Alumni

Supporting The Class Of 2020

April 30, 2020

the class of 2020 group photoMembers of the MPA Class of 2020 are all in our hearts and minds as we approach so many milestones that they should be celebrating in person but are sacrificing in order to keep our local community members safe from COVID-19. One of the joys of graduation is hosting a graduation party for families and friends, whose contributions help graduates gather the necessary supplies for their journey to college in the fall. Since these parties and gatherings may no longer be possible given the realities we’re facing, MPA student representatives had a great idea for a meaningful way the rest of the MPA community can support them during this time.

Please consider a donation that is right for you to help us provide resources to seniors and their families through the Community Care Fund to purchase any items that will be needed for their journeys to college campuses around the country this fall. Help us ensure every MPA graduating senior has access to the funds they need. Consider this your graduation gift to the amazing MPA Class of 2020! You can even make a gift in honor of a student or graduating senior as a special way to commemorate this incredible class. Make a donation today.

Celebrate National Teacher Appreciation Week!

April 30, 2020

Mr. vergin teaching in his classroomThe MPA Parents Association feels incredibly lucky to be part of the MPA community and in honor of National Teacher Appreciation week, May 4-8, we are asking our community to show us who you feel lucky to have at MPA! Instead of a pot of gold, who, or what, is at the bottom of your MPA Rainbow? Take a picture of a poster or sidewalk chalk drawing that shows your MPA Rainbow and what you love at the end! It could be a teacher, staff member, an entire department, team, club, or a special space on campus that makes you thankful for MPA. Share your photos with us by emailing them to communications@moundsparkacademy.org and using #ThankATeacher on social media!

Meet Isaac Marshall ’11

April 28, 2020

Meet 2019-20 Alumni Association Board member Isaac Marshall ’11!

After MPA, Isaac attended Hampshire College in Amherst, Massachusetts, where he closely studied health care delivery systems. He discovered a passion and interest that were key in making his career decisions later on. “I am inspired by professionals who have found mentors to engage their passions and expand their impact,” he said.

Isaac chose to pursue a position on the Alumni Association Board because he wants to help shape the future of MPA. Since graduating from MPA, he’s experienced the impact that his MPA education has had on his life. “From the first day of college and being prepared to write lengthy papers, to having professional confidence in my strengths, I can trace back several important traits to MPA and the learning that I engaged with there,” Isaac said.

Isaac sees himself supporting MPA both financially and in his role on the board. The “theme” of his support is directly related to MPA’s mission. Issac deeply believes that education is fundamental to growth and life-long success and life-long learning, and that MPA teaches these life-long skills in a way that produces learned and passionate students as each graduate goes out into the world and forges his or her own path. “I want to return to that organization that has impacted my path.”

It’s Not Too Late To Nominate!

April 27, 2020

alumni association award 2019Don’t miss the chance to honor one of your fellow alums!

The Alumni Association is looking for nominees for the MPA Alumni Association Award. Do you know an alum who is dreaming big and doing right? We want to hear about them. The MPA Alumni Association Award is intended to honor alumni of outstanding talent pursuing their own creative, intellectual, and professional inclinations, while embracing the spirit of MPA’s commitment to community and social outreach. They should be real-world examples for both current students and alumni to dream big and do right. Nominations are due May 1, 2020.

Please include the nominee’s name, email, and a brief explanation of why you believe they should receive the MPA Alumni Association Award (250 words or less). Send all nominations to alumni@moundsparkacademy.org.

Thank You For Lighting Up The Night!

April 27, 2020

the Boyle family videoThank you to our Alumni and Parents of Alumni for rallying together to make this year’s first ever Virtual Spring Auction a big success. We loved seeing so many of you participating in the evening from all over the country. Together, our generous community raised $225,685! Alumni supported the auction through in-kind donations of all sorts, these items brought in almost $10,000 in support of the auction. Thank you for making this year’s Spring Auction the most successful in several years!

Thanks to our community, we have gotten a jump start on our Community Care Fund. These flexible funds will allow us to respond to emerging needs, including:

  • financial assistance for MPA families in need;
  • technology access for teachers to continue enhancing virtual learning;
  • employee support funds for wellness and emergency resources; and
  • the cost of additional supplies to ensure a whole child education can continue, including art supplies, books and e-books, software and hardware, and devices for families without access to adequate technology or wifi for virtual learning.

As the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic continue to impact MPA families, we want to be ready to respond and ensure students, families, and employees have what they need during these challenging times. If you missed your chance to help us establish this fund, you can still make a gift today toward the Community Care Fund.

In case you missed the incredible live program featuring student performances, guest speakers and fellow alumni Mats Dahlberg ’19, check out the recording.

A Message From MPA: Our Response To COVID-19

April 27, 2020

upper school student on her computerMinnesota and the world have now been impacted in countless ways by the COVID-19 pandemic. One thing we know about this crisis is that its impact is universal–we are all experiencing some disruption, sadness, loss, and so many other countless impacts in our own ways. As the weeks have progressed, it has become increasingly clear the MPA community continues to support one another and those in need in meaningful and heart-felt ways.

As we continue to look for strength and inspiration in our connections to others, please know that as MPA alumni and parents of alumni, we are here for you. If you want to give back to MPA current students or other alumni as we weather this storm as a community, we have two easy ways for you to get involved:

Thank You For Lighting Up The Night

April 23, 2020

the Boyle family videoThanks to our incredibly generous community, the first-ever MPA Virtual Spring Auction: Light up the Night was a huge success! Our community joined together to raise nearly $230,000! MPA families, alumni, grandparents, parents of alumni, and friends joined together as a community to dream big, do right, and light up the world. Thank you for being part of the most successful auction in several years!

In case you missed our incredible live program featuring student performances, guest speakers, and exciting announcements, you can view a recording by clicking here.

Thanks to our community, we have gotten a jump start on our Community Care Fund. These flexible funds will allow us to respond to emerging needs, including:

  • financial assistance for MPA families in need;
  • technology access for teachers to continue enhancing virtual learning;
  • employee support funds for wellness and emergency resources; and
  • the cost of additional supplies to ensure a whole child education can continue, including art supplies, books and e-books, software and hardware, and devices for families without access to adequate technology or wi-fi for virtual learning.

Read More

Hate Is A Virus

April 16, 2020

mpa senior Amanda khouwThe MPA Upper School Asian Culture Club, Social Consciousness Club, and Racial Justice and Equity Club met on Zoom to discuss how the language around COVID-19 can produce hate and racism. Students had the opportunity to share personal reflections anonymously, and the conversation will be a part of a continuing ‘series’ on the social and political impacts of this health crisis and a broader effort to document their responses. In this blog post, MPA senior Amanda Khouw shares how she is working and speaking out to eliminate stereotypes and misinformation.

Hate is a Virus.

COVID-19. The most recent pandemic of the 21st century. Who knew we would be living in a time of crisis? Not only does the virus spread fear and anxiety, but it also spreads racism. Lots and lots of racism. I would have never thought there would be a time that I would be scared to let my parents go out for daily groceries or even just outside to take the garbage out.

I grew up Asian-American. Normally, we do not discuss about our Asian race issues. Perhaps this may have stemmed from our cultural perspective of “keep moving forward” and “work hard for our elders”. There was not that much time for us to really talk about the racism that we have faced. I grew up with friends thinking that I eat cats and dogs. I grew up believing that I HAVE to be good at math. I grew up with the shame of being who I am–a Chinese-American. Read More

A Sense Of Community And Commitment To MPA

April 16, 2020

Jennifer and Scott Holloway at the 2019 spring auctionby MPA Spring Auction co-chairs Jennifer and Scott Holloway

When we began this school year with our daughter Grace embarking on her senior year at MPA, we could have never imagined how different school and life would be just a few short months later. We’ve been a part of many milestones at MPA, both as a family, and in the history of the school. One of the great joys we’ve had as parents and volunteers at MPA has been to serve as co-chairs of the Spring Auction for the past four years. Despite this history, this year has shaped up to feel like the first time all over again now that we’re offering our first ever virtual spring auction as a response to the COVID-19 pandemic.

We can’t overstate the importance of our sense of community and commitment to MPA as it has given so much to our daughter and our family. We’ve often been asked why we continue to volunteer and urge others to do the same for the school we love. For us, it’s all about the sense of gratitude and appreciation that you can only understand when you’ve experienced the MPA way. Each year, we’ve witnessed the way that truly amazing things can happen when people join together in a common purpose. That might happen in a big banquet hall with fabulous decorations and amazing food, or it could happen on the basketball court, in the classroom, on stage, or now, in a virtual zoom room.

As co-chairs of this year’s auction, we urge you to join us for this special night. You can be a part of this event in whatever way is right for you: bid on our more than 130 auction packages, join our live Zoom program on Friday night at 6:30 featuring amazing students and guest speakers, share within your networks of family and friends to invite even more people to join in on this important fundraiser, or give at a level that is right for your family toward this year’s Fund-A-Need. Countless people have planned, donated, organized, and contributed in some way to what we’re sure is going to be another successful year. Please join us in building community and funding important needs for our students, faculty and staff, and incredible school. We can’t do it without you.

We’re All In This Together

April 9, 2020

middle school students together on the playgroundby Dr. Bill Hudson, Head of School

There has been a song running through my mind over the last several weeks as we’ve banded together as a school, nation, and world, to battle COVID-19. It comes from a time-honored and critically acclaimed movie, “High School Musical.” “We’re All in this Together” is one of those catchy, syrupy songs that once you hear it, it’s hard to get out of your head. However, deep down, there is an important message. So much so that I adjusted the lyrics a bit and recorded my own version of the song to inspire (horrify, with my tone-deaf singing) our faculty and staff.

The simple truth is that we are in this together, and it is through community that we will emerge successfully, and stronger, on the other side of this crisis. Expressions of community and the affinity members of the MPA community feel for one another abound these days. As a community, we’ve come together to provide stability and continuity for our students. Parents have come together as well, through formal and informal channels, to support, counsel, and learn from one another.

In less than a week, we have an opportunity to come together as a community to celebrate our shared values and aspirations. Our annual Spring Auction was to take place on the top floor of a warehouse in Lowertown St. Paul overlooking the lights of the city. While that will not be possible, we will still come together, virtually, to celebrate the best of MPA. Through Zoom, we have the opportunity to join with one another from our kitchens and dining rooms across the metro area and raise both our spirits and the necessary funds to support MPA. Read More