VCSU Announces 3 McCready Scholars

VALLEY CITY (VCSU) – Valley City State University has selected three incoming freshman students to receive the prestigious McCready Scholarship for the 2026-27 school year.

The McCready Scholarship is the highest scholarship available at VCSU and covers full funding for tuition, fees and books for the student’s first four years at Valley City State University.

Noah Hamilton-Dixon, Rhyan Jenson and Isabella Schlick have all been selected to receive VCSU’s top scholarship award starting this fall.

Noah Hamilton-Dixon attends Bigfork High School and is a resident of Bigfork, Montana. He is the son of Stephanie Fetveit and Trevor Hamilton-Dixon and will major in applied kinesiology. He will be running in both men’s cross country and track.

Rhyan Jenson attends Trinity High School and is a resident of Dickinson, N.D. She is the daughter of Bruce and Eliza Jenson and plans to major in music education.

Isabella Schlick attends Mahnomen High School in Mahnomen, Minn. She is the daughter of Gary and Rose Schlick and will major in English Education. She also plans to play in concert band and on the women’s golf team.

About the McCready Scholarship

In 2004, Dr. Richard and Ardis (Severson) McCready established the McCready Scholars Endowment at Valley City State University. Each McCready scholar receives full funding for tuition, fees, and books. The scholarship is re-awarded annually for a maximum of four years of support to those who maintain a 3.5 grade point average and make yearly progress toward their degree.

“The McCreadys believed in lifelong learning and therefore set up an endowment to support students at VCSU. They started with a scholarship in honor of a former faculty member and in 2004 set up their own scholarship endowment. This is our largest renewal scholarship to date,” said Kim Svenningsen Hesch, assistant director for university advancement.

Dr. Richard McCready ‘49, served many years as a professor of quantitative systems at Arizona State University. In 1982, the VCSU Alumni Association presented McCready with the Distinguished Alumni Award. Ardis (Severson) McCready ‘47, served many years as a legal secretary and public school teacher.