An Eagle Scout and a Brainerd High School graduate, Dennis graduated from Brainerd Junior College before completing a Bachelor of Science degree in Mechanical Engineering from the University of North Dakota, Grand Forks as Valedictorian. Dennis began working at...

After attending Brainerd Junior College, Dick received a Bachelor of Arts degree from Carleton College and earned a B.S., M.A., and Ph.D. degree from the University of Minnesota. After six years in the retail business, Dick taught at Brainerd High School, Brainerd...

Don was born on March 12, 1932 in Hettinger County, North Dakota. He married Shirley Sommers on June 2, 1963 in Havre, Montana. Together they had 2 children. Don served in the US Army, as a high speed radio operator and attended Dickinson State College, graduating...

Don Wilkins graduated from Park Rapids High School in 1944 and went on to earn a Bachelor of Science degree with majors in chemistry, physics, and mathematics. He then went on to receive his Masters and his PhD from the University of Illinois. After a long and...

Members of the first graduating class of the Brainerd Junior College in 1940, Earl Wolleat and Dorothy Welliver married in 1942. After serving as a pilot in WWII, Mr. Wolleat started work as a sweeper at the Northwest Paper Mill, and over many years worked his way...

Terry was born to Edward Nelson and Halcyon Lorraine (Terry) Skone on November 28, 1940 in Brainerd. Terry graduated from the Crosby-Ironton High School, class of 1958, Gustavus Adolphus College in St. Peter, MN, class of 1962. He then furthered his education at the...

The Evelyn Matthies Art Scholarship Fund was established anonymously. Evelyn taught art at CLC (BBC) from 1966-1995. She serves on the State Art Board and was instrumental in establishing The Crossings Arts Alliance. Evelyn has her own art studio and gallery: The...

This scholarship is in honor of Carolyn Frisch, who passed away on August 11, 2021 at the age of 91. It is no surprise that Carolyn, an elementary teacher by trade, was a life-long advocate for education and for Central Lakes College. Although her first connections...

Gayle Rognaldson was born January 14, 1917 in Crosby, MN to Joseph and Frances Prushek. She married Leonard Rognaldson on May 7, 1949 in Brainerd, MN. Together, Leonard and Gayle farmed in rural Brainerd. Gayle retired from the Office of Agricultural Stabilization...

Good Neighbor Home Health Care has a long and rich history of providing quality home-based health care in the Brainerd Lakes Area. In fact, the business was born out of necessity by President and Founder Sherrie Christensen. A family member was struck with a...

With more than 240 locations across the country, The Evangelical Lutheran Good Samaritan Society is the largest not-for-profit provider of senior care and services in the United States. We are honored that more than 27,000 people of all beliefs and faiths call us...

Communities Matter We believe associations are unsung heroes that help communities and industries thrive. This is why we put our energy into empowering associations with the tools they need to propel their members. Our mission is to help you and your...

It all started on the second floor of Lincoln Grade School. Fifty years ago, four fledgling programs, dental assistant, accounting, legal secretary and floriculture, squeezed themselves into former grade school classrooms. The retail floral program received national...

Harold and Ione Johnson never attended Brainerd Technical College. None of their relatives went there. It was questionable whether either of them even set foot in its classroom building. However, Brainerd Technical College (now Central Lakes College) received a...

When Dr. Jean Marie Porwoll, a 1969 graduate of Brainerd State Junior College, died of cancer in 2010, she left a legacy for female students of her first alma mater: $1.145 million. The bequest from Dr. Porwoll’s estate is the largest gift to the Central Lakes...

This scholarship is awarded in memory of Jeff Smith who passed away in July of 2022 after a long battle with cancer. Jeff was a Brainerd native who graduated from Brainerd High School, Brainerd State Junior College, and later, St. Cloud State University with a degree...

Jeremy was born in Brainerd, MN on November 26, 1998. He graduated from Brainerd High School in 2017. He currently was a CLC student in the Robotics Program on the Staples campus. He was employed at Ernie’s as a cook and prior to that, a cook at Northern Cowboy. ...

Since 1954, the Kiwanis Club of Brainerd has been serving the community and helping kids. We sponsor many local community events such as the Kiwanis Kids Triathlon, Komen Kids Race, and the B.U.G. (Bringing Up Grades) program in our area schools. We also support the...

The Klick Foundation was established in 2007 by the Stephen R. Klick family to celebrate an act of charity and memorialize an example of entrepreneurial spirit demonstrated by his mother in 1981. During March of 1981, Mr. Klick’s young business was in danger of going...

Since 1945, KLB & Company has provided a full range of accounting services to individuals and businesses throughout central Minnesota. As financial and business consultants we will help you identify problems and propose and implement creative and workable solutions....

Since 1936, Lakewood Health System has made it our business to be sure our patients are well cared for. It all started with a Hospital and has since grown to include an entire spectrum of care focused not just on helping patients get well, but helping patients stay...

Clareen Eklund created the endowed Lester and Clareen Eklund Scholarship Fund with the Central Lakes College Foundation in memory of her husband. Lester and Clareen Eklund retired to the Brainerd area to enjoy the outdoors – hunting, fishing, and traveling. Lester...

Lewis went to Central Lakes College his junior and senior year of high school, determined to own his own automotive business. In 2004, he graduated with honors as a student in the Automotive Technology program. His academic success was proven by earning Dean’s List...

Lorraine Ehrich established this scholarship in memory of her parents, Henry and Mary Johnson. Lorraine graduated from Mankato State College with her Nursing degree and then moved on to work in the medical unit in St. Joseph’s hospital in Mankato. She taught in a...

Mark Danzl was born March 14, 1954 in St. Cloud to Robert and LaVonne Danzl. He married Jane Huebner on August 28, 1976 at St. Mary’s Catholic Church. Together, they had their son Jeffrey (Jeff). Mark attended the Brainerd schools including Brainerd Community College...

Mary F. Tornstrom attended the Stillwater schools and then the University of Minnesota where she earned a bachelor’s degree. She continued her education at Colorado State College at Greeley and obtained a master’s degree. She also did graduate work at Columbia...

Maxwell was a beautiful, bright, and healthy baby boy. He had the softest and most kissable cheeks and brought smiles and joy to his family and all who knew him. In December 2002 tragedy struck hard. At the age of 13 months, after being tucked in bed for the night...

Born on a cold morning December 17, 1978, in Boulder, CO, weighing in at four pounds ten ounces she barely cried entering into this world. So tiny but filled with love from the moment she arrived. Her first two years were filled with movement and uncertainty, but in...

Michael Hager received his bachelor’s degree from Metropolitan State University in Minneapolis. He was an instructor in the landscaping program at Brainerd Technical College. He then opened a landscaping business, but then returned to education at Staples Technical...

Michelle was a piano and vocal music instructor at CLC.