Success Stories

DWIGHT JON ZIMMERMAN is a bestselling and award-winning author, radio show host, producer, and former president of the Military Writers Society of America. A writer of extraordinary scope in genres, he has written everything from comic books to young adult and adult histories and biographies, and more. He has received critical praise for his skill in adapting bestselling adult works into the young adult and graphic novel and graphic biography formats.

Alexander van Osch came to NDSCS in a unique fashion and was only here for a short amount of time, but NDSCS is proud to count Alexander as a lifetime member of the Wildcat family. Read about his journey in his own words here:

In 2003, Dave Whitmoyer was a top high school quarterback prospect in the State of Montana with plans to continue his football career at the University of Montana. Unfortunately, a losing senior season at Helena High, along with U of M coaching staff changes, his plan fell apart. What he felt was a bleak situation turned around quickly after Coach Mike Beagle of NDSCS contacted him. By the summer of 2004, Whitmoyer was committed to NDSCS and began training for the fall football season. It was here that he stated he met some of the most “amazing, intriguing, smart, and athletic guys.”

While scrolling through Facebook, Hunter Lee, a Breckenridge MN native and 2020 NDSCS HVAC/R graduate,  stumbled upon the ServiceTitan HVAC competition. Curious, he filled out an online quiz and was selected to move onto round two. While he was intrigued, he was skeptical that it may be a scam. About a month later, a package arrived in the mail with instructions for phase two — a torching and braising assignment.

Brandon Ralph (2000), owner of Bruno’s Pizza in Bismarck and co-owner of ND Country Fest in New Salem, was recently back on campus to celebrate the 1999 Wildcat Football Team’s induction to the NDSCS Hall of Fame.  While he did not initially have NDSCS on his radar, the Minot High athlete attended the ND State Indoor Track Meet the spring of his senior year, where John Richman, NDSCS’s Football Coach, was also in attendance.

Hailing from Grand Forks with a four-year university in their back yard, Bryce and Mychael Reller, twin brothers, took a different path than many of their college-bound classmates. Bryce shared his decision was more financial based and wanted to finish his education in two years. Mychael also agreed the two-year option was more appealing both timewise and financially.

When Marjorie Lommel graduated from NDSCS in 1974, she had no idea she was the first of many family members to follow in her footsteps, Sally Buckhouse, Lommel’s granddaughter being one of them.  Buckhouse graduated in 1999 in nursing, along with her two sisters, Cari graduating in 2001 and Alicia in 2005.

Paige Scholz is a proud 2014 Wildcat Dental Hygiene and Liberal Arts alum.   

Not all career paths are straight, in fact most are filled with twists, turns, valleys, and peaks. Lucas Mayes, Electrical Technology class of 2003, is an example of how life can take you in different directions and lead to destinations you didn’t realize you were headed for.

Harry Jackmann, a 1981 NDSCS Alum was recently Inducted into the Manitoba Football Hall of Fame.  Harry commented, “It is only fitting that I share a personal award with a school and community that were an integral part of my personal growth and who I am as a person today. I will always recognize Science, Wildcat football, Coaches Al Grage and Larry McDaniel, as the cornerstone of all successes I realized as an athlete.”