Small-Town Fame: How One South Dakota Grad Ended Up on Late Night TV

The Time David Letterman Invited a South Dakota Grad to New York City

Do you know the town of Harrold, South Dakota?

It's right in the middle of the state, in Hughes County, South Dakota, about a half-hour east of Pierre. It's OK if you've never heard of it, with its 2025 population of 101 it's a blink-and-you-miss-it kinda town.

You may have been there though if you're a big pheasant hunter. It's right in the thick of the best pheasant hunting region in the world.

MORE: The Time An Entire Iowa Town Was Interviewed on National TV

The student body at the local high school is smaller than the smallest public school in Sioux Falls. At graduation, they routinely have less than 20 students in the class.

But in 2002, the graduating class from Harrold, SD consisted of one person. And this single grad was invited on national TV to talk about it.

I've written before about the huge impact David Letterman and his late-night shows had on me. Part of what made Dave's show so special was that he came from the Midwest and likes it. He routinely would bring people from the middle of the county to New York City to be guests on the show.

For example, there's that time he invited the entire population of a small Iowa town to be on the show.

Meet April: South Dakota’s One-Person Graduating Class on Letterman

In May of 2002, Dave had the whole graduation class from Highmore, SD on the show. That class was made up of one person, April Kleinschmid, the only senior that year.

It was April's first time in the Big Apple, "It's huge!" she told Dave.

At the time, there were 15 students in the high school. She said that she almost was part of a graduating class of three. She became the sole senior in 2002 after one of the three chose to graduate early and the other student transferred schools.

Dave asked her what her classes were like. She said that often it was just her and a teacher. She added that she also got to take classes over video with other schools.

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Letterman asked about the school's football team, wondering if they even had one. April explained that they made a team with another small rural school. And instead of a prom, they have on a senior trip.

That year, since there was only one senior, the junior class worked with April to raise money and they took a trip to Hawaii...all three of them.

April told Dave she liked the individual attention being the only senior allowed her to have. He pointed out, she did so well that she was the valedictorian of her class. She even gave a speech at the graduation ceremony.

In her speech, she told the underclassmen at the ceremony to make the most of their high school experience and to "Stand for something or you'll fall for anything."

April told Dave that she planned to study special education at Black Hills State University in Spearfish, SD. She said she was looking forward to classes with other students.

It is a wonderful segment, watch it below. April is funny and charming. She had Dave and the audience on her side and looked to be having a great time. At the end of the interview, Dave gave April roses to celebrate her graduation.

In 2025, April is still a South Dakotan and working in a rural school district like the one that made her a little bit famous.