Today at Breck
Spring 2016
LOOKING FORWARD, LOOKING BACK Seniors Reflect on Their Breck Experience / PG. 22
CLASS OF 2016 FUTURE PLANS SPORTS HIGHLIGHTS ALUMNI NEWS
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Spring 2016
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FEATURES 22 / Parting Words: Thoughts From the Senior Citizens of the Class of 2016 COVER STORY If you want an authentic answer you ask an expert. That’s just what we
did when we interviewed eight seniors about the student experience at Breck. They’ve followed different paths — and we can learn a lot from what they have to say.
30 / CEOs in Training An exciting new May Program class — Career Exploration Opportunities — gives juniors and seniors a good look and practical information to help them think about life after Breck.
DEPARTMENTS 2 / 20 Questions 5 / 123 Ottawa 36 / Alumni News 39 / Class Notes 45 / Sports News 48 / The Back Page
On the cover left to right: seniors Kate Westrum, Anna Zumwinkle, Jonathan Curoe, Justin Bergerson, Evelyn McChesney, Tait Helgaas and Shivani Nookala. Not pictured: Carlos Sanchez. Photo by Sara Rubinstein
We have had much to celebrate this year, some of which you’ll read about in this issue of Today at Breck. Both inside and outside the classroom, Breck students won state-level, national and international recognition. Our perpetually learning faculty made good use of the school’s commitment to professional development opportunities, helping both their students and themselves. And our community came together in countless ways to support each other (see page 10 for one notable example, our buildings and grounds crew member Joseph Noble) and the school itself, thanks to the generous spirit of philanthropists like the family of Lee R. Anderson, Sr. ’57. 2015-16 also brought exciting initiatives such as the evolving plans for our new Peter Clark Center for Teaching and Learning. With its focus on cognitive research and mission to share insights about learning for the benefit of every student and teacher at Breck, the Center will further our mission and help us unlock each student’s unique gifts and potential. I am delighted to report that Dr. Daisy Pellant joins us this summer to become the Center’s inaugural director. A native Minnesotan who has extensively taught, lectured and led seminars at independent schools and colleges, she will be an energetic leader focused on fostering students’ self-advocacy, enriching and inspiring our faculty, and engaging parents and families. We think that the Center will be a fitting tribute to the memory of Peter Clark, who was such an asset to our community before his untimely passing in 2012. Our Board of Trustees has concluded a strategic planning process that will set Breck’s direction for the future. Strategic planning is always a daunting yet exhilarating exercise because it makes us take a hard look at our present reality while we dream about the future. The plan’s strength comes from our community’s enthusiastic, honest and thoughtful response to our survey and interviews — and from our collective desire to make Breck the best that it can be. We are excited to share details with you in the weeks and months to come. As we conclude the 2015-16 school year, I am happy to report that interest in Breck is very strong, especially in Middle and Upper School (where we have waiting lists in nearly every grade). We expect to open next school year with more than 130 new students, including an all-time high number of children of alumni and children of faculty and staff. While we look to the future we also bid farewell to this year’s retirees: Bruce Davis, Jil Franke, Peg Hegg, Joyce McCann, Sherri Rogers, Dan Thompson and Dulcenee Walsh. Please join me in recognizing their long service to Breck and wishing them well. And we also send best wishes to another group of retirees: the Class of 2016. For information about their future plans, see page 18. See you in the fall.
EDWARD KIM HEAD OF SCHOOL
Today at Breck
Spring 2016
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Jil Franke: CERAMICS INSTRUCTOR 1
What’s one of the last books you read? A Woman In Arabia, The Writings of the Queen of the Desert by Gertrude Bell 2
What’s your favorite time of year? Fall (It’s my birthday!) 3 What’s the most thrilling/ adventurous thing you’ve ever done? Canoe the Kazan River in Nunavut. 4
What’s your favorite Breck lunch? Soup and salad 5
Who is your personal hero (and why)? Linda Christianson, my ceramic firing partner. She is unfailingly kind and she follows her heart against all rational.
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What advice would you give to yourself 10 years ago? Keep moving ... exercise! Hike, bike, canoe, ski and work out! 9
What do you remember from kindergarten? Coloring outside the lines 10 What is the most important room in your home? Kitchen. I love to cook. 11 What’s your favorite place on the Breck campus? Wetland ponds
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12 Favorite comfort food? French fries
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13 If you had a theme song, what would it be? “Born Free”
Dream job? My ceramic teaching position at Breck School! A dream come true! Best decision? To marry my true love, Kirk.
14 Three people, living or dead, you’d have over to dinner? Gertrude Bell, Patti Warashina, Elizabeth Warren
15 Best trophy/award you ever won? Two of my ceramic pieces were selected for an international ceramic exhibition in Taiwan at the Taipei Yingge Ceramics Museum. 16 If you could read anyone’s mind, whose would it be? Bob Dylan 17 If you could travel anywhere, where would you go? Afghanistan 18 Pet peeve? Cluttered countertops and open drawers 19 Unfulfilled wish? Living on the coast of Tasmania, Australia 20 What keeps you up at night? Thinking that I may have a deer tick bite!
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Carly McCue ’20 1
What music are you listening to lately? All of the finals playlists on Spotify! 2
What’s one of the last books you read? The Martian by Andy Weir 3
What’s your favorite time of year? Fall for sure. I love the sound of the
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What advice would you give to your younger self? It’s going to be okay. By changing schools and coming to Breck you’re going to make lifelong friends.
leaves crunching. 4 What’s one of the most adventurous things you’ve ever done? Going hiking in Italy 5
What’s your favorite Breck lunch? Definitely the grilled cheese 6
What’s your dream job? Being a pediatrician. I love working with kids, and medicine really interests me. 7
What’s one of the best decisions you’ve ever made? Actually studying for Mr. Oden’s math tests!
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What do you remember from kindergarten? There was lots of singing and show and tell. 10 What is the most important room in your home? The window seat in the front of my house where my piano is 11 What’s your favorite place on the Breck campus? The theater. I love everything that goes on in it, and it is amazing to have a place like it in the school. 12 Favorite comfort food? Ice cream by far 13 Favorite treat: salty or sweet? Sweet!
14 If you had a theme song, what would it be? “Sweet Caroline” by Neil Diamond 15 Favorite line from a movie? “I was hiding under your porch because I love you.” —Dug (Up) 16 Favorite website? SpanishDict. It gets me through Sr. Fauver’s Spanish class! 17 Three people — living or dead — you’d want to have dinner with? Walt Disney, Michelle Obama and Shakespeare 18 If you could travel anywhere, where would you go? The Galapagos Islands! 19 What’s your pet peeve? When the paper on the margins is left on when you rip a piece of paper out of a notebook 20 What keeps you up at night? Homework
Today at Breck
Spring 2016
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Chris Welsh ’90: BRECK ALUMNUS, PARENT AND
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What music are you listening to lately? U2 and Cold Play 2
What’s one of the last books you read? I’m currently reading The Boys in the Boat (Daniel James Brown) and The Road to Character (David Brooks). 3
What’s your favorite time of year? Spring as it is always great to make it through a Minnesota winter. 4
What’s one of the most adventurous things you’ve ever done? That’s classified! 5
What’s your favorite Breck lunch? Chicken patties 6
What’s your dream job? College professor for international relations 7
What’s one of the best decisions you’ve ever made? Getting married — I even met my wife, Mary, at Breck! 8
What advice would you give to your younger self? Live more in the moment.
2016 ALUM OF THE YEAR
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What do you remember from kindergarten? Nap time — that was the best! 10 What is the most important room in your home? Definitely the kitchen 11 What’s your favorite place on the Breck campus? Always fun to catch a soccer match at McKnight Field 12 Favorite comfort food? Chicken wings
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If you could travel anywhere, where would you go? It is always fun to visit the UK as I grew up there and even had a British accent when I first came to Breck in the fifth grade.
13 Favorite treat: salty or sweet? Salty
19 What’s your pet peeve? People who don’t see the big picture
14 If you had a theme song, what would it be? Uprising (Muse)
20 What keeps you up at night? I’m in corporate security so something unexpected always seems to keep me up at night!
15 Favorite line from a movie? “Keep your friends close, but your enemies closer” — The Godfather Part II 16 Favorite website? YouTube — I could waste away tons of valuable hours there. 17 Three people — living or dead — you’d want to have dinner with? Winston Churchill, Albert Einstein, Alexander the Great
Rick Miller and John Bellaimey
Today at 123 Ottawa Avenue North
/5 SO MUCH HAS HAPPENED SINCE THE LAST ISSUE OF TODAY AT BRECK THAT WE’RE UNABLE TO INCLUDE ALL THE GOOD NEWS! Please check the News section of the Breck website and the Breck Facebook page for more great stories. Congratulations to all and our sincere apologies to students and faculty members whose accomplishments aren’t listed here.
BELLAIMEY, MILLER SELECTED FOR 2016-17 SABBATICALS Head of School Edward Kim has announced that Chaplain John Bellaimey and Middle School mathematics teacher Rick Miller will take sabbaticals from Breck next school year. Bellaimey will travel around the world in a journey he’s calling “Tree and River: The Past, Present and Future of Religions.” He’ll investigate ancient, prehistoric religions in Guatemala, Peru and England; major historical religions in Jerusalem; and new religions in Haifa, Turkey and India. He will also visit the construction site of the Tri-Faith Initiative in Omaha, a campus that will include a synagogue, mosque and church and a congregation of people deeply committed to shared service and conversation. Upon his return to Breck, he hopes to open new windows in his students’ thinking and living by showing them people around the world trying to move forward spiritually. He will produce videos and some new quilts along the way.
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Miller will devote his sabbatical to creative pursuits that enhance his knowledge and experience with video, photography and art. One of his first projects will be a multimedia family album focused on his father’s experiences in World War II. He will embed QR codes within the album that will launch related movies and stories. He will also take courses to learn more about multimedia filmmaking, photography and puppetry. Rick will return to Breck to help his students work on storytelling projects that explore mathematical concepts and discoveries, using QR code technology and puppetry in the videos they create. He will also look for ways to share his new skills with students and faculty members for curricular, extracurricular and service programs. Says Kim, “Please join me in thanking all the applicants, as well as the Faculty Advisory committee, and congratulating John and Rick on their successful proposals.”
Parents volunteering to help run booths for the Homecoming carnival
Today at Breck
Spring 2016
Today at 123 Ottawa Avenue North
SCIENCE RESEARCH STUDENTS WIN INTERNATIONAL AWARDS
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ISEF
Prashant Godishala and Brennan Clark
In early May, six Breck students received unprecedented honors at the Intel Science and Engineering Fair (ISEF). Prashant Godishala and Brennan Clark won the Intel Foundation Cultural and Scientific Visit to China Award, an 11-day trip to Beijing, Chengdu and Hong Kong to attend the China Adolescent Science and Technology Innovation Contest, visit the Chengdu Panda Research Base, and exchange ideas with Chinese scientists and like-minded peers. They were also named Best of Category for their project titled “Predicting a Cancerous Outcome: Creating a Novel Test for Assessing Risk of Human Papilloma Virus-Associated Oropharyngeal Cancer.” Maddy McCue and Evelyn McChesney won a Second Place Grand Award in the Biomedical Engineering category. Their project is titled, “Turning Probiotics into Antibiotics: Engineering a Broad-Spectrum Antibacterial Probiotic via Inclusion of Antimicrobial Peptide-Encoding DNA, Year Two.” Their paper will be published in the journal of the American Institute of Chemical Engineers. Archana Murali and Elena Berman won a Second Place Grand Award in the Computational Biology and Bioinformatics category. Their project is titled, “Window to the Brain: Using Retinal Biomarkers to Diagnose Alzheimer’s Disease.” The pair was also interviewed by the national program, “Science News for Kids.”
Who Knew?
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Usable supplies donated by Breck to A Children’s Chance from Breck
Siddarth Eswarachari and Sarah Carlson
Sarah Carlson and Siddarth Eswarachari won one of four grand awards at the International Sustainable World (Energy Engineering & Environment) Project Olympiad (I-SWEEEP), held this year in Houston, Texas. The pair from Breck won top honors in the Environment - Management and Pollution category for their project, titled “Cleaner Water: Investigating Homogentisate Chemotaxis Receptors in Pseudomonas Putida F1 for Bioremdiation of Aromatic Hydrocarbons, Year II.” Alex Guzman and Cassidy Yueh also represented Breck in the international competition, which featured 385 projects from 62 countries.
NATIONAL JUNIOR SCIENCE AND HUMANITIES SYMPOSIUM Breck students won five of the top seven prizes at the North Central Regional competition, earning Brennan Clark, Prashant Godishala, Sarah Carlson, Siddarth Eswarachari, Cole Maxwell, Isabella Jennings, Samuel Rex and Genevieve Weiler a place at the 54th national symposium in Dayton, Ohio. Cole Maxwell and Isabella Jennings were named alternates. At Nationals, Samuel won the Most Outside the Box award for his project’s originality. Elena Berman and Archana Murali were selected to attend the American Junior Academy of Science conference in Boston next February. Although space limitations keep us from printing a complete report of state- and regional-level awards, we congratulate all the members of Breck’s Advanced Science Research team including all the students named above as well as Ryan Etzwiler, Darartu Gamada, Jiahao Liang, Carlos Sanchez and Moira Southern, on a job well done. Please visit the Breck website and Facebook page for more details.
FOUR FACULTY MEMBERS RECEIVE GRANTS FOR SUMMER STUDY AND TRAVEL
Maggie Bradley and Annabel Chosy
Virginia Amundson (Middle School science) will help her students make better connections among ecological adaptation, natural history and multicultural studies after spending time among members of the Miwok tribe in central and northern California.
STUDENTS RECEIVE NATIONAL AWARDS FOR ART AND WRITING; STATE HONORS GO TO 48
Mary Gentry (Upper School mathematics) will attend the 2016 Bridges conference, held this year in Jyvaskyla, Finland. The conference brings practicing mathematicians together with artists, architects and musicians in the spirit of creative collaboration.
Student artists Maya Jackson and Petra Noskova won Silver Key awards for their art in the National Scholastic Art and Writing competition.
Carol Grams (Lower School visual arts) will explore the connection between art and science in Manitoba, where she’ll take a field course that explores the ecology of the Hudson Bay basin. She hopes to see and sketch both polar bears and beluga whales during her time there.
And two writers, Maggie Bradley and Annabel Chosy, won Scholastic Awards from the Midwest region for poetry and flash fiction. In the Minnesota state competition, Breck student artists won a total of 48 awards: eight Gold Keys, ten Silver Keys and 30 Honorable Mentions. They were among 311 award winners from 4,293 entries statewide.
13 NAMED MINNESOTA SCHOLARS OF DISTINCTION A baker’s dozen Breck students have been recognized with the Minnesota Department of Education’s highest honor and named Scholars of Distinction. • Taylor Hendrickson, Ella Hogan, Sydney Norman and Seamus Walsh have been named Scholars of Distinction in Social Studies. • Sarah Carlson, Cole Maxwell, Samuel Rex, Genevieve Weiler and Cassidy Yueh have been named Scholars of Distinction in Science. • Ryan Etzwiler and Alexander Guzman have been named Scholars of Distinction in STEM. • Darartu Gamada and Evelyn McChesney have been named Scholars of Distinction in Leadership.
Furthering her interest in creating maker spaces, Marie Murphy (Lower School instructor) will go “outside her box” by attending the Constructing Modern Knowledge Summer Institute in Manchester, NH, and visiting the MIT Media Lab, where she’ll focus on computer-rich project development.
CUM LAUDE SOCIETY INDUCTS NEW MEMBERS At its annual dinner this spring, Breck’s chapter of the Cum Laude Society inducted the following new members: • Seniors Mary Beringause, Sarah Carlson, Jonathan Curoe, Thomas Dickstein, Marianne Drysdale, Prashant Godishala, Jiahao Liang, Evelyn McChesney, Madeline McCue, Hannah Mirviss, William Setterberg, Breinne Thorne and Anna Zumwinkle. • Juniors Elena Berman, Sarah Gunderson, Isabella Jennings, Anne Johnston, Archana Murali, Connor Ott, Samuel Rex, Catherine Schmoker, Isabella Surucu, Seyade Tadele, Grace Taylor and Genevieve Weiler. They joined the seniors inducted last year: Erica Buckingham, Sara Carle, Claire Cousineau, Darartu Gamada, Charles Gamer, Tait Helgaas, Taylor Hendrickson, Ingrid Thyr, Seamus Walsh and Lewis White. Mary Goetz ’09 was the featured speaker.
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Past presidents of the Breck Parents Association reunited for a luncheon in May (left to right, Jodi Mooney, Kate Berman, Mary Husband, Adrienne Oesterle, Jody Portu, Jill Field, Suzie Colianni, Julie Vanderboom and Sue Styrbicki)
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Spring 2016
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FRENCH STUDENTS EXCEL IN RECENT COMPETITION At the A Vous La Parole competition held at the University of Minnesota this spring, 58 Breck students were among 1244 middle and high school competitors. Blue medals, the highest category, went to Hunter Boyd, Lauren Bilcik, Ely Bly, Elena Cameron, Carolyn Card, Maya Czeneszew, Connor Fehrenback, Rebekah Florey, Henry Gamble, Evelina Gostomski, Jack Johnson, Annie Johnston, Van Lundsgaard, Renelle Mensah, Nik Olson, Livia Reader, Alex Tchinkel, Reed Two Bulls, Zoe Vogel, Jack Wolf, Quinn Wormald and Stacy Yuan. Red medals went to Annika Heaton-Brandt, Ran Brown, Margie Johnson, Sophie Jonsson, Emerson Allen, Ema Smith, Mikayla Ennevor, Holden Felton, Carlos Sanchez, Darartu Gamada, Emma Senner, Sydney Powell, Terina White, Mary Beringause, Hans Lundsgaard, Max Vasicek, Max Feather, Sara Carle, Audrey McCabe, Noah Foster, Shivani Nookala, Lauren Miller, Abigail Riskevich, Amira Kazeminy, Polly Burns, Josefina Fernandez, Henry Bubula, Christian Peterson, Jacob Foster and Olivia Weiner. The contest is sponsored by the Minnesota chapter of the American Association of teachers of French, of which SĂŠbastien Saunoi is the vice president.
Who Knew?
BRECK PRIMARY TEAM PLACES FIRST; ELEMENTARY TEAM TAKES ELEVENTH IN TOUGH STATEWIDE CHESS COMPETITION Breck Chess had an amazing showing at the Minnesota State SCA (School Chess Association) tournament in April. Taking first place (out of 61 teams) were Breck’s youngest competitors ever. Congratulations to third graders Liam Cavanagh, Ben, Moga, Colin Mitchell, Edward Koch, Michael Setterberg, Jack Drawz and Jax Julkowski, second graders Joshua Melnick and Truman Conner, and first graders Grier Julkowski, Max Opperman, Julia Rosenman, Sara Rosenman, Michael Scherer and Ayla Senyurekti. And our Elementary team had a very strong performance among 73 teams. Congratulations to sixth graders Ben Liss, Ethan Richter and Joshua Goh, and fourth graders Emily Lin, Kevin Armstrong, Jas Czeneszew, Samuel Goh, Corrine Moran, Sai-Inesh Nallamothu, Nikhil Kambeyanda, and Chaske Weston on their regional champions trophy and eleventh-place finish.
80.98% Grades 7-12 athletic participation
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Jimmy ’05 and Dulcenée Walsh
FACULTY MEMBERS HONORED DURING YEAR-END CEREMONIES At the annual Trustee Day Chapel in April, Head of School Edward Kim announced special recognition for members of our faculty and staff.
Jenny Bennett, center, with proud parents
• The Breck Middle School Faculty Chair was presented to mathematics instructor Michelle Bonderer. • The Cloverfields Foundation Breck Faculty Chair was presented to Upper School teacher and Melrose Center Director Kim Peeples. • The Jean Wigley Award for Excellence in Teaching went to Lower School instructor Jenny Bennett. • Upper School mathematics instructor Mary Gentry joined the ranks of Breck Master Teachers. And at the annual Faculty-Staff Appreciation Day Chapel in May, we celebrated the following: • The Ernest Campbell Award, voted by faculty and staff to someone who shows “self-giving love” for Breck, went to Upper School history teacher Dulcenée Walsh. • The Mustang yearbook was dedicated to Upper School history teacher Tim Rosenfield. • Lower School teachers Paula Nelson and Alice Wright were recognized for 30 years at Breck. • 20-year recognition went to Beckie Alexander, Wendy Engelman, Memry Roessler, Michal Sagar and Florencio Torres.
Mary Gentry and her husband John Kothera
• Ten-year recognition went to Tammi Alexander, Jody Bratten, Meg Carlsen, Laurie Nelson, Sharon Mazion, Michelle Olmstead, Kimberly Peeples, Katie Scherer, Frederique Schimdt, Sherri Solomon, Charlotte Wheeler, Jean Wright and Nan Zosel.
$10,390 Amount raised by third and fourth graders at the annual Jump Rope for Heart event
Today at Breck
Spring 2016
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MIDDLE SCHOOL SCIENCE RESEARCH TEAMS COMPETE Coach Virginia Amundson and nine teams from Breck took part in regional and state-level science fairs for middle school students. Congratulations to the following teams: 10 /
• Derek Turner, Dylan Vincent and Roberta Avana • Sam Detor and Abigail Roh • Jennie Ehlert and Elizabeth Berman • Jack Peterson and Sohil Patel (silver medal at regionals) • Henry Koch and Morgan Richter (bronze medal at regionals) • Maeve Katics and Lulu Skroch • Nell Ganley • Elizabeth Berman and Jennie Ehlert (IBM Watson Innovation in Science Award)
BOARD OF TRUSTEES HONORS FOUR RETIRING MEMBERS The Breck board said farewell to four energetic volunteers whose terms ended at the end of the school year: Timothy Clark, Kristi Cousineau, Anton Vincent and Nicki Zeidner. At its late June meeting (too late to cover for this issue of Today at Breck), the board was expected to elect a new president to succeed Andrew Turner as well as two new members. Look for a report on that news in the next issue.
FUTURE FEMALE “TECH STARS” RECOGNIZED WITH WOMEN IN COMPUTING AWARDS Junior Isabella Jennings was state winner in the annual contest run by Aspirations in Computing. Juniors Archana Murali and Elena Berman were named state runners-up.
Who Knew?
THE POWER OF COMMUNITY — AND THE POWER OF A FRIEND IN OUR MIDST In early May, we learned of a sad event in the life of buildings and grounds crew member Joseph Noble, a man whose friendship, smiles and warm greetings have made him a most notable member of the Breck community. Noble’s mother died after an illness, but he feared he would be unable to afford to attend her funeral in his home country of Guyana in South America. With help from some friends among the faculty and staff as well as alumnus Ramsey Sorrells ’14, a GoFundMe page was created to help Noble and his family make the trip. The page exceeded its $12,000 goal in less than 24 hours before it stopped accepting additional donations, and gifts came from the entire Breck community: students, alumni, parents, faculty and staff. It also attracted media attention, including a story on KARE 11 and an article in the Star Tribune. (Links to both stories are posted on Breck’s website and on our Facebook page.) Perhaps just as impressive as the fundraising, the GoFundMe page also collected a huge number of personal comments and greetings, all thanking Noble for being such a friendly presence at Breck. Sample comments included, “Thanks for always smiling!” “You are special to all of us.” “You brighten all my days, Joseph.” Noble was able to attend his mother’s funeral along with his wife and two children, and greatly enjoyed the time he was able to spend with his father, 12 siblings and their families. “She always wanted us to be kind,” he says of his mother, Frances. By all accounts, her son learned that lesson well.
Connect the Dots Theme of the 2016 Mustang yearbook
• Upper School English instructor Dallas Crow has poems in the spring issues of three literary journals: Concho River Review, Poet Lore, and Thin Air. • Upper School English teacher Emliy Brisse had essays and short stories published in Fourth River, Two Hawks Quarterly, Armchair/Shotgun and Brain Child. Art by Sara Rex
Art by Petra Noskova
BRIEFLY NOTED • Breck Blue, our varsity Mock Trial team, qualified for state competition in March, where Tait Helgaas won a Best Attorney award and Cassidy Yueh a Best Witness award. • Ten artists from Breck won awards at the Minnesota State High School League Visual Arts exhibition, where Petra Noskova and Sara Rex received the spotlight award (best of show). Excellent awards went to Nkau-Soua Pha, Van Lundsgaard, Helene Kim, Isabella Surucu and Petra Noskova, with Superior awards to Nkau-Zoua Pha, Boniat Ephrem, Marisol Childs, Hannah Shin, Helene Kim, Petra Noskova, Elena Cameron and Sara Rex. • Junior Kajsa Johansson was in the quartet that won first prize at St. Paul Chamber Orchestra’s 2016 Youth Chamber Music competition. Her quartet was then one of ten finalists in the MPR Varsity competition, and their performance was broadcast on the public radio station.
• Michal Sagar and Kat Corrigan both exhibited work in the Minnetonka Center for the Arts’ show, Menagerie: Animals in Art. Sagar’s work was also exhibited at a gallery in Berkelely, California, an online gallery called figure50.com, and through the summer at the DeVos Art Museum on the campus of Northern Michigan University in Marquette. • Jil Franke’s wood fired pottery was exhibited at a gallery in Santa Fe, featured in the January 2016 issue of Ceramics Monthly, and showcased at the 50th anniversary conference of the National Council on Educaiton for the Ceramic Arts, held this year in Kansas City. • Junior Lauren Miller took part in a three-person, three-generation swim across the English Channel in August. They completed the swim in 15 hours and 34 minutes, enduring jellyfish-laden 62-degree water with strong winds and chop during the second half of the journey. • Freshman Michael Kenney was the first member of the Breck Trap Team to join the 25-straight club. He earned his first perfect 25 during the team’s second week of competition.
• Anna Zumwinkle won the Athena Award as Breck’s best female athlete from the Class of 2016. • Eighth grader James Clinton progressed to regionals in the Minnesota State Spelling Bee, sponsored this year by MPR. • Olivia Weiner’s photograph won first prize in the Keren Or contest for high school students. Her work was on display at the Minneapolis Jewish Community Center gallery in the spring. • Thomas Dickstein participated in the Midwest China Bridge speech competition, held at the University of Minnesota. He won two awards: top prize in the Level 3 group and the rising Star top prize for the best speech and the best talent.
Wood-fired pottery by Jil Franke
200 pounds of guacamole served schoolwide on Cinco de Mayo
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ROBOTICS TEAM QUALIFIES FOR INTERNATIONAL COMPETITION; SERVES AS MENTORS FOR TEAM FROM PRAGUE The Breck Stampede, our robotics team, qualified for the international FIRST Robotics Competition (FRC), held this year in St. Louis. At an earlier competition in Cedar Falls, Iowa, the team won the Engineering Inspiration Award, which celebrates “outstanding success in advancing respect and appreciation for engineering within a team’s school and community.” They did not win a top place at the 10,000 Lakes Regional at the University of Minnesota or at internationals, but they were part of a truly winning combination as mentors to a team from the Porg School in Prague, Czech Republic. When former international student Jachym Solecky returned to Prague after his time at Breck, he helped create a robotics team at his former school there — with help from his friends at Breck.
Breck helped provide spare parts, advice and counsel to the Czech team, sending representatives to visit them in Prague and hosting their visit to Minnesota over spring break. They talked weekly via Skype and were thrilled to compete alongside each other at the Minnesota regional and international competitions. The team from Porg won the highest rookie seed award in their division, something in which their Breck mentors take justifiable pride. Says coach David Senner, “It’s been a wonderful relationship, and so much fun. The whole thing has really exceeded our expectations.” Adds senior Evelyn McChesney, who along with Isabella Jennings and their parents and alumna Laura Kadue ‘11, traveled to Prague to advise the team early on, “I know the team has more plans to continue their partnership next year.” And the larger Breck relationship with the Porg School will continue as well. 2015-16 student Petra Noskova returns to Prague, but there will be another student from the school at Breck next year. Says Director of International Students Jean Wang, “We have had a student from Porg at Breck since 2007, and it’s been great for both schools. I think there are similarities in our academic programs, and their students have adjusted very well.”
Porg School Viewbook
Who Knew?
Plastic bag recycling Bring your bags, and we’ll do the rest! Collection bins are located in the LS kitchen, US kitchen and in Receiving.
Johnna Johnson ’18 builds a 3-D printer from parts printed from a 3-D printer during May Program.
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Preschoolers sing “Old MacDonald Had a Farm” in “Opposites.”
Celebrating the End of the School Year
Fourth graders ready for Middle School
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Graduating eighth graders Anne Maddaus, Julia Kurth and Henry Koch
At Middle School Closing, Ibereayo Olagbaju and John Fullerton delivered eighth-grade speeches. Awards went to Halle Cohen and Roberaa Ayana (effort); Bella Sampsell and Andy Ott (sportsmanship); Carly McCue and Declan Fries (leadership); Elizabeth Berman and Dominic Frerichs (academic excellence); and Romy Peterson and Emmett Wolf, Lauren Ott and Jimmy Koch, Bristol Engelsma and Jack McKenna, and Emily Duggan and Dakota Prince (Be a Mustang).
Middle School Award Winners Photos by Karyl Rice
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Honoring the Graduates
Lighting candles at Baccalaureate: Isabella Gostomski, Griffin Groethe, Madeleine Guell and Alexander Guzman
Special recognition for the Class of 2016 includes Ingrid Thyr (valedictorian), Ramaud Chiaokhiao-Bowman (Haupt Cup), Noah Foster (Christin M. Mead Memorial award), Shivani Nookala and Tait Helgaas (Robert J. Aarthun award), and Cecily Nordstrom (citizenship).
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The soon-to-be graduates William Blake, Blair Bingham and Ignacio Bernaldez
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Joshua Audette Loyola Marymount University
Sara Carle Hamilton College
Michael Etzwiler St. Olaf College
Justin Bergerson Wesleyan University
Sarah Carlson Case Western Reserve University
Ryan Etzwiler Colorado College
Mary Beringause Hamilton College
Ramaud Chiaokhiao-Bowman Northwestern University
Jeung Won (Sara) Eum St. Olaf College
Ignacio Bernaldez Colgate University
Robert Christianson Loyola Marymount University
Tressa Fallon Whitman College
Blair Bingham Whitman College
Brennan Clark Bowdoin College
Elise Felton University of Redlands
William Blake junior hockey
Claire Cousineau Middlebury College
Atlas Finch Amherst College
Madeline Bodell Colorado College
Jonathan Curoe Brandeis University
Ivy Flemmer Grinnell College
Ford Brandau University of Colorado Boulder
Claire Darden University of St. Thomas
Noah Foster St. Olaf College
Jenna Brenneman Clarkson University
Christopher DeMaris University of Denver
Darartu Gamada Harvard University
Sierra Breza University of Denver
Logan Denzer University of San Francisco
Charles Gamer Boston College
Erica Buckingham Wesleyan University
Thomas Dickstein Pomona College
Stoil Ganev Southern Illinois University
Milan Burgess Loyola University Chicago
Marianne Drysdale University of Michigan
Jocelyn Garrett Iowa State University
Isabella Burke University of Southern California
Joseph Ehlert Brigham Young University
Amanda Gillen University of Rochester
Tiara Burton Boston University
Chase Ellingson junior hockey
Prashant Godishala University of Pennsylvania
Caroline Card University of Colorado Boulder
Siddarth Eswarachari Carnegie Mellon University
Isabella Gostomski Loyola University Chicago
Class of 2016 Future Plans Griffin Groethe Santa Clara University
Jiai-Hao (William) Liang University of Southern California
Tyler Scott The Gunnery School
Madeleine Guell Johns Hopkins University
Peter Lillehaug Westminster College
Caden Sedo Northeastern University
Alexander Guzman University of Puget Sound
Maxwell Lulavy Gettysburg College
Levi Selness Minnesota State University Mankato
Sina Hakim-Hashemi University of Wisconsin Madison
Elliott Mallin New York University
Emma Senner Barnard College
Cheyenne Harris Union College
Parker Marks Vassar College
William Setterberg Macalester College
Selena Harris University of North Dakota
Audrey McCabe New York University
Moira Southern University of Minnesota
Tait Helgaas Princeton University
Evelyn McChesney Johns Hopkins University
Erykah Starr Rhodes College
Taylor Hendrickson University of St. Andrews
Madeline McCue University of Southern California
William Scott Stuart III Furman University
Eleanor Hogan University of St. Andrews
Elizabeth McKenna Indiana University
Bennett Tenpas alternate plans
Cassidy Holzer Colby College
Hannah Mirviss Tufts University
Breinne Thorne Vanderbilt University
Maya Jackson Boston College
Amanda Navratil Middlebury College
Ingrid Thyr Williams College
Megan Johnson St. Olaf College
Everett Naylor University of Vermont
Mac Turner University of Puget Sound
Maxwell Jundt University of California Berkeley
Shivani Nookala Wellesley College
Jake Uchitelle Cohen University of MIchigan
Demetra Karos Loyola University Chicago
Cecily Nordstrom University of Colorado Boulder
Ellen Vroege Drake University
Margaret Keiser Whitman College
Sydney Norman University of Pennsylvania
Seamus Walsh Dartmouth College
Adrianna Keller University of Denver
John O’Grady Northwestern University
Olivia Weiner George Washington University
Davis Kim Chapman University
Miles Olowu Kent School
Eleanor Wellik Kenyon College
Kendall Kozikowski Boston College
Justin Paulson junior hockey
Katherine Westrum Emerson College
Liam Kurth Kenyon College
Eleanor Pfohl American University
Lewis White Carleton College
Spencer Larsen Durham University
Anna Redmond New York University
Remy Williams University of St. Thomas
Mollie Lazar University of Illinois
Jassandra Robinson George Washington University
Gloriana Wolf University of Texas
Tarin Lee Loyola Marymount University
Carlos Sanchez University of Southern California
Austin Wong California Lutheran University
Neil Leville University of Oregon
Sydney Scobee University of Vermont
Anna Zumwinkle Middlebury College
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0 $1,000,00
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Every Gift s t Coun
Every Dollar Matters
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LEE R. N ’57 ANDERSOY FAMIL E CHALLENG
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Thank you to the entire Breck community
for answering the million dollar call during the Lee R. Anderson ‘57 Family Challenge. Through your support and generosity, we met the match. A special thanks to the Anderson Family for sponsoring this unprecedented challenge.
Today at Breck
Spring 2016
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Parting Words:
Thoughts From the Senior Citizens of the Class of
2016 by Jill Field
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Photos by Sara Rubinstein and Karyl Rice
At the Parents Association’s meeting in late April, outgoing president Kate Berman and Upper School Director Tom Taylor asked four seniors to talk about their Breck experience. They focused their remarks on four basic questions: • What have you been involved with in Upper School? • Have you had opportunities for leadership? • Who have been your mentors, or people you could go to for help when you needed it? • What advice would you have for a student trying to find his or her way at Breck?
Their answers were just like them: inspiring, thoughtful, illuminating and entertaining. But they made us wonder. Were they typical? So we decided to ask some of their classmates the same questions. Here’s what they had to say.
JUSTIN BERGERSON
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A Breck student since third grade, Justin has played basketball every year: seventh grade, eighth grade, ninth grade, jv and varsity, serving as team captain his senior year. He’s been on the Service Council and has been a member of the Student Diversity Leadership Council group, something he’s found especially meaningful. “I’m so grateful for the opportunity SDLC has given me to learn and think,” he says. “It’s helped to open so many doors.” Academically, he’s particularly enjoyed his English and history classes (“I love to write!”) and being part of the Advanced Math Research group, where he worked with Prepare to Inspire, a math tutoring project looking at behavioral influences, questions of relevancy and effort and other factors that affect students’ attitudes about and performance in math. He has found leadership opportunities in basketball both at Breck and outside. “Coach likes seniors to be leaders,” he says of varsity basketball coach Marcus Hill ’06. “It creates a family, and it’s good for the younger kids to have older kids to look up to.” And he’s been coaching eighth graders and sophomores on an AAU team. Justin has balso enjoyed writing and performing rap music. “I just put out my first song on SoundCloud,” he says, “and I had a lot of fun performing in the talent show with Ramaud, Reuben and Eric.” He had a great mentor in his older brother, Daniel ’14. “I’m following the route he took and probably didn’t thank him enough,” he says. Ms. Roessler, his advisor for all four years of Upper School, has been “a great guide who pushes me to deeper conversations,” and Mr. Kohl is always insightful. “Also, he gets more interesting the more he keeps talking,” Justin observes. He credits Ms. Scherer, Ms. Roessler, Ms. Wang and Ms. Wong for improving his ability to handle stress.
Overall, he says his mentors have helped him to be more conscious about his interactions with others, to help him figure out what he values, and to know that others are listening to what you say. As for advice to younger students, Justin offers the following. “Take school seriously, but not too. When you find things you love you may have to sacrifice your schoolwork once in a while. You’re not procrastinating if you’re doing something that interests you and is productive.” And even if your interests are outside of Breck, he advises, “Don’t feel rushed to get out of here. Find a way to make it work, and everything will come together.”
TAIT HELGAAS Here since preschool, Tait is a student whose list of Upper School activities is dizzying. He’s been involved in cross country, baseball and teaching skiing, been part of the mock trial team and the newspaper staff, and part of the business club and a member of the Student Integrity Council He’s also tutored Middle School students in English and history and given tours as a student ambassador for Admissions. Tait says English and math have been his favorite subjects, and he’s especially loved buddy pairings both in Middle and Upper School. “I’ve had many opportunities to lead by example,” he reflects, “as a sports team captain, tutor and buddy. They’ve all added so much to my experience here.” And he’s found mentors in faculty members and administra-
JONATHAN CUROE Theater, music and language have been Jonathan’s main interests as an Upper School student. He’s been a stage manager and pit musician for theater productions, musical leader of Bato Bato!, and a student of both Chinese and Spanish. He says the marimba ensemble has provided him with many ways to be a leader. “I’ve had many opportunities to practice my leadership skills,” he explains, “including teaching parts to other players and getting the group ready for gigs.” His piano teacher, Sarah Miller, has been a noteworthy mentor: “She’s been an instrumental part of my life while at Breck. I’ve learned so much from her about music, and she’s shaped much of my school experience even though I only see her once a week.” He also credits Margaret Wong with inspiring some of his love for languages. And he’s the appreciative recipient of help from his friends. “Meeting with teachers one on one is a great way to get help with material you’re struggling with,” he observes, “but I’ve found that my classmates are the strongest support system for me, academically and otherwise.” Jonathan’s best counsel to a younger student is not putting off work. “Get it done,” he says. “You’ll feel happier when you have free time afterwards. I almost always do the opposite, and I wish I were better at following my own advice.”
tors all across the building: Mr. Bell, Mr. Eustis, Mr. Jones, Ms. Bailey, Mr. Fauver, Mr. Taylor. “They’re all people I go to — or go back to — whenever I can,” he says. Acknowledging that he has spent long hours in the building, Tait says that’s been a key to making him feel so at home at Breck. “Weekends, time before and after school — they’re all chances to make you feel invested in the place,” he remarks. “Spend a lot of time here and you’ll get back much more than you might expect.” And even after 14 years at Breck, Tait says he has felt excited and happy to be here all the way through. His advice for a new Upper School student? “It can be scary trying new things, but there’s so much opportunity. Be an assertive advocate for yourself. Everybody is happy to speak to you and help you…and it gets easier with practice.”
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Today at Breck
Spring 2016
SHIVANI NOOKALA Being a Breck student for Shivani has been a growth experience in more ways than one. As a sophomore, she volunteered at a food shelf. Reflecting on the experience with her advisor, Ms. Roessler, she truly felt inspired to investigate and find a way to do something about what she’d learned. That led to an independent study and the creation of Breck’s garden project — now in full bloom. She says, “I’ve learned so much about what it means to people to have access to fresh produce (or not), and how neighborhoods and race can play a part.” And while there has been a lot of “trial and error” about the gardening itself, she is proud of the progress Breck students have made including the hydroponic garden in the glass balcony and the vertical garden in the Melrose Center. And she’s especially proud of the service project that helped provide starter tomato vines and other plants for people to cultivate at home.
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EVELYN McCHESNEY Over her time at Breck, Evelyn has been involved in the robotics and Advanced Science Research teams. Through both, she says, “I’ve been able to grow as a person and as a leader.” Noting that the structure of both teams encourages students to learn from each other as well as their teachers, she observes that she has “become comfortable helping others, which is a huge benefit of the student-teachingstudent environment.” Serving as one of two “leaders of leaders” on the research team and one of three captains of the robotics team has given Evelyn a great deal of leadership experience — and a great deal of confidence as well. And the experience has helped her to think of other students as her mentors. “I don’t know if I would be the person I am today without the guidance and support of my classmates,” she says. She’s also appreciative of the academic help she’s received from teachers along the way. Teachers, she says, “are always able to guide you in the right direction — even though it may not seem like it’s the right direction to you at the time.” Evelyn’s advice to a new student at Breck would be to take advantage of all of the opportunities the school has to offer. “When I came to Breck, I didn’t think science was the thing for me, but now I am almost certain that it is,” she reflects. “Also, get to know all of your classmates. Going into my senior year, I didn’t know a lot of my classmates. I regret not getting to know them sooner.”
In addition to the gardens, Shivani has also been involved in the Student Diversity Leadership Council group, sustainability committee, Race in America club and service council. Academically, she’s enjoyed the servant leader class, economics and Calculus AB (“challenging but a great experience”). Since she came to Breck in eighth grade, Shivani says a number of teachers have been great mentors for her: Ms. Roessler, Ms. Peeples, Ms. Sirianni and Ms. Schmidt among them. “They know me so well,” she observes, “and they’ve all helped me look at the world differently.” She’d advise any Breck student to explore opportunities to find the things that are right for them. “Get involved in lots of things, and see what sticks,” she suggests. “And don’t be afraid to break away from the crowd. It’s amazing when you’re able to own what you’re passionate about.”
KATE WESTRUM Kate’s focus at Breck has been strong. “I am solely dedicated to the theater program, Bato Bato! and Breckapella,” she says, noting that she does a lot with music and theater outside of school as well. She says she’s been placed in leadership roles many times whether official or not. As a senior, she says, teachers have left her with responsibilities for showing how to do certain things, or to set an example of how to behave appropriately for a situation. Her mentors have included Mr. Ohm, Mr. Nicholson, Ms. Roessler and Ms. Schmidt, all of whom have been genuinely interested in her well being both inside and outside of school. “I am much more of a person outside the classroom and in the community,” she explains. “So when a teacher is able to see that and appreciate it, I really have a good relationship with them.”
CARLOS SANCHEZ A committed science and math student, Carlos jokes that he’s pretty well “exhausted the Breck curriculum” by now so it’s only fitting that he’s moving on to study astronautical engineering in college to become a genuine rocket scientist. He’s been involved in both robotics and quiz bowl at Breck and appreciated the opportunity to take a leadership role in the programming aspect of robotics. For May Program, he and two other students are producing a book based on the popular Humans of New York videos. They’re calling it “Humans of Breck.” Carlos appreciates the mentorship of Mr. Oden, who pushed him to get on the advanced math track in Middle School — something that paved the way for his studies in Upper School. Reflecting on his experience here, Carlos says he recalls the Fieldhouse classrooms happily. (The Class of 2016 is the last class to have spent the year of construction in the “pods.”) “It was a nice introduction to Upper School,” he says. “Everything was so close!” Students new to Upper School, he thinks, would do well to “just be open. Explore even things you don’t think you want to do because you’ll discover yourself and meet new people.” And while senior year hasn’t been quite as relaxed as it might have been, even after the “chaotic” college process is over, Carlos says it’s been great overall. “It’s the final year,” he observes, “and the one when you learn the most about yourself.”
And while noting that she isn’t fond of asking for help, Kate says that both her friends and her teachers have assisted her greatly. “I like to work things out for myself,” she says. “And I think Breck really helps students become more independent over time.” “Try everything!” is her best advice for a new student. “I think people need to take more risks and try new things. I never would have found what I love to do had I not stepped out of my comfort zone and tried something new.”
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ANNA ZUMWINKLE Anna has loved being part of this community, and she has played an active role. On the hockey, tennis and golf teams since eighth grade, she also has played clarinet in the band, took part in the House Council and been a new student ambassador welcoming new students and offering tours at Admissions events. 28 /
Breck has offered many opportunities for developing leadership. She was able to attend a leadership seminar at the beginning of junior year, been a member of the House Council working to make the Upper School more cohesive and been a captain of the hockey, tennis and golf teams this year. She says, “I have loved being able to lead by example and be a role model to the younger kids in and out of school.” As for mentors, Anna says she’d never be where she is today without her family, who serve as her immediate support system. Coaches and teachers have been “phenomenal” role models, especially Mr. Bergene, Ms. Scherer, Ms. Malec, Ms. Johnson, Mr. Crow, Mr. Nicholson and Mr. Taylor. “They’ve all helped me in so many ways that I will forever be grateful to them and all my Breck teachers for instilling in me a hard work ethic, self advocacy and a love for learning.” She also credits Breck teachers for being available for help before school and at free time during the day. Going to Breck, she says, “I learned the value of time management and how to take advantage of those spare moments during the day.” Anna would advise younger students, first and foremost, to enjoy their time here. “Approach all of high school with a grateful attitude and a happy mindset,” she recommends. “Don’t get too caught up with the small stuff, because in the grand scheme of things, everything happens for a reason. And when you make the most of every day, your true self will show, and you will be surrounded by amazing classmates and friends who are similar to you.” And with a nod to her upcoming graduation, Anna has another piece of advice: “Treasure your time at Breck because it goes a lot faster than you think.”
Making medicine bags
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Breck CEO students visit the cereal bar during their tour of the General Mills Headquarters, which focused on marketing.
CEOs in Training An Innovative May Program Course Teaches Juniors and Seniors About Careers
By Stacy Glaus
THE PRESSURE IS REAL. As students today approach the end of their Upper School education, a list of common questions seems to develop during routine conversations. “What college will you attend?” “What will you major in at school?” “What do you want to do in your life?” These questions, along with the everyday pressure and responsibility of being an Upper School student, can seem
daunting. But a new course offered during May Program, or the last two weeks of the academic year, was introduced to help ease the pressure and provide insight into life after Breck. Career Exploration Opportunities, or CEO, is a course designed for juniors and seniors that provides an overview of future career options ranging from the arts to law. Breck parent Kim Nelson originally developed the idea for the program.
David Akinola ’17 sits at a chair in the Minnesota Supreme Court during an off-site visit focused on law.
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Breck Parent Kim Nelson discusses the importance of values during a roundtable discussion at General Mills.
“I just had this idea about how to better prepare our young people for the workplace,” says Nelson. “My observation was that when you ask [students], ‘What are you thinking? What do you want to do?’ A lot of them were saying business. But I realized business is a million things and they have no idea what that even meant.” In order to give students a better idea of jobs in the workplace, the CEO program was formed. “Kim (Nelson) wanted to create opportunities for students to explore some career options with all the wonderful businesses that are headquartered here in Minnesota,” says Kim Peeples, Director of the Melrose Family Center for Servant Leadership. “She wanted students to visit businesses and learn about various careers as well as the education involved to get to those places in the company.” In just one short year — with the help and hard work of many other Breck parents including Parents Association past president Kate Berman — the program has grown from a pilot into a full ten-day curriculum. Each day, students enrolled in the class heard from business leaders and professionals from one of nine selected job segments followed by an off-site visit to a location that specializes in that industry. “Careers selected were the ones projected with the most growth over the next ten years,” adds Peeples. This allows
students to learn about careers that are expected to experience growth even after completion of their college career. For the students, however, not all career fields were as appealing as others - at least at first. “When we talked about the finance day, I thought ‘I don’t really like math so I don’t think I’ll get that much out of this’,” says Chameer St. Urbain, a junior in the class. But, as the students quickly learned, each session offered something new and different. “Even if it’s something that you’ve already said in your mind, ‘I don’t want to do that, I know I don’t want to go in that profession,’ it’s different once you actually see people’s experiences as to how they got there and what they’re actually doing versus what you thought,” Chameer adds. Careers selected included the arts; community service and non-profit sector; education and innovation; entrepreneurs; finance; law and judiciary; management and management consulting; and technology and engineering. In 2016, Peeples developed a curricular piece to the class, mirroring a popular leadership program for Twin Cities professionals called Leadership Twin Cities sponsored by the Minneapolis Regional Chamber of Commerce. Peeples is a graduate of the class.
THE MELROSE FAMILY CENTER
FOR SERVANT LEADERSHIP WANTS TO BROADEN PERCEPTIONS OF
LEADERSHIP SO THAT STUDENTS AND FACULTY WILL THRIVE IN
VARIOUS LEADERSHIP ROLES BY
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USING THE PRINCIPLES OF SERVANT LEADERSHIP TO BE THEIR BEST
SELVES IN ORDER TO BRING OUT THE BEST IN OTHERS.
Breck Parent Piyumi Samaratunga provides an overview of the law profession for CEO students.
Students participated in a morning session, which included an adult “guide,” or an expert in that career, who could assist with research of the career field and formulate questions for the experts during each site visit. “We wanted to create something where students would have an on-campus experience that would deal with their skill development, emotional intelligence, doing research on particular job segments and hearing from professionals in preparation for going to site visits,” says Peeples. “This prepared them for going to site visits so they could have more in-depth questions and get to what they wanted to know in that job segment.” In the morning, students heard an overview of each job market, growth sectors, and salary information. Students also learned research techniques for careers, how to identify credible websites and information on how to pursue an internship. In the afternoon, students visited businesses and organizations ranging from the Minnesota Supreme Court to General Mills. “The class is an opportunity for us to get to know career fields in businesses in the Twin Cities area and get to know some of the great things that are happening in the area as well,” adds Peeples.
NETWORKING AND CONNECTIONS But setting up a nine-day, off-site classroom experience didn’t come easily — at least at first. It was thanks to the larger Breck community and dedicated parent volunteers who helped make it happen. “From September to now [May], each day has been spent getting the program together,” says Peeples. “We made plans to meet wonderful people in these various nine job sectors.” And most of the visits were made possible by Breck connections. “I couldn’t be more thankful for how open the parent and alumni community has been for wanting to make this a good experience for all students at Breck,” adds Peeples. “It’s been phenomenal — the collaboration, the networking, the resources that have been opened to us.” For Breck parent Nelson, the CEO program was an opportunity to give back to the Breck community. “Breck has just an incredible network. The teachers, the alums, the parents - they are all interested in helping students out,” Nelson adds. “It’s a way for parents to give back to the school. It’s a win-win all around.” And while the Breck connections weren’t necessarily a surprise for most of the students, the vastness of the network did come as a bit of a shock.
product, but sometimes you get to do it because the company allows you to work in the community.” The students are taught that you never should sacrifice your personal values for your professional career.
IT’S DIFFERENT ONCE YOU ACTUALLY
SEE PEOPLE’S EXPERIENCES AS TO HOW THEY GOT THERE AND WHAT THEY’RE 34 /
ACTUALLY DOING VERSUS WHAT YOU THOUGHT,” CHAMEER ADDS.
“I knew of different connections but I didn’t know just how far they actually went and what these people were actually doing,” says Chameer. Students were also exposed to the fact that many people leaving upper school do not necessarily follow the path in their “plan.” “I found it interesting how a lot of the people started off not knowing what they were doing in college and then what they came out to be was a lot different,” says Nypree Compton, another junior enrolled in the class.
SERVANT LEADERSHIP — TO SERVE AND SERVE FIRST The CEO program is offered as a class from the Melrose Family Center for Servant Leadership. The Center, which is in its third year, works to cultivate future leaders through the model of servant leadership. “Servant leadership says your leadership comes from your desire to serve and to serve first,” says Peeples. “Because you see an issue, because there is a need that has to be addressed, you are in a position where your expertise and know-how to get something done, then that’s going to cause you to adopt a leadership role.” This model is also an important aspect to a future career, one that the CEO program hopes to reinforce. “This is an opportunity for kids to understand that there are many ways to serve. Just because you’re working for a big corporation doesn’t mean that you aren’t changing the world,” says Nelson. “Sometimes you get to do that with a
“The class is tapping into the students’ understanding of who they are and how they can live and work according to their values and live a life of meaning,” says Peeples. “You don’t have to depart from them by taking a job.” But servant leadership is not just meant to be a part of your profession; it’s meant to be a model for how you’re going to live your life. “It’s the basic principles of listening, developing community, having empathy, having a vision, having foresight,” says Peeples. “All of these things are not just associated with being an effective leader, but it’s what you want to do in your life.” The CEO class works to build on the pillars of a Breck education currently in place in order to prepare each student for future success. “We do wonderful work with service. We do wonderful work with spiritual development. We do phenomenal work with helping students be aware of social justice issues and diversity,” says Peeples. “I think another important component for students to think about is how can I turn all of this work: my spirituality, my work in diversity and inclusion, my belief that we need to serve, into what I can do once I leave Breck.”
PREPARING FOR LIFE Taking all these goals into consideration, Peeples has high hopes and big expectations for both the class and the students. “By the end of the course, I hope the students have learned something that will help them to take and experience and go into college where it can be completely transformative, assume new identities, and explore all those wonderful things,” says Peeples. “But with them, I hope they will take away the core understanding of who they are and what their values are and how you should never compromise yourself or your values for anything.” It also eases the pressure when students are asked those common senior year questions. Instead of having a definitive answer, the class provides reassurance that it is OK if your plans change. “It [the class] encourages me to know that if you don’t have it all figured out, it will eventually turn out into something I’m supposed to do in the end,” says Chameer.
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Eleanor Wellik and Thomas Dickstein in the Upper School Musical, “Rent Jr.”
FROM THE MINNE-APPLE TO THE BIG APPLE
CHANGING THE WORLD ONE CUP AT A TIME Nath Samaratunga ’14, along with sisters Brooke ‘18 and Melinda ‘18, can all add the title of tea importer to their resumes. Together, they’ve founded SrimaTea, a company whose profits will go to youth education programs in Sri Lanka and the U.S. The name comes from the word srimathi, which in Sinhalese (a language spoken only in the tropical island of Sri Lanka) means internal and external serenity, beauty and abundance — as well as the name of the siblings’ beloved late grandmother. Because their grandmother believed that everyone had the power to make a difference, the siblings decided to make a difference in her honor. You can learn more about the company and place an order via the website: https://srimatea.wordpress.com/.
Breck alumni in New York gathered for the annual Regional Gathering on April 15 — a time that coincided with the Upper School art history class’ whirlwind tour of museums and galleries. A group of 40 alumni met at the Waldorf-Astoria hotel, where they were also invited to a behind-the-scenes tour of the historic building, which has hosted many notable guests and served as a filming location for numerous movies and television series.
SHOWCASING OUR COMMUNITY The Alumni Council hosted its first two events in the exciting new Networking and Speaker Series, which has been established to showcase interesting speakers from the Breck community. Alumni and parents were all invited to attend. On April 5, the inaugural presenter was Allison O’Toole ’89, CEO of MNSure. And on May 19, Breck parent and co-founder of Studio E, Nate Garvis, talked about idea development as leaders in our communities. Both events were held at the Minneapolis Club.
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The Council plans to host the next two events in the fall of 2016.
TOUR DE BRECK 2016
Have an idea for a future speaker? Please email suggestions to alumni@breckschool.org with suggestions.
Our newest alumni, the Class of 2016, raced around the school in the annual Tour de Breck event, now in its twelfth year. Alumni class representatives Noah Foster and Shivani Nookala helped organize the festivities on April 27. The class raised $400, which will be put toward benches in the senior lounge as a gift to the school. History teacher Charlie and his “Grossmen” were the winning team.
CHRIS WELSH ’90 NAMED ALUM OF THE YEAR Outgoing Alumni Council President Chris Welsh will receive his Alum of the Year award on July 11. He has served as president, vice president, homecoming chair and alumni co-chair of the Annual Fund. Under his leadership, the Council revised its bylaws, put together a five-year strategic plan, and started the Networking and Speaker series that kicked off in April. For more about Chris, who is also a Breck parent, check out his answers to our 20 Questions in this issue of Today at Breck.
KIRSTIN ERICKSON WILSON ’88 TAKES OVER AS ALUMNI COUNCIL PRESIDENT Assuming the role of president from Chris Welsh, Kirstin Erickson Wilson begins her term in July. She has served as vice president for the past two years, been active in recruiting new members, and chaired the Distinguished Alumni committee. Also a Breck parent, Wilson will be assisted by executive committee members Christy Piotrowski Leintz ’04, Colin Brooks ’97, Chas Simcox ’00 and Michael Proman ’99.
SENIOR BBQ The Alumni Association hosted its annual barbecue social for seniors on May 12. Margot Murray Olness ’89, Rusty Nelson ’64, and Tony Jewett ’94 scooped ice cream and handed out the ever-popular Alumni Association gift, Breck laundry bags.
Today at Breck
Spring 2016
A TOAST TO OUR RETIRING TEACHERS
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YOUNG ALUMNI SHARE WISDOM ON SENIOR READINESS DAY
The Breck Alumni Association hosted “A Toast to our Retiring Teachers” at the American Legion on the evening of Wednesday, June 8.
In what has become a very well-received new tradition, the Alumni office and Upper School put together an informative day for graduating seniors. On May 17, alumni volunteers Elizabeth Dunlap ’07, Keven Riley ’07, Tom Smolenski ’08, Emily Nimmer Gephardt ’09, Erin Conlin ’09, Michael Malone ’09, Briana MacDonald ’09, Annalisa Tester ’10, Eric Chien ’10, Tyson Fulton ’10, Kara Lillehaug ’10, Michael Morin ’10, Brendan Yates ’10, Leslie Hayes ’14, Peter Kiesel ’15, Emma Luten ’15, Jenn Fabian ’15, Madi Lommen ’15, Nichole Showalter ’15, and Jake Levy ’15 returned to campus to provide information to our seniors about the college experience. Topics included Academics and balance, Student wellness, What you wish you would have known first semester, Roommates and social circles, What do to when things don’t go as planned, and Alcohol and substance abuse on campus. Senior Readiness Day also kicked off the 2016 Senior Pledge Initiative. Seniors were asked to reflect on their experience at Breck and make a gift in honor of a teacher or experience.
SUMMER REUNIONS • The Classes of 2006 and 1976 will celebrate their reunions this summer. Katie Brattain Hogan ‘06 and a committee of ‘76ers led by Liz Nolan Nordstrom ‘76 and Kimberley Fiterman-Duepner ‘76. For more information go to breckschool.org/reunions.
GRADUATION Marlene Goldenberg ’05 gave the alumni welcome at Commencement. Marlene was the senior buddy of graduating senior Hannah Mirviss ’16.
SAVE THE DATE: HOMECOMING 2016 WILL TAKE PLACE SEPTEMBER 15-17 The school year has just ended, but plans are already underway for Homecoming 2016. Among the events will be the annual induction of alumni into the Breck Athletic Hall of Fame. This year, we’ll honor David O’Hagan ’00, Meade McCarthy ’00, A.C. Christopherson ’99, and the 1999-2000 boys hockey team. The ceremony will take place on Thursday, September 15, at 6:00 pm in the Upper School Library. The Athletic Hall of Fame Committee is chaired by Colin Brooks ’97 and Matt Cosgriff ’07. Breck teachers Byron Rice and Evan Jones ’86 are again serving as faculty representatives.
reunion year
memorial in this issue
class notes 1947 On March 28, Tom Thiss was featured on Fox 9 on the secrets to a long and healthy life (including daily kayaking on Lake Minnetonka).
1950
1974 Pothole Confidential: My life as Mayor of Minneapolis by R.T. Rybak hit bookstores in April. The former mayor shares details about his time in office. R.T. joined students during May Program to talk about his experience in the public and nonprofit sectors.
1960
1976
Howard Perschel has a new book on the shelves. Stamp Counterfeiting can be purchased through Amazon. The book delves into this little known crime and explores the evolution of the U.S. Secret Service and the U.S. Postal Inspection Service and the relationship between stamp counterfeiting and currency counterfeiting.
Kimberley Fiterman-Duepner, Liz Nolan Nordstrom, Lauri Kropp Fox, Peter Leete, Jon Kinard, and Bill Baker are busy making plans for the 40-year reunion for the Class of 1976 on the weekend of August 12.
1965 Gene Beaulieu playing golf at The Augusta National. He says, “This is the first round of golf I’ve ever played. Should have played golf instead of track at Breck!”
1981 Maya Tester, Hennepin County Attorney, shared her career experience with the students taking the CEO Experience class during May Program.
1986 1987 Breck’s assistant head of school, Patrick Phillips, coached track and field this spring.
1988 In July, Kirstin Erickson Wilson will start her two-year term as president of the Breck Alumni Association. Kirstin, who is the parent of three Breck students, Ingrid ‘22, Annika ‘24, and Greta ‘26, presented the Alumni Award at the Upper School Awards Ceremony on June 7. Katharine Anderson Groethe and Alycya Hjelm Cardwell co-chaired the first annual Breck Bash. The evening at the Metropolitan on February 19 was attended by over 400 people and successfully raised $175,000 for endowment. Katharine presented the Mrs. Reuben L. Anderson Award at the Upper School Awards Ceremony on June 7. This spring, Tecoy Porter was recognized as a Community All-Star by the Sacramento Kings for his work in the community.
Liz Elert, her husband Abe, and daughter Lily will be moving to California this summer. Liz will be the new Senior Vice President for The Honest Company in Santa Monica.
Brad Nemer just launched a new app called Story Glory that allows for users to capture memories and moments from life events. Check it out at storyglory.me. He recently partnered with the Breck Alumni Association to capture pictures and memories of Breck’s 2016 retiring teachers.
1985
1989
Sandy Stone has joined the Breck Alumni Council. Her three-year term starts in July.
Mark those calendars! Craig Finn of The Hold Steady is set to perform at the Basilica Block Party on July 9.
1984
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Heidi Schadow Humphrey shared her career experience in finance with students during the May Program through the CEO Experience. Heidi is the director of client experience at US Bank.
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In November, Allison O’Toole was named CEO of MNSure. She had been interim CEO since May 4, 2015. As CEO, she oversees an annual budget of nearly $50 million and more than 150 staff. Allison served as the first speaker of the Breck Alumni Association’s Networking and Speaker Series on Tuesday, April 5 at the Minneapolis Club.
1994 In March, longtime Breck teacher Chelen Johnson attended the Minnesota premiere of Majka Burhardt’s new film, Namuli. Along with a crew of scientists and adventurers, Grant Bemis ‘10 joined Majka on this amazing project to climb Namuli, a mountain in remote Mozambique, to draw attention to the biodiversity of the area and to promote sustainable living. To learn more about the effort, check out Majka’s website: http:// www.majkaburhardt.com/
1990 Molly Cronin Clark presented the Christin Mead ‘90 Award at the Upper School Awards Ceremony on June 7. Martha Overby is the Founder and President of Ubiety, LLC. To learn more about Martha’s company check out theubiety.com. Alumni Association President Chris Welsh has been named Alum of the Year for 2016. He ended his term as president in June and will be honored later this summer. Chris has been on the Alumni Council since 2008 and will serve as past president next year. He and his wife Mary are the proud parents of Sophie ‘25.
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Tony and Lynn Jewett welcomed son Gregory Arthur Jewett Sunday, March 6. Chris Neher and his wife Jenna recently moved to Kansas City, Missouri. Chris is director of major gifts at Avila University.
1995 Linnea Sommer is currently working for North Memorial Health Care in the Twin Cities. She is an active member of the Walker Community United Methodist Church in south Minneapolis, where she plays guitar in the church band. Linnea recently began writing songs, and her first is a tribute to Dr. Jacob Miller.
1997 Colin Brooks is serving as the Executive Chair of Recognition on the Alumni Council for 2016-2017. Ross Hussey was assistant coach for Breck mock trial.
1998 The Star Tribune featured the drawings of Kevin Cannon in the Outdoor section Joshua Hanson recently joined the Office of the Solicitor at the Department of the Interior as an attorney in the Division of Land Resources in Washington, D.C. Josh previously served as a senior advisor to the Director of the Bureau of Land Management (BLM), where he led agency priorities related to public lands in Alaska, utility-scale renewable energy development, transmission permitting, and hardrock mining. Prior to that, Josh worked for two years as the natural resources fellow in the Office of Senator Harry Reid. As an attorney in the Division of Land and Water, Josh provides counsel to the BLM on environmental, natural resources, and federal administrative issues, including federal litigation, regulation drafting, and legislative matters. Congratulations to Sara Marsh and Dark & Stormy Productions for being named 2016 Best Theater by City Pages.
1996 Theresa Cha Baugus is leading the efforts on the 20-year reunion for the Class of 1996, Gordy Stofer was featured in the Star Tribune’s Movers & Shakers section. Gordy is currently serving as vice president, development, at United Properties.
Mike McKeon married Kelly Ritter on April 30 at the Varsity Theater in Minneapolis. Mike, who serves on the Alumni Council, was back to present at Upper School Awards on June 7.
1999
2002
Michael Proman shared his career journey as an entrepreneur with students as part of the CEO Experience during May Program. Michael is also serving on the Alumni Council and next year will be executive chair of Service.
2000
Chas Simcox and his wife Maari celebrated the birth of their first child. Baby girl Gray was born in March. Chas is serving as executive chair of Events on the Alumni Council. Chas will lead the efforts behind Homecoming, the annual Breck Alumni Holiday Party, and the new Speaker and Networking Series.
2001 Megan Bailey O’Grady and her husband Jamie attend the April 15 New York City reception at the Waldorf Astoria. Congratulations to M.E. Head Kirwan and Chris Kirwan on the birth of their second daughter, Alexandra Parry, on April 14. M.E. is leading the efforts to plan the 15-year reunion for the Class of 2001.
Andrew (AJ) Hanson married Meredith Walker Hanson on August 15 at the Omni Mount Washington Hotel in Bretton Woods, NH. Andrew and Meredith met at Connecticut College, where they both graduated in 2006. They are currently living in Burlington, VT. In attendance at the wedding festivities were Joshua Hanson ‘98 and his wife Amina Fazlullah, Joe Adams and his wife Lauren Adams, Kevin Bielke and his wife Debbie Bielke, David Brooks, Alex Clark, John Curry, Mike Kaupa, and Dick and Marg Lewis, along with other Breck friends and family. Major Meredith Benson Doran (US Air Force) was awarded The Meritorious Service Medal by Lieutenant General Mark Nowland, 12th Air Force Commander, for her distinguished leadership from January 2014 to March 2016. During this period, she led a crossfunctional team that was instrumental in providing intelligence key to understanding the air and air defense capabilities of Latin America. Meredith, her husband Paul, and Madden(5) and Benson(2) are headed to England for a three-year assignment.
2003 Susannah Brokl is currently serving as a product marketing manager at Uber in San Francisco. She shared her career experience in marketing with students during the May Program through the CEO Experience.
Javier Cabrera completed his dissertation and received his doctorate in sciences from the University of Minnesota last August. Javi’s thesis is titled, “ Examining Helper T-Cell Recovering after Sepsis.” Currently, he is finishing his clinical cycle at the Medical School at the University of Minnesota. Former Head of School Sam Salas and former faculty member Margaret Wong were in attendance. Leah, Jesse, and Ella Sixkiller are proud to announce the birth of baby girl Sylvie Ruth Sixkiller on January 22. Lauren Tanick Epshteyn and her husband Boris Epshteyn had their first baby on March 7. Their son, Solomon Bennett Epshteyn, weighed in at a healthy 7 pounds and 9 ounces.
2004 In July, Christy Piotrowski Leintz will begin her two-year term as vice president of the Breck Alumni Association. Wynne Reece served as an assistant coach for Breck’s Mock Trial team this year.
2005 Alex Frecon ‘s “Cake Eater Anthem” went viral in February. The video put out by Alex and the guys from the Hockey Hair Video is a funny play on Edina stereotypes. Watch it at http:// video.startribune.com/edina-cakeeater-anthem-spreads-on-social-media/368055791/ Check out more from Alex at https://www.youtube.com/ user/AlexFreconHD. Alex’s day job is a media planner with Fallon. During May Prorgam he shared his career experience in advertising with students in the CEO Experience class.
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2010
Marlene Goldenberg welcomed the Class of 2016 into the Breck Alumni Association at Commencement on June 9.
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Class of 2006 Alumni Representative Katie Brattain Hogan is planning the ten-year reunion for the Class. The event will be celebrated on Saturday, August 6, at the Town Hall Brewery in Minneapolis. breckschool.org/2006reunion. Marcus Hill was Breck’s varsity boys basketball coach this winter. Emily Neal recently graduated from the Physician Assistant graduate program at Wake Forest. She shared her experience in healthcare with student as part of the CEO Experience in May Program.
2008 Tom Smolenski is coaching golf this spring. He was also back on campus volunteering at Senior day on May 17.
2009 Carmen Lundell, Brooke Anderson, and Katherine Bildtsen attended the NYC Gathering on April 15. Mike Fuad shared his experience in engineering with students as part of the CEO Experience during May Program. Erin Conlin, Emily Gerhardt, and Michael Malone were all back on campus on May 17 for a panel discussion on the college experience.
Keven Riley and Elizabeth Dunlap volunteered at senior day to talk to our soon-to-be alums on the college experience. Elizabeth is currently serving on the Breck Alumni Council. CBS sideline reporter Jamie Erdahl reported from the field and court at the 2016 Super Bowl and the NCAA Tournament in March. She was back on campus recently working with Mr. Ohm for the May Program class Breck Sports Programming Network. Ian Veitch received his Doctorate of Veterinary Medicine from the University of Minnesota.
Annalisa Tester, Mike Morin, Eric Chein, Kara Lillehaug and Tyson Fulton volunteered at Senior Readiness Day on May 17. The group launched the 2016 Senior Pledge. Brandon Onopa attended the NYC Gathering on April 15. Zach Soskin shared his experience in sports marketing at Adidas with students during the May Program through the CEO Experience.
2007 Matt Cosgriff shared his career experience in finance with students during the May Program through the CEO Experience. Matt is currently serving as a financial planner with BerganKDV.
Along with a crew of scientists and adventurers, Grant Bemis joined Majka Burhardt ‘94 on this amazing project to climb Namuli, a mountain in remote Mozambique. The project is documented in the film Namuli and draws attention to biodiversity of the area and to promote sustainable living.
Rachel Grandstrand Gerhardt and Emily Nimmer Gerhardt adoped baby boy Harper last fall. Harper recently turned six months. On April 13, Mary Goetz served as the featured speaker at the annual Cum Laude dinner. Mary will be attending Harvard Law this September. Middle School math teacher Madison Styrbicki coached girls lacrosse.
While participating in the University of Vermont’s Wellness 5K on April 20, Annalisa Tester spotted a Breck t-shirt in the crowd and found Nichole Showalter ‘15. Annalisa was then serving as a an admissions counselor with the school and Nichole was a first-year student. In the fall, Kristina Tester will be starting the joint JD/MD program at the University of Minnesota.
2011 Bohan Yu, Meredith Briggs, David Berman, Reuben Parrish, Jillian Husband, Margit Westerman, and Ellie Haeg attended the New York City Reception on April 15.
Class of 2011 Alumni Representatives David Berman and Margit Westerman are making plans for a fantastic five-year reunion for the Class on Friday, November 25. Katie Dickinson shared her career experience at Target with students during the May Program through the CEO Experience. Micah Erstling and Steven Kiesel shared their career experience in finance with students during May Program through the CEO Experience. Micah is currently working in global markets with Bank of America, and Steven is a healthcare investment banker for Piper Jaffray. Both are in New York. Laura Kadue traveled to Prague this winter as part of a small group from Breck helping to advise the Porg School as it set up a robotics team. For more on that relationship, see page 12.
Addison Weiler, a software engineer at Apple, shared his experience with students as part of the CEO Experience during May Program. Tyler Hudson was interviewed by the Patriot League Network on Wednesday at halftime of the basketball game Lafayette vs. Bucknell regarding his athletic and academic accomplishments.
2012 Go Gophers! Milica McMillen and Kate Schipper ‘13 were teammates on the national championship- winning Minnesota Gophers womens hockey team.
2014 Eileen Bayer is interning at Vayner Media in New York this summer. This Fall, Eileen will be a junior at Washington University in St. Louis.
Allison Cole was recently named the recipient of a three- year internship through the Emma Bowen Foundation. She will be interning at Fox 9 News for the next three summers. Allison will be a junior at Oberlin in the fall. Class of 2014 Alumni Representative Leslie Hayes was back on campus serving on the Senior Day panel to talk to seniors on the college experience. Leslie will be back in North Carolina this summer teaching.
2015 Jenn Fabian, Emma Luten, Nichole Showalter, and class of 2015 alumni representative Peter Kiesel served on the alumni panel for senior day on May 17. Jenn also was the intern of the CEO Experience during May Program.
IN MEMORIAM 1947 Rob Roy “Nipper” McCampbell passed away peacefully at home in October 2015. He graduated from Princeton University in 1951, majoring in history and playing lacrosse. Rob served in the Navy during the Korean War and had many careers and many things that brought him joy. He coached ice hockey, enjoyed fishing trips with his sons, played the banjo, and loved the majestic white pines at Lake Pancore. He loved his wife Perihan, whom he met while on a buying trip for rugs in Turkey. He loved the artistry in each rug he bought. Rob will be remembered by his smile, his stories and his rugs. Rob is survived by his wife Perihan; three children, Sarah, Duncan and Duff; and grandchildren Christian and Cameron.
1950 Richard “Dick” Holmberg passed on April 3. He is survived by his wife of 62 years, Margaret; sons, Jeff (Linda) Holmberg, David (Kathy) Holmberg, Peter (Lisa) Holmberg; grandchildren, James (Desiree) Holmberg, Anne (Zach) Bell, Jessica and Emily Holmberg and Tim Oliver. After graduating from Breck he was a longtime scoutmaster with Troop 262. He pursued acting and appeared in numerous performances in the Twin Cities. He is perhaps best remembered as Santa at Bachman’s, where he delighted families for over 20 years.
1965 Mark Clasen, M.D. PhD, passed away peacefully at home on February 3. After graduating from Breck, Mark received his BA from Gustavus Adolphus College and earned both an M.D. degree and a PhD in anatomy from the University of Mississippi Medical Center. He served 18 years as professor and chair of the Department of Family Medicine and the last six years as professor emeritus at the Wright State University Boonshoft School of Medicine in Ohio. He was board certified in both family medicine and geriatrics. He was an excellent clinician and medical educator. He is survived by his wife, Carla; two sisters, Judy and Nancy Clasen, as well as many family members and friends. In addition, he leaves behind thousands of medical students and residents he taught over the years.
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1986 Jason Buxell passed away unexpectedly on March 20 in Milwaukee. After Breck, Jason received his BA from the University of Puget Sound. He was a sales excutive whose favorite thing was spending time with his family: bird watching, roller coaster and motorcycle riding, playing Snoopy Coaster on iPads, eating sushi, loving the family dogs Buddy and Boo, snuggling, and hanging out on their new porch. Jason also loved playing and watching sports. He excelled in soccer and was an integral member of both the U of Puget Sound and MN Thunder soccer teams. Survivors include his wife of 17 years, Stephanie; his daughters, Bryn and Carly; his mother, Jane Buxell; his brother, Jarrett (Kristi) Buxell; and his nephews, Riley and Tyler.
1987 Carolyn Glasoe Bailey passed away after a lengthy battle with glioblastoma brain cancer on November 16 in Ojai, CA. She was surrounded by her husband Chris Bailey, her nine-year old son Matson, her mother Beth Matson Glasoe, and her sister and family Lila ’90, Dines and Fliss Francese. Carolyn attended the University of Minnesota. At 19, Carolyn opened her first gallery, Montgomery Glasoe in Minneapolis. After meeting and marrying Christopher in 1997, the pair traveled the world before settling in Ojai. Carolyn then spent three years operating Dee Glasoe in the Chelsea neighborhood of New York City, returning to California after 9/11. She was a frequent guest lecturer at many academic institutions; Yale University was one of her favorites. In Ojai, she was a private art dealer and served as board president of the Museum of Contemporary Art Santa Barbara for many years. In 2006 she and Chris welcomed their son Matson West Bailey, and the family traveled and worked together in support of great artists and collectors. Carolyn will be deeply missed by her family, friends and clients. Arrangements are underway for a foundation in her name.
FORMER FACULTY AND STAFF Dr. Jacob Miller died January 10 at the age of 67 after a two-year struggle with lymphoma. His Star Tribune obituary notice began, “Few people have made so many friends and touched so many lives as Dr. Jacob (Jake) Miller.” Dr. Miller began teaching at Breck in 1978 and taught thousands of students during his 37 years here. As the notice said, “A superb teacher, he had tremendous, and ever-growing knowledge of his subject, high expectations and a gift for establishing personal connections with young people. Although trained to teach at the university level, he came to realize that high school was right for him because he could interact with his students at the most open and receptive time of their lives.” His memorial service was held in the Chapel of the Holy Spirit. He is survived by his loving family including his wife, Concha Fernandez del Rey, his daughter, Annik ‘90, three grandchildren, a sister and two brothers. “Uncle Bob” Sheild died December 24 at the age of 88. Before his long tenure as Breck’s gym store and equipment manager, he had a successful career in public relations and marketing for Hamm Brewing, the St. Paul Winter Carnival and other local businesses. His Star Tribune obituary notice said he enjoyed “history, rock hunting, archaeology, wood carving and his old dog Bimba” and that his time at Breck was a job he “absolutely loved.” Uncle Bob is survived by his three sons, eleven grandchildren and their families.
Photos by Lauren Kiesel
BRECK ATHLETES EXCEL IN FALL AND WINTER SPORTS Fall Highlights: Boys Soccer, Girls Swimming, Girls Tennis, Cross Country Runners Find Success at State Boys Soccer The boys tied SPA for the IMAC conference championship and won their section. After victories over Sartell St. Stephen and St. Thomas Academy, they took second place at the state tournament in a heartbreaking 2-1 overtime loss to Orono. Both Avi Eller and Garrett Opperman were named IMAC athletes of the month.
Girls Soccer Finishing with a record of 8-8-2, the girls made it to the section semifinals before losing to Benilde St. Margarets, the eventual state champions.
Girls Swim and Dive Cross Country Eighth grader Morgan Richter led the girls team to conference and section championships, and she went on to win second place at the state meet. Both the girls and boys teams improved greatly over the course of the season, and with the majority of these young athletes returning, the Mustangs are expecting good things from these runners in the fall.
Football With 36 boys out for the team, the Mustangs had a dedicated corps of players who dealt with obstacles including injuries and a new district that replaced some traditional opponents with several large public schools. The team won their first section game, ending the season with a record of 3-7.
The section champion swimmers finished second at the state meet after a season that included big victories over Blake and Maple Grove. At state, Allyssa Phelps won the 200 IM and Bre Thorne took first place in both the 100 butterfly and the 100 backstroke. Both Bre and Saylor Hawkins were named IMAC athletes of the month.
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WINTER HIGHLIGHTS: STATE TOURNAMENT TIME FOR BOYS HOCKEY, BOYS SWIM/DIVE, ALPINE AND NORDIC SKIERS Alpine Ski Three Mustangs went to the state meet this year: Deirdre O’Neill for the girls and Louis Weiner and Liam O’Neill for the boys. During the regular season, the boys finished second in the IMAC conference and the girls finished third.
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Girls Tennis It was a most spectacular sister act for Breck girls tennis, where two pairs of siblings faced off in the state doubles championship. In the end, Lauren Kozikowski and Grace Zumwinkle took first place; Kendall Kozikowski and Anna Zumwinkle finished second. (In the section championship, it was the other way around!) Lauren and Grace were both named IMAC athletes of the month, and Anne Gorde was the section 4A coach of the year.
Volleyball The Mustangs, a very young team, look forward to bigger and better things in the fall, and their new coach is excited to see how they continue to develop.
Boys Basketball For the second consecutive year, the boys won their subsection and fell to Annandale in the section championship. A young team with a new coach, they took second place in the conference and ended up with a record of 17-11 overall.
Girls Basketball
Girls Hockey
Thanks to great senior leadership and a strong work ethic, the girls steadily improved as the season progressed. Highlights included wins over Brooklyn Center, St. Paul Highland Park, SPA and St. Paul Johnson.
A heartbreaking overtime loss in the section finals to eventual state champion Blake ended the girls’ season, but there were a number of highlights along the way. The girls split their games with Blake in regular season play and won the Walser Tournament over the holidays with victories over Grand Rapids-Greenway, Lakeville South and Maple Grove. The girls, too, will miss their seniors next year.
Gymnastics Our gymnasts finished second in the section, and three girls competed at the state tournament: Marianne Drysdale and Saylor Hawkins in the all-around and Katie Raffel in the vault. A season highlight was a notable win over Andover/ Blaine. With all but two returning, this young team looks to have an even stronger season next year.
Boys Hockey The Mustangs finished second in the state tournament, falling to Hermantown in the final. They won the section championship over a tough team from Delano, and played well in their state tournament victories over Mankato West and Thief River Falls. Next year, they’ll miss their strong group of seniors, but a number of younger boys are expected to step up in their place.
Nordic Ski The teams both had good seasons despite small numbers and inconsistent amounts of snow. Senior stalwart Ingrid Thyr returned to the state meet, where she finished fifth in freestyle, sixth in pursuit, and sixth overall. For the boys, Lewis White took tenth place in the section meet.
Boys Swim and Dive Finishing second at the state meet, the Breck-Blake Bearstangs had a young contingent of Mustangs. Diver Davis Harrington took first place at sections and finished tenth at state.
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“
THE BACK PAGE
SUMMER READING
”
Upper School faculty will lead student groups to discuss these books in the fall: 1968 in America: Music, Politics, Chaos, Counterculture & the Shaping of a Generation by Charles Kaiser (Grossman) Acts of Faith by Eboo Patel (Schmidt) Age of Ambition by Osnos (Clark) All Creatures Great and Small by James Harriot (Hegg) Assassination Vacation by Sarah Vowell (Taylor) Between the World and Me by Ta Nahesi Coates; The Fire Next Time by James Baldwin (Nicholson and Roessler) Collapse: How Societies Choose to Fail or Succeed by Jared Diamond (Kim) Count of Monte Cristo by Aleaxandre Dumas (Wade) Democracy Despite Itself by Danny Oppenheimer and Mike Edwards (Bell) Drawing from Memory and Inker’s Shadow both by Allen Say (Sagar) From Russia with Love by Ian Fleming (Rosenfield) Geek Love by Katherine Dunn (Carlsen) Girl Waits with Gun by Amy Stewart (Berdine) Henry IV, Part 1 by William Shakespeare (Thornton and Crow) Hyperbole and a Half by Allie Brosh (Graham) I am Malala by Malala Yousafzai with Christina Lamb
Life on the Color Line by Gregory Howard Williams (Lennox) The Light Between Oceans by M.L. Stedman (Pellant) Little Brother by Cory Doctorow (Colianni) Martian by Andy Weir (Johnson, C. and Saunoi) Me Before You by Jojo Moyes (Olaya) Mind For Numbers by Barbara Oakley (Iserman) Mindset: The New Psychology of Success by Carol Dweck (Peterson) Monkeys, Myths, and Molecules by Dr. Joe Schwarcz (Mixon) More Happy Than Not by Adam Silvera (Prior) Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern (Malec) Old School by Tobias Wolff (Eustis) The Other Wes Moore, One Name, Two Fates by Wes Moore (Merrill) Note: Mr. Moore will speak at Breck for MLK 2017 People’s History of the United States by Howard Zinn (Sirianni and Markert) Planet Remade: How Geoengineering Could Change the World by Oliver Morton (Wright) Radical Equations: Civil Rights from Mississippi to the Algebra Project by Robert Moses and also SAT Bronx, available as a free PDF download. (Kohl)
(Manrique and Wang)
The Round House by Louise Erdrich (Brisse)
Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks by Rebecca Skloot (Crenshaw)
Silent Gesture by Tommie Smith (Peeples and Ohm)
Into the Wild by Jon Krakauer (O’Connell) Invention of Wings by Sue Monk Kidd (Scherer)
Sports Gene by David Epstein (Martin) Star Wars Aftermath by Chuck Windig (Joslyn and Phillips) Tao of Poo by Benjamin Huff (Gentry and R. Johnson)
MIDDLE AND LOWER SCHOOL READING LISTS CAN BE FOUND AT BRECKSCHOOL.ORG/SUMMER_READING.
Today at Breck Spring 2016 Today at Breck is a publication of Breck School, 123 Ottawa Ave. N., Golden Valley, MN 55422 email: communications@ breckschool.org
HEAD OF SCHOOL Edward Kim
Thank you! Your Annual Fund contributions in 2015-16 kept class sizes small so students could receive the individualized attention that helps them learn. Your contributions sent faculty to workshops and conferences that kept them up to date on the latest and best practices in teaching. You made Breck the best it could be in 2015-16. Thank you for your generosity!
DIRECTOR OF ADVANCEMENT Meredith Cook VanDuyne
EDITOR AND CHIEF WRITER Jill Field
DESIGN
Brenda Janisch-Hoban
WRITERS Stacy Glaus, Michelle Geo Olmstead
PHOTOGRAPHERS Sarah Flotten ’85, Lauren Kiesel, Michelle Geo Olmstead, Karyl Rice, Sara Rubinstein, Jennifer Sarteau
PRINTING
Bolger Vision Beyond Print
Start 2016-17 off right. Make a gift to the Annual Fund at breckschool.org/giving. Questions? Please contact Pam Kroyer at 763.381.8184 or pam.kroyer@breckschool.org. MISSION
Breck is an Episcopal, coeducational, college-preparatory day school enrolling students of diverse backgrounds in grades preschool through twelve. Breck’s Mission is to:
Prepare each student for a college whose culture is compatible with the individual’s needs, interests and abilities. Help develop each student’s unique talents and potential to excel by nurturing independence and self-worth. Instill in each student a deep sense of social responsibility.
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NO DRAMA Middle school students under Sir Tyrone Guthrie’s watchful eye on an Awareness Day photography adventure.
Karyl Rice Photo byphoto SarahbyFlotten ’85