Anna (Maifeld) Anderson began crocheting rag rugs years ago as a way to use up fabric scraps and old clothing. She now sells her rugs on her Etsy shop "HeartlandHandmadeSD". You can see more of her rugs on her website annasews.net. She and her family live on a hobby farm near Sioux Falls and enjoy incorporating old time crafts with homeschooling, gardening, and animals.

Mary Jo Wegner Arboretum & East Sioux Falls Historic Site Our mission is to nurture connections between plants and people, past and present, in an inspiring natural setting that invites discovery.

Dr. Nadia Judith Bijaoui, Medical Board of California Certified Research Psychoanalyst.

Allow me to introduce myself! My name is Santiago Continenza, and I am a new music instructor for the Community Education branch of the Sioux Falls School District! I will be teaching drums and percussion!

My roots are from the Twin Cities, as I was born in the St. Paul suburb of Maplewood, Minnesota. From there, I grew up in Brainerd, a town in northern Minnesota where I got my start in music. I started playing percussion in 6th grade band. I would go on to play in band for seven years, comprising my 6th-12th grade education. I was involved in marching band, pep band, jazz band, concert band, and symphonic band. I had many individual achievements in percussion performance, receiving first prize at my high school talent show both my junior and senior years for original drum solos on the trap kit. I was also among the top 15 young drummers in the country for a youth national fine arts festival in Charlotte, North Carolina in 2008. This was for an original drum set solo as well.

My craving for performing music went beyond school as well. I played drums in two rocks bands as an adolescent and as a young adult. One was a band with my two brothers and my step-brother that we eventually called "The Glitch". The other was a band called "Stoked Beyond Boredom", which I played in from 2006-2014; and we had multiple marquee gigs in the Twin Cities, opening for some well-known artists. We amicably parted ways when college and the workforce split our paths. I went to college in Marshall, Minnesota, graduated from SMSU with an accounting degree, and lived in Marshall for a total of nine years before moving to Sioux Falls for a new accounting job in July 2020!

Moreover, I have played trap set, auxiliary percussion, or both in over half a dozen church music groups fairly consistently from 2003 to the present. This includes a Spanish church band that I currently play with here in Sioux Falls! Also dear to my heart is my first experience teaching drums at The Note Gallery, a music store in Marshall, Minnesota! From January 2016 through July 2020, I served as percussion instructor, giving 30-minute lessons to individuals of all ages, backgrounds, and skill levels both in person and virtually via video calls!
In this new role with the SFSD and Community Education, I aspire to meet every single student where he or she is at. Whether you are a child or an adult, new or experienced, curious or committed, I look forward to getting to know you and help you perfect your craft as a musician!

Joshua Cooper is a local from Humboldt, SD and has recently returned after performing for the last decade! Before earning his BFA in Acting at BYU, he performed literally hundreds of times on multiple stages in dozens of roles. Most noteworthily as Wesley in a stage adaptation of The Princess Bride, Greg in Reasons to be Pretty, d'Artagnan in The Three Musketeers, and the title character in The Picture of Dorian Gray. He also toured elementary schools with a Children's Theater performing Babe. After graduating, he moved to Los Angeles to pursue film acting. During his 4 years in California, Joshua landed two feature films, several guest star roles in TV shows and booked multiple commercials!

Melanie Erickson has been known as the helpful fixer, teacher, creator - as owner of the Bead Co in downtown Sioux Falls from 2000 to 2019- while collaborating as a Community Education Instructor for most of those years. Melanie is grateful to continue sharing decades of beading experience, jewelry design, and hands on experience teaching beading and jewelry technique classes, custom orders and repairs, and parties locally; as she starts new life chapters within Community Ed helping organize fellow instructors' passions. Nature fires up her soul and jewelry creations and she loves to grab the kayak and head to the lake for peaceful inspiration.

Wayne was born in Sioux Falls, SD and raised "out in the country" always living near Sioux Falls, except for a short stay in Iowa. His early years were entirely rural and his elementary education was attained in small, wooden country schoolhouses. He graduated from Washington High School in Sioux Falls, joined the United States Marine Corps and was stationed at Camp Pendleton, California.

In the fall of 1964, after being discharged from the Marine Corps, he attended one semester of college at Augustana College in Sioux Falls. But he heard another voice and it was music. So in 1965 he moved to Los Angeles and pursued a career as a rock 'n roll musician and songwriter. As a guitar player he sang and performed in rock bands in Los Angeles in the mid-and late 60's. It was when he was a student at the University of California, Santa Barbara, that he acquired an interest in history. He took a course called "History of the American West" and found he was fascinated with the frontier experience and how it shaped the American character. He graduated with a BA degree in history from UCLA in 1973.

Next, he attended law school at Thomas Jefferson School of Law in San Diego and earned a Juris Doctor of Law Degree. He was admitted to the California bar in 1980. He entered into private law practice in San Diego and maintained a law office until 1993 when he returned to Sioux Falls for a career change. After 14 years of work as a corporate attorney in Sioux Falls, he is now retired from professional life and very active in the business of writing. He has a daughter and two grandchildren.

He has eleven published non-fiction books on a variety of topics, including Dakota frontier justice, the Civil War and historic true crime including "Where the Sioux River Bends".

Beth graduated in 2005 from Gustavus Adolphus College with a BA in Music. She has been teaching piano & voice lessons for the past 4 years.

Beth recently moved to Sioux Falls with her husband & 3 young children. Playing piano & singing are two of Beth's favorite things to do, so she is excited to share that passion with some new students in Sioux Falls!

Beth loves musical theater & most recently, she portrayed Mary in a stage performance of "Mary Poppins." Beth worked in Youth Ministry for 8 years before becoming a mom, so she is comfortable working with children & teens of all ages.

Each student is unique & each student can succeed! Beth has experience teaching children as young as 4 through adults & children with special needs.

I have lived in the Dakotas most of my life having been born in Bismarck, ND; and growing up in Aberdeen, SD. I have always loved writing. It evolved from a cathartic expression to a purposeful career.

I am the founder of Ink Knell, a personalized poetry service that aims to preserve our most important experiences. I enjoy reading, arts and crafts, climbing, music, and anything else where I get to be creative. Above all, I love spending time with my son and my wife, making my words all the more meaningful in my life. I look forward to meeting you.       Take care, and always…write.

When I was young I did yoga with my mother on the beach, then I did yoga stretching before and after my dance performances for many years. I incorporated yoga with my dance students to warm them up and cool them down. Finally, I took training and achieved all the levels of YogaFit to become certified. Yoga has always been a lasting and enduring part of my life. Yoga gives me joy and peace. I hope to share this deep and abiding satisfaction with all my students.

Mr. Hofflander - Owner/Licensed UAS Pilot at DroneWise LLC has been teaching high school computer science and technology in Sioux Falls for 11 years. He has always been fascinated with flight and finally got a tiny drone as a gift from his wife while working at Sanford. He returned to teaching with the crazy idea of integrating drones with education. After being awarded a grant from the Sioux Falls Public Schools Education Foundation for The Volaré Project, the first high school drone program was established.

After strategically selecting and purchasing a small fleet of minidrones, the RHS Flight Club was established for students. Through Community Education, Mr. Hofflander wants to demystify drone technology for public interest and to promote the safe, responsible pursuit of using drones in our community. Drone technology has been integrated into two classes which exposes students to STEM education through programming and flight. Minidrones can be checked out by the building staff at Roosevelt for a variety tasks.

Mr. Hofflander is a husband and a proud father with four daughters and 1 baby boy at home who all must endure his love of drone activity. With drone technology, the Hofflander family photo just got more interesting.

Course offered by www.flydronewise.com

Visit The Volaré Project ? and ?RHS Flight Club websites

I began my career as a Paramedic in Pennsylvania. I managed an ambulance service about an hour south of Pittsburgh. I moved to Sioux Falls SD to raise a family in 1992. I continued to volunteer as a Paramedic as I raised my children. I now work full time at the Avera Heart Hospital and as a BLS/ACLS Instructor with Heartstarters. I was born third to the last into a family of 9 children and started babysitting early. I have three children ages 35,25,23 and two grandchildren ages 1 and 6. I teach many life support courses for Community Ed and have combined several classes for the Super-Sitter program. Students from the Supersitter class don't just learn to watch children, they learn to play, feed and care for children. They learn how to identify risks and prevent injury and illness and know what to do in an emergency! I enjoy teaching people of all ages to be prepared to prevent injury and illness and what they can do should if they are on the scene of a victim needing help.

Published poet, author, and proprietor of 221 Melsted Place Bed and Breakfast Inn, Chef Lonnette Kelley will share stories from her victorian themed bed and breakfast and the experience and tips she has learned over the years ... from tea parties to Victorian dinners and brushes with dignitaries. Join your friends and come for an interesting delectable evening. She loves sharing her Victorian all-season spa, torchlight croquet, evening bonfires, pumpkin carriage rides, fresh garden produce, berry picking, bird watching, star gazing, special event receptions, and small weddings. Lonette openend her Bed & Breakfast 30 years ago since has published her custom cookbook titled My Signature Dish.

Meet Lonnette: https://www.dakotanewsnow.com/2020/08/12/someone-you-should-know-woman-writes-letters-to-bring-people-comfort-during-pandemic/

I grew up in Sioux Falls, South Dakota born in 1995. From a young age I was attracted to the idea of creating art from different mediums. It wasn't until my senior year of high school where I found my passion for ceramics. In 2013, I graduated from Roosevelt High School and began cooking at a restaurant in Sioux Falls. On weekdays I would cook, but when the weekend came I was volunteering at a local ceramic workshop in the Washington Pavilion.

My inspiration derives from the environment around me. Living in South Dakota my whole life has opened my eyes to the vast amount of natural resources just below my feet. Integrating the Earth with my own work truly gives me a better respect for my surroundings.

Mark Koterwski graduated from Gallaudet University in 1989. Mark has worked for Communication Service for the Deaf for almost 25 years as a Community Support Specialist. Mark has also worked in following areas: Community Support, Interpreting Mentor Program, Employment Services, American Sign Language Instructor, Advocacy, and Communication Assistance. Mark has worked with deaf, hard of hearing, and hearing people with communication barriers for over 30 years in the states of Maryland, Washington D.C., Illinois, California, and South Dakota.

I first discovered working with glass when I was in high school and have loved it ever since. I enjoy working with all kinds of glass and am always playing with a new project. It's always exciting to learn how to make new glass designs and sharing them with friends. My inspiration is gathered from my family, friends, and everything around me.

Sioux Empire Paddlers is a local nonprofit in the Sioux Falls area. Goal are to get more people paddling our local water ways, safety, and stewardship. We have been around since 2014 and hope to see you on the river. Our instructors: Will Wheeler has been an instructor for 2 years with our group and is from Sioux Falls SD. Friederike Gedge is our newest kayak instructor this year. She is from Brandon SD and is also a Boy Scout Troop Leader. Mitchell Joldersma has been a kayak instructor for 4 years and is from Sioux Falls SD.

I was raised in the mid-west but moved away during the early years of my marriage to Robert. We spent over twenty years in the military and traveled to many stateside and oversea posts. During this time I started teaching adult education classed to military family members and also to family members of people that were attached to the military facilities. After retirement I made the change from teaching in military classrooms to civilian classrooms. I also have a personal business where I sell the work I do. I specialize in knitting, crocheting, embroidery, quilting, needle point and tapestry work. Robert and I have lived in Sioux Falls for six years and we have really enjoyed our time in this great city. I also love teaching for community ed.

Learning Adventures Preschool- Sonia Sotomayor

My name is Yrene Parsons. I am originally from Peru. I studied Economics in my country for five years at the University of San Martin de Porres, Lima- Peru. I attended Augustana University, earning a bachelor's degree in Spanish. Before teaching with the Sioux Falls School District, I taught Spanish at Sioux Falls Lutheran School for two years. I also taught Zumba for five years. In teaching preschool at Sonia Sotomayor, I am able to combine my love of movement and dance with my teaching of the children. I love to teach my students to learn using all their senses, especially using movement in music, art and science. In my spare time, I love to hike with my family, traveling, being with friends, and shopping. I have taught at Mis Amigos Preschool since January 2018. I am so blessed to be part of a wonderful Community in Sioux Falls and be a little light in the life of these precious young people.

Bill has been serving clients as a Financial Advisor since 2004. He believes that the best financial advice comes from a comprehensive understanding of his clients’ needs. He thoroughly enjoys working with families to help reach their financial goals through customized and personalized solutions. Many of his younger clients are proactive about preparing for retirement now so they can achieve the lifestyle they desire. Bill also enjoys working with clients who are entering the final stages of retirement planning, and with clients living in retirement to utilize and manage their funds appropriately. Bill earned his Accredited Asset Management Specialist. (AAMS®) designation in 2008. He attended Augustana College and is a member of the Downtown Lions Club and the National Active and Retired Federal Employees Association (NARFE).

Bill is an affiliated instructor with a national organization called the Financial Educators Network. This Network offers courses on Life Planning and Retirement Planning at over 400 schools throughout the United States. He is also a Level Two archery instructor and enjoys volunteering his time teaching archery to individuals with disabilities. He is actively involved as a youth leader and teacher at his church. Bill’s wife, Anna, is a social worker at the VA Hospital and together they have two young daughters who will both be participating in the Spanish immersion program in the Sioux Falls School District. He is an avid reader, softball player and fan of eclectic music.

Neil Peterson has been singing and playing music his entire life. In addition to being a band, choir and orchestra director, he has been a music director at several churches and has taught individual lessons on any musical instrument for over a decade! A composer and performer, Neil loves helping students learn, play and sing their favorite songs they hear on the radio, youtube or their personal music collection.

Stephanie is a graduate of Rapid City Stevens High School and Augustana University, where she earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in Political Science. She has eight years of political experience in Washington, DC where she worked on Capitol Hill for former Senator Tom Daschle.

Moving home to South Dakota in 2014 with her husband and two teenage sons has allowed Stephanie to reconnect with her roots and her passions. Last year, she founded Fruit of the Coop, LLC, a wholesale egg business, on their farm near the Big Sioux River and Brandon, South Dakota. In addition to selling eggs from her own flock of heritage chickens, she sources eggs from other small flocks within the Sioux Empire. All the chickens are pasture-raised on natural grains and forage, which gives the yolks of their eggs a deep golden color and strong shells. You can find her eggs at Cherry Rock Farm and Glory Garden (a local CSA) and served at Josiah's, Breadico and Morrie's Steakhouse. Stephanie believes in bringing local food to Sioux Falls area establishments and helping to revitalize small and mid-level agriculture in rural economies and communities. She also serves on the board for Dakota Rural Action and is active in DRA's local chapter, Homegrown Sioux Empire.

P.S. Markel is able to teach in Spanish for piano lessons too!

My name is Lyndsay Seivert; I am a mom, wife, full-time Registered Nurse, and Silver Leader with doTERRA Essential Oils. I have been using oils on myself and my family for over 2 years and providing education on oils for over a year. Learning about essential oils, what they are, how they work, and how to safely and properly use them can be overwhelming at first. I love to teach and educate on all the amazing benefits essential oils can provide, how to use them, when to use them, and how they work. Having a solid foundation of knowledge is vital for anyone looking to start utilizing essential oils in their everyday life, and I want to provide that foundation. Having the platform Community Education provides will give people interested in learning about natural options the opportunity to do so, and allowing me to continue to educate and enhance and empower lives with natural options.

Master Troy Vink 

Sioux Falls Taekwondo in Action:    https://youtu.be/f_ACBUkxtMg

I started Taekwondo when I was 14 yrs. old and now I am forty____ ... I can let you do the math. I obviously have a love and passion for this! I am a 5th degree black belt and have been teaching for over 25 years now. Over 15 years have now been with Community Education in Sioux Falls. I have the pleasure of teaching students the aspects of Respect, Confidence, and Discipline. I cannot think of many things in my life that has been more gratifying than the companionship and connection that I have through this experience.

The Siouxland Woodturner's (SWT) is a local chapter of the American Association of Woodturners (AAW). The AAW is an international, not-for-profit organization dedicated to the advancement of the woodturning craft. Our mission is to provide information, education, a meeting place, and an effective organization for all who are interested in turning wood.