The Legacy of the Presentation College Aberdeen SD School of Nursing: A History of Service and Education
The Presentation College Aberdeen SD School of Nursing holds a distinguished place in the history of Aberdeen, South Dakota, and in the broader narrative of Catholic education and healthcare in the region. Founded by the Presentation Sisters, the school has been a cornerstone of nursing education and a vital resource for the community, particularly in times of crisis. This article delves into the history of the Presentation College School of Nursing, its origins, evolution, and its lasting impact on Aberdeen and beyond.
The Founding and Early Years: Responding to Community Needs
The story of the Presentation College School of Nursing is inextricably linked to the history of the Presentation Sisters in Aberdeen. The Presentation Sisters, the original sponsors of Presentation College, have a long history in the community of Aberdeen, from health care to affordable housing development. The Presentation Sisters were founded by Nano Nagle in Cork, Ireland in 1775. Nano was a woman of great courage who established secret schools (hedge schools) for Catholic children barred from education by oppressive British law. In 1880, the Presentation Sisters were invited and came to Dakota Territory from Dublin, Ireland to teach the children of the Lakota people and French settlers. In 1886, three Sisters responded to Reverend Robert Haire’s invitation to start Sacred Heart School in Aberdeen and soon were staffing parish schools around the Diocese of Sioux Falls. Education is the foundational element in our Sisters’ ministry efforts and has been a part of our Mission since we opened our first school in Aberdeen in 1886.
The impetus for establishing the School of Nursing arose from a critical need within the Aberdeen community. When a diphtheria epidemic struck the Aberdeen area in 1900, the Sisters were asked to care for the sick. In 1901, they began a healthcare ministry by opening their first hospital, (Avera) St. Luke’s. Recognizing the need for trained nurses to staff the hospital and care for the growing population, the Presentation Sisters founded Presentation College back in 1901 in hopes of training more nurses to care for the sick during a diphtheria outbreak. First known as the St. Luke’s School of Nursing, the institution was born out of a desire to provide compassionate and skilled care to those in need. The nursing program they developed through Presentation College was really intended to staff the hospital they had started.
Evolution and Growth of the Nursing Program
Over time, the nursing programs at PC have continued to evolve and meet the educational needs of their nurses. Education and healthcare ministries expanded as needs of people in the region increased. The Presentation Sisters founded Presentation College in 1951 to fulfill its mission of rural health care and service through nursing education. Nursing has always been a cornerstone of Presentation College and synonymous with higher education opportunities offered in Aberdeen.
The Presentation Sisters' commitment to education extended beyond healthcare. Nano Nagle, our Irish foundress, began her ministry by teaching children when Ireland’s penal laws forbade it. Her belief in the power and importance of education has spanned the centuries and continues to shape the ministry of Presentation Sisters around the world. Through education people are better equipped to answer the challenges with which they are faced. Today the Presentation Sisters can be found ministering to the needs of those in all walks of life, yet they remain grounded in their first ministry: education.
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The Presentation Sisters: A Legacy of Service
The Presentation Sisters have been a constant presence in the Aberdeen community. Aberdeen mayor Travis Schaunaman said the city hasn’t forgotten their decades of service. “The Sisters of the Presentation have really made a huge impact here in Aberdeen, they brought a great deal of value to our community in terms of nursing professionals to our community, but they couldn’t keep sticking it out and that’s an understandable thing,” Schaunaman said.
While best known for education and healthcare ministries, the thread that runs through the Aberdeen Presentation Sisters’ mission is to alleviate oppression and promote human dignity especially among the poor. As an apostolic congregation the sisters lives are centered in prayer from which their ministry flows; contemplation in action. In the 1960s, Sisters answered the Church’s call for missionaries. Presentation Sisters have been missioned to Mexico, Bolivia, Guatemala and Zambia, Africa. With this same spirit, the congregation began a ministry in 2002 with Hispanic immigrants. The congregation co-sponsors Avera Health with the Yankton Benedictine Sisters, ensuring that the mission and values remain a constant for years to come.
Challenges and Closure
Despite its long and impactful history, Presentation College faced numerous challenges in recent years. In January 2023, the decision was made to close the doors of Presentation College. Aberdeen mayor Travis Schaunaman said the loss of the college will be felt in the community. “Just one thing after another those guys have been helping with our needs," Schaunaman said. "We’re really sad to see that go, we get a flock of students every year towards Presentation, and we’ll be sad to see those kids go.”That history closes later this year when the college ceases its operations in the Hub City.
College president Paula Langteau expressed gratitude to the city. “We’ve had an outpouring of support of individuals interested in helping our students and faculty and staff," Langteau said. "We are hosting career fairs, job fairs, teach-out fairs to help our students and I know we’ll be looking to the community when we’re doing our job fair for local opportunities coming up in late-February or early-March.”
Continuing the Mission: Partnerships and Scholarships
Even with the closure of Presentation College, the legacy of the Presentation Sisters and their commitment to education and service continues through partnerships and scholarships. With the guiding light of Nano’s lantern, a partnership between Presentation College and St. Ambrose University in Davenport, IA, formed the Nano Nagle Online School of Nursing. “Our collective vision of an education rooted in person-centered care, enhanced by technology and deeply infused with our Catholic social teachings, finds a home in the Spirit of Nano Nagle, whose pioneering ministry was never bound by geography and who called all who served alongside her to be of service to others in any part of the world,” said Amy Novak, EdD, president of St.
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Northern State University, also in Aberdeen, has been named another Presentation College teach-out partner. The university’s partnership with the Presentation Sisters began in 2023 when the sisters’ entrusted St. As we have adapted to meet the needs of those we serve, our areas of ministry have shifted and we are no longer teaching at the elementary and secondary level in our Catholic schools. However, our commitment to Catholic education remains strong.
Each spring, a dedicated committee reads and discusses each submitted application form and essay regarding the value of Catholic education and how the scholarship would financially impact their family. For the 2025-2026 school year, 40 students received a $1,000 scholarship for Catholic education and six students received a $2,000 Catholic high school scholarship. We are pleased to announce that we will once again be accepting applications for Presentation Sisters Catholic School Scholarships. We will be awarding 40 - K-12 $1,000 tuition assistance scholarships and six - $2,000 high school tuition scholarships for the 2026-2027 school year. Catholic School principals and priests in the Sioux Falls Diocese will receive the application forms in January 2026. We invite any interested student to complete the application process.
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