The Beaver Ball

February 21, 2026

Thank you to everyone who joined us at the 2026 Beaver Ball. Buena Vista University alumni and friends gathered to honor our distinguished 2026 Alumni Award recipients, raise funds for student scholarships, and celebrate the past, present, and future of BVU.

Beaver Ball Highlights

See event photos

See Alumni Award Recipient Videos

Alumni Awards

Keith G. Briscoe
Alumni Award

This award is presented in recognition of service to Buena Vista University and to others, and to laud professional accomplishment and potential, in addition to achievements and leadership roles as a student.

John A. Fisher
Alumni Award

This award is presented in recognition of extraordinary service to Buena Vista University and to others, and a dedication to the qualities of service for which the University stands.

Henry A. Olson
Alumni Award

This award goes to an individual who has made contributions of significant dimension to society and/or the University.

Wendell Q. Halverson
Award

This award is presented in recognition of extraordinary service to Buena Vista University and to others as well as a dedication to the qualities of service for which the University stands.

Alumni Award Recipients

Keith G. Briscoe Alumni Award

Adrienne Haynes '10 has earned the Keith G. Briscoe Award, named for BVU’s 16th President. Haynes, an attorney and civic leader in Kansas City who owns and serves as Managing Partner for SEED Law LLC., served as a BVU Commencement speaker in 2020 and recalled how her experiences influenced her career path as she set out to represent and advocate for those in need. An award-winning attorney and businesswoman, Haynes specializes in helping entrepreneurs develop sustainable infrastructure and business practices, drawing on more than 20 years of business and leadership experience. She is also deeply committed to community innovation and economic development, serving in numerous civic and nonprofit leadership roles across Kansas City and beyond.

John A. Fisher Award

Monte Merz '91, founder and owner of High Country Search Group, will be presented with the John A. Fisher Award, named for BVU’s 14th President. A former All-American wrestler and Academic All-American at BVU, Merz founded High Country Search Group in 2002, bringing a high-quality, relationship-driven approach to executive recruiting shaped by years of leadership within national firms. Merz spends time away from work helping to lead groups of volunteers in constructing homes for those in need in Mexico.

Henry A. Olson Alumni Award

The Henry A. Olson Award, named for BVU’s 13th President, will be accepted by Dennis Young '65, a Sir John Marks Templeton Life Trustee at BVU for whom the University’s indoor track is named. Young served as Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer, and Director, of Wells Fargo Financial, when he retired in 2006. He remains very active at his alma mater, funding and championing the Dennis Young Indoor Track & Field Classic each January while serving as a Steering Committee member and a leading donor in BVU’s Building Champions Campaign.

Wendell Q. Halverson Award

The Wendell Q. Halverson Award, which takes its name for BVU’s 15th President, goes to Bruce Larsen and John Mandelbaum, friends of Buena Vista University who, in their retirement, support a variety of charitable endeavors, notably the Donald B. and Frankie Larsen Endowed Scholarship which supports BVU students studying math, science, and nursing. The scholarship is named for Bruce Larsen’s parents, longtime residents of Storm Lake. The late Donald Larsen ’50 served as a Professor of Math and Computer Science from 1983-93 at BVU.