February 12, 2025
Whenever I’m asked about MPA, the first word that comes to mind is “community.” There aren’t many places with a more unique blend of different ages and experiences under one roof. On one walk through the hallways, you’ll have a chance to experience the curiosity of preschoolers, the angst of middle schoolers, and the optimism of high schoolers, not to mention the enthusiasm of staff you’re bound to bump into along the way.
While all those groups may be unlikely to interact with each other outside of MPA’s walls, inside MPA they mingle to create the welcoming community so many of us have been grateful to call a home.
If you can’t tell from that relatively sappy introduction, I have a deep-seated appreciation for MPA. My appreciation had always been there, but as I left for college and then started my professional career, I realized the impact MPA had on my development. Not only did the lessons I learned at MPA prepare me for the academic and professional challenges that came next, but perhaps even more importantly, the relationships that began at MPA have helped me find and establish new communities that have become some of the most important in my life today.
With some serious gratitude and a desire to help support this community that meant so much to me, I started looking into opportunities to reconnect with MPA and give back. While I didn’t necessarily have the financial means to make the impact I knew I’d like to make, what I did have was some free time, a willingness to share new ideas, and the bandwidth to help bring those ideas to life. Thankfully, this turned out to be exactly what the Alumni Board was looking for!
Fast-forward to today, and I’ve just finished my seventh month as a member of the Alumni Board. I’d never been part of a “board” before, so I wasn’t sure what to expect, but I’m writing today to share that I’ve thoroughly enjoyed the experience so far and highly recommend it to any alumni looking for a unique opportunity to give back to MPA.
The Alumni Board is a low-stakes, high-impact opportunity to reconnect with fellow alumni around the country, identify areas for alumni to support MPA’s goals, and work to maintain/expand the amazing community MPA has built.
We meet virtually for an hour and a half every other month, discussing a variety of topics, from alumni events and fundraising to our new alumni LinkedIn group, MPA Connections. In between meetings, we each commit to a few tasks like connecting with alumni to share their success stories, marketing events and supporting campaigns.
It’s been a really enjoyable opportunity to engage with familiar faces of old, apply some skills learned in my career to support a community cherish, and even learn some new skills (who knew Canva made it so easy to create social media graphics?).
If this sounds like something you might be interested in, keep an eye out for an announcement this spring with the application to join the 2025-2026 Alumni Board! In the meantime, if you have any questions or want to learn more about the Alumni Board, don’t hesitate to reach out to Angie Gerstner, development manager, at agerstner@moundsparkacademy.org.
Warmly,
Cooper Olson ’16
Alumni Board member
