Union’s Rebecka Peterson
Union High School teacher Rebecka Peterson still remembers the moment she knew the classroom was where she belonged. She began her career in 2010 as a teaching assistant at the University of South Dakota, drawn in by educators who showed her how powerful great teaching could be. “So many people inspired me!” she said. “Previous math teachers like Mrs. West and Dr. Turner modeled what it looked like to intersect a passion for mathematics with intentional care for the next generation.”
Her path eventually led to Union Public Schools, thanks in part to the encouragement of her husband, Brett, and mentor Lisa Witcher, who urged her to move from college to high school teaching in 2012. “I’m so glad they did,” Peterson said.
At Union High School, Peterson has found a district that matches her ambition and belief in students. “Union encourages me to take instructional risks while centering students,” she said. “Just like we want our students to dream big, this district also wants its teachers to dream big.” It was that culture that allowed her to design and teach what she calls “the class of my dreams,” Educational Leadership, a course for future teachers and future leaders.
Today, Peterson splits her time between the classroom and supporting fellow educators. “I teach part-time (Educational Leadership) and support teachers part-time! I feel very lucky to get to do what I do,” she said.
Her teaching philosophy is rooted in seeing the potential in every student. “I believe there are treasures and gifts tucked inside all of us, and as a teacher, I get the joy of uncovering those,” Peterson said. Whether it is helping students think about math in a new way or “teaching them how to communicate and think like leaders,” she said she takes pride in looking back each May at the growth of her students — and her own growth alongside them. “I love who I am when I’m with students,” she said. “They bring out the best in me.”
To the seniors leaving Union, Peterson’s message is simple and heartfelt: “Thank you for letting us guide you and walk alongside you. … Go light the world, Redhawks.”
