Flandreau native Chase LeBrun is the second recipient of SDN Communications’ Precision Agriculture Scholarship for the 2024-25 academic year.
The SDN Communications Precision Ag Scholarship at South Dakota State University was created through a $100,000 donation from SDN and its 17 member-owner companies. Precision ag majors are automatically eligible for the scholarship each academic year.
A standout football and basketball player for the Flandreau Fliers, LeBrun considered playing sports in college but ultimately chose to attend SDSU and study agriculture.
“I’m a farm kid, it’s all I know,” LeBrun said.
The Precision Ag Scholarship is one of two scholarships that SDN has funded at SDSU. Along with aiding students in the precision ag program, SDN supports students pursuing Electrical Engineering Technology, Computer Science, Data Science, Operations Management, and Electrical Engineering through the SDN Communications Scholarship.
“SDN is committed to its partnership with South Dakota State University by offering a premier scholarship to students pursuing a four-year degree within the Jerome J. Lohr College of Engineering,” said Jake VanDewater, Vice President of Engineering, Operations & IT at SDN and an SDSU Computer Science Advisory Board member. “We believe in supporting students pursuing degrees important to the telecommunications industry and the State of South Dakota.”
The SDN Precision Agriculture Scholarship is awarded to an SDSU student majoring in precision ag. They must live in a South Dakota community served by an SDN member company; LeBrun lives in Valley Telecommunications territory.
LeBrun intrigued by ‘constantly evolving’ precision ag field
After initially considering ag business, LeBrun ultimately settled on precision agriculture.
“Precision ag was new and I thought it was interesting. Mostly it was a constantly evolving field and it is up and coming,” he said. “I thought I’d try to get a jump start on the rest of the world and learn about it before it comes out.”
SDSU added the precision ag degree in 2016, the first of its kind in the country. The four-year degree merges agronomy, engineering and computer science. The university also offers a minor in precision ag. Department head Kasiviswanathan (Muthu) Muthukumarappan said the program’s curriculum was overhauled in spring 2024, developed three new emphasis areas: Machinery Systems, Cropping Systems and Data & Analytics. Currently, 73 students are enrolled majoring in precision ag and 84 students minoring in the program, Muthukumarappan said.
A degree in precision agriculture offers many options, too, which LeBrun also sees as a benefit. Program graduates have gone on to work in ag manufacturing, farm cooperatives, ag data analysis and for companies such as Raven Industries, John Deere, Case New Holland and others.
LeBrun is a junior majoring in precision agriculture and minoring in agronomy. He’s not certain where he’ll go after graduation, but he said he would like to farm with his father, uncle and grandfather on the family’s multi-generational farm outside Flandreau.
He would like to find a job in Flandreau, such as agronomy or ag-related sales. Because he earned some college credits in high school, his next three semesters have lighter credit loads. He also plans on completing an internship in 2025.
LeBrun said he feels fortunate to be able to go home and help on the family farm because it’s only about 30 miles away from Brookings. He also participates in SDSU’s intramural programs in his free time.
“Anyone coming from a farming background and is interested in a constantly changing field and wants to do something to challenge themselves, this is a good direction to go,” LeBrun said.
