My MPA Experience

Meet Alumni Board Member, Hena Vadher ’13

November 23, 2021

Introducing Hena Vadher ’13

For what grades did you attend MPA?
K-12 (“lifer!”)

Why did you choose to pursue a position on the Alumni Association Board?
To promote an equity/justice-based lens in a place that served a formative role in my growth

In what ways do you see yourself as a supporter of MPA and its mission?
A critical assessor of, and huge advocate for, the ways MPA supports all of its students to learn, grow, and succeed on their own terms.

What are you currently doing, professionally and/or personally?
I am a reader, poor and injury-prone runner, and aspiring generalist. Outside of how I enjoy living, I was recently working in disaster relief program implementation for New York City over 8 million residents with the American Red Cross as a disaster Response Manager. I oversaw the program, which included cash and sheltering support, for clients displaced due to disaster.

How did you get to where you are in your career? Did you attend college and if so, where? Are there some career moves or other key experiences or relationships that have inspired you?
I studied International and Area Studies at Washington University in St. Louis interested in pursuing a humanitarian career, inspired by my time interning with UNHCR—the UN’s Refugee Agency—in Geneva, Switzerland. After graduating, I was lucky to learn and grow at Breakthrough Twin Cities in St. Paul before relocating to New York City and eventually beginning my role with the American Red Cross.

How did your MPA experience prepare you for your life today? How did MPA help you dream big and do right?
MPA prepared me to ask questions, prioritizing critical reflection on what and how to ask. I don’t—and can’t—know everything. But, feeling comfortable asking questions and demonstrating vulnerability in that respect goes a long way in better understanding your context (both in personal and professional spheres) and discerning a path toward “doing right.”

What’s next? Any aspirations – personal or professional – that you’d like to share?
I’m currently thinking quite a bit about how I enjoy engaging with my career and am putting intention toward growing in analytic and written communication skills.

What do you to see happen during your time on the Alumni Association Board?
As always, I hope to continue to learn and grow–and support the same for a formative community in my life.

Please share your favorite MPA story.
Thirteen years is a long time for “favorites.” But, I’m so proud to tell stories about how my school encouraged political engagement and thought. I’ll never forget Ms. Conway cancelling our Constitutional Law class the day the Minnesota House voted on whether to legalize gay marriage, asking us all to be present for history at the Capital. That day, she prioritized that sometimes learning comes from living. After the House passed the measure she explained, “In five years, there will be teenagers who won’t remember a time when they couldn’t marry the person they love.” Unforgettable.

Meet Zaara Nayak ’23

November 18, 2021

Zaara NayakZaara has been an MPA student for six years.

What do you love about MPA?
I love MPA’s culture of inclusivity and its commitment to diversity. I also love my teachers and how they encourage me to be an independent thinker.

How are you encouraged to dream big and do right at MPA?
At MPA, I truly feel there is no limit to what I can accomplish. MPA has provided me with many leadership opportunities. For example, I recently re-established the Upper School student-run newspaper as I felt students needed a platform to cultivate community culture.

Why do you believe your teachers teach the way they do?
Hands-on, experiential learning is a key part of teaching at MPA because it teaches us how to think, not just what to think.

If you have attended another school, how has your experience here been different?
Compared to the schools I’ve previously attended, MPA’s small class size has allowed teachers get to know me, my strengths, and challenge me accordingly.

What would you tell another student your age considering MPA?
You won’t regret coming to MPA! It’s one of the best decisions you’ll ever make.

In what ways has MPA prepared you for life beyond school?
MPA has taught me to think critically and independently and how to apply classroom learning to solve real world issues.

What’s your big dream?
Regardless of what career I pursue, I hope to meet the needs of our community and leave the world a better place.

Reflections On 40 Years Of Teaching At MPA

November 16, 2021

When teachers in the Anoka-Hennepin School district went on strike in 1982, an untenured, 23-year-old Anne DeVout Solie knew her job was in jeopardy. Her mom told the worried young teacher about a new school that was opening in St. Paul, and suggested she apply. But she hesitated: the school required three years of experience, and Anne DeVout Solie (now Anne DeVout Atchison) only had two.

“Well, why don’t you give them a call and just find out about them?” the elder DeVout advised.

Atchison called. More than 40 years later Atchison, now an MPA Middle School English teacher, is grateful for her mother’s wisdom and nudge.

In reflecting on that initial job inquiry, Atchison said, “I’m 23, and I’m talking to the woman who picked up the phone. I assume it’s the secretary, and we’re hitting it off. I’m asking her questions; she’s asking me questions. At the end, I ask about the salary, and the woman says, ‘I will tell you that, if you tell me your name.’ I do, and in return ask hers.”

It was Lois Kreischer, the wife of Mounds Park Academy co-founder and visionary Bob Kreischer, who also served as the director of admissions, business manager, and co-founder.

Lois Kreischer (now Sandy Kreischer Smith) encouraged the young teacher to apply, though added, “Just so you know we’re looking for more experienced teachers.” Fate intervened when the stated goal on Atchison’s resume matched the one expressed in MPA’s first brochure, which was being printed at the time: “to create the conditions, within the school environment, for each individual to develop to the best of his or her ability.” She secured the interview and then the job.

Started “On A Dream And A Shoestring”
Bob Kreischer was a well-respected and beloved teacher, counselor, assistant principal, and principal in California before the death of his father-in-law compelled the family to move to Minnesota. The couple’s niece and nephew were students at Breck, so they knew the west metro college preparatory school was hiring. Kreischer applied to and was offered a teaching position. As the new teacher, Kreischer taught “all the classes nobody else wanted” and took “a huge pay cut,” Smith once said. After only a year, Kreischer became Breck’s Middle School director.

Kreischer left Breck shortly after his promotion—with no job prospect—dreaming of a school where everyone had a voice. At the time, Smith was a professional potter with her own shop in Afton. While her hands were busy making pots, her mind was exploring ways her husband could create the school he envisioned. She had notebooks full of ideas, budgets, and impressions of schools she visited that were for sale. Smith said she often took their daughter Kristi on trips to see schools, swearing her to secrecy not to tell her daddy.

One day, her friend Joan Munzner visited Smith’s shop. The potter asked the future MPA French and German founding teacher to come to her house so she could share Bob’s idea of starting his own school. Over coffee at the kitchen table, encouraged by Munzner’s enthusiasm for the idea, Kreischer gained a new perspective on his dream: together they could make it a reality.

They enlisted the support of community leaders, prospective parents, future teachers, and required board members and launched what would become MPA. As the initial values statement declared, “Our school was founded on a dream and a shoestring.”

An Early Commitment To The Whole Child And Social Justice
For Atchison, the early conversations about the vision for MPA—and whether they could really pull it off—remain deep in her soul. The fledgling team wondered if the buses would show up that first day on September 7, 1982. They did, and MPA became a real school, exceeding the expectations of all involved. Read More

Meet Alumni Board Member, Katie (Ditmore) Sinaikin ’97

November 12, 2021

Katie (Ditmore) Sinaikin, 1997

For what grades did you attend MPA?
K-12

Why did you choose to pursue a position on the Alumni Association Board?
MPA gave so much to me; I’d like the opportunity to give back to the MPA community

In what ways do you see yourself as a supporter of MPA and its mission?
I give, financially, but have also always advocated for the value an MPA education brought to my life.

What are you currently doing, professionally and/or personally?
I work in the biotech/pharma space helping bring oncology drugs to patients who need them most. Personally, I am the mother to 2 sons who keep me quite busy 🙂

How did you get to where you are in your career? Did you attend college and if so, where? Are there some career moves or other key experiences or relationships that have inspired you?
I attended Wellesley College and received my MBA from the University of Chicago Booth School of Business. My first role out of undergrad was in Strategy consulting where I worked with a number of small biotechnology companies, and that inspired me to continue to work in that field. All of my work is grounded in knowing “how” to think and not just “what” to think – that’s something that MPA fostered in me from the beginning.

How did your MPA experience prepare you for your life today? How did MPA help you dream big and do right?
MPA allowed me the opportunity to try everything. New languages, new sports, new extracurriculars. I was not the best runner or cross country skiier, but I always had a place on the team and I appreciate that even more now as I’m raising my own children and trying to figure out how to give them those same opportunities to “dream big and do right”

What do you to see happen during your time on the Alumni Association Board?
I would just love to see the MPA community – alumni and current students – grow and thrive and continue to develop a new generation of thinkers and doers

Please share your favorite MPA story.
Oh this is hard! When I was in my senior year of track and field something “clicked” and I was running my best times. I ran multiple PRs and was able to be part of the 4x800m relay team that went to Sectionals. Being able to share that success with a team that had been with me for 6 years (Because I was able to join the team as a 7th grader!) and especially with Mrs. Docherty who had been coaching me that entire time was incredibly special.

Meet Our New Lower School Assistant

November 10, 2021

Please welcome Holli Richgels to MPA. You may reach her for all of your Lower School needs at hrichgels@moundsparkacademy.org or 651-748-5562.

What position will you be holding at MPA?
Lower School Administrative Assistant

From what school/organization are you coming?
Nova Classical Academy

Tell us a little bit about your education and past experience.
I have a bachelor’s degree in musical theatre and performance from Minnesota State University, Moorhead. After graduating from college I have worked as a front desk receptionist or administrative assistant at various medical centers and schools. At my last job while being district receptionist I also worked closely with operations (transportation and technology), business office, HR and facilities taking on numerous tasks.

What did you find appealing about MPA during the interview process?
I loved how they said MPA is a big family. I also appreciated how respectful and cheerful everyone was. I also loved touring around the school and seeing all of the wonderful aspects of the school. It was amazing!

What’s your big dream?
To continue working at a school because I believe in helping our new generation be as successful as possible. Otherwise I dream to be involved in more musicals and start a family.

What are you (and your family, if you so choose) passionate about?
Theatre and dance have been in my life since I was two years old and I couldn’t imagine my life without it. To be able to get up on stage and portray different character or dance until I have no more breath is so gratifying for me. I am also passionate about my family. I love my family and am excited to continue to grow with my boyfriend and start our own family (he has two kids) with fun and adventurous traditions.

What’s a fun fact about you that our community would love to know?
Right now I am in the rehearsal process of the musical White Christmas at Lakeshore Players in White Bear Lake. It’s going to be a great show!!!

Meet Alumni Board Member Adi Boeder Risner ’02

November 5, 2021

Adi Boeder Risner ’02

For what grades did you attend MPA?
K-6 and 10-12 (relocated to Belgium 7-9)

Why did you choose to pursue a position on the Alumni Association Board?
Over the last year, my interest in the Alumni Association peaked as I noticed more and more alumni choosing Mounds Park Academy for their children. As a member of the Parents Association at MPA, connecting with all parents is a delightful part of my role, but I especially enjoy relating to other alumni parents given our shared experiences and values. Last year, the Kindergarten class was composed of 20% children of alumni! I pursued a position on the Alumni Association Board to better serve as a bridge between alumni and current and/or prospective parents.

In what ways do you see yourself as a supporter of MPA and its mission?
Well, I send my kids to MPA!

What are you currently doing, professionally and/or personally?
My husband and I were married in 2014 in Estes Park, CO, and we now have two sons and a bulldog together. We moved back to the Twin Cities from Denver in 2018 to be closer to family and for the boys’ education. I’m currently a Statistician at 3M. I recently re-entered the corporate workforce after staying home with my youngest son for 3 years. Fun fact, I also make soap – lots and lots of soap!

How did you get to where you are in your career? Did you attend college and if so, where? Are there some career moves or other key experiences or relationships that have inspired you?
After graduating from MPA in ’02, I received my bachelor’s at St. Olaf College in both mathematics and economics. I worked at an actuarial firm for several years before relocating to Denver in 2011, for the mountain lifestyle. Here, I completed my master’s in business intelligence at the University of Denver, Daniels College of Business. In the years to follow, I worked at a major healthcare company, building statistical models and training data scientists on predictive modeling techniques. I find that I’m most inspired when I accept the challenge to change perspective. For example, the best move that I ever made (both personally and professionally) was taking some time off to stay home and focus on family. The change was scary and uncertain, and no-one thought it was a suitable role for me, but ultimately taking that leap was an extremely gratifying decision that continues to provide benefits. Finding fulfillment at home changed my perspective of who I was and what I can contribute to the world. Not only did I soak up the quality time with my kids but I was also able to recalibrate my goals for the future. I think that anytime you allow yourself to change perspective you’re given the opportunity to grow.

How did your MPA experience prepare you for your life today? How did MPA help you dream big and do right?
At MPA I felt regularly encouraged, challenged, and respected in my approaches to problems, without fear, judgement, or social pressure. Most importantly, I think that MPA provided me with a safe environment to pursue a wide-range of multiple disciplines and to make balanced choices about my interests. The emphasis that I felt on exposure and balance over perfection prepared me for an evolving future full of choices that I didn’t yet know existed.

What’s next? Any aspirations—personal or professional—that you’d like to share?
I’m really excited to wear multiple hats this year – Alumni Board Member, Parent’s Association Grade Rep, MPA parent, and full-time working mom. Fun times!

Please share your favorite MPA story.
I vividly recall, as a high schooler, spending most of my free time in Ms. Buck’s classroom, working on my ceramics projects. There was always some detail that needed fine-tuning or some creative process to map out, or maybe I just loved the smell of the clay. Either way, her classroom was always open and I knew that I could expect her cheerful smile. This was my favorite part of the day.

Meet Alumni Board Member Abigail Duffine ’98

October 29, 2021

Abigail Duffine ’98

Full Name and Graduation Year
Abigail Duffine, 1998

For what grades did you attend MPA?
7-12

Why did you choose to pursue a position on the Alumni Association Board?
I have always felt a connection to, and appreciation for, MPA. Now that I’m an active volunteer at my children’s’ independent school, I wanted to also give back to MPA.

In what ways do you see yourself as a supporter of MPA and its mission?
I believe in MPA’s inclusive and well rounded education.

What are you currently doing, professionally and/or personally 50-100 word bio?
After working in Independent school education (including at MPA!) and recruiting teachers for nyc, I am now dedicated to volunteer work at my sons’ school.

How did you get to where you are in your career? Did you attend college and if so, where? Are there some career moves or other key experiences or relationships that have inspired you?
After attending MPA I attended The George Washington University. I found my passion in doing marketing and recruiting. I always loved sales and found “selling” an education to be extremely rewarding.

How did your MPA experience prepare you for your life today? How did MPA help you dream big and do right?
MPA was a place where I could grow and be involved in a safe and inclusive environment. I loved my time there!

What’s next? Any aspirations – personal or professional – that you’d like to share?
I look forward to being an active and engaged member of our current school, Germantown Academy.

What do you to see happen during your time on the Alumni Association Board?
I hope to help MPA continue to grow and thrive.

Please share your favorite MPA story.
Some of my favorite MPA memories involved athletics. While I wasn’t a particularly talented athlete, MPA allowed me the opportunity to be enjoy the thrill of being on a team.

Live Performance At MPA

October 28, 2021

Having our students engaged in visual and performing arts isn’t just about fostering an appreciation of the arts, rather it is about helping students develop the ability to practice perseverance, develop ingenuity, and understand that ideas can be expressed in more than just words. Through authentic experiences as musicians, performers, and artists each student has the ability to maximize their artistic potential, build confidence, and create beauty.

True hallmarks of Mounds Park Academy are the live performances where instrumental and choral students share their work with the broader MPA community. It is hard to believe that due to the pandemic the last live concerts held on campus were more than 19 months ago. We are thrilled to share that at this time we are not only holding in person performances, but that guests are invited to attend either in person or virtually. View the MPA calendar and add the upcoming performances to your calendars including the Upper School Instrumental Concert on Wednesday, November 3 at 7:30 PM.

To maintain alignment with the MPA health and safety protocols, each guest who plans to attend the live performances will be required to pre-register and provide proof of their COVID-19 vaccination (a picture or scan of their vaccination card) via email to covid@moundsparkacademy.org by 7 PM the night prior to the scheduled concert. If your vaccination card is already on file at MPA through athletics or other events, you do not need to send it again. If you have a medical or religious exception, please contact covid@moundsparkacademy.org with those details as we will provide information and work with you to obtain a clearance COVID-19 test so you may attend. Masking is required on campus.

All pre-registered guests will enter and exit through the Gallery on the south side of campus (door #3) and go directly to their seats in the Nicholson Center where the performances are held.

For the convenience and safety of our community, all performances will also be live streamed at the link below. Regardless of how you view the events, we are excited for you to enjoy the wonderful talent of our students.

JOIN LIVESTREAM
Password: 2051
There will not be a recording distributed afterward due to licensing restrictions.

IMPORTANT HEALTH & SAFETY NOTES REGARDING IN-PERSON ATTENDANCE

Please note that even though health and safety protocols are in place, band and choir performances are highly aerosolized activities. If any attendee develops symptoms within 48 hours of the performance, please contact covid@moundsparkacademy.org for guidance.

COVID-19 is a highly contagious and potentially life-threatening disease declared by the World Health Organization to be a global pandemic. Information about COVID-19 is continually evolving and subject to change. COVID-19’s highly contagious nature means that contact with others or contact with surfaces that have been exposed to the virus, can lead to infection. Additionally, individuals who may be infected with COVID-19, whether vaccinated or not, may be asymptomatic for a period of time or may never become symptomatic.

Aware of the foregoing, I am voluntarily attending the in person performance at Mounds Park Academy. To attend these concerts, I acknowledge and understand:

  • Given the many unknowns relating to COVID-19, it is not possible to fully identify or list each and every individual risk of contracting COVID-19;
  • MPA cannot limit all potential sources of COVID-19 infection.

Lower School Virtual Family Engineering Night

October 28, 2021

Join us as we celebrate “National Lights On Afterschool Day” with an MPA Lower School Virtual Family Engineering Night with The Works Museum! Our activity theme is Cardboard Creation Challenge, and can be done with materials you easily find at home!

When
Thursday, October 28 from 6:30-7:30 PM.

What
Cardboard Creations Challenge with The Works Museum!

Where
Zoom Link 1 (Last name A-K)
Meeting ID: 832 2664 9255
Passcode: 949823

Zoom Link 2 (Last name L-Z)
Meeting ID: 832 9483 4891
Passcode: 988073

Items to gather/Materials suggestions: shipping boxes, food boxes (cereal, cracker, etc.), scissors, tape (masking, duct, or packing), writing tool (pencils, markers, crayons)
Optional: glue, paper, straws/skewers/toothpicks/beads, art supplies (stickers, yarn, ribbon, fabric, tissue paper, etc.)

Questions: Contact Russ at 651-748-5571 or rpurdy@moundsparkacademy.org.

Meet MPA English Teacher Maddy Wolfe ’12

October 27, 2021

Maddy Wolfe '12How many years have you been at MPA?
How do I possibly answer this concisely?! I went to MPA for high school, and then a few years ago I helped out in various roles before starting graduate school. This is my second year here as a teacher.

What do you love about MPA?
It feels cruel to choose just one, but I’d have to say the people and the community are what I love most about MPA. The relationships I started to make with teachers and administrators in high school have far surpassed the four years I attended, and now as a faculty member they have become the foundations of my adult life.

How does MPA inspire students who dream big and do right?
MPA inspires students to dream big and do right through the emphasis on teaching to the whole child. MPA recognizes that a child’s education is so much more than just one or two subjects. It is about nurturing them into growing up to be the curious, smart, conscientious adults our world needs.

What would you tell a parent considering MPA?
I realize that there are so many factors when choosing a school for your child, and it’s often a huge decision to make. However, MPA truly is even better than it seems on the surface. It’s an intimate, connected community that will encourage and support your child to be the best version of themselves, regardless of their name, gender, race, ethnicity, or interests they may have.

In what ways are you preparing students for life in the 21st century?
More than ever before our students thinking broadly and globally. They are connected to people all over the world and are constantly subjected to a myriad of opinions and viewpoints. In my classes, we do so much more than just read texts; we think critically about the world around us and respond thoughtfully and thoroughly, in order to help students become expert communicators and thinkers.

What do you hope for MPA students in 20 years?
I hope they are living their values out in the world and being the change our world needs, however big or small. I also hope they come back and share what they’ve done and where they are, because we are all behind them supporting them, cheering them on!

Is there anything else you’d like to share about your MPA experience?
MPA has been a part of me since I was 14 years old, and it has fused itself onto my soul in many ways. There is a reason I’ve kept coming back here after years of working and living in other places all over the world. I have a hard time picturing who I would be without MPA, and the overwhelming gratitude I feel is so immense it fuels my work every day with students. Thank you, MPA, for everything you have given me.