Darren Ellwein, the school principal at South Middle School in Harrisburg, was named the Middle School Principal of the Year by the South Dakota Association of Secondary School Principals this year.
Ellwein previously taught special education and social studies before working in administration in the Lennox School District for seven years and at South Middle School for the past 10 years.
In college, he first studied pharmacy, then nursing, thinking he would follow in his mother’s footsteps, as she served as a nurse in the Yankton area for more than 40 years.
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But one day on campus at Augustana University, Ellwein saw an advertisement for an opportunity to serve as a lunch and playground supervisor at Laura Wilder Elementary School.
“All of a sudden I started realizing, I love working with kids, and kids were…
