Happy Thanksgiving! Given that my work focuses on education, I thought it fitting to share a bit about my schooling background, which was filled with many educators who taught me not only foundational knowledge and critical thinking skills but also helped me foster a sense of curiosity and creativity. I am forever grateful for their commitment to helping students become the principled leaders, professionals, and community members needed to navigate the complex world they inherit.
For kindergarten through second grade, I attended an area private parochial school in Wisconsin. My kindergarten teacher had a way of effortlessly blending learning with play. The foundational reading skills I learned would be key to reading growth in future years.
For third and fourth grade, I went to a private parochial school in Minnesota. My mom took a job in the area to save on drive time back and forth (we lived in Wisconsin). For fifth and sixth grade, I attended a classical private school in Minnesota, started by some family friends. My mom was my music teacher, and our classrooms were blended grades. Some of the textbooks were from the 1900s (Ray’s New Practical Arithmetic, as an example), we used Webster’s 1828 Dictionary, read and analyzed Shakespeare plays and other classic literature, and I learned the most geography in these years out of my entire K-12 journey.
Sadly, the school closed down, so for seventh grade I transitioned back to the private parochial school I attended for third and fourth grade. After the commute began to take its toll on my mom, she decided to home educate me for eighth grade while I took an accelerated ninth grade geometry class at my local public high school. My mother was bent on giving me a classical education — I studied Latin and logic, read Don Quixote and the Odyssey, diagrammed sentences, and was introduced to the panorama of Western culture, history, and thought through more than 250 primary sources. It was hands down the most rich education experience I could imagine.
For ninth grade, my dad’s work schedule had him moving around a bit, so for flexibility purposes I attended a virtual academy. It wasn’t the best fit, but I appreciated how adaptable it was to my family’s needs at the time.
For 10th grade, I started the school year at a classical private school in southern Minnesota, living with a host family and coming home on the weekends. Due to health reasons, I wasn’t able to finish the year there, and I moved back home to finish at the school where my K-12 journey started.
Eleventh and 12th grade were completed at a private parochial school in Minnesota, where I graduated valedictorian. I did four years at a private liberal arts college in California, where I graduated summa cum laude with a bachelor of art’s degree in political science. I then spent two years earning my teaching license through a teacher preparation program in Arizona, where I taught at a traditional public school and a public charter school.
I consider myself blessed to have had the opportunity to experience almost every type of learning environment and the different strengths each one had.
Thanks to you and your support, American Experiment can continue advocating for education policies focused on helping all Minnesota students receive an excellent education and access the learning environment(s) that will best set them up for future success.
May your Thanksgiving be filled with joy and blessings!