Leads by Example

Fond du Lac Reservation Health Educator

By Lisa Baumann, Pine Journal, Cloquet

Editor’s Note: Nate Sandman is a 2007 BRCLP alum. This article and photo originally appeared in the Pine Journal as part of an “Our Neighbors” series. Reprinted with permission.

Nate Sandman believes in mission statements. Not only does he have one in his profession as lead health educator in the Human Services Department on the Fond du Lac Reservation, he has one for his personal life as well.

“Being an introvert, I do a lot of self-reflecting,” he explained.

He participated in two leadership programs in the past two years ­ one with the Emerging Leaders Network through the Minnesota Department of Health and one through the Blandin Foundation, where he was able to fine-tune those statements.

“Those programs helped me define my core values and create missions and visions that help me move forward in a better way,” he said.

At his core is his family. “I’m pretty family focused with everything I do,” the Proctor resident explained. “Whichever ride (I choose) to be on, they’re on it with me.”

Married to Nicole Sandman (formerly Horning) since 2002, the couple has two daughters, Hannah, 3, and Addison, 1.

With them in mind, his personal mission includes supporting his family, respecting the dignity of people and inspiring individuals to discover and achieve their full potential.

Professionally, his mission expands to building a legacy as an effective leader who brings harmony to communities, prosperity to individuals and sensibility to life.

“I love talking to people, getting different perspectives, sharing thoughts and helping out with a question or problem,” he said.

Nate oversees the smoking cessation and injury programs, and he doesn’t hide the fact that lifestyle changes are difficult for most people.

 ”I think everyone has the best intentions to change and be healthy,” he said. “But, it’s such a process.”

 And, with smoking still permitted around the Reservation, in the Tribal Center and Black Bear Casino Resort, the challenge is heightened. “It’s challenging and exciting at the same time,” he said. “A lot of people have been motivated to make good changes from quitting to cutting back on the amount of cigarettes they smoke.”

Even cutting back is an investment in better health. Nate can relate personally and knows quitting can be a process. “When I started this job nearly seven years ago, I was a closet smoker,” he said. “It kept me from trusting myself. How could I help (people quit if) I wasn’t ready to do it?”

He quit smoking after three months on the job.

Nate has benefited from encouragement and good life lessons while growing up. The oldest of three children, he lived on the Fond du Lac Reservation with his parents Robin Hansen and Skip Sandman until the third grade. Later, his family moved to Proctor after his parents divorced.

“Living with a single mother, it kind of shapes you,” he said.

His mother is a nurse.  Along with athletic endeavors, that influenced his decision to pursue a career in health care.

In high school, Nate played football for Proctor High School. He learned about discipline, teamwork and how to handle emotions from his head coach, Dave Hylla.  After graduation he enrolled at the University of Minnesota Duluth, where he continued to play football. He quit the team with two years of eligibility left. It is a decision, due to a lack of direction and priorities, which still bothers him today.

“I don’t want to leave anything undone,” he said.

In his final year of school, Nate completed an internship in the Public Health Nursing Department of the Human Services division on the Reservation. He’s been there ever since.

“Working in community health has been one of my best decisions,” he said.

He considered and applied for a masters program in industrial safety at UMD, but pulled his application after reflection.

“That was one of the best decisions I’ve ever made,” he said. “I wouldn’t want to give up any of the opportunities I’ve had in this position with all the people I have met, the training I have done and, of course, I now have to wonder if I’d have ever figured out my mission statements if I had gone down that road.”