Moments in Time
Moments in Time is a weekly series featuring recollections of area residents. To suggest someone to feature in Moments in Time, please contact Mary Jane Grenzow, editor, at editor@themonroetimes.com.
MONROE - For Lisa Hendrickson, life has been about finding her passion and chasing it - wherever that may be.
She's always been interested in others and has spent her career, and now her retirement, helping students, teachers and people learn, care and connect with others by traveling and taking in other cultures.
By doing so, Hendrickson said, she's learned to enjoy the moment instead of thinking of the past or planning for the future - a new way of life for her, too, she said.
Hendrickson was born in Wisconsin Dells, before it was the tourist attraction it is today. She's proud to say that her family was among the original settlers in that area. Her great-grandfather came at age 13, a Civil War soldier who turned into a nationally-known panorama photographer. Her family stayed in the photography business, and in 1998, family members gave his entire collection and original studio to the historical society; they're proud it's now a known historical site.
"It's a great family story," Hendrickson said, with one of her great-grandfather's large panoramas hanging behind her.
The small town where everyone knew everyone still holds a special place for Hendrickson - she has sisters who still live on the land where she grew up, and she enjoys visiting and reconnecting with nature and the river she loved so much as a child.
The 1970 Wisconsin Dells High School graduate said she was a good student and enjoyed high school - at that time, there were no sports for girls and instead she focused on music and band. She worked as a waitress and really didn't have a plan after high school but decided to attended Lawrence University in Appleton - a small, private college.
"That was a fabulous experience for me," she said of Lawrence, noting that she was exposed to all kinds of people there. During her sophomore year, several of her friends were traveling abroad to study. She decided that she knew Spanish well enough and would go to Spain to do the same.
"I didn't really know Spanish then," she laughed. "I thought I did."
But the trip was what clinched her decision for her major and eventually her career. She loved the experience, the people and the culture and immediately wanted to learn more. She would study abroad again before she graduated.
"It was amazing," she said. She was learning the language quickly and her interest in the culture unfolded. She wanted to stick with it, and teaching seemed a great avenue for her to continue that.
She landed her first job in Kenosha as a bilingual and cultures teacher - but she never felt comfortable there and still wasn't sure she wanted to teach. In 1977, she took a job in Bloomer and worked there until 1979 as the Spanish and part-time Title I reading teacher.
Then a position opened up in Monroe for a full-time Spanish teaching position. Hendrickson had a sister living in Blanchardville and felt that taking the job and moving to Monroe would be a great way to be close to family and do what she loved.
"It was wonderful to be full-time Spanish," she said.
Monroe was soon home for Hendrickson. She met her husband, Andy, a Blanchardville native. She would stay at the school teaching for more than three decades - 31 years total.
The program in Monroe has grown immensely and Hendrickson said she has enjoyed being part of that. She was a big influence in expanding the middle school language program, and today eighth-graders in Monroe are able to take a language class.
While teaching, Hendrickson became a large part of incorporating exchange programs with both students and teachers that are still going strong today. She started Costa Rican exchanges, modeled after the German language teacher's Germany exchanges. She has taken groups of both students and teachers starting in 1994-95, and students still go every other year. Hendrickson led 12 of the exchange trips, with two being teacher exchanges.
She also works with AFS and has since 1982, after being asked to become the student advisor. The group started in Monroe in 1963 and has brought 144 exchange students to Monroe and sent 47 to other countries. Hendrickson's biggest job is finding host families and checking on visiting students to ensure all is running smoothly.
In 1981-82, Hendrickson served as the camp counselor at a Spanish Language Immersion Camp.
"It really shaped my teaching and my philosophy of language and learning," she said of the camp she loved. She was the song leader at the camp, and she often used songs in her classroom to teach.
Hendrickson said during her teaching career, she worked hard, putting most of her energy and time into her classroom. She enjoyed her colleagues greatly and loved the professional connections and the inspiration that developed between the teachers.
Hendrickson still serves as a World Language consultant and has given presentations at conferences around the country. She plans a summer institute each year for teachers in the state.
When it was time to retire, Hendrickson said she was ready. Today, although she hasn't given up all of her activities, she loves making her own schedule. She has done some long-term substitute teaching and regular subbing at the district and said it's always fun to get back into the classroom.
Traveling is a huge part of her life and something she still loves to do. For her, not feeling like a tourist but living in someone's home and forming relationships with other people and being part of their culture is something special. She said it teaches people to not judge but instead to work and understand the differences in all of us.
She and her husband have done several cruises and plan them fairly regularly; she said her husband is the perfect traveling partner. In March, Hendrickson is planning to travel to Costa Rica again with friends. She said she loves the culture there, the pure joy of the people and the lack of being on time for anything.
She also volunteers when she can and has been part of the Optimist Club for several years in Monroe. She loves movies, modern literature and any good writing.
"Find your passion and follow it," Hendrickson said of what she hopes for others. "I'm not sure that everyone has that opportunity. I'm really lucky that I did."
She's always been interested in others and has spent her career, and now her retirement, helping students, teachers and people learn, care and connect with others by traveling and taking in other cultures.
By doing so, Hendrickson said, she's learned to enjoy the moment instead of thinking of the past or planning for the future - a new way of life for her, too, she said.
Hendrickson was born in Wisconsin Dells, before it was the tourist attraction it is today. She's proud to say that her family was among the original settlers in that area. Her great-grandfather came at age 13, a Civil War soldier who turned into a nationally-known panorama photographer. Her family stayed in the photography business, and in 1998, family members gave his entire collection and original studio to the historical society; they're proud it's now a known historical site.
"It's a great family story," Hendrickson said, with one of her great-grandfather's large panoramas hanging behind her.
The small town where everyone knew everyone still holds a special place for Hendrickson - she has sisters who still live on the land where she grew up, and she enjoys visiting and reconnecting with nature and the river she loved so much as a child.
The 1970 Wisconsin Dells High School graduate said she was a good student and enjoyed high school - at that time, there were no sports for girls and instead she focused on music and band. She worked as a waitress and really didn't have a plan after high school but decided to attended Lawrence University in Appleton - a small, private college.
"That was a fabulous experience for me," she said of Lawrence, noting that she was exposed to all kinds of people there. During her sophomore year, several of her friends were traveling abroad to study. She decided that she knew Spanish well enough and would go to Spain to do the same.
"I didn't really know Spanish then," she laughed. "I thought I did."
But the trip was what clinched her decision for her major and eventually her career. She loved the experience, the people and the culture and immediately wanted to learn more. She would study abroad again before she graduated.
"It was amazing," she said. She was learning the language quickly and her interest in the culture unfolded. She wanted to stick with it, and teaching seemed a great avenue for her to continue that.
She landed her first job in Kenosha as a bilingual and cultures teacher - but she never felt comfortable there and still wasn't sure she wanted to teach. In 1977, she took a job in Bloomer and worked there until 1979 as the Spanish and part-time Title I reading teacher.
Then a position opened up in Monroe for a full-time Spanish teaching position. Hendrickson had a sister living in Blanchardville and felt that taking the job and moving to Monroe would be a great way to be close to family and do what she loved.
"It was wonderful to be full-time Spanish," she said.
Monroe was soon home for Hendrickson. She met her husband, Andy, a Blanchardville native. She would stay at the school teaching for more than three decades - 31 years total.
The program in Monroe has grown immensely and Hendrickson said she has enjoyed being part of that. She was a big influence in expanding the middle school language program, and today eighth-graders in Monroe are able to take a language class.
While teaching, Hendrickson became a large part of incorporating exchange programs with both students and teachers that are still going strong today. She started Costa Rican exchanges, modeled after the German language teacher's Germany exchanges. She has taken groups of both students and teachers starting in 1994-95, and students still go every other year. Hendrickson led 12 of the exchange trips, with two being teacher exchanges.
She also works with AFS and has since 1982, after being asked to become the student advisor. The group started in Monroe in 1963 and has brought 144 exchange students to Monroe and sent 47 to other countries. Hendrickson's biggest job is finding host families and checking on visiting students to ensure all is running smoothly.
In 1981-82, Hendrickson served as the camp counselor at a Spanish Language Immersion Camp.
"It really shaped my teaching and my philosophy of language and learning," she said of the camp she loved. She was the song leader at the camp, and she often used songs in her classroom to teach.
Hendrickson said during her teaching career, she worked hard, putting most of her energy and time into her classroom. She enjoyed her colleagues greatly and loved the professional connections and the inspiration that developed between the teachers.
Hendrickson still serves as a World Language consultant and has given presentations at conferences around the country. She plans a summer institute each year for teachers in the state.
When it was time to retire, Hendrickson said she was ready. Today, although she hasn't given up all of her activities, she loves making her own schedule. She has done some long-term substitute teaching and regular subbing at the district and said it's always fun to get back into the classroom.
Traveling is a huge part of her life and something she still loves to do. For her, not feeling like a tourist but living in someone's home and forming relationships with other people and being part of their culture is something special. She said it teaches people to not judge but instead to work and understand the differences in all of us.
She and her husband have done several cruises and plan them fairly regularly; she said her husband is the perfect traveling partner. In March, Hendrickson is planning to travel to Costa Rica again with friends. She said she loves the culture there, the pure joy of the people and the lack of being on time for anything.
She also volunteers when she can and has been part of the Optimist Club for several years in Monroe. She loves movies, modern literature and any good writing.
"Find your passion and follow it," Hendrickson said of what she hopes for others. "I'm not sure that everyone has that opportunity. I'm really lucky that I did."