SIOUX FALLS, S.D. -
Molly Kokesh, a member of the Augustana women's track and field and cross country teams, has been named a 2012 Peace Prize Forum Scholar.
The program is sponsored by the Nobel Peace Prize Forum, a consortium comprised of Augustana, Augsburg College, Concordia College (Moorhead, Minn), Luther College and St. Olaf College. Kokesh will spend seven weeks at the University of Oslo's International Summer School deepening her understanding of issues related to peace, justice, democracy and human rights.
A junior from Scotland, S.D., Kokesh was Augustana's 2012 Truman Scholarship nominee, a honor designed for those who intend to pursue a career in governmental and non-governmental public service. She was named to the Academic All-Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference for the 2011 fall athletic season.
She is majoring in German and government/international affairs and spent the 2011 fall semester studying in Austria.
Kokesh ran with the Augustana teams that won the 4x800 and distance medley relays at the 2011 Drake Relays. The distance medley relay team set a school and South Dakota collegiate record with a time of 11:40.10. She was a NCAA Indoor Championships provisional qualifier for the mile run in 2011.
She is a member of the indoor and outdoor distance medley relay teams that own Augustana school records and earned All-America honors with the DMR squad that placed fourth at the national indoor championships a year ago. She has been on two NSIC cross country championship teams (2009, 2010); the 2010 NSIC indoor championship track and field team,and the conference's outdoor title team (2011).
Kokesh will be introduced at the 2012 Nobel Peace Prize Forum, set for March 1 to 3 at Augsburg College in Minneapolis, Minn. She is the daughter of Marilyn and the late Dennis Kokesh.
