News briefs

ROCK ISLAND, Ill. — Kara West, a women and gender studies, psychology, Spanish major from Grinnell, is one of 50 Augustana College student musicians performing in the Augustana Symphonic Band's 2024 Midwest Tour.

West is playing the trumpet in the ensemble's five performances in Illinois, Iowa and Kansas from March 22 to April 6.

The tour kicks off at Galesburg High School in Galesburg, Illinois. Performances at Blue Valley Southwest High School in Overland Park, Kansas; Washington High School in Washington, Iowa; and at Messiah Lutheran Church in Wauconda, Illinois follow. All concerts begin at 7 p.m. and are free and open to the public.

This is Augustana Symphonic Band's first domestic tour since the 2020 pandemic. The band typically alternates between regional and national tours. The band toured Japan in spring 2023.

This year's tour will feature "Burning the Wicker Man" by Julie Giroux; "Be Thou My Vision" by David Gillingham; "Acadiana (Settings of Cajun, Creole and Zydeco Music)" by Frank Ticheli; "Three Dance Episodes from On the Town" by Leonard Bernstein; "On a Hymnsong" of Philip Bliss by David Holsinger; "The White Rose March" by John Philip Sousa; and "Dancing Fire" by Kevin Day.

Gilman woman studies abroad

PELLA — Central College student Noelia Aguilera, of Gilman, is studying at Yonsei University in Seoul, South Korea. Aguilera is a Business Management major in the Class of 2025.

Central supports off-campus programs around the world, and each academic major allows students to study abroad while earning credit toward a major, minor or core curriculum requirements.

Grinnell woman makes dean’s list

BLOOMINGTON, Minn. — Olivia Mick, of Grinnell was named to the Normandale Community College fall dean’s list.

Students on the dean’s list must be enrolled in at least nine credits and have achieved a grade-point average of at least 3.5 for courses completed in the fall semester ending in December 2023.

Students in top 2% at Iowa State

AMES — The following area students are ranked among the top 2% of students in their respective colleges at Iowa State University:

Grinnell: Alexander Crites, College of Design; Alana Ferguson, College of Human Sciences; Jacob Gosselink, College of Design; Livie Herbers, College of Liberal Arts and Sciences; Isaiah Hirschman, Ivy College of Business;: Rebekah Veldboom, College of Liberal Arts and Sciences; Tristan Willenbring, College of Engineering.

Kalona: Jackson Zahradnek, College of Engineering.

Marengo: Emma Peters, College of Liberal Arts and Sciences.

Montezuma: Maguire De Jong, College of Agriculture and Life Sciences; Michael Dejong, College of Engineering; Haylie Moore, College of Agriculture and Life Sciences.

North English: Kaden Hall, Ivy College of Business.

Wellman: Alexa Huber, College of Agriculture and Life Sciences; Kina Miller, College of Engineering.

Williamsburg: Kendra Eichhorn, College of Agriculture and Life Sciences.

Students graduate Morningside

SIOUX CITY — Fifty-two Morningside University students graduated with bachelor’s degrees and 53 students earned graduate degrees in December 2023. Among the graduates is Courtney Douglas of Grinnell.

Students graduates from Upper Iowa

FAYETTE — Upper Iowa University announced recently that Jacob Reineke, of Belle Plaine, graduated Cum Laude Meritum with a Bachelor of Science degree in public administration in December 2023 and Miranda de Regnier, of Marengo, graduated with an associate of Arts degree in general business in October 2023.

Founded in 1857, Upper Iowa University is a private, nonprofit university providing undergraduate and graduate degree programs to roughly 5,500 students nationally and internationally in Fayette and throughout the United States.

Conroy woman graduates

BROOKINGS, S.D. — South Dakota State University announced recently that Mikayla Rose Dinse, of Conroy, has graduated following the summer and fall 2023 semesters.

Dinse graduated with a Bachelor of Science in SDSU's College of Agriculture, Food and Environmental Sciences.