Sheryl still puts her University of Iowa education degree to work even though she’s now retired from her 33-year education career in Iowa’s public schools.
Hall taught her students much more than Russian during her 16-years in foreign language classrooms at Marshalltown and Spirit Lake high schools. Many of her students went on to succeed in international and government careers due in part to her passion for the Russian language, people, and culture. She went on to earn a master’s degree and worked as principal at Spirit Lake High School where she helped implement college credit and advanced placement courses and collaborative decision making involving students, parents, staff, and community.
After retiring, Hall served as project liaison between the Spirit Lake schools and community during the design and building of the Sami Bedell Center for the Performing Arts, a 1,000-seat, state-of-the-art auditorium for the Spirit Lake Schools that opened in 2008. She also taught English at Laker Alternative High School through Iowa Lakes Community College, helped establish the non-profit Arts LIVE organization to promote the arts in the Iowa Great Lakes area, and continues to serve on the Friends of the Sami Center Board to bring high-quality, professional entertainment and educational programs to the community.
Currently, Hall is co-owner of Art on 16th, a creative gallery where remarkable local art is exhibited and sold and where her husband Hank, a retired art educator, teaches art classes and creates his own art. In its sixth season, Art on 16th is part of the growing arts scene in the Okoboji–Spirit Lake area. The Halls initiated the monthly First Friday Art Trek that brings artists and art enthusiasts together, and they continue their love of teaching and working with children and the community through their work at Art on 16th.
This is your Hometown Hawkeye.