Women

2021 A strong woman looks a challenge dead in the eye and gives it a wink. ~ Gina Carey The Free Press MEDIA

Women • MARCH 2021 • 1

3 4 6 8 10 14

Table of Contents

Women in Business Melissa Forsyth Megan Schnitker Jeni Bobholz Kathy Einan Elli Kim, Jolee Slechta, Madelyn Vosburg 16 Lul Omar 18 Laura Borneke Allen 20 Women in Real Estate

4

8

14

10

16

6

18

Financing Dreams Since 1934.

507-387-3055 www.mnvalleyfcu.coop

Yes You Can!

EQUAL HOUSING LENDER | NMLSR ID 504851 | FEDERALLY INSURED BY NCUA

M A SCHKA, RIEDY & RIES L AW FIRM Renee Rubish is an accomplished litigation lawyer.

Renee has extensive experience in handling personal injury, wrongful death and medical malpractice claims. With a background as a registered nurse, Renee is able to effectively advocate for clients who sustain injuries. Renee also has expertise in handling all types of business disputes including shareholder disputes, breach of contract, and collection matters.

Abbie Olson

is an experienced general practice lawyer. Abbie’s work focuses on business transactions, real estate, estate planning and litigation. Abbie has a business law certificate, so whether you are creating a new business or find yourself in a business dispute she can help.

507.625.6600

Mankato, MN I mrr-law.com Complex problems. Resolved.

Pictured left to right: Abbie Olson and Renee Rubish

Women • MARCH 2021 • 1

Bright Colors Bright Ideas!

Children’s Books, Coffee Table Books, Brochures, Annual Reports, Catalogs, Magazines, Posters, Yearbooks, and MORE!

The Free Press MEDIA

March 2021 PUBLISHER

Steve Jameson

CONTRIBUTORS

Rachael Hanel Heidi Newbauer Jordan Greer-Friesz Katie Roiger

PAGE DESIGNER

Christina Sankey

ADVERTISING SALES

Danny Creel Jordan Greer-Friesz Josh Zimmerman Theresa Haefner Tim Keech

ADVERTISING ASSISTANT

Barb Wass

ADVERTISING DESIGNERS

Christina Sankey

CIRCULATION DIRECTOR

Justin Niles

Women 2021 is published by The Free Press Media annually at 418 South Second St., Mankato MN 56001.

1750 Northway Drive North Mankato, MN 56003

800-729-7575 www.corpgraph.com

2 • MARCH 2021 • Women

For editorial inquiries, call Jordan Greer-Friesz at 344-6351, or e-mail jgreer@mankatofreepress.com.

For advertising, call 344-6364, or e-mail advertising@mankatofreepress.com.

Child C

in Business

Stacey R. E.R.Jones Stacey E. Jones Owner/Attorney Owner/Attorney

Stacey R. E. Jones Owner/Attorney

Jennifer Thon Jennifer L.L.Thon Attorney Attorney Jennifer L. Thon Attorney

Kristin M. Gunsolus Kristin M. Gunsolus Attorney Attorney Kristin M. Gunsolus Attorney

212 Madison Avenue, Mankato, MN 56001 212 Madison Avenue, Mankato, MN 56001 507-385-4488  www.joneslawmn.com  www.joneslawmn.com 507-385-4488 212 Madison Avenue, Mankato, MN 56001 www.premiertitlemn.com 507-385-1031  www.joneslawmn.com 507-385-4488  www.premiertitlemn.com 507-385-1031 Trust and Estate Planning  Probate  Real Estate

507-385-1031  www.premiertitlemn.com

and Business  Elder Law  Employment Trust andCorporate Estate Planning  Probate  Real Estate Law

Trust and Estate Planning  Probate  Real Estate

 Child Support  Conservatorship and Guardianship Child Custody Corporate and Business Elder Law  Employment Law

Corporate and Business  Elder Law  Employment Law Adoption  Antenuptial Agreements  Dissolutions Child Custody  Child Support  Conservatorship and Guardianship Criminal Law  Litigation  Civil Commitment

Custody  Child Support  Conservatorship and Guardianship Adoption  Antenuptial Agreements  Dissolutions Adoption  Antenuptial Agreements  Dissolutions  Litigation  Civil Commitment Criminal LawCriminal  Civil Commitment Law  Litigation

Title Insurance and Opinions

 Construction Closings Title Insurance and Draws Opinions Title Insurance and Opinions 1031 exchanges and Qualified Intermediary Closings  Construction Draws Closings  Construction Draws Other Real Estate Related Services

1031 exchanges and Qualified Intermediary 1031 exchanges and Qualified Intermediary Other RealEstate Estate Related Services Other Real Related Services

Women • MARCH 2021 • 3

Melissa Forsyth’s

compassion started early M

By Rachael Hanel | Submitted photos

elissa Forsyth saw firsthand at a young age what care and compassion for others looked like. She grew up in a home where her mother did foster care.

“That allowed [my mom] to be in a position where she could really help provide care and compassion to families who really needed that, while also taking care of her own family. I watched her balance that,” says Forsyth, who works as the regional director of health services—Western Region for Planned Parenthood.

That observation mode continued throughout Forsyth’s high school years, during which she encountered numerous obstacles. Since then, she’s thought a lot about what type of support she could have used during those challenging years.

4 • MARCH 2021 • Women

“I’m really striving to be the person I may have needed. That’s been my drive and vision statement. Where does that lead and take you?” she says.

That passion for helping others has resulted in a long career in nonprofit work in the Mankato area. Before starting work at Planned Parenthood in the summer of 2018, Forsyth worked at the Committee Against Domestic Abuse (CADA) for 17 years.

Jes Wysong, who worked with Forsyth at CADA, says Forsyth’s compassion for others stands out.

“She’s really thoughtful and intentional about helping people that others might not have compassion for,” says Wysong, who now works as director of mission and social justice impacts at the Mankato YWCA.

Forsyth also strives to keep in mind the inequality and barriers that many women face.

“How do we lift them up in a way that brings equity and inclusion, and care and compassion?” she asks.

She sees those barriers up close working in the health care field. As regional director, she provides leadership and oversight to 14 health centers in the region, which includes Minnesota, South Dakota, Iowa and Nebraska.

“How do we really break down barriers for people to get access to health care?

How can they feel empowered in their choices and how do they choose to take care of themselves?” She continues, “How do we create access has been a really important piece to me.”

The coronavirus pandemic has focused a spotlight on inequalities. That renewed focus can be a blessing, Forsyth says.

“It has really brought about some super important conversations and some great action plans as well.”

The pandemic has hit women particularly hard. Often the brunt of domestic duties has fallen on their shoulders, requiring them to manage the household and ever-changing school schedules on top of their own work and time. They may have had to leave their jobs to become primary caretakers with their kids attending school from home.

“That’s an important observation and we shouldn’t lose sight of that,” she says.

Wysong says Forsyth is an excellent advocate for women.

“Women are important and not always noticed. There needs to be an advocate and allies who work on the frontlines,” Wysong says.

Forsyth herself is balancing work and family. She has three children: a girl, age 12, and two boys, ages 10 and 8. The oldest two have autism.

The youngest attends elementary school and has had to become adaptable and flexible, though that has come with no small degree of anxiety. The oldest two attend the Minnesota Autism Center in upper North Mankato. The center closed at the beginning of the pandemic and worked quickly to come up with options and plans. Children with autism thrive on routine, so the center tried to get back safely as quickly as possible. It re-opened in May, but even that small break proved to be a challenge in getting back into a routine.

“It’s definitely been a challenge.

I’m very blessed with a great support system and an accommodating place of

employment. I don’t know how we could really manage without the flexibility and accommodations I’ve had,” Forsyth says.

Being a mom is an important asset for Forsyth’s work, Wysong says.

“It makes her more aware of issues that the women she works with are facing.

She knows what it’s like to be a mom and to face judgment, and she knows how to prioritize.”

Two things Forsyth has learned in the past year: to be gentle with herself, and to ask for help.

“I’m being OK with not getting everything done and being tired. I

challenge myself to take care of myself and find a good self-care practice.”

She asks people to figure out what they need from a support system. “If you don’t have one, what does it look like to build one? How do you ask for that help? How do you ask others what they need?”

She said the work-life balance is a continual process. What works one week may not work the next.

“This year has pushed me to normalize asking for help,” she says.

Women • MARCH 2021 • 5

Teaching Generations W

By Heidi Newbauer | Submitted photos

hen Megan Schnitker was a young girl growing up in the small community of Milks Camp on the Rosebud Reservation in South Dakota, she spent a great deal of

6 • MARCH 2021 • Women

time at her Grandma’s farm learning about plants and listening to many stories passed down from her ancestors. “I grew up in a traditional Lakota family and had great teachers.” She continues

to preserve those traditions today through her work in Mankato.

Schnitker settled in Mankato in 2015 initially to help with a recovery program through the Transcendence Foundation while continuing to make salves, soaps, herbal teas, and tonics from the medicinal plants she had learned about growing up. Then her husband, Ethan, said, “Why don’t you just sell what you make?”

Lakota Made, LLC began in 2018, with Schnitker making small batches of soaps every couple of months and teas mostly made to order. Just about three years later, she has her own facility in Old Town and is making 30-40 batches of tea at a time. “We ship as far as Australia and regularly to Canada.” She has a small handful of employees along with three volunteers, two service-learning students from MSU and an alternative-learning student. She also takes the opportunity to collect extra peanuts and bubble wrap from the community and recycles it at the facility.

Some of the medicinal products include Elderberry Chaga Tonic, Tatanka Pain Salve, and Nettle Goldenrod Herbal Tea. The other eco-friendly products include beautiful soap and lotion bars infused with essential oils and herbs, like the Marigold Turmeric Body and Hand Bar and the Rosemary and Sage Lotion Bar. Bundle packages are also available.

More product information can be found at https://www.lakotamade.com/.

When she is not at her for-profit business, she is active in her nonprofit work. While initially serving as vicechair of the Mahkato Wacipi Committee and chair of Indigenous People’s Day, she realized that these things happen just once a year and that the work needed to be bigger, so The Mahkato Revitalization project was born. It is a nonprofit dedicated to revitalizing Indigenous Culture through art and education.

“Classes are taught for any age. This is where I can use my platform to teach the history and culture of the missing narrative of Lakota life, recognizing that it is still very much a living culture.”

She has taught about Lakota Life at VINE and has traveled as far as Omaha teaching classes. With COVID, classes are not currently taught in person, but there is still plenty happening!

More information about booking a class for a group is available at https:// mahkatorevitalizationproject.org/ Schnitker has also been on the board for the Twin Rivers Council for the Arts for the past year and a half to

further bridge these passions together in Mankato, including the installation of the silo paintings with Guido Van Helten.

“He got his inspiration from the Mahkato Pow Wow, which was super exciting.”

How does she get it all done? “It’s easy to do a 50- or 60-hour work week on the for-profit and nonprofits. Start times aren’t typical; it really depends on when I can spend time with my kids. If I’m not at my office making things, I’m on the phone or sending emails.”

The passion for her work is generational. “I want it to be something that I pass down to my kids and grandkids. Keeping the cultural knowledge alive and teaching the public about plants that are in their backyards and hiking trails is something that I love to do.”

Staying connected to the Earth and spending time with her family is what she enjoys in her spare time. They currently have four girls at home with them who are learning what this or that plant is, and they get excited to pick them. “We love doing outdoor things.

The three-year old, Arrow, races with Ethan to find mushrooms.” Schnitker picks plants with the seasons, just like the teachers before her, and uses stinging nettle and mullein the most. “Nettle helps with inflammation and is a good detox.” Even with her allergies, her time spent with nature always brings joy.

“There can be poison ivy, tears, sneezing, screaming when I find a giant garden spider. It’s an adventure.”

Women • MARCH 2021 • 7

The Circle Inn spins new ways of doing business

By Rachael Hanel | Submitted photos

J

eni Bobholz bought North Mankato’s iconic The Circle Inn in January 2019. She had just made it through the first year and looked forward to settling into a nice routine.

“Going into the second year, we were hopeful. We were like, ‘We got through this first year.’ Then on St. Patty’s Day, we were shut down.” The pandemic forced The Circle, and all other bars and restaurants, to nearly grind to a halt. But Bobholz considers herself a creative person and quickly found ways to adapt.

“I could have easily had a woe-is-me, depressing mindset but I put on my big girl pants. You have to reassure yourself that this is not your fault,” she says.

Nate LeBoutillier, aka Nate Boots, has played music at The Circle for many years. He says he’s been struck by Bobholz’s can-do attitude in the last year.

“I admire her so much because she’s always moving forward.

You gotta keep stuff alive,” he says.

Throughout the summer on Fridays, The Circle worked with food provider Sysco for pop-up sales of frozen items, in quantities geared toward families. Bobholz also used the ample space in the parking lot for outdoor seating in the fall, up until Thanksgiving when bars and restaurants were closed again.

During that time, Bobholz focused on off-sale liquor and pivoted to selling things like Advent calendars—anything to keep the

8 • MARCH 2021 • Women

money flowing in.

But she also saw how many nonprofits were hurting, too, with avenues for usual fundraisers blocked. Sales at The Circle helped raise money for organizations such as the North Mankato Fire Department and Girls on the Run. “We used our platform on social media to let people know that if they could donate, it would really help. I was really glad we were able to do that,” she says.

Greater Mankato Growth recognized Bobholz’s commitment to the community and named her 2020 volunteer of the year. She is also president of Business on Belgrade.

LeBoutillier says Bobholz is a strong presence in lower North Mankato.

People look up to her, especially his 14-year-old daughter. “Jeni is one of my daughter’s role models.”

Live music has started at The Circle again on Saturdays, held outdoors. No one has been inside The Circle since March 2020, even though technically Bobholz is allowed to have people inside.

But it’s a small space, primarily a bar with only frozen pizza available for food.

It’s not the kind of place that supports a quick turnover of tables. When people go there, they want to stay a while.

“You have to do what is right. You have to sit there, you can’t be-bebop from place to place. I didn’t want to have to police customers or make them mad.

You have these rules now. We want it to be fun. The outdoors is a lot more lax in that situation and it’s worked for us,” Bobholz says.

LeBoutillier says he’s appreciated how Bobholz has conducted business during the pandemic.

“One thing I like about how Jeni has handled whole pandemic is that she’s always put safety first. I always feel like she’s making good decisions.”

The Circle has found a wider customer base in the past year.

“People came out of the woodwork.

People who couldn’t come down before because they had kids at home or were otherwise busy, now they are supporting the heck out of us. It makes you reassess how you do business and where you can find new customers,” Bobholz says.

Bobholz says her family and friends also stepped up to support her during the last year. “As crappy as the whole thing has been, a lot of positives have happened.”

She sums up the past year with an understatement: “It’s been one hell of a ride.”

New York Life Insurance Company 931 Madison Avenue Suite 1, Mankato, MN 56001 Bus. Phone: 507-387-4262

Life Insurance, Long Term Care Ins., IRA Funding – Investments# www.jrmountain@nylagents.com jrmountain@ft.newyorklife.com

Judy Ringler Mountain LUTCF, CLTC, Agent

Registered representative with NYLIFE Securities LLC. (Member FINRA/SIPC) A Licensed Insurance Agency. NYLIFE Securities LLC is a New York Life Co. #Investments Involve risk, fees and expenses, and maybe subject to current taxation.

These factors when taken into consideration can seriously alter the calculated results.

FOOTWEAR

Dress in

Comfort...

…work in UNIFORMS

Style!

C & S Supply has the best in stock selection of quality uniforms and footwear in the Mankato area Special orders also available at no extra charge.

An Employee Owned & Local Business Since 1957

1951 Riverfront Dr., Mankto 507-387-1171 1-800-879-1938

Mon.-Fri. 8am-7pm • Sat 8am-5pm • Sun. 11am-5pm

www.candssupply.com

All Smiles...All the Time!

Back: Anna Balcom - Laura Kottschade - Leah Slette | Front: Tracy McRae - Geri Kottschade

Proudly Serving Southern MN for 48 Years!

Jerry’s

AUTO BODY & GLASS

1671 E. Madison Ave., Mankato

507.388.4895 jerrysbodyshop.com | abraauto.com facebook.com/ABRAMankatoMN/

@ABRAauto

Women • MARCH 2021 • 9

Serving God through song and service

By Katie Roiger | Submitted photos

I

f doing the Lord’s work is the story of pastor Kathy Einan’s life, music is its primary language.

“I was kind of a quiet, shy person,” Einan said about her early years. Growing up on her parents’ farm, she hummed and warbled while doing chores, but was too bashful to perform in front of an audience.

“I sort of sang behind the scenes,” said Einan. “No one knew except for my little brother.”

Two major events pushed her talent into the open. Many years later, Einan was a young mother going through a painful divorce. Struggling with the dissolution of her marriage, Einan was also afraid that she would not be awarded custody of her son, Jason.

“At that point in my life, I was calling out to God,” Einan said. “I really needed intervention of God.” It was at that point that she made a life-altering decision. In prayer, she promised to give God her whole life to serve him with if she became Jason’s primary guardian.

The courts awarded Einan custody of her son and she was as good as her word. In a few years, the small family had moved 10 • MARCH 2021 • Women

to the Mankato area and Einan enrolled at the then-Mankato State University. She took courses on chemical dependency, drug education, family dynamics and sociology among others, in preparation for a life of doing God’s work.

At Mankato State, Einan met the Vietnam-vet-turnedsubstance abuse counselor Mark Einan. Like her, he had a passion for Christianity, service, and music, and drew Einan out of her shyness. They married, and decided to turn their love for God and song into a mission. Together, they founded Spirit and Truth, a traveling praise and worship band. Kathy wrote songs and acted as lead vocalist, and Mark played several instruments.

Spirit and Truth served as the moneymaker for their second enterprise, a counseling service called MiddleGround Ministries. The Einans took MiddleGround’s inspiration straight from a favorite Bible passage. In Isaiah 58, God instructs his people to share their bread with the hungry, shelter the homeless, clothe the naked, and release the captives. The verse could have been MiddleGround’s mission statement. The Einans and their volunteers offered short and long-term shelter for more than 65 people over 25 years.

My team mates are Jill Richards on the left and Kate Hiniker in the middle

“We were never trying to compete with any other church or ministry,” Einan said. “We really just wanted to help people who happened to be falling through the cracks because they didn’t meet a certain criteria.”

In addition to housing and food, MiddleGround provides counseling options for anyone who wants them.

Since the beginning, the ministry has never asked for payment.

“All of our services were free,” said Einan. “Whenever we wanted to help someone, we’d go out with our music ministry to earn the money to keep the work going.”

MiddleGround also offers the opportunity for those who had been helped by the ministry to pay it forward.

“Whenever we were able to help people who just wanted pastoral counseling, when they were doing better then they would contribute to the work [of ministry],” Einan said.

MiddleGround’s volunteers are another factor in keeping its counseling services free for all comers.

The band’s performances in states such as New Jersey, North and South Carolina, the Dakotas, Colorado, Iowa, Washington, and Oregon also helped them to reach a wider counseling audience than Minnesota provided.

Through their travels, the band members frequently encountered people who appreciated Spirit and Truth’s message and were interested in receiving MiddleGround’s services. Many continue to be counseling commitments for Einan.

Thanks to her long-distance counseling experience, Einan was uniquely prepared for the onslaught of COVID-19. When the pandemic changed the parameters

The band members from left to right ... Fletcher Archerd on keyboards, Lacey Archerd, Milton Lang on drums (my brother), myself, Kathy Einan, Kate Hiniker, Cheryl Kelley, Lance Lang on Electric Guitar, Keith LaFavor just off the the picture on the far right

for interpersonal meetings, Einan had already been offering phone consultations for several years and had learned the fine art of careful listening.

“It was a challenge not to be face to face w people,” said Einan about her first phone consultations. “So much of what you say, discern, and recommend is based on the observance of nonverbal communication modes.

With God’s help, I learned how to listen very well and how to ask the right questions.”

Despite her husband’s passing in 2017, Einan continued to keep their music and ministry services running strong. In 2016, she became the pastor of the Garden City Christian Church, honoring her new duties while continuing to provide a caring ear, kindly counsel, and musical worship.

My son, Jason Gray, and his The former songwriter of son, (my grands Kristopher Gra on), y, and myself, Spirit and Truth, Einan said Kathy Einan! she still loves to compose worship songs and sing them for the sends her. public. In 2020, she recorded her first“I’m a lover of God and it is the ever Christmas album full of original highest, greatest passion of my life, but I content. am a lover of people too,” Einan said. “It “For someone in my time of life, it comes from the love of God: God loves turned out really well!” Einan said. me first, and that allows me to give it to To Einan, music and counseling are others.” straightforward means of connecting with another person. Her hope is still to serve God by caring for the people he Women • MARCH 2021 • 11

Elli Kim, Jolee Slechta and Madelyn Vosburg

Memorializing MLK Teens paint a mural commemorating his visit to Mankato

By Jordan Greer-Friesz | Submitted photos

“We must use time creatively, in the knowledge that the time is always ripe to do right.”

-Martin Luther King, Jr 12 • MARCH 2021 • Women

I

n the winter of 2021 four Mankato West High School seniors decided to use their time and talents creatively to construct a piece of art to memorialize the 1961 visit of Martin Luther King, Jr to their school. His visit was a part of the Third Annual Lectureship for the Wesley Foundation, a Mankato State College student organization. While in town he gave two speeches, one at Centenary Methodist Church and one at Mankato High School. His speech at Mankato West was entitled, “Facing the Challenge of a New Age,” and focused on how the country could

move forward during a tumultuous time.

The students; Indya Campbell, Madelyn Vosburg, Elli Kim and Jolee Slechta saw a parallel between the civil unrest of the 1960s and our current political climate which made the project extra relevant. Elli Kim said, “I believe King knew that the problems he and many others faced would still exist for a very long time. We still see racism in everyday life, and as an Asian American student, I’ve experienced it firsthand.

The Black Lives Matter protests grew in strength in response to countless lives taken because of this racism.” The connection between the two eras in regard to social issues, along with the fact that few residents of Mankato, let alone West high school students, knew about the speech by Martin Luther King, Jr made the project timely and and important legacy for the seniors to leave behind. Indya Campbell said that she “...wanted to do something to make sure that all students and the community could be made aware of that.”

The mural, located on a wall outside of the auditorium, where Martin Luther King, Jr’s speech was given 60 years ago, was a group effort between students, teachers, the principal and even the janitorial staff who helped prep the space. Madelyn Vosburg described the initial proposal, “The idea for a mural representing Martin Luther King’s speech given at Mankato West in 1961

was brought up by fellow members of MOFF (Moving Our Futures Forward), a social justice group at West. Indya came to Elli, Jolee, and I in regards to putting together a design for the mural.

Indya and Aspen gave us complete creative freedom with the design, but we all knew we needed to represent the speech itself.” The group of student artists consulted with a fellow student,

Ronan Corely, and history teacher Mr Moore. Madelyn says this helped them, “...to capture a true representation of the speech in our mural, we wanted to truly understand it’s message and his words.

We analyzed the transcript of the speech and picked out quotes that stood out to each of us individually. We discussed the quotes that captured the speech’s overall message and identified their relevance to Women • MARCH 2021 • 13

today.”

The girls envisioned and brought the mural to life by themselves, keeping in mind the permanence and importance of the piece. They began by sketching out the piece, working on the color scheme and outlining the base of the mural on the wall. After the prepping was done they worked on the art installation together in-between their classes and in the evenings, with the painting portion taking about a month for them to complete. About the process,

Madelyn said, “I was definitely intimidated when I first started sketching out the ideas for the mural. I knew that this painting would be representing a piece of history and would be seen by many.”

KRISTEN R. PINETTE, CPA Inc.

Tax Preparation and Planning Names L to R are; Lynn Glaser(Enrolled Agent), Olivia Wallace(Administrative Assistant), Kristen Pinette (CPA) & Mandy Karl (Accountant)

1021 Madison Ave. Mankato, MN 56001 • (507) 388-7583 • www.mankatocpa.com

Relocating?

Houses

Apartments

Condos Townhomes 14 • MARCH 2021 • Women

Go to www.mankatofreepress.com Click the menu bar

Click “Classifieds”

Print | Online | Mobile

Buy and sell merchandise, homes, vehicles, pets and more.

Promote your services, garage or estate sale.

A one-stop location for classified listings.

For assistance call

507-344-6395

Women • MARCH 2021 • 15

Lul Omar uses her empathy to connect with new families

By Rachael Hanel | Photo by Pat Christman

L

ul Omar hadn’t been in her role at the YWCA for too long when she started working with a particular preschooler. His family did not speak much English, but he was so young he was like a little sponge. By the time he was in kindergarten, he could spell his nine-letter first name with ease, which greatly impressed his teacher.

The teacher asked, “Where did you go to preschool?” The child replied simply, “Lul.” 16 • MARCH 2021 • Women

Omar laughs at the memory, a deep, rich laugh that frequently punctuates her speech. While the child’s older siblings attended English language classes, he never had to because of that early education. He’s now in seventh grade and flourishing.

“Two days a week can change a life,” Omar says.

Omar was recently recognized for her 10 years working as a parent educator at the YWCA. She works with families and children of immigrants, supporting them in a variety of ways—

bringing books to the children, reading with them, providing backpacks and supplies, and getting the parents connected to resources such as English language education. Anything they might need, she’s on call.

“When you are supporting the child, you are supporting the community,” she says. A child who has access to education and a family who has access to resources is a child and a family who can contribute to the community.

Erin Kragh, who worked with Omar for about three years at the YWCA, says Omar is a bedrock of the YWCA’s mission.

“She’s dedicated 10 years to that organization and has seen it through many times of growth and change,” Kragh says.

Omar remembers what it was like to be a newcomer to the country and not speaking the language. This makes her empathetic to what new families are going through. She says she was lucky because she had a sister living here so she always had a place to stay, food to eat and someone to help her navigate the systems.

Omar moved to Mankato in 2009. She had been living in Atlanta with her family, three young daughters at the time. Her second daughter was born prematurely and then suffered from asthma.

The doctor suggested moving to a small town, a place with less air pollution than a city like Atlanta. Omar’s sister lived in Denver, but the high altitude would not have been good for her daughter’s asthma. Omar had a friend in Mankato, and once she learned more about the community she decided to check it out.

She moved to Eagle Lake and was the only recent immigrant at the playground with her young kids.

“Oh, people looked at me,” she says. But she says that everyone was kind to offer advice, especially for winter—what to wear, keep the gas tank full, etc.

She got involved at the Lincoln Community Center and then was invited to a YWCA event. The YWCA director at the time,

Anne Ganey, met Omar and then invited her to work there.

Kragh says Omar is an inspiration.

“One thing about Lul is that anybody who has the opportunity to interact with her sees that she’s a natural leader. She inspires people, she draws them in, she motivates them, she’s incredibly compassionate,” Kragh says.

Omar imagines the families she works with like someone going into an ocean without knowing how to swim. Omar is their lifeboat. What most people would consider small things end up making a huge difference in quality of life or communication. For example, one family experienced ice build-up in their doorway, which was not letting the door close completely. Omar told them to use a hair dryer to melt it. Another family did not have keyboarding skills. Not knowing what the “at” symbol is or how to use “shift-2” to create it makes it almost impossible to communicate via email.

“Something so small is of value,” Omar says.

If families find it difficult to locate food or shelter or English language education, life is going to be more of a struggle and feelings of hopelessness may sink in.

“That support is better for the whole community,” Omar says.

“Today’s kids are tomorrow’s leaders.”

Still, additional resources are needed. Omar says there’s a critical need for driver’s education training for immigrants, especially the women. The freedom to shop on their own schedule and not have to tote grocery bags on a bus would greatly increase their independence. Funding for driver’s ed classes can be hard for individuals to locate.

Omar sees in the Mankato area tremendous support for the YWCA and its mission.

“Thank you to the community for supporting the YWCA,” she says.

Women • MARCH 2021 • 17

Allen with a young patient

Clear Communication Allen gives kids the tools to connect and grow

By Katie Roiger | Submitted photos

R

evolutionary Nat Turner once said that good communication is the bridge between confusion and clarity. When we think of communication, we often think of work meetings, talking over the week’s schedule with a spouse, or maybe just having a long chat with a friend over a cup of coffee. One thing that each of those activities assumes is the ability to communicate at all. What if you had trouble understanding when your boss is being serious or when he is joking? Or, what if you wanted to tell your friend a funny story but couldn’t form the words?

“Language-speech pathology is a very broad field,” said Laura Allen, certified speech pathologist and founder of Let’s Speak for Kids in Janesville. “It also goes into social and pragmatic language skills, like understanding social rules – rules that most 18 • MARCH 2021 • Women

people are able to grow up acquiring and understanding, like when someone says hello, you’re supposed to say hello back.”

Speech-language therapists like Allen have a large bag of tricks depending on their client’s needs. Some people have trouble forming sounds due to physical reasons, others have trouble finding words to express their thoughts. Others have difficulty understanding others’ speech despite being able to hear, and still others need help learning how to interpret facial expressions and nonverbal cues.

“70 percent of communication, or more, is nonverbal inflections,” Allen said. “Something that kids and young adults right now are really having difficulty with is texting because you can’t look at the person or hear their voice.”

Allen first became interested in speech pathology when she

Therapy dog B ea

n

was a young adult herself. As a teenager, she saw her first sign language interpreter at a church service and was compelled by the idea of alternate communication forms. A short time later, she met a classmate’s mother, Sonia Ziemer, who worked as a speech therapist at her school.

“She’s an amazing lady,” Allen said about Ziemer. “You couldn’t find anyone with a kinder heart.” After graduating from then-Mankato State University with a master’s degree in Communication Disorders, Allen worked a series of shortterm jobs within the speech pathology field before being offered a position at her former high school, WatervilleElysian-Morristown Public Schools. Best of all, Allen got to work alongside her former mentor Ziemer.

After 18 years at Waterville-ElysianMorristown, Allen began feeling tired and unwell. When the feelings didn’t go away, she became worried about her ability to perform her job and contacted a doctor. The diagnosis was as disheartening as it was unexpected: Allen was developing fibromyalgia and chronic fatigue syndrome.

In the months to come, Allen said she relied heavily on her deep-rooted Christian faith to encourage and uplift her.

“God is great, God is good, and he has a plan,” Allen said. Her supervisor at Waterville-Elysian-Morristown gave her a 2-year medical leave while she pondered what to do next. While brainstorming,

she remembered a chat she’d had 5 years ago with a patient’s parent.

“She said, ‘Laura, I really think you should start your own private practice,’” said Allen. “I said, ‘Yeah, I don’t think so! Going out on your own is kind of a scary thing.’ But as I was sitting here on medical leave, I realized that full-time school just was not going to work for me anymore, but I can do part time, and I can have a flexible schedule in my own private practice.”

After chatting with her husband Scott and some trusted friends, Allen resigned from Waterville-Elysian-Morristown and turned her attention to starting her own practice. Her team of supporters helped her transform her barn into a therapy office, complete with a clinic area, 3 mini horses, a donkey, and a therapy dog in training. Let’s Speak for Kids was officially up and running by spring of 2020.

One of Allen’s favorite aspects of her private practice is the room her patients have to move around.

“I have found that movement incorporated into a speech-language program really does make a difference,” said Allen. “I have a young man who loves basketball and I’m able to get him to engage with me by giving him a basketball. We work on a couple of things, and then he makes a basket. He’s actively engaging his body and his brain when talking to me.”

In addition to traditional therapy methods, Let’s Speak for Kids also offers hippotherapy, a treatment tool

that involves interacting with and riding horses to engage a patient’s sensory, cognitive, and neuromotor systems. Allen had been interested in hippotherapy for years and jumped at the chance to integrate it with her practice.

“Hippotherapy is something that can only be completed by occupational therapist, physical therapist, or speechlanguage pathologist,” said Allen. “It’s not riding lessons: You are still working to achieve the same goal that you would in a traditional clinic, but you’re using the movement of a horse.”

Allen works with trainer Dennis Auslam from Redwood Stables to prepare the horses for patients to use. Once her barn’s arena is completed, Let’s Speak for Kids will house 4 full-sized horses, including a very special horse named Uno. “He is missing an eye, hence the name Uno,” Allen said. “Won’t it be fun for the kids to be on a horse that has a disability also?”

Although Allen’s job is to teach her patients new skills, she said that she herself learns something from her clients and fellow speech-language pathologists every day. She said that every interaction with her clients is a gift, and that she is thankful to her Savior for sending her this opportunity.

“I would not have this if it wasn’t for Jesus,” Allen said. “He is the cornerstone of this business.”

Women • MARCH 2021 • 19

Karla Jo Olson Broker

in Real Estate

Sales & Leasing 100 Warren Street Suite 708 Mankato, MN 56001

507-625-4606 www.lidcomm.com

Dar Vosburg

150 St Andrews Ct. Suite 520 Mankato MN 56001

Broker/Owner, CRS, GRI,

www.HomeRunRealtyMankato.com

Dar@MankatoHomes.com

20 • MARCH 2021 • Women

507-387-5545

Melinda Sturm Realtor®

507-382-1103

Melinda.Sturm@me.com

Kelly Miller Realtor®

507-995-8315

YourHomeMankato@outlook.com

World-class & local:

EXPERIENCE FIVE OF MARRIOTT’S TOP SPAS IN ONE STATE: ALABAMA After a round of golf, enjoy a relaxing massage or body treatment at a great

at Montgomery, the Spa at Ross Bridge in Hoover and the Spa at the Battle

Marriott spa. In North America, five of the top Marriott and Renaissance

House in Mobile are always highly ranked for pampering their guests. All

spas are found on Alabama’s RTJ Spa Trail. For guest satisfaction, the Spa

five of these spas are part of the RTJ Resort Collection and feature innovate

at the Marriott Shoals in Florence and the Spa at the Grand Hotel in Pt. Clear

treatments inspired by Southern Hospitality. Clearly great golf and spas

are consistently ranked in Marriott’s top 10. For Renaissance Hotels, the Spa

work well together in Alabama. Come experience them for yourself.

FLORENCE · HOOVER · MONTGOMERY · MOBILE · POINT CLEAR The

Resort Collection on Alabama’s Robert Trent Jones Golf Trail · rtjresorts.com/spacard

Women • MARCH 2021 • 21

E

!

N R O E T W N

For a chance to win either a $5,000 National Home Improvement Giveaway OR a $2,000 Gift Certificate good towards windows, siding or gutters

Contest runs now through Monday, April 5th, 2021 To enter go to

www.mankatofreepress.com/contests SPONSORED BY

The Free Press MEDIA

22 • MARCH 2021 • Women