CLASS NOTES/IN MEMORIAM

Sean Beaverton ’20, and colleagues at Edina Public School System.

mercial use. Started by University faculty member Chandrasekhar Valluri and his two partners, Ananth Kollengode and Sudharsan Iyengar, the company committed to donating 1,000 pounds of food to area communities. By mid-July the effort had delivered more than 795 pounds of cooked meals so far, sending the food to organizations and front-line workers in the Pine Island area. In addition, Infuzn sent meals to the Campus Cupboard, which has been particularly critical in meeting the needs of international students in Mankato. “As a community member of the University, when you see or hear of situations where people are in need and you have some capacity to be of assistance, it goes without saying,” Valluri said. Sean Beaverson, who earned his Specialist Degree in Educational Leadership from the University this May, doesn’t have a company that he can use to raise funds or supplies, but he’s still working hard to help his community—through education. During spring semester, Beaverson was working in Edina Public Schools when the district needed to completely overhaul its curriculum to online courses. His team came up with a contingency plan, was in charge of helping teachers transition to distance learning and worked with the Minnesota Department of Education to gather educators for online training sessions. Like Schweiss, Moua, Lam and Valluri, Beaverson continues to adapt and find creative solutions during an ever-changing situation with no clear ending. While COVID-19 will have lasting impact even after the pandemic ends, these Mavericks and countless others are committed to helping their communities thrive—and even come out stronger in the end. “We want to take all we’ve learned,” Beaverson said, “and reap the benefits going forward.”