Four new teachers have joined the staff at Grand Meadow Public Schools this year. The Fillmore County Journal posed a set of questions to each of them to introduce them to the community.
Dylan Gowlland is the new fifth grade math and science teacher at GM Schools.
He graduated from Byron High School and earned his master’s degree in elementary education at Winona State University. Gowlland taught in Rochester and Lewiston before coming to Grand Meadow.
“I actually was not planning to work here. I had interviews in a few different towns, but Grand Meadow stuck with me,” he said. “The administration and staff were so welcoming, I could not pass it up.”
Gowlland adds that his favorite part about teaching is to see a student’s “light bulb moment,” when an idea or concept comes together for them.
Gowlland is engaged to his fiancé, Aleese, and the couple is getting settled in Stewartville. His hobbies include fishing, hiking and watching movies.
Stephanie Fingerson is the new kindergarten teacher at GM Schools.
She earned her associate’s degree in liberal arts and sciences from Rochester Community and Technical College in 2016 and then transferred to Winona State University, where she earned her bachelor’s degree in elementary education in 2018. She added a master’s degree in 2019. Fingerson taught in Rochester, Chatfieldand Caledonia before coming to Grand Meadow.
“I love seeing the students’ ‘ah ha’ moments and teaching them the knowledge that I have and having them apply it,” she says.
Fingerson is also a Sunday School teacher at Redeemer Lutheran Church in Rochester and volunteers with Vacation Bible School and other church events. In her spare time, she enjoys spending time with her family and going to her uncle’s farm. Fingerson also enjoys traveling and seeing her long-distance boyfriend, who lives in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina.
Tera Schmitt is the new elementary and middle school special education teacher at GM Schools.
She graduated from Mayo Senior High School in Rochester and then attended Rochester Community and Technical College. After living in Hawaii for three years, Schmitt returned to Rochester and earned her bachelor’s degree at Augsburg College last year. She is currently pursuing her special education teaching license through online classes at St. Thomas University.
“I knew on the first day of kindergarten that I wanted to be a teacher,” she says. “After working here at GM Schools for four years, I finally got the opportunity to teach.”
Schmitt adds that she loves forming relationships with her students.
“I love walking down the hall and hearing, ‘Mrs. Schmitt,’ or getting a hug,” she says. “I love seeing these students grow and mature into young adults.”
When Schmitt is not working or attending classes with St. Thomas, she spends time with her four young daughters, who also attend Grand Meadow Schools. She also enjoys trips to northern Minnesota, working on puzzles, watching TV or reading a good suspense novel.
Makenna Theobald is the new third grade teacher at Grand Meadow Schools.
She graduated from Stewartville High School in 2019 and earned her bachelor’s degree in elementary education at Minnesota State University in Mankato, where she graduated last May.
“I was fortunate enough to student-teach third grade in Grand Meadow,” Theobald says. “I loved the community, the students and staff. When it came time to decide where to teach, Grand Meadow was an easy choice.”
She adds that her favorite part about teaching is growing and learning with the students.
“Whether that’s when we have been working hard and that light bulb moment finally clicks, when students choose kindness even when it might not be the easy choice, or just seeing students’ faces light up getting to share about their lives, it is truly a blessing,” Theobald says.
In her spare time, Theobald loves spending time with friends and family, camping, swimming, traveling or relaxing outdoors. She also enjoys listening to music and going to concerts. During her summers, she works at Carr’s in Racine and at the Maple Valley Golf Course.
Leave a Reply