, the American Legion uh or in the Sons of American Legion as well as the American
Legion rider scholarship for various uh academic aspirations to go to colleges both for trades and other technical areas. Uh these candidates have shown that they can display leadership characteristics
as well as commitments in their time and efforts to our local community. So the first two are for the American Legion Post itself. I'd like to present those in the amount of $1,000 to Mr. John
Allen and Miss Olivia Litki. Next scholarship is from the Sons of the American Legion for $1,000 and that is to Miss Brook Licky. AND OUR FINAL $2,000 scholarships are from the American Legion writers and
those are to be presented to Chaston Guas and Mr. Ben Huner. Thank you, Chuck. Congrats, STUDENTS. Our next two scholarships are the Friends of the Carnegie Library Scholarship presented by Janine Grants.
Hello. About 35 years ago, some citizens of Little Falls decided they would like to support our local library and the friends of the Little Falls Carnegie Library was created. Our mission, in short, to promote public
awareness of library services and will promote literacy in the community. Fast forward to 2012, a wonderful lady named Margaret Kaiser was chair of our friends of the library group. She had determined that our fundraising efforts
should and could help local high school students who would like to further their education. She inspired me to become more involved with the group taking on secretarial duties. Margaret then talked me into taking over
the chair in 2016. I don't know about the rest of you, but it's difficult to say no to your mom. Our scholarship program has grown from one $500 award to two $1,000 awards. Our
students that participate in writing essays continue to inspire us. Margaret passed away this past August. Her support and inspiration for this scholarship program inspires the rest of us to support our students. Let's
congratulate Miley Rosk and Landon White. Congrats, Miley and Landon. Thank you, J. Our next scholarship is the Jerry Gu Memorial Scholarship presented by Gary
Banjo. Okay, Jerry boss is a paid out fisherman and this scholarship is going to go to somebody that seems like he's going to follow in the footsteps and take care of our natural resources. NOAH CAMERON
CONGRATS, NOAH. Thank you, GARY. Our next scholarship is the Lee Hbrug Memorial Scholarship presented by Julie Hbrrung. It's my honor to uh join Julie and Laura up on stage this evening to celebrate a
a wonderful man. Lee Hosbrun was a middle school teacher and he passed away unexpectedly 20 years ago. Lee was a mountain of a man. Um, and loved kids, loved kids. He was my middle school English teacher, my middle school
football coach. He coached wrestling and he was everyone's favorite teacher. He was just an amazing educator, um, father, husband, and community member. So, it is my pleasure along with Laura
and Judy to announce this year's winner who I think is a really great representative of this memorial scholarship, Katie Bartos. Thanks, Julie. Congrats, PAYEYTON. Our next scholarships are the Knights of
Columbus scholarships. presented by Tim Bjordan. >> So, I'm pinch hitting here for a few people that weren't able to make it, so we're going to go a little bit out of order in the program, but you will uh you'll be able to follow along. So, I'm pleased to announce uh the Knights of
Columbus scholarship. There's three of them, three $500 winners, and they go to Brook Lkkey, Olivia Litkkey, and Eric Bky. PLEASE COME UP. CONGRATULATIONS. I'M GOING TO JUMP DOWN TO THE exchange club. The Exchange Club
um presents two $2,500 scholarships each year. And the winners of this year are John Allen and Tamari Luchia. And then the next scholarships I'm going
to present are the Bill Swanson Memorial Wrestling Scholarships. Swanie uh was a wrestling booster coach, business education teacher in this high school for many years dating all the way back
the uh late 70s, early 80s. And Mr. Swanson was again a lot like we the mountain of a man full of enthusiasm and love kids. So, it's my privilege to present these five $200 scholarships to
Kobe Cameron, Noah Cameron, Chaz, Landon Lashinsky, and Ivan Patri. CONGRATULATIONS. THANKS, TIM. CONGRATS, STUDENTS. Our next scholarship is the Little Falls Fire Department Relief Association
Scholarship presented by Eric Hegna. Good evening. Little Pulse Fire Department Relief Association scholarship was established in 2021 to support students pursuing post-secary education in the fields that strengthen emergency response and care
in our community. The Relief Association is a nonprofit organization dedicated to raising funds that emphasize emergency response services and support those who serve the community during times of need. The scholarship is intended to recognize
students not only not only who demonstrate adequ academic achievement but also show a clear commitment to serve compassion and helping others. This year's recipient truly embodies
those values. She has been actively involved in both school and community services, including participation in health service course work, earning her CNA license, volunteering through community services events, visiting nursing homes, and supporting neighbors
and elderly residents in our community. In addition, she has already gained hands-on experience working as a CNA and caregiving roles, demonstrating maturity, dedication, and a strong sense of responsibility well beyond her years. On behalf of the members of Little Falls
Fire Department Relief Association, we are proud to support her and her educational goals, her continued education dedication to community. It is our honor to present this year's Little Falls Fire Department Relief Association $1,000 scholarship to Cali Notch.
Congrats, Cali. Thank you, Eric. Our next few scholarships are the Michael Schulty Award Scholarships. Iron Mike, presented by Mitch Schultton. Hello. Uh, my name is Mitch Schulty and I'm with Little Falls Machine Snow
Equipment. The Michael T. Schulty Award for Excellence was established in honor of my great-grandfather, Iron Mike Schulty, to recognize those students who take pride in working with their hands. The award honors those individuals who love creating something out of nothing. From the drafting board to machine shop
floor board, these students have excelled in the area of industrial arts. We are proud to present $1,000 scholarships to Caitlyn Eastman and Landon Lashinski and a $1,500 scholarship to Dylan Sherman. HEAT. HEAT. congrats students. Thank you, Mitch. Our
next two scholarships are the Mary of Lord School Scholarships presented by Anakah Flesowski. Good evening everyone. As Kyle said, my name is Anakica Kosowski. Some of you may remember me. Um, I was the Marriott Lords Elementary School uh secretary
during your years at Marriott Lords. While I'm no longer an employee, I'm now proud to be both a Marriott Lord's parent and a PSO president. Joining me tonight is the legendary former kindergarten teacher, Mrs. Market, who
I'm SURE Those of you who were kindergarten students, you probably remember the chicka chicka boom boom shirts we made. We were going to wear those tonight, but they were more like crop tops, so we did not wear those.
Um, the Maria Board's Catholic School Parent and School organization would like to thank all of the alumni who applied for the 2026 alumni scholarships. The decision was incredibly difficult and we are so proud of all our graduates and their
accomplishments. Um, we have two $1,500 scholarships. And at this time, we are pleased to present the 2026 alumni scholarships to Aya Nez and Ariana Welli.
Congrats Alad Ambriana. Legendary is correct. Our next scholarship is the Coburn's Incorporated scholarship presented by Tiffany Becker. Supports local students by investing in
scholarship programs and educational opportunities throughout the communities we serve. Our commitment to helping students pursue their goals is important to our dedication to education and building a brighter future locally. Covers is proud to recognize the following students for
their outstanding high school career. It is my honor to rep to present the Coburn's scholarship to Andrew Schumacher. Thank you, Tiffany and Sky. Congrats, Andrew. Our next scholarship is the
silver lining scholarship presented by don't legendary marketing. So almost eight years ago on the evening before the last day of school, our wonderful friend Jeff Silling passed
away suddenly. He was custodian at marriage for 21 years and even though he was legally blind, he saw a lot in the 21 years. After he died, um his wife Leah and I were help were cleaning out
his desk and we found a little notebook like this one that he had um written some of his favorite memories in like a diary um like a maintenance guy's diary. So little snippets
The recipient of the scholarship is part of one of those memories. He had quotations on it. One day, a couple of boys thought it would be really fun to call 911 on an old rotary phone in the library.
Mr. Jeff was in charge of discipline and then removing that phone after this event. When we read through the applicants for the scholarship that um that Leah and Jessica had created in his honor, we knew immediately who should receive the silver lining scholarship. A
couple of these infamous boys applied, but only one is entering the trades. So, um that's and that's part of the scholarship requirement and it's one of um Jeff's passions. So, I'll try my best. Jeff voice, Mr. Verky.
Congrats, Eric. Thank you. Our next two scholarships are the Bulldog scholarships presented by Raymond and Gail Soviet. Go Flyers.
Sie. I graduated from this high school a few years ago. And this is my wife, Gail, which I met at Daytona Beach. She's from Michigan. So, my life has been all over the place. And I tell you what, I couldn't love
anybody more than this for 56 years. Every time you come here, we've been coming here since 2012. And every time, every year, sometimes I don't make it, but he always does, but this school is such an impressive
impressive high school with your staff, with all those who are involved. It's one of the better high schools we have ever been in. and and these folks here living here in Little Falls are so lucky
to have this school. A little bit about us, uh we're affiliated with the Pope Foundation and it's a family foundation, a working foundation and we've been doing this since 2001. And so the full dot scholarship is
underneath that umbrella and I will fit the rest of the time to my husband. >> Just a little background. I I I started CH Robinson which is a logistics produce company in 1974.
I started buying stock in the company in 1976 instead of going on vacations and so other things and so forth and so forth. And we bought stock every year until 19 uh 97. In 1997, the company went public. We had a lot of
stock. We had a lot of stock. And uh and we were so fortunate our whole life now was we want to give money back. And this this evening is is the is the highlight of my
basically of my year. I just absolutely love this night. And uh but my my career has given us the opportunity to give away a couple of Bulldog scholarships. This year we have two Bulldogs. We
normally have one, but we just couldn't pick just one this year. So the two recipients this year are Tamari Yura. Yeah. Yeah. Screwing that up.
and Miss Abigail Henry. Congrats, girls. Raymond Gail, it is a pleasure to have you back every year, every time. >> Our next scholarship is the St. Otto's Care Center scholarship presented by
Dana Potter. >> Good evening. I'm Dana Potter, administrator at St. Idol's Care Center. This year, I'd like to award a $500 scholarship to Courtney Herid. >> Congrats, Courtney. Thank you, Dan. OUR next two scholarships are His hands and
feet Christian scholarships presented by Camila Clarison. Good evening everyone. Tonight I have the privilege of presenting his hands and feet scholarship established in memory of a remarkable member of the Little Falls community, Ray Stump. Ray
was a proud 1975 graduate of Little Falls Community High School. After graduation, he answered a call to serve by joining the United States Navy as a hospital corman. Through dedication and courage, he became a Navy diver with the underwater construction team, the
Seabies. Following 24 years of military service, Ray continued his commitment to others by earning his master's degree in education and returning home to Little Falls in 1998 to teach technology education at the middle school. But Ray's legacy is not simply found in his
accomplishments. It is found in the lives he touched. He was the kind of teacher who arrived early and stayed late because he genuinely cared about his students. Whether helping with a project, offering encouragement, or simply listening, Ry believed in serving
others with compassion, humility, and faith, and was an active supporter of students in their sports and their fine arts activities. Even during his difficult battle with cancer, Rey remained steadfast in his faith. He often shared the words of Philippians
4:13 with his students, "I can do all things through Christ who gives me strength." Those words became the foundation of how he lived his life with strength, perseverance, and a servant's heart. Before his passing in 2013, Rey
requested that the scholarship continue to honor graduating seniors who reflect those same values. Students actively involved in their faith community, school activities, and service to others here in Little Falls. Tonight we recognize two students who exemplify what it means to be the hands and feet
of Christ through their leadership, kindness, and commitment to serving others. Please join me in congratulating this year's recipients of the His hands and feet scholarship in memory of Ray Stealth to John Allen and Joselyn King. Thank you, Camela. Congrats, John and
Jos. Our next two scholarships are the Little Falls Youth Hockey Beyond the Ice Scholarships presented by Carrie P. Good evening. On behalf of Little Falls Youth Hockey, I am proud to present the
inaugural Little Falls Youth Hockey Beyond the Ice Scholarships. These two $1,000 scholarships were created to recognize student athletes who represent the best of our hockey community through leadership, character, service, commitment, and the impact they make
both on and off the ice. To be eligible, applicants needed to participate in Little Falls hockey for at least four years, play high school hockey, and are planning to continue their education beyond graduation. The scholarship was never about points or statistics. We
focused on leadership, resilience, mentorship, academics, community involvement, and giving back to others. We had several deserving applicants, which made this a very difficult decision. The two this two recipients
selected truly represented what beyond the ice means to their leadership, commitment to others, and impact within the hockey and local communities. It is my honor to announce the recipients of the inaugural Little Falls youth hockey beyond the ice scholarships to Bojerley
and Isaac Halis. Congrats, Isaac and Bo. Thank you, Carrie. Our next scholarship is the Sister Judine Cassidy Scholarship presented by Sister Cordy and Stephanie Ace.
Thank you and good evening everyone. Joining me tonight is Stephanie Hakes, director of community relations for the Franciscan Sisters. Stephanie will be administering our scholarship funds for our 2026 recipient this year. I am
Sister Cordowski and honored to award the Sister Judine Cassidy Scholarship this evening on behalf of the Franciscan Sisters of Little Falls. I graduated from St. Francis High School and Sister Jadeine was my principal. Through her
influence and guidance, literally hundreds of young women were encouraged to excel in academics and life skills benefiting their communities. The education and values instilled during high school shaped my future as
an educator, administrator, pastoral minister, and most importantly, a Franciscan sister. The alumni of St. Francis High School are instrumental in initiating and supporting this scholarship for the
graduates of the Little Falls Community High School in the area of education or healthcare. I am honored to present the Sister Jadeine Cassidy Scholarship of 1,000
tonight to Courtney Herderine. Courtney Courtney will attend the University of Minnesota Rochester with a major in health sciences. Congratulations, Courtney. >> Congrats, Courtney. Thank you, sister
and Stephanie. Our next two scholarships are the Marla J. Nagel Memorial Nursing Scholarship and the Ron Nagel Memorial Scholarship presented by Jana Nagel. I am honored to present uh with the
scholarship my mother-in-law and my father-in-law. Both of them believe in education very strongly. They both graduated from college and they were very much in that hole trying to help out the next generation. Mara
scholarship is for somebody that is going into the nursing field. Mara was very pass uh compassionate but really cared for hospice. She loved the ending the caring for the ending of life. My father-in-law was a business owner in
town and he was very forwardinking determined man. But both my mother and father-in-law love to work with and help with help others. I know that they would both be happy to be able to help these two people that are going to win the awards pursuing their dreams. The Mara J
Nagel nursing scholarship goes to Kelly Notch and the Ronald Nagel business scholarship goes to Tyler Tyler Rowski. Thank you, Jana. Congratulations, Cali and Tyler. Our
next two scholarships are the yellow ribbon scholarships presented by Matthew LBLA. Congratulations to the class of 2026, students, teachers, and staff. We had a tough decision this year with nearly 30 applicants uh for our yellow ribbon
scholarship, all with strong ties to the military. Um, this year's recipients are Kylie Barren, Ivan Patrick, and Lillian Fel. Congrats students. Thank you, Matt. Our next number of scholarships will be
presented by John Morgan. The Maryanne Rowley Scholarship was set up to support a student in need by helping with the cost of postsecary education. This year's recipient is Benjamin Shill. The Little Falls School Employees
Association scholarship was provided to students who whose parent is employed as a paraprofessional or secretary in the Little Falls School District. This year's recipients are Brianna Hodc and Caitlyn Mansy.
Mary Gene Tilman healthcare scholarships were established to assist students who are pursuing a degree in the healthcare field. This year's scholarships are awarded to Alli Statam and Rachel Rachel Sy. The Little Falls Elementary PTSA scholarship is awarded to a student who
attended Lincoln or Lindberg Elementary School. This year, the scholarship of $500 is awarded to Kennedy Gu. James K. Mishi was a former student superintendent of the Little Falls School District. This scholarship created in memory of him and is awarded
to a student who values education. This year's recipient is Isaac Bel. The Barb Kuza Memorial Nursing Scholarship is being offered to students pursuing a post-secary career in nursing. Throughout her 40 plus years of
nursing, Barb was a selfless individual who helped attend to the needs of others. Barb worked as a surgical nurse, emergency room nurse, and public health nurse throughout her working years. The last 15 years of Barb's life was dedicated to hospice care, assisting
patients and families at the end of the patients life. Barb truly valued nursing and saw it as a calling for her. Barb passed away in May of 2023. She would be honored to assist students pursuing a career that she dedicated her life to.
This year's recipient IS ABIGAIL HENRY. ON BEHALF OF THE EDUC. Education Minnesota Little Falls. It's my honor to present this year's scholarship awarded to two outstanding students who have been chosen to pursue careers in education. Teaching is more than a profession. It's a commitment to helping
others grow, learn, and succeed. The future of our schools and communities depend on dedicated individuals who are willing to inspire the next generation. These scholarships recognize not only academic achievement, but also leadership, character, and a genuine passion for making a difference in the
lives of others. We are proud to support these future educators as they begin their journey into the field of education. This year's recipients are Kennedy Gloss and Molly Tapis. Hakin Insurance Agency is proud to sponsor the scholarship for a senior at
Little Falls Community High School. This year's recipient is Benjamin Schilling. Alan Owen Nelson was a 1958 graduate from Little Falls High School. He was a four sport sport athlete and top student. His family set up this memorial scholarship in honor of him. This year's
scholarship is awarded to Brooke Flicky. The Morrison and Crowing County's Corn Growers Association Scholarship is awarded to students going into an agriculture related field. This year's recipients are Dylan Sherping and Brianna Horty.
Good handshake. Thank you, John and Colby. Our next several scholarships will be prevent presented by Kobe Grant. Our first scholarship is the Horizon Health. Uh this scholarship is given to a student who is majoring in the health
healthc care field. Oops. Just a minute. Oh, here we go. All right. Um, and the scholarship goes to Abby Henry. The family of Christopher Callahar would
like to congratulate all of the LFCHS graduating seniors in the class of 2026. We would also like to thank all of the seniors who took the time to apply for the scholarship. Each one of you did an excellent job. They had chosen this
year's recipient based on how they live their daily lives regarding um the respect and protection of the environment. Also that they closely align with the passion and dedication of Christopher their son. This year's recipient of the $1,000
Christopher Kalahar Memorial Scholarship goes to Ivan Patrick. The Isabelle Rusty Nelson Scholarship was established for a student who shows compassion for literature. This year's $500 scholarship goes to
Ariana Welli. Joseph E. Smith was a tradesman who loved education. His family established the scholarship to help a student who has the desire to make a career of using their minds and hands in true motan work
ethic. This year's scholarship goes to Connell Rosie. Laura J. Muzzer was a prominent member of the Little Falls community with a strong interest in the arts. Through her legacy, she continues to support the arts. It's my pleasure to present the
Laura Jane Muzzer scholarship to EMTT A. The Nancy and Clyde Fine Memorial Scholarship is awarded to a student involved in activities and either lives in Randall or attended Dr. SG Knight.
This year's recipient is Chaston WAS The Little Falls Lions are awarding two sen two scholarships to seniors who plan on attending either a two or four-year college this year. The Lions Club scholarship
scholarships go to Ava Brebach and Allison Hoo. Crowing Power is proud to award scholarships each year to member dependent of Crowing Power Electric Cooperative. These scholarships are made possible through their unclaimed capital
credit fund and the guidance of the board of directors reflecting their commitment to support educational opportunities. This year, Crowing Power is awarding 75 scholarships of $1,500 each to students enrolled within one of the 11 school
districts in the service community. Congratulations to the following recipients. There's not 75. Jake Schneider, Hunter Hines, Elliot Vanden, Gabriel Schilling, Haley Weiss, AND
MERCEDES WHITE. THE FIR THE Surma family scholarships were established to support students. students going into the trades field. This year's recipients are Landon Lashinsky and Evan Lamir. Beverly Pansby Johnston
graduated in the class of 1941. She was the fourth child in her family. After her father died when she was 13, she learned the value of pitching in while appreciating music and education in her life. She demonstrated uncommon
courage when battling cancer and she still continued to learn along life's highway. The Beverly Mansky Johnson scholarship is her way of honoring remarkable young adults who have realized their potential through hard work and perseverance.
We're going to hold our applause. There's 12 $2,000 scholarships and they go to Carissa Olsen, Prescott Roma, Abigail Nagorski, Madison Whitford, Nicholas Spring, Gracelair,
Kylie Barrett, Monica Spilum, Cadence Bellinger, Haley Weiss, and Molly Tavit. CONGRATULATIONS All right. The past matron club of the order of Eastern Star is a scholarship for a
female who's planning on attending a two or fouryear college. This year's scholarship goes to Bailey Dryley. The Sha Grittner Scholarship was established for a student pursuing a degree in a technical field. The scholarship is a tribute to the passion
Shawn had for the construction field before his life was tragically taken in an automobile accident in 1998. This scholarship is to help a student achieve their dreams. This year's scholarship goes to Isaac Edgar.
All right, I have the next several scholarships. Mrs. Grant will join me. Uh the first one is the uh I think everyone knows that we have an amazing aviation uh program going on Little Falls. So we have a pilot coaches
aviation provides yearly scholarships to students who show a very strong interest in aviation and this year that scholarship goes to Dane Espin. Dane is not with us tonight but congratulations D. The next scholarship is the ride against
cancer. It's in memory of Patota scholarship that was established to help students who have experienced uh cancer in their family. This year's recipient of the $1,000 scholarship is Kate Olsen.
And unfortunately Kate is not here either. So congratulations Katie. So, in the west part of the commons, there's a display case that has a number of our uh famous alumni, I guess I would say, on
there. Ray, you need to be in there. So anyway, uh Denise Jalinsky Hall is a Little Falls alumni and she is has the distinguish distinction of being the highest ranking enlisted female officer in the history of the United States
Armed Forces. So it's a leadership scholarship in her name and it goes to Landon White. Congratulations, LANDON. All right, he took the coat off. >> Hey, the next scholarship is the Blanch and Avery James scholarship. It goes to
an outstanding senior. It's sponsored by Lyall James, their son, who wanted to set up an award to go to an outstanding senior who demonstrated solid academic leadership in the school environment and someone that has very strong character.
It is my pleasure to introduce this year's recipient of $1,000, Cararissa Olsen. The Jordan Hansel State Farm Insurance Agency has established a scholarship awarded to a student that is pursuing a degree in business. This year's
scholarship of $500 goes to Bodie Capser. Chi St. Gabriel's Healthcare provides scholarships for students majoring in healthc care. This year's recipient goes to Olivia Lindky.
Scitec is a fullervice telephone and internet provider backed by the UPSA cooperative telephone association. They are providing a $500 scholarship to a student in Little Falls. This year's recipient is Braden Wazniaak.
the St. Gabriel's Hospital Auxiliary. They work to promote and fund raise for St. Gab's Hospital. provide different programs such as the scholarship program and they're providing two $500 scholarships this year. The first one goes to Grace Brinkman. The second one
Courtney PERIN The Martian Insurance Insurance Agency is proud to sponsor this scholarship. A $1,000 scholarship awarded to Landon Berghart. So listen students, the next scholarship is named after Dolores Carlson. Dolores
Carlson was the secretary, the principal secretary for 50 years. This scholarship is is set up by her brothers. Dolores was the secretary of the school when I was in high school and
she was my secretary in my very first year and then she couldn't she had enough after I told her. So anyway, this is really cool scholarship. Dolores was an amazing lady. And this goes to Gracie Norbert. Apparently, there's Olsen sisters in the
community. The Olsen Sister Scholarship was created in memory of the 11 Olsen sisters who were all elementary teachers in the country schools around central Minnesota. Again, a really cool scholarship that's been around for a long time. This year's scholarship goes
to Molly Tabot. The next scholarship is the Phillips Sylvester Tamalti scholarship in memory of Mary Phillips who was loved and supported by all of the educational professionals in Little Falls. She was a
uh English teacher. She believed in helping students continue their education after high school would result in paying back for the community. This $500 scholarship in her name goes
to Haley Vienna. The Soies Lions are alive and well. It's a service organization supporting the Soies area. They have two $500 scholarships given to students who show outstanding volunteeris volunteerism in
their community. This year's two scholarships go to Grace Brinkman and Samantha Bonberg. So, we have two scholarships left. Uh, one is the Gordon Larson, and then we'll end the evening with the Kuana scholarship. So this year,
uh, we are we are awarding 58 Gordon Larson scholarships. We've offered $4,000 a piece. Uh, tell kids this, I've told them this for a long time. You are incredibly lucky to go to this high school and to be part of
this scholarship program. Uh, no one else, no other school our size comes even close to the amount of scholarship that this community gives to our kids. when you have people like the Soviets and all of the different uh businesses,
co-ops, um all you read the program, it is really really a special special evening and uh we're so very blessed to have again all of our all of our people sponsoring our scholarships. And um the
the Gordon Larson scholarship is very unique to Little Falls. Um Ward Larson was a 1939 graduate. Uh kind of a character it sounds like. He um he grew up during the Great Depression. Worked in a number of local
stores. If you've been around a little while and you're you're old enough to remember some of these names. He worked at the Lefons grocery store, at the Helen Becker's white store. He worked at the Red Owl. He worked at Coral Shoe Store. And he graduated in 1939.
and he went to work at Corals because Pete Coral, who owned a shoe store at the time, gave him a raise from $12 a week to $15 a week, and he figured he'd stick around for a while. Okay. Uh, in 1940, he decided to attend college at
the University of St. Thomas, but apparently, like I said, he was a character and they they basically kicked him out of school and told didn't want him to come back. So he enrolled at the U uh at the University of Minnesota. Uh he worked at places while he was
going to college. He worked at Maddens as a caddy master. So he was a caddy. Uh he worked at Bar Harbor. Uh he lifeguarded at the city beach in Little Falls. That used to be between Bank Square and the Trestle. There's that
boat landing north of town. That used to be the city beach a long time ago when Miss Ya was a kid. In the evenings he worked at the canteen and he'd hustle a game of pool when the guardsman came to town. Well, anyway, in
1942, Douglas MacArthur said the war would be over in three or four months. So, they thought, well, let's go let's go hang out in Europe for a while. Well, again, history majors, that didn't work out that way. But uh he ended up joining the Navy. Long story short, um retired
from the Navy in 1970. Um met a wonderful woman. They never had children, so he has no family. Uh and he like Ray was very fortunate and invested and did very well. And um
he wrote a letter. Most of this information comes from a letter that I got from Mary Phillips who we gave a scholarship to a little bit ago. It said uh he ended his letter to Mary. It said perhaps on my tombstone they could inscribe. He had a good life. He worked
hard. He played hard. He tried to make a difference. I guess the person couldn't ask for anything else. P.S. Maybe my vanity plate says it all. I did okay. Fondly, Gordon. So students, if you haven't ever seen it, there's a couple
pictures of Gordon and his wife in that West display case over by the the microwaves. So So it's my pleasure to name the uh award of 58 scholarships from the Gordon Larson Charitable Foundation at this time. And so Mrs.
Grant will join me up here and we will um go through them. I think what we'll do, uh, Melissa, is when we're all done, I'd like to take a big group picture up here on stage of all 58 of the kids. I think that would be really cool. Okay,
so uh, the first recipient is Nick Spring. For the second recipient, we'd like to welcome up Tim Borgi to present Thank you. I'm pleased to announce the next Lord
Larson scholarship to Olivia Licki. For the next award, we'd like to welcome up Tim Fury. That was Kyle's idea. He said, "Nobody wants to get home and watch the wild Tim. Let's just see if we can drag this out." All right. Good. That was good. That was
good. Okay. And yeah, let's hold our applause until all 58 students are presented. Abigail. >> Okay. Gracelair. I'll go slow enough but fast enough to keep us going. So, Grace and Abby,
>> Kyle Barren, >> sorry, Kylie. My apologies. We'll get it right at graduation. Kylie Barrett, Madison Whitford, Adrien Kowals, >> Tamari, Euchia, Okay, we're going to we're going to let
you guys all go sit down. Okay, and then after Kyle wraps up, we're happy to bring you all back up. Okay, I think that makes sense. Hunter Heights, Haley Vienna, Jocelyn Keane, Ariana Willie,
Kennedy Gast, Brooke Litkkey, Isaac Kalis, Aya Annezz, Ivan Patrick, Cadence Bellinger, Grace Brinkman, Abigail Horton, Kelly Notch.
John Allen, Abigail Henry, Gracie Nordberg, Elliot Bannon, Bo Majuri. Miley Marose, Adeline Soviet, Mr. Eric Rhode Island, Gabrielle Schilling,
Dylan Fitzpatrick, Carissa Olsen, Stke Stella Mole, Payton Bartos, Courtney Herderine, Anukica Spillum, Marissa Schutz, Jake Schneider, Calie Hemingson,
Prescott Roma, Gracie Rustad, Allison Hoo, Isaac Belelfi, Landon Burgart, Brianna Hudit, Eli Miller, Samantha Vonberg,
Odie Capster, Dylan Sherping, Ayla Iverson, Carly Borstad, Payton Carr, Kendra Robinson, Kobe Cameron, and Jaden Rous.
So ladies and gentlemen, please join me in congratulating for the 58 students that received this year's Gordon Larson. I want to just say uh a couple of words before we let Kyle close out. Um
not bad for time. You think about there's 81 scholarships we gave out tonight. Each one takes two minutes, three minutes. You can see why it's a long program. But as I told the kids who obviously listened and knocked it out of the park, I told them the other day, you
dress for success. And I don't think I've ever seen a better looking group of seniors ever at scholarship night. Um, I'll talk about this a little bit at graduation, but this is a pretty amazing senior class. We've I've I've never had
two kids qualify for the military academy. I mean, that is pretty crazy. Uh Nick and and uh Riley, that I mean that's and nine valadictorians. I mean, we'll hear about it next Friday about how amazing the
senior classes. So anyway, seniors, awesome job. Uh Mrs. Grant, Lisa Nez, Mr. Morgan, thank you again. Quanas for sponsoring this the scholarship program for many years now. Kyle does a great job moving along. So parents,
congratulations. I know you're very proud of your kids and you should be. Kyle, thank you Tim. Wow, what a night. Like a couple thank yous here. Give a couple thank yous. Like Tim said, um, educators, administrators, especially Kobe Grant and others in the
guidance office for putting together all the logistics for us. Again, all the generous donors, the presenters doing a wonderful job awarding the scholarships. Give them one more hand. Thank you to the parents
all their time, energy, effort, patience over the past 18 years. Um, please give yourself a big round. It's my honor to present the last two scholarship awards uh as a member of the
Little Falls Kuanas organization. Um the Kuanas group started in Little Falls in the 1960s and our focus is to help and encourage youth in the community. When you're driving around town and you see a playground, take a look at the sign. Many times you'll see sponsored by the
Kuanas Club. Um this is just one more of the things that we do. And back in the late 1960s, this is when this started. The Kuanas Club started the scholarship. And it's incredible. It's truly incredible. Like what Tim said, what it
has become over the years. And hopefully we can continue to grow it. We are proud to present our last two scholarships after much deliberation. Had to had to pick two, not just one. Abigail Henry
and Tamari Guchia. As a reminder to the Gordon Larson winners, please come up to the um up to the front to get your picture taken. >> Come up on stage um in a little bit. Um to the winners, all the winners, be
proud of what you have accomplished. Your future will be shaped not by just your achievements, but by the way you lead, serve, and encourage others along the way. Congratulations to each of you.
Thank you all for being here to celebrate this special evening together. Good night and drive safe. Three, ice cream and