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Health & Fitness

Burnsville Education, Not So Bad After All?

A recently graduated BHS Alumni's take on Burnsville Education and how it has helped so far.

Throughout my time living in Burnsville, I've heard great and horrible things about Burnsville High School. I'm here to give an insight into what the students actually think. It's easy to go online and find out parents opinions, but what do the kids who actually attend the school think?

My parents wanted to live here because of how great the education is. I found nothing but good things from my experience at the high school. I had the time of my life at football, hockey, and baseball games. I was voted most school spirit, and it's evident that I may have put more effort into school events than the average student. What did I get out of what I put in? A great three years of high school. I miss it everyday. I rushed the field with my best friends after we won the state baseball tournament in the final inning. That right there is a memory I will never forget, also a memory I'm certain I could not have gotten had I gone to a smaller private school. I played hockey for the girls varsity team and I went to state my junior year. Talk about a memory, skating at the Xcel Energy Center is something I get to be proud of. Besides how fun the sporting events are and how fun it is to play in one at Burnsville, those events gave me pride.

When you have pride for your school and you are happy to attend there, going to school doesn't seem so bad. I never had a sick day in my three years at high school. I'd miss class to go to events and be involved in extra curriculars, but never to lay at home. For me, Burnsville created an environment with fun students and teachers that engaged me — like Chuck Croatt, Tim Lehner, Kim Harrod, Gloria Webber, Jennifer Hugstad-Vaa, Bill Daily, Jen Fettig, Ben Stapp, and many more. Each of them made my time there fun and informative. Each and every one of those teachers pushed me to reach my potential and always did what they could to help any student. This extends to the amazing teachers I had before high school such as Steve Orth, David Burr, Brian Ribnik, Mark Mraz, John Maronde, Shannon Shelerud, Mark Challgren, and others. These teachers are not only amazing, but clearly love the school they work for as well because they have all been around for a long time. This atmosphere paid off for me. It's not to say that I didn't work hard, but at the time it just didn't really seem like hard work.

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I graduated from BHS last year and am now a Freshman at the Carlson School of Management at the University of Minnesota. Burnsville not only helped me to get into to the Carlson School, but it prepared me for the work load. I went into freshman year with 42 credits, which gave me sophomore status. The honors, Advanced Placement, and CIS progams at BHS prepared me for what college would be like. Classes at college have actually been easier than the classes I took at Burnsville, so far. With the luxury of being done with my liberal arts credits after this semester, I get to focus on business school from here on out. This gives me the luxury of taking a lighter class load, which in turn helps me to stay involved in my sorority, have a job, and keep good grades. Of course, not everyone is naturally driven to push themselves, but the way I was raised Burnsville was the perfect fit for me. 

With the credentials I had from Burnsville High School on my resume, I landed my first internship halfway through my freshman year. As a local branch manager for College Works Painting I am now running my own branch of an exterior house painting business. I am in charge of marketing, sales, and management.

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I am always looking to give back to the community that made me who I am. I know that not everyone has had as amazing experience as I. However, I want people to know that if you put effort into school, spirit, and the community, it is endless what you could get out of it. 

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