October 18, 2025

After graduating from MPA, I went on to get a bachelor’s degree in sports science from Northern Michigan University and a master’s degree in exercise physiology from The College of Saint Scholastica.

I’m currently a World Cup Coach for the US Cross Country Ski Team. I work with the top athletes on the national team as we prepare for the 2026 Winter Olympic Games in Milano/Cortina in February. My job takes me all over the world, from New Zealand to Scandinavia and anywhere in Europe that has snow. I coach many athletes on the national team, including Julia Kern, a two-time World Championship medalist and individual World Cup podium athlete.

Much of my love for coaching and high performance came from the wonderful coaches I had throughout my time at MPA. My passion for elevating women in sport came from having head coach, Bev Docherty, as a role model and example of the power of women in leadership roles. Much of my coaching philosophy comes from the coach-athlete experience with her.

I currently live in Truckee, California. When I’m not traveling, I’m running in the mountains with my corgi, Pico.

October 17, 2025

Why did I choose to return to MPA to coach?

I chose to return to MPA as a coach for so many reasons. First, the coaches I had in high school left a huge impact on me. Dan Ethier and Bev Docherty. It makes a huge difference to have coaches who believe in you, who value you as a student, an athlete, and as a multi-dimensional person outside of MPA, but still push you to be your very best when you compete.

This is what I was blessed to have in them, and I wanted to pay that forward and be a cheerleader and supporter in other people’s lives. Second, I love working with young people. At the time, I had a job without a lot of social interaction, AND there was a pandemic which really restricted the new relationships we formed—I found the team SO energizing to work with. I think for all of us, the ski team (both the camaraderie and the training regimen) became a real source of uplift every day. Relatedly, I love a challenge! Learning to ski is hard, and so is teaching it.

What does it mean to me to mentor the next generation of student athletes?

To mentor the next generation of athletes feels like the least I could do—my own experience as a Panther athlete left such a significant impact on me. I felt honored to endeavor to bring about personal growth, facilitate friendship, and help students hone their abilities. Read More

October 17, 2025

“I worked at MPA for five years before Emma was born,” Deedee recalls. “When she joined our family, it was obvious only a parent could tend to her. She was ‘full blast,’ as one of her five-year-old friends put it.”

Deedee stepped away from her classroom to embrace life at home, nurturing Emma’s energy and individuality.

“When she reached school age, I was worried about how she would navigate the large class sizes and stricter rules in a public-school setting,” Deedee said. “Emma started kindergarten at MPA because we realized she needed a place where she could be feisty and still survive the adults she would encounter.”

Growing up surrounded by MPA’s mission and community left a lasting imprint.

“Being raised at MPA, Emma knew she was charged with making the world a better place,” Deedee said.

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September 15, 2025

I attended Mounds Park Academy from 1995 to 1999 (9th through 12th grade). After MPA, I earned a degree in elementary education from the University of St. Thomas. I also studied American Sign Language at the College of St Catherine.

I own Pas de Deux Dance Studio in Falcon Heights, MN. We offer ballet classes and performing opportunities for ages three through adult. Like most dance studios, we have an annual spring recital. We also kick off the holiday season each year with a full-length story ballet on the Saturday before Thanksgiving. We rotate between four different ballets: our take on the classic “Nutcracker” ballet, an original fairy tale combining ballet and Irish dance in “The Enchanted Forest,” our version of “A Sleeping Beauty,” and a look at what goes into putting on a ballet production in “Backstage Nutcracker.”

Our dancers also have opportunities to participate in dance competitions, perform in a dance festival in Disney World, and this year dance alongside professional dancers as the youth cast of Classical Arts Entertainment’s “Swan Lake” when it comes to Minneapolis.

The most rewarding part of owning Pas de Deux is the community that has formed at the studio. The dancers have become like family, with many classes spending time together outside of the studio, the parents enjoying socializing as families, and dancers creating connections across different age and ability levels. It is also rewarding to watch the dancers grow up at the studio. The majority of dancers start lessons between the ages of three and seven, so I get to watch them go from being the “littles” learning how to follow directions and doing things like kissing the mirror, to the “bigs” as they take on leadership roles in the studio and become role models for the newest group of littles.

Owning a dance studio has its own unique set of challenges. As a business owner, I am involved in web design, marketing, scheduling, finances, and communications. I also teach classes, choreograph dances, direct performances, and mentor student interns. Like most businesses, my biggest challenges were in 2020 and 2021 with the ever-changing restrictions caused by COVID. We moved classes to Zoom during the various stay at home orders (silver lining—dancers can now join class via Zoom when they’re sick,) and had a variety of unique performance experiences as we navigated theater restrictions—an outdoor performance, a videotaped performance for “on demand” viewing instead of a live audience, and mini recitals with reduced capacity audiences.

Although I didn’t officially start my studio until 2006, Pas de Deux Dance Studio has its roots in my time at MPA. One of my projects to earn community service hours for graduation was teaching a summer ballet class through St Paul Community Education. By the time I graduated from MPA, I had a small group of dancers who returned to my classes each summer. I continued the program through and past college for a total of 10 summers, ending in August of 2006, with the studio opening that September.

A variety of experiences at MPA have influenced me as a studio owner. Participating in the spring musicals as a member of the chorus has influenced how I use background characters to help set the scene in my story ballets. Art classes developed skills in peer critiques, which I pass on to my dancers. One of my 2025 graduates recently mentioned how much doing peer critiques in ballet helped her in school. Because she was used to giving and receiving feedback from a young age in ballet, she welcomed similar feedback and the opportunity to grow from it in school, while many of her school classmates disliked peer critiques.

When I’m not teaching, choreographing, or working on the administrative side of the business, I enjoy Irish dancing, traveling, and reading.

There are a variety of ways to support Pas de Deux Dance Studio:

• Take a class. We offer trial classes so dancers of all ages can make sure the studio is a good fit before committing to the season.
• Come see one of our performances. Our studio production of “Backstage Nutcracker” will be on Saturday, November 22, at the Ives Auditorium in Bloomington, MN. Tickets will be on sale in October. You can get more details here.
• If you are attending “Swan Lake” at the Pantages Theater in Minneapolis on November 18, register your tickets with the studio. We get credit for all tickets registered with us. Simply send your seat information to studio@pasdedeuxdance.com.
• Follow us on Facebook and Instagram and interact with our posts. Liking, commenting on, saving and sharing posts are all easy ways to support any small business.

August 6, 2025

Maya Merchant ’22 recently completed an incredible semester abroad with the School for Field Studies at their Center for Tropical Island Biodiversity Studies in Bocas del Toro, Panama. Throughout the semester, Maya engaged in coursework and conducted fieldwork in Tropical Coastal Ecology, Tropical Forest Ecology, and Environmental Governance and Development.

In addition to her academic studies, she had the opportunity to connect with local communities and learn about grassroots conservation and sustainability initiatives in the region. This immersive experience deepened her understanding of environmental science and the interdisciplinary strategies involved in climate solutions and sustainable development.

During the final month of the program, Maya participated in a research project examining the effects of forest disturbance on the spatial distribution of two species of poison dart frogs endemic to the Bocas del Toro archipelago. Under the guidance of Dr. Daniel Medina, Maya and her team explored ecological patterns and assessed the impacts of both natural and human-caused disturbances on amphibians in tropical rainforests. Through this work, she developed skills in experimental design, field data collection, statistical analysis, data visualization, and science communication. The team was especially proud to present their findings to the local community, contributing to ongoing conservation conversations and future research opportunities.

Maya is deeply grateful to the School for Field Studies and the local community for providing such a meaningful and enriching experience. This semester abroad has left a lasting impact on her academic and professional goals, and she looks forward to applying the knowledge and skills gained to future endeavors.