Teacher killed in derecho lives on in scholarship awarded to former student with strong ties

When 17-year-old Jahnessah Rondell fell behind in her junior year at Lincoln High School, grieving the loss of a beloved grandmother, teacher Annie Lanning offered consoling words, humor and a lot of encouragement.

Five days a week, joining Dr. Tiffany Svennes, Lanning extended all that and more to every student who walked into the Patriot Post classrooms.

Rondell had turned the Patriot Post when she knew if she didn’t reverse her path in one of her required classes, she would fail and not graduate with her class this spring.

“She made me happy,” Rondell said, brushing away tears. “I would come into school, and if I didn’t want to do my work, she could talk to me for hours about books and different types of animals she liked and her son.”

Lanning had started teaching in 2002 after graduating from Mount Marty College in her hometown of Yankton. Her focus always was alternative education: Springfield Academy, McCrossan Boys Ranch and Teachwell Solutions. She had spent the day in her classroom on May 12, 2022, when a derecho hit Sioux Falls, and a tree fell on her vehicle, killing her.

In their grief, Lanning’s family and friends wanted to do something to honor woman described as a born teacher. As Lincoln principal Dr. Laura Raeder described her, “Just having a conversation with her, you always came out smarter than when you started. She was in the right place. This was the right profession for her.”

The decision was made to start a scholarship in Lanning’s name. The Annie Lanning “ALL the Words” Scholarship will be awarded for seven years, giving a student in the Patriot Post program $500. The first recipient: Rondell.

If Lanning knew Rondell had received a scholarship with her name on it, “she would be proud,” the Lincoln student said.

The idea of establishing a scholarship last year. The Lanning family tradition is to exchange gifts at Christmas, sister Shawna Peterson said. When Nicole Lanning, her brother David’s wife, suggested putting that money toward the scholarship instead, other family members reacted with enthusiasm.

“Dr. Raeder gave me all kinds of ideas,” Peterson said. “They have another legacy scholarship so there was a benchmark and a blueprint for us to use. People were incredibly helpful in getting the ball rolling.”

It was decided to offer the scholarship for seven years because that’s how long Finn Pearson, Lanning’s son with her husband Brian Pearson, will be enrolled in the Sioux Falls School District. He is a fifth grader now.

“He can follow this journey all the years he’s in school in Sioux Falls,” Peterson said. “Everything has to have a sunset. Dr. Raeder and Tiffany, they’ve been amazing throughout this process.”

Lanning and Svennes started the Post program for the 2021-2022 school year, Lanning’s first year at Lincoln. Every high school has a recovery program, Raeder said; the uniqueness of Lincoln’s program comes from the people who run it.

The Post provides a nontraditional way to help students recover the credits that may have been lost originally from Covid or because of other issues, Svennes said. It operates using a streamlined curriculum as well as online classes that students can use to catch up.

To qualify for consideration of the scholarship, Post students had to be graduating seniors and to write an essay—another salute to Lanning’s love of words.

“The kids were excited to know that she’d be remembered. That’s (where) the most enthusiasm was shown,” Svennes said.

Lanning would be pleased to know that Rondell was the first recipient, Svennes said.

“A huge difference has occurred from last year to where she’s at now,” she said of Rondell during Monday’s awarding of the scholarship. Earlier, Svennes had noted that Rondell didn’t really have a home in the school building. “Then she came to us and really rocked it,” she added. “She became a leader in the school and has received numerous accolades for her leadership.”

Rondell’s child-development teacher has relied on her this past year, and Rondell plans to continue her education in that area at Southeast Technical College (STC). Her goal is to open a day-care facility.

“I grew up with a bunch of little siblings and cousins. We were all kind of raised by my grandma,” Rondell said. “I got my love of kids from her. I want to help them learn. I’ll get my associate degree there and then only have to take business classes.”

Rondell learned over the weekend that STC had awarded her a full-ride scholarship. That means instead of using the “ALL the Words” Scholarship for tuition, it can go toward a computer, books and transportation expenses.

David Lanning, Lanning’s younger brother, spoke at Monday’s ceremony. He said the scholarship in his sister’s memory would help Rondell rewrite who she is. That can be true of all the Patriot Post students, he said.

“You are the author of your own story,” he told the Post students in attendance. “If you want to rewrite it, rewrite it every day.”

Donations still can be made to the “ALL the Words” Scholarship. Checks can be sent to the Annie Lanning Scholarship Fund at Lincoln High School, 2900 S. Cliff Ave., Sioux Falls, South Dakota 57105. To donate online, click on this secure payment link, select 008 scholarships and specify Annie Lanning Scholarship Fund in the memo.