Rebecca J.

Sonnek
1523 Sparrow Road (651) 491-1205
Waconia, Minnesota 55387 rjsonnek@hotmail.com

Education History:
Minnesota State University, Mankato Educational Specialist (August 2018)
Educational Leadership GPA: 4.00

Utah State University Educational Specialist Program (May 2009)

School Psychology GPA: 3.98

Minnesota State University, Mankato Masters of Arts (May 2005)

Clinical Psychology GPA: 4.00

Gustavus Adolphus College Bachelor of Arts (June 2003)

Major: Psychology; Minor: Music GPA: 3.54, cum laude

Employment & Field Experience:

Special Education Director Internship
Waconia School District, Waconia, MN 2017-2018
Updated the Total Special Education (TSES) Manual to align with district and state standards; participated
in leadership opportunities through child study, student assistance, district assessment and parent advisory
teams; actively supported Special Education staff in completing paperwork to meet due process guidelines
and timelines; enhanced documents to clarify General Education interventions and guiding the process to
Special Education evaluations
Committees: Special Education Parent Advisory Committee
School Psychologist 2012- present
Waconia School District, Waconia, MN
Evaluate students with academic and behavior concerns, consult with teachers in developing pre-referral
interventions, participate in discussions regarding placement decisions, assist in developing individualized
education plans, share evaluation results with parents, attend district meetings and trainings
Committees: Special Education Teams, Student Assistance Teams, Building Emergency Response Team
School Psychologist 2008-2011
Spring Lake Park School District, Spring Lake Park, MN
Completed student evaluations, consulted with teachers, participated in team discussions, and attended
district trainings and meetings
Committees: Local Case Management Team (pre-referral interventions) & Special Education Team
School Psychology Intern 2007-2008
Davis County School District, Farmington, UT
Evaluate students with academic and behavior concerns, consult with teachers in developing pre-referral
interventions, participate in discussions regarding placement decisions, assist in developing individualized
education plans, share evaluation results with parents, attend district meetings and trainings
Committees: Local Case Management Team (pre-referral interventions) & Special Education Team
Graduate Assistant 2008
Utah State University, Logan, UT
Proctor and grade exams, maintain grading system, provide assistance for student questions or concerns
School Psychology Practicum 2006-2007
Utah State University, Logan, UT
Observed & assessed elementary students; lead a social skills group; contributed to team meetings
Graduate Assistant 2006-2007
Utah State University; Logan, UT
Graded students on standardized assessments & protocols; consulted with students; acted as examinee on
assessments; reviewed assignments; presented materials & information regarding standardized procedures
Graduate Assistant 2006-2007
Utah State University; Logan, UT
Review text books, outline chapters for lectures, write assignments, organize materials for an online format
Practicum Summer 2006
 Utah State University, Logan UT
Conducted intake interviews, implemented parent training, provided marital counseling with a co-therapist
Research Assistant 2006
Utah State University; Logan, UT
Assessed elementary school children for reading/math levels, instructed teachers and helped implement
interventions, trained tutors, entered data, consulted with teachers regarding results.
Psychology Practicum Spring 2006
Utah State University, Logan, UT
Assessed college-age students for learning disabilities; conducted intake interviews; provided educational
information on anxiety for a client
Graduate Assistant 2005-2006
Utah State University; Logan, UT
Assisted faculty with grading, laboratory lectures, proctoring exams, communication with students
regarding grades and assignments
Munroe-Meyer Institute for Genetics and Rehabilitation 2004
University of Nebraska, Omaha, NE
Observed counseling sessions; helped run several research projects; gained experience working with
children with autism; and studied information on therapy techniques used by the staff
Graduate Assistant 2003-2004
Minnesota State University, Mankato; Mankato, MN
Involves assisting faculty member, guest lecturing classes when needed, proctoring exams, grading
assignments, entering grades into a spreadsheet, and participating in research group and classes.

Committee and Community Involvement

2016 – 2017 Faster than the Pastor Committee
St. Joseph Catholic Church, Waconia, Minnesota
Chair of the upcoming event at St. Joseph; email team; schedule meetings; identify needs of the parish and
create activities on the day of the race that reflect needs
2012 – present Praise Ensemble
St. Joseph Catholic Church, Waconia, Minnesota
Attend weekly choir practice and sing at weekly masses
2012 – 2016 Parish Council
St. Joseph Catholic Church, Waconia, Minnesota
2012 – 2015 Parent Advisory Committee
ISD 110 Early Childhood Family Education, Waconia, Minnesota
Attend bi-monthly meetings; participate and create activities for families and students; provide feedback
about events; review and analyze enrollment numbers

Research Experience:
2018 Influence of READ 180 on MCA Scores
Minnesota State University, Edina, MN
Used existing data to assess program effectiveness and student improvement of reading skills. (Supervisor:
Dr. Jason Kaufmann)
2006 Team Support for Teacher Implementation of a Classwide Reading Intervention to Evaluate
Responsiveness-to-Intervention.
Utah State University
Assessed elementary school children on reading fluency and trained teachers to implement procedures to
improve individual or classwide fluency rates. (Supervisor & Lead Researcher: Donna Gilbertson, Ph.D.)
2003-2005 Age and gender differences in detection of emotion in children with Fetal Alcohol Syndrome and
Two Control Populations.
Minnesota State University, Mankato, MN
Examined age and gender differences in emotion detection using the ACES instrument in three different
populations (Supervisor: Daniel Houlihan, Ph.D.)
2001 Influence of Gender, Relationship and Changes in Situational Variables on Seat Choice in a Movie
Theater.
Gustavus Adolphus College, St. Peter, MN
Designed and administered questionnaires on where an individual chooses to sit based on seat availability,
genre of movie, and companions. (Supervisor: Mark Kruger, Ph.D.)
Presentations:
June 2008 Utah State University Effective Practices Conference, Logan, UT
June 2007 Utah State University Effective Practices Conference, Logan, UT
March 2007 National Association for School Psychologists, New York City, NY
February 2007 Utah Association of School Psychologists, Park City, UT
April 2005 Thesis Defense, Minnesota State University-Mankato; Mankato, MN
November 2004 Departmental Colloquium, Minnesota State University-Mankato; Mankato, MN
April 27, 2002 Minnesota Undergraduate Poster Contest, University of Wisconsin-River Falls; River Falls, WI

Conferences Attended:
2018 Leading Courageously for Racial Equity; Edina, MN
2017 Special Education Law and Leadership, Brooklyn Park, MN
2017 Minnesota School Psychologists Association, Plymouth, MN
2016 Minnesota School Psychologists Association, Roseville, MN
2012 National Association of School Psychologists, Minneapolis, MN
2007 National Association of School Psychologists; New York City, NY
2007 Utah Association of School Psychologists; Park City, UT
2004 Association for Advancement of Behavior Therapy; New Orleans, LA
2003 Association for Advancement of Behavior Therapy; Boston, MA
2002 Minnesota Undergraduate Psychology Conference; River Falls, WI

Workshops Attended:
2017 McKinney Vento Homeless Liaison Training, Anoka, MN
2017 Heartsaver First Aid and CPR/AED, Waconia, MN
2016 Life Space Crisis Intervention, Jordan, MN
2016 MDE Part B Compliance Standards Training, Roseville, MN
2015 Minnesota Department of Education, Part B Record Review Training, Roseville, MN
2015 Behavioral Institute for Children and Adolescents, Chaska, MN
2013 Functional Behavioral Assessment Training, St. Paul, MN
2013 Using the DSM-5 for Revolutionaizing Diagnosis and Treatment, Mankato, MN
2013 Anxiety Disorders in Children and Adolescents, Bloomington, MN
2008 – 2009 Davis School District Local Case Management Training; Kaysville, UT
2007 Davis School District Training Seminar; Farmington, UT
2006 Bayley III Training Seminar; Utah State University, Logan, UT

Professional Organizations:
National Association for School Psychologists
Minnesota School Psychology Association
Waconia Education Association
National Education Association

Teaching Experience:
Sept. 2017-May 2018 Facilitated individual and small-group Social Skills lessons
October 1, 2008 Developmental Psychology: Guest lecture for Dr. Frank Ascione
October 1, 2008 Abuse & Neglect: Guest lecture for Dr. Frank Ascione
September 2006 Psychology of Human Adjustment: Guest lectured for the first month of class. Topics ranged from
enhancing students’ critical thinking skills to ways people cope with stress.
August 2005-May 2006 Introduction to Psychology: Lectured on and prepared materials for student discussions
April 12-13, 2004 Introduction to Psychology: Guest lecturer on Psychological Disorders for
Dr. Vinai Norasakkunkit
January 26-30, 2004 Personality Psychology, Statistics, and Introduction to Psychology: Led group discussion on
Freud’s stages of development, introduced statistics, and ran lectures for Dr. Vinai Norasakkunkit
February 26, 2004 Introduction to Psychology: Guest lecturer on Sensory and Perception