Sen. Sandy Pappas: A Life Lesson Learned in German

Senator Sandy Pappas is typically seen on Twin Cities PBS answering difficult questions about votes and policies affecting the lives of Minnesotans across the state. In an about face, Almanac at the Capitol spent the 2018-2019 session dedicating a few minutes to getting to know personal histories of a few of Minnesota's lawmakers.  By setting out to discover what they were like while they roamed the halls of their high school lawmakers reveal how who they were drove who they have become.

In her 'Back to School' segment Senator Pappas reveals: though she was a thespian through and through singing was never her forte, she had a love for the humanities, and her German teacher taught her a valuable life lesson.

Provided the opportunity Senator Pappas singled out three former teachers. Her theater and humanities teachers opened up a world of possibilities to her, but it was her German teacher who, through the course of one interaction, taught her so much. Pappas recalls she was ill-prepared for a German lesson and when she could not do as her teacher instructed her teacher said, "Ich bin sehr enttäscht", this translates to 'I am very disappointed in you'.

To this day Pappas says she remembers that when people have high expectations of you and you don't meet them you can really disappoint people.