Flag Family Media/Fieldstone Group President and Managing Partner Steve Hallstrom visits with Flag Family News Reporter Chris Larson
FARGO, N.D. – Scholar students from across the metro were recognized this week for their academic achievements.
The annual U.S. Presidential Scholars Dinner was held Wednesday at the Avalon Events Center in Fargo and was hosted by Flag Family Media and Fieldstone Group.
“This has really become a tradition that has meant a lot to us as a company,” Flag Family Media and Fieldstone Group President and Managing Partner, Steve Hallstrom, told Flag Family News.
The dinner was started by the company three years ago.
“We saw there was a need to really celebrate our great students,” Hallstrom said. “There are a lot of kids that are great athletes, great performers in fine arts, and they’ll get a little bit of ovation once in a while when they have good performances. We kind of realized that there wasn’t a way for our fantastic students – the kids that are just gifted and that work really hard academically – to give them that same kind of standing ovation, so we decided to do this three years ago.”
Out of 60 candidates in North Dakota, 28 reside in the Fargo-Moorhead and West Fargo area. Ultimately, only two students from each state are selected as the final Presidential Scholars.
North Dakota State Superintendent Levi Bachmeier also attended the event.
“He had some great encouragement for the students,” Hallstrom said. “He talked to them about (the fact that) you obviously have to perform and do what you do in the classroom and all the activities, but he also said make time for joy, have some time to smile.”
The entire Flag Family Media/Fieldstone Group team is asked to take part in this event each year.
“This is about the only event, throughout the course of the year, when I will ask our team members to be there,” Hallstrom said. “We ask everyone to be there for this to really be able to salute the students, and it gives us a chance for everybody in the room to get to know the awesome professionals that I get to work with every day. Those that host programs for us, or work in the newsroom, or do different things around our company.”
He said he’s had nothing but positive support from his team.
“I don’t think I’ve had anybody yet, in the three years we’ve done it, that has said, ‘I really don’t want to do this,’” Hallstrom said. “So, I think it’s something that our team appreciates, and they realize how special these kids are.”
