The Board of Regents and administration of North Central University are pleased to announce Jason Poppen as recipient of the 2021 Regent’s Scholarship.
Poppen is a 2021 graduate of Brookings High School in Brookings, South Dakota, and plans to major in Biblical and Theological Studies and hopes to pursue his calling to theology and academics.
Born in Seoul, South Korea but growing up in South Dakota, Poppen has attended Brookings First Assembly of God Church with his family his whole life. However, it was just two years ago that he fully put his faith in Christ. In his scholarship-application essay, Poppen said, “My personal pride and apathy prevented me from receiving God’s gift of salvation. Simply put, I was in church physically, but mentally and emotionally unengaged.” He is grateful that God drew him in through Christian apologetics and reading Scripture.
“Christian apologetics was what [God] used to get to the bottom of the problem: my sinful heart,” Poppen said. He has since immersed himself in reading Scripture and the writings of well-known apologists and plans to major in Biblical and Theological Studies at NCU.
TRUE TRANSFORMATION
Poppen is excited to attend North Central and continue his journey of personal and spiritual growth. “Although I haven’t been a Christian for very long, my personal growth has been evident to myself and others,” Poppen reflected. “The transformative power of God is an amazing thing. I don’t think about or look at things the same anymore. God gives me a true hope and joy.”
SERVING HIS COMMUNITY
In addition to excelling in academics and advanced coursework, Poppen spent hundreds of hours during his high-school years volunteering and serving the community. He participated in a club called Students against Destructive Decisions and helped co-lead a campaign warning against the dangers of vaping. He has served as a volunteer for events and spent time volunteering for GAP (Great After-school Program), where he helped supervise and lead activities for kindergarteners.
ACHIEVEMENTS
Poppen lettered as part of the Clay Target team at his high school, has played piano for 10 years, participated in 4-H archery tournaments, was a member of the National Honor Society, and was named Rotary Student of the Month last January.
Devin Lehnhoff, Director of Admissions, is enthusiastic about Poppen’s selection for the Regent’s scholarship. “Jason has demonstrated that he is intellectually and spiritually prepared to excel at North Central,” Lehnhoff said. “He is deserving of this award and we are excited to see how God will use him at NCU and beyond.”
The Regent’s Scholarship is a full-tuition, four-year scholarship awarded to an entering freshman based on superior academic performance, references, and a written essay.
