Progress: Meet the new teachers of A.L.

Published 12:59 pm Monday, March 5, 2012

Every year, as teachers retire and others move, the Albert Lea School District hires a series of new teachers at its seven schools. This year was no different.

Across the district, there were more than 30 new educators hired. The following is a brief look into the backgrounds and interests of those teachers:

 

Halverson Elementary School

Michelle Niska

New teachers at Halverson Elementary School are Sallie Kyle, Maria Schneider and Amber Schewe. Not pictured is Michelle Niska. — Sarah Stultz

Age: 38

Residence: Albert Lea

Family: son, 8; daughter, 4

Education: Bachelor of Science degree from MSU-Mankato, a few grad classes from various universities

What she teaches: Halverson Elementary

Where she came from: I lived in New Mexico for a year. Prior to that, we lived in the Twin Cities.

Favorite book: Too many to choose!

Favorite sandwich: Any sandwich that the Lakeside makes!

 

Sallie Kyle

Age: 23

Residence: no response

Family: mom, dad, brother and fiancé

Education: University of Minnesota, working on a master’s degree in elementary education

What she teaches: first grade

Where she came from: St. Paul

Favorite book: “The Forgotten Garden” by Kate Morton

Favorite sandwich: turkey and cheese

 

Amber Schewe

Age: 28

Residence: Freeborn

Family: husband, Derek; children Easton, 3, and Ellery, 1

Education: University of Wisconsin-River Falls/Winona State University

What she teaches: Title I (K-3 reading and math)

Where she came from: I taught second grade at St. Theodore’s Elementary for four years.

Favorite book: “The Kissing Hand”

Favorite sandwich: turkey on wheat

 

Maria Schneider

Age: 24

Residence: 1849 Greenwood Drive, Albert Lea

Family: Lee, Jane, Teresa, Joe and George Schneider

Education: bachelor’s degree from and graduate school at the University of Minnesota

What she teaches: fourth grade at Halverson

Where she came from: student taught in Hopkins

Favorite book: “The Giver”

Favorite sandwich: club sandwich

 

Lakeview Elementary School

Laura Hillman

There are seven new teachers at Lakeview Elementary School this year. Back row from top right are Val Ashland, Melinda Talamantes and Kristin Kyllo; in middle are Laura Hillman and Anna Nordlocken; in front are Kelsey Noack and Meghan Lichter.

Age: 24

Residence: Albert Lea

Family: Gary and Jackie Hillman; brothers Peter (Nichole) Hillman, David Hillman

Education: Gustavus Adolphus College 2010, elementary education

What she teaches: first grade at Lakeview Elementary

Where she came from: third grade, part-time, at Halverson from 2010-11

Favorite book: “Heaven is For Real”

Favorite sandwich: grilled cheese

 

Kristin Kyllo

Age: 30

Residence: Albert Lea

Family: no response

Education: undergraduate degree from Gustavus Adolphus College; graduate degree from Hamline University

What she teaches: fourth grade

Where she came from: teaching in Owatonna

Favorite book: “Alexander and the Terrible Horrible No Good Very Bad Day”

Favorite sandwich: Anything with avocado!

 

Meghan Lichter

Age: 23

Residence: no response

Family: Parents, Patrick and Ann Lichter, younger sister, Katie

Education: elementary education major at the College of Saint Benedict with a concentration in science education

What she teaches: kindergarten

Where she came from: graduated in May from the College of Saint Benedict

Favorite book: “Oh, the Places You’ll Go!” by Dr. Seuss

Favorite sandwich: Chicken Shwarma from a small deli in St. Joseph called Bo Diddley’s

 

Kelsey Noack

Age: 24

Residence: Albert Lea

Education: went to Minnesota State University, Mankato, for 4 1/2 years. I graduated with a Bachelor of Science degree in elementary education with a pre-primary focus.

What she teaches: I teach Title I at Lakeview Elementary.

Where she came from: I was living in Mendota Heights working as a substitute in the nearby elementary schools as well as working at a day care.

Favorite book: Any Nicholas Sparks book.

Favorite sandwich: Jimmy John’s Turkey Tom

 

Anna Nordlocken

Age: 23

Residence: Albert Lea

Family: mom, Julie; dad, James; and two younger sisters, Molly, 20, and Maggie, 17

Education: I graduated from St. Cloud State University in 2011 with my elementary education degree, (K-8 communication arts and literature) and minor in special education and human relations.

What she teaches: fifth grade at Lakeview Elementary

Where she came from: New Hope

Favorite book: “The Hunger Games” series and “The City of Ember” series

Favorite sandwich: Peanut butter and cheese

 

Melinda Talamantes

Age: 34

Residence: Albert Lea

Family: husband and three kids at home

Education: Bemidji State University

What she teaches: fourth grade

Where she came from: no response

Favorite book: “Time Traveler’s Wife”

Favorite sandwich: I make a mean grilled cheese.

 

Valerie Ashland

Age: no response

Residence: Kenyon

Family: husband, Brent, and two daughters, Kayla and Emily

Education: Bachelor of Arts from Gustavus Adolphus College, St. Peter; master’s in education from Viterbo University, La Crosse, Wis.

What she teaches: I teach third grade at Lakeview Elementary.

Where she came from: Before this I have taught third and fourth grade in Bowler, Wis., for seven years, and sixth grade in Menomonie, Wis., for 17 years.

Favorite book: no response

Favorite sandwich: turkey with lettuce, cheese and mayo

 

Sibley Elementary School

Trevor Abel

New teachers at Sibley Elementary School this year include in back, from left, Trevor Abel and Shanna Dawson; in front, from left, Kristi Tapper and Ashley Gonwa.

Age: 24

Residence: Albert Lea

Family: mom, Julie; dad, Ian, and sister, Jemma

Education: graduated cum laude from Gustavus Adolphus College in the spring of 2011

What he teaches: second grade at Sibley Elementary

Where he came from: Originally from the Twin Cities

Favorite book: So many choices, but if I had to choose one “The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Nighttime” by Mark Haddon.

Favorite sandwich: bacon, lettuce and tomato

 

Shanna Dawson

Age: 38

Residence: Manchester area

Family: husband, Jared; children, Drake, 11, Grace, 7, Evie, 4, and Alec, 10 months

Education: Bachelor of Science in elementary education, K-6 licensure

What she teaches: kindergarten

Where she came from: Taught at Sibley in 1997 and Glenville-Emmons until 2004 — was a homemaker since then.

Favorite book: The Bible

Favorite sandwich: buffalo/ranch chicken

 

Ashley Gonwa

Age: 23

Residence: Albert Lea

Family: mom, Lynn; dad, Denis; older brother, Derek

Education: University of Minnesota-Twin Cities, Bachelor of Science in elementary education, minor in Spanish studies

What she teaches: first grade

Where she came from: I went to college in Minneapolis and St. Paul. I’m originally from De Pere, Wis., which is right outside Green Bay, and yes I’m a Packers fan.

Favorite book: My favorite adult book is “The Hunger Games” by Suzanne Collins; my favorite children’s book is “Ish” by Peter Reynolds.

Favorite sandwich: ham and cheese

 

Kristi Tapper

Age: 35

Residence: St. Clair

Family: husband, Scott, and two children, Jacob, 12, and Hunter, 10

Education: graduated from Minnesota State University, Mankato with a Bachelor of Science in elementary education

What she teaches: kindergarten

Where she came from: St. Peter

Favorite book: “Twilight” saga

Favorite sandwich: peanut butter and jelly

 

Hawthorne Elementary School

Jessica Kieffer

New Albert Lea School District teachers at Hawthorne Elementary School are in back from left Jessica Kieffer and Margaret Huber, in front from left are Dana Sonnicksen, Kelsey Boyd and Jenika Boersa.

Age: 27

Residence: Mankato

Family: husband, Brandon Kieffer

Education: I have a Bachelor of Science degree in elementary education from Minnesota State University-Mankato; working toward my reading teacher licensure from MSU-Mankato, which I will finish in May.

What she teaches: first grade

Where she came from: Le Sueur-Henderson School District

Favorite book: “Cloudy With A Chance of Meatballs”

Favorite sandwich: peanut butter

 

Jenika Boersma

Age: 23

Residence: Albert Lea

Family: mom, Betty; dad, Jerry; sister, Janae

Education: graduated from University of Wisconsin-River Falls

What she teaches: fourth grade

Where she came from: Eagan

Favorite book: Too many to choose from!

Favorite sandwich: grilled cheese

 

Dana Sonnicksen

Age: 23

Residence: Albert Lea

Family: All of my family is in the Twin Cities area.

Education: Bachelor of Arts in elementary education and English as a second language from Luther College in Decorah, Iowa

What she teaches: K-5 English as a second language

Where she came from: Just graduated from Luther College in May 2011 and moved down from the Twin Cities before school started this fall.

Favorite book: “The Hunger Games” and “The Other Boleyn Girl”

Favorite sandwich: ‘Unwich’ (lettuce wrap) Italian Vito from Jimmy John’s

 

Margaret Huber

Age: 51

Residence: 8989 Dalton Ave., Northfield

Family: husband, Kris, 51; sons Derek, 24, and Schuyler, 22, daughters Kelsey, 19, and Abby, 17

Education: Bachelor of Science in exceptional education, Bachelor of Arts in elementary education

What she teaches: Title I grades K-3

Where she came from: Northfield School District (long- and short-term substitute assignments)

Favorite book: “The Late Homecomer”

Favorite sandwich: turkey with guacamole and lots of vegetables

 

Kelsey Boyd

Age: 27

Residence: New Richland

Family: Mom and dad live in Albert Lea. Two older brothers in Eagan and Washington, D.C.

Education: Albert Lea High School; Bachelor of Arts in communication studies from the University of Minnesota; Master of Arts in teaching from the University of St. Thomas

What she teaches: fifth grade at Hawthorne

Where she came from: Senior product coordinator at Target Headquarters in Minneapolis (2007-09) and ELL/reading intervention teacher in Owatonna (2010-11)

Favorite book: “The Last Lecture” by Randy Pausch

Favorite sandwich: buffalo chicken sandwich

 

Albert Lea High School

Nikki Feist

Seven of the district’s new teachers at Albert Lea High School are shown in back from left, Jasmine Henrich, Brittany Yokiel and Jeanne Garbers. Front from left are Kaitlin Weis, Erin Gustafson, Nicki Luehrs and Emily Nelson.

Age: 25

Residence: Wells

Family: husband, Jon

Education: South Dakota State University

What she teaches: family and consumer sciences

Where she came from: Worked last year in Janesville as a para-educator

Favorite book: anything by Harlan Coben

Favorite sandwich: peanut butter and pickle

 

Jeanne Garbers

Age: 26

Residence: Owatonna

Family: My husband teaches at Waseca School District. We also have a dog named Ida.

Education: I studied at Minnesota State University, Mankato for my undergraduate degree, and I received my master’s from St. Mary’s University.

What she teaches: I currently teach 9-12 family and consumer sciences courses. Next semester, I will also teach eighth grade family and consumer sciences.

Where she came from: I taught three years in Forest Lake.

Favorite book: “Tuesdays With Morrie” by Mitch Albom

Favorite sandwich: anything from Panera Bread

 

Erin Gustafson

Age: 26

Residence: Albert Lea

Family: husband, Andrew; daughter, Audrey

Education: Bachelor of Science from North Dakota State University, currently working on master’s degree at Western Governors University

What she teaches: Special education

Where she came from: Worked as a paraeducator in the district last year. Before that I taught in Nome, Alaska, for two years.

Favorite book: “Little Women”

Favorite sandwich: grilled cheese

 

Jasmine Henrich

Age: 23

Address: no response

Family: I come from a long line of teachers in the family. I have one younger brother.

Education: I received my teaching degree from Minnesota State University, Moorhead in May of 2011.

What she teaches: I teach eighth grade algebra. I also coached the ninth-grade volleyball team in the fall and now have the ninth-grade basketball team.

Where she came from: I grew up in Morris and went to college in Moorhead.

Favorite book: Right now my favorite book to read is the Algebra I book that we are using in class.

Favorite sandwich: bacon, lettuce and tomato.

 

Jolene Krieger

Age: no response

Residence: Blue Earth

Family: husband, Don, five sons, one daughter

Education: Minnesota State University, Mankato, licensed in elementary education, mild to moderate impaired, specific learning disability, emotional behavior disorder, and certified in autism

What she teaches: I teach transition, personal communications and life skills for students under the autism spectrum.

Where she came from: Granada-Huntley-East Chain High School in Granada

Favorite book: All books by Jody Picoult and favorite books, “Tuesdays with Morrie,” and “The Five People You Meet in Heaven”

Favorite sandwich: cheeseburger just off the grill

 

Emily Nelson

Age: 26

Residence: Austin

Family: Parents, Paul and Coni Nelson

Education: bachelor’s in social work from Luther College, master’s in social work from University of Northern Iowa

What she teaches: school social work

Where she came from: Waverly, Iowa

Favorite book: The Janet Evonovich series

Favorite sandwich: Grilled cheese

 

Kaitlin Weis

Age: no response

Residence: no response

Family: All from the central Minnesota area

Education: Concordia College in Moorhead (Graduated with a degree in Spanish education and psychology)

What she teaches: Celebrating Spanish (eighth grade course) and Spanish II at ALHS

Where she came from: Sauk Rapids

Favorite book: This is a tough question! I really enjoy reading and I do not have an absolute favorite. However, I find biographies to be particularly interesting.

Favorite sandwich: Anything from Jimmy John’s or Erbert’s and Gerbert’s.

 

Bill Wietman

Age: 31

Residence: 2000 Tiger Lane, Albert Lea, MN 56007 Room E218

Family: A beautiful wife, Kammi, and two amazing children, Sophie, 3, and Logan, 2

Education: Bachelor of Science in mathematics education from the University of Wisconsin-Superior, master’s degree in teaching and learning from St. Mary’s University-Winona

What he teaches: 8-12 mathematics. This year I am teaching Algebra I, Algebra II and Trigonometry/Statistics

Where he came from: I am originally from the Duluth area. Last year we lived in Esko, and I taught at Duluth Central-Denfeld. Previously I taught in Carlton and am originally from Hermantown.

Favorite book: Any John Grisham book.

Favorite sandwich: Double cheese cheesesteak from Quiznos.

 

Brittany Yokiel

Age: 24

Residence: Albert Lea

Family: husband, Chad Yokiel

Education: bachelor’s in special education from Minnesota State University, Mankato

What she teaches: grades 8-12, special education

Where she came from: I taught in Puyallup, Wash., for a year before this because my husband is in the Army.

Favorite book: “The Lucky One” Nicholas Sparks

Favorite sandwich: French dip with au jus

 

Nicki Luehrs

Age: 24

Address: Albert Lea

Family: no response

Education: Bachelor of Arts in English literature and writing (Bethel University, 2009)

What she teaches: eighth- and ninth-grade English

Where she came from: Minneapolis

Favorite book: “Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close” by Jonathan Safran Foer

Favorite sandwich: turkey bacon ranch

 

Brookside Education Center

Mary Green

Age: no response

Residence: Albert lea

Family: five children

Education: Master of Science in communication disorders from Minnesota State University, Mankato

What she teaches: speech, language therapy

Where she came from: Fairmont

Favorite book: “Mitford” series

Favorite sandwich: Chicken salad

 

Kara Paulson

Age: 37

Residence: rural Clarks Grove

Family: children Dylan, 16, Dakota, 8, and Mya, 4

Education: master’s degree in early childhood special education

What she teaches: Early childhood special education birth to 3

Where she came from: I taught part time last year at Alden-Conger Schools.

Favorite book: I just completed my master’s degree so haven’t had opportunity to read for leisure.

Favorite sandwich: Lakeside club