 A teacher in the Brainerd School District has recently been nominated for 2019 Minnesota Teacher of the Year. June Dahlgren is one of only 168 teachers in the state to be a candidate for that Teacher of the Year award. Dahlgren is an early childhood special education teacher and has been working in the district for the last 23 years. Teaching is her second career after originally going to school to be a dental assistant and she's excited about being up for this award. It's real passion for me having been a second career and having personal experience in the early intervention so if my whole focus was if I can make a difference to one child and one family then I've done my job and that's what I want to do make a difference in a child's life. Semifinalists for the 2019 Teacher of the Year will be chosen at the end of February and then finalists will be named at the end of March. If you enjoyed this segment of Lakeland News please consider making a tax-deductible contribution to Lakeland PBS.