Awards and Leadership

Recreational Service Homecoming Royalty

Nominated for Homecoming Royalty

2019 - Darwin Garcia, Julie Dewitt, and Cale Hecht 

Crowned Homecoming King and Queen

2019 - Darwin Garcia and Julie Dewitt

Noordsy Scholarship

Mark and Gretchen Noordsy are natives of Sioux Falls, SD and graduated form Augustana in 1982. After graduation, they moved to the Twin Cities and began their respective careers. Mark with Xcel Energy (formally Nothern States Power) for 25 years and then, following his passion for financial literacy, he joined Junior Achievement of the Upper Midwest for the rest of his career. Gretchen worked at Voya Financial (formally Northwestern National Life and ING) for her entire career. Their foundational experiences at Augustana contributed to their professional success which allows them to fund this leadership scholarship in honor of Gretchen's parents, Dr. Harold Foss and his wife Bernice Foss. Dr. Foss joined the faculty of Augustana College in 1958 as Professor Natural Sciences and Completed his doctorate in 1968 from Indiana University. His long and distinguished career includes completing grants from the National Science Foundation to perform environmental action programs examining the impact of daily living on the Big Sioux River and the planet, serving as President of the South Dakota Academy of Sciences, initiating the concept for the Beaver Creek Nature Center and in 1984 he was selected as the Siouxland Conservation Educator of the Year. Dr. Foss retired from Augustana in 1987 and passed away in 2011.

Past Winners

2020: Cole Tessendorf and MaKenna Koble

2019: Taylor Vaughn and Sophie Drotzmann

2018: Darwin Garcia and Brita Cauble

Covenant Award

The Five Covenant Awards are presented every academic year, one award for each of our University's five shared core values: Christian, Liberal Arts, Excellence, Community and Service. The Augustana Covenant Awards were created by students to more clearly define these shared values to ensure that past recipients, students, and nominated students have an understanding of the rights and responsibilities that accompany membership in the Augustana University community. The recipients are selected by a committee of faculty and staff that seeks nominations from all members of the Augustana University community. Covenant Awardees receive a cast bronze medallion as recognition for this distinction. Graduating recipients will wear the medallion as part of their academic attire during their Commencement Weekend festivities.

Rec Services Nominees

2020: Maggie Oberg, Taylor Vaughn, Lindsey Nielsen, Sophie Drotzmann, Zach Buchholtz

2019: Darwin Garcia, Taylor Vaughn, Cale Hecht

2018: Rylee Kulka, Caitlin Janssen, Sara Roder, Emma Behling, Lucas Barry, Alex Cassady (not pictured)

Renegade Cow Scholarship

The Renegade Cows were Augustana's favorite intramural team (as voted upon by the Renegade Cows). The inspiration for their name is a short story written by comedian Steve Martin in his book Cruel Shoes (1977). The following tribute taken from the 1982-1983 Augustana EDDA provides a glimpse of the Cows' storied history: Four years ago, in the fall of 1979, the young Renegade Cows, mere calves, came to Augustana from a small farm outside Sioux Falls, SD. For their first 2 1/2 years, the Cows lived in relative obscurity. There was a glimmer of their future greatness, however, during the basketball season of 1982 with a second-place finish. Suddenly in the fall of 1982, the Cows burst upon the scene in a flurry of flying footballs, spectacular scoring, and devastating tackles to win the 1982 Intramural Football Championship. From there, with no more football to play, the Cows stampeded the Sioux Falls Arena as the core of the crowd to help the Viking basketball teams to victory. The Cows have enjoyed Augustana but must move on to greener pastures. However, the Renegade Cows legend will live on as it is rumored the new athletic complex is to be dedicated as the Renegade Cow Memorial Field. Although the Renegade Cows are yet to be successful in procuring naming rights to the athletic complex, they are pleased to be honoring you as the recipient of the prestigious Renegade Cow Scholarship. Congratulations and best wishes on all your future renegade adventures!

Past Winners

2020: Jenna Spellerberg

2019: Maya Feenstra

2018: Jack Talcott

2017: Noah Brown

2016: Rachel Nevin

2015: Bradley Ostendorf

2014: Brianna Hecht

2013: Krista Youngberg

2012: Jessica Haugo

2011: Jacob Bierl

2010: Nicole Lindsey

2009: Lynae Fisher

2008: Heidi Neubauer