About Sandy
I was born in St. Paul, MN, adopted by George and Phoebe Skustad, and grew up in Virginia, MN, where my dad was the superintendent of schools. I attended St. Olaf College in Northfield, MN, where I met my husband, Mark. We lived in Minneapolis and Richmond, VA, before moving to Int'l Falls, MN. Mark was the pastor of Zion Lutheran Church there, and I took care of three children under four and tried to keep warm for seven long years. When we moved to Sioux Falls in December 1976, I felt like I had died and gone to heaven, or that, finally I had come home.
Mark first became a campus pastor at Augustana. He moved to the Good Samaritan Society, and in 1989, was selected as their President and CEO. He held that position until is untimely death from cancer in 1997. We were married for 31 years. One of the blessings of our marriage was our three children, Rachel, Mike and Sarah.
I was also blessed to find a career in coaching and teaching at Augustana College, where I coached volleyball, tennis, and softball, and taught several classes. The softball team achieved success over time, winning the NCAA Division II National Championship in 1991, and being runner -up in 1993.
Along the way I completed graduate degrees at SDSU and USD. I finished my coaching my career with 1011 wins, the second coach in all divisions to obtain 1000 wins.
Retiring from Augie meant I had more time to spend with my grandchildren, and now there are four: two in Minneapolis - Sarah and Joe; and two in Sioux Falls - Elizabeth and Luke. I have also been able to devote more time to my church and volunteering positions: the Board of Directors of the Good Samaritan Society (2003 - present) the Board of Directors of the Banquet (1998 - present), and the Board of Directors of the Center for Western Studies (2005 - present).
Why I Love It Here
Frequently I hear folks talk about wanting to live in a part of the country where the weather is nicer--sunny, mild, no snow. After this winter's harsh and unrelenting grip, probably most of us have longed to live elsewhere. For me, weather is trumped by the friendliness and hospitality of the people who live in South Dakota. Perhaps because I was adopted at an early age and had a very small family, I feel fiercely loyal to this adopted state of mine, and am thrilled to serve in the legislature, and want to do whatever I can to help individuals and the state government.
When my son, Mike, graduated from the old Washington High School and attended college in Boston and law school in Washington, DC, he said he probably would not be back to South Dakota. He thought he preferred large cities and a more stimulating environment. When he and his wife, Kelly, also from Sioux Falls, were expecting their first child and finally done with their educational pursuits, they returned to Sioux Falls and now live a block from me. Yes, there was the draw of family, but there also was an appreciation of our life style as a good place to raise a family.
I didn't know how I was going to exist without my northern Minnesota trees when we moved to South Dakota, but I quickly discovered the prairie has a beauty all its own. I found it in old graveyards, ancient wagon trails still visible in grassy hillsides, and roadside flowers that flourish despite heat and wind. I experienced more of the intimate charm of South Dakota in each of the three Tour de Kota bike rides I have taken, where I got to see the amazing vistas and the friendliness of the small towns along the way. I enjoy small trips to Minneapolis to visit my daughters and grandchildren or to Washington DC for legislative meetings, but I always love coming home to South Dakota, to Sioux Falls, and to my house. There just isn't a better place to live!