A well-rounded student and versatile athlete, Traci participated in basketball, volleyball, and track, while at Grand Forks Central, in fact she successfully competed for GFC while she was still in junior high.

A six year letter winner in track and field, Traci qualified for six state track meets and scored over 1,200 points in her high school track career.  The 1994 state 800 meter champion qualified for seven events in that state meet.  As a basketball player Traci was named to the all conference and all state teams in 1992 and 1993, and was also an all conference tournament volleyball team member.

Her advice for students of today would be to make friends with people who are outside of your comfort zone.  Be open-minded and to show kindness to others every day.  The lessons of hard work, teamwork, and leadership have guided Traci throughout high school and college, as well as in her professional career.

After graduation from GFC, Traci attended UND on a Track and Cross Country scholarship and continued her success in both sports.  She graduated from UND’s College of Business & Public Administration with a Marketing and Management degree. She and her husband Jared Kovar are the parents of two daughters, Morgan and Alison, and a son Grant.