Growing up in Portage, Mandy Nelson always followed her passions. After briefly leaving the Region to teach in Indianapolis, Nelson returned to Portage to leave her impact on the community.
“I left the area to teach in Indy for a few years, and then an opportunity just arose for me to come back for family,” Nelson said.
Now, Nelson teaches special education at Colonel John Wheeler Middle School in Crown Point. Nelson enjoys spending time with her students and helping them succeed in any way that she can.
“I love to problem solve so that my students can become more functional in society, to thrive more in society, and to push inclusion to get them to be with their general education peers and be able to learn amongst them,” Nelson said.
Nelson has always held an interest in education, specifically special education. This interest stems from both her personal experiences in her family as well as the experiences she had during her own school years.
“My uncle had special needs growing up, and I always volunteered in the peer tutor program at school,” Nelson said. “It was something that I was always around, and I grew interested in it.”
In addition to teaching, Nelson also coaches track & field. Prior to COVID-19, Nelson was a coach for the Special Olympics Track & Field Team.
“I did Special Olympics track & field for my students who wanted to participate in athletic games or sports but didn't have the functional skills, so I started volunteering with track & field Special Olympics to open more opportunities for them,” Nelson said.
Unfortunately, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Nelson’s school was unable to host its Special Olympics. However, Nelson did not let that discourage her or her students and instead helped to create the track & field inclusion team.
“We were pushing for more inclusion, so I brought up more inclusion ideas to the regular track team after we realized we couldn’t have our Special Olympics. The head of the track team was on board, so we started going that route,” Nelson said.
The inclusion team allows Nelson’s students to more closely interact with their general education peers in an athletic setting.
“I don’t think I have a favorite thing about coaching; I’m not the most athletic person, but I’m all about finding different ways for my low-level ability, special need kiddos to be able to be included with their Gen Ed peers,” Nelson said.
Nelson also enjoys volunteering with Lakeshore PAWS.
“I volunteered for years when I lived in Indy at shelters and rescues. When I moved back here, I was trying to find a place to help out because I wasn't in a place to foster,” Nelson said. “I came across Lakeshore PAWS, and I thought about going there. Then I went to Town & Country Market at the time in Portage, and they had an event there, so I started talking to other volunteers and decided to help out.”
Nelson finds herself gravitating towards the dogs who need extra help and support, and she enjoys being able to help these dogs find their forever homes.
“I like working with the needier dogs that might need a little more help, those who aren't showing up and getting adopted in two days,” Nelson said. “Dogs who may be there for several months and become more stressed, which can lead to behavior issues and whatnot. I like to help them calm down and show the positivity of those dogs when people come to adopt.”
When she isn’t teaching, coaching, or volunteering, Nelson can be found working on her new home that she is building in Portage, running, golfing, or trying new restaurants and wineries with her friends.