Rhonda is a Health Education Teacher at Roosevelt High School in Sioux Falls, South Dakota.  She facilitates the learning of her students and expects all of her students to be equally accountable for the learning that takes place in her classes.  She draws students toward her as they discuss youth problems, goal setting and pertinent issues.  Rhonda has a genuine concern and caring for young people throughout the world.  Traveling to the remote bush of Cameroon, Africa was a life changing experience for her as she learned more about the HIV/AIDS crisis.  Rhonda and her students have raised thousands of dollars to help send African children to school, and her presentation “Heart of Africa” continues to educate people about this health issue.

Rhonda leads curriculum development projects within the Sioux Falls School District as department head and director of curriculum re-writing committees.  She is a consultant and trainer for the South Dakota Department of Education, developing teacher trainings in the area of Health Education Standards and Assessments.  Rhonda is a State Representative Team member to the national Health Education Assessment Project (HEAP), becoming the first teacher in the United States to use the HEAP’s Web-based Assessment System.  She is a member of her state and national AAHPERD organizations, presenting extensively both locally and nationally.  Giving back to her community as a fundraiser and by volunteering for a variety of organizations is a passion she holds close to her heart.