Rapid City – Nathan Strickland of Rapid City has been selected as one of six fellows by the American Battle Monuments Commission (ABMC). Strickland, a student at the South Dakota School of Mines and Technology in the Black Hills, will participate in the ABMC International Fellowship program in 2025.
The fellowship, established in 2022, aims to raise awareness of the ABMC’s mission to preserve U.S. military cemeteries and monuments worldwide while developing leadership and management skills in participants.
Strickland will join five other students from universities across the country in the two-week overseas program. The program includes an orientation to the ABMC mission and deployment to American Battle Monuments Commission cemeteries for direct involvement in their Memorial Day commemorations.
Acting ABMC Secretary Robert Dalessandro stated, “We congratulate our newest fellows and look forward to welcoming them as part of our ABMC team over Memorial Day. Reaching out to the younger generation is an essential part of our mission, and there is really no better way for them to understand that mission than to get hands-on experience at our sites.”
Strickland and Judy Ojewia from the University of Utah will work with the team at Suresnes American Cemetery in France. Following the fellowship, the students will become ABMC mission ambassadors, connecting their peers and other college students to the agency’s objectives and history.
Funding for the ABMC Fellows program is provided by the American Battle Monuments Foundation and the Daniels Fund. This opportunity will allow Strickland, representing Rapid City and the Black Hills of South Dakota, to gain valuable international experience while contributing to the important work of the American Battle Monuments Commission.
