Three Litchfield High School graduates have been chosen for induction into the LHS Hall of Fame later this year.

The former students Dean Urdahl, Samara Reck-Peterson and Dave Kleis followed active high school careers by making their marks in professional lives ranging from politics to biology and education.

The inductees:

Dean Urdahl

Urdahl, who graduated in 1967, has served as a state representative for 15 years. He was first elected to the Minnesota House of Representatives in 2002.

But decades before that political career, Urdahl was a student in Litchfield schools, where he was active in sports and other organizations. He participated in speech, Future Teachers and Dragon newspaper, in addition to playing football, basketball and swimming. He also was manager for the high school baseball team.

Urdahl said current students should have goals and be persistent in striving to achieve them. Dont give up.

Following high school graduation, he attended St. Cloud State University. He went on to a 35-year teaching career in the New London-Spicer school district, where he taught history and coached the cross-country team. His runners earned three consecutive state titles.

Urdahl has served as president of the Meeker County Historical Society, chairman of the 1976 Forest City Stockade Restoration Committee, vice president of the Litchfield Baseball Association, Education Minnesota Local President for New London-Spicer, vice chairman of the Minnesota Republican Party in 1970-1971, and chairman of the Sixth District Republican Party Committee.

Urdahl has authored nine books, including a number of historical fiction novels set around the Dakota-American War.

Samara Samie Reck-Peterson

Reck-Peterson graduated from Litchfield High School in 1989 and went on to earn bachelors and masters degrees in biology at Carleton College in Northfield in 1993. She then earned a doctorate in cell biology from Yale University in 2000, and a National Institutes of Health postdoctoral fellowship at University of California at San Francisco in 2007.

She has been a professor of cellular and molecular medicine at University of California San Diego since 2015, following eight years as an associate professor of cell biology at Harvard Medical School in Boston.

Reck-Peterson served as the senior class president while at Litchfield High School, and was the class salutatorian. In addition, she competed in cross country, basketball and track. She served as captain of the cross country and track teams, and competed at the state meet in both sports. She also was a marching band member for three years.

Todays students should Figure out what you are passionate about, Reck-Peterson said. Then set goals for yourself and pursue them with determination.

During her professional career, Reck-Peterson has served as program chairwoman of The American Society for Cell Biology Annual Meeting, council member of The American Society for Cell Biology, been on the editorial board of the Journal of Cell Biology, board of reviewing editors of eLife, associate editor of Molecular Biology of the Cell, and has served as associate director of Biological and Biomedical Sciences Graduate Program at Harvard Medical School.

Dave Kleis

Kleis has served as mayor of St. Cloud for the past 11 years, following an 11-year career in the Minnesota Senate.

He got his start in Litchfield, however, where he was active in sports and student organizations throughout high school. Kleis played football and ran track, serving as captain of the track team his senior year. He also served on the Student Council, including as class vice president his senior year. He also was a member of the German Club and choir.

He served 9 1/2 years in the U.S. Air Force and Air Force Reserve. Following military service, he joined the American Legion and served as post adjutant for Post 76 in St. Cloud.

Kleis is a small business owner in St. Cloud and he has been a member of the St. Cloud Area Chamber of Commerce and St. Cloud Rotary. He also served as chairman of the St. Cloud Metro Transit Commission and is a founding member and former co-chairman of the Mississippi River City & Towns Initiative.

Kleis said students today should Get involved in your community, get to know others, and contribute in every way you can. Life is an adventure, try not to worry so much about material reward, and invest in the moment.

Read more:

Three chosen for LHS Hall of Fame induction - Crow River Media