Although North Dakota is a state that focuses more on manual work than the creative arts in many cases, this does not mean that there is no creativity to be found. The artistic community of the state is very much alive and well, and nowhere is this more visible during the summer than at the state's annual Capital A'Fair.
St. Mary s Central High School senior Abby Balkowitsch is a third-degree black belt in taekwondo. She started training when she was 8 and now holds multiple state champion titles. She has been an instructor at ATA Martial Arts for the past four years.
âI instantly fell in love with it,â Balkowitsch said. âI loved going to tournaments, traveling and getting to see everyone that I competed against because we all got to be really good friends.â
The daughter of Shane and Bonnie Balkowitsch, of Bismarck, is this week s Teen of the Week. Thirty-two high school seniors will be recognized by spring, at which time a Teen of the Year will be selected from the weekly winners to receive a $5,000 scholarship sponsored by MDU Resources Group.