Photo by Samantha Davis: Marshall High School biology teacher Holly Knudson is retiring after 36 years, and first came to Marshall in 1999 after teaching in Balaton and Granite Falls.
MARSHALL — In a career that spanned over three decades dedicated to educating students about life around us and caring for the planet, Marshall High School biology teacher Holly Knudson is retiring after 36 years.
“I will miss the kids. I’ll miss my colleagues. It’s never a dull moment, and it’s never the same thing from one minute to the next,” Knudson said. “I’ll miss that constant thinking on your feet. That’s what made the job fun, other than seeing them (students) learn, progress and get better not just academically, but also as a person.”
Knudson came to teach in Marshall in 1999 and never left upon first arriving. Prior, she got her first teaching job in Balaton in 1991 for six years, then had a two-year stint at Yellow Medicine East.
“It was a big cohort of teachers, there was a big turnover that year (when hired at Marshall in 1999). I think there were like 25 of us that started that fall,” Knudson said. “The whole staff here is really, really good. It was really fun to work here. In Balaton, we were like a family there, too. And in Granite, I was only there a couple years, but I (also) really enjoyed working there.”
Knudson taught biology among a few other science classes during her time in Marshall, and in particular enjoyed teaching about water quality and the delicacy of caring for the planet.
One of Knudson’s favorite memories over the years was a 15-year long water quality project she conducted with her students.
“We tested the river running through Marshall, the Redwood River. We brought in college professors … We’ve got quite a bit of years of water quality testing, because we started with the college in 2004, and we ended our last monitoring and mentoring was fall of ’19,” Knudson said. “It was good because it brought in the college students (too).”
Although teaching in the science department, Knudson also had a range of passions and experiences, who graduated college with a double major in biology and instrumental music education.
“I had three ideas when I went out to college. I knew I wanted to be a teacher in high school, and I wanted to do biology, instrumental music and band, or phy-ed (physical education),” Knudson said. “(I first got into biology) being in nature up at the (family) cabin a lot. Then, I had a really good biology teacher in high school.”
Knudson, originally from Osseo outside the Twin Cities, also spent time on the tennis coaching staff for Marshall.
“I was the assistant coach for eight years, then retired from that because I wanted to spend more time with my parents at our family’s cabin up in Wisconsin,” Knudson said, who also was head coach for three seasons. “I played tennis in high school and college … We went to nationals all four years, and in high school I went to state for three years.”
When it comes to what she hopes students take out of her classes, Knudson said, “Having students try to nurture their knowledge and love of nature and our planet, our role as humans on the planet and what we should be doing to make it livable for generations to come.”
A unique perspective teachers often encounter is seeing students grow into their own, which Knudson acknowledged as a pivotal motivator throughout her career.
“Definitely getting cards, letters and emails from them (students) after they’ve been out for a while, (saying) I inspired them to go into the medical career or be a teacher of biology also, and things like that,” Knudson said. “That’s probably the one coolest things about being a teacher.”
Knudson also made it a goal to spend time throughout her classes to get creative in her lessons and connect with her students on a personal level.
“I had a board that I wrote on frequently. Every day was different … My main quote up there was, ‘Everything you say or do now determines future opportunities,’” Knudson said. “I do play my guitar. I have songs and parodies that I sing that are science lyrics … That’s been a fun thing I’ve picked up about probably 15 years ago.”
Knudson said she doesn’t have set retirement plans, but may visit and work on the family cabin more often, perhaps get back into fishing and spend time with family.
Knudson joins math teachers Brenda Elton and Nonna Gutman as Marshall retirees this year, totaling up to 107 combined years of service between the trio.
“I really have enjoyed my journey,” Knudson said. “It’s time to maybe take a break and see what happens.”