SEPTEMBER 2025 E-NEWSLETTER
- lorihauf1
- Oct 12
- 7 min read
Donor Spotlight: Badlands Big Sticks Play with Purpose
Since their founding in 2018, the Badlands Big Sticks have not only grown into a top collegiate summer baseball team, recently joining the Northwood League in 2024, but also have built a relationship with the Dickinson State University Heritage Foundation (DSU HF) to use athletics as a vehicle for change. Under the leadership of local businessman Dave Ouellette, who purchased the team in 2019, the Big Sticks have raised or donated more than $150,000 annually to local nonprofits in the last seven years.
“The Badlands Big Sticks take great pride in being more than just a baseball team—we’re a community partner rooted deeply in Dickinson and dedicated to making a lasting impact beyond the ballpark,” said Jason Watson, President of the Big Sticks.
Alumni Spotlight: Isaiah MacDonald '21
Isaiah MacDonald, a Dickinson State University alumnus and Family and Consumer Sciences (FCS) educator at Mandan High School, has been honored as the 2025 NDACTE FCS New Teacher of the Year.
MacDonald has called Mandan, North Dakota, home for the past seven years, where he lives with his wife, Ruth. Growing up, he struggled to find a place that truly felt like home. However, when he moved to Mandan, he discovered a welcoming community and a passion for giving back.
MacDonald transferred to Dickinson State University halfway through his path to becoming a teacher, enrolling as a Bismarck-DSU student in the fall of 2019. In December 2021, he graduated with a degree in Social Science Composite Education and had the honor of speaking at commencement. Since then, he has spent nearly four years teaching FCS at Mandan High School.
Books will be available for pickup at the DSU Heritage Foundation House starting in August.
Questions? Call Kierra at 701-483-2486.
100 Years of DSU Football Legacy Book – $100
100 Years of Football: Children's ABC Book – $40
Set of 3 Mini Custom Generational DSU Football Helmets – $150
LEGACY BOOK SNEAK PEEK...
Get ready for an exciting glimpse into 100 Years of DSU Football, a highly anticipated book set for release in Fall 2025. This comprehensive look at Dickinson State University’s football legacy will explore the program’s rich history—legendary coaches, standout players, intense rivalries, and unforgettable games. For the past century, DSU football has been more than just a sport; it has been a proud tradition of our community. Each of the chapter's highlights are listed below.
THIS MONTH'S SNEAK PEEK...
CHAPTER 9 -GENERATIONS OF GREATNESS
Sneak Peek: Chapter 9 of the DSU Football Centennial Book Looks at Generations of Greatness.
In the upcoming commemorative book celebrating 100 years of Dickinson State University football, Chapter 9 highlights the players who left a mark on Blue Hawk football and the family ties that made their impact even stronger. From fathers and sons sharing a jersey number to brothers blocking side by side, these stories show how tradition runs deep at Dickinson State.
Whether it’s a Canadian recruit chasing a dream, a farm kid choosing home over the Big 12, or a father watching his sons take the same field he once did, this is what Blue Hawk football is all about.
THE DICKINSON STATE COACHING TREE: RYAN GATCH-PASSION FUELED BY LOYALTY
Ryan Gatch, a 1998 graduate of Dickinson State University, spent four seasons under the leadership of Coach Hank Biesiot. Those years laid the foundation for a coaching career now spanning more than two decades, with stops across Montana, South Dakota, North Dakota, and Nebraska. Today, he continues to shape the game as the head of the Relentless Football Academy.
What stuck with Gatch the most from his playing days wasn’t a scheme or a drill—but a philosophy: “Stay the course.” It was a lesson in loyalty and perseverance that has guided him through 26 years on the sidelines.
Some memories are etched deeper than others. For Gatch, one came during his freshman year in 1994. “Shane Sommerfeld had just scored a defensive touchdown to put us up 14–7 against #2-ranked Minot State,” he recalled. “I trotted onto the loudest field ever as part of the HIT SQUAD kickoff team. I’ll never forget that moment.”
The DSU Heritage Foundation Announces the 2025 Alumni Fellow and Award Recipients
The DSU Heritage Foundation proudly announces its 2025 Alumni Honorees, recognized for exceptional contributions in their fields. Recipients will be celebrated on October 9 at the Alumni Honors Banquet during DSU Homecoming week.
“Each of these honorees represents the very best of Dickinson State University,” said Ty Orton, DSU Heritage Foundation Executive Director. “Their leadership, service, and commitment reflect the values of Blue Hawks everywhere, and we are proud to celebrate the impact they continue to make on our campus and in their communities.”
“This celebration is about more than recognition—it’s about honoring the Blue Hawk spirit that lives on through the lives and work of our alumni,” added Kierra Mathern, Director of Alumni Relations. “We are excited to gather together and share their inspiring stories with the DSU family.”
The honorees will be recognized at a banquet on Oct. 9 from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. at the All In Event Center. Tickets are $35. Purchase HERE: 2025 DSU Homecoming - 100 Years of Football - Dickinson State University Alumni or contact Kierra Mathern at (701) 483-2486.
Meet the Staff at the Theodore Roosevelt Center at Dickinson State University
The Theodore Roosevelt Center (TRC) is a museum, archive, library, and team dedicated to preserving and sharing the legacy of Theodore Roosevelt (TR), the 26th president. The staff members of the TRC host a
n annual symposium and other Roosevelt-related events, offer museum and library tours, give presentations, provide student internships, and assist with TR scholarship. The TRC staff come to Dickinson State University (DSU), or work remotely, to apply their skills to the TRC mission: make Roosevelt’s legacy “accessible to scholars and schoolchildren, enthusiasts and interested citizens.”
The TR Symposium is Ready for Action: Behind-the-Scenes with the TR Co-Directors
The TR Symposium is Ready for Action: Behind-the-Scenes with the TR Co-Directors
As the annual Theodore Roosevelt Symposium approaches, co-directors Dr. Michael Cullinane and Erik Johnson are busy coordinating programs, reserving locations, scheduling speakers, and launching a brand-new exhibit at the Theodore Roosevelt Center (TR) to coincide with the symposium theme, TR and the Navy. This behind-the-scenes gives a peek into what makes the TR’s annual symposium such a success.
Each fall, speakers, authors, scholars, students, members of the Theodore Roosevelt Association (TRA), and other TR enthusiasts gather at Dickinson State University (DSU) to participate in the symposium. “The first one I attended as a speaker is unforgettable. It was 2013…I had never been to North Dakota before,” says Dr. Cullinane. Just under a decade later, Dr. Cullinane is now the co-director of the TR, the endowed chair of Theodore Roosevelt Studies, and a professor of history at DSU. Erik Johnson is not letting the added responsibility of co-director get in the way of what he views as the most rewarding part of the entire event: holding the doors for the guests, because “it’s nice being able to greet everyone with a smile.” For the last few years, that has included his parents, who often travel from Washington to attend.
TRHLP Spotlight: Director Michelle Orton Looks Ahead to an Exciting New Year
TRHLP Spotlight: Director Michelle Orton Looks Ahead to an Exciting New Year
This time last year, Michelle Orton was putting the final touches on her new office on the fourth floor of Lowman Walton, the official headquarters of the Theodore Roosevelt Honors Leadership Program (TRHLP). Now, heading into her second year as the program director, Orton reflects on the changes made and the opportunities still to come.
Drawn to the program by its mission of empowering high-achieving students with real-world leadership and service experience, Orton’s goal is to ensure the students “leave with that understanding that leadership is so many more things than just a title.” Over the past year, she has reduced the credit load of the leadership minor from 33 to 21 credits and strengthened partnerships with five local nonprofit organizations (Best Friends Mentoring, Dickinson Chamber of Commerce, Southwestern Art Gallery and Science Center, ABLE, and Hawks Point, to align student service hours more closely with community needs.
Blue Hawks Name Joe Schmidt as New Head Rodeo Coach
Dickinson State University (DSU) Athletics is proud to announce the hiring of Joe Schmidt as the next Head Rodeo Coach for the Blue Hawks. Schmidt brings an impressive record of success both in and out of the arena, with over 45 Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association (PRCA) wins to his name.
As a college rodeo athlete, Schmidt was a four-time College National Finals Rodeo (CNFR) participant and a two-time Great Plains Region Champion Calf Roper. His wealth of competitive experience and dedication to the sport will be instrumental in continuing the growth and success of the DSU Rodeo program.
Dickinson State Named NAIA Gold Level Champions of Character Five-Star Institution
Dickinson State University has been recognized as a Gold Level Champions of Character Five-Star Institution by the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA), highlighting the university's continued commitment to integrity, leadership, and academic and athletic excellence.
The Champions of Character program honors institutions that exemplify the NAIA's core values through character training, conduct in competition, academic focus, character recognition, and character promotion.
Institutions also earn points based on high student-athlete grade point averages and minimal to no ejections during competition throughout the academic year. The Gold Level distinction is the highest awarded by the NAIA.
DSU Welcomes Coach Dr. Thomas Schwartz as Head Cross Country Coach and Kinesiology Professor
Dickinson State University (DSU) is proud to announce the hiring of Dr. Thomas Schwartz, Ph.D., as the new Head Coach of the Blue Hawk Cross Country team and Assistant Professor of Kinesiology within the School of Professional Studies. Start date is August 1, 2025.
Dr. Schwartz joins DSU with a distinguished background in both competitive coaching and academic instruction. A nationally respected endurance coach and scholar, Schwartz has coached five national champions, multiple U.S. Olympic Trials qualifiers, and numerous age-group world record holders. He holds the highest international credential available for endurance coaching—World Athletics Level 5 Elite Endurance Coach—and is certified through USA Track & Field at Levels I, II, and III. He also serves as a USATF Instructor.
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