Upper School Archives

Class of 2020: Amanda Khouw

May 31, 2020

As the 2019–20 school year comes to an end, we’re sharing the college choice stories of the Class of 2020!

In what grade did you come to MPA?

I came to MPA as a freshman in high school. I ended up meeting the best classmates ever (Class of 2020!) and created friendships from different age groups. MPA truly gave me opportunities to thrive as a student and to share my passions with those around me. I have made eternal memories that will be forever cherished.

How did you come to choose the college that you did?

Carleton College was one of my top reach schools on my college list and I was fortunate enough to be admitted. It has an incredibly diverse community alongside with an academically challenging environment. Carleton College is also very close to my own home. Meaning that I can go home easily and grab what I need in the cities. I am extremely excited to join Carleton College as it was a very pleasant surprise to find out that I had been admitted after the “official” Decision Day on May 1. I hope I can make new friends as I did the same in MPA and be able to pursue my career goals. Read More

Developing A Sense Of Belonging

May 31, 2020

The following essay is adapted from MPA Class of 2020 member Jordan Akers’ Senior Speech.

The enemy was drawing closer. Footsteps echoed in the distance, and all I could do was sit and wait. I had my plan, but this was sure to be bloody. This battle, this war if you will, was more than violent. The conflict, between who I objectively was and who I so desperately wanted to become, countered all laws of nature. Any free will was a causality in this war, and my boon was the masculine persona. It was the ambition for which I was desperately fighting.

There have, of course, been battles of a similar nature throughout history. Several years ago, my father was diagnosed with Hashimoto’s Encephalopathy. His body attacked itself until he lost the ability to walk. He lost his balance, memories, and fine motor skills. Only upon the administration of an intravenous steroid did his condition begin to improve. It was his secret weapon. Even then, any sense of normalcy was far in the future. Repairing the damage took time, money, and endless work. Read More

Violence & Unrest: An Important Message From Dr. Jules Nolan

May 30, 2020

by Dr. Jules Nolan, Mounds Park Academy school psychologist

Your children may be asking questions about the events in Minneapolis and St. Paul that have evolved over the past week. It can be difficult to talk to them about racism, violence, social injustice, and unrest, but it is important to do so. Here are some tips for talking about these difficult issues.

For Lower School Children
First, help them feel that you and your family are safe. We do this by managing our own strong emotions of fear and anxiety, and co-regulating with them. When we feel calm, it helps them to feel calm.

Answer questions directly, but don’t give them more information than they are asking for. If they ask about the protests you could say, “People are marching and carrying signs because some people are being hurt because of the color of their skin and protesters are asking for it to stop.” Turn off media and watch what you say in front of them, even if it appears that they are not listening. They hear everything.

This is a good time to develop emotional vocabulary by naming feelings. Remind your children that while it doesn’t feel nice to be afraid or sad or worried, they are strong enough to have these feelings and still be okay. Then talk about the things they like to do that help them feel better. Help them manage their own feelings by modeling managing your feelings.

You can talk to small children about racial injustice in a simple way, for instance by saying that some people are mean to other people for no reason and that we stick up for people who are treated unfairly. Talk about times they helped others who were hurting or sad. Then help them to participate in some benevolent action, donating food, cleaning up neighborhoods, making cards, and other acts of service. If you would like to act locally, here are some organizations that are asking for help.

For Middle School Children
They also need to be assured of your family’s safety and we co-regulate with our children in this stage too. While they may seem more oblivious to our emotional states, they can “feel” it when we are tense, angry, worried, sad, etc., and it may make them feel agitated even if they don’t know why. Practice calming yourself. Read More

Upper School Clubs Host Racial Justice Discussions With Local Judge

May 30, 2020

During their lunch and recess on Thursday and Friday, Social Consciousness And Racial Justice & Equity Club hosted two Zoom sessions with Upper School students, Middle School students, and faculty and staff to discuss, listen, and reflect on racism in Minnesota and the devastating murder of Minneapolis man, George Floyd, which has mobilized millions to protest on social media and participate in protests across the country.

Beginning with questions like “What responsibilities should the media have when covering cases of police brutality?” and “What are the differences between covert and overt racism?” the group also incorporated suggestions of personal action steps and phone calls to make to fight the injustices they were passionately discussing together. They finished their meeting brainstorming questions to prepare for their guest speaker on Friday, Hennepin Country District Judge Juan Hoyos. Read More

Reducing The Barriers

May 29, 2020

The following essay is adapted from MPA Class of 2020 member Nasri Maktal’s Senior Speech.

Throughout my life, I have been told repeatedly that I need to work on my confidence. I had this deep feeling of not deserving to be in certain spaces or deserving of others’ time and patience. I believed I wasn’t as impressive or as smart as my classmates. I viewed myself as unworthy of a voice and being heard. It was almost as if I were born with deep-rooted insecurities that held me back from unlocking my full potential. It was this large weight attached to me that followed my every move. I continuously heard that I need to be more confident, but there wasn’t some magical switch that I could flip to make me proud of the person I am.

This feeling came to a head in Middle School. While I had long been cognizant of that fact that I am vastly different from many of my classmates, until then, I wasn’t aware of its true implications. For years, I had refused to acknowledge my differences. By doing so, I continued to ignore who I was, which, in turn, never allowed any form of self-love. Since I didn’t acknowledge my identities that played a large role in my life, how was I supposed to be OK with who I was? These differences were particularly prominent in my socio-economic background, my religion, and my skin color. Read More

Class of 2020: Catherine Moore

May 29, 2020

As the 2019–20 school year comes to an end, we’re sharing the college choice stories of the Class of 2020!

In what grade did you come to MPA?

I came to MPA in Kindergarden. I loved the community Mounds Park Academy has. I especially like the great education I have gotten along with my classmates.

How did you come to choose the college that you did?

I have wanted to go to a smaller school since I could remember. I only looked at smaller liberal art colleges because I knew what kind of school I wanted to continue my education at. I knew that coming from the smaller class sizes and small community at Mounds Park Academy I would want a smaller college. St. Olaf emphasized the small class sizes, along with a similar teacher student relationship that I got at Mounds Park Academy. I also wanted to make academics a priority along with being able to play sports. St. Olaf gives me the chance to thrive academically while playing volleyball.

What are you most excited about as you embark on your college experience?

I am excited to meet new people and to experience new personalities.The class of 2020 has become my family over that last 13 years, but I am excited to meet some new people. I want to push myself out of my comfort zone and into trying new things. Read More

Turn To The Voices Of Our Students

May 29, 2020

Dear MPA Community,

In yesterday’s Panther Post, I wrote about the Class of 2020 and their incredible compassion and commitment to raise their voices and use their gifts to “stir the human spirit, stand for justice, and shake the world.” Those words continued to race through my mind, as I awoke in a city that is filled with pain and violence. The murder of George Floyd and the ensuing events this week, make me feel angry, disheartened, and disillusioned. I’m sure you feel similarly this morning.

When I feel hopeless and powerless, I turn to our students for strength and inspiration. Today is no exception. The voices of our students speak wisdom amidst the confusion, bring hope amidst the frustration, ensure love amidst the grief, and call for justice amidst the anger.

MPA, and schools in general, are poised to help facilitate conversations, present learning opportunities, and provide safe places for students to wrestle with difficult topics. For instance, yesterday, more than 60 Upper School students and faculty joined together for a virtual conversation about the murder of George Floyd at the hands of Minneapolis Police. This conversation, led by the Social Consciousness and Racial Justice and Equity student organizations, centered around challenging and thought-provoking questions about police brutality, overt vs. covert racism, systemic oppression and the role of media in covering this week’s events. Read More

Save The Date For The Virtual Yearbook Assembly

May 28, 2020

Save the date for the Virtual Yearbook Assembly next week! The MPA Yearbook Assembly will be held virtually at 9 AM on Friday, June 5.

Please visit yearbooksigning.jostens.com to learn more about the digital yearbook signing pages in order to participate in our beloved yearbook signing traditions and leave notes for students and peers virtually!

Celebrate Sage Dining’s 30th Birthday

May 28, 2020

In honor of Sage Dining’s 30th birthday, Sage has added six new cooking demonstrations to the SAGE at Home video showcase! This week’s theme focuses on the Crossroads concept, the intersection of fun and flavor, where Sage offers an ever-changing variety of dishes with a street-food twist.

There’s also a video about how to make sure your food is fully cooked.

What The Class Of 2020 Has Given Our Community

May 28, 2020

by Dr. Bill Hudson, Head of School

I have a number of books on my shelf, waiting to be read. I’ve started a few of them, including “Together: The Healing Power of Human Connection in a Sometimes Lonely World” by former Surgeon General Vivek Murthy and “Weird: The Power of Being an Outsider in an Insider World by Olga Khazan.” What do these two books in particular have in common? They remind me of our wonderful Class of 2020 who will graduate in just over a week. Before jumping to the conclusion that this class are a group of lonely weirdos, let me explain.

According to author Olga Khazan, everyone, in some way or another, is a little weird. That’s a good thing because we all have different talents and ideas to contribute, and a perspective that is all our own. Khazan goes on to say that to make the most of our weirdness, it’s important to recognize what makes us special, examine how it functions in our lives, and consider how to use it to our advantage. The Class of 2020 has long impressed me with their willingness to embrace their own uniqueness, but also appreciate and accept the individuality of others.

Some may call the Class of 2020 “weird,” but they are anything but. They wield their distinctiveness as a superpower and are not shy to place it in service of others. For example, in her senior speech, Priya Manda poignantly shared her experience of growing up struggling for acceptance and learning to harness her unique religious and ethnic identity to improve society. “I come from a family who has always fought for what they believe in, and this, combined with the passion of my peers at MPA, inspired my interest in social advocacy. I learned how to use my naturally, talkative personality to find my voice on issues I had taught myself to be silent on. I worked to create safe spaces for kids who, like me, didn’t have any.”

Former Surgeon General Vivek Murthy writes from the perspective of a doctor, bringing to light the reality that loneliness can be as harmful to our health as smoking. Humans, by nature, have a vital need for social connection. It was Dr. John Cacioppo who developed a theory of loneliness rooted in the observation that humans have survived as a species not because of physical advantages but because of the ability to communicate and work together in groups.

Our seniors like to laugh together, hug one another, cheer for one another, and share with one another. It is not unusual to find them piled into tight groups in the Hart Commons, lamenting a difficult Calc or Physics test, and then laughing together about their struggles. In fact, the class invented the term “cuddle puddle” to explain this phenomenon. Their commitment to community is not reserved solely for themselves. They have worked hard to include underclassmen in school events and in everyday conversations. They have not established themselves as ‘seniors’ by ‘ruling,’ but by ‘including’ and have been ever the more successful for it.

How ironic that this class who collectively valued community and connectedness are unable to end their MPA career together as a school community. Worried that they did not have an opportunity to say goodbye, they wrote a letter to their classmates to urge them to strive to “Dream Big and Do Right”: “The Class of 2020 worked hard, set goals, and achieved them. However, we recognized how our future was not a competition with each other. We learned our success was dictated by us. We learned we were more successful collaborating and supporting each other than competing.”

I was particularly moved by the collection of six-word memoirs written by the senior class. They speak a truth so much more than I could ever capture:

Saved my life, gave me life. Lilly Ramalingham
Expected a school, found a home. Galen Juliusson
Everything, friends, home, love. It’s everything. Emma Finch
New Kid, Strange kid, Loved kid. Quincy Lewis

I am grateful for the many gifts the senior class have given our community and I look forward with great confidence and in anticipation of how these gifts will impact our world in the years ahead. There is no doubt in my mind that these amazing incredible young people will indeed “stir the human spirit, stand for justice, and shake the world.”