Piano students competing virtually

Several area students advanced from the 2020 Minnesota Music Teachers Association piano contest preliminaries. They were eligible to compete at the state finals contest on March 14-15 which was canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic. They submitted a video online. The state finals winners normally participate in an annual Honors Concert in early June. Area teachers Loni Eid, Carol Gangwish, Megan Gilles and Georgia Hanson have students that participated in the state finals contest. The students are:

Primary: Graysen Dirksen, Maynard; Whitney Anderson, Belgrade; Natalie Jurgenson, Willmar; Hannah Javaherian, Willmar.

Junior A: Arianna Gilles, Willmar; Jowell Gamez, Spicer; Hailey Jurgenson, Willmar; Isaiah Hatfield, Murdock; Jovial Martinez, Willmar.

Junior B: Julia Mages, Montevideo; James Buckingham, Montevideo; Adam VanBinsbergen, Montevideo; Jowell Gamez, Spicer; Elias Hultgren, Raymond; Hailey Jurgenson, Willmar; Tristan Boehme, Kandiyohi.

Intermediate A: Jaden Dirksen, Maynard.

Senior A: Tatum Christenson, Montevideo; Evan Buckingham, Montevideo, RJ Haas, Montevideo.

Senior B: Anna Kerstetter, Willmar.

Southwest Minnesota State University

Graduating at the end of summer and fall semesters with a bachelor's degree from the Marshall school, unless otherwise noted, were:

Appleton: Lesa Jo Thielke, Shelby Kim Arnold

Bellingham: Jacob Richard Maatz

Benson: Kylee Jean Wrobleski

Brooten: Alexis Lorraine Amundson

Clarkfield: Angie Marie Listul

Danube: Elizabeth Ann Beckendorf

Dawson: Ethan S. Fisk; Katheryn Jolayne Madson; Serena May Borstad Brown, master’s in special education

Glenwood: Gregory Lawrence Helander

Granite Falls: Ashley Marie Struffert, Victoria Ann Guertin

Grove City: Bobbi Jo Haag

Hanley Falls: Melissa Ann Stevens, master’s in education

Litchfield: Bailey Lynn Jorgensen, Nicole Catherine Berning

Madison: Maizie Pamela Schacherer

Maynard: Colten Gregory Bristle

Montevideo: Charlene Kay Reuss, master’s in education; Nicole Marie Fischer

Morris: Cassey Marie Hickman, Toni Teresa Hughes

Morton: Arianna Cheyenne Gregg, associate degree; Mariah Marie Wabasha

Redwood Falls: Courtney Teresa Trotter, associate degree; Jorden Rae Minkel; Kelsi Marie Limoges; Mckenzie Rose Weelborg; Brittany Ann Allex; Lisa Marie Stephens

Sacred Heart: Kendra Lynn Rigge

Sunburg: Kaylee Renae Helgeson, master’s in education

Willmar: Beth M. Harguth, Kendra Karen Jasso-Chukwuyem, Shelbie Chantel Jackson

Named to the fall semester dean’s list with a GPA of 3.66 or higher at the University of Minnesota school in Crookston were:

Glenwood: Raelynn Wildman

Starbuck: Mackenzie Bartels

Rochester CTC

Named to the fall semester dean’s list with a GPA of 3.0 or higher at the Rochester Community and Technical College was:

Redwood Falls: Colton Taylor

St. Catherine University

Named to the fall semester dean’s list with a GPA of 3.66 or higher at the St. Paul school was:

Olivia: Katie Buchtel

UM-Twin Cities

Named to the fall semester dean’s list with a GPA of 3.66 or higher at the University of Minnesota school in the Twin Cities were:

Appleton: Maggie G Raddatz

Belgrade: Joseph E Thompson

Benson: Joshua Bailey, Eric J Hoium, Sydney L Laumeyer

Blomkest: Erin R Johnson

Buffalo Lake: Jack M Bartels

Clarkfield: Sophia Louwagie

Darwin: Riley M Kunkel, Izabella Maher, Makayla J Maher

Dawson: Faith C Anyasike

Echo: Asa Ulferts

Glenwood: Jake H Hoffman, Hanna M Lindblad, Hannah E Orlowski

Hawick: Ashley Schmitz

Kandiyohi: Kyle Knofczynski

Kerkhoven: Annika R Smith, Averie Vick

Montevideo: Ashley McKee, Kendra Wanke

New London: Nathan Klaers, Emily A Novak, Madison E Partyka, Rachel C Vraa

Olivia: Miranda A Johnson, Brandon T Knight

Paynesville: Cory F Zimmerman

Raymond: Wendy Bauman, Drue L Schwitters

Redwood Falls: Sydney Peyerl

Renville: Maya Ulrich

Spicer: Lydia S Morrell

Starbuck: Ryan E Amundson

Sunburg: Tayler A Tjaden

Willmar: Theodore W Ahrenholz, Sam W Bloomquist, Madison L Garnhardt, Kylie K Halvorson, Ellery R Knight, Erica A Schramm, Ellie M Shuldes, Erin Vance, Lucas D Yoakum

Named to the fall semester dean’s list with a GPA of 3.5 or higher were:

Appleton: Kassidy Platow

Brooten: Faith Deppa

Glenwood: Natasha Nemmers

Granite Falls: Danica Anderson

Litchfield: Seth Renner, Amanda Smith

New London: Erich Feist, Wyatt White

Redwood Falls: Lindsey Raker

Sacred Heart: Cassandra DeKruif

Willmar: Alexis Goeser, Caleb Laurence, Michelle Thissen

Palmer College of Chiropractic

Named to the fall semester dean’s list with a GPA of 3.5 or higher at the Davenport, Iowa, school was:

Boyd: Aaron Madson

College of St. Scholastica

Heather Springer, of Litchfield, is a member of Bella Voce, an auditioned women's choir that performed at the American Choral Directors Association gathering March 6 in Milwaukee, Wis.

FFA scholarships

The Minnesota FFA Foundation James W. Tracy scholarships are for Minnesota students who are enrolled or planning to enroll in an accredited post-secondary school and pursue a degree in agriculture. Area students receiving a scholarship listed by high school are:

Litchfield: Ruby Radunz

Minnewaska Area: Ashley Anderson

Renville County West: Meghan Beckendorf