Feature Stories from the Star Eagle pages.
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Muske to teach college and high school level math
By MELISSA DUNN
Staff Writer
Math teacher Randy Muske might be new to the district, but he comes with 27 years of prior teaching experience; most recently at USC (one year), GFW (one year), and Truman (nine years). Muske completed his bachelor of science degree in mathematics at St. Cloud State University and his master degree in mathematics at the University of New Hampshire. He lives in Mankato with his wife and “the cutest Havanese dog in the world named Shama (rhymes with ‘mama’).”
Muske says that in college he wasn't sure what to do with a math major. “I decided to take a couple of education classes to see if I would like teaching. One class had us out in schools and I decided I liked it; my professors thought I had a knack for it. So I added the education major to my mathematics major to get licensed.” One of Muske’s specialties is the teaching of college-level and advanced math courses; exactly what NRHEG was looking for.
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Holly Pederson to teach English
By MELISSA DUNN
Staff Writer
English instructor Holly Pederson is very familiar with her new school, as NRHEG is where she herself was a student not too long ago. After graduating high school, Pederson went to Bethany Lutheran College to obtain her bachelor's degree in broad field social studies with a grades 5-12 education licensure. She is currently getting her master's degree in learning design and technology and is taking classes through Bethany Lutheran College to get her licenses in grades 5-8 math and communication arts and literature. Holly Pederson and her husband Marshall currently reside in Albert Lea.
Pederson says she has “pretty much always wanted to teach. I have tried to be involved in teaching in a lot of different ways such as tutoring, being a teacher's assistant, teaching Vacation Bible School, and teaching Sunday school.” She currently teaches community education art at Glenville-Emmons School in Albert Lea. Pederson says she was encouraged to apply for the English teacher position, though it is out of her field, because “NRHEG is the school where I have always wanted to be a teacher.”
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Belcort introduced as new social studies teacher
By MELISSA DUNN
Staff Writer
Social Studies teacher Brian Belcort is extremely happy to begin his teaching career at the NRHEG secondary school. In the spring of 2023, Belcort was a student teacher at NRHEG, where he was mentored by Mr. Fuchs and Mrs. Buendorf, the other social studies faculty. “From the first day being in the building, I knew that there was something special about the school, and I would try my hardest to wind up back in the district one day,” he says. “From my first day, I felt welcomed by everyone, both faculty and students.”
Though Belcort was born in St. Cloud, his family moved to St. Clair when he was very young; he grew up there and still lives in the community today. The rest of his family is still fairly close by; “I have one older brother who is married and owns a gym in Northfield, where he works with the athletic programs at Northfield High School, and the University of Minnesota Twin Cities. My younger brother recently graduated high school and is now attending the University of Minnesota, Morris.”
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Kristin Barnes has eclectic professional teaching background
By MELISSA DUNN
Staff Writer
English teacher Kristin Barnes is no stranger to the high school, having been a substitute teacher in the district for some time. When the opportunity to apply for an English position arose, Barnes took it. “I have always had very positive experiences at NRHEG,” she says.
Barnes resides in Waseca with her husband Rick and five children: Alexandria, 14; Saphira, 12; Evelyn, 11; Lydia, 9; and Ricky, 2. Her hometown, however, is up north. “I grew up in Duluth and have lived on both the east and west coasts, but will always consider Duluth to be home as well as the most beautiful city in the world.”
Barnes graduated from California State University East Bay with a BA in Liberal Studies and a minor in sociology, and has had “an eclectic professional background,” she says. The list of positions she’s held is quite varied: Three years teaching seventh-grade English and social studies in a title one school in California, two years teaching English to middle school and high school at a private Turkish Muslim school in New Jersey, and three and a half years working as a Mental Health Practitioner at a mental health treatment facility and juvenile detention center in Duluth. Since moving to Waseca, Barnes has been a long-term substitute and EBD teacher.
Outside of school, Barnes enjoys gardening, foraging, hiking, and spending time with her family. In fact, she says she could talk forever about gardening and medicinal herbs. She says her faith and her family are her “rock,” but admits to a love for dancing and goofy “dad” jokes. Barnes says she hopes students leave her classroom with an appreciation for those as well, along with “the ability to analyze a text and think and write critically about it.”
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Root series comes to a close
By DEB BENTLY
Staff Writer
The document is easy to find online: “America’s Wars.” A summary by the Department of Veterans Affairs which lists the number of soldiers who served in our country’s conflicts from the American Revolution to the worldwide war on terror.
The numbers are too large for genuine comprehension, but they imply story after story of sacrifice, determination, and patriotism. Vietnam: 8,744,000. Korea: 5,720,000. World War II: 16,112,000.
As shown by the stories of the Root brothers, published the last few weeks in this paper, each soldier joined the military, or a specific branch of the military, for his or her own reasons. In the case of those who were drafted, they had little choice, but even then they made the choice to serve.