Get to know Milaca High School’s Hall of Fame inductees

Milaca High School (MHS) recently announced a group of nine alumni to be inducted into its Milaca Hall of Fame.

While the induction ceremony is scheduled to take place on Saturday, Oct. 12, the Union-Times plans to introduce each inductee to the community through a series of articles leading up to the ceremony.

Each article will contain two candidates, with the last article containing three, and they will inform the community about the candidate and why they were selected for the Milaca Hall of Fame through their accomplishments. The candidates will be introduced in alphabetical order by first name.

The first two candidates to be inducted into the Milaca Hall of Fame this year are Erin Schenk and Jacquelyn (Packard) Johnson.

Erin Schenk

Dr. Schenk graduated from MHS in 1998. She spent her high school years as a member of the National Honor Society and earned multiple academic letters. She participated in volleyball, basketball, speech, and was a state entrant with the MHS mock trial team.

Schenk received a master’s degree and PhD from Rochester Mayo Clinic Medical Scientist Training Program. Her thesis work focused on the adaptive immune response to cancer antigens. She completed her internal medicine residency and fellowship at Mayo Clinic, and is currently the assistant professor of medicine, division of medical oncology at the University of Colorado Anschutz in Denver.

The Schenk Lab is part of the Thoracic Oncology Research Initiative at the University of Colorado. Dr. Schenk works to understand the immune cells within tumors and how specific subtypes can contribute to treatment resistance to improve therapy for patients with lung cancer.

Schenk’s specialties include hematology, medical oncology and internal medicine. Her education and training reaches across the country with professional memberships that now include the American Association for Cancer Research, American Society of Clinical Oncology, and IASLC.

She has worked with numerous grants and research projects working with cancer patients and oncology, including her focus on internal medicines. Lung cancer treatments and patient care are the focus of her research facilities in Colorado.

Jacquelyn (Packard) Johnson

Johnson graduated from MHS in 1998. While in high school, she was involved in National Honor Society, cross country (captain and multi-year letter winner), all-conference cross country, track and field (captain and multi-year letter winner), honorable mention track and field, a multiple academic letter winner, mock trial state entrant, all-conference band on the French horn, French horn state section music contest, marching band, student council and basketball.

Johnson graduated from Bethel College in 2002. While there, she received a bachelor’s degree in political science and a bachelor’s degree in communications. She attended Bethel University Graduate School to receive her teaching license in grades 5-12 Communication Arts & Literature.

While in college, she earned her way to the Dean’s List, was recognized for an outstanding senior thesis, continued her cross country and track and field career, and was a part of the American Studies Program and Internship in Washington, D.C. spring semester 2001.

Johnson’s career began in retail, where her coordinating and management skills flourished. She began as a GAP Kids assistant store manager and this evolved into her time at Crown College as an adult graduate studies program instructor and assistant cross country coach. She then spent time with the Team Ortho Foundation as a product development manager, senior event director, and volunteer coordinator. Johnson has also worked with Ryder Cup, managing and leading the volunteer operations for the 2016 Ryder Cup at Hazeltine National Golf Club.

Johnson served as special events coordinator for the 2019 Men’s Final Four and 2018 Super Bowl LII. She has worked as a business support consultant with Wells Fargo in the Wells Fargo Enterprise Complaints Management Office. She is currently a business execution consultant with Wells Fargo, where she has worked for the past four and a half years.

Johnson has received the following special awards: The Department of Homeland Security Community of Excellence Award for Super Bowl LII, the Minneapolis Police Department Chief’s Recognition for Excellence, and she was a Minneapolis Police Civilian of the Year Finalist 2018.

Johnson serves as vice chair on the school board for Waconia Public Schools since 2019, and previously volunteered as a Waconia PTO member, a Girl Scout leader, a community education coach, a Twin Cities Jazz Festival volunteer coordinator, and JDRF fundraising.

Johnson lives in Waconia with her husband, and high school sweetheart, Jarod Johnson. The couple has four kids together: Tobey, 19; Ethan, 17; Ben, 15; and Ameliya, 13. Bailey, the family’s Bernese mountain dog, joined the family two years ago and she has become the center of everyone’s attention. When Johnson isn’t busy strategizing at work, she can usually be found enjoying time with her family, friends, and walking the dog.

Schenk and Johnson will be inducted into the Milaca Hall of Fame on Saturday, Oct. 12, alongside seven other inductees.

The induction ceremony will begin with a social hour at 10 a.m., followed by a brunch at 10:30 a.m., and the ceremony will begin at 11:15 a.m. Each inductee will speak about their accomplishments during the ceremony.

Information about the remaining seven inductees will be included in the Union-Times in the coming weeks leading up to the induction ceremony.