IOWA LAKES INSTRUCTOR RECEIVES STATEWIDE HONOR

An Iowa Lakes Community College instructor has been honored with a statewide award.

Sally Bohmer, lead instructor of the college’s Laker Alternative High School in Estherville, was given the first-ever Hall of Fame Award at a statewide meeting of alternative education professionals. 

Bohmer was nominated by several colleagues.

The award is reserved for “Outstanding Alternative Educators” who have made a major contribution to alternative education during their professional career and “provided leadership, vision and momentum toward excellence in the field of Alternative Education.”

To be nominated, individuals must have worked in alternative education for at least a decade.  Bohmer has worked at Iowa Lakes since opening Laker High in 1992.

In her nomination letter, Valerie Newhouse, Vice President of Administration at Iowa Lakes, highlighted Bohmer’s leadership.

“Laker High was the first of five alternative high school programs offered at Iowa Lakes, and Sally has provided guidance and mentorship to administration and staff as each of the other four new programs began,” Newhouse said.

She was called a “pioneer” for alternative education in northwest Iowa by Bonnie Ewoldt, Lead instructor at Blue Water Alternative High in Spirit Lake. 

“She never seemed to tire of helping students in any way possible, whether the issues related to course work or problems outside of school,” said Ewoldt about her colleague.  “Her dedication to teaching set a standard of academic excellence, and her love of learning inspired staff and students alike.”

In addition to her work at Iowa Lakes, Bohmer is the past secretary for the board of the Iowa Association of Alternative Educators.

“We wanted to start recognizing some of our very good, long-term instructors,” said Phyllis Harms, a professional associate as well as a member of the Iowa Association of Alternative Educators Board. 

Also selected for honors this year: Dr. Clemmye Jackson of Ames and Ray Morley of the Iowa Department of Education.

This was the first year for the Hall of Fame awards, according to Harms.  The IAAE board will bestow the award annually in the future.

Bohmer lives in Estherville.