Five to be Inducted into Grand Forks Public Schools Teachers Hall of Fame

Five outstanding educators have been selected for induction into the 2022 Grand Forks Public Schools Teachers Hall of Fame. The induction ceremony and reception will be held at 1 p.m. on October 2 at the Red River High School Theater, with a dessert reception to follow.

Ron Bergh –Bergh grew up in Grand Forks and is a product of the Grand Forks Public Schools. Bergh is a proud Army Veteran, serving in Vietnam and being honorably discharged in March of 1972. After completing his active service, Bergh began teaching biology at Grand Forks Public Schools, his first year at South Middle School, and the remainder of his teaching career at Grand Forks Central High School, retiring in 2006. “Ron made a huge impact on many students over those 34 years. He was both patient and caring, he was a student favorite!"

Jerome Gunderson – Gunderson grew up enjoying math and science classes, ultimately attending Moorhead State University and earning a bachelor’s degree in technical education and a minor in chemistry education. Gunderson was a longtime CTE teacher across the school system, including stops at Elroy Schroeder Middle School, and Grand Forks Central and Red River high schools. Gunderson was also the career and technical education director at Grand Forks Public Schools for a number of years, and was honored with several firsts, including the first building trades house project in the state. “He leads by example and is still a great resource for help and advice today. He hired me as an IT Teacher and really mentored me and taught me many lessons about teaching, learning, and just how to be a good person and friend."

Audrey Kasprowicz –Kasprowicz grew up knowing she wanted to become a teacher. In elementary school, she would help other students with their class work. Kasprowicz graduated from the University of North Dakota with a degree in home economics and a minor in retail marketing but continued to broaden her education at every opportunity throughout her entire career. Kasprowicz was a longtime resource education teacher at Grand Forks Central High School and was chosen in 2019 by the North Dakota Association for Career and Technical Education as the recipient of their Lifetime Achievement Award.  “Ms. K was patient, compassionate, genuine, and an advocate for our at-risk youth. Her passion for helping students find their career paths, along with mentoring and guiding teachers, really has made a difference in the lives of hundreds."

Gwen Lappegaard – Lappegaard began her teaching career as a substitute teacher while raising her children before being hired to teach full-time. She began her career with Grand Forks Public Schools by teaching elementary classes at Nathan Twining Elementary and Middle School before ultimately moving to teach English at South Middle School prior to her retirement. “She always went above and beyond for her students. She truly is the best teacher I've ever had. I had a lot of excellent teachers in Grand Forks, but she made the biggest impact on my life. I will never forget her."

Connie Sherwood – Sherwood grew up attending Grand Forks Public Schools, participating in band, choir, and theatre. She ultimately followed in the footsteps of her grandfather, father, and brother, all music educators within Grand Forks Public Schools, and became a longtime music educator at Lake Agassiz Elementary and South Middle School. You would be hard-pressed to find a high school theatre production in the past three decades that wasn’t positively influenced by Sherwood’s talents. “Connie had an amazing eye for identifying and developing the innate musical and artistic talents in her students. With her creative direction and encouraging support, each student believed they were the star performer by giving their personal best."