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Two St. Olaf College alumni were named finalists for the 2025 Minnesota Teacher of the Year award, selected from more than 140 applicants statewide. 

Katelyn Wright Bruce ‘10, a second grade teacher at Lake Harriet Elementary in Minneapolis, and Christoph Dundas ‘08, the band director at Austin High School, were recognized among the 12 educators honored this year. Both credit their St. Olaf experiences for shaping the values they bring to their classrooms. 

“It’s amazing that two out of the 12 finalists are Oles,” says St. Olaf Professor of Education Heather Campbell ’90, who also chaired the award’s selection panel. “It makes me proud of the work we do here, not just in the teacher education program — because one of these alums is not a product of our department — but across the college. Our graduates bring a thoughtful, well-rounded approach that’s incredibly important in education today.” 

The Minnesota Teacher of the Year program, now in its 61st year, is administered by Education Minnesota, the union representing teachers, school support staff, and higher education faculty across the state. The process includes public nominations, applications, essays, recommendations, video submissions, and interviews. The goal is to recognize educators who not only excel in the classroom, but who can also serve as public advocates for the profession. 

For Bruce, the path to teaching wasn’t traditional. A political science and women’s studies major at St. Olaf, she first found her passion for education while working as a literacy tutor in Minneapolis’ Little Earth Native Community. 

“I found that my greatest contribution to our city could be made through my presence as an educator in our public schools,” Bruce says.

Now in her 11th year with Minneapolis Public Schools, she exercises what she calls a “warm demander” approach — combining high expectations with genuine care. 

“Small kids are so much more capable than adults give them credit for,” she says. “I consistently find that my students excel both academically and socially-emotionally when I allow them the opportunity to take on responsibilities and topics that many other adults consider ‘too tough’ or out of their competency.”

A key part of that approach is fostering a classroom where students aren’t afraid to stumble. 

“Mistakes are welcome and encouraged in our classroom, because that is how we all take risks and grow in all aspects of who we are,” Bruce says. “I point out many mistakes daily that I make, and they take so much joy in reassuring me that it’s only helping me grow. I want kids to feel comfortable enough to risk failure over and over, because they know that they are supported here. We are a community that lifts each other up and welcomes everybody at the exact place that they are.”

Bruce sees her finalist recognition as an opportunity to advocate for public education.

“In the current political climate with regard to education, I felt strongly that people need to know that good teachers teach in public schools,” she says. “My main motivation was to shine a positive light back on the amazing things that are happening in our public education system right now, even in the face of the current administration’s attempts to privatize access to education. It’s an important time to be a proud public school educator and parent. Fair and free access to high-quality education for all children is a foundational principle of democracy and we, as teachers and advocates, should be vocal in our refusal to give up the classroom and curriculum to the powers that seek to censor it.” 

Dundas also took an unconventional route into teaching — one that, he admits, started with a desire for a campus parking permit. 

“As anyone on the Hill knows, there isn’t much parking at St. Olaf,” he says. “I had a cheap car that I bought in 11th grade, but I didn’t fall into any of the categories that could get a parking permit. I discovered that education majors could get parking permits so they could drive to nearby schools for observations. So, I took Educational Psychology.”

However, Dundas soon warmed to the discipline.

“As the semester went on, I discovered that I found [education] very interesting,” he says. “I declared an education major, and made a deal with myself that whenever I stopped enjoying the music ed classes, I would switch to whatever else I wanted to do. Now, after two more years of college and 16 years of teaching, I ask myself that question every year and realize that I still enjoy working with students.”

That commitment to students, informed by a “relationship-first” philosophy that prioritizes student well-being, has guided Dundas through moments of doubt and challenge — including after the death of his eldest daughter in 2021 and in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic’s disruption to music programs. 

“Personally, I think the Teacher of the Year process feels like a validation of my shifts in teaching,” he says. “Every year I consider where I could do the most good, and every year I return to teaching because it still feels like that place.”

In Austin, Dundas has worked to remove barriers to music education, securing more than $425,000 in grants to build an inventory of 850 school instruments. 

“Removing financial barriers has moved us closer to equity in opportunities,” he says. “Equity led to greater inclusion, and inclusion has built greater diversity.”

Both Bruce and Dundas credit their time at St. Olaf with fostering the perspectives they now bring to their work. Bruce points to her study-abroad experiences in London and South Africa as pivotal, teaching her the importance of representing diverse identities and cultures in the classroom. Dundas recalls the rigor of his education and the mentorship of music faculty like retired St. Olaf Band Conductor Timothy Mahr ’78, who helped him develop the work ethic he now strives to instill in his students. 

Campbell says the values of a liberal arts education are evident in the approaches of both alumni. 

“Our students are critical thinkers, they’re curious, and they’re committed to working with young people,” she says. “Those qualities are essential not just for success in the classroom, but for serving as a public voice for teachers and schools.”

While the 2025 Minnesota Teacher of the Year has been named, the recognition of Bruce and Dundas as finalists places them among the state’s most outstanding educators.

“They’re doing good, hard work in their communities every day,” Campbell says. “That’s something worth celebrating.”