Everyday family activities led Tina Petronek to be named the 2021 Luverne Education Association’s Friend of Education.
Petronek has been a media center paraprofessional at Luverne Elementary School since 2014.
“What could be better — working in something you enjoy (library/reading) and at the same place your children go to school (holidays and summers off with them),” she said.
Petronek’s efforts to help elementary students find joy in reading and learning hasn’t gone unnoticed.
The Friend of Education nomination form listed several statements as to why Petronek is the 2021 Friend of Education recipient.
“Our library looks and feels amazing because of her.”
“She takes the time to make the library a place where students can do and experience books.”
“Her contributions include writing grants and updating our library.”
“Her ability to read a story out loud brings about squeals of delight from her audience.”
“Her primary motivator: ‘Is it good for the kids?’”
Petronek’s original motivators were her own children and her husband, Mike. Annabelle, 21, lives in Eugene, Oregon, and Kaitlin is a senior at LHS.
The couple moved to Luverne in the summer of 2006. A year later Petronek was a substitute for Community Education’s Discovery Time Program while she attended an evening parent/child group with her daughter.
For the 2012-13 school year, Petronek signed on with Reading Corps and was a literacy tutor for students in kindergarten through third grade.
Petronek said she didn’t plan a career in education.
“My family always pushed for me to be a teacher,” she said. “I was firmly against it.”
Petronek grew up in Talmo, Georgia, and graduated from Jackson County Comprehensive High School. She attended college at the Art Institute of Atlanta, earning a degree in video production.
She worked for the Centers for Disease Control and Merial where she added graphic design and interactive CDs to her résumé.
“Once we moved to Minnesota, we weren’t close to a big city like Atlanta and those types of jobs are not plentiful in this area,” she said. “I stayed home with my youngest daughter until she started school.”
With her daughters, Petronek was an avid reader, craft maker, nature adventure seeker and, as a result, became a member of the Rock County Library Board. She helped with the summer reading program and the teen book club.
Petronek also became a Girl Scouts leader.
“That is where I came to the full understanding that home life is not the same for all children,” she said. “Things I did every day with my daughters were non-existent for some kids.”
Under Petronek, many of those experiences were included in the elementary library including a comfy reading area and a “maker space,” where students are challenged to complete an art project without instructions.
“Most of all, I want them to come away from the library feeling like they have met someone who cares about them,” she said. “Someone who is happy to see them. The library is special in that way.”
The coronavirus pandemic has made the library less special lately, however.
During distance learning this spring, when students learned from home, Petronek recorded herself reading books and sent the link to teachers. Because the coronavirus germs may be retained on materials, the library no longer has a comfy zone or a maker space.
Cleaning now takes up much of Petronek’s time as each book is disinfected and sits in “quarantine” for at least three days before being placed back on the shelf. During story times, Petronek reads one short book to students positioned six feet apart from each other.
She continues to make students’ time in the library special with dry erase activity sheets as they wait to check out books.
“I am receiving this honor, but I didn’t earn it on my own,” Petronek said. She credits her family, community members, support staff and teachers for ideas and support.
“I never do anything with the goal of recognition in mind. I do it because I see a need or because I want to, because I enjoy doing it. Being recognized makes me feel like I have turned out to be a decent person and maybe I am making a difference in this life of mine.”