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Seventy-two high school graduates from Freeborn County went on to attend Riverland Community College last school year thanks to the Freeborn County Promise Scholarship, which widened the opportunity for area high school graduates to attend college, according to the college.

Janelle Koepke, dean of institutional advancement at Riverland Community College, said enrollment was up about 36% compared to the year before that for students from the county.

Students who received the scholarship are in a variety of academic pathways through Riverland, ranging from radiography, nursing and biology, to elementary education, liberal arts, industrial maintenance, criminal justice, cosmetology, psychology and others, she said.

Seventy-eight percent of the students receiving the scholarship came from Albert Lea High School, while 10% were from Alden-Conger, 8% were from Glenville-Emmons and 4% were from NRHEG.

Koepke said the school conducted interviews with students in the different career paths, talking with them about why they chose to attend Riverland, and many of them said they were not on the path to college until the scholarship opportunity was announced.

The scholarship is an initiative that first went into effect for the class of 2024 and encourages high school graduates in Freeborn County to reach their educational and career goals by staying local and attending Riverland Community College. While in college, the students learn about career opportunities in the community, and the hope is they will stay in the community to work after graduation.

It is intended as a gap scholarship after federal, state and other aid is applied, essentially allowing a student to attend college for free. Koepke noted the North Star Promise program at the state level is open to all Minnesota residents with a family adjusted gross income of below $80,000, but does not provide funding for students outside of that threshold. The local program picks up any others who meet a set of criteria.

As of late June, there were already 43 students enrolled for the fall from Freeborn County, but the final enrollment numbers will increase as the fall start approaches.

Koepke said some of the comments that have stuck out to her most from students who benefited from the scholarship program were from students whose classes were on the Austin campus and who were surprised by the student life activities available there. They did not anticipate that there would be so many student clubs or other activities to join. One even chose to participate on the basketball team.

She also heard many students say they didn’t think they would be able to go to college because of the money, but when the scholarship was announced, they started looking into opportunities.

Rachel Doppelhammer graduated from Albert Lea High School in 2024 and said the scholarship has given her a good opportunity to complete her general classes, while saving a lot of time and money. When she graduated from high school, she had already completed one year at Riverland because of PSEO credits, and after completing the 2024-25 school year, she graduated from Riverland with her two-year degree.

“It gave me the opportunity to do things I wouldn’t have been able to do if I was living at a four-year university,” she said, noting she was able to live at home and have another year with her family. She also made a lot of good friends.

In the fall, she will transfer to Bethel University in St. Paul, where she will pursue elementary education.

Doppelhammer thanked all of the businesses and individuals who have contributed to the scholarship program.

“It’s a really awesome thing and gives students a lot of opportunity they wouldn’t have had otherwise,” she said.

Kiyah Mikesell, a 2024 NRHEG graduate, said before the scholarship was announced, she was not sure if she would have the funds to go to college.

“With this, I was able to attend,” she said. “It really does make a difference. I know it did for me, and I am so beyond grateful.”

She is pursuing ag science and said after obtaining her associate degree, she will consider where to go from there.

Aside from the education, she said she has made some good friends in college, which she spends quite a bit of time with.

Koepke said based on the anticipated enrollment of students for the high school class of 2024 and the class of 2025, organizers are seeking an additional $50,000 to fully fund the scholarship program during the 2025-26 academic year. If businesses or individuals are interested in supporting this program, they can reach out to Koepke at janelle.koepke@riverland.edu or 507-433-0695.