Alumni Archives

May 3, 2018

by Erica Brewinski ’96, Middle School Director

Editor’s Note: On the first Thursday of each month, you will now find a guest blog post here from one of MPA’s division directors. We hope you will enjoy reading their stories and reflections about life at MPA!

“You can change the world.” When I think back on my education at MPA, these are the words that always come to mind. Maureen Conway, retired Upper School history teacher, repeated them to her students so many times that no one could doubt that we had the ability to shape the future for the betterment of the world around us. After graduating from MPA, I put these words into action by creating a new program in which Brown University students were paired with developmentally disabled adults in the Providence community so that the latter could learn and practice important life skills. While the rest of my college friends volunteered in pre-standing programs or, more likely, didn’t bother with service at all, I felt both empowered and compelled to take action to address a need that I knew would make a difference. MPA provided me with the skills, courage, creativity, and perseverance necessary to create something from scratch, including programming, budgeting, advertising, locating and working with a large number of community partners, and more in a place where I could no longer rely on family and friends for help. It also guided me to choose a career in education, since I could think of no better way to make a difference than by guiding the next generation.

Explore County Donegal, Ireland!

April 26, 2018

This Spring Auction item will have you planning for your four-night stay for four at the luxurious Waterfront Hotel Dungloe in stunning County Donegal, Ireland, in no time! Voted the coolest place on the planet by National Geographic, Donegal boasts spectacular views, endless outdoor activities, and is host to the sets of Game of Thrones and Star Wars. The beautiful Waterfront Hotel with stunning views overlooking the Atlantic Ocean is a 49-bedroom luxurious hotel located in the heart of the Rosses. This stunning property offers amazing food and your stay includes complimentary breakfasts. The Waterfront Hotel on the Wild Atlantic Way has something for everyone with a range of overnight packages including golf, walking, angling and family breaks. The hotel is approximately a 45-minute drive from Letterkenny, voted one of the world’s top 10 most scenic landings and offering daily flights from Dublin and Glasgow, and 10 minutes from Donegal Airport. This auction item includes two rooms for four nights, breakfast each morning, three days with a local, personal concierge/tour guide, and a $4000 voucher with AerLingus.

An MPA Retirement And Celebration

April 26, 2018

Mary Beggin, a beloved Lower School teacher at Mounds Park Academy, has decided to retire at the end of this school year. While she may not come to our campus next year, her legacy will live on through the many students she has taught throughout the past 45 years, 20 of which were spent at MPA.

Mary, who has taught second, third, and fourth grade at MPA, is exceptionally passionate about teaching and has truly enjoyed her teaching career. She loves her children as if they are her own—connecting deeply with each and every one of them and their families.

Mary is known for going above and beyond for every child, having tutored and provided extra learning support for many Lower School students. She genuinely wants each child to recognize and focus on his or her strengths—she wants each child to feel even better about herself or himself when the year ends.

Technology, Values, and Advice

April 19, 2018

David Siegel ’04 is a techie, philosopher, and creative thinker. Blending his love of technology with a sensitivity to human flourishing, he is driven to understand how technology affects people. “I’m naturally skeptical of the techno-utopian tenet that technology will inevitably create the world we want,” he shares, “so I’m concerned with building technologies consistent with our core values.”

Currently working as a design leader at Microsoft in San Francisco, he also recently founded a company around his open source project, quicktype.io, which he summarizes in layman’s terms as “autocorrect for data.” After eight months since David began working on quicktype as a side project, it’s approaching 30,000 monthly users and is snowballing in popularity with developers. He expects to reach 100,000 users per month and to build a business on top of the open source foundation this year.

During his years at MPA, David gravitated mostly toward Spanish, film, writing, and critical thinking. He especially loved arguing contentious topics with others, which was encouraged at school. He was also personally motivated to seek knowledge about emerging technologies, and MPA’s laptop program was vital.

After graduation, David attended the University of Pennsylvania, where he earned dual degrees in philosophy and computer science engineering. Despite graduating summa cum laude and Phi Beta Kappa, he admits he has never used his resume and has reported directly to the CEO at every position he’s held (until joining Microsoft via acquisition in 2016).

Meet Teja Upadhyaya ’17

April 19, 2018

What are you currently doing, professionally and/or personally?

I am currently a freshman at the University of Minnesota. In addition to this, I am a 4/C Marine Corps option Midshipmen at the NROTC unit here with a commissioning date of May 2021. After commissioning I will serve as a 2nd LT in the United States Marine Corps

How did you get there? Are there some career moves or other key experiences or relationships that have inspired you?

MPA inspired me to think about the bigger picture and this was the driving force that inspired me to enter military service. Through MPA I learned to love education which is why I decided to go down the officer route.

Meet Kelsey LaValle ’05

April 19, 2018

What are you currently doing, professionally and/or personally?

I’m a stay-at-home mom who is active in volunteering at my kids’ school as well as serving on the Mardag Foundation Board.

How did you get there?

I pursued some programs at St. Paul College (Massage and Esthetics), however I decided that my priority was with my family when I got pregnant and never made it into the field.

How did your MPA experience prepare you for your life today? How did MPA help you dream big and do right?

MPA taught me the value of a good education with caring teachers and how a tight knit community is so important.

What’s next? Any aspirations-personal or professional-that you’d like to share?

I’d like to grow in my position with Mardag and possibly pursue a para position in our school district when all my kids are in school.

Meet Andrew Grant ’15

April 19, 2018

What are you currently doing, professionally and/or personally?

I am currently in my third year at Vanderbilt University, studying Earth & Environmental Science. This past November through January, I was fortunate enough to participate in the United States Antarctic Program. The purpose of our project was to collect ice core from a body of ancient glacial ice that is preserved under a layer of till. Now, I am San Francisco on the first part of a study abroad program looking at the politics of climate change–specifically food, water, and energy. Over the course of my semester with SIT we will be traveling to Vietnam, Morocco, and Bolivia. I am very fortunate.

Live Auction Sneak Peek!

April 12, 2018

“Game – set – match.” Whether you favor Nadal, Murray or Federer, or Kerber, Williams or Wozniacki, there will be tennis greats galore as you head to the Big Apple for the U.S. Open Tennis Championship in New York City. You will sit up close to the best players in the world. This auction item includes two premium seats for the night session on Thursday, August 30 and two passes for the day matches on Friday, August 31. The U.S. Open is one of the greatest sports and entertainment events in the world. Don’t be left “out”—call yourself “in” for the Open with these terrific tickets!

If you have any questions, please contact Susan Robertson, Annual Giving and Alumni Relations Manager, at srobertson@moundsparkacademy.org or 651-748-5531. Full event information may always be found at moundsparkacademy.org/springauction.

Meet Greta Stacy ’11

April 12, 2018

What are you currently doing, professionally and/or personally?
I am currently teaching IB Chemistry at Academia Cotopaxi American International School in Quito, Ecuador.

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 Smith College in 2015 with degrees in American studies and chemistry. After Smith, I moved back to Minnesota to pursue my initial license in 9-12 chemistry with the Twin Cities Teacher Collaborative (TC2). This experimental teacher training program provided me with the course work for my license and a yearlong residency experience instead of the traditional student teaching. In this program, I taught at St. Paul Central for one year. Then, I moved to Ecuador and began teaching at Academia Cotopaxi. I completed my MAT through Hamline University this fall, and my final project focused on the integration of the nature of science into the IB chemistry syllabus. I hope to present this research over the summer at the IB World Conference in San Diego. Read More

Bequest Through A Will Or Living Trust

April 12, 2018

The most common method of making a charitable gift from one’s estate is through a testamentary bequest from a will or a revocable (living) trust. In addition to ensuring that your wishes are documented and will be used for the charitable purpose you intend, a gift made using this method also removes the designated assets from your taxable estate at death.

In order to create or modify a will or revocable (living) trust, you will need the assistance of an estate planning attorney, so unlike with beneficiary designations, some expense is involved. It is advisable for most everyone to have at least a simple will in place so that your property may be distributed as you wish at death. In cases where persons die intestate (that is, without a valid will or revocable (living) trust) the court makes the determination as to who has the right to receive your property. You have the ability to make these decisions yourself during life, to include making charitable gifts from your estate, by creating an estate plan. For most people, a will is all that is needed to ensure gifts to heirs and to charity, but for some a revocable (living) trust, which avoids probate and is more private, may be preferable. Your attorney can advise you on what is best in your situation.