Tessa Dvorak Receives Business and Leadership Award

Graduating senior Tessa Dvorak will receive a $1,000 scholarship from the Dunn County Job Development Authority (JDA) in recognition of her business and leadership efforts.

Dvorak and her sisters started a business selling sweet corn, and then bought five bred heifers with a zero-interest loan through our local bank. This business continues the tradition of her family farm, which includes both forage and cash crops, as well as a heifer development feedlot. This allowed her to qualify for and receive the Business and Leadership Award from the JDA. 

Dvorak Intends to Become a Veterinarian

Dvorak plans to attend Kansas State University after graduation, majoring in Pre-Veterinary Medicine and Animal Science. She hopes to become a mixed animal veterinarian and return to Western North Dakota once she completes her degrees.

“My past performance in both academics and Future Farmers of America (FFA) contests shows my dedication and drive for success,” she says. “Vet school will be expensive, but my work experience and academic focus will help keep me in reach of my goals.”

Dvorak and her sisters started their business to decrease their student loan burden. The profits from the business can make veterinary school more affordable, allowing her to follow her dreams. 

About the Business and Leadership Award

The Business and Leadership Award is given to a graduating Dunn County senior who has worked in a family business or started their own business.

Applicants submit an essay explaining the nature of the business, and either discuss their role in the family business or the business plans for ventures they started. Entrepreneur applicants must include a recent profit-and-loss statement.

“Our students work alongside business owners and local entrepreneurs to learn life skills that will serve them in their careers and decisions,” says Carie Boster, Director of the Dunn County JDA. “Some of them start their own businesses, while others play key roles in Main Street businesses.”

Explore Other Programs by the JDA

The Dunn County JDA shares several resources, grants, and opportunities to help residents throughout the year. Its Young Producers Grant helps young farmers and ranchers invest in agricultural careers, while its various business grants help local companies afford improvements. Learn more about the JDA and its impact on the community, and don’t hesitate to reach out with questions.