Grad Spotlight: Karl Erickson

Karl Erickson grew up in Osseo Area Schools, attending Fair Oaks Elementary School and North View Middle School before graduating from Osseo Senior High School (OSH) in 2003. He now works serving the same community he grew up in as the Woodworking and Youth Programs Manager for Elpis Enterprises, a 501c3 that helps homeless impacted and at-risk young adults learn new and valuable career skills, mentorship and training to prepare them for a career of their choice.

After graduating from OSH, he joined the MN Army National Guard and was deployed several times between 2004 and 2011. Following his service, he then went to school on the G.I. Bill at Concordia University in their K-12 Physical Education and 6-12 Health Education program. After graduating, he taught physical education for six years before beginning his position at Elpis Enterprises. 

As the Woodworking and Youth Programs Manager for Elpis Enterprises, Erickson works with interns in the program to learn basic carpentry skills around woodworking, creating bird feeder kits from throwaway cedar fences. They then go out into the community 180 times per year to work with over 8,000 elementary aged kids, teaching them to use hammers and drills to succeed in building their birdhouse projects. In his position, he has spearheaded the The Land of 10,000 Diverse Fourth Grade Birdwatchers and 10,000 Ice Anglers projects. Through this project, Erickson has helped students gain a better appreciation and passion for nature, such as birdwatching and fishing, and gain confidence learning new tools and equipment, including fishing poles, hammers and drills, to create unforgettable memories as part of a school day.

“One thing  I find to be exciting is that I went from a former educator at one school to now supporting over 200 teachers from over 70 schools all over the Twin Cities with our 10K Bird Watchers and 10K Ice Anglers projects, helping get their classrooms excited about nature,” Erickson said. 

One of his favorite parts of his job is when the interns he works with get hired after their 12-week program with Elpis Enterprises into home contracting or other trade level positions, or get hired into youth programs or childcare. He enjoys being able to work not only with the interns but with elementary students, because of their optimism and energy. 

“I've worked in a variety of youth program roles from parks and recreation, child care, teaching and now at Elpis and throughout that journey building relationships and finding ways to help kids create memories has been a real joy and blessing,” Erickson said. 

Erickson feels that his greatest achievement has been never letting the achievement of one day be the end. While funding for his projects is difficult, he has continued to find partners and write grants to be able to continue providing students with these unique opportunities. He hopes to continue to partner with the district and surrounding schools to get as many students involved as possible, and is always open to any teachers that want to collaborate with him.

Erickson has found that the relationships he built while a student in the district have helped him be successful with the initiatives he has put into place today. He still remembers some of the teachers who shaped his educational journey, including Bill Quan, his science teacher at the time who was always upbeat and high energy and made the topic worth diving into, and Kim Dukich at Fair Oaks, who he said was the kindest soul and created an interest in being optimistic and excited for whatever was going to happen.

“When you take the time to realize that every positive relationship you can make, even if it's only for a moment, can come back and help you down the road. People won't remember what you may have said to them, but they'll remember how you made them feel,” Erickson said. 

If Erickson had one piece of advice for seniors who are graduating this spring, he would tell them to go out and find some adversity, try something new and hard and gain some new insights and perspectives. 

“From failure comes great triumphs,” Erickson said. “Set big goals and go learn the process for achieving those goals. Be ready to fall down, dust yourself off and get back up ready to keep trying.”