Amazing Members

AMAZING MEMBERS Char and Suzy Fight Hunger

What constructive and productive task would you undertake during a global pandemic? That question was easily answered by Charlotte Linquist, a thirty-year member of MN Alpha Rho. After experiencing the challenge of finding books that enabled her students to practice their reading skills, enjoy a fun, fact-filled story and have a great learning experience, she decided to write the book that incorporated all of those qualities. And so, “Suzy the Hungry Gull” was created.

Char, as she is known by family and friends, taught for forty years in South Washington County School District #833, a suburban district southeast of St. Paul, MN. She was the Title I Coordinator (K-6) and taught kindergarten through fifth grade during her career. She says third grade was her favorite. Her husband is a retired secondary teacher and coach, and they are the parents of twins, Jeff and Cindy. Cindy, a Marketing Campaigns Manager at OKTA, an Information Technology security company, is an “amazing artist”, according to her mother, and the illustrator of her book. Using watercolor pencils, Cindy complements the words of her mother with authentic images. Marie Gibbons, MN State President, calls the book “a collaborative piece of art.”

A portion of the book sales will be donated to Feed My Starving Children in the name of Alpha Delta Kappa. Suzy is now available on Amazon. Feeding America states that one in five children in the United States is struggling with hunger issues. Char’s concern for these children was the focus for the theme of her book. She has dedicated Suzy to these children. Suzy, the herring gull, tells the story of hunger and how her brothers saved her life. Other themes include sibling love and loyalty and survival. Throughout the book, the reader has the opportunity to learn about herring gulls. This innovative teacher has had years of experience disguising learning through the use of fun activities and is pleased that children will learn so much about herring gulls by reading.

“A big learning experience,” is how Char described the past year of writing and trying to get the book published. She and her daughter decided to “self-publish” with some assistance from BookBaby, an online service for authors.

Char Lindquist and daughter Cindy with Suzy the Hungry Gull

Connecting With Sara

Helping people make connections is what Sara Armstrong, CA Alpha Alpha, is all about.

“Telling our stories, sharing in our communities- where we live, where we work, in organizations such as A∆K, even online in Zoom events - adds to understanding and helps build a caring, peaceful world for us all,” she explained her involvement in projects that promote connections.

In her latest book, A Pathway to Well Being: Helping Educators and Others Find Balance in a Connected World, Dr. Armstrong and her co-author Susan Brooks-Young explain the six elements - gratitude, positivity, focus, empathy, kindness and movement - necessary to wellbeing. “When we support well-being, all our lives are enriched,” she says. Sara and Susan will discuss the research behind the topics, activities for including them in our lives and the ways technology can help or hinder the practices during a symposium session at the International convention.

Sara, who is serving her second term as chapter president, retired after 48 years in education as a teacher, principal, curriculum developer and presenter at professional conferences and workshops. Her doctorate from the University of California, Berkeley is in the philosophy of education. She established and led a Montessori elementary school in Hayward, Ca.

Storytelling and playing the ukulele are two of her favorite activities. The Hawaiian sisters introduced her to and taught her to play the ukulele. She, in turn, interested her husband Robert in learning the instrument. They take lessons on Zoom, and Sara plays weekly with a group of eight women.

As a classroom teacher, she told stories and encouraged her students to tell stories. Her interest grew, and now she is the chair of the Storytelling Association of California. The Association created the program “Stories in Living Color,” pairing diverse tellers to address issues of racism and prejudice through shared stories. Sara is a whole-hearted participant.

Her interest in technology and its impact on students and learning began in 1980 when she and her students participated in a pilot project in which schools that didn’t know much about the use of technology were paired with schools that were pioneers with it. They used an interactive book talk.

Sara joined A∆K in 2006. She says she stumbled across the organization while on an Internet search for something else. She has been a co-sponsor for ITE student Eli Ugarte.

“We are all richer in the connections we make on and offline,” Sara reminds us.