Candice Thielen (second from left) with her siblings (from left to right) Chelsea Schlangen, Chase Thielen and Catherine Thielen. Candace will depart May 26 to Cameroon, Africa, for her Peace Corps duties.
Candice Thielen, a 2014 graduate of Sauk Rapids-Rice High School, is expanding her view on the world and pushing her own boundaries by joining the U.S. Peace Corps in Cameroon, Africa.
“St. Cloud State helped prepare me for this adventure by teaching me what it means to apply yourself to something you want to succeed in,” Thielen said.
The Rice native earned her bachelor’s degree in English and looks to use her degree as an English education volunteer upon arrival.
Thielen will live and work at the community level, teaching conversational and content-based English in middle and high schools.
During her first three months, Thielen will live with a host family to learn the local language and integrate into the culture. After, she will be sworn into service and assigned to a community in Cameroon where she will serve for two years.
She will work with local people and organizations on sustainable, community-based development projects that improve the lives of people in Cameroon.
Thielen previously volunteered as a classroom assistant at Hands Across the World, a nonprofit that assists refugees and immigrant families in Central Minnesota.
“My goals include communicating successfully and creating lasting bonds with people of diverse countries, cultures and backgrounds,” Thielen said. “I want to be more aware of the world and the ways of life around me.”
Six SCSU graduates are currently serving in the Peace Corps. More than 309 alumni have served as volunteers since 1961.
She will depart for Cameroon May 26.
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Superintendent Bittman receives leadership award
Sauk Rapids-Rice Superintendent Dr. Daniel Bittman was recently awarded the 2014-15 Region VI District Leadership Award by the Minnesota Association of School Administrators.
Minnesota Superintendents and School Administrators recognized Bittman for his outstanding leadership, which was instrumental in the planning and successful implementation of the Sauk Rapids-Rice School District’s Increased Access and Opportunity through Technology Initiative. Bittman and district administration engaged students, staff, community members and stakeholders to define the district’s vision, solidify and clearly communicate the message to achieve support from the school board and secure appropriate and sustainable funding for the initiative. Through Bittman’s leadership and these collaborative efforts, Sauk Rapids-Rice students and staff are inspired to excel beyond their own expectations, and have opportunities today that will prepare them for their future journey.
The Sauk Rapids-Rice School Board of Education congratulates Superintendent Bittman for this well deserved recognition and extends their appreciation and gratitude for his continuous focus on making a difference in the lives, education and futures of all children. Our students have more opportunities than they ever had and are better prepared than they have ever been.
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Sean Donahue of Sauk Rapids, was recently awarded a $1,500 student arts scholarship from the Central Minnesota Arts Board to study theater production at St. Cloud State University.
He is a graduate of Sauk Rapids-Rice High School. Other activities and interests in which Donahue participates include the following: concert band; jazz band; Marching Storm marching band; musical productions; Hennepin Theater Trust Spotlight Musical Theater Program 2014-15 Award – “Outstanding Achievement in Sound;” one-act play competition, MSHLS award; solo/ensemble competition, MSHLS awards; talent show; baseball; Boy Scouts – Eagle Scout rank; Leos Youth – part of the Lions Club; VEX; Hams Music Summer Showcase – stage and sound technician; First Presbyterian Church Crusade Choir – sound technician; School of Rock musician. “I enjoy snowmobiling, jet skiing, boating and cars,” Donahue said, “playing electric and acoustic guitar and trombone; and learning how computers and technology work, integrating technology and troubleshooting.”
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Nicholas Schaper, son of Rand Schaper of Rice and Jacqueline Ampe of St. Cloud, is a Top Ten Senior for St. John’s Preparatory School in Collegeville. Schaper was a member of the following: the soccer team for two years; the alpine ski team for four years, serving as captain his junior and senior years; the baseball team for four years; the band and jazz band, serving as first chair trumpet for seven years; choir for one year; and the National Honor Society for two years. Schaper was a contributor to the school literary magazine, The Triangle, for four years, serving one year as an editor. He was a junior marshal at last years’ St. John’s Prep commencement. He plans to attend St. Louis (Mo.) University and major in physics on a pre-med track.
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Seven Sauk Rapids students are graduating May 22 from Cathedral High School. The students are: Madison Appert, Dominic Austing, Hannah Deaton, John Dorn, Allison Rosenkrans, Spencer Smith and Joshua Thyen.
