This Is Why I Give. How About You?

Vance Ryan alumniby Vance Ryan ’08

Mounds Park Academy was integral to making me who I am today. Even in kindergarten, we were asked to give presentations to our classmates on countries in South America. That presentation was just the beginning of the approach MPA takes towards preparing students for the world not only after grade school, but also after college. While I have yet to give a presentation on Suriname in my career, I still use the public speaking and critical thinking skills I learned at MPA as a part of that mentality every day in my career.

Every Panther can make a gift of any amount during today’s Alumni Challenge! moundsparkacademy.org/donate


This Is Why I Give. How About You?

Coach with studentsby Nate Bander ’09

I give back because MPA gave me a lifelong community. I remember returning to campus for the first time after I graduated, at the Alumni Basketball Tournament when I was freshman in college, and realizing right then and there as I walked into and was greeted by friends, and former teammates and coaches, that MPA was worth supporting with whatever I had to contribute.

Every Panther can make a gift of any amount during today’s Alumni Challenge! moundsparkacademy.org/donate


This Is Why I Give. How About You?

Annie Stewart alumniby Annie Stewart ’11

Donating during the Alumni Challenge is my way of saying thank you. I may not be able to give a large donation, but I know that every dollar that I give goes to supporting great teachers, amazing facilities, and a school that continues to help me grow.

When classmates have asked me why I give, I tell them that I remember back to my Middle School drama class when Mrs. Bradley gave me my first part in a class play. I never would have guessed that my experiences in her class would lead me to pursue a degree in theater in college. I give because I want to ensure that the next generation of MPA students are able to have their own transformational experiences, and be mentored by exceptional faculty and staff.

Every Panther can make a gift of any amount during today’s Alumni Challenge! moundsparkacademy.org/donate


Today’s The Day!

Today, Tuesday, March 6, we are calling on our alumni community to participate in our annual 24 hour giving challenge! As a nonprofit institution, we rely on financial contributions to support the programs and opportunities that our students take part in.

When alumni show their support by participating in the Alumni Challenge, they not only affirm their faith in the teachers that supported them, but they show the community the reach and impact that MPA alumni can truly have on the world—from Youth Ambassadors to the United Nation to socially conscious business owners to MPA Panthers running through Times Square!

We are beyond excited to see how you challenge each other and the collective impact you will have on this day!

To make a gift, visit moundsparkacademy.org/donate!


This Is Why I Give. How About You?

Jeremy drucker class of 97by Jeremy Drucker ’97

When I started at Mounds Park Academy in sixth grade I lacked academic confidence. Not only did I struggle with subjects I didn’t have an aptitude for, but I was also oblivious to the things I did well. MPA helped me realize not only how to master those things I had difficulty with, but also how to embrace and bring to bloom those areas where I did have a knack.

Whether it was reciting the first 18 lines of Chaucer’s Canterbury tales in Old English for Richard Meacock’s sophomore English class, or doing improv in Mrs. Poehling and Mrs. Bradley’s drama classes, or researching and writing history papers for Mrs. Conway, or having Mrs. Docherty yelling encouragement to finish strong down the final stretch of a two mile race in the rain at the conference track meet, MPA prepared me for and put me in challenging positions where I needed to push myself past where I thought I could go, but with the support I needed until I learned how to do it myself.

These experiences gave me an exceptional educational foundation that has served me well ever since, be it in college, graduate school or my professional life. It is an incredible advantage for which I am grateful to this day, and hope that every person should be as fortunate as I was.

Every Panther can make a gift of any amount during today’s Alumni Challenge! moundsparkacademy.org/donate


Tuesday’s The Day!

On Tuesday, March 6, we are calling on our alumni community to participate in our annual 24 hour giving challenge! As a nonprofit institution, we rely on financial contributions to support the programs and opportunities that our students take part in.

When alumni show their support by participating in the Alumni Challenge, they not only affirm their faith in the teachers that supported them, but they show the community the reach and impact that MPA alumni can truly have on the world—from Youth Ambassadors to the United Nation to socially conscious business owners to MPA Panthers running through Times Square!

We are beyond excited to see how you challenge each other and the collective impact you will have on this day!

To make a gift on that day, click here.


Maker Fest 2018 Was Extraordinary!

maker fest 2018Our community is filled with the most creative dreamers and doers! We are so impressed by what these brilliant minds made and brought to the first annual Maker Fest on Saturday. Participants and viewers ranged from students, parents, alumni, faculty, and staff of all ages and divisions. It was an excellent way to bring us all together and inspire the Maker in all of us! See the photos here!


Familiar Faces Return to MPA

retired faculty on campusThis week, MPA warmly welcomed beloved retired faculty and staff members Jackie Kemper, Sarah Kumagai, Betsy Chmelik, Ellen Turpin, Joanne Olson, Joan Shrum, and Nansee Greeley back to campus! After much hugging and reunions between each other and current faculty and staff, Ms. Koen toured the group around the Makerspace with wide eyes, followed by plenty of “ooh and ahs.” They loved the new addition to campus, extremely impressed and happy that students and teachers were benefiting from it every day. Then, they rolled up their sleeves and got to work!

With the help of Ms. Koen, they each made their own wooden “Dream Big. Do Right.” caddy, learning how to use an electric saw and the process of woodworking in the Makerspace shop over stories and laughs. It was an absolute joy to have them here!

You can take a look at all of their fun here!


The Year of 100 Stories

Alumni stories imageThank you for sending in your stories! We are so excited to hear from more of you! We are working hard to design a more connected and productive network that works for you and the entire MPA community.

Your stories will do more than just fill space in Alumni News and on Facebook. They will inspire current MPA students, give your former teachers the excitement of knowing what you’re up to, and allow us to begin a mapping project to better connect alumni to other professionals throughout the MPA community. Our reach is growing every year, and your collective life journeys are at the heart of what makes an MPA education exceptional.

We’ll enter each person who provides their story into a drawing for a $250 gift card or a $250 donation to the non-profit of the winner’s choice.

Thank you for taking a few minutes to reflect, write, and stay engaged. Click here to tell your story!


Call for Nominees!

Alumni award logoThe Alumni Association is still 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.

Please include the nominees’ 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 by April 1!