Sandy Belkengren

Make sure you take advantage of the opportunities you are given. Pay attention in school. Once you have a good education, you can do anything in the world. Be respectful and generous. Pay it forward and pay it back.

Sandy Belkengren

My name is Sandy Belkengren. My students know me as Mrs. B. I was born at Swedish Hospital. I was 7 pounds and 24 inches long when I was born. My family lived in a fourplex by Elliot Park in downtown Minneapolis.

My dad was a policeman and owned three apartments. I didn’t dare do anything bad for fear of him finding out. At the time when women didn’t usually work, my mom worked a split shift. She worked at the phone company during the day and she volunteered as president of the PTA in the evening. My mom always stressed the importance of getting a good education.

I went to Washington Elementary School. The teacher who influenced me the most was Mr. Buchanan. I was supposed to go to Phillips for Junior High but my dad didn’t want me to go there. So, we moved to a house in south Minneapolis and I attended Roosevelt. During that time I was elected president of the Science Club, though my teacher had to double check the ballots in disbelief that a girl was elected

Back then girls had different rules than the boys. Girls were expected to take home economics and boys took shop. I wasn’t like the typical girl who played with dolls. I liked to play football with the boys and run and play in the dirt. I was a tomboy.

I went to college for science and math. Soon after, I received a call from the alumni office offering me a full scholarship if I went into physical education, so I changed my major. I figured I like being outside, so I thought it would be a good thing to teach Phy Ed. When you have a job you like, you never work a day – you only play. It’s important to do things you’re happy about.
While going to school I worked at the Red Owl making five dollars an hour. But, my first job was at the bakery in Southdale Mall making seventy-five cents an hour. During my summers I worked many other jobs as a Girl Scout counselor, a life guard and working for Richfield Parks and Recreation.

My first teaching job was at Roseville in St. Paul. A man offered me a job at Richfield when I was already contracted to teach at Roseville. I decided to take the job in Richfield and I taught physical education here for 35 years. At the time when I started, there were 1,600 students.

I love working with students. I still sub in Richfield and I also serve as a school board member. I serve as a liaison for the middle school and report the good things I see. I also love working with Golden Retrievers. I volunteer at Retrieve a Golden of Minnesota. I do home visits to check out the homes and families of foster families.