January 31, 2020

January 30, 2020 – Northland Community and Technical College student Benjamin Besser has been awarded the Henry P. Dembiczak Scholarship. The Dembiczak Scholarship is a statewide Lead MN award given to only six Minnesota students annually. Besser is one of six Northland students to receive one of over 30 prestigious LeadMN awards this year.

Mr. Henry P. Dembiczak demonstrated a commitment to the community where he was raised and where he lived. He also had a strong commitment to higher education, particularly technical education. This scholarship was created to provide support for students from his community that are enrolled in a technical course of study within Minnesota State.

Besser is a graduate of Greenbush Middle River High School who, after enlisting in the National Guard, took the next step in his education by enrolling in the Aviation Maintenance Technology program at Northland. He will graduate in May 2020.

Following graduation, Besser will deploy with his army unit, putting his continuing education plans on hold. “I knew this was a possibility when I signed up for the Guard,” explains Besser, “This experience is another step in my overall education goals that I will continue when I return from deployment.” Besser is committed to advancing his aviation education and plans to enroll at the University of North Dakota after fulfilling his military commitments.

“To Ben, leadership and self-sacrifice go hand-in-hand. He is the Thief River Falls Student Senate vice president, past president of the Professional Aviation Maintenance Association, and an infantryman in the Minnesota National Guard,” accounts Northland Student Success Coordinator and Advisor Jason Pangiarella, “Becoming a LeadMN scholarship recipient is a recognition of the promise and potential that Ben has, but never brags about. I am consistently impressed by his dedication and drive to serve others and become a role model himself and for the next generation of leaders for Minnesota.”