Eden Prairie Schools, along with the Foundation for Eden Prairie Schools (FEPS), co-hosted the first Eagle Excellence Showcase, a gala celebrating the accomplishments of the district, its staff and alumni, on Oct. 4.
The showcase served as a revamped version of FEPS’ Red & Black Gala, the organization’s signature annual fundraiser for the district. Along with presenting FEPS’ Legacy Award recipients and nominees, the Eagle Excellence Showcase also featured other achievements and awards won by district teachers and staff, as well as recognizing the inaugural EP Schools Hall of Fame cohort.
“… We thought a combined event bringing together several individuals who would be recognized for their part in educational excellence in the district made sense,” FEPS Executive Director Lisa Sisinni said in an emailed statement to Eden Prairie Local News.
The event, held in the solarium at the district’s Valley View campus, drew hundreds of staff, alumni and community members.
State Sen. Steve Cwodzinski (DFL-49, Eden Prairie), a longtime Eden Prairie High School (EPHS) government and history teacher, emceed the showcase, mixing jokes and stories with the seven life lessons he developed during his more than 30-year teaching career. (More on that later.)
Superintendent Josh Swanson kicked off the ceremony by highlighting several of the district’s recognitions over the past year, including high rankings from Niche, an online review and rating resource; the Eden Prairie Heritage Preservation Award for the district’s 2024 centennial celebration; a Gold Medallion – the highest honor – from the National School Public Relations Association; and designation as a U.S. Department of Education National Green Ribbon School for meeting high standards in sustainability.
The showcase also recognized the Minnesota Teacher of the Year nominees and the eventual winner, Linda Wallenberg. There were 142 nominees statewide, with 14 EP Schools teachers shortlisted for the prize – more than any other district in Minnesota. Of those 14, six were named semifinalists – also the most of any district – and two advanced to the final round.
The 14 teachers shortlisted were:
- Shelby Anderson, art teacher at Central Middle School
- Lieann Campbell, second grade teacher at Eagle Heights Spanish Immersion
- Laura Eid, special education teacher at Central Middle School
- Kayla Fahey, physical education teacher at Central Middle School
- Rossigna Goytizolo-Blodgett, kindergarten teacher at Eagle Heights Spanish Immersion
- Beatriz Hauth, fourth grade teacher at Eagle Heights Spanish Immersion
- Lauren Koller, English teacher at Central Middle School
- Kristen Mantel, reading teacher at Central Middle School
- Michael Okwabi, band teacher at Eden Prairie High School
- Araceli Pastrana, third grade teacher at Eagle Heights Spanish Immersion
- Michelle Rada, math teacher at Eden Prairie High School
- Marcela Roos, first grade teacher at Eagle Heights Spanish Immersion
- Rachel Spessard, social studies teacher at Central Middle School
- Linda Wallenberg, English teacher at Eden Prairie High School
The semifinalists for the state’s top teaching honor were Eid, Okwabi, Pastrana, Rada, Roos and Wallenberg. Pastrana and Wallenberg were named finalists, with Wallenberg taking home the award.
“I could not be more proud or excited to honor Linda Wallenberg, English teacher at Eden Prairie High School and my friend and former colleague,” Sen. Cwodzinski said. “I’ve known Linda for over 40 years. For nearly … 50 years, almost all of which have been spent teaching at the high school, Linda has been inspiring her students to reach their full potential, both in and beyond the classroom.”
FEPS also honored the winners of its annual Legacy Award, which recognizes “outstanding teachers, staff, students, volunteers, alumni and community members who contribute to the success and excellent reputation of our school district,” according to the FEPS website.
The winners of the 2025 Legacy Award were:
Secondary Teacher of the Year: Laurie Hennen
Elementary Teacher of the Year: Samantha Curtiss
Staff Member of the Year: Katy Anderson
Staff Member of the Year: Pamela Orellana
Staff Member of the Year: Laura Mahoney
Volunteer of the Year: Mary Krebs
Community Leader of the Year: Officer Ryan Kuffel
Other EP Schools staff were recognized for their accomplishments over the past year. They included Kristin Cayo, a gifted and talented programming teacher for Forest Hills Elementary and EP Online, who was named a finalist for the Presidential Awards for Excellence in Mathematics and Science Teaching; Mitch Hegland, associate principal at Eagle Heights Spanish Immersion, who won the National Outstanding Assistant Principal Award from the National Association of Elementary School Principals; and Anthony Maurer, an EP Online social studies teacher, who was named the 2025 Minnesota Online Educator of the Year.
One of the main highlights of the evening was the recognition of the inaugural class of the EP Schools Hall of Fame, made up of 20 alumni, staff, and community members who have made outstanding contributions inside and outside the district.
“(The Hall of Fame inductees) represent our best, Eden Prairie’s best. Those being recognized are visionaries who discovered and realized their dreams,” Sen. Cwodzinski said. “They are trailblazers who explore and pave paths of possibility. They relentlessly pursue excellence and describe all the footsteps.”
The 2025 EP Schools Hall of Fame inductees are:
Justice Paul Anderson (‘61), retired Minnesota Supreme Court justice
David Baszucki (‘81), founder and CEO of Roblox, philanthropist
Dr. Nathan Chomilo (‘01), doctor and health care policy leader
Curt Connaughty, former associate principal, founder of Eden Prairie’s football and track programs
Bob Hallett, former principal of Eden Lake, Forest Hills and Prairie View elementary schools
Dr. Jean Harris, former Eden Prairie mayor and City Council member
Brandon Leon Richardson Hill (‘11), technology entrepreneur and founder of Vori
Ryan Iversen (‘98), Eden Prairie High School basketball and football standout
Nick Leddy (‘09), Stanley Cup-winning National Hockey League player
Dr. Betsy (Kerns) McCann (‘99), marching and athletic bands director at the University of Minnesota
Dr. Jerry McCoy, former superintendent
Dorothy McIntyre, former physical education teacher, coach and Title IX champion
Sarah (Wilhite) Parsons (‘13), Team USA volleyball player
Sever Peterson (‘62), owner of Peterson Farms
Rachel (Bootsma) Reiser (‘12), Olympic gold medalist swimmer
Emmett “Em” Stark, founder of Eden Prairie’s jazz and marching band programs
Adam Steele (‘99), Team USA track athlete
Melissa (Hoffman) Stockwell (‘98), Purple Heart recipient, Paralympic bronze medalist
Solome Tibebu (‘08), mental health advocate; founder of Behavioral Health Tech
Connie Wang (‘06), journalist and author published in The New York Times
The showcase ended with a silent auction benefiting FEPS, giving attendees the chance to bid on prizes such as a trip to New York City with tickets to a Broadway show and a Minnesota State Capitol tour with Sen. Cwodzinski. The first $4,000 raised at the auction was matched by FEPS, with proceeds going to the Eagle Nation Station, a free store at EPHS that provides food, hygiene products and school supplies to students in need.
With the first Eagle Excellence Showcase deemed a success, Sisinni said in an emailed statement that FEPS and EP Schools will evaluate the combined event and determine whether to continue the format in the future.
And now, for the seven life lessons Sen. Cwodzinski came up during his teaching career and mentioned throughout the night:
- Bring on a heart attack (the one that makes someone grab their heart with pride).
- Focus on people’s strengths, not their weaknesses.
- Find out what you’re good at and become great at it. Perhaps even the greatest at it.
- How interesting you are depends on how interested you are.
- What you do today is important because you are exchanging a day of your life for it.
- Leave this world a better place than the way you found it.
- May you stay forever young.
