By Karen Kenefick
I felt it was necessary that we take some time to think about Mini-School’s very own Randy Nelson. It is really hard to describe in one article who this man is because there is so much to be said. He is one of the cornerstones that made the program. He works very hard to get things done around Mini-School. Also, Randy exhibits pure concern about the education and well-being of every student in Mini-School.
Before Randy, there was no Mini-School. He started from scratch with a handful of colleagues with the idea of starting a program for students who didn’t quite fit into mainstream. There were other attempts at doing this, but they just didn’t last. They used the idea, “Proceed as rapidly as possible to the point of no return,” said Walt Bromenschenkel, assistant principal. Even though Mini-School had a lot going against them, Randy stuck with it. He could have thrown in the towel at any time and gone back to mainstream history, but he didn’t.
One day in the life of Randy Nelson consists of coming to school, teaching Recreation first hour, Newspaper second, and block classes for the last two hours. After the normal Mini-School day is over, Randy teaches Beyond Mini, the weight lifting class. Randy is also known for checking up on every student’s job, keeping track of credits, setting up student conferences, representing Mini-School at the Building Team meetings, and also meeting with principals and parents. On top of all this, he’s head coach of soccer at the high school in the fall. You may ask yourself why any sane man would take on this work load. To answer it simply, Randy loves his job.
Randy Nelson is very well educated. He has both a Bachelors Degree from St. Olaf and a Master’s Degree from Utah State. Randy shares his knowledge with every student in Mini-School. He builds more than just a teacher-student relationship. Randy builds a strong friendship with the majority of his students. That allows mutual respect to govern the relationship. This is a very large part of his success. It’s the difference between not doing something because the rules say you can’t, and not doing something because Randy will be disappointed in you. It’s very effective and keeps the game-playing to a minimum. It’s no wonder he was given an “Excellence in Education” award in 1987 from the Minnesota Chamber. With Randy’s own style, he gets through to students like me and turns the program into a family.
We have a lot to thank Mr. Randy Nelson for. He started the program that educates us. He works hard for the program and the students to get everything done. He also does everything possible to make the Mini-School environment safe and comfortable for every student. We could not ask for a more dedicated teacher. In the last three years that I have been in Mini-School, Randy has helped me personally countless numbers of times, whether it was with school, work or personal advice, Randy was there, and he always proved himself to be wise and accurate. Thank you, Randy Nelson. All that you have done will never be forgotten by this Mini-Schooler.