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Bailey Lagge was recently named to the University of South Dakota’s (USD) Class of 2023 30 Under 30. In 2018, the USD Alumni Association started this recognition program. The 30 Under 30 recognizes young USD alumni that are making an impact in both their professional and personal lives. The program recognizes achievements in the areas of professional success, community service, and/or university involvement. Lagge is a 2018 graduate of USD where he majored in elementary and special education with a minor in middle school mathematics and coaching. Bailey was born and raised in Corsica. He chose USD after graduating because of the university’s reputation for having a great elementary and special education program which was what Lagge wanted to study. The professors in the education department that he met during his college visit were fantastic and helped convince Lagge that USD was the right place for him. Plus, it was only two hours from home, making it possible for Bailey to attend the activities of his three younger siblings. Teaching 4th grade for the Avon was his first job out of college. He has been a part of the Avon community ever since. There were a few reasons that he chose Avon right out of college. Bailey wanted to be within a couple of hours of Corsica due to a family members health complication and to be able to visit. Upon graduating college, he knew that 4th-6th grade was his preferred classroom to teach, which is exactly what Avon had available at the time. The staff and community members that Bailey had met were kind and helpful, but the main reason that he chose to teach at Avon was because Mr. Tom Culver was the superintendent. Everyone that Bailey had talked to had only great things to say about the kind of administrator Culver is. Having a supportive administration was very important to Bailey because he knew that would translate into being more comfortable in his position. Growing up with an in-home daycare ran by his mom, Bailey was always around and interacting with kids. Couple that with his love of learning new and interesting things, the thought of him being an elementary teacher seemed like a good career path as made his way through high school. Bailey had a phenomenal teacher, his fourth-grade teacher Sheryl Muckey, that also inspired his desire to pursue a career as a teacher. Lagge was fortunate enough in high school to be able to spend his study halls helping in the elementary classrooms, which solidified his career decision. Lagge really enjoys STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Math) and incorporates lots of hands-on experiments and labs into his classroom. He tries to relates his lessons to real-world situations that his students may face in the future. In his classroom, he has had his students do building projects, coding, and even cut open cow hearts (thanks to Southside Meats) just to name a few of his classroom activities. Bailey is very active outside of his classroom. He is the head coach of the boys’ basketball team; this is his fifth season as head coach. He is also a junior high track coach and is a member of the PBIS (positive behavioral intervention and support) school committee. For Bailey, becoming a coach was natural. He has always had a love of sports, so getting to share his love of sports with students while teaching and training them was a natural fit. Bailey’s coaching philosophy is that playing sports teaches so many more lessons than just how to play the particular game. Being a part of a team and playing the game, instills characteristics that will make students successful throughout their lives. He enjoys being a part of the students’ process and watching them work hard, improve and succeed. The best part about coaching for Lagge is the relationships that he develops with the athletes and watching them grow both on and off the court. Bailey is the oldest of four having a brother and two sisters. He also has a very big extended family. Watching and attending sporting events consumes most of his free time. He does enjoy spending time with his friends and family. When Bailey finds the time, he likes to cook and play cards and board games. Bailey may not know exactly why he was named to the 30 Under 30 list, but as an outsider looking in it is clear why he was named to the 2023 class list. He exudes the reasoning behind the 30 under 30. His love of kids, teaching and coaching has a huge impact not only on his professional and personal life, but the lives of the kids that have crossed his path. He is an innovative teacher that is also very active in the Avon community, giving his time and sharing his knowledge and experience with his students and athletes. Congratulations, Bailey, on being named to the USD 30 Under 30. It is a well-deserved honor.