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Risha Allen hugs a student.

Member Spotlight

Our Members Make a Difference
From McKenzie to Cass and Renville to Richland, in all professional roles and career stages, North Dakota United members make our schools and communities worthy of our students.

Result List

Woman hugging elementary school student holding flowers
Member Spotlight

ESP of the Year Joan Hall’s Love for Kids is Real and Rewarding

For Joan Hall, a special education aide at Myhre Elementary in Bismarck, the greatest rewards come in small but powerful moments—like watching a student master a skill they’ve worked on for weeks. Her deep love for the kids she works with and her unwavering commitment to their success earned her the 2025–26 North Dakota United Education Support Professional of the Year award, a recognition Hall never expected but humbly embraced.
ND Foreign Language Teacher of the Year
Member Spotlight

FLAND Teacher of the Year Feole Enthusiastic About German Language, Culture

Erika Feole’s passion for the German language goes far beyond vocabulary lessons and grammar drills—it’s a way of life she enthusiastically shares with her students at Red River High School in Grand Forks. Named the 2024 Graciela Wilborn Foreign Language Teacher of the Year by the Foreign Language Association of North Dakota, Feole brings culture to life in her classroom through immersive experiences, personal stories, and a deep family tradition rooted in German education.
Classroom scene with Laine Hernandez, Spanish teacher, sitting in front of wall of photos.
Member Spotlight

Love Language

Laine Martinez, a Spanish instructor from Bismarck High School and the 2023 Foreign Language Association of North Dakota's Teacher of the Year award winner, credits always having a positive attitude and the human connections we can create through language to her success as an educator.
man wearing hat standing on a football field
Member Spotlight

Heart of Harvey

ND Teacher of the Year Bret Dockter challenges students to leave a legacy, in the classroom and on the field.
group of students playing in a school gym
Member Spotlight

Unified in Phy Ed

Mystic Mentors program at Jim Hill Middle School in Minot builds culture of inclusivity through physical education.