Three Red Cloud Students Win Horatio Alger Scholarship

Justina Bagola, Shane Star, and Amanda Standing Bear. Photo by Michael Sunderland. Copyright Red Cloud Indian School.

 Three Red Cloud Students Win Horatio Alger Scholarship

By Michael Sunderland

Three Red Cloud High School 12^th grade students recently found out they were named Horatio Alger Scholarship recipients for the state of South Dakota. Justina Bagola, Amanda Standing Bear, and Shane Star received the state scholarship for $5000. There are twenty-five Horatio Alger scholarships given out each year in South Dakota. With these three recipients, Red Cloud High School had the most scholarships in the state of South Dakota for this year. Here is the link of all South Dakota recipients.

To apply for this scholarship, students had to write about adversities they have faced in their life and how they have overcome these challenges. Students must have a strong commitment to attend college, be involved in extracurricular activities, and demonstrate integrity and perseverance. Students must also demonstrate quality grades in the classroom. More information about the Horatio Alger Scholarship Program can be found here.

These three students have proven to be excellent leaders and students in our school. Besides her excellence in the classroom, Justina Bagola has also received many awards for her artwork and hopes to be a veterinarian.  Amanda Standing Bear is actively involved both in Sacred Heart Church in Pine Ridge and in the wrestling program at Red Cloud. Shane Star has earned the reputation as being one of the top students in the school in mathematics and is also on the boys’ basketball team. All three of these students have demonstrated integrity, leadership, service, and academic excellence.