My dad, Larry Wayne Nesland was drafted to the United States Army November 1966 and was honorably discharge June 1969. During his time in the army he was stationed at Fort Riley Kansas. My dad fought on the front line for his country and has seen and done things that I still do not know anything about, at my current age of 37 years old. Veterans of the Vietman war came back State side to a society that did not seem to care about them and viewed them with distrust and anger. With the antiwar movements, many veterans of this war struggled to adjust after coming home due the views society had on them. Many citizens blamed veterans for the acts of war and called them killers, leaving many of them questioning the war and even their own actions. These war heroes came home having been left with with emotional and physical disabilities and no support to cope. The majority of vets encountered homelessness, drug additions and post traumatic stress disorder. It was not until the 1980's when people started to change their view on the Vietman Veterans. After coming home, my dad found himself back living with his mom and dad and trying to adjust to civilian life. Not long after being home, his mother kicked him out of the house, not able to deal with his change in personality after the war. He moved to town and started working. With his rough exterior and blunt demeanor, he found himself with several different career paths. Eventually, he found himself with his own company, Nesland's Tree Service based out of the small town of Thompson North Dakota. He worked on his own and us kids of course worked as we were able. He did have temporary helpers as needed, for bigger jobs but he was content on his own. He worked for himself until he entered an early retirement due to a cancer diagnosis. Prostate cancer caused by Agent Orange sprayed in the jungle of Vietnam used as a defoliant. Working with my dad in his business thought me how to work hard and take on dedication to my performance in the workplace, whether that be outside or in an office. If not for my dad owning his own company I do not think I would have the strong work ethic as I do. I to had years owning and operating my own business, my dad always told us to work for ourselves, I ran my own licensed in-home childcare until my recent retirement to pursue my continuing education. I continue my education with ambitions towards a Radiology technician. I thank my dad everyday for teaching me to work hard! Thank you for your time and consideration. Katie Meyer

My name is Katie Meyer and I applying for the Jerrye Chesnes Memorial Scholarship. I am a pre-radiologic tech student at my local community collage. As a mother of two children and working full-time my college journey is slow and steady. I started taking courses in 2025 with only taking one course at a time to ensure my ability to juggle class work, working and my children, I am now down to the end of my pre-requisite courses and preparing to apply to the radiology tech program Going into the health field seems like a no-brainer, my mom is now a retired nurse and my sister has been a radiology tech for the last 20+ years. In 2007 I graduated high school with all the intentions to go to college and get a degree. In fact my goal back then was still to become a radiology tech. As a young adult my priorities became mis-aligned and I found myself in a desire to make consistent money rather then gaining a degree to lock-in my earning potential and keep my career safe in the ever changing economy. I dropped out of college with no degree and worked full time. After years of doing jobs that kept me with an income I have found a rational goal of gaining a career to support my family. My oldest is Lucy, she is 11 years old and finishing up her 5th grade year at school. My youngest is Brittany, 5 years old and finishing up her kindergarten year. Going back to school has been challenging, for the last five years I have been working from home as an licensed in-home childcare operator. Being at home with my children while making an income to support my family has given me the best memories but it had come to a point where we needing our home space back to our own. I retired my childcare last last year, it was a bittersweet decision. Currently I am working full-time night shift for a radiology consulting group. I have not been here long but the things I am learning out-weight the harsh reality of working night shift. Most days I tuck my kiddos into bed and say my goodnights, coming back in the mornings often after they have left for school. Missing those small moments are difficult, my children would say its the hardest on them but I remind them that these small compromises are leading us to a life with financial freedom to enjoy more of life's luxuries like family vacations! This scholarship with aide me in that financial freedom by lessening the loans I will need to complete the radiology program, giving me back the time missed by being able to make more memories with my children. Thank you for your time and consideration. Yours truly, Katie Meyer

I am Katie Meyer and I am applying of the Dick Loges Veteran Entrepreneur Scholarship. My dad, Larry Wayne Nesland was drafted to the United States Army November 1966 and was honorably discharge June 1969. During his time in the army he was stationed at Fort Riley Kansas. My dad fought on the front line for his country and has seen and done things that I still do not know anything about, at my current age of 37 years old. Veterans of the Vietman war came back State side to a society that did not seem to care about them and viewed them with distrust and anger. With the antiwar movements, many veterans of this war struggled to adjust after coming home due the views society had on them. Many citizens blamed veterans for the acts of war and called them killers, leaving many of them questioning the war and even their own actions. These war heroes came home having been left with with emotional and physical disabilities and no support to cope. The majority of vets encountered homelessness, drug additions and post traumatic stress disorder. It was not until the 1980's when people started to change their view on the Vietman Veterans. After coming home, my dad found himself back living with his mom and dad and trying to adjust to civilian life. Not long after being home, his mother kicked him out of the house, not able to deal with his change in personality after the war. He moved to town and started working. With his rough exterior and blunt demeanor, he found himself with several different career paths. Eventually, he found himself with his own company, Nesland's Tree Service based out of the small town of Thompson North Dakota. He worked on his own and us kids of course worked as we were able. He did have temporary helpers as needed, for bigger jobs but he was content on his own. He worked for himself until he entered an early retirement due to a cancer diagnosis. Prostate cancer caused by Agent Orange sprayed in the jungle of Vietnam used as a defoliant. Working with my dad in his business thought me how to work hard and take on dedication to my performance in the workplace, whether that be outside or in an office. If not for my dad owning his own company I do not think I would have the strong work ethic as I do. I to had years owning and operating my own business, my dad always told us to work for ourselves, I ran my own licensed in-home childcare until my recent retirement to pursue my continuing education. I continue my education with ambitions towards a Radiology technician. I thank my dad everyday for teaching me to work hard! Thank you for your time and consideration. Katie Meyer

My name is Katie Meyer and I applying for the Jerrye Chesnes Memorial Scholarship. I am a pre-radiologic tech student at my local community collage. As a mother of two children and working full-time my college journey is slow and steady. I started taking courses in 2025 with only taking one course at a time to ensure my ability to juggle class work, working and my children, I am now down to the end of my pre-requisite courses and preparing to apply to the radiology tech program Going into the health field seems like a no-brainer, my mom is now a retired nurse and my sister has been a radiology tech for the last 20+ years. In 2007 I graduated high school with all the intentions to go to college and get a degree. In fact my goal back then was still to become a radiology tech. As a young adult my priorities became mis-aligned and I found myself in a desire to make consistent money rather then gaining a degree to lock-in my earning potential and keep my career safe in the ever changing economy. I dropped out of college with no degree and worked full time. After years of doing jobs that kept me with an income I have found a rational goal of gaining a career to support my family. My oldest is Lucy, she is 11 years old and finishing up her 5th grade year at school. My youngest is Brittany, 5 years old and finishing up her kindergarten year. Going back to school has been challenging, for the last five years I have been working from home as an licensed in-home childcare operator. Being at home with my children while making an income to support my family has given me the best memories but it had come to a point where we needing our home space back to our own. I retired my childcare last last year, it was a bittersweet decision. Currently, I am working full-time night shift for a radiology consulting group. I have not been here long but the things I am learning out-weight the harsh reality of working night shift. Most days I tuck my kiddos into bed and say my goodnights, coming back in the mornings often after they have left for school. Missing those small moments are difficult, my children would say its the hardest on them but I remind them that these small compromises are leading us to a life with financial freedom to enjoy more of life's luxuries like family vacations! This scholarship with aide me in that financial freedom by lessening the loans I will need to complete the radiology program, giving me back the time missed by being able to make more memories with my children. Thank you for your time and consideration. Yours truly, Katie Meyer

This is not my first time back at college; I tried eight years ago. In 2018, I was married, with a 3-year-old daughter, and we were living in our big apartment. I had been working in a job for close to a decade and thought, "I might as well have a degree if I am going to continue to do this type of work". Without a second thought, I signed up for three courses online, prerequisites for the accounting program. If I were rational and thoughtful in the process, I would have realized that three courses, while working full-time and raising a family, might just be a little too much on one's plate. Well, it didn't take that long at all for me to find that out. I withdrew from all the courses after I got too far behind. Reflecting on that time eight years ago, I am thankful it didn't turn out the way I had thought it should. Soon after dropping the classes, we bought a house, we had our second child, and I left that job that I had been at for far too long. I have grown in many ways since the last time I tried to go back to college. I have grown my mind and body, thinking rationally and clearly now. Accounting would have never been the right career path for me. Yes, I am good with numbers, but I have no passion for that industry. I was meant to help people and care for them. The medical field is where I am supposed to be. Going to college for Radiology was my first adventure right after high school in 2008 at the ripe age of 18. At 18 years old, I had no idea about real-life skills or thinking about the future. I had always worked, at 14 years old, with my dad doing tree service with him, then moving on to be a host at a new restaurant in town. I had always had a job all through high school; having one all through college didn't seem any different. I was invited to the open house for the radiology program at Red Rocks Community College and during our tour they explained what the courses would be like and how the semesters would layout along with telling us that "holding down a job while in the program is not recommended" and continued to state that "due to the course load and timeline, working during the program will cause burnout". I left that open house in doubt about my ability to complete the program; in my head, I "needed" to work. I look back at my life at 18 years old, I know now that I didn't actually need to work, my family would have helped me pay for gas or little things I "needed". I was living between my sisters' and my parents houses; they bought the groceries and essentials. My car was given to me and paid for in full. I didn't need to work at all; I needed to go to school and learn a trade. I wish I had been taught about rational and irrational thought and errors of thinking when I was in high school, because I would have made many different choices in my life. What I know now is that I can do this, I have the right plan, and I have a team to support me. I look forward to finishing what I started and being able to provide for my family when I am done.

This is not my first time back at college; I tried eight years ago. In 2018, I was married, with a 3-year-old daughter, and we were living in our big apartment. I had been working in a job for close to a decade and thought, "I might as well have a degree if I am going to continue to do this type of work". Without a second thought, I signed up for three courses online, prerequisites for the accounting program. If I were rational and thoughtful in the process, I would have realized that three courses, while working full-time and raising a family, might just be a little too much on one's plate. Well, it didn't take that long at all for me to find that out. I withdrew from all the courses after I got too far behind. Reflecting on that time eight years ago, I am thankful it didn't turn out the way I had thought it should. Soon after dropping the classes, we bought a house, we had our second child, and I left that job that I had been at for far too long. I have grown in many ways since the last time I tried to go back to college. I have grown my mind and body, thinking rationally and clearly now. Accounting would have never been the right career path for me. Yes, I am good with numbers, but I have no passion for that industry. I was meant to help people and care for them. The medical field is where I am supposed to be. Going to college for Radiology was my first adventure right after high school in 2008 at the ripe age of 18. At 18 years old, I had no idea about real-life skills or thinking about the future. I had always worked, at 14 years old, with my dad doing tree service with him, then moving on to be a host at a new restaurant in town. I had always had a job all through high school; having one all through college didn't seem any different. I was invited to the open house for the radiology program at Red Rocks Community College and during our tour they explained what the courses would be like and how the semesters would layout along with telling us that "holding down a job while in the program is not recommended" and continued to state that "due to the course load and timeline, working during the program will cause burnout". I left that open house in doubt about my ability to complete the program; in my head, I "needed" to work. I look back at my life at 18 years old, I know now that I didn't actually need to work, my family would have helped me pay for gas or little things I "needed". I was living between my sisters' and my parents houses; they bought the groceries and essentials. My car was given to me and paid for in full. I didn't need to work at all; I needed to go to school and learn a trade. I wish I had been taught about rational and irrational thought and errors of thinking when I was in high school, because I would have made many different choices in my life. What I know now is that I can do this, I have the right plan, and I have a team to support me. I look forward to finishing what I started and being able to provide for my family when I am done.