Meet Katherine Garvey ’11

Katherine Garvey on a bicycleWhat are you currently doing, professionally and/or personally?

After working in D.C. for three years in with different education-focused nonprofits, I was offered a position with Senator Amy Klobuchar’s Presidential campaign and moved back to Minnesota.  Currently, I am the Campaign Manager for Judge Pat Diamond for Ramsey County and entering my first year of graduate school at Hamline University.

How did you get there? Where did you attend college? Are there some career moves or other key experiences or relationships that have inspired you?

After graduating from Montana State University, I was offered an internship with the Tanadana Foundation as the ESL teaching intern in Otavalo, Ecuador. After that ended, I moved to Washington, D.C. to work with the educational nonprofit City Year AmeriCorps. With City Year, I worked in classrooms in Southeast D.C. helping bridge the gap between what schools were built to do and what students needed from their school. Wanting to stay in D.C., I found myself as an advisor for foreign Fulbright Scholars and working with Department of State contracts at the Institute of International Education. While I enjoyed learning about the visa process and advising, I realized I missed the personal connections I got to have in the classroom. Read More


Meet Katie Ditmore Sinaikin ’97

Katie and her sonsWhat are you currently doing, professionally and/or personally?

Professionally I lead a team of global market researchers and forecasters focused in Oncology, for a Bay Area biotech/Pharma company.

How did you get there? Where did you attend college?

I attended Wellesley College and the University of Chicago Booth School of Business.

How did your MPA experience prepare you for your life today? How did MPA inspire you to dream big and do right?

I had the good fortune to spend 13 years at MPA. I was afforded the opportunity to do pretty much anything I wanted – cross country and track despite not being the fastest person out there, Nordic skiing despite having never been on skis, choir, band, Quiz Bowl, speech, and debate. At MPA the world truly was my oyster.

Is there anyone or anything you are particularly thankful for?

I owe so much to Mrs. Heinze for fostering my critical thinking skills in debate and instilling in me the confidence to speak on pretty much any topic to a large audience via speech competitions. Coach Bev Docherty taught me the value of just committing, trying, and finding joy in the act of running. And, of course, the academics prepared me for success in college and business school (and of course I know my genes from my jeans and my Kings from my kings).


Save The Date For The 2021 Virtual Spring Auction

Spring Auction 2021 LogoSave the date! The 2021 Spring Auction: The Best Is Yet To Come is going virtual! The MPA volunteer planning committee is pleased to share sponsorship packages are now available with amazing perks, at-home meal kits, and great ways to get involved and give back to the school you love. Save the date for April 16 and visit moundsparkacademy.org/springauction to learn more, purchase a sponsorship package today, or donate an auction item from our wish list!

Expect student performances, hear from Dr. Bill Hudson, Head of School, and other MPA community members, and bid on and win some amazing silent and live auction items. Proceeds support MPA’s educational programs, new curricular initiatives, COVID-19 response expenses, athletics programs, the arts, and so much more.

Questions? Contact Jennifer Rogers-Petitt, director of development and community engagement at jrogers@moundsparkacademy.org.


Save The Date For Virtual Maker Fest

a student painting at maker fest 2020Save the date for MPA’s Virtual Maker Fest! On Saturday, February 20 from 11 AM-1 PM, MPA will host a variety of community makers to showcase their projects, passions, and hands on how-to demonstrations through Zoom. Participants will be able to the presentations by visiting different breakout rooms. More event details for Virtual Maker Fest 2021 will be coming soon! Please click here to sign up as a presenter!

If you have any questions, please email Nicole Koen at nkoen@moundsparkacademy.org.


Alumni Board Seeks Members For Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Subcommittee

Sidney Carlson White '17The Alumni Association Board is seeking members for its Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion subcommittee! Led by the Board’s Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion officer Sidney Carlson White ’17, this subcommittee, which meets every other month, is for alumni looking to impact and guide antiracism efforts undertaken by both the Alumni Association Board and the broader MPA community.

To be considered for this subcommittee, you don’t have to be a member of the alumni board, simply reach out to alumni@moundsparkacademy.org if interested.


MPA Legacy Society Hosts Wealth Management Presentation

MPA alumnus Ty Johnston ’04 MPA’s Legacy Society Committee welcomes you to join MPA alumnus Ty Johnston ’04 for a special presentation on wealth management and creative giving vehicles to benefit important causes you care about. You will learn and gain perspective on tax implications, practical steps you can take, and a variety of giving vehicles you may benefit from. Save the date for January 27, 2021 to join us at 4 PM.

Ty serves as a wealth manager, working directly with his clients to create and maintain a customized financial plan addressing all aspects of a healthy financial life including investments, tax planning, risk management, retirement, employee benefits and estate planning.

Ty is a proud member of the Class of 2004 at MPA and enjoys visiting campus in non-COVID years to visit with former teachers and administrators as well as to keep in touch with existing alumni in the Twin Cities. He has also participated in the MPA Alumni Mentorship program, supporting current MPA seniors as they contemplate their career and college choices.

This presentation will be beneficial for any MPA parents, grandparents, alumni, and other community members. Following the presentation Ty will provide a Q&A session. Join us on Facebook Live or watch the video recording made available following the session.


Alumni Mentors Make Connections Virtually

Isak, Ryan, And Jeremy making alumni mentorship connectionsThe MPA Mentorship Program entered its third year with MPA Alumni being paired with a member of the senior class. The MPA Alums and seniors exchange three emails throughout the months of November and December. A survey was sent to both the seniors and alums to determine what their interests, career goals, college choice, etc. Work then began to recruit mentors who matched with the interests of our seniors. The program is proving to be successful and gain traction as for the second year in a row we had more alumni interested than seniors enrolled. Engagement continued to be at a high level and many connections were made that will continue far beyond the seniors’ last year at MPA.

This year’s alumni mentor program concluded on January 12, 2021 with a virtual networking event taking place on both Monday, January 11 and Tuesday, January 12. Switching to a virtual program proved successful for attendance with almost 90 percent of our mentors being able to participate. Mentors logged in from all over the country and the world.

A large thank you to our 63 mentors for their commitment, dedication and kindness to our seniors during this year’s mentorship program. We are grateful for your time and devotion to MPA!

If you have interest in joining the mentorship program in the next school year please contact Ashley Goetzke, Assistant Director of Development at agoetzke@moundsparkacademy.org.


MPA Legacy Society Hosts Wealth Management Presentation

MPA Legacy society logoMPA’s Legacy Society Committee welcomes you to join MPA alumnus Ty Johnston ’04 for a special presentation on wealth management and creative giving vehicles to benefit important causes you care about. You will learn and gain perspective on tax implications, practical steps you can take, and a variety of giving vehicles you may benefit from. Save the date for January 27, 2021 to join us at 4 PM.

Ty serves as a wealth manager, working directly with his clients to create and maintain a
customized financial plan addressing all aspects of a healthy financial life including investments, tax planning, risk management, retirement, employee benefits and estate planning. Read More


Peacefully Working Through Our Differences

Katie Murr's US History Classby Dr. Bill Hudson, Head of School

As I was putting the final touches on my original Panther Post message yesterday afternoon, news broke of the violent protest in Washington DC and the storming of the United States Capitol. The peaceful transfer of power is a cornerstone of our democracy. In the days, months and even years ahead, our nation must engage in serious reflection of who we are as a democratic society. How long can we say, with any sense of integrity, that this is “not who we are” before we must admit that this is who we are.

However, I am an eternal optimist and believe that American democracy is resilient. To me, it makes the case that education is important more than ever. Critical thinking, nurturing student voice and agency, character development, and civic engagement and responsibility are all antidotes to discord, division, and violence. These are important attributes of an MPA education. For instance, quite organically, 40 Upper School students joined a Zoom call last night under the guidance of several Upper School teachers who provided a context for students to think critically about the unfolding events in the context of civic responsibility. Read More


A First Grader In A Rock Band?

Eloise tries the CelloHow many seven year old kids can say they play in a band?  First grader Eloise can! Through School of Rock in St. Paul, Eloise plays the keyboard, performing hits with her band like “Great DJ” by the Ting Tings and Janelle Monae’s “Dance Apocalyptic”.  “​I like working with a group to make music and getting to know new people and I like my teachers,” says Eloise. “They make playing music together fun!  I really like learning new songs and chords. I like to find notes on the keyboard that match the song and rhythm.”

Eloise’s introduction to piano came about serendipitously.  Last year, she signed up for music lessons offered by MPA senior Skylar Cernohous, a member of the class of 2020 who now attends the Barrett Honors College at Arizona State University.  As part of her senior service project,  Skylar gave weekly 30 minute piano lessons to seven MPA students in kindergarten, first, and second grade.  “My experience with music helped influence the project. I was in four music classes at MPA and spent a lot of my time with music . I’ve played the piano since I was in first grade, so I wanted to give other children the same opportunity to start young. Piano has been a huge part of my life. Read More