AAUW awards scholarships to three Otter Tail County students

A future veterinarian from Ashby, a Pelican Rapids senior headed for accounting and a Fergus Falls student pursuing architecture each left the Fergus Falls AAUW banquet with scholarship support and a clearer next step.

The Fergus Falls branch of the American Association of University Women presented its 2026 Education scholarships at a banquet on April 20, honoring Eva Olson, Hani Bashir and Cloe Brown. The awards went to students whose goals stretch beyond college degrees and into the county’s future workforce, from animal care and business to design and the arts.

Olson, who is graduating from Ashby Public High School, plans to study animal science at the University of Minnesota Crookston. Her long-term goal is to become a large-animal veterinarian serving a rural community, a path that connects directly to the livestock and agricultural needs of Greater Minnesota. Her school and community record includes 4-H and FFA work, the FFA State Degree, workshops on animal welfare, fundraisers, youth advocacy and competitive events.

Bashir, who will graduate from Pelican Rapids Public High School, plans to study business and accounting at North Dakota State University. She works as a CNA at Pelican Valley Nursing Home and serves in the National Guard. The scholarship recognition also reflects the leadership standard she has described in her own life, built on dependability, respect and the small acts of organization and service that keep people and places running.

Brown, a Fergus Falls High School student, received the Georgia Nagatomo Dieseth scholarship and plans to study architecture at NDSU. Her background includes art, set design, interior design work experience and baking, and she has said art helps people connect and think creatively. For Fergus Falls, her award ties an interest in creative work to a local student staying rooted in the region while preparing for a professional field.

The Fergus Falls AAUW said it typically offers two $2,000 educational scholarships plus a $2,000 Georgia Nagatomo Dieseth scholarship for a woman with an interest in the arts. Applications for this year were due March 15, winners were notified by March 29 and the banquet followed on April 20. The scholarships are funded by the branch’s Tour of Homes event, held every other year.

AAUW says its broader mission is to advance equity for women and girls through advocacy, education and research, and its local branches and states run scholarship programs across the country. In Fergus Falls, the program has become part of the county’s talent pipeline, keeping attention on students who are already showing the academic drive, community service and practical ambition local employers and institutions will need in the years ahead.