Connor named Student of the Month

Heartland Consumers Power District and KJAM Radio’s October Student of the Month has been active in raising money for people undergoing cancer treatment in Miner County.

Howard senior Benjamin Connor has helped raise more than 21-thousand dollars for people undergoing cancer treatment since 2017.  Connor led the Tigers Step Up 2 Cancer campaign through the Howard Student Council to raise awareness and money.

Connor’s dedication and efforts were recently recognized by the South Dakota Chapter of the Association of Fundraising Professionals (AFP), which named him the 2019 Outstanding Youth in Philanthropy.

Connor spent nearly 50 hours this past summer working on the TSU2C campaign and joined the foundation team on all sponsor solicitations, making many asks himself and collecting nearly six-thousand dollars from businesses in and around Miner County.

In addition to philanthropy, Connor is interested in political science and is a member of student council, 4-H and Boys State. He also participates in one act play, oral interpretation, band-percussion and cross country, and has earned National Honor Society and Howard High School H-Club honors.

Connor is the son of Rebecca and Michael Connor. After high school, he plans to attend a four-year university to pursue a degree in either political science or English. Ultimately, he hopes to work in an industry that allows him to travel and communicate and interact with many people.

The “Student of the Month” is awarded through a partnership of Heartland and KJAM Radio in Madison and recognizes exceptional students in one of five area school districts. Heartland provides wholesale power to the cities of Arlington, Colman, Howard, Madison and Volga, all of which are in the KJAM listening area.  Officials from each participating school nominate students for the award.