Senior wins leadership award, will speak at Commencement

A St. Scholastica senior with a passion for social justice has been named the 2019 Student Leadership Award winner by a vote of her peers.

The Student Leadership Award goes to a senior who demonstrates an outstanding commitment to the community. Psychology and Peace and Justice Studies double major DyAnna Grondahl received this year’s award after winning a vote among members of the graduating class. As the award winner, she will give the student address during Spring Commencement on May 12 at the DECC.

Grondahl, of Roseau, MN, has served the campus community in several different areas throughout her St. Scholastica career. She has been a mentor teacher’s assistant with St. Scholastica’s Dignitas freshman program since her sophomore year. A Webster Scholar, she has served as both the vice president and president of the Honors Student Association. She has been involved with the Queer Straight Alliance and has worked as a guide with the Outdoor Pursuit Program. She has served St. Scholastica’s Youth Theology Institute as both a counselor and assistant coordinator.

She has filled a variety of roles off campus as well. She is a Self Sufficiency Coordinator at Safe Haven Shelter and Resource Center. In this role, she helps survivors of domestic violence to connect with the community, apply for needed benefits, and obtain safe and affordable housing, employment, and education. She has also worked as an intern with the Family Freedom Center, which seeks to engage, educate, and empower Duluth’s black community.