Eight local educators were among 17 honored Nov. 4 at the Leadership in Education Excellence event held at the River’s Edge Convention Center.
They are the following: Holly Nelson and Carol Ramler, both from Kennedy; Joan Elton and Angela Mitchell, both from North, Mary Barron-Traut, Kenneth Blattner and Justin Skaalerud, all from Apollo; and Sebastian Witherspoon, from the District Office.
These honorees were nominated by their school or district and were recognized with a plaque and certificate from Gov. Mark Dayton.
“I have been a teacher, principal and most recently a superintendent,” said Mark Schmitz, executive director of Resource Training and Solutions. “I look at my experiences as a teacher as the ones that have given me the most value in my life…and, often the most humbling. Many times the gift you give students may not be about what you teach, it is the relationships you create with children.”
“You many never know your legacy and the lives you have touched,” said Ken Anderson, board chair of Resource Training and Solutions.
The event is sponsored by the participating school districts, Blue Cross/Blue Shield, the Horace Mann Agency and Resource Training and Solutions.
Jill Dubbeldee Kuhn, of St. Joseph, recently received an artist-career-development grant from the Central Minnesota Arts Board. Her award of $2,933 will be used for art supplies, framing and digitally printed photographs of a recent series “Radiate” that will be part of a solo exhibition entitled “Layers” held in the spring of 2016 at the Gorecki Gallery in the Benedicta Arts Center, St. Joseph.
At the November meeting, the CMAB awarded $23,456 in artist-career-development grants. The CMAB Artist Career Development program provides funds of up to $3,000 in support of projects, training opportunities and purchases that assist artists in making the next step in their artistic careers. Funding for this program is provided through The McKnight Foundation.
Three criteria are used to evaluate applications: artistic quality and merit, professional need and ability. An applicant must receive an average score of 3.0 or higher to be considered for funding.
Sydney Dumonceaux recently graduated from basic military training at Joint Base San Antonio-Lackland, San Antonio, Texas.
U.S. Air Force Airman Dumonceaux completed an intensive, eight-week program that included training in military discipline and studies, Air Force core values, physical fitness, and basic-warfare principles and skills. Airmen who complete basic training earn four credits toward an associate-in-applied science degree through the Community College of the Air Force.
Dumonceaux is the daughter of Karen and Rick Leverson of Farmington, Minn., and granddaughter of Evelyn and Robert Dumonceaux of St. Joseph, and Selma and Adolf Ulbrich of Las Vegas.
She is a 2014 graduate of Farmington High School.
Elizabeth Larson, daughter of Deb Stumvoll and Keith Larson of St. Joseph, is studying in London during fall semester 2015 through the Center for Global Education at the College of St. Benedict in St. Joseph, and St. John’s University in Collegeville. Larson is a junior music and theater major at CSB.
While in London, the students study a wide array of disciplines in liberal arts in a student’s major, including subjects like British history, business, literature, communication, theater, politics, music and/or art inside or outside the classroom. Students in this program may also choose to participate in an internship and gain international professional experience. The students are housed in furnished flats near the Foundation for International Education study center. The faculty consists of a professor from CSB and SJU who accompanies the group, and professors from London universities and colleges. David Arnott, associate professor of music at CSB and SJU, is the director of the program for fall 2015.