Mercedes Borgen

Board Member

"I think, culturally, we need to move past the idea that too much love rewards or spoils children. This idea damages our relationships and leads us to treat unfairly those who are newest among us. Children do not enter the world with bad intentions. They do not come to wear us out, test our limits, or seek control. They come with a need for love and guidance… I have never found that love drives misbehavior, but that the opposite is true. Love allows them to grow into their full potential."

–Unknown

Mercedes attended Minot State University in Minot, North Dakota where she obtained her B.S. degree in Addiction Studies and her Ed.S. in School Psychology. Mercedes is on the executive board for the South Dakota Association of School Psychologists. She currently works for Meade School District as the lead psychologist where she provides psychological services to students with disabilities. Furthermore, Mercedes has provided professional development to her school district in areas such as executive functioning, mindfulness, suicide, and dyslexia.

Mercedes became a member of the DRSD Governing Board in May of 2022. Mercedes reported that what she loves most about working in the "helping field" is that she gets to be one piece of many individuals’ stories. She also noted that she loves how much she gets to learn from others. Mercedes reported, "No two humans are ever the same. As a result, not only do I help others, but I also get to learn from them."

Mercedes is a mother of four boys. She says that her family loves to be outdoors, and they can often be found playing in the mud, four-wheeling, or hiking.