The University of South Dakota has awarded the first of its new premier scholarships of ten thousand dollars each to a junior and senior who plan to stay in state to teach.
The Jeanne Spilde Gonzenbach Scholarship will be awarded annually to two education majors.
One of those receiving the scholarship was junior to be Alanna Schmeichel of Humboldt. She says the timing couldn’t have been better…..

Schmeichel says she had special teachers along the way, but a chance to help with special education students when she was in high school at West Central was the big factor moving her toward teaching……

Schmeichel says she would like to go back to her old high school to teach…..

Schmeichel says she has been following the legislative debate over higher teacher pay, and says that is also played into her desire to stay in the state.
The other winner of the scholarship was Randi Johnson of Sioux Falls.