BHSU student wins international business scholarship

Samantha Johnson, a BHSU business student, was recently awarded a $7,000 scholarship from Zonta International.  Johnson is one of 12 students worldwide to receive this honor.

Black Hills State University business student, Samantha Johnson, recently received a $7,000 scholarship from Zonta International, a worldwide organization of business professionals working to advance the status of women.  Johnson is one of 12 students worldwide to receive the Jane M. Klausman Women in Business Scholarship.

"There is an entire organization that believes in my goals, both in my career and my life," said Johnson.  "It just affirms to me that I am on the right path."

Dr. Priscilla Romkema, dean of the College of Business and Natural sciences, received word and told Johnson she had won the scholarship.

"The award of this scholarship to Samantha is a huge recognition of her academic abilities, leadership skills, and her commitment to her pursuit of a business administration-economics/finance degree at BHSU, and her future possibilities" said Romkema.

Those future possibilities include Johnson starting her doctorate program in economics next fall, a goal reinforced by winning the scholarship.

The Klausman Women in Business Scholarship program "helps women pursue undergraduate and master's degrees in business management and overcome gender barriers from the classroom to the boardroom," according to the Zonta International website.

Johnson said her association with Zonta as a scholarship recipient means even more to her than the money.

"By winning the scholarship I am now associated with this organization, their honorable goal, and amazing members.  That's honestly a bigger deal to me than any scholarship," said Johnson.

Earlier this fall, Johnson was awarded a $500 scholarship from the local chapter of the Zonta Club in Spearfish and a $1,000 scholarship from Zonta's District 12 covering South Dakota, Montana, Wyoming, and Colorado.  Her application was then forwarded for consideration at the international level.

"If I didn't have the encouragement and support of my BHSU professors, I wouldn't be pursuing an economics Ph.D.," said Johnson.  "My hope is one day I can provide the same encouragement to a future student.  I hope to help my future students as much as my professors helped me."