by Dennis Dalman
Karrie Fredrickson, a long-time social studies teacher at Sartell High School, was recently honored with the Regional Earl Reum Award from the National Association for Student Activities.
That honor is just the latest given to Fredrickson. Last spring she was named Central Division Advisor of the Year by the Minnesota Association of Honor Societies.
Besides having taught social studies for 30 years in Sartell, Fredrickson has also served as an advisor to both the SHS Minnesota Honor Society and the Sartell Student Council. She is currently an advisor to the Minnesota Association of Honor Societies. There she works monthly with the state student-executive board at the state Minnesota Association of Secondary School Principals office. She also provides advisor training throughout the year at conferences.
The Earl Reum Award honors those who are dedicated to promoting student activities and leadership throughout the nation. The award criteria include experience working with student activities, leadership, mentoring and sharing that knowledge with others – qualities Fredrickson has demonstrated time and again throughout her years in St. Stephen-Sartell School District #748.
Fredrickson was honored as a teacher in the Central United States region. The other three teachers who received Earl Reum awards, along with Fredrickson, are Karen Crawford (Maryland) for the Eastern Region, Laura Droms (Georgia) for the Southern Region and James Layman (Washington) for the Western Region.
Fredrickson and the three other teachers are now eligible for the 2024 National Earl Reum Award at an awards ceremony in a yet-to-be-determined December date in Memphis, Tenn. That is when the Pittsburgh-based NA4SA will host its annual National Conference on Student Activities.
“It’s an honor but humbling even to be nominated,” Fredrickson said in an interview with the Newsleaders. “But I feel this award is not just for me but also for all the people who have been part of my journey – the people at the division level, the regional level and the ones who attend events for national purposes. There are so many people in that long journey who deserve recognition.”
Fredrickson was born in 1971 at the St. Cloud Hospital, then grew up in St. Joseph, the daughter of Patricia and Harvey Kolodjeski. She earned a degree in social science secondary education from the College of St. Benedict and then a master’s degree in education from St. Mary’s University.
After hearing about Fredrickson’s award, Sartell High School Principal Shayne Kusler released the following statement:
“Mrs. Fredrickson’s exceptional ability to encourage and inspire others in the field of student leadership makes her a truly outstanding recipient for this prestigious award. One of Mrs. Fredrickson’s greatest strengths is her ability to create opportunities for adult advisors to acquire new information and strategies they can share with their students. Under her guidance, our school has often hosted regional meetings as well as hosted statewide Student Leadership conventions multiple times.”
NA4SA Executive Director Lou Miller had this to say: “The four Regional Award recipients can be proud of the great contributions they have made and continue to make to support and inspire student activity professionals in your state and throughout the nation. You can also be proud of the positive impact on many student leaders, directly and indirectly, through service to your colleagues.”
NA4SA
The National Association for School Activities connects student-activity advisors with the ideas and resources that empower students to grow as leaders and transform their schools and communities. Through the sponsorship of an annual National Conference on Student Activities, the association provides programs that encourage participation from activity advisors, administrators, leadership educators, workshop and conference trainers, motivational speakers and consultants.
Reum
Dr. Earl Reum (1931-2010), for which the award is named, was the founder of an organization that was the forerunner of the current NA4SA. Raised in Denver, he taught speech and became a living legend for promoting student activities and leadership programs. Eventually, Reum became involved in promoting student councils and the values of leadership, earning a doctorate in education and eventually becoming Coordinator for Student Activities in Denver and Jefferson County, Colo.
For more than five decades he was an author, speaker, leadership consultant and student leadership icon. When he was just 17, he appeared on the Dec. 20, 1948 cover of LIFE magazine for an article entitled “Teenage Fun: Passing the Ring.” Reum was an avid magician throughout his life and enjoyed using magic tricks to bring people together, helping to amuse, inspire and enlighten them.
Karrie Fredrickson
