About Our EL Teachers

Mr. Brown

My name is Paul Brown and I’m a Kindergarten EL teacher here at Prairie!  I joined the team during the 2019 – 2020 school year.

I have a bachelor’s degree in intercultural studies from the University of Northwestern, St. Paul and am currently getting my Master of Arts in Teaching at Bethel University.

I speak conversational Chinese and can read and write some in Chinese. I love my potential future hobby of traveling. I like learning about other cultures and languages. I enjoy being with family and friends. I also enjoy hanging about with my dog, Edmund.

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Mrs. Dominguez

Hello! My name is Kesia Dominguez an EL teacher at Prairie Elementary. I am originally from Laredo, Texas and obtained my bachelor’s degree from Texas A&M International University. I have taught 1st grade for four years and was a Title I teacher for one year. I relocated to Worthington in the summer of 2018, one of my favorite things to do is play in the snow with my family.

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Mrs. Eichenberger

Hello! My name is Jasmine Eichenberger and I am a Kindergarten EL teacher at Prairie Elementary. I am from Worthington and graduated from WHS in 2015, attended MN West and graduated with my associate degree in 2018. I worked for the Nobles County Integration Collaborative (NCIC) from 2016-2018 as a Bilingual program aid. After that, I started working as a Special Education Paraprofessional for Prairie Elementary. I graduated from SMSU with my bachelor’s degree in May 2023. I am excited to continue to be a part of District 518!

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Mrs. Frigen

My name is Nikki Frigen. I am a 2nd grade English language teacher. I graduated from the University of Mary in Bismarck, ND with my bachelor’s degree in Early Childhood Education and Elementary Education in 2003. In addition, I received my master’s degree in 2010 in English Language Learning PK-12 from Western Governors University in Salt Lake City, UT.

Before coming to Prairie Elementary in 2011, I taught in Incheon, South Korea for three years. I taught English to kindergarten and elementary aged students. I enjoy teaching very much because every day is an adventure and I enjoy seeing my students learn.

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Mrs. Nordseth

My name is Mrs. Nordseth. I am a 2nd Grade EL Teacher. I received my B.S. from Moorhead State University, MN and my Master Degree from Mankato State University, MN.

I started working for the district in 1994. As I work, I enjoy watching children’s faces light up when they learn something for the first time and watching them grow socially and academically.

I enjoy spending time with my family, outdoor activities and traveling to new places.

 Contact Mrs. Nordseth


Mrs. Phillips

My name is Mrs. Phillips. I teach 1st grade ESL (English as a Second Language) to our language learners. I have taught in Worthington since 1993. I graduated from the University of Northern Iowa with an Elementary Teaching Degree and an endorsement in reading. I received a Masters in Education through St. Mary’s University Winona in 1996. I then earned my license in ESL in 1998. I also was a trained Reading Recovery teacher for 10 of those years. I enjoy most seeing the growth children make in their learning. It is a great feeling to know I had something to do with that. I really enjoy working for this school district. We have such a great dedicated staff.

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Mr. Suggitt

I began my professional career in the Worthington School District in 2023 and I could not be any more excited. I have been in the educational field in many capacities over the last few years in Arizona and I am blessed to now be a 2nd Grade EL teacher at Prairie Elementary. I have been privileged to learn from many different cultures and I am excited to gain more of those experiences with this wonderful community.

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Mrs. Varley

Hello! My name is Mrs. Varley and I teach kindergarten language learners. I graduated from Iowa State University and Southwest Minnesota State University with an elementary education degree, ESL endorsement, and Masters in educational leadership. This is my 18th year as a teacher. Each year brings new adventures and every day is fun! I have two sons in high school and I enjoy attending their activities. I’ve lived in Minnesota for 18 years but I’ve lived in Ohio, Missouri, Iowa, and South Dakota too!

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Mrs. Woitalewicz

My name is Samantha Woitalewicz and I am a 1st Grade EL teacher at Prairie Elementary. I graduated from MNSU Mankato in 2012 with an Early Childhood Degree and began teaching in Worthington in 2013 as a Kindergarten teacher. I taught kindergarten for 5 years, was home raising my kids when they were young for 4 years, and began teaching 1st grade EL in 2022. Making connections with each of my students and ensuring that they know how much I care about them is most important to me in my classroom.

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