Briar Cliff University TRIO Talent Search

06/12/2026

✨🔬 STEM Camp Finale! 🚀

Today, our TRIO Talent Search STEM Camp students wrapped up an amazing two weeks of learning and exploration with a field trip to the Kiewit Luminarium!

Students enjoyed hands-on exhibits, interactive activities, and opportunities to explore science, technology, engineering, and creativity in action. It was the perfect way to end an incredible STEM Camp filled with new experiences, discoveries, and fun.

Thank you to all of our students and presenters who helped make STEM Camp a success. We hope everyone had as much fun as we did! 💙

06/12/2026

🎉🎓 TRIO Talent Search Scholarship Spotlight! 🎓🎉

Please join us in congratulating Suong Nguyen, a TRIO Talent Search student, on being selected as the 2026 recipient of the Herrold "Mr. A." Asmussen Memorial Scholarship! 👏✨

Congratulations, Suong!

🎓✨

The Herrold "Mr. A." Asmussen Memorial Scholarship was established in 2002 in memory of Herrold “Mr. A.” Asmussen, who taught biology and coached at Central High School and North High School for 38 years. Mr. A earned his Bachelor of Arts degree from Morningside College and pursued graduate studies at the University of Southern California, the University of Alaska, and the University of South Dakota. He was also a graduate of the Yosemite Field School of Natural History. Throughout his career, he served as a ranger naturalist in Yosemite, Grand Canyon, and Yellowstone National Parks and founded a youth workshop study program at the White River National Forest in Colorado. This scholarship is awarded annually to a graduating senior from North High School.

Congratulations to the 2026 recipient, Suong Nguyen!

06/11/2026

🔍👣 Calling all teens—an after-hours mystery is coming to the library!

Get ready to search for clues, solve puzzles, and complete fast-paced challenges during this exciting after-hours adventure. The big question… will you uncover evidence of Bigfoot?! 👀🌲

🏆 Prizes and snacks provided!

📍 Seeking Sasquatch 2 (Revenge of Sasquatch!): A Teen After-Hours Mystery
📅 June 26
🕡 6:30–8:30 PM
👥 Ages 12–18
📌 Registration is required https://siouxcitylibrary.libcal.com/event/16766680

Looks like a fun way to spend the evening with friends while putting your detective skills to the test! Be sure to register to save your spot! 🕵️‍♀️✨

06/11/2026

🦁🐢 What a great day at the Great Plains Zoo in Sioux Falls!

Our TRIO Talent Search STEM Camp students had so much fun exploring the zoo, learning about animals, and enjoying a special animal encounter. There were lots of smiles, learning, and pictures taken throughout the day! 📸

Tomorrow we’re headed on another exciting field trip—stay tuned to see where our STEM Camp adventure takes us next! 🚍✨

06/11/2026

🦎🐢 STEM Camp Field Trip at the Great Plains Zoo! 🐾

Today, our TRIO Talent Search STEM Camp students are spending the day at the Great Plains Zoo in Sioux Falls! Their visit kicked off with a special animal encounter featuring a tortoise.

Students enjoyed learning fun facts about the tortoise, asking questions, and taking lots of pictures. It was a great hands-on learning experience and a fun way to start the day!

Stay tuned for more pictures and highlights from our zoo adventure throughout the day! 📸🦁🐒

06/11/2026

🎉🎓 TRIO Talent Search Scholarship Celebration! 🎓🎉

Please join us in congratulating our outstanding TRIO Talent Search students on being selected as recipients of the 2026 Empirical Scholarship! 👏✨

🌟 2026 Scholarship Recipients:
• Andres Rosas
• Ngan Le
• Christian Charchalac
• Miguel Sanchez

Each student has been awarded a $2,000 scholarship to support their pursuit of higher education at an accredited college or university.

We are incredibly proud of your hard work! Congratulations, Andres, Ngan, Christian, and Miguel!

🎓✨

The empirical, Inc Scholarship was established in 2015 to assist graduating high school seniors in their pursuit of a post-secondary education at an accredited two-year or four-year college/university.

Applicants must be graduating seniors that are dependents of Empirical, Inc staff, have a cumulative GPA of at least 3.0, minimum ACT score of 22 or SAT 1100, and must have participated in part time or full time work, volunteer work outside of school, or a combination of work and volunteer (minimum of 10 hours per week) during their high school experience.

The following recipients received a $2,000 scholarship:
Chloe Strawn
Andres Rosas
Ngan Le
Christian Charchalac
Miguel Sanchez
Autumn Olsen

06/10/2026

🎭🎓 TRIO Talent Search Student Spotlight – Congratulations, Debra!

Join us in celebrating our TRIO Talent Search student, Debra Herrera, on being selected as the 2026 recipient of the Jonathan David Phillips Performing Arts Memorial Scholarship through the Siouxland Community Foundation! 👏✨

We are so proud of you!

The Jonathan David Phillips Performing Arts Memorial Scholarship of the Siouxland Community Foundation was established in loving memory of Jonathan David Phillips, to assist seniors from South Sioux City High School in their pursuit of a post-secondary education in the field of performing arts.

Congratulations to the 2026 scholarship recipient: Debra Herrera!

06/10/2026

🌈👕 Our STEM Camp students are proudly showing off the tie-dye shirts they created on Monday!

Students had so much fun combining science and creativity to design their own colorful masterpieces. From bold patterns to vibrant colors, each shirt reflects the creativity and individuality of its creator.

We love seeing the students wear their creations and show off their hard work. Great job, everyone! 🎉

06/09/2026

🚀🔬 STEM Camp Day 2 was full of exciting experiments and friendly competition! 🎉

Today, our TRIO Talent Search STEM Camp students put their STEM skills to the test with several hands-on activities led by Rich from Woven Technologies.

Students launched bottle rockets using film canisters, water, and Alka-Seltzer, learning about chemical reactions and the science behind propulsion. 🚀 They also tested pH levels and explored how scientists measure acidity and alkalinity in different substances.

To top it all off, students participated in a Robotic Hand Contest, putting the robotic hands they created to the test in a fun engineering challenge! 🤖

It was another day filled with creativity, problem-solving, and discovery. We can't wait to see what exciting activities tomorrow will bring!

06/08/2026

🤖🌈 STEM Camp is Back for Another Exciting Week! 🔬🎉

Today kicked off Day 1 of our second week of TRIO Talent Search STEM Camp, and it was full of creativity, discovery, and hands-on learning!

We were excited to welcome Rich from Woven Technologies, based in California, who led students through a variety of engaging STEM activities. Students created robotic hands to explore engineering and design concepts, used colorful coffee filters to learn about chemical reactions, and finished the day by making their very own tie-dye t-shirts! Pictures to come! 🎨👕

Everyone had a great time learning through hands-on experiences, and this is just the beginning! Rich has even more exciting STEM activities planned for the next two days.