by Tori Pedersen, UNL Class of 2022 and CSMCE student intern
Kelli Larson’s journey as an educator is one of resiliency, persistence, and passion.
The current Scottsbluff High School science teacher joined NebraskaMATH’s Nebraska Algebra program in 2010 as a way to further her education in a meaningful way that she could actively apply to the classroom. Having seen colleagues at Gering High and Scottsbluff participate in the program and use lessons from the courses with successful results in their own classrooms, Larson decided to pursue the program herself.
After completing Nebraska Algebra and taking a few more Nebraska Math and Science Summer Institutes courses, she was 12 credit hours into the program when life, unexpectedly, had other plans. Larson discovered that she had a large brain tumor in her brain stem. Luckily, the tumor was benign, but surgery was still required to remove it.
Larson suffered severe cranial nerve damage due to the surgery. “I woke up after surgery, and I could only hear — that was it! I had to go through months of therapy to learn to walk, talk, write, swallow, and even repair my vision. It was the most surreal and most difficult thing I have ever had to endure,” Larson said.
After taking a year off from teaching math and science at Gering High to recover, Larson slowly began to ease her way back into the classroom, starting back part time for a few years before returning full time, this time at Scottsbluff Senior High in science. For the fall of 2022, she has accepted a job in the math department at SHS.
“I had a great support system at school and at home. My administration worked with my needs and created a schedule that worked. My students were great and then my family stepped up at home when I needed it,” Larson said.
Her husband, Chad, a teacher as well, has helped Larson to push through the exhaustion and difficulties and decide to continue to pursue teaching.
“Our staff has taken on the motto ‘stronger together’ and have truly lived that,” Larson said.
After a successful return to the classroom, Larson decided it was time to finish what she’d started all those years ago, and complete her Master of Arts for Teachers (MAT) degree. Larson will graduate from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln in December 2022.
Larson shared that her favorite part of the program was the community that was built. Both through the Bosch STEM Ambassadors program in 2021, and the Nebraska Algebra program, Larson connected with fellow teachers and community members and got to share her experience with teaching.
“Pre-covid era, it was fun to meet up with peers from all over and learn and get excited about all the learning and growth happening in this program,” said Larson, a Gering High School graduate who earned her bachelor's degree from the University of Nebraska at Kearney. “Since the pandemic, the instructors have done a great job of still incorporating group work into the Zoom courses.”
The best part about the NMSSI classes taken through the program, Larson said, is their immediate applicability to the classroom. “What we learn in these classes can be used almost immediately in a math or science classroom. A lot of it can be adapted to fit grades 7-12 so I don’t feel like I am wasting my time, jumping through hoops just to get a degree.”
While her last three years teaching have been worlds away from what she’d experienced as a teacher before both COVID-19 and her brain surgery, Larson shares that she loves being an educator and plans to continue teaching until it is “no longer fun.”
Larson added: “Even with all the challenges facing teachers and education, I remain optimistic. I want to look back on my life and know that I made someone else’s life better, or easier in some way. I think teaching is a great way to make a positive impact in the world.”
Editor's Note on the health of Kelli's husband, Chad:
In May 2022, Chad was diagnosed with multiple myeloma. Kelli said, "He has several lesions on his spine, one of which ate away his T9 completely. He underwent major spinal surgery to remove a lot of the cancer in that area and then to put a spacer in & fuse the T7-T11 vertebra. Surgery went well and he’s recovering. After he’s recovered from his surgery, he can begin the myeloma treatments. It's a 4- to 5-month regimen and then he will undergo a stem cell transplant. Doctors are very optimistic about the new treatments and have given him a favorable prognosis."
Please send your best wishes to Chad and Kelli in these difficult times.