article written by Cindy Ducharme, Red Lake Falls School District
First recipient of Lois Ludwig Memorial Scholarship is substitute teaching in Ms. Ludwig’s same district
Lois Ludwig, a former teacher for the Red Lake Falls School District, passed away in 2018 at the age of 98, but her memory will always be a part of Lafayette High School.
Upon Ms. Ludwig’s death, the school district was notified that she left $360,000 to be donated to the school to set up a scholarship fund for future students.
The first scholarship from her fund was awarded to Brooke Knott, a 2019 graduate of Lafayette High School.
Lois Ludwig taught for 34 years, spending the majority of her career as a fourth-grade teacher at Red Lake Falls school.
When Brooke was younger, she wanted to become a teacher: Her mom, aunt, and uncle all were teachers within the school district. That changed, however, when she got older and participated in Mrs. Kennett’s weightlifting class, where she found she had an interest in kinesiology and exercise physiology.
In August 2022, Brooke earned her bachelor’s degree in exercise science along with a minor in psychology.
“Exercise science is the study of how exercise effects a person’s fitness and health,” Brooke said.
She is currently working on her master’s degree in clinical exercise physiology, which is where physiologists analyze a patient’s medical history to create the best and safest exercise/fitness program and also help patients recover from chronic diseases while improving their overall fitness.
After Brooke graduates, she plans on working in cardiac rehabilitation. Cardiac rehab is a supervised program for people who have had heart issues. The goal is to aid recovery and improved quality of life while reducing the risk factors for recurring events.
Though Brooke didn’t end up getting a degree in teaching, she is teaching. Brooke is a substitute teacher at Lafayette High School while she is completing her master’s degree online.
“Since I am currently completing my master’s through an online program, I was able to move back to the area,” she said. “Subbing is very flexible with my school schedule. There is also a great need for substitute teachers in our area. It is fun to interact with the students, especially since I know or am related to many of them.”
Brooke said that there are pros and cons about teaching in her hometown.
“I played sports with some of this year’s seniors or babysat some of the students in the lower grades,” she said. “Some of them I coached in summer recreation when they were younger. I often have my younger brother or cousins in the classes I sub for. It can be fun, but also hard to hold authority when it’s with people you know closely.”
When asked what it meant for her to receive the Lois Ludwig Scholarship, Brooke said, “The scholarship has been extremely helpful with tuition and book expenses, especially as it is a scholarship that you can receive years following. Lois Ludwig was a very influential person within our schools during her time as a teacher. I feel honored to have been the first recipient of this memorial scholarship.”
The Red Lake Falls School District appreciates the chance of giving the Lois Ludwig Scholarship to their most deserving student each year. To support the scholarship, please visit THIS LINK.
