Today at Breck Winter 2024

Winter 2024

Today at Breck is a publication of Breck School

123 Ottawa Ave. N. Golden Valley, MN 55422

Email communications@breckschool.org

Head of School

Natalia R. Hernández, Ed.D.

Chief Advancement Officer

Stacy Glaus

Editor and Chief Writer

Rosie Moroney

Designer

Abby Terrell

Contributing Writer

Eden Motto ’13

Photographers

Alicia Korpi

Karyl Rice

Isaiah Rustad

Brian Sobas

Communications Coordinator

Kelli Frederickson

Printer

First Impression Group

The design of Today at Breck has been refreshed following a brand renewal in partnership with J2.

On this page: Breck Theater presented Newsies on November 17–19, 2023.

Photo by Molly Weibel, 1000 Words Photography-MN

Breck School is an Episcopal, independent, college-preparatory day school enrolling students of diverse backgrounds in grades preschool through twelve.

Mission

We create confident learners who lead lives of intellectual curiosity, self-knowledge, and social responsibility.

Core Values

COMPASSION

Honor the dignity of all human beings.

EXCELLENCE

Strive with integrity for the highest standards.

INCLUSIVITY

Foster a just and welcoming community.

RESPECT

Value each other's unique talents, spirit, and potential.

From the Head of School

Dear Breck Families,

As I’m writing this reflection, we are just days away from the four-year anniversary of the life-altering COVID-19 pandemic. I recall so vividly how I felt in our final moments before Breck’s closure: concern — maybe even panic — about what was to come; care for our students, families, staff, and alumni as we said farewell before spring break; and confidence in the Breck community who has come together throughout our history in the most challenging moments of our time.

In the three short years since then, we have been reflecting on this question: how do we advance Breck’s enduring mission and core values into this increasingly complex world? There are no easy answers in today’s world. Nationally in education we are faced with an increasingly splintered society and amidst a contentious political season, an alarming adolescent mental health crisis, high rates of teacher attrition and low rates of new educators, and increased needs for student support and well-being.

At Breck, we are hyper aware of these issues — and those that are unique to our community, like our aging facilities, long-term financial sustainability, and teacher recruitment and retention. I often say that although we are a community of great privilege, we also have many needs. This complex national and local context created the impetus for our visionary five-year strategic plan for Breck, Future Focus.

Warmly,

Natalia R. Hernández, Ed.D. Head of School

Through extensive input gathered from students, parents, alumni, faculty and staff, board of trustees, and other stakeholders throughout more than a year, we sought to answer the question of how to advance our mission in today’s complex world. Our five-year vision prioritizes our challenging and innovative academic program, student well-being and connection, faculty excellence, and courageously commits to investing in the sustainability of our school’s mission. It affirms what we value in a Breck education and propels our people, programs, and community to meet the complexity of our time.

In the pages that follow, we have used Future Focus as the centerpoint of our storytelling, accompanied by illustrations from the talented Kevin Cannon ’98 (co-winner of Breck’s inaugural alumni Excellence in the Arts award). These beautiful stories of our students, faculty, staff, and alumni are the seeds that ground us in the work Future Focus urges us to do. They inspire us to do more, reach farther, and aim higher — exactly what we ask of our students every day.

With Future Focus as our guide, we are positioned to leverage our history and strengths as we chart the course for an incomparable Breck experience for current and future generations of Mustangs. It is an honor to share these stories with you, and it is a privilege to lead this school into our collective future. B

In this issue

From the Head of School 5.

9.

20 Questions with Cori T. ’24, A.J. Colianni, and Jason Keene ’99

Mustang Moments 12.

14.

On the

Division Highlight: Upper School

A.P. Computer Science A

Program Highlight: Chapel 16.

Sports Highlights 18.

57.

58.

60.

62.

This or That: Brian Sobas, Director of Alumni Engagement

Where Are They Now: Gennie Weiler ’17

Alumni Spotlight: Paul Williams ’88

Alumni Class Notes and In Memoriam

In Their Own Words: Eden Motto ’13 66.

cover: Breck’s Chapel of the Holy Spirit illustrated by Kevin Cannon ’98. Cannon’s work throughout this publication brings to life Breck’s strategic plan, Future Focus . Cannon was one of the co-winners of Breck’s inaugural alumni Excellence in the Arts award in 2023.

Above: Preschool students explore Breck’s campus after a December snowfall.

24.

COVER FEATURE

Setting our sights

Breck’s new strategic plan, Future Focus, presents a bold vision for the next five years. But how will that vision be realized in our classrooms, hallways, stages, fields, and community? With the plan’s five strategic priorities as a guide, peer into the many ways Breck is thriving today as we think about tomorrow — and beyond.

26.

01. DEEPEN ACADEMIC EXCELLENCE Defining academic excellence

Intellectual curiosity is a good place to start.

32.

02. PROMOTE STUDENT WELL-BEING Building identity

Breck’s ceramics studio is a space for students to grow as artists — and human beings.

38.

03. NURTURE INSPIRING FACULTY Beyond formulas and numbers

Veteran instructor Mary Gentry has taught math for a long time — but the way she teaches is continually evolving.

44.

04. BOLSTER PHILANTHROPY & FINANCIAL SUSTAINABILITY A whole new world

The Peter Clark Center for Mind, Brain, and Education has a new lead researcher on staff: Dr. Julie Kallio.

50.

05. TRANSFORM OUR VIBRANT CAMPUS Back on campus

Witnesses to the Upper School transformation as seniors, Daniel Bergerson ’13, Halle Huff ’13, and Eden Motto ’13 imagine together what our campus could look like in the future.

The 2023 Homecoming Court poses in front of the Breck sign during Homecoming week in September 2023.

20 Questions with Cori T. ‘24 Student Body President

What music are you listening to lately? SZA, Drake, Summer Walker, Frank Ocean, and Tems.

What’s one of the last books you read? Between the World and Me by Ta-Nehisi Coates. I initially read it in sociology, but it has grown to be one of my favorite books.

What’s your favorite time of year? I love the fall. I love walking out and seeing the leaves turn and warm drinks!

What’s one of the most adventurous things you’ve ever done? Zip-line across a forest.

What was your favorite Breck lunch? Burrito day! Even though the shells are bigger than my face, they are still delicious.

What’s your dream job? To be a special agent in the FBI.

What’s one of the best decisions you’ve ever made? Running for student body president! What advice would you give to your younger self? Every day comes with a new experience, so live every day to the fullest.

What do you remember from kindergarten? The lollipop gardens Ms. Powers planted on the playground.

What is the most important room in your home? Our kitchen, where we have nightly family dinners. It holds so many memories.

What’s your favorite place on the Breck campus? The Melrose Center. It’s a home away from home.

Favorite comfort food? Pasta!

Favorite treat: salty or sweet? Salty for sure.

If you had a theme song, what would it be? “Dancing Machine” by the Jackson 5.

Favorite line from a movie? “At some point, we all have to choose between what the world wants you to be and who you are.” —Natasha Romanoff, Black Widow

Favorite family tradition? We always have a family movie night around the holidays.

Three people — living or dead — you’d want to have dinner with? Kamala Harris, Viola Davis, and Louis Armstrong.

If you could travel anywhere, where would you go? New Zealand.

What’s your pet peeve? People being negative for no reason.

What keeps you up at night? Choosing the right decision around college.

20 Questions with A.J. Colianni Director of Technology

What music are you listening to lately? My Spotify Wrapped for 2023 had a lot of my old favorites, but I’m always looking for new suggestions! I’ve been enjoying The National, Caamp, Mt. Joy, Waxahatchee, Ben Harper, Margo Price, and Sharon Van Etten.

What’s one of the last books you read? I just finished Demon Copperhead by Barbara Kingsolver. Over the summer, I read The Man Who Planted Trees by Jim Robbins, which was fun to read while we were in the redwood forest.

What’s your favorite time of year? I enjoy every season. Right when I might be tired of one season, another one rolls around. If I had to pick one, it would be winter. What’s one of the most adventurous things you’ve ever done? Our family road trips are always an adventure!

What is your favorite Breck lunch? The dining folks do an excellent job. We always have a bunch of healthy choices. To pick one, I’d probably go with soup. I’m a big fan of soup.

What’s your dream job? If I could find a way to ride my bike and ski for a living, that would be amazing.

7 8 9

What’s one of the best decisions you’ve ever made? I think it was actually the decision not to pursue a job that would have likely taken my life in a very different direction. It was a moment of standing somewhere and thinking, “Well, I could go that direction, or I could go this way over here.”

What advice would you give to your younger self? Keep a journal and spend a little more time reflecting.

What do you remember from kindergarten? Unfortunately, very little. That was a long time ago! I’m still friends with one of my kindergarten classmates, which is pretty awesome.

What is the most important room in your home? Definitely the kitchen! We spend most of our time together as a family there, cooking, eating, talking, etc.

What’s your favorite place on the Breck campus? The meditation garden outside the chaplain’s office when the blossoms are blooming and it has just rained. It’s a pretty magical place.

Favorite comfort food? Mom’s spaghetti and meatballs.

13 Favorite treat: salty or sweet? Salted chocolate. Is that cheating?

14

15

If you had a theme song, what would it be? “Beautiful Day” by U2.

Favorite line from a movie? “Do or do not. There is no try.” —Yoda, The Empire Strikes Back

16

Favorite family tradition? Sunday family dinner, where we try to get as many family members who are in town together for a meal.

17

Three people — living or dead — you’d want to have dinner with? Barack Obama, Steve Jobs, and Greta Thunberg.

18 19 20

If you could travel anywhere, where would you go? I’ve been able to travel to some amazing places in my life, but one place I’d love to go is New Zealand.

What’s your pet peeve? I think selfishness is pretty hard to deal with. There’s a whole world out there, so to only care about yourself? I can’t wrap my head around it.

What keeps you up at night? Most days I’m pretty tired by the end of it. I get my steps in.

20 Questions with Jason Keene ‘99

Associate Vice President of Development, Morehouse College

What music are you listening to lately? Drake, SZA, The Weeknd, Burna Boy, and Larry June.

What’s one of the last books you read? Chop Wood, Carry Water: How To Fall In Love With The Process of Becoming Great by Joshua Medcalf.

What’s your favorite time of year? I work on a college campus, so there is nothing like springtime. The weather is getting warmer, the days are longer, and you can feel a positive energy coming off winter.

What’s one of the most adventurous things you’ve ever done? Riding through Costa Rica on an ATV after dark with not much to guide me except the taillights of the person in front of me.

What was your favorite Breck lunch? Chicken patty on a bun. It was featured prominently in our senior video, and I still remember it to this day.

What’s your dream job? A fantasy football analyst.

7 8 9 10

What’s one of the best decisions you’ve ever made? Choosing to attend Morehouse College. Every day, I try to grow tall enough to wear the crown she placed above my head.

What advice would you give to your younger self? Whatever room you’re in, act like you’re supposed to be there. Confidence is key.

What do you remember from kindergarten? I did not attend Breck as a kindergartener, but the main reason my parents sent me to Breck for first grade is because I came home every day and said I was bored in school.

What is the most important room in your home? The kitchen. I enjoy cooking, so it is a nice place to get creative.

11

What’s your favorite place on the Breck campus? The old McKnight Stadium that was built on a swamp and used to flood often. It was an underrated home field advantage.

12

Favorite comfort food? A heaping bowl of spicy rigatoni always gets the job done.

Favorite treat: salty or sweet? Both. Salted caramel and chocolate are a great combination.

If you had a theme song, what would it be? “I Do This” by Nipsey Hussle.

Favorite line from a movie? “Don’t ever take sides with anyone against the Family again. Ever.” —Michael Corleone, The Godfather Part II

Favorite family tradition?

Searching the stores to find new Black Santa figurines to display at Christmas.

Three people — living or dead — you’d want to have dinner with?

Charles Hamilton Houston, Anthony Bourdain, and A’ja Wilson.

If you could travel anywhere, where would you go? I have always wanted to visit the Taj Mahal.

What’s your pet peeve? When people only think of “me” instead of “we.”

What keeps you up at night?

Trying to figure out how I can break 80 on the golf course before my body starts giving up on me.

Back to School

Breck’s fall 2023 semester in photos

1. Lower school students in Chinese class. 2. Members of the Girls Swim and Dive team on the podium at the State Tournament after winning first place in the 200-yard medley relay. 3. BATO BATO! performing at the Homecoming carnival. 4. Upper School dancers during the Winter Dance Concert. 5. Middle School singers during choir. 6. Preschool and kindergarten students playing in “Lake Breck” near the Pre/K playground. 7. An experiment in Dr. Trussel’s Upper School science lab. 8. Upper School choir singing at All-School Chapel in December.

1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

7.

Raising

gthe bar

DIVISION HIGHLIGHT

Upper School adds a new level of challenge with A.P. Computer Science A.

Upper School students now have the opportunity to deepen their knowledge through an A.P. Computer Science A course offered for the first time this fall.

In this college-level course, taught by new faculty member Charlie Gorrill (pictured above), students learn about foundational computer science principles through Java programming. In addition, they design, write, and test computer programs to accomplish tasks and solve problems. Halfway through the year, Gorrill notes his students are “starting to become strong programmers and strong computer science thinkers.”

The course garnered high interest from students when it

was proposed last spring, and there are now 29 students in two year-long sections. “We were surprised by the number of students who requested it,” says Breck’s Registrar Paul Carpenter.

This new course not only adds another A.P. level class to Breck’s course offerings but provides students with important skills they can carry with them to college and beyond.

“I think everybody should know something about computing and take some kind of a computing course at some level,” says Gorrill. “No matter what industry people are in these days, they’re making decisions about tech. And it’s best that they understand something about it.” B

PROGRAM HIGHLIGHT

All are welcome

In chapel, students share, listen, and build community.

When you ask anyone for their favorite place on Breck’s campus, the chapel is almost always at the top of the list. Located in the center of the school, physically joining the Upper School to the Lower and Middle Schools, the chapel is also at the center of our community, grounding and connecting us spiritually, emotionally, and personally. “Chapel is the lifeline, the heartbeat of our community,” says Middle School Chaplain Reverend Katie Capurso Ernst, who will step into the Head Chaplain role in the 2024–25 school year.

Each year, the chaplain team — which is made up of Rev. Ernst, Upper School Chaplain and Religion Department Chair Reverend Bryan Bliss, Lower School Chaplain George Dornbach, and Interim Head Chaplain Reverend Dr. Dorothy White — hosts 77 chapel services across

Breck’s three divisions. There are division-specific chapels each week where students have the opportunity to share and learn with their peers in addition to monthly all-school chapels where the entire community gathers to pray, sing, reflect, and experience the culture we aspire to be.

Chapel is “distinct because it is the one place where kids can come and not have the pressure of performing or worrying about getting a good grade,” says Rev. Ernst. “It is a time to pause and come back to center, reminding students about what makes them uniquely who they are. We want that to be honored, loved, and valued. We get to hold the wholeness of a child before us.”

Lower School chapel looks different than Middle School chapel, which looks different than Upper School chapel or

Whether during All-School chapel, at community events like the Blessing of the Animals at Homecoming, or even just in the halls between classes, Breck’s three chaplains bring a refreshing spiritual presence across the school.

From top to bottom: Rev. Katie Ernst, George Dornbach, Rev. Bryan Bliss, and Rev. Dr. Dorothy White

all-school chapel, but that sacred feeling of acceptance and calm can be found anytime you step into the space.

“Students come to share themselves, to listen, to be heard, and to grow in community by hearing the unique stories that we have within our community,” says Dornbach, “which might be religious perspectives, ideas and beliefs beyond or outside of religion, or things that tie us together and make us neighbors and part of our Breck community.”

Chapel is rooted in and inspired by Breck’s Episcopal identity — but not limited by it, allowing the chaplain team to embrace the beautiful religious diversity that exists within our community. It also allows chapel services to change and adapt to the needs of the students and address what might be going on in their lives and in the world.

“We’re not tethered to a Mass or service structure,” explains Dornbach. “Kids will come up to me two days before chapel and say, ‘Hey, could I talk about this?’ or ‘I want to play this’ or ‘I want to do that.’ Kids want to share and get their voices out there. It’s pretty special.”

Praying and sharing your spirituality — whatever that looks like — alongside friends and peers of differing faith traditions is something Breck students may not experience anywhere else. “It’s so rare to find sacred spaces today,” says Rev. Bliss. “But to find a sacred space that is uniquely sacred but also intentionally diverse? That’s even more rare.”

While the chaplains are new to their positions at Breck, they understand deeply the importance the chapel program plays in the life of students and the Breck community overall. They hope to hold Breck chapel traditions as sacred while also infusing new light into the space and the program.

“I’m deeply aware and pay deep honor to the good work that has been done. That really informs where we are and where we’re going,” says Rev. Ernst. “Our team hopes to continue to build upon that and pull those threads into the future while also creating new ones.” B

The Breck community extends our deepest gratitude to the Rev. Dr. Dorothy White for sharing her gifts with our community over the last nearly two years. We feel lucky to have been a witness to your prayerfulness, your thoughtfulness, and your kindness. You will be greatly missed!

Sports News

Mustangs,

Consistent with our mission, Breck athletics emphasizes the importance of commitment and preparation, personal growth, and teamwork. Breck athletes strive for excellence in their sport and, independent of outcome, they compete with grace and school pride. Athletics at Breck is about much more than just how a team performed.

You may have noticed the sports section of Today at Breck has changed. In each issue, we hope to elevate the voices within our athletics program — athletes, coaches, and alumni — who truly exemplify Breck’s mission and core values. We’ve chosen to kick off this new sports section with a spotlight on George Stuempfig, Breck’s longtime boys soccer coach. On the next page, you can read about the great impact George has made on our soccer program over the last three decades.

For information regarding Breck Athletics, please follow us on X and Instagram at @breckathletics and on the website at breckathletics.org

Go Mustangs!

Brett Bergene Director of Athletics

“Breck is a special place. I couldn’t see myself doing what I’ve done anywhere else.”

George Stuempfig

Coach Stuempfig, by the numbers

256-105-38

Head coaching record

9 Conference Championships

2003, 2004, 2005, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2018, 2019, 2020

9 Section Championships

2003, 2005, 2009, 2015, 2020

1 State Championship

2005

All

in Longtime coach George Stuempfig has made Breck boys soccer what it is today.

For 30 years, coach George Stuempfig (pictured below) has been the backbone of the boys soccer program. From when he began as an assistant coach in 1994 to now, Stuempfig has more than doubled the size of the program, and it only keeps growing — next year, they’re looking to add a fourth team because of such strong interest.

From winning the state tournament in 2005 to coaching an undefeated state-aspiring team in 2020 whose season was cut short due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Stuempfig has impacted the lives of hundreds of Breck athletes over the years. In 2022, he was recognized for his years of service with the Del Carter ’50 Memorial Award in the Breck Athletics Hall of Fame. Ask any current or former players and they’ll say the same thing: Breck boys soccer would not be what it is today without Stuempfig.

What has kept Stuempfig coaching at Breck for so many years?

“The people [at Breck] are special. The athletic department staff, people around the school, and, obviously, the students in our program have kept me coming back,” he says. “And I love soccer.”

The high school soccer season is an intense two and a half months, and Stuempfig sets high expectations for his athletes, who he describes as intelligent, respectful, and committed. Stuempfig asks his players to put in the work, but he also recognizes there can

be a lot going on in a player’s life outside the soccer field. Stuempfig hopes his athletes “see that I am all in and fully committed to what we’re trying to accomplish. At the same time, I hope they recognize that I see the bigger picture of their high school experience and how soccer fits in with it.”

At Breck, Stuempfig sees athletics as an extension of the classroom, building skills in teamwork and perseverance that will be invaluable for the rest of their lives.

“When these students get out into the big world, they’re going to be put in a lot of situations where they have to attempt to achieve common goals with teams of people. They will have to be able to communicate and work in a team environment,” Stuempfig explains. “I think athletics — and soccer in particular — provide good learning opportunities for how to do that in a dynamic environment.”

Stuempfig has built a culture within boys soccer that keeps players coming back, even after they’ve graduated from Breck. Former players John Swallen ’83, Joe Ginsburg ’11, and Andrew Stuempfig ’15 are on Stuempfig’s coaching staff, and more than 60 alums returned for the first alumni soccer game in 2022. Another alumni game took place in 2023, and the tradition will hopefully continue in the future.

“Breck is a special place,” Stuempfig says. “I couldn’t see myself doing what I’ve done anywhere else.” B

Fall Sports 2023

Game, set , match

Four questions with back-to-back state champion Isabelle E. ’24

1 How does it feel to have won state two years in a row?

It feels amazing. I’ve worked so long for it, and it was always a big dream of mine. Whenever I’m not at home or school, I’m playing tennis. To see all that extra hard work and hours on the tennis court pay off is really special to me.

2 What do you love about playing tennis?

I love the competitive nature of tennis because I’m a very competitive person in general. Being able to compete doing something I love is a lot of fun for me. Having the team environment at Breck is also very special and different than what I’ve experienced previously. You have a team and you have so much support. I really enjoy getting to cheer my teammates on and having other people cheer me on.

3 What have you learned being a captain of the team?

As a leader, I learned the importance of not only supporting my teammates on the court but holding them accountable as well. Tennis is supposed to be fun, and you want to have fun while you’re playing it. But once practice becomes unproductive, I draw the line. I work to make sure everyone’s working their hardest, staying focused on the court, and engaging with their teammates. I think that helped the team have a lot of success.

4 Any advice for younger Breck athletes looking to achieve at the highest level like you have?

The biggest thing is work ethic. You can be talented and not put in the work, and it’s not going to get you very far. You have to put in extra hours in the weight room and extra hours on the court; you have to play on Sunday nights when no one else is playing or Friday nights when you’re the only one there.

Isabelle E. will play D1 tennis at Seton Hall University next fall.

Tackle football returns

This fall, Breck Middle School students hit the field for the school’s first season playing tackle football again after a many-year hiatus.

“A lot of kids hadn’t played tackle football before,” says Whitney Clark ’02, Upper School Chinese teacher and one of the team’s coaches. “There’s a different physicality to it. But they did really well.”

It was a growth year for the team as they went up against teams with more experience. But they persevered. “Each game and every practice I saw students grow and have moments of success,” says Marcus

Berg, Middle School dean and another coach for the team. Wes Iverson ’12, fellow coach and preschool assistant teacher, agrees: “You could see how proud our kids were to wear a Breck jersey and represent their school. They were always ready to take on a challenge head on.”

As former Breck athletes, Clark and Iverson understand deeply the impact sports can have. “Athletics was a huge part of my Breck experience,” says Clark, “and it’s a big part of a lot of these kids’ experiences. I’m glad I can help make it positive for them like it was positive for me.” B

Melrose meets volleyball

Director of Leadership and Equity at the Melrose Family Center for Leadership and Equity Dr. Chéleah Googe and Dean of Equity Jordan Zickermann are everywhere on campus…including the volleyball court. This fall, the duo coached sixth grade girls volleyball for the first time.

“I wanted to do something a bit more light and relaxed, and engage with our students in a new, different way,” says Zickermann. “It was a great opportunity to connect and build community with students and their parents and turned out to be a super fun season. Shout out to our sixth graders who killed it this fall!”

“There’s nothing like being on a team,” says Googe. “I love that our athletics program makes room for all students. No matter how great you are at a certain

sport, you can try it. It strengthens our community when students have the opportunity to try anything.” B

Setting our sights

With the five strategic priorities of the new strategic plan Future Focus as a guide, peer into the many ways Breck is thriving today as we think about tomorrow — and beyond.

Illustrations by Kevin Cannon ’98

DEEPEN Academic Excellence

The art of teaching is fundamentally different at Breck. Driven by the Peter Clark Center for Mind, Brain, and Education, we bridge research and practice in the fields of psychology, cognitive science, and pedagogy to inspire outstanding teaching and produce powerful learners.

OBJECTIVES

Continuously evolve our world-class P–12 academic program

Expand opportunities for students to pursue advanced scholarship across all divisions and departments

Modernize our campus to meet the demands of our exceptional learning experiences

Our challenging and innovative academic program thrives at the leading edge of teaching and learning.

Improve opportunities for students to engage in community and global partnerships and connect with our talented and inspiring alumni

Create new, and enhance current, authentic learning experiences

How do you define academic excellence?

Intellectual curiosity is a good place to start.

What does intellectual curiosity look like at Breck? It’s Maxine S. ’35 (top left) looking at her t-shirt under the microscope with help from her Middle School science buddy Helena B. ’29. After learning how to use the dissecting microscopes to look at different types of sand, rocks, and shells, she was curious to know what her cotton t-shirt might look like up close. As a first grade student, these are the things she wonders about.

It’s also Elin W. ’24 (bottom left) doing research on the effect of microplastics on cabbage white butterflies at the University of Minnesota through Breck’s Advanced Science Research (ASR) Program. Elin was interested in the effect of microplastics on humans. She decided to study cabbage white butterflies because not only are they abundant in Minnesota, they are also at the bottom of the food chain. If something affects them, it will eventually work its way up the food chain to humans. As a senior, Elin has a more sophisticated level of understanding but is driven by that same sense of wonder.

Breck gives students like Maxine and Elin the foundation upon which their wonderings can blossom.

“We meet students where they are and we get to know what they care about. Then we push them to ask the next question. What are they trying to figure out about the world? What are they curious about? We are empowering them — in developmentally appropriate ways — to deepen their curiosities,” says Mark Garrison, chief academic and innovation officer.

For Elin, her interest in science began to take off in Middle School when she joined the Science Research Club. In Upper School, she grew her passion through advanced science classes and eventually ASR.

“I was really interested in chemistry at first. I took A.P. Bio, though, which totally switched things up for me. I was like, ‘biology all the way!’” she says. “In my A.P. Bio class, I kept wanting to learn more. I wanted to go on to the next unit but I also wanted to stay on the unit I was on to keep learning.”

Next year in college, Elin hopes to deepen her knowledge by majoring in biology and hopefully working in a lab similar to the one she did at the U of M as part of ASR.

“I want to be somewhere where I’m surrounded by people who are so curious and passionate about what they’re doing because being in that environment and feeling that passion makes spending, for example, 300 hours in a lab, feel totally fine. That’s something I definitely want to pursue and continue.”

Elin is driven by her fascination with science. But at Breck, the subject isn’t what’s important. It’s fostering a deep love of learning and a genuine curiosity about the world that students — like Elin and Maxine — will carry with them for the rest of their lives. B

Elin recently completed her ASR paper “The Microplastic Butterfly Effect: Effects of dietary microplastic on survival and fitness of Cabbage White butterflies (Pieris rapae)” and has submitted it for competitions.

“Our students are encouraged to deepen their curiosity, ask hard questions, and be motivated to learn deeply and broadly through inquiry. We do not view our students as empty vessels waiting to be filled with their teachers’ knowledge.”

—Natalia R. Hernández, Ed.D., Head of School

Around the world

Madi Lommen ’15 went on a Breck trip to Thailand…and has been living and working internationally ever since.

Since graduating from Breck, Madi Lommen ’15 has lived on five continents and in six countries. She’s worked professionally in four languages. And she’s built the “kind of community you just want to hang on to for the rest of your life” in every place she’s lived.

From working in emergency disaster relief services in Ecuador (pictured bottom right), to spending time on the Jordan/Syria border with a global social enterprise, to fighting poverty alongside community-based, women-led enterprises in Singapore, Lommen has spent her career at the intersection of business and government to advance social change. The desire to live a peripatetic lifestyle — and the socially responsible mindset that drives such a way of life — was fostered at Breck. And had she not attended a Breck-sponsored cultural exchange trip to Thailand in 2012, Lommen’s life may have taken a different path altogether. (Lommen is pictured bottom left in 2023 in Bangkok with friends she met in 2012 during the trip.)

“Breck was the genesis of my curiosity, and that curiosity has led to so many of these explorations,” she explains. “Breck’s community, encouragement, support, and willingness to meet a student where they’re at fostered my curiosity. ”

At Breck, Lommen took Spanish and Chinese — and created an independent study in linguistics to also study Arabic during her senior year. At every turn, Breck gave Lommen the opportunity to understand deeply what she was interested in, and she considers herself a lifelong learner because of that.

“Breck was the genesis of my curiosity.”

“That trip was the spark for me that there’s so much injustice out there in the world. I had been involved in volunteering and other issues before that, but I think that was an opportunity for me to witness and experience it firsthand,” she says. “I have been investigating and advocating for social justice for a decade since in different countries.”

It is not just her trip to Thailand that Lommen can tie a direct line from Breck to what she’s doing now.

“I believe so deeply in interdisciplinary learning, and Breck allowed me to cultivate an interest in so many areas,” she says.

Lommen’s latest venture, which she’s named Curiosity Private Limited, is still in its infancy. But as its name suggests, she’ll continue to pull on that thread of curiosity that began at Breck while she works to bring together the public and private sectors to advance wide-scale social change.

“I think my most fulfilling experiences are the ones that I cannot articulate until after the fact. I like pursuing answers to questions,” she says. “I usually know that I’m getting somewhere when those answers aren’t coming, but the questions get better.” B

Take a seat

What does furniture have to do with academic excellence?

“We’re striving for academic excellence, so our classrooms should reflect that. Along with the teacher, I think the furniture and the ambiance in the classroom sets the tone. New furniture in my classroom has allowed students the opportunity to discover how they learn and what’s comfortable for their learning. As a teacher, I have so much more flexibility of what I can do. Our learning environments should be a reflection of the times we’re living in now.”

—Kelly McCool, first grade teacher, whose classroom was part of a pilot program in the Lower School that brought in new convertible furniture to complement and strengthen student learning and instruction.

PROMOTE Student Well-being

Students thrive in a diverse and inclusive learning environment where meaningful connections shape their worldview and prepare them for the complexities of the world they will grow to serve and lead.

Breck prioritizes student mental, physical, and spiritual health by developing confident learners, leaders, and human beings.

OBJECTIVES

Elevate the excellence of our arts programs as an avenue for self expression, identity formation, and lifelong well-being

Elevate athletic and physical education experiences P–12

Create connected experiences across Peter Clark Center, Chapel, and Melrose Center

Building identity

In Breck’s ceramics studio, students do more than shape things out of clay. They learn about who they are — and who they want to be.

Chaske W. ’24 remembers the first piece he ever made in ceramics at Breck: a small clay owl in preschool. “I just really loved clay,” he says.

Now a senior in A.P. 3-D Art and Design (Ceramics), Chaske is an accomplished artist and shining success story from Breck’s ceramics program.

For Chaske, ceramics is more than just a class. Amidst the swirling stress of academics and athletics, ceramics grounds him. “I’ve just found it to be so therapeutic and such a good reset for me,” he explains. “I’ve learned that I’m really creative and pretty good at problem solving. If something doesn’t work the first time, I’ll try it again a couple more times.”

Coreena Affleck, visual arts department chair, has worked with Chaske since he was in seventh grade. Back then, he was begging Affleck to use the wheel, which typically isn’t introduced to students at that time. Now, he’s the first student who has been allowed to load and unload the 1,000 degree Raku kiln outside the school — which was built by former faculty member Jil Franke, who brought ceramics to Breck decades ago. (Chaske is pictured left unloading a piece from the kiln.)

“What I love about Chaske as an artist is he’s constantly trying to do different things with his art,” says Affleck. “He always wants to do something that pushes the clay a little bit. He isn’t afraid of experimentation.”

That experimentation and the freedom to express himself artistically is precisely what Chaske loves about ceramics at Breck. “I can really build whatever I want,” he says. “If I can think it, and it’s not too crazy out of the realm of what clay can do, then I can make it.”

Throughout ceramics units in Lower School and Middle School, students like Chaske have opportunities to explore with clay. By the time they reach Upper School, they can experiment with both handbuilding and throwing on the wheel. As they refine their skills, students are encouraged to think about the why behind what they’re creating.

“We talk about the logistics of how to make something in clay, because we’re learning there are functional elements to art, especially in ceramics,” Affleck explains. “But we also want to stress concept and content in art. And that art can be about other things, too.”

“I really like connecting my artwork to parts of my life, my history, and my heritage being Native,” Chaske says.

Affleck appreciates how much Breck supports the arts and recognizes the importance of “art for art’s sake.” She believes giving students an outlet to create something they can hold in their hands is a unique aspect of her program — and one worth acknowledging.

“Their piece of art didn’t exist anywhere else until they made it in this class, which I think is really powerful,” she says. “I think it’s really beautiful. And really exciting as an educator.” B

From Mustang to Minnesota

Grace Zumwinkle ’17 built her foundation at Breck.

“Breck has served my family in so many positive ways. Every season, all my coaches were instrumental in my success and development not only in the sport that I was playing, but also just in life beyond sports. So I give a huge shout out to all the coaches, teachers, and other staff members along the way who have helped me. Through academics and athletics, Breck gave me a lot of opportunities that have helped me grow into the person I am today.”

—Grace Zumwinkle ’17, who now plays professionally for Minnesota in the Professional Women’s Hockey League. Zumwinkle scored a hat trick in the Minnesota home opener against Montréal at the Xcel Energy Center on January 6.

Photo courtesy of PWHL Minnesota

Belonging at Breck

Affinity groups give students a space to connect on a deeper level.

Through the Melrose Center for Leadership and Equity, Breck offers 14 affinity groups, which are opt-in brave spaces for students of shared, marginalized identities to explore crucial issues of identity, equity, joy, and restoration and to experience solidarity and support in a community where self-esteem is nourished.

Affinity groups are also an opportunity for students to build leadership skills critical to the daily health of our school community. A handful of members of Breck’s affinity groups reflect on the impact their affinity group has had on their Breck experience:

“Being in an affinity group at Breck has ultimately shown me that there are other people in my community who endure problems similar to mine and that I will always have a place to speak up about them if needed.”

—Furii T. ’25

“It makes me feel very good inside hanging out with people who are like me.”

—Renn K. ’30

“Being in

an

affinity group has allowed me to connect with others who go through what I do.”

—Kelan M. ’26

“I get to be surrounded by people like me, and I get to connect and have fun.”

—Ada P. ’31

“Being in an affinity group has helped me lean into discomfort and recognize impact versus intent.”

—Luqmaan P. ’26

“It has allowed me to find a safe space that can function as both a relieving place to have fun and indulge in my culture but also to vent and connect during hard and serious times.”

—Grace D. ’25

NURTURE Inspiring Faculty

Breck teachers are exceptional professionals who develop strong relationships with students, are teaching and content experts, have a growth mindset, and are committed to Breck’s mission.

Being a Breck teacher is a top of class professional experience.

OBJECTIVES

Become the premier school workplace where staff and faculty thrive in a culture of excellence and belonging

Enhance our national presence as a premier destination for exceptional candidates

Ensure that faculty have the training and resources to remain on the forefront of research-based educational innovation

Beyond formulas and numbers

The way veteran instructor Mary Gentry teaches math is continually evolving.

How has your approach to teaching math changed over the last 25 years?

My first five to 10 years of teaching in the Upper School I just wanted students to find success in math. As I learned more about brain science, it’s now very clear to me that I want students to learn how to think and then they can

apply that to math. My job isn’t to tell students the information they need to know. My job is to coax them to grasp the information and build the connections themselves. I want to have them think in my class in ways that you can’t access in other classes. Math thinking helps round out your brain thinking.

What’s one way you facilitate that math thinking in your classroom?

There’s this thing called productive struggle, and that is an important part of teaching students because even the most accomplished mathematicians struggle. I will try to provide students with the tools, but I will not save them and give them the answer.

So if you walk into most of the math classrooms now, there are whiteboards up everywhere. There is no front of a classroom. I provide rich tasks for the students to get up and do and discuss and then sit down and assimilate and review.

I provide students with an opportunity to think in a safe environment. I am making their thinking visible. I encourage them to ask questions. I want them to learn how to talk to their classmates. It’s the productive struggle that makes more pathways in your brain, and you’re going to take that long after math class.

How do you see yourself differently in the classroom now?

When I first started in the Upper School, teachers were “sages on the stage”: the people with all the knowledge at the front of the classroom. Now, we are coaches on the sidelines. As an educator, it helps to know that if you’re the coach, you’re going to learn from your students sometimes. You’re going to see them make moves that make you think, “That was really good. I am going to make note of that.” I am constantly asking students to tell me more about this, or how did you arrive at that? The richness is coming from them. B

In 2016, Mary was named a Master Teacher at Breck, the greatest and rarest distinction given to faculty members who have displayed exceptional leadership, innovation, professional growth, and dedication to learning throughout their extensive educational careers. In addition, in February, Mary was selected as the 24–25 Peter Clark Center Research Fellow. She will spend her year conducting original research in the PCC.

Empowered educators

It’s not just students at Breck who are lifelong learners.

“The learning experiences for teachers at Breck are vast.”

“At Breck, I’ve engaged in a lot of professional development around topics I’m familiar with. At the same time, I’ve had opportunities — like attending the Nueva Innovative Learning Conference — that exposed me to concepts well beyond my areas of expertise, which I’ve found invigorating. The learning experiences for teachers at Breck are vast, and I have always felt supported when I wanted to pursue new ideas and endeavors.”

Emily Brisse, Upper School English teacher, who attended a conference about AI this fall.

As a writing teacher, the idea of using AI in her classroom was daunting, but the conference shifted Brisse’s perspective to be more positive. She plans to integrate AI into a unit about Antigone , the oldest play her students read, bringing together both the past and the future of education.

“At Breck, I feel like I am treated like a professional.”

“Last year was my 22nd year teaching but my first year at Breck. At Breck, I really feel like I am treated as a professional, which is something I haven’t felt in a long time. No matter how many years you’ve been teaching, there’s always more to learn and more opportunities to become a better teacher.”

Jim Migley, Middle School history teacher, who participated in Breck’s innovation coaching last year. Migley is excited to work at a place like Breck where teachers collaborate with one another to enhance student learning. Last summer, Migley received a grant alongside Sarah Strong and Tam Weiss Rhodes, Middle School English teachers, to write an interdisciplinary curriculum about the Dakota people and their history in Minnesota. This winter, Migley will join fellow Breck teachers at the Learning and the Brain Conference to learn more about improving students’ attention, motivation, and mindset.

“I learned a lot about myself as an educator.”

“When you’re in the same place with the same people and you’re trying to change something, it can be hard because you often have the same ideas. At Klingenstein Summer Institute, I got to learn about how other people are doing things in their independent schools, which gave me a reboot of fresh ideas and fresh connections. After that experience, I have changed a lot in my classroom, and I learned a lot about myself as an educator. It gave me a new perspective on learning and how it always has to change.”

Senali Dias Abeygunawardena, third grade teacher, who attended the Klingenstein Summer Institute for Early Career Teachers (KSI) at Columbia University last year.

KSI is a highly-selective, fully-funded fellowship that brings together teachers from across the country for an intensive, graduate-level professional learning experience informed by current research and practice in mind brain education; equity, inclusion, and belonging; and social-emotional learning. Dias Abeygunawardena believes her experience at KSI has completely changed the way she teaches writing in her Lower School classroom.

Faculty engagement, by the numbers

$280k spent on faculty professional development last year

45 hours of faculty learning through innovation coaching last year

150+ full time faculty and teaching assistants

BOLSTER Philanthropy and Financial Sustainability

We must galvanize our community’s talent and resources with urgency and purpose to create a culture of philanthropy that invests in the improvement of our school’s beloved campus, ensures financial sustainability, and increases access to a Breck education.

We are accountable to current and future generations of Breck students.

OBJECTIVES

Cultivate a culture of philanthropy in order to raise the required resources to fund the bold vision in this strategic plan

Reduce reliance on tuition and increase other opportunities for revenue

Grow the school’s endowment as a primary source of perpetual financial sustainability and financial assistance

Curate a Breck community that is sized to provide a highly relational community while also offering expansive programming for all students to engage in robust opportunities

A whole new world

What does it mean for Breck to have a full-time researcher on staff?

Dr. Julie Kallio, the new lead researcher for the Peter Clark Center for Mind, Brain, and Education (PCC), weighs in.

What does a lead researcher do?

The way I think about my role is in the translation of research. One piece of translation is getting research that’s produced somewhere else into Breck. The other piece is getting ideas and questions from practice at Breck into research. When you say research-based teaching, it’s usually taking research from somewhere else. But I want to pay attention to how we are actually doing research here, too. How can we use the ideas and the process of research to improve our school?

How might we use research at Breck?

A lot of people will ask, “What does the research say we should do?” I think we should build research literacy to understand that the research doesn’t tell you what to do — it should give you a framework to think about [ your situation].

As lead researcher, I get the time and space to build things that teachers are going to be excited about.

When teachers have questions, I want to create a guided process to try to answer that question using some research methods. For example, I had a teacher approach me to ask why we use WordMasters in Lower School. Is there any research about it? Is this the best thing we should be doing? That’s a good question, and no one has written an article somewhere else that says “Breck should

use WordMasters.” We have to look at how we are actually using it. Is it systematic? How long are we doing it? How can we see whether or not there’s an impact? We could use this type of research to help us make decisions within our school.

How will your role enhance the work of the PCC?

One of my charges this year is to evaluate the impact of the PCC. I’ve been working with Sarah Flotten ’85, director of the PCC, to better define what the center does so then we can measure impact. There is so much opportunity, and everyone is excited about the PCC. I also want us to think about what we at Breck have to offer other schools in the region and across the country. What is the thing we’re really good at that other schools should be coming to us to look at what we do? I think it could be the PCC’s student-centered take on Mind, Brain, and Education. I think there’s a huge opportunity for us to define that and then really start to be the hub for that. B

In collaboration with educators at five other independent schools, Julie was the lead author on the article “Research as a Strategy for Equity in Independent Schools” published last year in The Teachers College Record . Reach out to Julie Kallio at julie.kallio@breckschool.org to learn more.

“I think the Peter Clark Center has the potential of shifting education in a way that people will have a curiosity moving forward — and will be hungry for eternal learning.”

—Michelle Pohlad, who,

with her husband, Bill, invested $1 million into the Peter Clark Center last year. Their gift will fund this five-year lead researcher position and will propel Breck in becoming a national leader in student-centered learning.

More than just a cookie

Cookiegrams for teachers and staff on Give Day 2023 helped bring our community together.

Last year, the Breck community rallied together to embrace philanthropy during Give Day 2023. With a $25 donation to the Breck Fund, parents, alumni, grandparents, and friends could gift a special Breck cookiegram to their favorite teacher or staff member. Through gifts of all sizes, the school raised a record $265,992 from 361 donors — and delivered 325 cookies to hardworking faculty and staff.

Give Day is a shining example of the power of the Breck community. When we all come together in support of our mission, there’s nothing we can’t accomplish! Look for the return of cookiegrams this upcoming Give Day on April 18. B

The most fun under the sun

Kids across the Twin Cities can’t get enough of Breck Summer Programs.

Breck Summer Programs (bsp) has grown to be a sought-after destination for kids when the weather gets warm. When Director of Auxiliary Programs Katie Peterson took over bsp 14 years ago, there were approximately 100 campers a day. Last summer, there were more than 400.

While the interest in specialty camps, like Code Ninjas, remains strong, part of the growth is due to a recent reinvestment and transformation of Camp Breck, the traditional day camp model. Together with Maddie Haut, Auxiliary Programs Coordinator, Peterson has revived the “grab bag” summer camp experience, giving campers the opportunity to do art, swimming, outdoor games, and so much more all in one day. With the addition of community-building camp traditions, like the morning rally, the Watermelon Challenge, the Golden Broom, talent shows, and, last year, the introduction of “bottle badges,” Camp Breck has become an irresistible utopia for campers and counselors alike.

“The magic is what happens here — the people and the energy that we exude every day,” Peterson says. “It’s become a really great community feel. We are trying to live our Breck core values even in the summer, extending our school’s mission beyond just our students to other kids and families from our Greater Twin Cities community.”

While Peterson believes bsp has a “winning formula” for success, she and Haut have dreams for the future of the program. “We want to be the premier day camp in the Twin Cities area,” Haut says. “I want to be the Disneyland of every kid,” Peterson adds.

One way they’ve imagined expanding is by adding more enrichment opportunities for Middle School and Upper School students. The demand for more is there, but Peterson and Haut want to be intentional in the ways they choose to grow.

“We want to make sure we’re doing it planfully, intentionally, and correctly,” Peterson explains. “We have to maintain the integrity of our program we have built, with quality staff and quality experiences.” B

TRANSFORM our Vibrant Campus

The environment is a powerful learning tool. To achieve our strategic objectives, we envision campus improvements that will elevate the experience and impact of a Breck education.

We are building an even better Breck.

OBJECTIVES

Begin a generational transformation of our campus and facilities

Develop a facilities sustainability plan and invest in reducing our environmental footprint

Strengthen the safety protocols of our campus

From left to right: Halle Huff ‘13, Daniel Bergerson ‘13, and Eden Motto ‘13

Back on campus

A decade ago, they were seniors when the new Upper School was under construction. Now, as alumni, Daniel Bergerson ’13, Halle Huff ’13, and Eden Motto ’13 are back teaching and working at Breck — and imagining what our campus might look like 10 years from now.

Breck Event Planner Halle Huff ’13 pulls up the floor plan of the fieldhouse from 2012. Back then, when she, Daniel Bergerson ’13, and Eden Motto ’13 were seniors, the fieldhouse was turned into classrooms while the new Upper School was under construction.

“Looking back on it, what’s most amazing to me is that the classrooms inside the fieldhouse just seemed like regular classrooms,” Bergerson, Upper School history teacher, remembers.

Their senior year was different than they had expected, but it certainly bonded their class in a really distinct way. They helped start new Breck traditions and had special opportunities to represent the student body during such a major transformation for the school, like by signing a beam that then helped build Breck’s fifth floor (pictured bottom right). They also all got hard hats — and Bergerson’s is still in his classroom today.

“I think it’s really special that we were part of the process,” says Motto, who now works as a Middle School math teacher. “Very few people can say they witnessed [the new Upper School] being built.”

As adults, the three found their way back to Breck as teachers and administrators. Now, Breck’s “new” Upper School is just the Upper School, with updated classrooms, tons of natural light, and innovative spaces for collaboration. “It’s a little more grand,” Huff says. “It’s bright, big, new, and fresh.”

Breck School

1886–2024

1886: Breck’s first campus in Wilder, Minnesota

1916: Breck moves to its first St. Paul campus on Commonwealth Avenue, near the University of Minnesota’s agricultural campus

When she first came back, Motto noticed how students carry themselves in the Upper School: “It’s very serious,” she says. “I think the space impacts that. The facilities are really outstanding. They’re above and beyond.”

“It’s good to see the school as dynamic and understand that students are having a somewhat different experience now,” Bergerson says of the space he now teaches in.

Bergerson, Huff, and Motto hold a unique perspective about Breck — they can look back with nostalgia on the campus they knew as students while also appreciating how transformational the new Upper School is for student learning. As our community begins to dream about what the future of our campus could look like, the three alums understand deeply the potential impact new and updated spaces could have.

“I hope the school continues to be updated,” says Motto, “while also allowing the parts that are so special, so fundamental to remain, like the chapel, the gardens, and Salas Commons.”

Huff agrees: “We have all these cool ideas with Mind, Brain, and Education about how students learn best, and I hope our facilities will follow that research. There’s so much more you can achieve in a space that’s updated.” B

1920: Breck moves to its Carter Avenue campus in St. Paul

1922: Breck moves to its Como Avenue campus in St. Paul

1957: Breck moves to its River Road campus in Minneapolis

1981: Breck moves to the present Golden Valley campus

Five things you might not know about Jacob Cannady, Breck’s new chief engineer

1 He’s well equipped to handle a building of Breck’s size. After working for many years as a mechanical engineer in multiple large buildings across the University of St. Thomas’s campus, Cannady believes Breck’s facilities, while complex, feel manageable. “Breck is not a gigantic place. There are a lot of things that I’ve never seen or worked on before, but I feel like I can maintain it because of my experience,” he says.

2 He is a problem solver. From troubleshooting in the tunnels beneath Breck’s campus to locating air handlers in the ceiling in the far corners of the building, there’s not a problem that Jacob isn’t excited to solve. “I don’t want to come to work and have it be easy all the time,” he says. “We all want challenges at work. That’s what makes it interesting and unique.”

3 His favorite place on campus is the boiler room. He holds a chief class boiler’s license, the highest level of classification you can achieve after several years of experience and intensive testing. “I’ve been doing boilers all my career,” he says. “They might be scary, but I enjoy them.”

4 He wants to help make Breck’s building more sustainable. “There’s a lot of opportunity here as far as modifications for energy savings so things can operate better,” he says. “I’m going to drive that sustainability.”

5 He thinks of Breck as one big family. “I’m here because God planted me here. We all have a role to play,” he says. “That’s what makes us one.” B

Breck’s campus, by the numbers

52 acres

365k square feet

96 classrooms

12 outdoor fields and courts

3 divisions, libraries, and dining rooms

Built for the future

Breck’s new admissions space opened January 2024.

If you haven’t been to campus yet this year, it’s worth making a trip to see the newly renovated admissions space. Modern and bright, the space was transformed during summer and fall 2023 after Breck’s philanthropic community raised nearly $2 million in funding for the project. First impressions matter, and for future Mustangs families, this space is the first they will experience at Breck. Look out for a longer feature of this new space in the spring edition of Today at Breck !

Scan here to read Breck's Future Focus strategic plan in full and to learn more.

Breck students compete in a ring toss game during the Homecoming Carnival on September 23, 2023.

THIS OR THAT?

Brian Sobas

Director of Alumni Engagement

BLUE or Gold

LOWER SCHOOL or UPPER SCHOOL

Can I pick both? My kids, Elisha ’32 and Emma ’35, are in Lower School, and my wife, Sarah, is an Upper School teacher.

CHAPEL GREEN or McKnight Stadium

Even though I love McKnight Stadium, the Chapel Green hosts so many traditions that I love each year.

PHONE CALL or email

Commencement or HOMECOMING

Homecoming! Alumni, mark your calendar for Homecoming 2024: September 23–28, 2024. We’d love to see you back on campus!

Introvert or EXTROVERT

I am almost 50/50 on this one.

CHINESE or Spanish

My family lived in China for six years, and both Sobas kids are in the Chinese language program at Breck.

CANON or Nikon

Soccer or RUNNING

Don’t get me wrong: I’m a footballer at heart. I just needed a sport to match my age (and knees).

ITALIAN DUNKERS or pizza

Italian dunkers are magnificent. B

WHERE ARE THEY NOW?

Star struck

Gennie Weiler ‘17 loves working in the aerospace industry — and wants people to know how much space technology can improve life on Earth.

Gennie Weiler ’17 was supposed to be an engineer. So when a friend at Harvard University invited her to attend an astrophysics class, she was reluctant. “Astrophysics? That sounds so boring,” she remembers thinking. “But it was the coolest thing ever. I dropped all my engineering classes, and I picked up astrophysics.”

It wasn’t just learning about the enormity of the universe that kept Weiler coming back for more. It was the people within the astrophysics program at Harvard that helped ignite in her a passion for space. “I loved [the program]. It was full of people who were so excited to be there, especially a lot of women.”

Did you know?

In addition to science, Gennie continues to be passionate about the Chinese language thanks to her years of study at Breck. She credits her teachers Margaret Wong and Jean Wang for instilling in her a love of the language, which she was able to put into practice during a recent trip to Taiwan (pictured here).

“So much of the [Chinese] language is rooted in the culture, and so much of the culture is rooted in the history. That has been infinitely interesting to me. So outside of my professional life, I’m still keeping up on my China studies and on my Chinese,” she says. “I think about Breck every time I speak Chinese.”

Gennie is pictured left in kindergarten, fifth grade, and 11th grade at Breck.

Her interest in space led her to intern at a boutique defense and aerospace consulting firm out of Washington, D.C., which turned out to be another formative experience in her professional journey. “I really loved it and thought it was super cool, super interesting work,” she says. “I couldn’t believe they cared about what I thought. I was a silly little 20-year-old intern, and they would listen to me and say, ‘Oh, that’s a good idea.’”

Weiler graduated from Harvard with a double major in astrophysics and physics with a minor in East Asian languages and civilizations. She then worked at that same consulting firm for a few years before pivoting to Ball Aerospace, where she currently works as a Strategic Development Specialist.

As Weiler describes it, Ball is a “really interesting, really high performance aerospace manufacturer” that creates satellites and other aerospace technologies and performance systems for places like the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA)

Weiler’s job involves connecting the right people with the right information to help inform strategy across different projects. “It’s such a people-driven industry, even though it is technology driven,” she says. “So much of the knowledge, I’ll call it ‘the special sauce’ lives in people’s brains.”

One thing that has helped Weiler be successful in her role? Her participation in Advanced Science Research at Breck. “The best preparation I ever could have gotten for the kinds of discussions that happen is what I did in the science fair and what I did in ASR,” she says. “The work that was required of us in ASR has directly carried over to what I’ve done in my professional life.”

Weiler is grateful she is still early in her career because the aerospace industry — which hardly existed 10 or 15 years ago — is growing so fast. The possibilities of where Weiler can go professionally are endless.

“I feel so lucky that I’m in this industry at this very moment because it’s such a nexus point of all of the things you can do in space,” she says. “I don’t think people realize all the ways that space technology can improve life on Earth.” B

ALUMNI SPOTLIGHT Community leader

Paul Williams ’80 draws on his Breck experience as he makes a difference across the Twin Cities.

Breck was honored to present Paul Williams ’80 with the annual Distinguished Alumni Award during Homecoming week this fall.

Williams is the president and CEO of Project For Pride in Living (ppl), a community development organization in the Twin Cities that strives to build the hope, assets, and self-reliance of individuals and families with lower incomes by providing transformative affordable housing and career readiness services.

In his remarks on campus, Paul reflected on the impact of his Breck experience:

“Breck opened up a world of possibilities for me. I spent time with brilliant students who were thoughtful and passionate about the world. People who cared about the community, about music and the arts, about competition and excellence, and about each other… Breck also taught me how to think, how to be curious, and how to be a leader.” B

Breck + ppl

Breck had the opportunity to partner with ppl this fall as part of the school’s Bear Book Project. Breck seventh grade students wrote original children’s stories with a teddy bear as the main character. They then dressed and accessorized an actual teddy bear to match the character and reflect the story. In partnership with Big Brothers Big Sisters Twin Cities, the students delivered their 85 bears and stories to children living in ppl’s Camden Apartments in Minneapolis.

This was a special and memorable experience for Breck students because they had the unique opportunity to bring their stories to life through their bears; more importantly, they got to put their bears out into the world for other children to love and enjoy. Paul Williams believes it was equally as impactful to the children who received the special bears.

“Seeing somebody who wants to invest in you is really powerful stuff. Those small symbolic gestures matter a lot. I appreciate it, and I guarantee it makes a difference.”

To learn more about Paul’s work at ppl, visit ppl-inc.org

Class Notes

1970s

1. A number of Breck alums came together to attend Lorraine Mesken’s funeral in June, including (pictured from left to right) RT RYBAK ’74, BETH (JENKINS) LIMPERT ’76, CHARLIE HICKS ’77, VICKY SANDBERG ’74, SHAWN KENNON ’77, SARA (CUSHING) WEIGLE ’76, LINDY BROWN ’76, GEORGEANN RYBAK ’76, DAN WESTRUM ’76. (Not pictured: Mike Weiszel, Marion Jones Kennon, JACK WESTON ’72 , BILL JEPSON ’72 , MIKE RYBAK ’72 , and LAYL (BROWN) MIORANA ’76.)

1980s

PETER TESTER ’81 and five friends paddled 1,100 miles across Canada’s Hudson Bay. The canoe trip, which took three years of planning, lasted 45 days.

ROB MELROSE ’88 returned to Minnesota this spring to direct Born with Teeth at the Guthrie Theater. Rob continues to create incredible theatrical experiences as the artistic director of Alley Theatre in Houston, Texas.

CRAIG FINN ’89, frontman for the band The Hold Steady, headlined at the MN State Fair this year.

1990s

2. ABEL SANCHEZ ’90 is the head diving coach at the University of Arkansas in Fayetteville.

NINA BOTTO ’99 recently launched a hypoallergenic skincare line called Vetted Dermlab, taking on the clean beauty industry by redefining clean beauty through standards set by science and sustainability. She lives in San Francisco and works as a dermatologist at the University of California, San Francisco (USCF). She is also acting vice chair of clinical affairs at UCSF and executive medical director at UCSF Health.

2000s

3. Christina and ALEX CLARK ’02 welcomed their first child, Arthur Bo Clark, on January 22, 2024. Bo arrived healthy and ready for the world. In his first weeks, he’s taken up his grandfather’s (Peter Clark) favorite pastime: a good nap.

Chef PETER HEMSLEY ’02 opened a new seafood restaurant in San Francisco called Aphotic.

4. WYNNE REECE ’04 and Ben Klaassen welcomed Archie on September 26, 2023. Archie is the youngest to his brothers Teddy ’36 and Charlie Klaassen ’37. Archie came into this world with a calmness that compliments his brothers in the very best way and has already stolen the hearts of many on Breck’s campus — whether during pick-up or partaking in Upper School Mock Trial practice. He is happy and growing fast!

5. MIKE NELSON ’07 is the owner and operator of North Mallow, selling S’mores Kits, Hot Cocoa Kits, and Travel Campfires. They also do custom corporate gifting and cater events. This year, North Mallow was the official cocoa vendor for the COOP FIS Cross Country World Cup — the first World Cup race held in the USA in 20 years.

6. ADDIE GORLIN-HAN ’07 and Chris Gorlin-Han welcomed Bennett Gorlin-Han on November 10, 2023, weighing a whopping 9lbs 10oz and measuring at 21.5 inches long. Big brother Owen (2.5 years old) gleefuly sang “Happy Birthday” upon meeting him and then promptly asked when Benny’s parents would be picking him up to take him home. Two months in, Owen seems to have accepted that he shares parents with Benny, and the two are destined to become friends. Addie also directed A Christmas Carol at the Guthrie Theater in December. It was an eventful production as Bennett was due on the same day as the final dress rehearsal!

7. BRIANA MACDONALD ’09 married Gleb Martynov on August 19 in a beautiful ceremony officiated by retired Breck Chaplain Father John Bellaimey. The wedding party included MIMI (BYRD) BERLIN ’09 and LESLEY KENNEDY ’09.

2010s

ERIC CHIEN ’10 and KRISTINA (TESTER) CHIEN ’10 welcomed a healthy baby boy, Theo, in November 2023. Mom and dad are exhausted, overjoyed, and soaking up every moment with their future Mustang!

Alumni Engagement 2023

Outstanding Alumni Awards

• Distinguished Alumnus: Paul Williams ’80

• Alumna of the Year: Allison Cole ’14

• Excellence in the Arts: Kevin Cannon ’98 and Mike Mattison ’87

Athletic Hall of Fame Inductees

• John Curry ’02

• Nick Vanderboom ’02

• Alyssa (Nelson) Bobinger ’03

• 2002–2003 Girls Basketball Team

• 2003 Football Team

• John Thiel (Breck Athletic Director and Head Football Coach)—Del Carter ’50 Memorial Award

Reunion planners

1973: Marnie Boivin ’73, Michael Mamer ’73, George Flora, Jr. ’73, and Sherrill (Brings) Flora ’73.

1983: Fred Goldberg ’83, Jeffrey Rainey ’83, and Becky Watkins ’83

1988: Eric Ziegenhagen ’88

2003: Drew Dormanen ’03, Katie (Crowe) Eick ’03, and Leah (Lussier) Sixkiller ’03

2013: Halle Huff ’13, Alayna O’Bryan ’13, Ben Gleekal ’13, and Daniel Bergerson ’13

2018: Alex McFarland ’18 and Luci McGlynn ’18

To view photos from alumni reunions, award ceremonies, events, and more, scan below or visit breckschool.zenfolio.com

8. ANNALISA TESTER ’10 and JOE GINSBURG ’11 welcomed Peter Ginsburg on June 12. Peter has already been to several Breck soccer games this past fall and loves spending time with his new cousin, Theo!

9. ABIGAIL CHAPMAN ’12 is now the Assistant City Attorney, Criminal Division for the City of Minneapolis.

Last year, RAMAUD CHIAKHIO-BOWMAN ’16 established Pur-Path, a sports leadership program dedicated to providing student-athletes with comprehensive guidance and mentorship to prepare them for the most fulfilling phase of their lives. The Pur-Path program equips student-athletes with the best foundation to achieve their goals and attain success, emphasizing mindfulness, benchmarking, self-awareness, discipline, accountability, and finding purpose.

10. OLIVIA THANADABOUT ’18 is currently a fellow at the Midwest Art Conservation Center, located within the Minneapolis Institute of Art (Mia). In addition, she has a piece of art on display at Mia that is an homage to her grandma, blending the past and present reality of the Hmong experience in the art form of a Hmong story cloth.

SAYLOR HAWKINS ’19 finished her collegiate diving career this year at the University of North Texas. She plans to continue at the school to pursue her MBA in sports management.

2020s

KAITLYN MACBEAN ’20 played this summer with the Minnesota Aurora. In addition, MacBean continues to play soccer for Penn State.

A research paper by SARAH FENG ’23 and SYDNEY MCDANIEL ’23 has been accepted for publication in the scientific journal, Frontiers in Rehabilitation. Part of their 2021 Advanced Science Research project, the article is titled “Finding functionality: Rasch analysis of the Functionality Appreciation Scale in community-dwelling adults in the U.S.” and details their work in the Department of Rehabilitation Medicine’s Brain Body Mind Lab at the University of Minnesota.

SARAH PETERSON ’23 wrote an article for the Minnesota Academy of Science entitled “Starting Science: A High Schooler’s Experience with Science Fair.”

Mustang Reads

Emily Altman ’96 recently published the humorous and fictional self-help book How to Be Sane: A Groundbreaking Mental Wellness Guide from a Gorgeous Female Doctor. Altman is an Emmy-nominated writer and performer who has worked on Big Mouth, Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt, and Inside Amy Schumer

Richard (Dick) Burry’s ’64 new book, Art and History in The Ohio Judicial Center: A Visual Tour, was published last year by Kent State University Press. The book includes more than 100 of Burry’s photographs of the center’s impressive architectural detail and Art Deco–and Beaux Arts–style murals, reliefs, and mosaics.

Tracy Fuad ’07 recently published her second book of poetry, PORTAL . The book won the Phoenix Emerging Poets' Prize and has been mentioned in recent weeks by Publisher’s Weekly and Lithub. She was also recognized last year as a National Endowment for the Arts Fellow in Creative Writing.

In Memoriam

Stephen Yoch ’83 recently published his second book, Becoming Benedict Arnold. He was joined by Josh Colton ’83 , KC Peters ’84, Marta Bowman ’83 , and Greg Yoch ’85 for the release party of the book.

It is with a heavy heart that we share the passing of members of our alumni community. Please keep the following Mustangs and their families in your thoughts and prayers:

William Ryerse ‘47

Ted Cardozo ’49

Wayne Sather ’49

Donald Johnson ’54

Lee Owen ’55

Arlyn Lichthardt ’59

Timothy Kjellberg ’63

William H. Whitney Jr. ’68

Laura Cooper ’80

Susan (Harper) Ritten ’80

John Madgett IV ’88

Rachel (Grandstand) Gerhardt ’09

We recognize there may be others in our community who have passed away but are not listed here. Please reach out to alumni@breckschool.org if there is someone who should be listed in the next issue.

IN THEIR OWN WORDS

Home at Breck

Eden Motto ’13 is back in Middle School teaching math — and she couldn’t be happier.

As a Breck student applying to college 10 years ago, I was full of altruistic and idealistic imaginings about what my life would look like. I never ever envisioned returning to Breck as a teacher. In many ways, teaching should not have seemed so unbelievable because I loved learning — perhaps more than anything else in the world. I deeply valued my teachers, many of whom still teach in the Breck Upper School. Without hyperbole, they are some of my favorite people.

Returning to a place that I valued so highly was full of anticipation. Physically, Breck had changed; the building had undergone huge renova tions since I’d been a student. Yet, the feelings — and the fond spectral memories — had not changed. I could still feel the majesty of the chapel when sunlight beamed through the glorious windows. I could still admire the vast beauty of the Breck grounds and cattail marshes where we studied red-winged blackbirds and recorded their intricate language.

More than the physical space, the people who I adored and admired — my teachers and mentors — still dedicated their gifts to Breck. When I walked through the doors for new faculty and staff orientation in August, I was shocked by the welcome I received. I have never been famous, nor would I ever wish to be, but upon returning to Breck, I felt famous. Everyone I met, even people I did not know, beamed, saying, “This is Eden Motto, a Breck alumna.” I was full of gratitude and a little bit of awe that the teachers who I loved so much as a student still cared so much about me and welcomed me back with open arms, like family.

I walked through the halls trying to soak it all in. Memories of being a student flooded back. The words of kind teachers, the high fives from coaches. The care and dedication that each teacher invested in every student. Head of School Natalia Hernández’s kind words rang in my ears: “ Welcome home.”

It wasn’t until Thanksgiving time that I began to truly understand her words. Breck was my home. The students I teach are incredible: earnest, hardworking, joyful, kind, and full of awe for the magic in the mundane. They embody everything I hope the world will become.

As the Thanksgiving holiday break approached, I didn’t want to leave the warmth of Breck School. I meandered the halls until 6:00 p.m. before leaving regretfully to go out into the cold and drive home. I didn’t want to leave the place where joy rang in the hallways — sometimes very loudly! I didn’t want to leave the place where my incredibly smart colleagues busily worked at their craft to help others and inspire kind, creative young adults. I didn’t want to leave because this was the place where I felt like I could contribute, even if it was just a small amount, to the mission of Breck: to foster compassion, excellence, and respect. It was then that it hit me. This is what it means to be home.

Though Thanksgiving has come and gone, the gratitude that I have for Breck School and how it inspires the best in young people as learners and people is deeply present. Thank you for welcoming me home with open arms. B