Reuben T. Guenthner Scholarship

The Reuben T. Guenthner Scholarship is given in memory of Reuben T. Guenthner, a leader in Career and Technical Education (CTE) in both the state and nation. Mr. Guenthner was first a CTE student, then a secondary CTE instructor, a local administrator supportive of CTE programs, and finally a member of the North Dakota Department of Career and Technical Education from 1968 to 1995. Mr. Guenthner was also appointed to the National Advisory Council on Career Education by President Reagan in 1982. At the time of his retirement in 1995, Mr. Guenthner was the North Dakota State Director of Career and Technical Education.

One scholarship in the amount of $600 will be awarded in May 2026, to be used for the 2026-2027 school year. The scholarship is not renewable.

Eligibility

The applicant must meet all the following requirements:

• Be a graduating senior from a North Dakota high school in 2026.
• Have completed one or more career and technical education courses between grades 9 and 12; (Career and Technical Education courses may be in any of the following programs: Agriculture Education; Business Education; Family and Consumer Sciences; Information Technology; Marketing Education; Technology and Engineering Education; or any of the programs in Trade, Industry, Technical and Health Education).
• Enroll in a two-year North Dakota public, postsecondary institution.
• Enroll as a full-time student in a career and technical education program of two years or less.

Procedure for Applying

Complete the application form online.

The form contains questions/essays to answer and a place to upload the following required documents:

• Three (3) letters of recommendation (documents supporting the character and achievements of the applicant, with at least one recommendation from an instructor, while the other two letters being from employers, advisors, community members, or other educators who have significant information about the applicant)
• High school transcript

If you do not have the 3 letters or transcript at the time of completing the application, or wish others to send them to the review committee independently, please have them emailed in PDF format to mnetzloff@nd.gov before the deadline.

Incomplete applications or those received after 5pm on the deadline will not be considered. If you have the three letters of recommendation and transcript (PDF format) already as you complete the online form, you may upload them to the form, otherwise use the email address (mnetzloff@nd.gov) to submit those before the deadline.

Review Criteria

Applications will be rated on the following items:

• Postsecondary Intent/Career Goals (reasons for choosing this goal; plans after completing education)
• Leadership Experiences (especially involvement in career and technical student organizations and responsibilities assumed as a member, officer, committee chair, etc.)
• School and Community Involvement
• Work Experience
• Recommendations
• Grades
• CTE Participation
• General Appearance/Complete Submission (spelling, grammar, completion, etc.)

Announcement of Award

The recipient of the scholarship will be notified in mid-April to May. Scholarship funds will be released to the postsecondary institution upon verification of the recipient's enrollment.

Scholarship Fund

The Reuben T. Guenthner Scholarship is funded by income from funds invested in the Career and Technical Education Endowment Fund within the North Dakota Community Foundation.