Inductees in Education

"A good teacher is like a candle - it consumes itself to light the way for others."- Mustafa Kemal Ataturk

As the school year begins again, we wanted to feature some of the amazing inductees in the field of education in South Dakota. Teachers are the backbone of society. They dedicate their lives to the next generation and do amazing work to make sure their students thrive. Like many other past and present inductees, there are some exceptional individuals doing extraordinary things to mold the dream chasers of tomorrow. In fact, two of our newest inductees into the Hall of Fame are doing amazing things in the education system here in South Dakota. Glenna Fouberg, Bruce Long Fox, and Mike Cartney have joined a long line of exceptional educators here at the South Dakota Hall of Fame.

Glenna Fouberg is known in the state as “Mrs. Education,” an innovative educator with a firm commitment to helping students on the margins of the state’s education system. She evolved Aberdeen’s Alternative Learning Center, where she changed the trajectories of hundreds of lives. Glenna extended the ALC to middle school, the Juvenile Detention Center, and the New Beginnings Center (a home for at-risk youth). She mentored other school districts on creating alternative education programs. South Dakota recognized her as Teacher of the Year in 1994. In 1998 she was appointed to the State Board of Education where she served 19 years, four as president.

Bruce Long Fox has dedicated his life to the belief in the power of education to change lives. As the Executive Director of Rapid City-based Rural America Initiatives (RAI), he has developed and managed educational programs that have impacted the lives of approximately 9000 at-risk Native American children, from newborn through high school. He accomplishes this through educational programming that is grounded in the traditional Lakota values of respect, compassion, honesty, generosity, humility, wisdom and a relationship with a higher power. Bruce works to break the cycle of poverty by giving vulnerable children a sense of identity, pride and belonging and the tools to succeed in school.

Mike Cartney is an exemplar Champion of Excellence for South Dakota. He is passionate about his life’s work and even more compassionate in its delivery. Retiring as a highly decorated Colonel, Mike had the opportunity to go further but had a longing to return to South Dakota and give back to the state that had always supported him. His return home was an exciting chapter in his life as he was hired for the position of Vice-President, and eventually President, of Lake Area Tech. His foresight on technical education was exceptional and he began progressively turning the tide for South Dakota. 

Judy Olsen Duhamel has been a lifelong advocate for the school system in Rapid City. In 1972 Olsen Duhamel was appointed and served on the state board of education for 11 years, and once her 6 children had entered college, she went back to school herself and earned a masters degree in Education Administration from South Dakota State University. She was hired to supervise the Adult Education/Community Education/Public Information office for the Rapid City Schools, where she served for eighteen years in this position. In 1988 Olsen Duhamel ran for State Senate and won, serving four exciting years advocating for education. To this day Judy Olsen Duhamel is still involved in a variety of programs and continues to impact the lives of so many.

So many of the Inductees of the South Dakota Hall of Fame are legends in the field of education. We are deeply proud to honor these and many more Inductees who have made an impact through education. View our Inductee Directory to learn about more Champions of South Dakota.