Deputy School Resource Officer Chantel Swigart of Grassy Butte, also will be awarded the North Dakota American Legion Law Enforcement Officer of the Year June 29 at the Legion event.

Both were nominated by the Watford City American Legion Post #29.

Degenstein grew up in Dickinson and attended high school in Great Falls, Montana. He joined the Army after high school and was sent to Fort Ord for training as a cook. He served in Germany for two years and went through the Food Service Apprentice Program. Degenstein returned to Germany for his last two years of service. After his discharge, he came back to North Dakota to work in the oil field for 32 years.

Degenstein has been a part of Legion baseball for 28 years and has been part of the Watford City Park Board for nine years. He rebuilt the old diamond at the Legion Field in 2006. He has made meals for Legion events as well as cooking for the firefighters last October when the county experienced its biggest grass fire in history.

Chantel Swigart

Degenstein and his wife, Cindy, have four children, seven grandchildren and four great-grandchildren.

Swigart grew up in Sidney, Montana, and graduated from Sidney High School. She attended Dawson Community College and Rocky Mountain College before going to work for the State of Montana in the Audit and Investigations Unit for about 15 years. She has been a Deputy School Resource Officer for the McKenzie County Sheriff’s Office for six years.

Swigart loves her work and knows all of her thousands of kids by name and at least one thing about them. She educates, mentors and, most of all, builds a trusting rapport with them. She loves inspiring the next generation while simultaneously ensuring their safety, according to her nomination.

When Swigart isn’t working as an SRO for her four schools, she can be found hunting, fishing or hiking as she loves the outdoors.