External Overall Co-Chair

My name is Ryan Scholten and I am a senior Finance and Accounting double major from Sioux Falls, SD.

This will be my third Dance Marathon, participating as a dancer my first year and the finance chair my second year. I am incredibly excited to be the External Overall Chair and help lead this organization with Regan Jensen!

The amazing thing about this organization is that it brings so many different people together for one goal: to help others. Hundreds of people spend a year of their life helping to make Dakotathon the best day of the year. Seeing the relief and happiness the families have on the Day Of makes every second worth it.

I dance to celebrate the kiddos that are still fighting and to remember the kiddos that we have lost. I can't wait to see all of your smiling faces on April 18th! #FTK

Internal Overall Chair

Hi all! My name is Regan Jensen. I am a senior accounting major from Sioux Falls. I have the privilege of serving as the Internal Overall Chair for my final Dakotathon during my undergraduate career!

This will be my fourth year participating in Dakotathon. Freshman year as a miracle maker, Sophomore year as a Morale Captain, and Junior year as the Co-Morale chairs, and lastly Senior year as the Internal Overall!

This organization has been the best thing I have been a part of in my undergraduate career, and I know it is something I will always keep coming back to. I fell in love with these kids from day one, and I love seeing their smiles on the best day of the year. I dance for more birthdays and the smiles on those kiddos faces. See you all April 18th, FTK always!!

Event Fundraising Co-Chair

Hi there! I am Emily Herbert, and I am a first-year law student originally from Denver!

This past year was my first time participating in Dakotathon, and now I am lucky enough to be one of the Events & Fundraising Chairs for Dakotathon 2020! Dakotathon is an experience unlike any other, with an impact that is incredibly far-reaching. Spending a day with these amazing kiddos during the Day Of is what made me fall in love with this organization and everything it does. There is nothing better than hanging out with the incredible miracle kids for a whole 24 hours! These kids have fueled my passion for this organization and inspired me in all aspects of my life. I am beyond excited and thankful to serve as one of Co-Events & Fundraising Chairs and share this experience with a great executive team!

I dance for the chance to let kids be kids! The Day Of lets these miracle kiddos be worry-free kids for a day, and I am optimistic that Dakotathon will help let kids be kids every day!

Events and Fundraising Co-Chair

Hello everyone! My name is Colewyn Knoblich. I am a senior medical biology and chemistry double major from Sioux Falls, South Dakota. This will be my fourth year in the organization. I participated as a dancer my first year, as a morale captain my second year, and was the Entertainment Co-Chair last year. I never knew the huge impact this organization would have on my life when I first joined and I have loved every moment along the way! I love that this organization brings our campus together and gives us all the opportunity to change lives. I dance to make a difference in the lives of others and so that these kids can have a day away from the hospital.

I will be eagerly counting down the days until our event! Until then, FTK!

Sponsorship Tri-Chair

Hello, miracles and miracle makers! My name Josh Sorbe, and I am a senior from Brookings, South Dakota. I'm an economics and political science student, and this is my third year involved in Dakotathon. I'm excited to build local community and business morale for our organization as a Sponsorship Chair!

I dance because I believe money shouldn't determine your ability to be healthy, and I think kids should be able to focus on being kids. Dakotathon provides a place for miracles to have fun, and families of miracles to feel supported. Someday there will be cures and treatments will be affordable, but until then, we have to dance our hearts out. Now ~that~ is something worth fighting for.

#FTK ALL DM DAY!!

Sponsorship Co-Chair

Hello everyone! My name is Macy Halverson and I'm a junior marketing and operational analytics double major from Pierre, SD. I've participated in Dakotathon for two years as a miracle maker, and I'm so excited to be serving as a sponsorship tri-chair this year!

The smiles on the kiddos' faces on the 'day-of' make all the hard work worth it. I hope to see you all in April!

As always, Go Yotes and FTK!!

Sponsorship Co-Chair

My name is Brady Jandl and I am a senior political science and history major. I am excited to be on the Dakotathon executive team this year as one of the sponsorship co-chairmen!

I have participated in Dakotathon as a miracle maker three times and I am looking forward to taking on a bigger role in the organization! Dakotathon has the impact to change lives more than any other student organization and I am happy to help lead it into the future!

I dance to support children battling dangerous diseases and to help them just be kids! #FTK

Technology Chair

Hello everybody! My name is Logan Rahn and I am this year's technology chair! I am from Sioux City, Iowa and I'm a Marketing Major with a minor in Communication Studies. This is my third year participating in Dakotathon, starting off with my first two years being a dancer, and now I'm on the executive team!

Every year is eye-opening to me to understand how important this event is to our children. We allow them to be kids for a day, and that's the most important thing that we can do for them. I dance so someday instead of making kids be kids for a day, they're able to be kids every day. #FTK

Marketing Co-Chair

Hello everyone! My name is Kaitlyn Fischer and I am a junior nursing major from Sioux Falls, SD.

This will be my third year participating in Dakotathon. My freshman year I participated as a dance while my second year I was a Morale Captain. Each year my passion and love for Dakotathon grows, and now I am grateful to have the opportunity to serve on the Executive Team as a Marketing Co-Chair!

Without a doubt, Dakotathon is not only my favorite organization on campus, but also holds a very special place in my heart. Seeing how happy and fearless the kids are throughout the year, especially on the day of the event, helps me remember how blessed I truly am.

I dance for the kids to have a future and experience the great things that life has to offer! Every kid should have the chance to be a kid, a teenager, an adult and even have a family of their own if they wanted. I will continue to dance to help these kids reach their dreams. #FTK

experience what Dakotathon can do. My favorite quote I have come across is “The funds we raise make miracles for kids. The experience of raising these funds make miracles for us.”  Also S/O Conrad Adam, miss ya buddy.

As always FTK ALL DM DAY

Marketing Co-Chair

Hi everyone! My name is Jess Schmitz and I am a senior Strategic Communications major with a minor in Business Administration.

This will be my fourth year participating in Dakotathon after my first two years as a dancer, my third as a morale captain and now serving as marketing co-chair. After spending the last DM with my miracle child, Collins, I was inspired to become more involved.

I dance to give the miracle kids and their families a day filled with all of the fun, laughter, and smiles they could imagine. 24 hours isn't even time to celebrate how amazing these kids are!

Morale Co-Chair

Hello everyone! My name is Mariah Fuchs and I am a senior Nursing major from Pierre, SD.

This is my 4th year participating in Dakotathon. My first two years I was a Miracle Maker (Dancer), last year I was a Morale Captain, and this year I am excited to dance the year away as the Morale Co-Chair!

Dakotathon is the most incredible organization on campus. Each year I am inspired to come back by the strong children and families that have had long battles and remind us of why we are fundraising for CMN. Something that amazes me is how passionate everyone in this organization feels about Dakotathon. I dance so children and families can live healthier and happier lives.

Let's get dancing and fundraising! See you all April 18th, 2020!

Morale Co-Chair

Hello, My name is Trevor Axtell and I am a sophomore Nursing Major from Harrisburg, Dakota. Last year was my first ever Dakotathon and I was a Morale Captain. This will be my second year and I will be serving as one half of your Morale Co-Chair!! From the start, I instantly fell in love with this organization. Seeing first hand the difference just a small group of college kids can make is what instantly made me try out for an exec position as a freshman. The feeling you get during the DAY-OF is like no other. It is truly a day of excitement shared by everyone. I am beyond excited to start this journey with such and amazing team and share our passion for such a great organization. Dakotathon offers so many opportunities to be apart of something far bigger than yourself and I am forever grateful to be apart of such and amazing group. I dance so that one day kids can just be kids!! #FTK

Entertainment Co-Chair

I am an accounting major and will graduate in the fall of 2019 with my undergrad and immediately pursue a masters degree. I enjoy the outdoors and I spend a lot of time at the wellness center. I love animals and enjoy the small things in life. 

Entertainment Co-Chair

Hey! I'm Jacey Feyereisen, a senior Nursing major from Gregory, SD. I'm excited to say this is my fourth year with dance marathon!

I first got involved with dance marathon my freshman year at State A Thon, where I was a Morale Captain and was able to lead my sorority’s team and meet the miracle kiddos! My sophomore year, I was on the executive board as a Co-Morale Chair, where I was then able to help lead some of the most driven individuals ever. Last year, I returned to the board as the Entertainment Chair, which was again an unforgettable year.

This year, I’m excited to experience my first ever Dakotathon and serve on the executive board! This organization means so much to me and I cherish the relationships that I have built through it. I will forever be thankful for dance marathon and everyone who is impacted by it. I dance for the kids who can’t and for the families that inspire me every day. I dance for more hugs and kisses and less goodbyes. I dance for the tough little cookies and for the angels watching over us, who left us too soon.

I dance with the kids, for the kids!

Recruitment Tri-Chair

Hi! My name is Rachel Heilman, I am a junior Nursing major from Warner, SD, and this is my third year participating in Dakotathon!

Previously I have been a dancer and morale captain, and this year I am a tri-recruitment chair. I fell in love with the organization the moment I saw the poster board during Freshman move-in days and knew I wanted to be a part of it. I had no idea what to expect when I walked into the doors of the MUC, but by the end, I wanted more. As a morale captain, I fell in love with my miracle child Havana because I could relate to her story personally. I also felt like I could do more, so I am! My favorite aspect of Dakotathon is getting the opportunity to be a part of something greater than myself.

I dance so kids have the opportunity to be KIDS and for more smiles. I also dance for Jackson Hagan who is now in remission for ALL. I can’t wait for April 18th, 2020!!! FTK

Dancer Recruitment Tri-Chair

Hey guys! My name is Emily Champion, and I'm a sophomore Medical Biology major from Omaha, Nebraska.

This year will be my second year participating in Dakotathon. I fell in love with this organization when I started as a Morale Captain last year. It gives me a chance to be apart of something that truly makes a difference in people's lives and put smiles on faces. With that being said, I am I'm honored and humbled to serve on the Executive Team this year as one of the Recruitment Tri-Chairs. We have an incredible team serving an even more incredible cause, and I'm so excited to see all that we can accomplish!

Dakotathon allows kids to step away from their everyday lives and just have fun. I dance because every kid deserves a chance to be a kid! I'm so proud to be part of a generation that's continuing to fight for the next, and I will never stop dancing for these kiddos, and as always, #FTK!

Recruitment Tri-Chair

Hey! My name is Jack Fitzgibbons and I’m a Junior Nursing Major from Sioux Falls, SD. This is my third year participating in Dakotathon! My first year in Dakotathon I was a miracle maker and last year I was a morale captain and this year I will be serving as Recruitment on Exec. Going into my first Dakotathon I had no idea how much of an impact this organization would have on me and I am so grateful I can help this amazing cause.

I am very excited to meet you, miracle makers!

Family Relations Co-Chair

Hi everyone! My name is Haley Bialas and I am a junior Medical Biology major from Parkston, South Dakota. I am more than ecstatic to serve on the 2020 Dakotathon executive team as the family relations co-chair.

This will be my third year participating in Dakotathon. My freshman year, I was a miracle maker and fell in love with the organization so much, that I came back my sophomore year to be a morale captain. This organization is unlike any other organization and allows you to become apart of something so much bigger than yourself. I have so much passion for this organization and I am so excited to share my passion and love for this organization grow even bigger throughout the next year.

My favorite part about Dakotathon is getting to meet all of the miracle children and families. I feel so touched being able to hear their medical stories and journeys. It makes me feel proud knowing that I get to help these sick kiddos. I dance to give children hope for a happy and healthy future.

As always, FTK!

Family Relations Co-Chair

Hi everyone!! My name is Emily Ruzhitsky and I am a junior nursing major from Sioux Falls, SD.

This will be my third year participating in Dakotathon! As a freshman, I was a dancer and fell completely in love with the kids and the organization as a whole. My sophomore year I applied and was given the opportunity to serve on the executive team as the hospitality chair. This year I will be serving as a family relations co-chair and couldn't be more excited to see what this year has in store!!

I dance for the smiles and so that kids can be kids!

Counting down the days until April 18th!! HAPPY DM!!!

High School Co-Chair

My name is Marlee Jones and I’m a senior Medical Biology major from Groton, SD. I am super excited to serve as one of this year’s high school co-chairs! My freshman year I was involved in Dakotathon as a dancer and fell in love with the organization and what it does for kids. Both my sophomore and juniors years I was a Morale Captain, and really enjoyed getting to know the miracle children and their families. My last miracle child, Reese, truly inspired me to get even more involved with this organization! I am honored to be a part of this year’s exec team, and can’t wait to see what this year brings! I dance to give miracle kids the opportunity to be normal kids for a day! These children and their families have gone through so much, and are truly an inspiration to myself and others. #FTK

High School Recruitment Co-Chair

Hi everyone! My name is Emily Moor, and I’m one of the High School co-chairs for this year’s Dakotathon! I’m a senior from Omaha, Nebraska majoring in Spanish with minors in Psychology and Biology. This is my fourth year participating in Dakotathon; I was a dancer my freshman year, morale captain the last two years, and I am so excited to be a part of the executive team this year! These Miracle Children have inspired me to work in the pediatric unit of a hospital after college so that I can continue fighting for more smiles. Dakotathon is the best organization at USD and I can’t wait to see it grow even more this year (so sign up!) I dance for all these incredibly brave kiddos I have the honor of knowing, and I dance for those that are dancing in heaven. I can’t wait for more contagious smiles and laughter on the best day of the year. As always, FTK!!

Hospitality Chair 

Hello, my name is Bridger Irons! I am a senior from Sioux Falls majoring in Medical Biology. I’ve participated in Dakotathon for two years now. My first year I participated I was a dancer, and last year I was a Morale Captain. I’m super excited to serve on the Exec Team as this year’s Hospitality Chair! Talking with families and hearing firsthand accounts of how the work of Dakotathon and Children’s Miracle Network has impacted their lives has driven me to take on bigger roles in Dakotathon every year. All the hard work everyone puts in throughout the year culminates on The Day Of and is such a joyous time for all those involved! I dance for all the smiles on the day of. From the kids having a blast with the activities to the families enjoying their time, the opportunity to help make those moments possible is what motivates me to participate every year in this great organization! I am so pumped for the best day of the year! I can’t wait to see you all on April 18th! #ForTheKids

Logistics Chair

Hello everyone! My name is Benam Tewelde and I am your Logistics Chair for Dakotathon 2020!! I am a Health Science Major from Sioux Falls, SD.

This will be my fourth year in Dakotathon! My freshman year, I was a dancer, and had a great 24 hours but felt like I wanted to get more involved. For my sophomore year, I decided to try and be a moral captain and had one of the greatest times of my life! Last year I was given the chance to be apart of the Logistics Crew, and helped with everything behind the scenes! I can’t wait to do it all again!

I dance not only for the kids but for the families to restore hope and joy in their lives! #FTK

Alumni Chair

Hey everyone! My name is Jackson Armstrong and I am a senior Physical Education major from Rapid City, SD. This will be my fourth year participating in Dakotathon!

Previously I have participated as a Miracle Maker, and on exec as one of the Recruitment Chairs. This year, I am extremely excited to be serving as the Alumni Chair. Dakotathon helps so many families, and is an amazing way for students, alumni, and the community to come together and support this great cause!

I dance because every kid deserves the chance to be a kid. Can't wait for April 18th! #FTK

Finance Chair

Hello everyone! My name is Jared Rafferty and I am a senior Marketing major from Yankton, SD. I will be serving as the Finance Chair for Dakotathon this year!

This year will be my third year participating in Dakotathon. My first year I participated as a Miracle Maker, and last year I was fortunate to serve as a Morale Captain! The thing I love the most about this organization is being able to help other people, and being inspired by all of the kids and families I have met. Dakotathon truly has been and continues to be the most rewarding experience I have ever had, and I am so excited for the year ahead of us all!

I dance so that kids can be kids for a day! #FTK