06/23/2026
When Christina and Shawn McFarland think back on their time at South Dakota Mines, it’s not a diploma that comes to mind first. It’s the people who invested in them, the professors who pushed them, and the opportunities that helped turn long days on campus into the start of meaningful careers.
By the time they crossed the stage, both had multiple job offers waiting, a milestone that still stands out in their story. “That kind of outcome doesn’t happen by accident,” said Shawn. “It happens because of faculty, scholarship donors, career support, and a culture that holds students to a high standard.”
For them, that support wasn’t abstract, it was personal. Both Christina and Shawn came to Mines as scholarship recipients, their futures shaped by the kindness of individuals they didn’t know.
“Someone before you made it possible,” they reflected. “That support came from people who never met us but believed in what Mines produces. The least we can do is keep that chain intact for someone else.”
That perspective has only deepened with time. Now, as parents, they understand even more what it means to give a student the freedom to focus on learning, growing, and discovering what they’re capable of.
“We want students focused on the experience, not worried about whether they can afford to finish it,” they said.
Today, the McFarlands are giving back as members of the Catalyst Society, a community of young alumni choosing to invest early in the future of Mines. By committing to give $4,000 before age 40, Catalyst Society members support scholarships and experiential learning, stay connected to the university, and help open doors for the next generation of STEM leaders.
Because every Hardrocker story begins the same way: with someone who believed in them. Join the Catalyst Society and help keep the chain going.
https://cara.sdsmt.edu/catalystsociety/
