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South ��ֱ���� State University saw its first cohort of elementary education students graduate May 10, making history after the South ��ֱ���� Board of Regents approved the program at SDSU two years prior. 

The inaugural class included 11 women who started their studies in other programs but ultimately decided a major in elementary education at SDSU was the right fit for them. The recent graduates are: 

• Emily Kramer, Little Rock, Iowa
• Alexis Wendland, Arco, Minnesota
• Morgan Heinen, Elk River, Minnesota
• Avery Asche, Brookings
• Macy Rippentrop, Brandon
• Faith Werkmeister, Armour
• Alyssa Chaska, Brookings
• Brianna Duerre, Bristol
• Cassandra Valer, Huron
• Nicole McCabe, Madison Lake, Minnesota
• McKinley Schreurs, Tyler, Minnesota 

“Through the process of creating and implementing our elementary education program, you all have made me so proud. This team of faculty and staff make me so proud, and for the champions, thank you for coming together and making this all happen,” Anne Karabon, the Wendell and Marlys Thompson Director of the School of Education, Counseling and Human Development, told the group at a May 6 pregraduation celebration. 

Karabon said the addition of both the elementary education and special education degrees has elevated SDSU's teacher preparation program, creating vital new pathways and expanding opportunities for students to make meaningful impacts in schools across the region. 

“By offering a complete spectrum of teacher and educator preparation — from early childhood through secondary education — we're not only strengthening our Jackrabbit identity but fulfilling our land-grant mission to provide high-quality educators for all South ��ֱ����'s children and youth,” Karabon said. “The remarkable enrollment growth and enthusiasm we've witnessed affirms that these programs are meeting a vital need, ensuring more classrooms will benefit from the preparation and the Jackrabbit spirit our graduates bring to their communities." 

Recent graduates 

Schreurs said she was substitute-teaching for extra money while in college and ultimately found a career she loved. Headed into her junior year, she switched from early childhood education (birth to age 8) to elementary education (kindergarten through eighth grade), “just because I wanted a broader range of ages and more career options,” Schreurs said. 

Starting next fall, she plans to teach fifth graders in Volga. 

“This is a dream come true that we did this all together. I’ve made the best friends I could have ever imagined,” she said. “The teachers were all there to support you and truly make you successful. The program also offered us a lot of experience to prepare us to be the best for our future students.” 

The new SDSU program also gave its students more in-person instruction, support and small class sizes, rather than online classes and an additional year of college through SDSU’s previous co-op elementary education program with ��ֱ���� State University, where many of the SDSU students initiated their teacher education. 

That co-op is where Heinen got her start. Now she’s headed to PACT Charter School in Ramsey, Minnesota, to become a first grade teacher. 

“This group of students has been such a good community to have. … With the smaller class sizes, they really have become my best friends,” Heinen said. “It’s a great program. I loved all the professors. They’re very supportive of everyone.” 

McCabe is also headed back home to teach at a private school in Mankato, Minnesota. 

“Since the program became in-person at SDSU, I knew it was for me. … I loved all my professors, and it’s just a great program,” she said. 

Chaska has known she wanted to be a teacher ever since she was a little girl. Citing a difficult home life growing up, she remembers her own teachers serving as a safe space of stability and support. Wanting to be that same source of comfort for each of her own students, she’ll take her talents to ��ֱ���� Prairie Elementary, teaching first grade in Brookings. 

“My biggest takeaway is the importance of building strong, supportive relationships with not just students, but also their parents,” she reflects. “Fostering a safe and supportive environment is crucial to having a successful classroom,” Chaska said. 

Duerre recalls feeling a drive to teach starting at a young age, stemming from the leadership positions she held in 4-H Club. She plans to move to Rapid City, where she’ll teach fourth grade at Valley View Elementary. 

Asked about her greatest takeaways from SDSU, she said placing an emphasis on asking questions will guide her as a teacher and influence the young students in her classroom. “As teachers, we want to create lifelong learners, so as educators, we, too, should be lifelong learners. A great way to do that is by asking questions, staying curious, and relying on others to provide feedback,” Duerre said. 

Building a program 

Renee Estebo, a teacher education instructor and clinical mentor for student teachers, said seeing the students graduate is bittersweet. “They’ve met every challenge that we’ve put in front of them. They have not shied away from being the first to do everything we’ve set forth in front of them, and they’re really paving the way for the upcoming elementary education students.” 

She said the program has been built to meet the needs of today’s education, with the first cohort of students being open about what worked and what didn’t. Students’ in-classroom experiences were robust and will help them succeed. 

Patrick Hales, associate professor and assistant director of teacher education at SDSU, said the students worked hard, and everyone is proud of them. 

“It’s indicative of folks who choose to go into teaching and choose to be pioneers in something that’s brand new,” he said. 

At a spring job fair, Hales said employers kept sharing how badly needed the growing SDSU program and its first graduating class were. Elementary education is on track to become the university’s largest teacher education program, and its graduates are highly sought-after. 

Creating a new program allowed faculty to make design choices based on what they knew about education, such as community resources, improving field experiences, types of methods classes and more, he added. 

“It led to less confusion for the candidates. They know exactly what they’re getting from SDSU versus being split between multiple places,” Hales said. With more special education, English language learner classes and technology infusions, “we’re improving it every day.” 

The elementary education major was made possible through the generosity of donors, who are paying faculty costs for its first three years, allowing the program to start with no financial impact to the university.