You reached this page through the archive. Click here to return to the archive.

Note: This article is over a year old and information contained in it may no longer be accurate. Please use the contact information in the lower-left corner to verify any information in this article.

Alumnus named Minnesota Teacher of the Year

By Kari VanDerVeen
July 23, 2008

Derek Olson '88 was a senior economics major at St. Olaf when his experiences during the Far East Program (now called Term in Asia), especially visiting orphanages in Thailand and Hong Kong, inspired him to go into teaching. "My greatest achievement will simply and always be every time I have the opportunity to impact the life of a child in a positive way," Olson told the Star Tribune (link below).

Olson is a sixth-grade teacher at Afton-Lakeland Elementary School, which is part of the Stillwater school district. Minnesota Public Radio notes that students credit him for offering "hands-on, high-energy learning." Olson's teaching philosophy "is built on the concept of growth: set goals, reflect often and celebrate successes," Fox 9 News reports.

Contact Kari VanDerVeen at 507-786-3970 or vanderve@stolaf.edu.