Class of 2019: José Varela Castillo, Woodbury

Jose Varela CastilloAs the 2018–19 school year comes to an end, we’re sharing the college choice stories of several members of the Class of 2019!

In what grade did you come to MPA? 
I came to MPA in ninth grade. MPA has been a great fit and I’ve really enjoyed my time here.

How did you come to choose the college that you did?
I chose Tulane because I wanted to be in a place that was warm and close to home. Also, I wanted to be in a five-year architecture program, and Tulane was my favorite school in the south that offered it. I also was looking for a medium size school, but one that still had lots of school spirit and D1 athletics. Tulane also allows me to double or switch majors because admission is not school specific giving me more options if architecture is not the path I ultimately want to take.

What are you most excited about as you embark on your college experience?
I am really looking forward to taking more art classes and doing more hands-on projects. I am also looking forward to more independence and the ability to have more control over my schedule. College will also give me the opportunity to find out what I really want in life and discover new paths. I am excited to meet new people who have had different life experiences than I have. Studying abroad is another thing that I am excited for, since I love to travel and like living in different countries. Read More


Class of 2019: Lance Go, Woodbury

Lance GoAs the 2018–19 school year comes to an end, we’re sharing the college choice stories of several members of the Class of 2019!

In what grade did you come to MPA?
I came to MPA in ninth grade. I originally went to St. Ambrose of Woodbury from K-8 before MPA, and I distinctly remember being the only person from St. Ambrose to transfer to MPA in my class. Since I decided to enroll at MPA, I have never looked back.

How did you come to choose the college that you did?
Northwestern University has been somewhere I have wanted to go since I was very young. Northwestern is in the unique position of offering many more options than a traditional liberal arts college while still maintaining a smaller feel than a big university. Although I will be an engineering student, I will still have the option of taking many classes outside of my major. The combination of having a wide selection of courses and the flexibility to try things outside of what I am studying easily made Northwestern my top choice.

What are you most excited about as you embark on your college experience?
As much as I love the great state of Minnesota, I am very excited to see what other cities have to offer! I am always up for trying new things, and Evanston and Chicago will be a nice change of scenery. As someone who does not yet know what kind of engineering is best for me, I’m also excited to further explore a variety of engineering disciplines and the STEM field as a whole. Read More


Middle School Track And Field Wins Conference Championship

middle school track and field competing at championshipCongratulations to the Middle School Boys and Girls Track And Field Teams! These Panthers won the Conference Championship last week!

The Middle School Conference Championship Meet was held at Providence Academy and totaled in 29 team and individual events. The Panthers placed first in 11 of them.

In the boys 100 meter hurdles event, Owen L. came in first place and Kai Z. in fifth. Amelia J. placed second for the girls and Kensi B. fourth.

MPA took third in both the boys and girls 800 meter relay.

Hope B. placed first in the girls 1600 meter run. For the boys, all top three places were MPA runners–Jasper P., Owen L., and Evan W.

In the 400 meter relay, the MPA girls team took second place. The boys took both second and third in their race. Read More


A Message From Board Chair Brent Peacock

Brent and Melissa peacockAs the school year is wrapping up and my tenure as board chair is coming to a close, I would like to take a moment to thank the dedicated group of parents, alumni and alumni parents who serve as trustees of the MPA Board. These 20 individuals commit to a three-year term where they serve on at least one of five standing committees (Executive, Governance, Finance, Development, and Audit) as well as bi-monthly board meetings. Via countless hours of meetings and emails they set strategic direction and approve budgets, audit risk, and raise critical funds.

Some of our goals this year included:

  • Vision/Strategy: Developed a collaborative process to launch the next strategic planning effort.
  • Financial & Risk Management: Oversaw legal risk and financial management for the organization.
  • Leadership Oversight: Supported Dr. Hudson in leading and managing the school.
  • Provided Resources: Aligned Board around development strategies and 100% participation in Together, We Dream: The Campaign for MPA (with various members serving on the Committee) and the MPA Fund. Served as MPA Brand Ambassadors by promoting the school in many capacities.

Read More


Celebrating MPA Spirit

Dan Haase celebrates with Kathy Bourne and Kathi PetersonThe Spirit Committee gathered yesterday to celebrate the contributions of long-time members, and senior parents, Kathy Bourne and Kathi Peterson. After many years of dedication to the Spirit Committee they bid a fond farewell with their seniors and leave MPA Athletics stronger than ever. Mounds Park Academy would like to sincerely thank them for their many hours of volunteer service and incredible contributions through the years.

We would love for you be a part of the 2019-20 MPA Spirit Committee. Please email Dawn Zimmerman at dzimmerman@moundsparkacademy.org in the athletic office if you are interested or would like more information. Read More


An MPA Soccer Reunion

MPA Soccer alumni reunionA group of former MPA girls soccer players, some of their partners, eight little ones, and coaches Mike Scinto and Al Greimel recently got together for an MPA soccer reunion!

Thank you to Caitlin Coomes ’01, Beth Dunbar ’01, Victoria Simmonds ’01, Anna Kelly ’02, Karli (Gastezoro) McGill ’03, Kate Allen ’03, Clare Halloran ’03, Kelsey Suddard ’03, Stephanie Eyerly-Webb ’03, Amelia Lyle ’03, Mary Brainerd Dujovski ’05, and Sara Coomes ’07 for the group photo!


Pa Chia Thao ’13 Speaks At Booyah Bash 2019

Pa Chia Thao '13 speaking at the Booyah Bash galaMPA alum Pa Chia Thao ’13 was a featured speaker at this year’s Breakthrough Twin Cities annual gala, the Booyah Bash. Pa Chia is a Mount Holyoke College Class of 2017 alumna majoring in astronomy and physics. She shared about the impact of Breakthrough Twin Cities and Mounds Park Academy during her remarks.

This fall, Pa Chia will be pursuing a Ph.D. in Astrophysics at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill as a National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellow, and a Jack Kent Cooke Foundation Graduate Scholar. Her current research is in understanding how planets beyond our own solar system formed and evolved throughout their lifetime. Congrats to Pa Chia as she continues to make an impact on the world through her studies and research! Read Pa Chia’s full speech here.


Class of 2019: Aneesh Syal, North Oaks

Aneesh SyalAs the 2018–19 school year comes to an end, we’re sharing the college choice stories of several members of the Class of 2019!

In what grade did you come to MPA? 
I came to MPA in Kindergarten. My sister was in third grade when I enrolled, so my family was familiar with the school. My parents wanted to provide me an education that they never had the opportunity to have, a place where both intellect and character and valued and developed equally.

How did you come to choose the college that you did?
After touring numerous colleges, Washington University in St. Louis remained on my mind for many months. I enjoyed the resources of the institution, the strong emphasis on science and humanities. However, what ended up causing me to apply Early Decision to WashU were the people. I visited the college twice and the students were incredibly kind and reminded me of MPA students. I remember talking to one current student, and she said that everyone here works together because we acknowledge that collaboration fosters stronger solutions. Read More


Thank You For Your Impact And Support

MPA parents and board members at the auction Thank you to our entire community for helping to make the 2019 Spring Auction – Once Upon a Time a big success. Together, current parents, alumni families, grandparents, faculty and staff, and friends raised a grand total of $200,584!

Our community also ensured that this year’s Fund A Need project, Together We Dream of High Tech Spaces, was fully funded. By raising their paddles and generously supporting the Fund A Need, MPA will be able to provide the best technology and tools in our newly renovated commons and library next year. Thank you to everyone who donated to this very special project. Read More


Undefeated Panthers Win IMAC Championship

Girls Softball TeamCongratulations to the MPA Girls Softball Team for winning the 2019 IMAC Conference Championship! This is the first championship title to be won by MPA’s softball team in school history. This year’s team composition has been tremendously successful, as it features a variety of grades and even a few players from Gentry Academy, who MPA has a co-operative partnership with this year. There are two seniors, four juniors, six eighth graders, and three students from Gentry Academy. All the players showed a commitment to the team from the beginning, such as eighth grader Siri S., who chose to play on MPA’s team along with her traveling softball team.

“The wide range of ages, along with the partnering of two schools, make logistics (practice times, game times, early dismissal and transportation departure times) somewhat challenging,” says Dan Haase, one of the coaches and director of athletics at MPA, “This group, however, has responded well to these challenges. Team competition and expectations have skyrocketed with our early success. The girls respect each other and support each other, which creates a fun team atmosphere and makes coaching even more enjoyable. I’m so proud of their success thus far and look forward to the continuing competition and athletic growth, both this year and in the years to come.”

Congrats on this incredible success, Panthers!