September 17, 2024
“The magic thing about home is that it feels good to leave, and it feels even better to come back,”—Wendy Wunder, ‘The Probability of Miracles’
I remember leaving the MPA campus on June 4, practically locking up the building ourselves after a festive kindergarten graduation party at the playground. My graduate and I drove straight to Valleyfair for the day, and our family carried on exploring and engaging with new experiences all over the map across a fulfilling (and exhausting) three months away from MPA.
Then, suddenly, it was time to return.
We now find ourselves back on campus, reconnecting with treasured MPA friends and faculty, forging new connections to those who will become equally as important to us in the months and years ahead, with Wendy Wunder’s astute observation ringing true.
Fall is here, and the Homecoming spirit accompanies its arrival, glove in hand. We will bundle up in sweatshirts at Homecoming tennis, volleyball, and soccer matches while huddling together as a community. We will eagerly grab that cup of hot cider or cocoa while immersing ourselves in the warmth of our connections to one another, our Panther Pride, and the shared road to “Dream Big and Do Right” for our children and for ourselves.
As an Alumni Parent, I return to a campus that holds a trove of Homecoming memories from my formative years as a student. Cross country races through fallen leaves, an all-nighter for the senior prank, and MPA community events with my closest friends and their parents, who became second families to me as my classmates and I grew up.
These days, I see Homecoming through the eyes of my sons, both Panthers now (first grade and PreK students). My wife, Ashlee, put it best at Back to School Night, when she said, “Look at him (Lewis). He’s looking for his friends and teachers; he knows his way around…He feels at home here.”
That sense of home is cultivated by intentional time and effort spent as a community, supporting and getting to know one another. At this moment, let us enjoy the MPA Homecoming season together. All MPA Alumni are welcome to join in the Homecoming festivities on September 28! Consider signing up for a volunteer shift or come cheer on the student-athletes throughout the day—it is a wonderful time to stop by or to bring your family to campus for some fall fun.
You might also consider taking the leap to become an Alumni Mentor to MPA Upper School students! The Alumni Mentoring Program at MPA is blossoming in amazing ways, and we urge you to consider this unique opportunity. The program pairs volunteer mentors (that’s you!) with like-minded MPA senior students who share similar career aspirations and industry interests. It is your chance to give industry expertise, stories of your own professional experiences, and sage wisdom to those who were once you: students with big dreams.
This year’s Mentoring Program is set to run from November 11, 2024-January 10, 2025. Email alumni@moundsparkacademy.org for more information. I strongly urge my fellow alumni to consider becoming mentors. There are a variety of ways to be involved, including being a mentor, a panelist, and/or attending the Alumni Connect event.
In whatever form or fashion you choose to share your gifts and strengths with the MPA community this year, you are appreciated, and you are an integral part of the strong community fabric that defines MPA and, indeed, makes it a second home for so many.
Fall is here, and that cozy feeling of community and connection feels just right. MPA prepared us to leave home. We were ready, and it felt good. That same magic awaits us when we come home.
We hope to see you or reconnect in whatever way you are able.
Happy Homecoming!
Tim Koerner ’03
Alumni parent to Lewis (first grade) and Arlo (PreK)
