Steveson made her mark at BHSU

Alaina Steveson has been pursuing a degree at Black Hills State University since she graduated from Newcastle High School in 2021, and like some of her classmates, Steveson wrapped up the 2024-25 school year with a diploma.

What makes her college story unique is that it also ended with an Excellence in Leadership award…and an engagement ring! 

Last month, Steveson was recognized by BHSU for the work she does around campus, where she worked for the Office of Career Development under its director, Jin Kim. After observing Steveson’s efforts with the Career Development office, and witnessing other contributions she has made around campus, Kim decided to nominate her for the leadership award. 

“It was due to her strength and leadership,” Kim said. “It all comes down to her ability to communicate with others.”

Steveson spent a lot of her time working for Kim as a mentor for new students, where her main focus was integrating and supporting incoming freshmen. It was a task she excelled at, according to Kim, who said the main goal of peer mentoring is guiding the students, without actually doing things for them. 

“One thing about Alaina is she is going to be real with you,” Kim said. 

Kim mentioned that BHSU has a lot of Pell-grant-eligible and first-generation college students, and it is important to give them the extra help they need. Steveson worked alongside those students and, according to Kim, she tried to understand their struggles while also showing them how to do it themselves. 

He explained that Steveson also operates well within the community and is a go-getter, and she has used these skills across the campus to spread the love — from being a teaching assistant to working as a job fair intern and even starting a new club on campus.

As a biology major, Steveson said she saw a dire need for more support and resources for students wanting to go into the medical field. Tasks such as applying for medical school, studying for the Medical College Admission Test and building resumes all pile up for these students, which is where the idea for the Pre-Health Professionals club came to light. 

“She didn’t want to focus on a club that you could just put on your resume – but encourage something that you could actually learn from,” Kim explained. 

Steveson worked with the health center at the university to obtain guest speakers to come in and answer questions from current pre-health students. 

Her newly-minted fiance, Ezra Anderson is a fellow NHS graduate who pursued life after high school at BHSU, and he has seen her leadership skills blossom in Spearfish. 

“She is a leader around campus because of the various roles and jobs that she has at the school,” Anderson said, mentioning his pride in the club she founded for fellow biology students. 

The couple has been together since 2016, and he made Steveson’s whirlwind graduation month even more memorable when he finally got down on one knee on May 9 and popped the question in front of family and friends. 

“I knew years ago that I wanted to marry her,” he told the News Letter Journal. 

Their relationship really flourished during their time at the university, according to Anderson, who said he has enjoyed supporting Steveson during her accomplished time at BHSU.

“She is an inspiration to me every day,” he beamed. “In the constant perseverance that she shows and the constant light she brings to people around her.”

Steveson admitted that while she has enjoyed the work, it was a big time commitment. Being a biology major is no easy task in itself, and Steveson took time out of her studies to do things for BHSU. She admitted that the recognition was important, because the effort required a lot of hours and hard work, but asserted that all of the experience has also benefited her. 

“I would say it has helped with my confidence,” she said. 

Steveson mentioned that as a college sophomore she started to realize how close she was to entering the real world, and this kickstarted her desire for leadership opportunities.

“I feel like being a leader and stepping into that role has really prepared me and given me a lot of tools to be a really good professional,” she said.

Armed with what she learned in the two years she worked in the career and development office, Steveson is ready to start her professional life. She and Anderson moved to Cheyenne after graduating from BHSU this month. The couple has been together since middle school, and they are excited to settle down and begin their future together. Steveson is also excited to explore career possibilities.

“There are a lot of really good job opportunities with the hospital there,” she said. “I am just figuring out what I want to do and then going and getting that experience.”

Steveson claimed that she was lucky to get her feet wet at a school like BHSU. She said it was beneficial being at a small school because of all of the personal connections she was able to make — noting that she had the opportunity to meet the governor, campus president and other leaders in Spearfish. 

Steveson also got hands-on experience at Black Hills State, and as a bonus was able to enjoy the last four years in a beautiful education setting.

“It is an amazing school, and it has a beautiful campus,” she said. “I feel like I have gotten a really good education here, and I am thankful for everything that BHSU has offered me and allowed me to do.”