District Five teacher named 2021 Woman of Influence

A Lexington-Richland School District Five teacher has been recognized as one of 22 women named as a 2021 Woman of Influence by the Columbia Regional Business Report (CRBR).

Irmo High School International School for the Arts teacher Sarah Ostergaard was nominated by CRBR readers and selected by a panel of judges, and will be honored during a luncheon at the DoubleTree by Hilton Columbia on Nov. 30.

“I am proud to work with the best educators in the world right here at Irmo High School,” Ostergaard said. “I believe in these powerful words of Malala Yousafzai: ‘One child, one teacher, one book, one pen can change the world.’ This is our influence, what we achieve together.”

Ostergaard teaches core courses in the International Baccalaureate (IB) Career-related Programme and the IB Diploma Programme at Irmo High School, and is the Magnet Lead Teacher and IB/This is Escolares Coordinator. She earned a Juris Doctorate from the University of Virginia and a B.A. in Economics and Hispanic Studies from Connecticut College, and became certified to teach through South Carolina’s Program of Alternative Certification for Educators (PACE).

“Sarah Ostergaard leads by example,” said Irmo High School principal Dr. Robin Hardy. “She is a passionate advocate who understands leadership is influence. Sarah makes a positive difference to others in her school and greater community.”

Profiles of the 2021 honorees will be published in the November 22 print edition of the Business Report.