My MPA Experience Archives

April 22, 2019

Upper School science teacher, parent of an alumna

What do you love about MPA?
I love that it offers a liberal arts, whole child experience. Students spend each day doing a variety of things as they learn about themselves and the world.

How many years have you been at MPA?
I’ve been here for 27 years—since 1991!

How does MPA nurture students who forever dream big and do right?
MPA takes the time to nurture students’ interests and gives them a multitude of experiences to help them see the wide range of things those interests relate to.

If you have worked at another school, how has your experience at MPA been different?
The small size makes it easier to communicate with colleagues and to help ensure that no student gets “lost in the shuffle.” I like that I am in charge of my budget and the chance to obtain materials, in the right amounts, to maximize the learning from each lab.

What would you tell a parent considering MPA?
Consider how MPA offers a wide range of offerings, the small class sizes, teachers who are interested in and get to know all of their students. Teachers and administrators are accessible to their students. Each student can be in a multitude of extra curricular activities without a lot of prior experience.

Meet MPA Parent Sungwon Koo

April 8, 2019

What do you love about MPA?
I love the warmth of MPA. That’s the reason that I chose MPA for my son who had come from so far away to the United States. Throughout the application, school tour, and interview process, I could feel the warmth, respect, and sincerity from teachers, interviewers, and staff. They are all proud of being an MPA family, which makes me feel confident. MPA has something special within their heart to care for students and care for families.

How is your child encouraged to dream big and do right at MPA?
MPA is open, flexible, and encourages students to think big and explore new things. Even though my son is not an athletic person, he immediately loved to run on the Cross Country Team and also enjoyed downhill skiing. When my son is planning and selecting courses and extra activities for next semester, he is happy and really excited about what he is going to choose. He wants to learn new things and is full of high hopes and expectations for classes and teachers.

What would you tell another family considering MPA?
If you want a school that takes care of your child like a family, come and choose MPA. Faculty, students, and families are all inclusive to foreign students and new families in general. Passionate teachers are all proud that they can teach at MPA. Faculty and staff pay attention to and are ready to listen to the voices of students and families. Read More

Meet Ryan Ghose ’21

March 19, 2019

What do you love about MPA?
Waking up every morning excited about what I’m doing that day, whether it be a fun activity during class, play rehearsal, or a school dance.

How are you encouraged to dream big and do right at MPA?
I am encouraged to dream big and do right through everything MPA offers. My extracurriculars allow me to explore anything and everything I set my mind to. The volunteer work I have been doing on campaigns and for organizations I believe in continue to inspire me to do right for my peers and my community.

What would you tell a family considering MPA?
If you have a child that loves to learn and wants to explore their environment, MPA allows your child to do that in a supportive and understanding environment. Read More

Meet Ms. O’Keefe

February 25, 2019

First grade teacher

How many years have you been at MPA?
My first, first grade class is currently in ninth grade … making my career at MPA nine years!

What do you love about MPA?
I love that MPA reaches every aspect of the whole child and that they respect every child as an individual.

How does MPA nurture students who forever dream big and do right?
MPA nurtures students who forever dream big and do right by inviting students from a very young age to express their dreams, teach them that no dream is too big, and help them on a path to discover how to reach those dreams while being respectful citizens.

If you have worked at another school, how has your experience at MPA been different?
MPA has an amazing understanding of students at each educational level (Lower School, Middle School, and Upper School) and how each relates to one another. Having the span of pre-kindergarten to graduation from high school under one roof is a unique quality in a school. Read More

Meet Evan W. ‘24

February 14, 2019

What do you love about MPA?
How people are very kind and inclusive. Another thing that I really like about MPA is that the class sizes are very small, so the teachers really get to know you and your personality genuinely well. That makes it easy and comfortable to ask them for help.

How are you encouraged to dream big and do right at MPA?
What encourages me is that the teachers are always supportive. If you have an idea and you tell one of your teachers, they would never make you think that your idea is stupid or not good. They would actually encourage you to try it and help you with it.

If you have attended another school, how has your experience at MPA been different?
One of the things that is different is that there are 10 times more teacher help than at other schools. Because MPA has such small class sizes, the teachers will give you lots more help and you will be able to get all your questions answered.

What would you tell a family considering MPA?
I would tell them that the environment at MPA is super welcoming and nice and that there are great people at the school, so you will be able to make friends very easily. Read More

Meet Isaac ’29

January 9, 2019

What do you love about MPA?
My favorite part of MPA is playing with friends, especially in phy. ed. class. Mr. Sheehan is my teacher and he is always nice. He’s just a fun person. I also love math because I use my whole brain and I work together with my friends.

How do you dream big and do right at MPA?
Dream big and do right means being nice to my friends. I make sure to give (my best friend) a hug every morning when I see him, and he gives me a hug.

What would you tell a friend considering MPA?
MPA is a very fun place because you have everything you need. You have friends, you have a really good hot lunch, you have a big playground, you have lots of books in the library. The library is a place I really like because I love books, especially books about football. I also really like Ms. Espeland’s music class and Ms. Mastel’s drama class. I really can’t pick which of those I like best because I like them both so much.

Meet JD Ogden ’20

October 11, 2018

What do you love about MPA?
I love that I get individual feedback from my teachers on assignments.

How are you encouraged to dream big and do right?
When I see classmates working hard and challenging themselves around me, it makes me aspire to be my best self.

If you have attended another school, how has your experience at MPA been different?
I came to MPA in kindergarten, so I don’t recall exactly!

What would you tell a family considering MPA?
It’s a great community and I know everyone so well. For example, on the Deep Portage overnight trip last year, our grade got to know each other even better. There was a moment when we were in groups and I had new students that I didn’t know as well in mine, plus some teachers that our grade was just getting to know, yet everyone was themselves with each other.

In what ways has MPA prepared you for life?
It has taught me so many life lessons around how to be an ethical person. Read More

Meet MPA Parent Tobi Tanzer

September 24, 2018

What do you love about MPA?
Faculty and administration that connect with each student. They expertly recognize each child’s strengths and encourage them to challenge themselves (and succeed) in ways they never thought possible.

How is your child encouraged to dream big and do right at MPA?
Starting with the application process, the emphasis was on what things my son could personally contribute to the school and to his peers—with extra encouragement to explore completely new things. By using and appreciating his own emerging talents and interests, he has gained the confidence to think of himself as a scholar, world citizen and kind friend.

If your child has attended another school, how has your experience at MPA been different?
The difference—and my son’s transformation—have been remarkable. His previous school, though highly regarded academically, had a one-dimensional approach to teaching and learning. That approach suppressed, rather than nurtured, my son’s talents and interests. By the time he reached middle school, this curious, bright and compassionate boy had become an indifferent, unmotivated student. At MPA, with the support of teachers who immediately saw his strengths (and his weak spots), he has become a highly motivated learner, who actively participates in both academic and extracurricular activities. Read More

Meet Cameron Meyer-Mueller ’13

September 24, 2018

What are you currently doing, professionally and/or personally? I graduated from college last spring, and I am applying to medical school for the fall of 2019. However, I am currently spending two gap years abroad in the southern French port city of Marseille, where I’m taking full advantage of all the opportunities this city and country have to offer. I spend two days a week working as an English language assistant for a preschool and primary school, where I teach English lessons to little ones. When I’m not in the schools, I’m either in the hospital or laboratory and take part in a weekly shadowing internship with a French neonatologist. I’ve even started to sit in on births in the operating and delivery rooms! I also volunteer weekly at another local children’s hospital, where I play board games with patients. The rest of my time is spent working in a neuroscience lab at the local university, where I will start conducting spatial navigation experiments on rats. The best part of my time in France is that I can do all of things I love in the clinical and laboratory settings all while speaking French!

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? I received my undergraduate degree from Barnard College, the women’s college of Columbia University in New York City, where I majored in neuroscience and behavior and minored in French. I spent one semester abroad in France in a program that emphasized cultural integration into the community and placed me in a homestay. This experience solidified my decision to take a few years off before medical school and return to France to seek opportunities to interact with people different than myself. I am adamant that homestays are one of the best ways to learn about and live like the local population. Read More

Meet Elli Carlson ’20

September 10, 2018

What do you love about MPA?

I love that at MPA, I am able to participate in a wide variety of activities. I can play soccer but also be on the debate team. Additionally, the arts department has so many more options than a lot of other schools do. I can take photography, two ceramics classes, and a theatre class all in one year. This allows me to pursue areas outside of just required courses, and for me, these are the areas that interest me most.

If you have attended another school, how has your experience at MPA been different?

MPA is different from my old school in virtually every aspect. The block schedule at MPA gives us longer class periods, allowing for deep discussion and more in depth learning in each class. The longer lunch period gives students to have a break in the day, allowing us to be able to focus during our afternoon classes. The wide variety of arts courses allowed is much more rigorous than my old school’s and allows me to advance my skills in an area that is important to me, as I plan on pursuing a career in the arts after high school. Read More