Jacob Grandgenett, left, and Madelyn Ferguson are the 2025 BEA Triple A Award winners. They now compete on the Section level.

Blue Earth Area High School seniors Madelyn Ferguson and Jacob Grandgenett have been named as the recipients of the Triple A Award, which recognizes students for their excellent achievements in academics, arts and athletics.

To be eligible to receive this award, a student must maintain a grade point average of 3.0, or higher. They must also be active in Minnesota State High School League sponsored fine arts and athletic activities.

Ferguson, whose parents are Sarah Ferguson and Cory Milbrandt, spent her early school years in Iowa.

“We lived in a small town called Jewell”, she says. “It’s even smaller than Blue Earth. My first year at BEA was third grade.”

Ferguson is spending her senior year by taking half of her classes through the PSEO (Postsecondary Enrollment Options) program which allows her to earn college credit tuition free while she is still in high school.

“Classes involving science and math tend to be my favorites,” Ferguson comments. “I have really enjoyed the anatomy, physiology, math and science classes I have taken at BEA.”

She lists former BEA teacher Tom Plocker as one of her favorites.

“Brittany Eckhardt is another of my favorite teachers,” Ferguson adds. “She taught my anatomy class.”

When it comes to the arts, Ferguson has enjoyed being a member of the choir and the Chamber Singers. She also is a member of the newly created Treble Singers (an audition female choir group). She is also a member of the orchestra where she plays the viola. She received a superior rating on a vocal solo and an excellent rating as a member of an orchestra quartet at last year’s music contests. She also received superior ratings as a member of the Chamber Singers and the Chamber Orchestra.

She is in countless school-related groups and organizations.

“I love to volunteer in a variety of different ways,” Ferguson says. “I deliver groceries each week to a resident at St. Luke’s and also volunteer at my church’s Wednesday church school program.”

Her athletic participation has been in volleyball, where she served as a co-captain last season, and basketball.

“I did not go out for basketball this year,” Ferguson shares. “Instead, I am keeping the books for the BEA boys team.”

Her love of sports extends beyond her own participation.

“I love watching college volleyball and basketball,” she says. “I am a Minnesota Gopher’s fan, although I have also started cheering for the University of Arizona Wildcats.”

There are one or two reasons why Ferguson is now becoming a Wildcats’ fan.

“It’s where my sister Calli goes to college and it’s where I am planning to go also,” she comments. “I plan on going into nursing and taking my prerequisites in Tucson, Arizona, where the university is located. I would actually take my nursing classes the third and fourth year at Gilbert, which is part of the University of Arizona system.”

And, she shares, she might just stay in Arizona when she is done getting her nursing degree.

“My sister is there and I like the weather,” Ferguson says. “I enjoy outdoor activities like hiking and there are mountains, cactus and the Grand Canyon in Arizona and those are all things I enjoy.”

Not that Minnesota’s winter weather stops her from being active.

“I work out a couple of times per week at the school and I go hiking when the weather is nice,” she notes. “I also go to yoga classes with my mom every Saturday.”

One of the educational opportunities Ferguson has really enjoyed while attending BEA was the trip she and other students took to the Bahamas with science teacher Julie Ackerman.

“It was a great educational experience,” she notes.

Ferguson has other travel goals she hopes to accomplish in the future.

“My dream is to go to Hawaii and fly over the islands in a helicopter,” she says.

But, for now, she is working on completing the last half of her senior year at BEA.

“I am more excited than sad to graduate,” Ferguson explains. “I will be sad to leave all of my friends. However, I am also ready for something different and ready to see what lies ahead for me.”

Jacob Grandgenett

Jacob is the son of Roger and Sandy Grandgenett of rural Blue Earth.

Grandgenett has a GPA of 4.0 and shares he enjoys school, for the most part.

“I think it is good to be in school and challenge yourself to learn and expand your knowledge,” Grandgenett says. “My two favorite subjects are math and science.”

Grandgenett reveals he plans on continuing his education after high school at South Dakota State University in Brookings, South Dakota.

“I plan on majoring in mechanical engineering,” Grandgenett comments. “I would love to have the opportunity to work in the car manufacturing business in the future.”

He credits one of his teachers for spurring his interest in the engineering field.

“Roger Schoenfelder’s classes are very engaging,” Grandgenett says. “He is good at helping kids when they need it and excels in teaching his students what they need to know.”

Grandgenett also lends his talent as a singer to the Blue Earth Area music program where he has been a member of choir for many years. He is also a member of the Business Professionals of America and the National Honor Society where he does a lot of volunteer work.

When it comes to athletics, Grandgenett is unique in that he is a four-sport athlete.

He was a co-captain on the Bucs’ football team last fall and is currently playing basketball for the Bucs.

“I was out for track last year and also played baseball when there wasn’t a conflict in the schedules,” he explains. “My favorite is football.”

Grandgenett’s involvement in sports carries into his personal life where he shares he loves to stay active by taking walks or hiking with his family. He has also been a volunteer coach for youth sports teams.

“I think sports will always have a place in my life,” he mentions. “I might join some intramural sports teams in college and I think I will always be active.”

For now, his sports away from high school might involve playing some basketball with his dad, or taking on his brother Gage in a game of one-on-one basketball.

“We are pretty competitive,” Grandgenett says of the battles with his brother. “We tend to play hard and get physical.”

Grandgenett’s life also changed earlier in the year of 2024 when two of his three older sisters gave birth to boys during this past summer, making him an uncle to two nephews.

“I’m starting to get more comfortable around them,” Grandgenett notes. “I am getting used to them.”

Like Ferguson, Grandgenett also states he is looking forward to being done with high school.

“I would love to eventually live in Colorado where my two older sisters live,” Grandgenett shares. “The mountains are beautiful and there are many places to go hiking. I think it would be a great place to live.”