Anyone who takes Spanish in Sheyenne can tell you just how amazing the program is, lead by some of the most skilled staff at Sheyenne. Señor Mickelson is one such expert.

Señor Mickelson teaches both Spanish 1 and Spanish 2. His passion for teaching is very unique, as it is stemmed from an experience he had in Peru while taking a break from his criminal justice studies at North Dakota State University.

In Peru, Mickelson volunteered to help out the struggling education system. It was then that he realized that he wanted to pursue a career as a teacher.

“Spanish is just what I knew best, whatever I would’ve known best is what I would’ve gone to teach for,” Mickelson stated.

If he wasn’t teaching, Mickelson said his dream job would be “the guy that announces prizes for Wheel of Fortune.” He went on to explain that being a voice actor would be a fun job and require less knowledge than a sports commentator, for example.

Other things that he enjoys are watching the Detroit Lions, hunting, fishing, and blacksmithing. He said that blacksmithing is a new hobby, thanks to the COVID-19 pandemic. With the necessary tools on hand, he was able to make things by himself.

His ideal day includes hunting or fishing with his family and making it back in time to catch an afternoon Lions game (that hopefully results in a win over the Packers at Lambeau Field). After the football game, he loves a family dinner and be able to stay up as late as he wanted if there is no school on Monday.

“Then I don’t have to wake up at 5:30 or 5:45…Not saying that I don’t like school, I would just have to be responsible and go to bed at a reasonable time,” Mickelson continued.

One of his favorite memories was him finishing his schooling at NDSU. He had just completed his Capstone project for his senior thesis and presented it to the NDSU Department of Modern Languages. This marked the end of his studies with only student teaching left to complete before his final graduation.

Mickelson explained, “I just remember vividly feeling this enormous relief because you know, at that point I was 26 years old so. Most people graduate at 22 or 23 and it took me a little extra time so after all those years of not knowing what I wanted to do so I just felt like I had worked hard to get to that point so it felt amazing.”

By Hailey Boehme

Author of All the Bright Places, Jennifer Niven, later published a book called Holding Up the Universe.

Holding Up the Universe is written from both Jack’s perspective, a popular kid with a secret, and Libby, who has been homeschooled since she developed a binge eating disorder to cope with her mother’s death.

When Libby finds the courage to go back to public school, she finds herself tangled up in an incident with Jack. Their two worlds collide creating an understanding between the two of them that doesn’t make sense to anyone else.

The characters seem to come alive in this book, allowing you to empathize for them and the mental struggles they face. The book will have you laughing and even tearing up at some points.

Throughout the novel, Jennifer Niven provides a unique perspective on fat shaming, bullying, living with secret, and love. I recommend this book to anyone who needs the message to love yourself as you are, because no matter what you look like or where you’ve been in the past, you deserve it.

My favorite part of the book was the monologue at the end, it pulls the whole thing together into a wonderful romance and sets it apart for other books I’ve read.

Every Last Word by Tamara Ireland Stone is a well written book about OCD, high school friendships, love, and forgiveness.

The protagonist, Samantha (Sam) McAllister, is part of the popular group at school. Though she has been best friends with the group since they were little girls, she feels that she does not fit in anymore.

As a result, Sam works hard to hide her obsessive compulsions and attempts to navigate away from her previous circle. In doing so, she meets a girl named Caroline who introduces her to a secret poetry club at the school.

This opens doors to a part of Sam that she never knew existed and allows her to eventually break free from the everyday toxicity she was experiencing, however, her past is still evident in her new life. Sam seeks forgiveness and yearns to belong somewhere.

From a mental health perspective, it has a potentially triggering yet refreshing view on therapy, medication, and healthy family support.

The way the loose ends are tied up by the end made this book one of my all-time favorites. When a friend asks what they should read next, this is my go-to recommendation.