Over the past eight years, my family has embarked on an educational journey. Our experiences range from hosting exchange students to pursuing studies abroad in Spain, participating in homeschool co-ops, attending Mankato public schools and facilitating our children’s early college experience via dual enrollment options at South Central College and Minnesota State University.

Our most recent educational endeavor brought an exchange student from Azerbaijan into our home, who attended Maple River High School when our local Mankato West High School could not accommodate any more exchange students.

This past academic year, our exchange student, a recipient of a U.S. government scholarship, was mandated to participate in additional projects and volunteer work to complete her program.

As Mankato residents, our links to volunteer and government initiatives in Mapleton were limited. However, we were lucky to be introduced to high school counselor Ann Langworthy.

Despite juggling her responsibilities in a community that has grappled with escalating needs post-COVID, Langworthy’s unwavering commitment ensured our students could participate in unique projects and volunteer opportunities. These included meetings with community leaders and veterans.

The bond of trust we developed with Langworthy was reinforced when she took time out of her evenings to inquire about how we were doing.

I initially thought Langworthy’s dedication was unique, but a chance encounter with Elementary School Principal Jon Lewis proved otherwise. He credited his Blue Ribbon school’s success to his staff’s active community engagement and vigilance over their students’ well-being.

Every student and family encounter in the community is an additional opportunity to celebrate accomplishments or address concerns.

My heartfelt thanks to Maple River Schools. Your dedication to your community and students was noticed and appreciated.

Elizabeth Hanke