Pride
Saturday, March 24, 2012
People
Teacher, playwright, volunteer Stephen Viessman believes in giving back to the community page 4
A S TA R - H E R A L D P U B L I C AT I O N
W W W. S TA R H E R A L D . C O M
From small school to big success
Empty nesters to full house
For the love of helping others
Doing what she loves best
Community Christian School thriving after 24 years
Scottsbluff couple adds to family through adoption
Palomo connects with community through Scouting, tennis
Dedication to duty keeps court magistrate happy
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Photos by Roger Holsinger
Nancy Escamilla and Deb Carlson sit in one of the new reading cubbies in the new children’s library holding “Plaiderpillar” dolls that the two describe as happy monsters that welcome young readers to the Lied Scottsbluff Public Library.
They love the world of reading, and it shows By ROGER HOLSINGER Assistant Editor
They go by many names and variations. They even answer to each other’s names, especially when a younger reader sees them outside the library. To the two of them, that’s just an added benefit of the job. Deb Carlson and Nancy Escamilla said they can’t imagine doing anything other than inspiring young people to read and take advantage of the services offered at the Lied Scottsbluff Public Library. Carlson serves as the children’s librarian and supervisor of public services, while Escamilla is the young adult librarian. The two are instrumental in organizing and participating in the library’s summer reading program, and have implemented new programs designed to encourage children of all ages to read. Carlson is marking her 34th year at the library. She began as a library clerk in 1978. Carlson (Harsin) was born and raised in the valley, graduating from Gering High School in 1973. She attended and graduated from Graceland University in Lamoni, Iowa, with a Bachelor of Arts degree in elementary education and a minor in library science and English. After graduating, she returned to Gering and taught one year of kindergarten
Photo by Roger Holsinger
Travis Miller said the experience he gained during his two years on the Potter-Dix Public Schools Board of Education, and what he learned from Potter-Dix Superintendent Alan Combs, inspired him to someday become a superintendent.
Miller keeping the family tradition going By ROGER HOLSINGER Assistant Editor
Each year the two librarians visit kindergarten classes in the Scottsbluff Public School District and talk to young students about the importance of reading and encouraging them to come to the library and get their own library card as part of the Kinder-Card program.
at Gering Valley School, south of Gering, while still working at the Scottsbluff Public Library. Then she was offered more hours at the library and had to make a choice. “It was a tough decision, but I figured I could touch more lives being at the library,” she said. Carlson worked at the desk and helped the public, and when possible,
helped Marjorie Russell, the children’s librarian. In July of 1978, Carlson married Clay, a graduate of the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, who was employed at the University of Nebraska Panhandle Research and Extension Center. In 1983, Carlson took over as the children’s librarian and that same See LIBRARY, page 8
BAYARD — At 18, Travis Miller became the youngest Potter-Dix school board member ever elected in either school board’s history and possibly the state. He said the experience he gained during his two years, and what he learned from Potter-Dix Superintendent Alan Combs about the positive impact a superintendent can have on a school district and education, made him want to become a superintendent. Miller, 33, accomplished his goal last summer when he was hired as the superintendent for Bayard Public Schools. But for Miller, education seemed to be the most logical step. Both his parents, Larry Mike and Nancy, are career educators. But both also discouraged him from going into education.
“They wanted me to become a physical therapist,” he said. Both of Miller’s sisters — Lisa and Amanda — are educators and many of his aunts and uncles are educators. His two older stepbrothers are also educators, including Mike who is a math professor at Moorhead State in Minnesota. Miller was born in Gordon. Shortly afterward, the family moved to a farm near Dix, where his parents taught and coached for the school district. He graduated from Potter-Dix in 1997 and attended and graduated from the University of Nebraska at Kearney with a bachelor’s degree in education and an endorsement in social science in 2001. He earned his master’s in education administration from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln in 2005. From 2001 to 2003, Miller See MILLER, page 3
Kara Rada sees her job as much more than a teacher By ROGER HOLSINGER Assistant Editor
Kara Rada doesn’t see herself as “just a teacher.” While teaching is her main objective, she’s also a counselor, coach, director and mother. Rada, who is in her tenth year as the high school speech and theater drama instr uctor for Scottsbluff Public Schools, said the thing she enjoys most about teaching is her students. “This is going to sound a little corny, but every day this job allows me to show unconditional love and support for every one of my students because many of them have never experienced that in their homes. I’ve had adults tell me that I’m immature, but I like to think of it as being young at heart. I really enjoy the company of my students,” she said. Kara (Siegfried) Rada was born and raised in Bayard, the oldest child of Karen and John Siegfried. She has two younger brothers, Eric and Shane. Karen taught third grade at Bayard Elementary School for 30 years and John had his own plumbing business. “I used to go out on service calls with my dad,” she said. “It wasn’t like I wanted to learn the business, I just loved spending time with my dad.” While in high school, she was
Photo by Roger Holsinger
Rada said that she enjoys her job as the high school speech and theater drama instructor for Scottsbluff Public Schools because she sees her students as more than just students, but also as an extension of her family. Here, she works with Tyler Hanson, left, Amy Colburn, sitting, and Kaylie Smith during drama class.
active in many activities, including choir, show choir, drama, volleyball, track and basketball. “I still hold the school record for fouling out of every basketball game my junior year,” she said with a smile.
After graduating in 1985 she attended the University of Nebraska in Lincoln on a full ride vocal performance scholarship. “After a semester, I knew I had the wrong major. Deep down inside I knew that I wanted to be a
teacher,” she said. She sang soprano three years with the university’s prestigious Scarlet and Cream Singers, but unbeknownst to her, her singing career would not last. After years of singing improperly and strain-
ing her vocal cords, she began developing nodules on her vocal cords, which are similar to calluses. About 12 years ago, she was finally diagnosed and had to quit singing. “Not being able to do that type of performance art really directed me toward speech and drama,” she added. She graduated from UNL in 1989 with her elementary education degree and, through a job fair, was recruited to teach in Lake Havasu City, Ariz. She taught third grade and kindergarten for two years each. “In my first third-grade class I had 36 students and no teacher’s aide. Then I taught two half-day kindergarten classes and had 31 in each class with no teacher’s aide. I don’t know how I did it,” she said. In 1990, she met and later married another teacher at the school, Dave Rada. In 1993, the couple and their son, Zac, moved to Mitchell to be closer to family, and Kara began teaching kindergarten. The family increased with daughters Zoey and then Zaidee. She also took over the high school speech program and started the one-act performances. She and Brad Ronne also took over the musical tradition at the high school. See RADA, page 2