Saturday, Feb. 11
LEADERSHIP IN PUBLIC EDUCATION PAGE 4
Graduate spotlight cont. from page 8
Stand-up comedian Andy Erikson credits her Blaine High School AP history teacher Garnet Towne for teaching her to persevere.
Photo by Christina Gandolfo. be so hard.’ But she wouldn’ t let me drop it and I’ m so glad she didn’ t. I learned so much— it’ s good to do something hard. It showed me I could do anything,” Erikson said.
“ Mr. Dahl was fun and really cool, too. He did a lot of acting things out. He taught things in a theatrical way,” she said.
Erikson excelled in her studies at BHS and tutored Blaine’ s ESL and AP students. She was also active in after-school activities, competing on the math team, performing with the Bengals color guard and serving as theater tech for the drama department.
“ I loved high school. I was very active in school. It was a great time,” she said.
After completing her high school career and graduating with the class of 2005, Erikson studied graphic design at the University of Minnesota, ultimately earning her degree and further pursuing comedy in Minneapolis.
It was at one of those comedy clubs that Erikson met a comic who would become her husband and together they moved to Los Angeles to gain exposure and recognition with their craft.
Back home, Erikson will take the stage as headliner for Anoka-Hennepin’ s Feb. 11, 2017 Northern Stars Gala.
Tess DeGeest, executive director of Anoka-Hennepin Educational Foundation, said she looks forward to seeing what Erikson brings to the annual celebration.
“ We like the idea of showcasing alumni talent … and were brainstorming when Andy’ s name came up. Part of the appeal of Andy is that her humor is clever and not R rated like many comics can be,” DeGeest said.“ We are hoping Andy will bring in more young alumni and parents and will help us expand our reach into the community so more people are aware of AHEF, our mission and the great work our donors are doing to benefit our students and schools.” ■
District bus paraeducator named Special Education Transportation Assistant of 2016
As a special education bus paraeducator, Shannon Hulleman’ s job is to assist special needs students as they ride the bus to and from school. But it’ s Hulleman’ s knack for forming connections with her students that has earned her a statewide honor.
Hulleman has been named the Special Education Transportation Assistant of 2016 by the Minnesota Association for Pupil Transportation.
“ Shannon really respects her students, and they know that she respects them just by how she treats them,” said Jeff Mueller, transportation safety coordinator for the Anoka-Hennepin School District.“ She has been working with a group of students that really needs someone who’ s consistent, committed, and willing to do what it takes to provide a safe bus ride. They just needed someone like Shannon to be successful.”
So dedicated is she to her students, that when she was recently in the hospital, Hulleman had the bus driver pass by her hospital window so she could wave to them. That gave them the assurance and support that they needed, Mueller said.
“ With special needs students, consistency is key,” he said.“ We’ ve had students have their routine broken when they’ ve had to take a different bus on the route. And just that change, they notice that. And Shannon has been able to give them the consistency that they need to be successful.”
A former day care worker for 25 years who tried retirement before deciding it wasn’ t for her, Hulleman said she just loves kids.
“ I like to see them happy,” she said.“ I have nine grandchildren and 11 great-grandchildren.”
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Hulleman works with 14 students every day, split between three schools in the morning and three in the afternoon. They include students from elementary school, middle school and high school, and they all have varying needs and abilities.
For instance, she works with two brothers— she calls them“ my boys”— who are age 19, one of whom is nonverbal.
“ Every day is something different,” she said.“ We kind of make it up as we go along. Some days are really bad, and you have to get them out of that mode and into the right mode, so it’ s just conversation and routine. Those are important.”
Hulleman helps connect with her students by taking a keen interest in their interests, whether it’ s Pokeman cards or books, which she scoops up regularly at garage sales to give to them, or even holiday catalogs.
“ I’ ve spent more time going to Target and Walmart and getting the toy catalogs,” she said.“ They wear them out.”
She said she has learned to pay attention to the little things that can make a big difference to each student, something as simple as needing to have a hood on before
I love seeing that I’ m accomplishing something with these kids. That I’ m making it better for them.
Bus paraeducator Shannon Hulleman has been named Special Education Transportation Assistant of 2016 by the Minnesota Association for Pupil Transportation.
getting on the bus. And when they’ re having a tough day, she works to refocus their attention to something more positive.
“ When they’ re anxious, you can’ t just point out a big truck and say,‘ Hey, watch how it’ s carrying a load of dirt.’ They don’ t comprehend that. So you have to find a different way to entertain them. And it might just be holding their hand,” she said.
- Shannon Hulleman
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Traci Jackson, transportation secretary, said Hulleman is wonderful at what she does.
“ She really gets to know her students; that’ s what’ s always impressed me,” she said.“ She works with students who have needed two paras to be with them in the
past, but now all they need is Shannon.”
Hulleman said she cried when she found out she received the award—“ It’ s quite an honor,” she said— but she also gives credit to the bus drivers and the other paraeducators that she works with, as well as the ongoing training the district provides throughout the year.
“ It really is a team effort,” she said.“ The schools help out, too. If there are questions you have about bullying or something, they’ re right there to help you. They want to know what’ s happening on the buses, too.”
When asked how much longer she wants to be a paraeducator, she said,“ forever.”
“ I love seeing that I’ m accomplishing something with these kids. That I’ m making it better for them,” she said.“ As long as I can walk up three steps and down the aisle of the bus, I will be doing this.” ■ a benefit for Anoka-Hennepin students anoka. k12. mn. us / ahef
Saturday, Feb. 11
Marriott Minneapolis Northwest • 7025 Northland Dr. N, Brooklyn Park. Nationally renown comedienne, and 2005 Blaine High School graduate Andy Erikson will headline the event with an evening of laughs and entertainment. The annual Northern Stars Celebration is the Anoka-Hennepin Educational Foundation’ s biggest annual fundraiser, and provides a fun way to celebrate quality education.