Alumni Archives | Page 2 of 18 | Mounds Park Academy News

Sponsorship Opportunities For The Spring Auction!

January 31, 2019

Sponsors for the 2019 Spring Auction receive special recognition on the website and printed materials and are invited to the exclusive pre-party, where they will have special access to the silent auction, great gatherings, and games. Sponsors also support Mounds Park Academy’s faculty and staff by allowing us to provide them with complimentary tickets to the event.

There are many different sponsorship levels, including Community Sponsor, Host Sponsor, and Family And Friends Sponsor. Community Sponsors receive two complimentary tickets to the gala, two complimentary tickets to the Private Sponsor Pre-party, the company name and/or family name on auction program, on-site recognition, website recognition, and help cover the cost of two teacher tickets. Read More

Homecoming And Alumni Reunion Weekend

January 23, 2019

If you are from the classes of 1994, 1995, 2004, 2005, 2014, and 2015, then please mark your calendars for next year’s Homecoming and Reunion Weekend! We’ll be celebrating your Milestone Reunions on Saturday, September 28, 2019. In the coming months, we’ll be reaching out to your classes to get you involved and provide more information. We hope to see you there!

Updated Open Gym Schedule

January 17, 2019

kids playing basketball in the lansing center

The Lansing Sports Center will once again be open most Saturday mornings this winter for MPA families and their friends. Please see below for an updated schedule of open gym dates and times.

If you know a family who might be interested in learning more about our school, this would be a great opportunity to welcome them to campus!

Saturday, January 19: 8-10:30 AM
Saturday, January 26: 9 AM-12 PM
Saturday, February 2: 9 AM-12 PM
Saturday, February 9: 9 AM-12 PM
Saturday, February 23: 9 AM-12 PM

You are welcome to come and use the track, sports center and fitness center. If you have any questions, please contact the Athletic Office at 651-748-5630.

Save The Date For The Spring Auction

January 10, 2019

The biggest event of the year, Spring Auction 2019–Once Upon a Time, will be on May 11, 2019 at the Vadnais Heights Commons. Become a sponsor and get early access to the Silent Auction, Great Gatherings, and the special Pre-Party all while supporting MPA! You can also help by donating auction items–see our wish list below to get inspiration or just stop by the Development Office in Lower School.

January 9, 2019

Calling all makers, creatives, tinkerers, inventors, and crafters! Registration is now open to be a part of the second annual MPA Maker Fest.

See our community’s hard work come to life on Saturday, February 23 from 1-3 PM. Anyone is welcome to attend as a spectator (no RSVP necessary) or host a display table (sign up here)!

Participants can sign up either individually or with a group to host a display table. Participation is open to everyone in our community—students, parents, grandparents, alumni, parents of alumni, faculty, staff, and more. This is the perfect opportunity to “show and tell” something that you have created and share your accomplishments. If you have questions, please contact Ms. Koen, Makerspace coordinator, at nkoen@moundsparkacademy.org.

Meet Brenna Bray ’02

December 19, 2018

What are you currently doing, professionally and/or personally?
In December 2018 I successfully completed my Ph.D. in biomedical sciences (neuroscience specialization).

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 graduated from St. Olaf College in Northfield in 2006 with a psychology major and media studies concentration. That summer I attended the Denver Publishing Institute then accepted a position in textbook publishing in Seattle for two years. I became very interested in the science books I was representing, and subsequently moved back to Minnesota to pursue a career in the health care industry. I worked as a medical scribe in the emergency department while taking pre-med courses back at my alma mater (St. Olaf College). I spent two years in a middle management scribe position, helping to start- and manage new emergency department scribe programs nation-wide, then returned to my coursework. I took a research class one summer and fell in love with it. In 2013, a mentor at St. Olaf received an e-mail from my now former advisor stating she had an opening for a graduate student in her lab. I got in touch with her, her work was very similar to the research I was doing at the time, and I was quickly accepted into the Division of Basic Biomedical Sciences in the Graduate School at the University of South Dakota/Sanford School of Medicine. Read More

College Counseling at MPA: Andrew Guiang ’08 Shares

December 4, 2018

MPA’s college counseling process is driven by careful consideration of each student’s unique set of interests, priorities, and aspirations, balanced with an understanding of the current college admission landscape. MPA alumni Andrew Guiang ’08 shares the most valuable part of the college search process at MPA and how it prepared him for his future. Read the Q&A with Andrew below and more about college counseling at MPA here!

Q: What was the most valuable part of the college search process at MPA? What did you appreciate about MPA’s approach?

A: I liked that, at MPA, it’s cool to be smart, and that fact makes applying to college that much easier. I also like that MPA has a good mix of people who stay local or go away for college, which makes the application process less stressful, since there’s no pressure to choose one region over another. Read More

Thank You For Your Generosity

November 29, 2018

The generosity of the Mounds Park Academy community is truly amazing. During the five weeks of our annual Fall Campaign you showed why MPA matters to you by contributing nearly $300,000 to the MPA Fund, including over $130,000 on Give to the Max Day. The Give to the Max Day Lip Sync Battle, now an established tradition celebrating our fabulous community, was so much fun! Click here to revisit this year’s performance one more time.

The MPA Fund is the lifeblood of our fundraising, supporting the school’s mission and the educators who bring it to life. Through these efforts, our community came together to financially support the next generation of MPA students. So many gifts were given by alumni, current parents, faculty, and staff, in support of our school that is making such an incredible impact in the lives of our students.

And, congratulations to the kindergarten, first grade, second grade, seventh grade, and eighth grade classes for hitting the 70 percent participation mark and winning a party for your students! Lower School classes will receive a party with Mr. Sheehan and the Middle School classes will receive a pizza and games party. Details to follow!

Meet Ryan Martin ’94

November 19, 2018

What are you currently doing, professionally and/or personally?
I’m a professor and chair of the psychology department at the University of Wisconsin-Green Bay. I’m an anger researcher and just recently did a TEDx talk called “The Upside of Anger.”

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 went to the University of St. Thomas for undergrad and studied psychology. I earned my master’s degree and Ph.D. from the University of Southern Mississippi in counseling psychology. After a year as a visiting professor at the University of Southern Mississippi, I got a job as an assistant professor here at UW-Green Bay.

How did your MPA experience prepare you for your life today? How did MPA help you dream big and do right?
There were a lot of little things that I learned at MPA that set me up for success (writing skills, public speaking, etc.), but honestly, what I’m most thankful for are the teachers who continued to believe in me even when I was difficult. I was not a great student and there were many times teachers could have given up on me. I am very thankful for those teachers who supported me and continue to support me. Read More

Witness The Impact

November 15, 2018

by Dr. Bill Hudson, Head of School

If you have logged into Facebook or checked your email today, you are well aware that today is Give to the Max Day. Across the state of Minnesota, this day is a celebration of the power of philanthropy to change lives. For MPA, today marks a celebration of our generous donors who are so very dedicated to our students and who believe in making an impact on our school community.

The mission of Mounds Park Academy is vibrant and powerful, delivered by talented and caring teachers, and is having a tremendous impact on the lives of our students each day. Impact means to have a strong effect on someone or something. You share in that impact by the value you place on learning, the investment you are making in the education of your children, and your commitment and support of Mounds Park Academy. Read More