Thorson earns top teacher honor

Lisa Thorson is the teacher of the year for Owatonna Schools.
Lisa Thorson, a physical education teacher at Wilson Elementary School, has been named Owatonna’s 2025 Teacher of the Year by the Owatonna Education Association.
In recognizing Thorson, the OEA said her “commitment to the well-being and development of her students exemplified the invaluable contributions of our educators.”
A native of Moorhead, she is a graduate of the University of Minnesota with a degree in physical education and kinesiology.
Thoreson has been a teacher in the Owatonna School District since 2008.
“I’d say my favorite part about teaching is having the opportunity to see kids grow and develop their skills and confidence throughout their entire elementary careers,” she said.
“Teaching kindergarten through fifth-graders every day – and year after year – you can really create those relationships, bonds and connections as they grow,” Thorson said, “which is unique to our specialists position.”
She and her husband Dustin live in New Richland with their three children.
Dustin Thorson, a physical education teacher at Lincoln Elementary, was named Teacher of the Year for the Owatonna School District in 2019.