Milken Educators: Where Are They Now? (Part 1)

Dr. Angie Besendorfer (MO ’96)

Then:

At the time of her award in 1996, Dr. Angie Besendorfer was a teacher at the Nevada R-5 Storefront School, an elementary alternative school serving at-risk fourth graders in Nevada, Missouri. She went on to hold several key positions in Missouri education, including assistant superintendent of Joplin Schools in Joplin, Missouri, where she was a leader in the recovery efforts after an EF-5 tornado hit 10 schools, destroying five.

Related Connections article: Aftermath of Devastation Fosters New Formula for Success 

Now:

After 23 years in teaching and several more honors (John C. Maxwell Leadership Award Top 100, Governor's Leadership Coin recipient and Tri-State Business Journal Most Influential Woman), Angie now focuses her efforts on administration of innovating digital learning as Chancellor of the non-profit, competency-based online college Western Governors University Missouri (WGU).

In her own words: 

“I was so young, having just started my seventh year of teaching, when I received this awesome, unexpected and life-changing award. My first response was ‘They must think I'm doing something really great so I’d better get started.’ 

“I used the award money to earn my master’s degree, which launched my career into administration. Many doors opened because of my association with the Milken Family Foundation and I have had an amazing journey. It has been a privilege to serve students and families in seven communities and now across the great State of Missouri. I have been teacher, elementary principal, professional developer, special services director, assistant superintendent and superintendent before this job found me. The really great story about becoming chancellor for WGU is that I was at a National Milken Educator Conference in the late 1990's when I first heard about Western Governors University. I believe my connection as a Milken Educator was an influencing factor in being selected.  

“Over the years, I have had many wonderful opportunities as a Milken Educator.  First, I have my Milken friends across the country, whom I have learned from and shared with so that students and teachers win on both accounts. It has been great to connect with them when they happened through Missouri or on my travels and at conferences. In addition, our Missouri Milken Educators have close connections with the state commissioners of education where I believe our group had real influence on what happened for our students. I've served on commissions and been invited to write articles. I participated on a team that studied what motivates award-winning teachers to improve. I've presented at national conferences and traveled internationally for my job. I've introduced other educators to visionary thoughts in education by bringing them as a guest to the conference or taking them to tour the Lowell Milken Center for Unsung Heroes. Sharing the blessing of being a member of the Milken family has been wonderful. The greatest honor was when, due to extenuating circumstances, I was asked to step in to organize a notification for one of our new Missouri Milken Educators. That was awesome!

“I believe our lives are a culmination of the many experiences that we have along the journey. The fact that I was selected at such a young age and have been able to cherish this relationship for almost 20 years is incredible. I was exposed to visionary thoughts about the possibilities in education and believed they could and should happen because that is what our students deserved. This exposure had a major influence on my thinking and as a leader I have said many times, we have to dream it to become it.  We often chatter about how we can fix things and my latest question is "What would it look like if we REALLY meant it?"  My Milken experience influenced me as a visionary and helped me lead innovation in my corner of the world. I had no idea at the time that my name was called that my future had just been launched in a way that would allow me to dream bigger and touch more lives than I ever imagined.”