The NDSCS Alumni/Foundation will recognize a group of distinguished alumni and friends on Friday, October 11, 2019 during the Alumni and Friends Awards Recognition at 7:00 p.m. in the Hektner Student Center on the NDSCS campus in Wahpeton. The public is invited to attend the recognition ceremony to celebrate the honorees. Information and registration for the event, as well as additional information about the honorees, can be found online at ndscsalumni.com/homecoming.
The 2019 Homecoming Honorees are:
Craig Caspers, Alumnus of the Year, is a 1973 NDSCS Liberal Arts graduate. He played two years for the Wildcat football team and is a Wildcat Athletic Hall of Fame inductee. He is a respected businessman and has excellent rapport with people in the community. Caspers has served his state and local community as a volunteer, board member and officer in several organizations. He served as president of the NDSCS Foundation Board, advisor to the College’s Nursing program, and past president of the Wildcat Letterwinners Board and Catbackers Club. Caspers supports NDSCS with a scholarship endowment, is a member of the Heritage Club and Catbacker Club, and donates to the DREAMS Auction and other Foundation projects.
The Joe and Louise Krebs Family has been selected to receive the Family Tradition Award. Eight of Joe and Louise’s children and four grandchildren are NDSCS alumni, and one is a current student. The Krebs family members came to NDSCS because it offered the programs in their areas of interest, work-study options and strong job placement. The tradition for the Joe and Louise Krebs family started in 1977 and continues today.
Wells Fargo has been selected for this year’s Friends of the College Award. Wells Fargo has been an important partner with NDSCS and the Alumni Foundation for two decades. Wells Fargo has been a corporate sponsor of the NDSCS Alumni Foundation for the past 20 years. The services of Wells Fargo and its team members have helped the NDSCS Foundation grow and attain its goals.
Mary Kosel and Linda Patterson will be the 2019 Parade Grand Marshals. They led with their philanthropic spirit to maximize the efforts of others making a hands-on agricultural land lab a reality for NDSCS. The Kosel Family Agriculture Land Lab, a 90+ acre plot northwest of Wahpeton, offers many benefits for the students, which include hands-on experiences, real-world activities and scholarship opportunities.
Rebecca Truesdell has been selected as a recipient of this year’s Commitment to Excellence Award. Truesdell earned her A.A.S. degrees in Graphic Arts Technology and Computer Information Systems – Web Developer at NDSCS. She is currently the Publications Specialist at NDSCS, supporting the entire College community with her marketing and design talent. The NDSCS Alumni Foundation works with Truesdell to publish the annual Alumni Review magazine, Scholarship book, DREAMS Auction book and the Homecoming program. She is also a member of the NDSCS Homecoming Committee.
Karen Bajumpaa has also been selected as a Commitment to Excellence Award recipient. Bajumpaa has worked in the NDSCS Dining Services department for 22 years. Her current role as Assistant Director of Auxiliary Services includes managing the Flickertail Dining Room, the Wild Grounds Café and NDSCS Catering Services. The NDSCS Foundation has worked closely with Karen through the years to help make the Scholarship Luncheons, Homecoming Socials, and all Foundation-related events and meetings run smoothly.
Larissa Gilbertson, Wildcat of the Year, is an Associate Professor in the Academic Services Center at NDSCS. Gilbertson has taught Math for the Academic Services Center since 2011 and earned the student-nominated Excellence in Teaching Award in 2012 and 2018. Many students showed their appreciation by honoring her on Faculty Appreciation Day during the NDSCS Wildcat basketball season. Gilbertson and her husband, Clint, are members of the NDSCS Catbacker Club and attend many Wildcat athletic games and performing arts activities.
Art and Linda Grochow are recipients of the NDSCS Tradition Award. Art and Linda Grochow volunteer countless hours for the NDSCS Alumni Foundation DREAMS auction. They help procure gifts, assist with set-up, cook for the volunteers, work the night of the event and help with tear-down. They are also great sports fans and attend just about every type of ball game at NDSCS. Art Grochow announces the football games for NDSCS and runs the clock at the NDSCS basketball games. Linda Grochow currently assists the NDSCS Alumni office with keeping their alumni and friends records up-to-date.