Kodian Schermerhorn, an incoming junior at Frazee-Vergas high school, became the first-ever  recipient in the state of Minnesota of the Empower Scholarship given by the Miss America Organization, according to the Miss Frazee Scholarship Program Facebook page. Schermerhorn was awarded a $1,000 scholarship.

The Empower Scholarship allows participants to gain access to professional development training, networking, public speaking skills and opportunities to compete in on-stage competitions with the potential to earn additional scholarship awards as they prepare for the 2022 state competitions.