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Birth of Amy Jo Cunningham
On July 30, 1975, Amy Jo Cunningham, was born to Dan and Brenda Cunningham at 4:35pm at Mercy Hospital in MN. A fifth generation child whose parents were only 17 years old, Amy was the first born of three children, and the oldest grandchild on both sides. This may be the reason she has a strong sense of responsibility and a love of children, as she began babysitting her siblings and cousins at the age of 10. Father was a member of the U.S. Army, so Amy and her family moved a lot until she was 5. -
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Amy Rapp Lifemap
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Holy Sacrament of First Communion at Epiphany Catholic Church
After two years of CCD classes, going to church every Sunday with my family, and receiving the Sacrament of Reconciliation, I had the honor of receiving Christ into my life through the Sacrament of Holy First Communion. This was the beginning of a lifelong relationship with God. While my relationship with God has gone through ups and downs, my faith has grown as my responsibilities and leadership roles have increased. I try to please God in all that I do. -
First job at Blaine National Sports Center
At the age of 14, I was hired at the National Sports Center in Blaine. My responsibilities were to set up for sporting events, take down and clean up after the events, clean the dorms after athletes visits, maintenance of the facility. During my time at the Sports Center, I learned responsibility, respect for authority, how to work well as a team, and began to understand how to handle conflict with colleagues. -
Hired at the Chicken Shack
When I turned 16, my dad came home with a car, gave it to me and said I owed them $1000. My job at the sports center didn't pay much, so I looked elsewhere. As an employee at The Chicken Shack, my responsibilities started as a food preparation and clean up. However, in short order, I was asked to be the closer and the lead for the night shift. I was still going to high school during this time, so I quickly learned time management and organizational skills. -
High School Graduation
Through much hard work and determination, I graduated with honors from Coon Rapids High School. My goal for post high school education was to go to college to become an accountant. As a cardinal, I was involved in DECA, worked at the school store, and went to state with my softball team. Teamwork, dedication, hardwork and committment were traits that continued to grow for me. -
Banner Engineering
After attempting a few classes at Anoka Ramsey Community College, I found I could not afford to continue my education. Reluctantly, I took a full time position at Banner Eng. as an assembly worker with my grandmother. Teamwork was a skill that was necessary, as was a focus on detail, precision, and speed. I worked hard, and quickly moved up in the company to a position in customer service. My strengths for building relationships, problem solving, and attention to detail continued to grow. -
Married Charles B. Rapp
This is the day I married my best friend. The man who inspires me, believes in me, and pushes me to always be my best. He is the reason I was able to follow my dream and become a teacher. I believe God had a plan to put this man in my life. Without Charley, I do not know where I would be. His humor, love, support, honesty, and above all integrity, have shown me what a leader is. He is well respected in his field, sought out by many for guidance and leadership. I love him with all of my heart. -
Ryan Daniel Rapp was born
My life changed today. I became a mother to an amazing young man. Ryan was an unexpected gift from God. Some of Ryan's strengths are compassion, honesty, strong work ethic, and an incredible memory. He has a gift for music, plays the piano, trombone, and guitar, and sings with the school choir. Ryan is on the autism spectrum and has anxiety. He is a great example of overcoming extreme odds to succeed in school and life. He shows me everyday what unconditional love is, and I could not be prouder. -
Graduated from The College of St. Catherine
I graduated today with a B.S. in Elementary Education. My husband, mom and dad, grandma, and son were in the audience to support me as I walked across the stage to receive my diploma. My dream of being a teacher is becoming a reality. I owe so much to my family for making this dream come true. I am the first in my family to graduate from college. Now to teach future generations to become well-rounded, educated, productive citizens. What an honor! -
Sarah Beth Rapp was born
The dear lord blessed my husband and me with the birth of our second child, Sarah Beth. She is a spirited, intelligent, witty, caring young lady who brings joy to our lives with her amazing sense of humor, charm and artistic abilities. She loves dance and music, and is passionate about ALL lives matter. I learn from her every day. I strive to be a good example for her, to let her know there are endless possibilities for her, and to leave the world a better place for future generations. -
Hired at Mississippi Elementary
After two years of substitute teaching and a year of teaching second grade in the Elk River School District, I was hired as a Title 1 teacher at Mississippi Elementary. After a year, I became a 4th grade teacher, and ended my time at Mississippi as a 5th grade math teacher. Throughout my tenure, I took on leadership roles such as grade level teacher leader, building leadership team, intervention team, and cultural responsive teaching committee. -
Received Masters Degree from St. Mary's University
After teaching for a few years, the realization that there is so much more to learn in order to best meet the needs of my students led me to pursue a masters degree. My love of learning, building relationships, and pushing myself to be better are my motivation, along with the incredible feeling that comes along with the sense of achievement I felt when I completed my undergraduate studies. I want to be the best teacher I can be. My desire to be a leader in education is kicking in. -
Successful completion of ESL Licensure through Hamline University
As the number of English Language Learners continued to increase in my classroom, so did my feelings of inadequacy. This led me to pursue an ESL license. The skills I learned through my coursework at Hamline not only supported me in educating my ELL students, but also allowed me to support other teachers in my school and in my district. My leadership skills continued to improve. Such a wonderful feeling when children and adults succeed! -
Became an Instructional Coach
After much encouragement from my husband, coach and colleagues, I applied and accepted a position as an Instructional Coach. In this role, I continue to learn from my colleagues about instructional strategies while supporting them in various ways. I am trained and certified in ENVoY coaching, and continue to take on more leadership responsibilites for my principal. The leadership provided by my principal is outstanding. I decide to apply to the Doctorate of Education program at Bethel Univ. -
Received K-12 Reading Licensure from Hamline University
My love of learning and desire to improve my knowledge and skill set move me to continue learning and pursue a licensure in reading K-12. Currently an instructional coach, I feel inadequate to support teachers in the area of reading having taught only math for the past 7 years. The courses at Hamline provide me with skills to support teachers and students in becoming successful readers at all levels; as well as developing effective lesson plans and intervention strategies. Increased leadership! -
Accepted to Doctoral Program at Bethel University
I am extremely excited to begin my journey to a doctorate at Bethel University. Having heard wonderful things about the program and facilitators from my principal and other colleagues, as well as the fact that it is faith based, assures me that this is the next step for me in becoming an ethical educational leader. My first residency was inspiring and humbling, and I still have so much to learn. God bless this program, the facilitators, and my colleagues on this journey with me! Amen!
