Today at Breck: Winter 2019

Today at Breck

Winter 2019

PROJECT ADVENTURE: Middle Schoolers take on adventure challenges on their journey to self-discovery. / PG. 10

20 QUESTIONS RISING UP ALUMNI NEWS

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Winter 2019

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Today at Breck

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FEATURES 10 / Project Adventure

COVER STORY The word “adventure” is most commonly associated with a remarkable experience, usually accompanied with an act of risk. In this Middle School course, however, students are not only soaring to high heights (literally), they are also on a journey of self-discovery.

14 / Rising Up The Senior Speech at Breck is a treasured tradition that has lived in our community for decades. Yet, with hundreds of speeches performed over the years, each one is unique, reflective of our individual voices and collective culture at Breck.

22 / Student Leadership Students of all ages have the opportunity to lead in their own way at Breck. Whether it is leading a service project or serving on Student Council, students are following their passions and learning to lead.

DEPARTMENTS 2 / 20 Questions 5 / 123 Ottawa News 30 / Alumni News 38 / Sports News

On the cover: Ellie prepares for her trip on the Flying Squirrel, an activity that is part of the Middle School Project Adventure curriculum. Photo by Sara Rubinstein.

NATALIA R. HERNÁNDEZ, ED.D. HEAD OF SCHOOL

Dear Breck Friends, I often hear people say that today we are educating children for a future we cannot foresee.

I believe we have always educated children for an unknown future. When I graduated high school in 1988 there was no sense of urgency around preparing us for a world where every cellular phone had access to information and computing beyond comprehension. In fact, cellular phones were a commodity few had and typically came with a briefcase-sized battery you carried with a shoulder strap — some of you may recall. Progress brings inherent risks.

Schools should not attempt to identify every possible risk to teach our students how to navigate each one. Rather, we should be deliberate about providing opportunities to take productive risks, experience scaffolded growth, and yes, feel the effects of failure.

In this issue of Today at Breck, we invite you into our community to read about experiences our students have that push them to grow by taking risks. Only at Breck do middle schoolers have the opportunity to explore a high ropes course on our campus with the guidance of our very own faculty members through our Project Adventure class. You will also read about our students’ leadership experiences and the risks they take when serving their peers and school. I also invite you to read about the risk-taking experiences of alumnus, Majka Burhardt ’94, who shares her story as mother, author, filmmaker, and professional rock climber. Her lessons on life are applicable to us all.

Thank you for taking time to read this issue. We invite you to remain connected to your Breck roots as we continue to evolve and take our own risks. You are part of our history and our future.

Warmly,

Today at Breck Winter 2019

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Questions

Jacob: BRECK SENIOR 1 What music are you listening to lately? I’ve been listening to a whole lot of David Bowie lately, specifically from The Man Who Sold The World.

2 What’s one of the last books you read? If we’re counting scripts, probably Spring Awakening by Steven Sater.

3 What’s your favorite time of year?

Around September. It’s neither freezing nor searing, and the trees are less boring.

I also love rain.

4 What’s one of the most adventurous things you’ve ever done?

Powerfisted a few Bearsitos™.

5 Favorite Breck lunch? I love the beef brisket that sometimes mysteriously appears with pita bread in the far line.

Too bad I only ever notice it when I’m in the process of cleaning up my dishes.

6 What’s your dream job?

A singer-songwriter.

7 What’s one of the best decisions you’ve ever made? Going to Junior Composers Summer Program at the University of Minnesota. It’s absolutely the reason that I know how to write songs the way I do, and I made some really cool friends there.

8 What advice would you give to your younger self? Chill out, man. You’re scared about a lot of stuff right now — about your grades, your friends, your mental health — but trust me, in a couple years, you’re gonna have a much better time. Just focus on yourself a little more.

9 What do you remember from kindergarten? The video games I was playing. Most of them were shovelware — the TV or movie games that have been in Target’s clearance bin for months.

10 What is the most important room in your home? Emotionally, probably my room. It’s where I make music, write, play games, and, of course, sleep.

11 What’s your favorite place on the Breck campus? I’m very drawn to pianos, so I have soft spots for the practice rooms and the Chapel. My number one would probably be the Loft, if only I could get in more often. Mr. Blesi, if you’re reading this — can you make me a key, please? ❤ 12 Favorite comfort food? Circus peanuts (the orange marshmallow stuff). Don’t hate me.

13 Favorite treat: salty or sweet?

Why not both? I love salted caramel.

Is this cheating? It feels like cheating.

14 If you had a theme song, what would it be? “I’m A Loser,” by The Beatles. I’m just kidding. “Levon” by Elton John.

15 Favorite line from a movie?

“‘You wanna fight me for her? No. I wanna fight you for me.” – Scott Pilgrim vs. The World, 2010.

16 What is your favorite family

tradition? Having donuts on Sundays, because I get donuts.

17 Three people — living or dead —

you’d want to have dinner with?

Freddie Mercury, Elton John, and Liberace.

18 If you could travel anywhere,

where would you go? Home.

19 What’s your pet peeve? Movie

theaters’ rules about outside food. Sorry — I don’t want to buy $10 popcorn.

20 If you didn’t have to sleep, what would you do with the extra time?

Sleep anyway. It feels great. Although, I wonder if it would lose some of its appeal if I were cognizant of the fact that I was actively wasting time.

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Questions

Peg Bailey: LOWER SCHOOL DIRECTOR 1 What music are you listening to lately? I’ve been listening to Queen, because I recently saw the movie Bohemian Rhapsody and it brought me back to many songs I love!

2 What’s one of the last books you read? I recently read Creative Confidence — Unleashing the Creative Potential Within Us All (for work) and I’m about to read Preserving Light by Gail Hartman (for pleasure and in remembrance of my good friend, Peter Clark).

3 What’s your favorite time of year?

I love spring . . . as it awakens the earth and tells us summer is coming!

4 What’s one of the most adventurous things you’ve ever done? I spent a full week walking all over Paris after being hit by a bicycle and suffering with a swollen, broken foot.

5 What is your favorite Breck lunch?

Chicken noodle soup and salad bar.

6 What’s your dream job? I’m actually doing my dream job! I love being a school administrator because I contribute to the learning lives of children and have the opportunity to watch them grow over time.

7 What’s one of the best decisions you’ve ever made? The very best decision I ever made was to become a parent. I love being a mom (I have one daughter) and it is one of my true life joys!

14 If you had a theme song, what would it be? “What a Wonderful World”

by Louis Armstrong

8 What advice would you give to your younger self? I’d tell my younger self to travel the world. There’s so much to learn from being exposed to and immersed in other cultures.

– The Sound of Music.

9 What do you remember from kindergarten? I had the nicest teacher, Mrs. Neitzke. Playing at the sand table was my favorite part of kindergarten!

10 What is the most important room

in your home? The living room.

11 What’s your favorite place on the

Breck campus? The Chapel of the Holy Spirit. For me, the space represents coming together and a sense of belonging in our community.

12 Favorite comfort food? Well . . . I’m

an ice cream fanatic, I love Bavarian pretzels, and I love Chinese food!

13 Favorite treat: salty or sweet?

My favorite treats are DQ blizzards, Chex Mix, and Chicago Mix popcorn.

Overall, I tend to favor salty treats.

15 Favorite line from a movie?

“When you know the notes to sing, you can sing most anything.”

16 Favorite family tradition?

There’s always a funny experience that happens on any Bailey family trip!

17 Three people – living or dead –

you’d want to have dinner with?

Ruth Bader Ginsburg, Barack Obama, and Megan (Bailey) O’Grady.

18 If you could travel anywhere,

where would you go? This is a hard one! Right now, I’d love to go to Croatia, the Amalfi Coast, or on a safari in South Africa.

19 What’s your pet peeve? Waiting in

line . . . I become very impatient.

20 What keeps you up at night? I tend

to worry about big things in my life that I might have or should have done differently.

Today at Breck Winter 2019

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Questions

Angus B. Worthing, MD ’93: RHEUMATOLOGIST 1 What music are you listening to lately? In the car, I listen to whatever’s on. At home: jazz playlists, Paul Simon, Marc Cohn, Jonathan Coulton.

2 What’s one of the last books you read? Think Like a Freak by the Freakonomics team Steven D. Levitt and Stephen J. Dubner.

3 What’s your favorite time of year?

Summer. I love exercising and playing outside without bundling up — plus all that extra light.

4 What’s one of the most adventurous things you’ve ever done?

Backpacking across South America with my girlfriend (now wife) after college‚ hiking the Inca Trail, learning to Tango, eating Amazon ant-spiced salsa. Sigh…

5 What was your favorite Breck lunch? I’m gonna go with pizza.

6 What’s your dream job? My current one! I’m a rheumatologist in a great group, and the lead volunteer government advocate for my specialty.

In a typical day I’ll put someone on a life-changing drug for rheumatoid arthritis, discuss policy reforms with federal officials or a reporter, and be home by dinner.

7 What’s one of the best decisions you’ve ever made? Marrying Margaret Taylor. She’s brilliant, kind, a great co-parent, and helps me be a better person.

8 What advice would you give to your younger self? Invest less emotional capital in the success of the Minnesota Vikings.

9 What do you remember from kindergarten? Learning that “rojo” is the Spanish word for “red.”

10 What is the most important room

in your home? The open kitchen/ breakfast bar/dining area/living room.

If something’s happening, it’s probably happening there.

11 What’s your favorite place on the

Breck campus? The Chapel. So many memories: senior speeches, graduations, my father’s memorial service.

Home of Breck’s guiding soul, John Bellaimey.

12 Favorite comfort food?

Chocolate-covered gummy bears.

13 Favorite treat: salty or sweet?

See above.

14 If you had a theme song, what

would it be? “Happy” by Pharrell Williams.

15 Favorite line from a movie?

Billy Crystal’s hilarious midlife crisis monologue from City Slickers. “Value this time in your life, kids.” Watch the movie, laugh, and figure out the meaning of your life. Repeat every 5-10 years.

16 Favorite family tradition?

Thanksgivings with the families of my Breck buddies Andy Schonebaum and Eugene Poon, and Oysters Fitzpatrick.

17 Three people – living or dead –

you’d want to have dinner with?

Barack Obama, my dad Rich Worthing, and an average guy on the street from the next millennium.

18 If you could travel anywhere, where would you go? The top of Mount Everest.

19 What’s your pet peeve? Serving utensils that are the wrong size or shape. I know, it’s dumb. My wife messes with me constantly — like putting out a tiny teaspoon for rice.

20 What keeps you up at night?

Health policy snares — right now, it’s: How to lower the astronomical cost of drugs while improving patients’ access to them? (DM me if you figure it out!)

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Today at 123 Ottawa Avenue North

PHILANTHROPY GRANTS AWARDED Thirteen Breck students were awarded philanthropy grants to help local nonprofit organizations. Grants are funded through the collection of Box Tops for Education and are awarded annually.

Leo ’27 and Sophia ’27 received $100 to support senior citizens at Benedictine Health Center.

Elinor ’21 and Sadie ’21 received $150 to purchase MP3 players and headsets for residents at Benedictine Health Center. The players and headsets will be used to help residents with dementia and Alzheimer’s listen to music from their past and reconnect with memories now forgotten.

Josh ’26 received $150 to purchase equipment for Breck’s Unified Sports program with Special Olympics.

COOPER ’24 WINS MIDDLE SCHOOL SPELLING BEE Cooper won the Middle School Spelling Bee by accurately spelling the word “exordium” (def: the beginning or introductory part, especially of a discourse or treatise). Cooper will go on to complete a written exam, which will determine his eligibility in the state-level competition.

Stella ’26, Sadie ’26, Grace ’26, Greta ’26, and Molly ’26 received $100 to support the Pinky Swear Foundation that supports children with cancer. The students plan to make and sell stress balls to grow their grant for an even larger donation to the foundation. Esme ’26 and Margaux ’25 also received $100 each and plan to raise additional funds for the University of Minnesota Masonic Children’s Hospital and the Crohn’s and Colitis Foundation respectively through stress ball sales.

Finally, Kylie ’19 received $200 to use as seed money for her nonprofit Lonely Shark. The company makes and sells t-shirts that are used to spread awareness for mental health. The sales from these t-shirts will support White Orange Youth, the only organization in Tanzania that teaches kids about mental health.

Today at Breck Winter 2019

Today at 123 Ottawa Avenue North

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FIRST LEGO LEAGUE TEAMS MOVE ON TO SECTION TOURNAMENT

LOWER SCHOOL CHESS CLUB COMPETES IN TOURNAMENTS Congratulations to our Third Grade Chess participants for earning first place at the Chess and Strategy Game Association Tournament in October. Jack ’27 took first in the individual competition. The Lower School Chess Club also participated in the Priyanka Open where Jonah ’28 tied for first (awarded second on tie-breaks) and Ryan ’28 took fifth place.

BRECK SAILING CLUB WRAPS UP INAUGURAL SEASON After finishing its first season, the Breck Sailing Club is already looking forward to the spring. Led by coaches Jess Haverstock (Director of Lake Minnetonka Sailing School) and Gordy Bowers (1988 US Olympic Coach), the team got off to a great start. Breck sailors participated in six regattas across the Midwest with their top finish coming in at 5th place out of 21 schools. Currently they are ranked 54th in the Midwest region. The team included student-sailors in grades 7-11 but is open to students in grades 7-12. A special acknowledgement to Will ’21 for such excellent efforts and marketing and organizing the team, as well as Maeve ’22, Grace ’20, and Erin ’24 for their work on the team.

All five of Breck’s FIRST LEGO League Robotics teams advanced to the section robotics tournament following impressive showings at two regional competitions. Teams Hokuna BroGoats were awarded Project Awards and the Wolves won the Programming Award in their division.

Both teams won 2nd place in the head-to-head competition for their respective division, a first in the history of Breck’s FLL teams.

Team members, pictured above, included (Team Hokuna) Carys ’24, Corinne ’24, Elin ’24, Samantha ’25, Peyton ’25, Elizabeth ’25, Avery ’25, Esme ’25, Margaux ’25, (Team Wolves) Caleb ’26, Pearl ’26, Allie ’26, Maddie ’26, Sammy ’26, Asher ’26, and Philip ’26.

BRIEFLY NOTED •

Visual Arts Department Head Michal Sagar debuted her newest exhibit “A Fertile Emptiness” at the Form+Content gallery in Minneapolis.

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Upper School English Instructor Trevor Thornton published a short story “One Day of Presents” in the 2018 Santa Fe Literary Review.

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After receiving a Breck summer grant to explore the U.S./ Canada border, Upper School English Instructor Dallas Crow debuted a solo photographic exhibit, “The Other Border,” at the Praxis Gallery in Minneapolis.

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Performing Arts Instructor David Birrow received the Innovation in Music Education award from Slam Academy for his use of technology in his classes in order to empower students to create, learn, and communicate.

NATIONAL MERIT SCHOLARS COMMENDATIONS AND SEMIFINALISTS ANNOUNCED FOOD DRIVE OF SPOOKY PROPORTIONS More than 630 Breck students participated in their largest food donation drive of the year — Breck Scares Hunger — throughout the week of Halloween, collecting more than 11,000 lbs of non-perishable food items for local non-profits.

Donations were sorted, packed, and delivered to community partnership sites throughout the Twin Cities.

Reese ’28

Approximately 1.5 million high school students take the PSAT each year, which is the qualifying test into the National Merit Program. Of those, 50,000 (3.3%) are commended scholars and nine students were from Breck. Congratulations to seniors Sean, Cole, Samuel, Effie, Deirdre, Kennedy, Nathan, Joshua, and Sydney who were named commended scholars in the program. Jacob, Lucia, Thomas, Samuel Putnam, and Lana Trautman were recognized as semifinalists.

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Grandparents’ Day

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Today at Breck Winter 2019

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Project [Adventure] Noun: an exciting or remarkable experience; an undertaking usually involving risk “Spotters ready?”

“Ready!”

“Running.”

“Run on!”

In a matter of milliseconds, a group of middle schoolers wearing harnesses and attached to a towrope run to the corner of the gymnasium. Simultaneously, another student, running in the opposite direction, is lifted above the ground, swinging and — sometimes — squealing as they soar higher and higher.

They call this the Flying Squirrel, which is an element of Breck’s Project Adventure curriculum.

When you think of the word “adventure,” activities just like this one are among the first to come to mind. Other activities like rock climbing or white water rafting might also make the list. After all, the word “adventure” is defined as an exciting or remarkable experience, usually involving an element of risk (Merriam Webster Online, 2018).

Project Adventure, or PA for short, brings Middle School students together through a number of experiences just like this one on the high and low ropes courses, climbing wall, and other indoor and outdoor apparatus. But Breck

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Today at Breck Winter 2019

faculty believe the true adventure in this class is that of students journeying through their own self-discovery.

“These students are taught to embrace challenges, trust their peers, and learn more about themselves,” says Merrill Harris, Physical Education Department Head.

“Our Middle School students are in a really unique time in their lives. Project Adventure 12 /

teaches them how to deal with positive and negative interactions, how to work through conflict, respect one another, and understand how to navigate relationships in their class and with friends.”

Breck’s PA program started in the late 1980s after faculty member Robin Fondow (who has since retired from Breck after a 31-year career) was awarded a summer grant to explore the program. What he saw during that experience was an adventure education curriculum that taught its members the importance of being a team, trusting one another, and pushing themselves beyond where they thought possible. “I saw the lessons of perseverance and not giving up on yourself in the program,” says Fondow.

“I thought if we could give those skills to our students, there was probably no greater educational lesson.”

After years of refinement, Fondow passed the program on to Physical Education instructor Michelle Shelp, who runs the classes today in partnership with a number of Middle School faculty. Shelp believes in the importance of all students having the opportunity to take the challenge and reflect on the experience.

“I think there are a lot of schools that have climbing walls and towers,” says Shelp.

“The difference from Breck versus other

schools is that we have a curriculum to match our facilities. Instead of the climbing tower being a unit of study for six days, we use it every day. We are teaching skills that you need in the professional world right here in Middle School.”

As a new student, Izzy ’25 found the class to be a fun adventure. “You really get to do a lot of fun things, build teamwork skills, and help others,” says Brown. “I was new this year, and I was nervous to try [the flying squirrel], but once I did it, I was less nervous to go again.”

While each element in PA involves an element of risk, ideally it is the student who makes the decision to trust their peers and take the leap.

“We talk a lot about challenge by choice,” adds Harris. “We want the students to seek out a challenge, accept the role of success or failure within that, and build a team.

Communication, collaboration, creativity, critical thinking, leadership, responsibility, and safety are all important aspects of the class.”

An added benefit: relationship building.

“You learn teamwork and how to be social,” says Furii ’25. “It is kind of scary but it is fun to have a partner help you. You have to learn to trust people more and then you don’t feel as scared. Plus, it’s fun hanging out with people you don’t know as well or don’t sit with at lunch.”

Project Adventure is a part of the Physical Education program at Breck available for students in grades 5-8. Courses in the Upper School are also available pending student interest and can often be seen during May Program each year.

Today at Breck Winter 2019

Rising Up 14 /

A culminating moment in a student’s experience at Breck is the senior speech. While each student brings their own journey and approach to their message, they all rise up to leave their own legacy at Breck.

/ 15 There are moments in a student’s Breck experience that are remembered for a lifetime: senior buddies, the 6th grade trip to Washington, D.C., and graduation to name just a few. But one of the most culminating moments to a student’s life at Breck is the senior speech.

“The senior speech is the most public and most celebrated moment a student has during their time at Breck,” says John Bellaimey, Upper School Chaplain. “It is a time when he or she is held right in the center of our circle. We give them all our focus and do that with a lot of love, respect, and affection for them.”

While the topic of the speech can be on nearly anything, students generally choose to speak on a personal experience or passion, revealing vulnerabilities, worries, and beliefs that they hold most dear — often with a tie to their home away from home at Breck.

“The speech is an opportunity to share your own message,” says Ethan ‘19.

“I think it is a chance to change Breck, to get your message out. We are given a stage in front of the entire Upper School, and this is the only place where everyone is required to listen.”

But the speech doesn’t come without a great deal of personal risk.

“The speech is so nerve wracking, emotional, and sometimes controversial,” adds Bellaimey, “The students are defining their relationship to the school in a way that is going to be remembered for a long time.”

Ethan (right) pictured with Michelle and David Katie (center right) pictured with (l-r) Hudson, Effie, and Maisie

Preparation

As students prepare for the speech, they are paired with a faculty advisor from the religion department who helps them craft their message.

The work with senior speeches “flows naturally from the junior year capstone project, which is the memoir,” says Bellaimey. While students can choose their topic, they are still expected to cover key aspects of writing and public speaking such as topic sentences, hooks, and vivid, relatable examples.

“After I turned in my first draft, Papa B (Bellaimey) went through my speech and gave me comments and feedback,” says Katie ‘19. “I have close relationships with both Papa B and Mr. Johnson, and it meant so much to be able to go to them with all my cards on the table and have them go the extra mile for me.”

Ethan had his speech revised by Breck teacher Andrea O’Connell. “I was having a problem of tiptoeing around my topic,” explains Miandrisoa. “She said I really needed an example because without it, there wasn’t as much emphasis behind my point. The example made it way stronger.”

Repetition

Speeches are given each week during Upper School Chapel, which means that students who spend four years of Upper School at Breck will hear more than 400 speeches by their graduation.

“For me, speeches are always interesting,” adds Katie.

“Depending on where I’m sitting, I see the person from a little different angle so visually, they look different to me.

I try to think that I don’t know this person at all. I find that no matter how tired I am, I always perk up during speeches.”

The volume of speeches is also an opportunity for indirect learning.

By listening to the speeches, “students are learning without explicit teaching on what makes a speech good. They are learning how to catch people’s interest and how to keep it — or not. They are learning to appreciate differences,” explains Bellaimey.

And while 400+ speeches may seems like a lot, it is representative of the culture of Breck.

“I hope our students are learning that Breck values each individual voice,” says Bellaimey. “We could easily present the ten ‘best’ speeches. Instead, you just hear four every week. Even those foursomes are not selected in any magical or significant way. They are rather random.”

Traditions

In addition to the speech itself being a tradition, there are a number of rituals that are also a part of the senior speech experience. First, as each student prepares to give their speech, they are introduced by a family member or friend.

“It is a way to get the audience relaxed and really pump you up as the speaker,” says Katie. “Then when you go on stage, you really have a rush of confidence. It helps break the ice.”

Following the introduction, students are welcomed to the platform with a standing ovation.

“The standing ovation is really a gesture from them saying, ‘You’ve got this! You just got on stage and we’re all super proud of you,’ ” says Katie.

At the close of every speech, another standing ovation is given.

“In every other part of life, a standing ovation means that something was really great,” adds Bellaimey, “but here, it means that you’re really great. The first ovation means we support you even without having heard a single word you’ve said and the second one means that we’ve heard you and we still support you.”

Finally, following all four senior speeches, they typically close chapel with the Irish Blessing, “May the Road Rise to Meet You.” “That prayer has always been a Breck tradition and whenever I hear it, I just kind of smile. It just helps me remember that wherever we go after Breck, we have someplace to come back to,” adds Katie.

Overall, senior speeches are just one of the many ways students take risks during their time at Breck, but this single experience will likely be the one they remember for a lifetime.

“The students know that the speech is something all of us have to deal with in our time here. They are exploring their role. Their reputation. Their legacy. It celebrates the individual but surrounds the individual with a really affirming community,” adds Bellaimey. “Even though we’ve been doing them for decades, I believe that this experience will never become obsolete.”

An Irish Blessing May the road rise to meet you.

May the wind always be at your back.

May the sun shine warm upon your face.

May the rains fall softly upon your fields.

And, until we meet again, May God hold you in the palm of His hand.

Experiencing Humanity Much like our tradition of writing a senior speech, each year three members of our faculty give speeches of their own. This year, Upper School Spanish Instructor Julie Manrique shared her own story of taking risks as she journeyed through her career and, as we highlight our own students taking risks in the name of learning, her story stood out as one that needed to be shared.

Julie Manrique

“I’m bored.”

That was always my signature line as a child. I lived on a small hobby farm in Maple Grove where I spent my time taking care of the animals, riding my bike through the winding gravel roads, and galloping my horse through the fields and forests around me. I had no reason to be bored. But every summer, our family took a road trip, which sparked a desire inside me to explore more of our world. I knew I wanted more.

In college, I started learning Spanish and, much to my surprise, it came easily to me. So, I took a risk. I signed up for a semester abroad in Puebla, Mexico, and off I went.

My dorm room was picturesque. The balcony overlooked the volcano Popocatépetl and I took classes at the Universidad de las Americas. But my best learning happened just by experiencing the culture with my new friends — going to the market, traveling on chicken buses, climbing pyramids, and spending time on the plaza. While I loved the beauty of the landscape around me, what appealed to me even more was the nature of the people. They lived life with abandon, found joy in the simple things, and never got caught up in the pressures of living by the clock. I wasn’t trying to escape anything in Minnesota. But I was making new discoveries that made my life even richer.

By the end of my college career, I was ready to take another risk — teach English at a bilingual school in Barranquilla,

Colombia. It was an intense and exciting time. While I was focusing on my teaching and adjusting to life there, I was not fully comprehending what was happening in the country, which was an uncertain time in the early nineties.

Plus, I carried the privileged idea that I was invincible, that nothing could happen to me.

For spring break, my friend Stephanie and I sought to escape the tropical heat and take in some mountain air. We were advised against travel in the interior of Colombia so we grabbed our backpacks and flew to Ecuador. The country was stunning with soaring mountains and crisp mountain air. We stayed in a hostel in the town of Baños. As we were planning our hike, the hostel staff recommended a guided tour of the region. “Guided tours,” we thought, were for rookie tourists. We were experienced.

Our hike led us up a mountain path where we were met with a number of friendly faces, only two of whom didn’t return a smile as we passed by. It seemed odd but we brushed it off and continued to enjoy the amazing views. I stopped along the trail to admire the town and valley below.

I was enjoying a blissful moment, that ended abruptly.

I heard Stephanie call for me with urgency in her voice. We were being robbed at gunpoint. The two men forced us through a gate to a small pasture along the path — their hands shaking almost as much as ours. They took our

/ 19 Oaxaca, Mexico

money, camera, shoes, and watches. They tied our hands with the shoelaces. And then they were gone. After our knees stopped shaking and we were sure we were safe, we headed down the mountain. I walked barefoot down the muddy trail, feeling my vulnerability with every step.

That day, I lost my sense of invincibility. The incident didn’t stop me, but it was a wake-up call that I needed to pay more attention. I started reading the newspaper, watching the news, and asking questions. I got back on the path towards becoming a citizen of the world; appreciating the richness and beauty of other places and cultures, but also seeking to understand the full picture.

Years later, after I had returned to the United States and built a career teaching Spanish, I took another big step into legal interpretation. I was intrigued by the idea of a front-row seat in courtroom dramas while using my God-given talents with the Spanish language. This new role forced me to make use of the gutsiness, resilience, and courage I had gained from my previous experiences abroad. I draw from all of these when I take my place in the courtroom next to the witness stand. The victim, witness, or defendant relies on me to interpret the attorneys’ questions clearly and precisely. Then all eyes and ears in the courtroom turn to me as I become the witness’ voice and I tell their version of the story, conveying their words, tone, and emotions. The stakes are high and the responsibility for me is daunting. But the extreme importance is what drives me to push through the nerves and render my best interpretation.

Many of the people for whom I interpret in court show signs of nerves. It often causes me to remember the incident on the mountain in Ecuador. What were those men thinking?

Why were their hands shaking? I will never know their motives, but my first-hand experiences in the legal system

Cholula, Mexico

have given me a sense of empathy and understanding.

I believe that we all must be held accountable for our actions, but in the process, it’s vital to remember each person’s humanity. I am humbled by the trust placed in me as a legal interpreter and honored that I can serve as a bridge enabling important communication to happen.

Today, I draw from all of these experiences when teaching my classes, and I consider my job as one that carries an equally great responsibility. I love watching my students take risks, explore new cultures, and develop their adventurous spirits. For me, learning Spanish led me to a life that has made me feel fulfilled personally and professionally with many surprises along the way.

For my students, I hope you nourish your spirit for adventure by exploring the world responsibly and engaging with other cultures respectfully. Use your talents for good and pursue something that matters. I promise you’ll not be bored.

Popocatépetl, Puebla, Mexico

Into the

oods W

3,362 Students’ hours in rehearsal and scene shop

103.5 Parent volunteer hours 40 Rehearsals 72 Songs memorized and sung 14 Songs choreographed 36 Upper School students in cast and crew 34 Costumes 24 Pairs of shoes 2 Cow costumes / 21 10 Percussion instruments 4.7 Pounds of candy eaten by the pit during performances

577 Rests counted by percussionist 50 Age of oldest member of the pit 17 Age of youngest member of the pit 5 Rehearsal meals for the ensemble 6 Teaching artist faculty 5 Middle School students 4 Spotlights 3 Dress rehearsals 3 Performances 2 Red cloaks 1 Radio-controlled chicken

students live their passions It is no surprise that student leadership opportunities

“Our job is to plan community meeting and talk about

abound at Breck. Skills learned through leadership such

how we can make the school better,” says Jack ’29, second-

as communication, collaboration, teambuilding, problem-

grade student council representative. “We think of ideas that

solving, and risk-taking help students in aspects far beyond

could make the Lower School a better place and try to help

their day-to-day life at school and even prepares them for

make it a better environment.”

life after Breck, too. Research on the importance of leadership development tells us that students who take leadership opportunities at an early age are also more likely to aspire to roles of leadership in their higher education or professional careers.

At Breck, students of all ages have the opportunity to lead clubs, join committees working on special initiatives, and be a member of student councils. Each opportunity offers students a great deal of influence on shaping the culture and climate of the school but also involves a significant amount

In addition to providing input for and planning Lower School events, students are also asked to remember their role as a leader in their day-to-day interactions, which isn’t always easy.

“Being a leader means that sometimes you have to be brave,” says Noah ’28. “As a leader, even if you don’t know someone, you still need to help them,” says Elena Colianni ’30. “We need to help the Lower School students, bigger students, and even the grown ups,” adds Grace ’27.

of risk as being a leader among their peers.

This work helps instill a sense of ownership and belonging

LOWER SCHOOL

“I am proud to show a good example for kids,” adds Noah.

In the Lower School, Student Council and Chapel Committee

for the students.

“It’s important to be kind.”

The students involved are very aware of the importance of

MIDDLE SCHOOL

their work for the Lower School community as well as the

In the Middle School, students lead through a number of

challenges that can arise as a leader on campus.

student clubs and programs. Wyatt ’23 says he was inspired

are two formal ways students can take on a leadership role.

/ 23

through student leadership to lead as an Admissions Ambassador because of his experience as a new student himself.

“I love Breck,” says Wyatt. “I got to have the experience as a new student and I wanted to share that experience with people who are considering Breck, too. It is my responsibility to show them the essence of how great Breck is — within their comfort zone.”

Like some of his peers, Wyatt also volunteered to help with the fifth grade Kindness Retreat, which is an opportunity to lead as a role model to his fellow students.

“There are leaders in higher grades that paved the way

Wyatt ’23 | Admissions Ambassador

for me and paved the path to be a leader,” adds Wyatt.

“I hope that I influence people, too.”

Another student leadership opportunity in the Middle School is through the Dare to Be Real Club. Will ’23 has been a member since sixth grade.

“Dare to Be Real is a program for any student to talk about race issues and things in society and talk about different perspectives,” says Will. “I really started to figure out who I was in Middle School and, as a student of color at Breck, I knew that if I joined, I could express my feelings on what is right or wrong coming from my perspective.”

Will ’23 | Dare to Be Real Club

The club has allowed him to learn more about what he values in leadership and live them out each day.

“There’s many different types of leaders but I think I’m both a vocal leader and someone who leads by example,” explains Will. “Being a leader has been a goal of mine since first grade.

I believe you have to put yourself in someone else’s shoes but also be able to speak out and stand up for others.”

Students can also be found leading in their robotics teams, Be A Mustang program, or other clubs such as the EnvironDeirdre O’Neill ’19 | Intergity Council

mental Club.

UPPER SCHOOL The Upper School broadens further the opportunities for students to shape the culture and community at Breck.

For the purpose of this story, we focused on the ring of student leadership known as the Service Councils. Six councils make up the leadership of the student body. They include: Integrity Council, Advocacy Council, Service Council, Arts Council – Performing and Visual, Diversity and Inclusion Council, and Athletic Council.

The Student Integrity Council is known as one of the Brett Schoppert ’19 | Advocacy Council

hallmarks of the Upper School. This council hears cases of academic dishonesty and recommends appropriate disciplinary action to the Upper School administration.

The council is made up of student representatives from grades 10-12 as well as a grade-level dean and the assistant director of the Upper School “We are an important part of the culture because we give students a chance to be heard by students instead of just school administrators,” says Deirdre ’19, Integrity Council president. But the work isn’t easy. “There is a stigma that people on the council are trying to get students in trouble.

But we know that we are advocating for students to make

Lauren Nudi ’19 | Diversity and Leadership Council

situations better and what we are doing is important for the school, regardless of whether people understand it.”

The council is discussion-based and takes a great deal of time and care to work through each case. “To be a good leader, you have to be a good follower and a good listener,” adds Deirdre.

“If you are overpowering, you have to be sure to listen to everyone. It’s important to find that balance.”

While much of the work of the Student Integrity Council happens behind closed doors, the work of the Student Advocacy Council is very public.

“Our role is to work on certain issues and topics from each class that they want to get done or bring to student council,”

Phillip Ahrens ’20 | Service Council

says Brett ’19, Advocacy Council president. “We are crafting plans and proposals to bring to the administration, such as

/ 25

new furniture, dress code, and policy changes.”

Brett, who is in his first year on the council, says that while his position and those on the council are important, it isn’t the only way to be a leader at Breck.

“Leadership at Breck is interesting because a lot of people are passionate about the school. While this is a formal leadership position, there are lots of ways people can be leaders – in sports and in classes. We don’t have to convince people to buy-in at Breck because this is a place that people really care about.”

Talia Saklad ’19 | Arts Council

This kind of care for the school resulted in one of the newest councils at Breck – Diversity and Inclusion.

In 2017-2018, six students participated in the National Association of Independent Schools Student Diversity and Leadership Conference. At the conference, the students knew more work on diversity and inclusion among the student body needed to take place but the opportunity for formal leadership didn’t currently exist.

“The group [from SDLC] decided that we needed something to solidify inclusion in the community,” says Lauren ’19, president of the council this year. “We wanted to walk the walk, not just talk the talk.”

While the council is still growing, they have 15 members

Carly McCue ’20 | Arts Council

this year selected from 30 applications.

“Our goal is to promote and appreciate diversity of all kinds in the Breck community through events, affinity group organization, and other activities,” adds Lauren.

Another council providing leadership across the school is Service. Phillip ’20 helps lead the council that is focused on connecting opportunities for students to get involved, gaining feedback from community partnership sites, and organizing service drives and initiatives.

“Breck provides a lot of opportunities for leadership,” says Phillip, who was first inspired to give back through his work

David Roddy ’19 | Athletic Council

Today at Breck Winter 2019

26 /

Lower School Student Council Meeting with the Boy Scouts. He believes that following your passion

Finally, the Athletics Council holds the responsibility of

is a great way to make change. “If you are passionate about

providing leadership formation and consistency for captains

something, take that and get involved. You meet new people

of all Breck athletic teams.

and it is collaborative. It’s a way to give back to Breck.”

“The Student Athletic Council is a council for all captains of

Also serving the student population are the councils for the

sports teams to come together to learn how to be a better

arts — both performing and visual — as well as athletics.

captain and leader,” says David ’19. “We understand that

The Arts Council is also new this year with a goal of getting the arts more ingrained into the Breck community. “The arts are an important part of Breck but it isn’t something that people pay as much attention to,” says Talia ’19 who

each team has a different culture so we want to identify those cultures and see how we can support them. As captains, we want to bridge the gap between coaches and parents and coaches and the athletic director.”

represents the visual arts. “There are art shows and ‘art kids,’

The work of all of these students is what creates the climate

but we want people to accept that art isn’t a secondary

and culture of Breck. While it is always a work-in-progress,

curriculum but a class that is more than just a hobby.”

their goal as student-leaders is to bring the community

Carly ‘20 leads the performing side of the arts

together.

council. “We want to connect the school with performing

“We created these branches [of student leadership] to unify

arts,” explains Carly. “Sometimes people think you are

our entire community,” adds David. “All the people who lead

only in performing arts if you are in the class and if you

a council are people anyone can talk to. We work with each

aren’t in the class, then you aren’t in performing arts.

other to share ideas and bring events into the community.”

We want to bridge that gap so everyone can be part of this wonderful experience.”

2018 Lower School Holiday Program

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Synapse Shot

brought to you by:

The Research of Risk-Taking Dr. Daisy Pellant, Peter Clark Center Director

28 /

Let’s be honest. In the past century, adolescence

seek novel experiences to better understand their

has gotten a bad reputation as a time of “sturm

world? Can we teach them about risk-taking in

and drang” — when young people act-out, do

their lives, not as a harbinger of destruction but

“stupid” things, and take “unnecessary” risks. This is

as a need they should attend to in relatively safe

part truth, part fiction. Of course some adolescents

ways? Can they learn about “risk” as the verb

fit this stereotype to a newsworthy level, but the

related to vulnerability, exposure, taking a chance,

vast majority do not. The cautionary tales, however,

learning from failure, and opening to new

led early researchers to search for ways to prevent

possibilities?

“adolescent” behavior. A weakness-based approach followed, with various other approaches centered on the deficit of adolescence. Within the past thirty years there has been a welcomed shift, focused on the developmental tasks of adolescence, particularly risk-taking, as potentially important and strengths-based.

Risk-taking in learning is something teachers talk about with their students. We ask them to go out on a limb in a discussion, choose a topic to write about that brings them a feeling of vulnerability, and try a new study technique for test preparation.

Each of these actions carries risk. Neurologically, risk-taking in learning can trigger the amygdala to

Like social research before it, neuroscience research

send fight/flight/freeze messages and can result

on risk-taking originally focused on adolescent

in the same neurochemical rush and reward.

thrill-seeking as an unfortunate combination of

Learning to manage risk, regulate our physical

peer-pressure and brain immaturity. Early neuro-

responses, and respond to the outcomes are skills

science said adolescent risk-taking was due to the

we need to develop to be successful adults.

prefrontal cortex being underdeveloped and decision-making compromised. More recent research, though, suggests that, in addition to natural variations in the brain’s prefrontal cortex gray matter, risk-taking is linked to a natural boost in the developmental drive to understand the world and seek novel experiences between childhood and adulthood. This useful human drive helps us break away from our family of origin and make a life of our own.

As a parent/caregiver/teacher during this time of skill development, we have to get out of the way enough for the risk to be experienced as a risk. We have to let them own the celebration or help pick up the pieces, and encourage the all-important non-judgmental reflective conversation after the fact. Through independence and risk-taking in learning, our kids have new experiences, learn about themselves and the world, feel deeply, succeed on their own, fall down and get up, and

What if we used this understanding of neuro-

develop skills for the next time. We know that

developmental risk-taking to help our children

pulling back the curtain on learning helps students

learn? Can we create opportunities for young

succeed by developing and using strategies of their

people to choose their own adventures, and

own. Why not pull back the curtain on risk?

Coming Soon!

The Annual Fund Parent Participation Challenge 60%

70%

80%

This April, the Annual Fund will host a Parent Participation Challenge: an added competitive incentive to encourage all Breck parents to make their gift to the 2018-19 Annual Fund.

All gifts, no matter the size, will help...

90%

Move the Mustang!

The division with the highest parent participation will win a special prize for their students. More details to follow soon! breckschool.org/annual-fund

Save the Date!

0 3 04 1 9

Distinguished Alumni Award: will be presented on March 4 to Dr. Michael Tuck ’54. He will be honored for his career in medicine as part of the James Lloyd Breck Day of Giving.

alumni news Executive Committee of the Alumni Council for 2018-2019 Members of this year’s executive committee include Christy Piotrowski Leintz ’04 (President), Alicia Luther Toms ’99 (Vice President), Colin Brooks ’97 (Secretary and Alumni Co-Chair, Annual Fund), Sandy Stone ’85 (Alumni Co-Chair, Annual Fund), Michael Proman ’99 (Executive Chair of Recognition), Ben Schleuss ’99 (Executive Chair of Events), and Jon Septer ’01 (Executive Chair of Service).

Business Club features alumni, parent speakers

(L-R) Peggy Fifield, Tom Simmons ’00, and Christine Bolger Bright ’03

Three inducted into Athletic Hall of Fame Congratulations to Maren Maier ’97, Thomas Simmons ’00, and Christine Bolger Bright ’03 who were inducted into the Breck Athletic Hall of Fame on September 20. Long-time Breck gymnastics coach and PE teacher Peggy Fifield was honored with the Del Carter ’50 Memorial Award for her dedication to Breck Athletics.

Thank you to Erin Newkirk, Julie Burton, Nate Garvis, Mike Proman ’99, Matt Cosgriff ’07, Alex Clark ’02, and Chris Welsh ’90 who served as featured speakers at weekly Breck Upper School Business Club Meetings.

Give to the Max! Thank you to the 62 donors who chose to Join Us in this year’s Annual Fund campaign. These donors gave more than $43,000 during the month of November by answering the call, giving online, and going to the GiveMN.org site to support Breck. We are so grateful to have such generous alumni, parents, and friends!

100+ Alums return for annual Holiday Party The annual Alumni Holiday Party was a big hit on Thursday, December 20.

Over 120 alums attended this year’s event at Stella’s.

Homecoming 2018

Alums participated in Breck’s annual Leaf Raking event on October 27.

(L-R) Todd Driscoll ’52, Bill Brown ’47, Dick Myers ’64, Tom Melander ’67, Paul Webster ’48, Tom Thiss ’47

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Celebrating our Golden Mustangs This year’s Golden Mustang luncheon welcomed the Class of 1968. All Breck graduates from 50 years ago or more are welcome at this annual luncheon held during Homecoming week. This year, Colin Brooks ’97 served as host and Breck’s Athletic Director Brett Bergene was the speaker.

Homecoming Carnival

(L-R) Isaac Luten ’18, Katie Raffel ’15, and Eric McDavid ’18

Young alums gathered for the annual Alumni reception at Grandparents Day.

This year’s homecoming lunch and carnival welcomed more than 1,100 alums, parents, students, faculty/staff, and neighbors.

Margot Murray Olness ’89 and Megan Murray Hayes ’86 led this year’s activities.

Reunions

Breck celebrated 25 years of Girls Hockey on December 15.

The Classes of 1968, 1978, 1988, and 1993 celebrated reunions over homecoming weekend marking 50 years, 40 years, 30 years, and 25 years respectively since their graduation from Breck. Thank you to Steve Wirth ’68, Karen Westin ’78, Alycya Hjelm Cardwell ’88, Kathy Anderson Groethe ’88, and Alison Hitzemann Hardy ’93 for their work on making these reunions such a great success!

Homecoming 2018

Today at Breck Winter 2019

32 /

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Today at Breck Winter 2019

1993 The Class of 1993 celebrated its 25-Year Reunion.

1988 The Class of 1988 celebrated its 30-Year Reunion.

34 /

reunions

1978 The Class of 1978 celebrated its 40-Year Reunion.

1968 The Class of 1968 celebrated its 50-Year Reunion.

1983 The Class of 1983 celebrated its 35-Year Reunion on October 13. Thank you to Jeffrey Rainey ’83 for leading this effort.

2008 The Class of 2008 celebrated its 10-Year Reunion on November 24. Jeffrey Portu ’08 and Sarah Johnson ’08 organized the event.

1998 The Class of 1998 celebrated its 20-Year Reunion with a weekend of activities on August 3-4. Alumni volunteers Mike McKeon ’98 and Stefan Krasowski ’98 headed up the weekend.

Margaret Wong, retired Breck faculty member, Stefan Krasowski ’98, and Tara Benson Highfield ’98 are pictured above.

2013 The Class of 2013 celebrated its 5-Year Reunion on November 23. Hutton Phillips ’13 and Mitchell Foster ’13 led that effort.

Regional Gatherings The Breck Alumni Association hosted a regional gathering in Washington, D.C., on October 5. Regional events are planned in Los Angeles on February 26 and New York on April 25. To register or for more information, email alumni@breckschool.org.

1961

Tom Anderson ’61 and John Mitchell ’61 relived Breck’s “glory years of basketball” this fall.

class notes 1974

1964

Dick Myers ’64, Rusty Nelson ’64, and Mike Tangen ’64 caught up with Ron Smith ’64 who was visiting from Texas.

R.T. Rybak ’74, president and CEO of The Minneapolis Foundation, hosted Breck’s Advanced History Research students who are studying Race and Place: The Coloring of the Twin Cities.

Each student had an opportunity to ask questions pertaining to their research project and learn more about the work of the Foundation.

1983

Jeffrey Rainey ’83 shared his expertise with our Upper School Advanced Science Research students in November.

1985

This fall, Homer Venters, MD ’85 joined the Community Oriented Correctional Health Services (COCHS) as Senior Health and Justice Fellow.

Additionally, Homer’s first book, Life and Death in Rikers Island, will be released February 19.

1988

1976 Rusty Nelson ’64 officiated the 2018 Girls Section Swim Meet on November 20.

Members of the 1976 Mustang football team gathered in Stillwater this fall. Jerry Volmer, former Breck assistant coach and history teacher, Wink Rasmussen, former Breck football coach, and Liz Nolan Nordstrom ’76, former Alumni Council member, joined the group. Thank you to Dan Westrum ’76 for organizing the event.

1977

1969

The Boys of the Brule: Centuries of Comradery on Wisconsin’s River of Presidents, written by Ross Fruen ’69, was released in the fall.

Kimberly Wilson ’77 performed her one-person show, “A Journey,” at the Yerwood Center in Stamford, CT, in September.

1978

Hans Tester ’78 played the character of Josef Mengele in the third season of Amazon’s The Man in the High Castle.

Breck’s 2013 Distinguished Alumnus, Rob Melrose ’88, directed Frankenstein – Playing with Fire at the Guthrie.

During Homecoming week, a group of alums attended a performance of the show as well as a talk given by Rob exclusively for Breck alumni and families. In November, Rob was named the artistic director of Alley Theatre in Houston, TX.

1991

Mike Beavers ’91 became Trustee & Board of Directors Chair for Delta Lambda Phi Social Fraternity in July 2017. Delta Lambda Phi is a fraternity for gay, bisexual, transgender, and progressive men.

Tom Keller ‘91 has a private practice of psychotherapy in Minneapolis and is currently accepting new clients.

You can follow his work on Facebook @teddytigy.

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Today at Breck Winter 2019

1998

2009

Sara Marsh ’98 starred in Dark & Stormy’s production of Black Bird at the Grain Belt Warehouse.

2010

Kevin Cannon ’98 illustrated this year’s Thanksgiving Turkey coloring contest in the Star Tribune.

1999 1993 36 /

Lieutenant Colonel Joshua Simer ’93 graduated from the U.S. Army War College in July 2018, earning a Master’s Degree in Strategic Studies. He serves as Deputy Operations Officer (G-3) for the Minnesota Army National Guard and works full-time as Director of Business Development for CommScope in Shakopee.

1994

Majka Burhardt ’94, founder and executive director of the Legado Initiative, recently posted a 3minute film entitled Mountains = Water = Life. To learn more, go to legadoinitiative.org.

Jason Lewis ’94 is the new Head of the Upper School at Fessenden School in Massachusetts.

The work of artist Lauri Kline Prins ’94, is inspired by her childhood summers on Chesapeake Bay and vacationing time in Florida with family. Find her work at lauriprins. com.

1995

Benjamin Vogt ’95 and his wife, Jaclyn, welcomed their first child, Ethan Avery Vogt, in August 2018.

1997

In September, Sarah Bellamy ’97 received the Humphrey School of Public Affairs Public Leadership Award.

Michael Proman ’99 joined venture capital firm Scrum Ventures earlier this year to lead a program that aims to mentor sports-tech startups while helping them break into overseas markets.

Jolawn Richardson Victor ’99 was recently named to Spelman College’s “40 Under 40 List of Phenomenal Women.” Jolawn serves as director of product management for Intuit where she leads the U.S. online professional tax business.

2000

The new book by Meredith Moore Crosby ’00, Getting Unstuck: A Guide to Moving Your Career Forward hit shelves in December.

Anne James New York founder Anne Whiting ’09 was profiled in kmagazine.

Kristina Tester ’10 and Kara Lillehaug ’10 were recognized by the University of Minnesota-Twin Cities’ Minnesota Daily newspaper for their work with the Wall of Forgotten Natives, a homeless encampment in the Cedar-Riverside neighborhood of Minneapolis.

Katie Thornton ’10 was selected as one of five Fulbright National Geographic Digital Storytelling Fellows for 2018-2019. Katie is traveling throughout the UK and Singapore to produce “Death in the Digital Age,” a multimedia and podcast project about the changing role of cemeteries when land is limited and digital documentation technologies are widespread.

2011

2001

“The Last of the Tiger Parents” an article by Ryan Park ’01 was featured in the New York Times in June.

2005

In September, Alex Frécon ’05 was featured on a KARE 11 news segment sharing his song, I’m From Minnesota (The Minnesota Anthem), which went viral on social media.

Julian Randall ’11 shared his poetry with Upper School students this fall.

Randall’s first book, Refuse, was the winner of the 2017 Cave Canem Poetry prize and was published by University of Pittsburgh Press this fall.

Margaret Wong Connects with Alumni Former Chinese instructor Margaret Wong continues to maintain her connections across the Breck community.

Over the past few months, Margaret introduced Raunak Vijakar ’17 to Katie Hecktner Singhal ’04. She caught up with Andrew Headrick ’12, Austin Andrle ’14, and Conor Andrle ’12. She attended the wedding of Danny Buteyn ’11 to Julia Wiemer. Margaret also celebrated college graduation with many 2014 Breck alums and visited with former international students Antonia Lee ‘15 and James Yang ‘15.

2016 2013

This summer, Kiko Laureano ’13 played Tina Turner in Beehive, the ’60s Musical at the Old Log Theatre.

Kate Schipper ’13 is playing hockey for the Minnesota Whitecaps.

2014

Nath Samaratunga ’14 is the newest member of the Alumni Council. He is currently working as Campus Relations Coordinator at US Bank. Nath is working on a special project to engage young alumni in helping seniors with the transition from Breck to college.

Ruskin Li ’14 graduated from USC in May 2018. He started graduate school at Columbia University this fall.

Pictured above with Margaret Wong.

2015

Madi Lommen ’15 spent the fall studying Arabic in Jordan.

2016 IN MEMORIAM 1949

Standout swimmer at Vanderbilt University Bre Thorne ’16 was selected to participate in a service trip in Morocco. Student-athletes from the university partnered with Soles4Souls to donate toys, shoes, and clothes to citizens in the local community.

2017

This summer, Sophia Cherian ’17 interned with M.E. Head Kirwan ’01.

2018

Dick Proudfit ’49 passed away on November 13. Dick was the founder of Feed My Starving Children and Kids Against Hunger. Dick’s leadership helped the organizations not only package food and ship it, but he was often on the ground building relationships with NGOs, missionaries, and relief groups to ensure that the packages were getting to where they were needed. This work resulted in a worldwide network that can successfully distribute meals under the worst of conditions. He received the Breck Distinguished Alumni Award in 2000 and was the recipient of the Jefferson Award for Public Service in 2012.

Dick’s life was celebrated on December 6.

1953 Michael Gebhart ’53 passed away on October 23. After graduating from Breck in 1953, Michael received his bachelor’s degree from the University of Minnesota and a master’s degree in architecture from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. He was an independent international design and planning consultant in Cambridge; his most significant projects were in Kuwait. He was a past vice president at The Architects Collaborative in Cambridge, an active member of the Boston Society of Architects, and a Fellow in the College of Fellows, American Institute of Architects. A celebration of Michael’s life is planned for spring 2019.

1961 Ben White ’61 passed away on February 28, 2018. Ben served his country as a medic from 1962-1970 both at home and overseas. He loved his country and was proud to serve. Upon leaving the military, Ben went on to work in a variety of fields that offered encounters with actors, baseball players, inventors, and other nefarious characters. Ben’s philosophy of life was look away from yourself. Honor someone by stopping, looking, listening, and doing. Give an animal a “forever” home (if you can afford it). Notice your town and your neighborhood. Could someone older use a helping hand with a car or in their yard? A little kindness goes a long way.

Reuben Stately ’18 visited Breck to talk to our third graders this fall.

1968 Steve Rollwagen ’68 passed away on April 15 after a courageous battle with brain cancer. Steve was a devoted father who never missed one of his childrens’ games. He was an avid fan of sports, dogs, Green Lake, Frank Sinatra, Tony Bennett, and Miller Lite.

1989 Donna Bush ’89 passed away on August 31. A service honoring Donna’s life was held on September 15.

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BRECK ATHLETES WRAP UP SUCCESSFUL TEAM-BUILDING SEASON Highlights: Girls Swim and Dive takes third at State Meet; Football, Girls Tennis, and Boys Soccer perform well in the regular season.

Cross Country The Cross Country team had a great season this year with young talent.

The boys placed 3rd at the IMAC Championship and took 7th in the Section 4A meet. Finn ’19 finished fifth and competed at the State Meet. The girls are young and almost all of their participants will be returning next year.

They took 8th at the Section 4A meet. Gavin ’21 and Finn ’19 won AllConference awards. Will ’21 received an All-Conference Honorable Mention award. Team awards went to Emmett ’23 and Annabell ’23 (MIP), Finn ’19 and Ellie ’22 (MVP), Christian ’19 and Gabrielle ’22 (Mustanger). Next year, the team will be led by captains Boatemaa ’20, Colin ’20, Rachel ’20, Marcus ’20, Gavin ’21, and Will ’21.

Football The Football team finished the season 7-2. Senior captain David ’19 played in the state’s All-Star game and was named Offensive MVP for the North team. Peter ’19, Ethan ’19, Alex ’20, David ’19, Jack ’19, Alex ’19, Derek ’20, and Elijah ’19 received All-District awards. John ’20, Cole ’19, Peter ’19, and Sam ’19 received All-District Honorable Mention awards. Team awards went to Josh ’19 (MIP), David ’19 (MVP), and Ethan ’19 (Mustanger). Next year, the team will be led by captains John ’20, Alex ’20 and Derek ’20.

40 /

Girls Tennis The Girls Tennis team had a great year by defeating Hopkins, Benilde-St. Margaret’s, Wayzata, Orono, and Maple Grove.

The team took second place in the IMAC Conference and the Section 4A Tournament. Bristol ’21, Josie ’19, Ally ’20, Alex ’21, and Sophia ’19 received All-Conference awards. Margo ’19 and Ellie ’22 received All-Conference Honorable Mention awards. Team awards went to Margo ’19 (MIP), Sophia ’19 (MVP), and Anna ’19 (Mustanger). Next year, the team will be led by captains Ally ’20 and Elizabeth ’20.

Boys Soccer The Boys Soccer team took first place in the IMAC Conference this fall. Hudson ’19 was the September IMAC Athlete of the Month. Hudson and Josh ’19 were nominated to the Star Tribune All-Metro Team. Hudson and Josh were 1st Team All-State and Eric ’19 was 2nd Team All-State. Hudson ’19, Grayson ’20, Eric ’19, Will ’19 and Josh ’19 received AllConference awards. Walsh ’21, Ralph ’22, and Spencer ’19 received All-Conference Honorable Mention awards. Team awards went to Grayson ’20 (MIP), Josh ’19 (MVP), and Lucas ’21 (Mustanger). Next year, the team will be led by captains Nikolai ’21, Lucas ’21, and Grayson ’20.

Girls Soccer The Girls Soccer team had a good season and defeated Minnehaha Academy, Providence Academy, and St. Paul Academy this fall. Kaitlyn ’20 and Hannah ’21 won All-State Awards. Malia ’21, Kaitlyn ’20, and Hannah ’21 received All-Conference awards. Payton ’21 and Taylor ’20 received All-Conference Honorable Mention awards. Team awards went to Lauren ’23 (MIP), Payton ’21 and Malia ’21 (MVP), and Nina ’19 (Mustanger). Next year, the team will be led by captains Taylor ’20, Kaitlyn ’20, and Isaly ’20.

Girls Swim and Dive The Girls Swim and Dive team finished third at the True Team State Meet and took first place at the Section 2A meet. The team finished third at the Class A State Meet with four state championships: 200 yd Medley Relay: Katelin ’21, Stella ’21, Maggie ’20, Yvonne ’22; 200 yd Individual Medley: Yvonne ’22; 100 yd Butterfly: Yvonne ’22; 100 yd Backstroke: Katelin ’21. Maggie ’20, Saylor ’19, Yvonne ’22, Willow ’21, Shaniya ’21, Katelin ’21, Cady ’19, Stella ’21, and Christiana ’19 received All-State awards. Team awards went to Ingrid ’22 (MIP), Yvonne ’22 (MVP), and Sam ’20 (Mustanger). Next year, the team will be led by senior leaders Maggie ’20, Sam ’20, JJ ’20, Anne ’20, and Madi ’20.

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Volleyball The Volleyball team saw much improvement throughout the season after very close games against strong IMAC teams in MPA and Minnehaha. Each game went to five sets. Sydney ’19 and Riley ’21 received All-Conference awards. Keya ’22 and Sophia ’21 received All-Conference Honorable Mention awards. Team awards went to Ella ’20 (MIP), Riley ’21 (MVP), and Sydney ’19 (Mustanger). Next year, the team will be led by captains Abigail ’20, Ellie ’20, Thea ’20, and Sophia ’21.

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WORDS OF WISDOM

Today at Breck Winter 2019

LIFE EXPERIENCES CAN LEAVE US WITH LESSONS TO BE SHARED. IN THIS SERIES, WE HEAR WORDS OF WISDOM FROM MEMBERS OF OUR OWN COMMUNITY.

Majka Burhardt ’94

Majka is an author, professional climber, filmmaker, and entrepreneur. She has spent two decades exploring the world — usually by hand and foot — and collecting stories of challenge, humanity, and the fine line between extreme and acceptable risk that inspire and challenge audiences around the world. In this issue of Today at Breck, Majka shares a few words of wisdom for the Breck community.

Pursue your passion alongside your intellect. When I graduated from Breck, I was both passionate and conflicted. I didn’t understand how my dual passions of being outdoors as a professional climber could meld with my interest of making an impact in the greater international world. What was clear to me was that they came together by being incredibly persistent and rigorously pursuing both passions in my life. I was able to jumpstart my career as a professional climber and leverage that experience to explore the world and create deeper conversations.

Be forthright in your humanity. Being a young woman in the climbing community was remarkable in the late ’90s. But that also left me feeling alone and isolated. I chose to deal with that adversity by putting a lot of pressure on myself to show up and deliver at the highest level — by making sure I was the strongest, most prepared member of our community. While it served me well at the time, I also look back and say that it would have been equally helpful to show up and be honest with where I was on that given day.

Avoid isolation. When you are creating your own career, you have no roadmap. You do not report to a corporate office that is helping nurture and support you through raises, feedback, and assessments. Early in my career I faced this feeling of being alone.

I have learned to support myself with professional development and colleagues in the community so that I am not in a space of isolation.

Ground yourself in the space that you are in. When I get off the plane in Ethiopia, the smell washes over me and I know that I am in my Ethiopian home. Each time I get to Mozmabique and see Mount Namuli, the place I had been working on for nine years, right in front of my eyes, I feel the wind knocked out of me.

Grounding yourself in the space you are in matters because it is how you know you are at your true north.

Give things 200%. Ironically I now have twins.

Bring yourself forward authentically. I am honored to have been so intimately allowed into people’s lives everyday. I know people from all sorts of cultural backgrounds who speak different languages and dialects, and I have realized that diversity is both awe inspiring and daunting. By treating everyone as an individual and listening to their stories, we can bring their voices forward.

Be complex in this world. Complexity is what gives the world richness. There is a lot of pressure to streamline and simplify in a way that feels very narrowing. By bringing your personal complexity forward, life is going to continue to be fun and engaging.

Learn more about Majka at her website www.majkaburhardt.com.

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IN THEIR OWN WORDS DAISY PELLANT

When I was six years old I felt brilliant. My dad, who missed his calling as an elementary school teacher, thought it would be fun to teach me single-variable algebra. He would hand me a page of problems jotted in his chicken-scratch and I would run, literally run, from his office to the kitchen table to complete each problem as quickly as I could. Solving for X was the puzzle I’d been waiting for and it was so useful. If I had one dollar and wanted to buy as many Marathon bars as possible, I needed to solve for X. I loved math. For a while.

”

wanted, opened me to the possibility that I could learn math, albeit, only with a tutor. I received a passing grade and started a lifelong friendship with Eugene.

A year after this, I decided to apply to graduate school. A successful statistics course was required and I was deeply worried. I was alone in mathland, risk-aversive, and had a firmly fixed mindset about me and math. I believed that passing the previous math class was a fluke or due solely to my tutoring friend who had since moved to D.C. to work for NPR. The math-happy six-year-old was nowhere to be found.

Knowing this course was unavoidable and failure was a real possibility, I began to think about strategies I had developed through my work with Eugene. I committed to sitting up front in class, asking any question of clarification that I had, and doing every problem assigned in my homework each and every day even if I faced frustration. This may not seem like taking a risk but it is for a young person in a huge lecture hall who equated asking questions or feeling frustration as confirmation, “See, I can’t do math.”

Unfortunately, in middle school, something changed. I had two teachers in a row who made it clear that asking questions, especially about the why of math, was not allowed.

Just do your work. Hundreds of tree theorems. Hurry up. I struggled mightily. My grades hovered in the D-range. I did not feel brilliant. One of these teachers suggested to my dad that I was not cut out for schooling. That hurt.

In lecture, I discovered that I could follow along with the professor. She seemed genuinely excited about how statistics could describe behavior and used examples regularly. In labs, our projects focused on questions about real-world behavior and answers using data sets. Our textbook was tedious but I never missed a problem. Slowly, I learned the now antiquated statistics programming. Once in a while, much to my surprise, someone would ask me for help. By the mid-term I noticed that I was regularly spending my lab time assisting others. Class was not feeling quite as risky, and I learned a lot by helping others.

Throughout high school and college, I avoided “real” math whenever possible. Math was too high-stakes for me. Too risky. In college, I studied logic instead. When I had to take one final math course during summer school, I skipped class so often that I fell behind. Another student, Eugene, noticed my frequent absences and struck up a conversation about it.

I confessed my fear of math and my risk-aversion. He was bored in class. A transfer student from Madison, he was required to take this course even though he’d completed it in high school. He offered to tutor me. Creating a low-stakes environment, where I could ask as many questions as I

When I turned in the final, the professor, someone I’d not spoken with before, told me that I was getting an A, regardless of my performance on the exam. She explained that the overworked teaching assistants told her I clearly understood the course and they had been grateful for my help in the labs. She considered me an unofficial TA. I was dumbfounded. Brilliantfounded. The six-year-old in me was waking up.

Math was fun again. The risk I took to fail, to sit in the front, ask questions, push through difficult feelings, and step up when asked, paid off. Yes, in my grade, but more importantly, in my mindset.

James Lloyd Breck Day of Giving 2019 Today at Breck Winter 2019 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 Rico Hernández, Ed.D.

EDITOR Stacy Glaus

DESIGN

Brenda Janisch-Hoban

Join Us .. .

in supporting the 2018-2019 Annual Fund by honoring a Breck faculty member or administrator.

WRITERS Tina Fourniea, Stacy Glaus, Julie Manrique, Michelle Geo Olmstead, Daisy Pellant

PHOTOGRAPHERS Lauren Kiesel, Michelle Geo Olmstead, Karyl Rice, Sara Rubinstein

PRINTING

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Breck Alumni, look for a fun announcement on the Breck Alumni Association Facebook page on February 11, 2019

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.

Breck School is committed to environmental stewardship.

This publication is printed on paper manufactured with a minimum of 10% postconsumer recovered fiber.

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Parents of Alumni: Please forward this publication if your daughter or son no longer maintains a permanent address at your home, or please notify us (763.381.8129 or alumni@breckschool.org) of their new mailing address.

PEEF! Retired Breck faculty member Tom Hegg returned to campus to read Peef The Christmas Bear to preschoolers. Hegg wrote the book in 2003 and it has become a favorite holiday book for families around the world.

Photo by Karyl Rice Photo by Karyl Rice