Five BEA High School students participated in the fourth annual BEA Teacher Signing Event on May 11. Above, left to right, they are Katie Welsh, Lauren Bleess, Luke Norman, Marianna Rincon and Lexi Rodriguez.

May is a month of beginnings and endings – particularly in schools, and particularly for seniors.

In late spring, graduates across the nation prepare to say ‘farewell’ to home, high school and, ostensibly, childhood.

Many of them, however, have their sights set firmly on the future, rather than the past.

This includes Blue Earth Area’s latest crop of seniors who plan to return to school in a few years – not as students, but as teachers.

At the fourth annual BEA Teacher Signing Event held on Wednesday, May 11, Lauren Bleess, Luke Norman, Marianna Rincon, Lexi Rodriguez and Katie Welsh all committed to a future in education following their departure from BEA High School.

Bleess, who will attend Crown College in the fall, and Rodriguez, who will attend Riverland Community College and Winona State University, both plan to pursue degrees in elementary education.

“I really like little kids,” Rodriguez says with a smile.

Bleess adds, “There are so many different kinds of kids to impact from different backgrounds, with different personalities.” 

Meanwhile, Norman plans to receive his physical education teaching degree at MSU-Mankato.

“I want to have a positive impact on the health of kids,” he explains.

Finally, Rincon and Welsh, both patrons of the arts, hope to bring their students the same creative opportunities they themselves have enjoyed throughout their education.

Rincon will attend the University of Northwestern in St. Paul to pursue a degree in music education, while Welsh will receive an education degree at Community Gateway College before pursuing her art education degree at MSU-Mankato.

“I love music,” Rincon says.

Welsh adds, “I’ve really enjoyed art since a young age, and I think it’s important to have kids be creative with their minds.” 

The five seniors plan to teach a variety of age groups and subjects, but they share hopes to forge connections with their future students and make a difference in their lives.

“I want to give kids the opportunity to better themselves, and make connections with children,” Rodriguez says.

Rincon agrees, adding, “I want to make students feel free to express themselves, and not feel trapped by what their peers think of them.” 

Bleess concludes, “I want to add some positivity to their lives and give them opportunities for growth.” 

These future teachers also seem keen to emulate qualities which they have admired in some of their own teachers.

They note that they have particularly admired past teachers who established connections with students, and extended their teaching well beyond the subject matter to the lessons of life itself.

“They take it beyond the curriculum,” Rodriguez summarizes.  

The seniors list BEA High School teachers Sara Albright, Janelle Jacobsen, Peter Koenig, Randy Kueckenmeister, Carissa Maday, Tom Plocker and Randy Wirtjes, BEA Elementary teacher Kate Warmka, and BEA Middle School teacher Hannah Brower as just some of the teachers who have inspired them the most.

And, the seniors agree that teachers, as a whole, are very important.

When asked why, Rincon responds, “Impact,” while Norman adds, “They educate us.”

“Without education, who knows where we’d be?” Rodriguez says.

These aspiring teachers are excited to get into their own classrooms, where they hope to impact their students just as their favorite teachers have impacted them.

Welsh and Rodriguez both say they cannot wait to decorate their classrooms, and Rodriguez adds she is excited to build connections with her students someday.

Norman is looking forward to teaching his future students two-pin dodgeball, and Rincon adds, laughing, “I can’t wait to teach the kids the boomwhackers.” 

Meanwhile, Bleess says she is most excited about “getting to know the students individually.” 

However, the seniors also anticipate there will be a few changes in the field of education by the time they receive their teaching degrees.

“I think there will be a change technology-wise,” Rodriguez predicts.

Norman agrees, considering that future teaching curriculum may heavily feature technology.

Bleess, meanwhile, notes it can be difficult to encourage children to focus as technological devices become a more integral part of day-to-day life.

With this in mind, Rincon adds that “keeping the kids not-so-rambunctious” could constitute a challenge in her future teaching career.

However, the five seniors do not seem deterred by any of this.

Veteran teacher Barbara Carlson agrees that they have what it takes to become great teachers someday.

“I think our teaching field is sitting well with these candidates,” she says with a smile.  

Carlson, in fact, is commemorating a milestone herself this May as she wraps up the final month of her teaching career.

She celebrated her retirement from the profession this week at a Wednesday afternoon party at Putnam Park, along with BEA retirees Jody Johnson, Carolyn Kennedy, Pat Petrowiak, Kim Slette, Shar Stindtman and Konny Wolff.

The veterans shared some advice for the young professionals who will take their place.

“Get to know the kids,” suggested Wolff. “That’s probably the most important.” 

Kennedy, meanwhile, noted that patience and organization are key qualities in a successful educator.

“Expect the unexpected,” Stindtman chimed in, chuckling.

Teacher of the Year Amy Mauris suggested prospective teachers “get some experience in the classroom” - as much as they can before they have one of their own.  

Whether veteran retirees or hopeful newbees, members of the educational field seem to be in agreement about one thing: it is all about the kids.

“Every student that comes through that door has an impact on us,” Carlson concludes.

And, given the high praise BEA’s prospective teachers have for their own teachers, the impact is mutual.