PAGE 5
LEADERSHIP IN PUBLIC EDUCATION
Employees honored for going Above & Beyond
Providing service that provides value and meets community
expectation is the goal for all Anoka-Hennepin
employees. Then there’s those who go beyond expectations
and with over 7000 employees working for
Anoka-Hennepin Schools, being recognized with an
Above & Beyond Award is indeed an honor.
Anoka-Hennepin Schools recognized 14 staff members
who have demonstrated a remarkable dedication
to fulfill the district’s mission of preparing students for
life. They represent a wide range of school employees
from elementary classroom teacher, middle school
music teacher, high school special education teacher,
and more.
The Anoka-Hennepin Educational Foundation (AHEF)
and the Anoka-Hennepin School District sponsor the
Above & Beyond Awards program jointly. Its mission is
to recognize outstanding employees for innovation, creativity,
caring and commitment. Award recipients were
nominated by parents, students and colleagues and
were selected by a panel of community representatives,
principals and staff. n
ABOVE AND BEYOND
PODCAST SERIES
Laura Ahrendt, special education teacher,
Anoka High School
Tracy Bengtson, art teacher, Anoka-
Hennepin Regional High School
Andy Berg, technology facilitator, Anoka
Middle School for the Arts
Rachel Berndt, special education teacher,
Sand Creek Elementary School
Blake Bodenburg, business and marketing
teacher, Coon Rapids High School
Jim Chamberlain, technology paraeducator,
McKinley Elementary School
John Clarkin, special education teacher,
River Trail Learning Center
Joleen Lundin, fifth grade teacher, Madison
Elementary School
Cathy Landis, first grade teacher, Eisenhower
Elementary School
Kate Mabel, first grade teacher, Monroe
Elementary School
Emily Niemi, English teacher, Anoka Middle
School for the Arts
Sabrina Olson, band teacher, Anoka Middle
School for the Arts
Pat Sorteberg, child nutrition site supervisor,
Anoka Middle School for the Arts
Lauren Williams, second grade teacher,
Hamilton Elementary School
Get to know this year’s Above & Beyond recipients through a special podcast
series. Enjoy a discussion on what motivates these educational leaders and how
they go above and beyond for students. Look for the series on the Apple Podcasts
or Google Play apps or for links and information visit
www.ahschools.us/aboveandbeyond
STEP cont. from page 1
students eat in the cafeteria alongside college
students and learn beside them in vocational
classrooms.
Programs at STEP include aviation,
engineering, music technology, cosmetology,
law enforcement, firefighting, nursing,
dentistry, automotive studies, welding and
a wide variety of other options for students.
In addition, STEP boasts accreditation and
certification in a number of study areas, as well
as numerous local and national partnerships,
including with Delta Dental and Cummins
Diesel.
“Partnerships are really important for
our schools and our students,” Lipa said.
“Without these kinds of partnerships, it would
be difficult for the district to offer the kind
of programming and opportunities where
students can learn and work in a hands-on way
with cutting-edge technologies in an industry
setting.”
For more information, visit ahschools.us/
STEP. n
John LeTourneau from the Anoka Chamber of
Commerce led a “manufacturers signing day” for
students to demonstrate their commitment to a
manufacturing career. STEP benefits from strong
industry and community partnerships.
Five seniors named National Merit
Scholarship finalists
Five Anoka-Hennepin seniors have been named
National Merit finalists and are in the running for
scholarships rewarding up to $2,500 for college.
The students: Blaine High School senior Ryan
McGregor; and Champlin Park High School seniors
Sarah Magner, Jack Nightingale, Connor Preston,
and Georgiana Stammer.
About 7,500 students nationally were named
National Merit finalists. The finalists are now in the
running to earn one of two scholarships. Some
2,500 finalists will be named National Merit Scholars
and will receive a one-time $2,500 National Merit
Scholarship, and about 5,000 finalists will receive
college and corporate-sponsored National Merit
Scholarships ranging from $500 to $2,000 per year.
Anoka-Hennepin’s National Merit finalists had
to score in the top one percent in the state on the
Preliminary SAT test, which was administered last
year when the students were juniors. More than 1.5
million juniors in more
than 21,000 high schools
took that test, according
to officials.
To become a finalist,
the student and their high
school needed to submit
a scholarship application
with information about the student’s academic
record, participation in school and community
activities, leadership abilities, employment and any
honors and awards.
Last year Blaine High School’s Alexis Wagenfeld
earned the title of National Merit Scholar, and a
number of other district students earned college and
corporate-sponsored scholarships.
National Merit Scholars, as well as college and
corporate-sponsored winners, will be named in May
and June. n
Ryan McGregor Sarah Magner Jack Nightingale Connor Preston Georgiana Stammer
Graduate Spotlight
cont. from page 8
and Jacobson-Larson all hit
it off, leading to his current
role.
“I’ve met so many
people, and some of them
are such huge figures,
but more often than not,
they’re all down to earth
and warm,” he said of working with Bublé and
others. “All the greats are nice and they care
about you and treat you like a human being.”
Conducting a world-class orchestra on a
global tour isn’t all Jacobson-Larson is up
to. He and his writing partner, Dalton Leeb,
recently sold a screenplay they wrote to
Netflix. The show, “Endurance,” will be a sci-fi
feature.
While it seems like he’s awash in a lot of
professional success, Jacobson-Larson tries to
remain grounded. “One of the things I keep
reminding myself of — I’m doing stuff I know
how to do,” he said. “I’m just working hard.”
And working hard is the best advice he said
he’d give to Anoka-Hennepin students, which
is the same advice he got as a teenager at
AHS himself from Halstenson.
“There’s no substitute for hard work,”
Jacobson-Larson said. “The thing to
remember when you have success — people
don’t see all of the hard work, the nos, and all
the times you try but don’t get the job. Just
keep working hard.” n