Four area high school students will be a part of KEVN Black Hills FOX's Rising Star of the West scholarship contest this week on Black Hills FOX News at 5:30 p.m. and 9 p.m. They qualified for the contest by submitting a short video of themselves to the station.

Bison High School senior Austin Kopren will be featured today, followed by Central High School junior Eric Schlimgen on Tuesday, Wall High School senior Muriel Kjerstad on Wednesday and Custer High School senior Vicki Bierwirth on Thursday. Their one-minute commentaries will be aired and then placed on www.blackhillsfox.com for viewers to watch and rate. One competitor from each week will them advance to the final round in May. The winner from that group will receive a $2,500 college scholarship.

The 2007 Rising Star of the West winner was Shad Christman from Lemmon High School.