Over the past months we have been able to bring you some updates on graduates who have excelled in a variety of endeavors.
They range from a college professor earning $500,000 in science research funds for her university, to another who heads to South Africa to spend time with elephants.
Then you have those who can be found in numerous leadership positions.
With that solid education base behind them, these former students have gone on to turn it up a notch, reaching out to make a real difference. CELEBRATE NORTH DAKOTANS
On that note, the North Dakota Dollars for Scholars program has launched a program to Celebrate North Dakotans.
The program began with a newspaper advertising campaign and informational mailings to all state high school English and Social Studies teachers.
Students and adults were asked to nominate a North Dakotan: Who Inspires, Who Motivates and Who is Admired.
From that venture 498 individuals were nominated.
With a criteria in hand judges then selected 10 inspiring people who will be honored at a recognition banquet and evening of fun on July 23 in Fargo.
Thanks to a sponsorship of Morgan Stanley each of the honorees will receive $1,000 scholarships in their name to be awarded a student of their choice.
BROWN TO EMCEE
Former LSU men's basketball coach and North Dakota native Dale Brown will co-emcee the event, along with retired radio and television personality Boyd Christenson.
Brown is a native of Minot, with ties to this area, while Christenson roots lie in Rugby.
Adding to the festivities will be Williston's own Celeste Krenz providing the entertainment.
The event is open to the public and you can call 1-888-592-8540 for ticket information.
SCOLLARD IS NAMED
We're happy to inform you a Williston High School graduate is among the Top 10 to be honored.
David Scollard, MD, Ph.D. (WHS 1965) is among the group to be touted on this evening.
Scollard, the son of the late Audrey and Denzil, was nominated by long-time friend Chuck Stroup of Hazen.
Stroup, who is chairman of the state Dollars for Scholars Board, is also the outgoing chairman of the North Dakota Higher Education Board.
In addition to his other duties he is president of the Union State Bank in Hazen.
"This event is for all of North Dakota and for individuals who inspire us and offer some unique qualities we all can admire," said Stroup.
MOVE FROM HAZEN
After finishing the second grade in Hazen the Scollard family made the move to Williston.
The two families were very close friends and thus Stroup and Scollard have maintained a lengthy friendship.
While growing up the two spent time visiting each other in Hazen and Williston.
As a matter of fact Stroup was the best man for Scollard when he was married to Rikki back in 1969 in Hawaii.
CHIEF OF RESEARCH
From his early childhood days in Williston and preparing for the next step, Scollard was off to medical school, something he knew early on he wanted to pursue.
Today the Williston product can be found in Baton Rouge, La., where he serves as Chief of Pathology for the national Institute of Hansen's Disease at Louisiana State University.
Hansen's Disease is the name used these days in reference to leprosy.
Armauer Hansen, a Norwegian, was the one credited with discovering the germ that causes the disease way back in 1871, and since that time the reference is considered as Hansen's Disease.
CASES ARE LOW
New cases in the United States are very low, at about 200 or less per year, according to Scollard.
He pointed to a fact there was a time when immigrants were held back due to the disease.
He also pointed out today approximately a few thousand patients are being monitored and treated, with the possibility of some in North Dakota.
Scollard told us the disease is "treatable and curable, but you can't eliminate by treating."
In order to eliminate there must be a vaccine, and that is still needed.
"That's it in a nutshell," said Scollard.
These days Scollard is spending his research time working on how nerves become injured by the disease.
BACK IN TIME
One might wonder how he ever became interested in this field of work?
Following graduation from WHS Scollard attended St. Olaf College in Northfield, Minn., where he earned his bachelors degree in 1969, with a double major in chemistry and English.
While at St. Olaf he took part in an exchange program which led to a semester abroad in Chiang Mai, Thailand.
While there he visited a well-known leprosy mission hospital and that experience ultimately determined the direction of his career.
He attended the University of North Dakota Medical School, offering only two years at that time.
From UND he went on to study at the University of Chicago where he earned his MD and added a Ph.D. in pathology, with both degrees conferred in 1975.
OFF TO HAWAII
After four years that he termed as, "exhilarating but exhausting," his medical internship took place at the University of Hawaii.
In 1976 he was offered a position in pathology at the University of Hong Kong, where he studied and taught until 1981, while also spending some time back at Chicago in 1980 to prepare for the American Board of Pathology examinations.
BACK TO THAILAND
He was then recruited by the University of Illinois, who had begun a large collaborative research project on leprosy with doctors in Thailand.
That meant, 14 years after he had visited as a pre-medical student, he was back as the Field Director for the leprosy research project from 1981-84.
During that time Scollard and his wife Rikki, had two children. Rikki's parents were medical missionaries.
Today she is also a professor at LSU in the School of Designing in the department of Art History.
Rikki graduated from high school in 1965 in the Chicago area.
BACK TO HAWAII
After that project came to an end in 1984 he joined the faculty of the John A. Burns School of Medicine at the University of Hawaii where he taught and continued leprosy-related research until 1992.
Meanwhile in 1990 he was awarded a Fulbright Scholarship to work at the Institute for Tropical Medicine in Antwerp, Belgium.
That same year he was presented with the President's Award for outstanding teaching at the University of Hawaii.
MOVES TO LSU
In 1993 Scollard made his move to Baton Rouge and the campus of Louisiana State University where he can be found today.
Here he is referred to as, "the human doctor at the vet school," as his lab leases space at the school of veterinary medicine at LSU.
His work now is for the federal government.
Among his duties Scollard checks skin biopsies that are sent in from across the nation.
He indicated about 80 percent of his work today involves research.
INTERNATIONAL EDITOR
In addition to his day job, after his evening meal and a brief nap, he returns to his work to serve as editor of the International Journal of Leprosy.
At a meeting in Brazil two years ago he was elected to the editor position.
The journal, now in its 72nd year of publication, reaches out to more than a 1,000 professionals in the field.
In addition they use an e-mail system to share online.
CHOSE H FOR HEART
One thing for certain, Scollard still has his thirst for reading that began in the second grade back in Hazen.
Meanwhile he recalled his grade school days at the old Central School in fourth-grade in Williston when if they got the work done correctly Miss Green would let her students have their choice of encyclopedias in the hallway.
"I would usually pull H, so I could read about circulation of the heart, as I knew back in grade school my goal was to become a doctor," said Scollard.
SEEKS OUT BROWN
While Scollard has resided in Baton Rouge for more than 10 years he has been unable to meet up with Dale Brown.
"We have been playing telephone tag for years," said Scollard, who wanted to meet up with the North Dakota product.
That opportunity will finally come in Fargo on July 23.
TOUTS SYVERSON, SIMLE
Scollard recalled his days in the WHS band and praised Virgil Syverson.
"I was never really good, but we had a lot of fun," said Scollard, who played the Cornet early on.
However, braces came into play, which led him to trying the French horn between the wires.
For a little variety in his senior year he switched to the tuba.
In addition Scollard pointed to his freshman English instructor Jim Simle as making a lasting impression on him.
OLSON WAS INSPIRATION
Scollard also credited former WHS Superintendent of Schools Leon Olson with being an "inspiration."
Scollard referred to Olson by saying, "if there was one thing, he was so big and strong, but he was always fair and good humored."
At the same time Scollard pointed out, "he was able to keep discipline and keep everybody focused. You just wanted to be good, as you wanted to please this guy."
During his time in school Scollard did well, while enjoying extracurricular activities.
"Later I would realize how well the faculty of these public schools did in providing good instruction and in setting a high standard. Williston was a great place to grow up," concluded Scollard.
There's no doubt this is one Coyote that Olson and Williston can be very proud of.
scope@willistonherald.com|572-2165
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