Honoring our 2026 Vicki Decker Scholarship Recipients

Brooklyn Bothe is a student at Winona State University pursuing higher education to gain the skills, credibility, and confidence to help others grow.

Her goal is to work in higher education or business developing leaders, especially women finding their voice. She hopes to better understand how organizations work to build stronger training, mentorship, and opportunities or future generations. As Brooklyn shares, her dream is simple: to be the person who opens the door for the woman behind her.

Brooklyn is actively involved across campus through Sales Team, Student Senate, the American Marketing Association, the Legal Association, Phi Alpha Theta, and serves on both College of Liberal Arts and College of Business Dean’s Advisory Boards. She was also elected Winona State Student Body President for 2026–2027.

Outside of school, she credits her family as her foundation and the reason she believes success is something to be shared.

Receiving this scholarship would provide peace of mind and allow her to continue focusing on school, serving others, supporting her family’s promotional sales business, and returning to uplift her community.

Kimberly Rein is a student at Winona State University who began her studies planning to become a teacher but has since expanded her focus to math and statistics with interest in business analytics and related fields.

She works part time as a teller at Merchants Bank while maintaining full-time enrollment. She also serves as Vice President of the Math and Statistics Club, supporting study sessions, collaboration, and student engagement activities.

Her proudest achievements include being named Valedictorian of her high school class and being selected as Homecoming Queen, both reflecting her involvement and work ethic.

Outside of school, she remains closely connected to her family, who rely on dairy farming as their sole source of income, and she is financially independent while balancing work and academics.

She hopes to gain internship experience and pursue future career opportunities in her field, while continuing long-term community involvement, including potential service on a town council.

Receiving this scholarship would provide financial stability in her final year and allow her to pursue internships and career preparation with reduced financial strain.