Beloved Teacher Honored Nationally for Lifetime of Dedication

For 40 years Mrs. Brigitte Brucklacher has been more than just a teacher - she has been a mentor, a role model, and an inspiration to generations of students. From launching the school-to-work program to championing seat belt safety and breast cancer awareness, her impact reaches far beyond the classroom walls.
Though she once dreamed of being an archaeologist, Mrs. Brucklacher's path led her to interior design and ultimately to a lifelong career in education, influenced by her own former teachers, Nancy Ekstrum and Linda Kuchenbecker. Over the years, the name of the program she teaches has changed, but her passion for guiding students has remained constant.
That passion was recently recognized on the national stage. In December, Mrs. Brucklacher traveled to San Antonio, Texas, to receive the prestigious PRIDE Award, a distinction given by her peers from across the country. Nominated by colleagues in South Dakota, she was honored as the national recipient - a testament to her unwavering commitment to education and student success.
Her dedication doesn't stop when the school day ends. She is a lifelong learner herself, reading an astonishing 163 books in 2024, all while balancing her roles as a teacher, wife, mother, and grandmother.
Despite all of her accomplishments, Mrs. Brucklacher keeps her message to students simple: "Have a good weekend, and buckle up."
When asked about her guiding philosophy, she shares a mantra that has shaped her jouney from a little girl in Milesville to an award winning educator: "It's not WHAT is your legacy, it's WHO is your legacy." And for the countless students she has inspired over the past four decades, that legacy is clear.