Today at Breck Summer 2023

TODAY AT

BRECK

SUMMER 2023

MAKING AN IMPACT: BRECK GRADUATES THRIVING BEYOND CAMPUS 20 QUESTIONS | COMMENCEMENT | ALUMNI NEWS

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

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

SUMMER 2023 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 McCarty Designer: Abby Terrell Contributors: Tina Fourniea, Alexis Kent Photographers: Alicia Korpi, Karyl Rice, Sara Rubenstein, Brian Sobas, Abby Terrell, Molly Weibel Communications Coordinator: Kelli Frederickson Printer: First Impression Group

On the cover: Class of 2023 Student Advocacy Council leaders, from left to right — Daniel Sampsell, Senior Class Vice President; James Hicks, Executive Board Officer; Sarah Feng, Senior Class President; Will Walker III, Student Body President; Trisha Samba, Executive Board Officer; Sydney McDaniel, Senior Class Vice President; and Logan Schuneman, Senior Class Vice President.

Photo by Karyl Rice.

CONTENTS | SUMMER 2023 Features

Departments

32 Making an impact (part 2): Guided by their Breck education, five Breck alumnae — Rachel Hardeman ’98, Taylor McCanna ’12, Rachel (Kordonowy) McGarry ’91, Allison O’Toole ’89, and Jolawn (Richardson) Victor ’99 — are making their mark on the world.

44 Change on the horizon: New Director of Leadership and Equity Cheléah Googe and Dean of Equity Jordan Zickermann imagine the future of the Melrose Family Center for Leadership and Equity.

50 Pomp and Circumstance: Breck celebrates the Class of 2023.

6 20 Questions 9 123 Ottawa News 14 Division Highlight: Middle School Outdoor Education 16 Program Highlight: Dance 18 Sports News

Alumni 55 Alumni spotlight: Darius Bieganski ’13 56 Class Notes + Reunions 57 In Memoriam

4

OUR YEAR TOGETHER A letter from Breck’s Head of School Dear Breck friends, As we look back on the 2022–23 school year at Breck, I am filled with Mustang pride for everything our community accomplished. Our students continued to be recognized with national awards for their successes in the classroom. Our performers graced our stages with poise and passion. Our athletes continued to compete — and achieve — at the highest levels, and our faculty and staff pursued professional development opportunities that will enhance the learning inside and outside our classrooms for years to come. It is inspiring to see how our community comes together in so many ways.

Last school year, we were intentional about reflecting on how our school’s mission guides who we are as a community, who we desire to be moving forward, and the values we’re committed to in our world. Today, a Breck education has never been more necessary. As our world grows more complex, our students are prepared to make an impact because, at Breck, they come to understand who they are as learners, as leaders, and as human beings.

In this issue of Today at Breck, we highlight stories about how our mission and values come alive in all areas of our school and within our alumni community. We recognize all our retiring faculty and staff who have helped us become the Breck we are today while also welcoming new faces, like the Melrose Family Center for Leadership and Equity team, who will help lead Breck into our next chapter.

This fall, we are excited to release our next strategic plan as we join together to realize the future of Breck. Everything we do we do together — and I am eager to see all that we will continue to accomplish.

Warmly,

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

5

Vašek Verner ’24 Breck International Student, Czech Republic What music are you listening to lately? For me it’s pop that never fails me! Older or brand new, I don’t care as long as it has a nice beat to it.

1

What’s one of the last books you read? The Machine Stops by E. M. Forster. It is a shorter story and one of the best pieces of science fiction I have ever read!

2

3

What’s your favorite time of year? Always the one opposite to the current one. In the summer, I can’t wait to build a snowman, and in the winter, I desperately need all the heat I can get!

4

What’s one of the most adventurous things you’ve ever done? I would say that going abroad alone for a year to study at Breck is my favorite and the craziest adventure I have ever gone through.

What’s one of the best decisions you’ve ever made? In ninth grade, I decided not to fear going against older participants in the Czech Chemistry Olympiad.

Thanks to that, a year later, I got to go to the International Chemistry Olympiad 2022, where I won a gold medal!

5

6

6

What’s your dream job?

Research scientist! Probably a chemist.

14

If you had a theme song, what would it be? “No Roots” by Alice Merton.

7

What is your favorite Breck lunch? Definitely grilled cheese sandwiches. Such an American classic!

15

8

What advice would you give to your younger self? Don’t give up — like ever!

Favorite line from a movie?

“Doc, you don’t just walk into a store and buy plutonium!”

—Marty McFly, Back to the Future

16

Favorite family tradition?

Our Czech food traditions on Easter. We color eggs and bake a chocolate cake in the shape of a lamb. Then, we go around the town to exchange these goods for others. It’s always a pleasure to eat them!

17

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

Václav Havel, Queen Elizabeth II, and Jaroslav Heyrovský.

18

If you could travel anywhere, where would you go? Back to my family in Prague to visit them. After that, I would love to visit Australia.

19

What’s your pet peeve? Not fighting against what makes us unhappy.

20

What keeps you up at night?

Organic chemistry. B

9

What do you remember from kindergarten? Walking to and from my kindergarten home through the wonderful parks surrounding it.

10

What is the most important room in your home?

Undoubtedly, the kitchen, a place of comfort for any circumstances!

11

What’s your favorite place on the Breck campus? Chemistry lab U423 (where I might have spent too much time overall) and the robotics lab.

12

Favorite comfort food?

Strawberry-filled dumplings. I have no idea how these haven’t become a favorite meal in the United States yet.

13

Favorite treat: salty or sweet?

Always sweet — but not too sweet.

Gargi Bajpai Middle School Math Teacher 1

What music are you listening to lately? Anything I can sing and dance to: Madonna, Rihanna, Beyoncé, 80s music, Indian/ Bollywood music, Latin music… the list goes on and on!

2

What’s one of the last books you read? What If You Had Animal Teeth? by Sandra Markle, read with my kindergartener.

3

4

5

What’s your favorite time of year? Summer, summer, summer, summer!

8

What advice would you give to your younger self? Don’t forget to stretch your body, mind, and soul. Flexibility and resilience are important for growth.

15

Favorite line from a movie?

“Life is like a box of chocolates.

You never know what you’re going to get.” —Forrest Gump, Forrest Gump

9

What do you remember from kindergarten? The smell (and maybe the taste) of white paste.

16

10

What is the most important room in your home? Definitely the kitchen.

Favorite family tradition(s)?

Diwali fireworks, Thanksgiving ping-pong tournament, and summer bike rides to get pizza and ice cream.

17

Three people — living or dead — you’d want to have dinner with? Mohandas (Mahatma) Gandhi, Trevor Noah, and Michelle Obama.

18

If you could travel anywhere, where would you go? The list is long, but my daughter has been telling me about an underwater waterfall in Mauritius that would be super cool to see.

19

What’s your pet peeve? Cars driving under the speed limit.

20

What keeps you up at night?

Sometimes my phone. B

11

What’s one of the most adventurous things you’ve ever done? Cave tubing and cliff diving in Belize.

What’s one of the best decisions you’ve ever made? Becoming a teacher.

6

What’s your dream job? I don’t have just one dream job!

7

What is your favorite Breck lunch? Nachos and butternut squash-bean burritos!

What’s your favorite place on the Breck campus? The view from my classroom of the preschool/kindergarten playground. My students and I get so energized watching the little kids play with so much joy.

12

Favorite comfort food? Pizza!

13

Favorite treat: salty or sweet?

It depends on the day; popcorn is my go-to.

14

If you had a theme song, what would it be? “We are Family” by Sister Sledge.

7

Sophie Mirviss ’14 | Democratic Staff Director, House Foreign Affairs Subcommittee on the Middle East, North Africa, and Central Asia What music are you listening to lately? Some of my favorite artists are Bon Iver, Lake Street Dive, Virginia Man, and Chelsea Cutler.

1

What’s one of the last books you read? I just finished The Stranger by Albert Camus for my book club. I am also reading The Splendid and the Vile by Eric Larson, who is one of my favorite authors.

2

3

What’s your favorite time of year? Summer! Especially when it feels like the whole city is out and about on a nice, warm day.

4

What’s one of the most adventurous things you’ve ever done? Have you seen the new Top Gun? I’ve done a catapult takeoff and arrested landing onto an aircraft carrier, the USS Gerald R. Ford.

What’s one of the best decisions you’ve ever made? Attending the School for Ethics and Global Leadership my junior year of high school. It was the first time I really immersed myself among people with different perspectives and from different walks of life. It made me into a better thinker and learner.

5

What’s your dream job? To work in the West Wing. I also would love to open a coffee shop and bookstore where I could spend my days reading good books, happily caffeinated.

6

8

7

What was your favorite Breck lunch? Baked potato bar.

8

What advice would you give to your younger self? Always, always, always trust your gut.

9

What do you remember from kindergarten? Circus Day! My aunt made me a homemade costume so I could attend as a butterfly acrobat and walk the “tightrope.”

10

11

12

What is the most important room in your home? My home is centered around the kitchen. You can always find the Star Tribune spread across the kitchen table, NPR playing on the radio, and sun shining through the array of east facing windows.

What’s your favorite place on the Breck campus? The Loon Lodge in the Lower School library. It was where I first discovered my love of reading, and I would frequently find myself there throughout the years for a quiet place to study or think.

Favorite comfort food? It sounds crazy, but tacos. Tacos fix everything.

13

Favorite treat: salty or sweet? Sweet. I never say no to chocolate.

14

If you had a theme song, what would it be? “Brave” by Sara Bareilles.

15

Favorite line from a movie?

“Happiness can be found, even in the darkest of times, if one only remembers to turn on the light.” —Albus Dumbledore, Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban

16

Favorite family tradition?

Definitely Thanksgiving. We host at our house every year with over 30 people. The entire family comes over, as well as friends and an occasional straggler my mother finds along the way. We always have football on, a fire roaring, and plenty of food. And don’t forget the pie!

17

Three people — living or dead — you’d want to have dinner with? Jonathan Haidt, Rabbi Abraham Joshua Heschel, and Michelle Obama.

18

If you could travel anywhere, where would you go? Easter Island off the coast of Chile.

19

What’s your pet peeve? My top two pet peeves are being rude to service workers and not following through after making a commitment.

20

What keeps you up at night?

Climate change...and wondering whether the Minnesota Vikings will ever win a Super Bowl.

Sophie Mirviss ’14 is pictured above with former Congressman David Cicilline on a Congressional Delegation to the Middle East and the Eastern Mediterranean. B

123 NEWS

Today at 123 Ottawa Ave North

Congratulations to the students who received recognition in the 2023 Scholastic Art and Writing Awards!

A special congratulations to Catherine Hicks ’24 who received the Gold Key American Visions Award for Minnesota (only one student is chosen per state to win this award) and a national Silver Medal for her mixed-media piece Jim Meek and Catherine Helen (below left). Congratulations also to Xaria Williams ’23, who received a Gold Key American Visions nomination and won a national Gold Medal for her photograph Pensive (below middle), and Zoe Jagiela ’23 (left), who received a Gold Key American Voices nomination for her writing and poetry submissions. Catherine and Xaria (below right) traveled to Carnegie Hall in June with Visual Arts Department Chair Michal Sagar to receive their national recognition. B

Art & Writing Award Winners Gold Key American Vision (Highest Award) Art Award Winners William Anderson ’24 Spencer Ansari ’23 Cecelia Bauer ’23 Gus Culligan ’23 Sarah Feng ’23 Samuel Goh ’24 Catherine Hicks ’24 Jax Julkowski ’25 Berkeley Lin ’25 Kennedy Lucas ’23 Petra Lyon ’23

Kelan McKay ’26 Gwyneth Moen ’23 Eileen Mortimer ’27 Ethan Paster ’24 Mia Penn ’24 Daniel Sampsell ’23 Amira Sinclair ’23 Michael Sweeney ’24 Will Walker ’23 Xaria Williams ’23 Chaske Weston ’24

Gold Key

Silver Key

Honorable Mention

Writing Award Winners Joshua Bagley ’24 Cecelia Bauer ’23 Abigail Chang ’25 Grace Duffy ’25 La’Nae Fernandes ’24 Yvonne Frerichs ’23 Anna Iordanoglou ’24 Zoe Jagiela ’23 Daniel Levin ’24 Nora Oberlies ’25

Sarah Peterson ’23 Enrico Petto ’24 Niya Shaul ’24 Max Snyder ’24 Quinton Steeves ’23 Michael Sweeney ’24 Will Walker ’23 Ava Warford ’23 Xaria Williams ’23 Annika Wilson ’24

9

123 NEWS

1. Bella Steinert ’28 won the Middle School Spelling Bee with the word “illimitable.”

She then went on to represent Breck at the 2023 Success Beyond the Classroom’s Twin Cities Regional Spelling Bee. 2. In January, James Hicks ’23, Oliver Puccini ’23, Selena Qiao ’26, and Avery Teeter ’26 attended the YMCA’s Youth in Government program run by the Center for Youth Voice. At mock legislative sessions at both the Minneapolis Hilton and the State Capitol, students presented bills, debated and asked questions, and voted in committee sessions and floor votes.

1

2

3. In February, Breck kindergarten students celebrated their 100th day of school. To celebrate, they created flags, wore special hats, memorized the 100th day song, counted to 100 by 1s, 5s, and 10s, and paraded around the Lower School.

4. Matthew Manacek ’25, Trevor Chapple ’27, and Tao McCarthy ’28 auditioned for and were accepted into the grades 9 and 10 All-State Honor Jazz Bands. In February, they performed at the Minnesota Music Educators Association Midwinter Clinic at the Minneapolis Convention Center. James Hicks ’23 auditioned for and was accepted into the All-State Symphonic Band and performed with the Symphonic Winds at Orchestra Hall in February.

3

5. Vivian Kalla ’23, Annabelle Ellenbogen ’26, Henry Gaillard ’24, and William Gaillard ’26 performed the national anthem at the MN State Girls Gymnastics Competition. The group was directed by Upper School Choir Director Ms. Camilla Horne.

6. Inspired by Rafael López’s work in the East Village near downtown San Diego, preschool students from Mr. Ty Thayer and Ms. Kyna Levi’s class completed two art-in-action projects this year.

This spring, they decorated an antique bench and made it into a “reading bench,” which they moved to different places around the school. They encouraged the Breck community to take a moment to sit down, read, and enjoy some of their beautiful artwork!

7. Kennedy Lucas ’23 played Asaka in Once on this Island, Jr. at the Stages Theatre Company in March. This was Kennedy’s sixth and final show at Stages. Pictured in Breck’s October 2022 production of Spamalot.

10

4

6

5

7

8

8. Breck Upper School and Middle School students had great success at the Twin Cities Regional Science Fair (TCRSF), including: Mina Adabag ’23, who took first place for her TCRSF paper; Ava Jaffe ’23 and Romy Peterson ’23, who took first place for the Minnesota in North Central Regional Junior Sciences and Humanities Symposium (JSHS) and advanced to the National JSHS competition in Virginia Beach, Virginia; Sarah Peterson ’23, who advanced to the International Science and Engineering Fair (ISEF), held in Dallas, Texas; and Noah DeMichaelis ’24, Will McNally ’24, and Sam Bae ’24, who were selected as alternates to ISEF. Sarah, Noah, Will, and Sam are pictured at ISEF this spring. In addition, Upper School Science Teacher Kati Kragtorp also won the TCRSF Teacher of Excellence Award!

9. In February, students in grades 3 and 4 participated in Jump Rope for the Heart, where they jumped rope to raise $9,792.97 for First Nations Kitchen in Minneapolis.

11

9

10. At the MN State Science and Engineering Fair this spring, Mina Adabag ’23 received the Seagate Rising Star Award; Ava Jaffe ’23 and Romy Peterson ’23 were awarded first alternates to the International Science and Engineering Fair; Trisha Samba ’23 and Amira Sinclair ’23 (pictured) received a Gold Award (signifying the top 5 percent of all projects); Sydney McDaniel ’23 received a Bronze award (signifying the top 25 percent of all projects); and Finn Emerson ’25 earned the Science Museum’s Science Communication Award.

10

11. Dean of Equity Jordan Zickermann, Chaske Weston ’24, and Gia Strom ’24 received a travel grant through the Steven’s World Peace Foundation to attend the 5th Annual Hawai’i DEI Conference in February. At the conference, they explored how Indigeneity is felt, understood, and explored in educational spaces.

12

13

12. Will Walker ’23 was part of just 4 percent of applicants who were chosen to receive the prestigious Morehead-Cain scholarship at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.

This award is akin to the esteemed Rhodes Scholarship at Oxford University in England.

Will joins two Breck alums who also received this incredible opportunity: Claire Drysdale ’14 and Boatemaa Agyeman-Mensah ’20.

13. Breck’s kindergarten team — Amy Dornbach, Kerry Marshall, Liz Schoenborn, and Marcy Wegner — attended the Plain Talk for Literacy and Learning Conference in New Orleans, which is put on by the Center for Literacy and Learning. This conference provides educators with the opportunity to learn from leading experts in literacy and attend evidence-based reading research and strategy breakout sessions.

11

123 NEWS

14. More than 50 Lower School students participated in this year’s Pi Day Competition. The student in each class with the highest digits of pi accurately recited from memory got to pie a Breck faculty or staff member in the face! Haley Boksberger ’31 (pictured) recited 161 digits, Ben Nagle ’33 recited 120 digits, and Luc Joseph-Fredericks ’32 recited 107 digits.

15. Renn Kasparek ’30, Tara Kumar ’30, Kinaari Shah ’30, Rowan Kingsley ’28, Malachi Ogato ’28, Adele Sinkula ’28, and Alexis Snyder ’27 were selected to participate in the American Choral Directors Association of Minnesota (ACDA-MN) Honors Choir.

14

15

16. Last winter, Breck’s Middle School Math Team took first place in their division and fourth place in the state competition.

17. Romy Peterson ’23 received a National Honorable Mention from the Minnesota Aspirations in Computing Awards Program within the National Center for Women and Information Technology. She is one of 10 Minnesota high school students who received this honor.

18. Breck violinist Vladimir Tsiper ’25 received a number of accolades this winter, including winning the Mariellen Jacobson Award and being named a top 12 finalist in the Young People's Concerto Competition at Orchestra Hall; receiving the Bill Koutsky Award at the Richard Record Rising Stars Concerto Competition; and winning the West Central Division of the Minnesota Music Teachers Association competition in the Senior Strings Performance category.

Vladimir also made his Orchestra Hall debut in April as a soloist performing the Khachaturian Violin Concerto with the Minnesota Youth Symphonies.

19. For the first time in 10 years, BATO BATO!, Breck’s marimba band, released a new album titled Knock on Wood. Students were involved in the arranging, teaching, producing, and post-production of the album.

The beautiful album artwork was created by Amira Sinclair ’23, and the album kicks off with some of the voices of the Class of 2036 from Mr. Ty Thayer’s preschool class.

16

17

18

19

20

20. Sammy Rucker ’25 3D printed art that was on display alongside the “Eternal Offerings: Chinese Ritual Bronzes” exhibit at the Minneapolis Institute of Art this spring.

21. In April, the Breck Singers sang the national anthem at the Minnesota Twins vs. Houston Astros baseball game at Target Field.

12

21

21. All seven of Breck’s 2022–23 National Merit Scholarship Program Semifinalists this year were named National Merit Finalists. Congratulations to Eva Breiland ’23, Floria Elliot ’23, Sarah Feng ’23, John Gorman ’23, Sarah Peterson ’23, Trisha Samba ’23, and Kendall White ’23 on this incredible achievement.

22. Evan Johnstone ’24 was a finalist for the Dean’s List First Robotics competition and traveled to Houston in April for the awards ceremony.

21

22

23. In May, Native American students and their families performed in the annual all-school Native American Gathering, which featured drumming, singing, dancing, and other traditions. This year for the first time, the event was held in the Anderson Gym. 24. Renn Kasparek ’30, Tara Kumar ’30, and Kinaari Shah ’30 performed with the MN ACDA 4-5-6 All-State Honor Choir in late April. The three are pictured with their choir teacher, Ms. Sharon Mazion.

25. Lena Spirn ’28 received a third place award in prose and an honorable mention in photography in the Keren Or (Ray of Light) Creative Arts Contest this spring. Leah Smith ‘26 also won a third place award in poetry.

23

24

25

26

27

26. Caroline Rathke ’30 (pictured) competed in the International Geography Bee and the U.S. Geography Championships in Arlington, Virginia.

She placed 78th overall for fifth grade students in the Geography Competition and 29th in the U.S. Geography Championships Exam. Mira Ripley ’29 also qualified for the International Academic National Championship Competition. Vihaan Agnihotri ’29 and Kelly Armstrong ’28 competed at the Minnesota Regional Final alongside Caroline and Mira.

27. This spring, 25 students from the Classes of 2023 and 2024 were inducted into Breck’s Cum Laude Society. The Cum Laude Society has a rich history and high standards, and membership in the Society is the highest academic honor awarded to students at Breck. Congratulations to: Lilliana Ahluwalia ’23, Max Aronson ’24, Samuel Bae ’24, Yvonne Frerichs ’23, Zachary Furman ’23, Henry Gaillard ’24, Dureti Gamada ’23, Noah Getnick ’24, John Gorman ’23, Anna Iordanoglou ’24, Ava Jaffe ’23, Ciara Kinney ’23, Daniela Kroul ’23, Petra Lyon ’23, Witt Mehbod ’24, Ivy Miller ’24, Noa Mor ’23, Corinne Moran ’24, Meghan Moy ’24, Enrico Petto ’24, Amira Sinclair ’23, Kimi Tanaka ’23, Olivia Teeter ’23, Ava Warford ’23, and Annika Wilson ’24.

Not pictured: Annual Giving Director Susan Cossette has work forthcoming in Fast Fallen Women, an anthology of personal essays published

by Woodhall Press.

13

DIVISION HIGHLIGHT

CREATING PATHWAYS TO LIVING WELL Middle School adds Outdoor Education to the wellness block rotation.

Breck’s campus extends far beyond the walls of the physical school building. With 52 acres of naturally rich landscape just steps away, the Middle School team saw an opportunity to use the surrounding environment to enhance the learning experience for their students. This year, after years of ideating and dreaming about what learning outdoors might look like in Middle School, Outdoor Education finally began.

Outdoor Education is now part of the rotating wellness block. Every two weeks, Middle School students rotate between health, physical education, Project Adventure, and Outdoor Education. The curriculum is about more than just learning outside; it is about being introduced to, understanding, and appreciating and caring for our natural world.

“Going outside and playing Ultimate Frisbee can live in a different class,” says Middle School Director Sky Fauver. “Outdoor Education is really about understanding one’s natural surroundings — understanding everything from how our campus is

14

structured to how we’re in a watershed area and what that means.”

Outdoor Education also connects to Breck’s commitment to social responsibility by helping students develop a respectful relationship with their environment. Middle School students have the opportunity to partner with local community partnerships with an environmental focus, too, like Urban Boat Builders. (Learn more on the next page.)

“Social responsibility includes how we treat Mother Earth and our greater community,” Fauver says. “We are in an outdoor-rich region here in the Twin Cities, and to attach a level of appreciation and provide opportunities for our students to identify with themselves in the outdoors is something that we want to be able to focus on.”

The Middle School team hopes to use what they’ve learned in their first year of Outdoor Ed to build upon the curriculum and enhance outdoor experiences for Breck Middle School students for years to come.

CANOE BUILDING WITH URBAN BOAT BUILDERS This spring as part of Outdoor Education, Middle School students had the opportunity to build two canoes with the help of Urban Boat Builders, a local nonprofit whose mission is to “empower youth to succeed in work and life through woodworking and experiential learning.”

Students built these boats from start to finish, and they will hopefully be used by the Breck community for years to come.

Students are pictured below working with Urban Boat Builders throughout the canoe-building process and left canoeing on their finished product.

Three Questions with Forrest Theisen, Outdoor Education Instructor 1. How did the first year of Outdoor Ed go?

The program is still very much in development.

It has been a year of seeing what Outdoor Ed means at Breck and to the community here.

I see Outdoor Ed as being a way to tie a lot of pieces of wellness together: healthy living, adventure-based education, team building, and also individual development and independence in the outdoors. I hope that it can become very interdisciplinary, and even bring in content that students are learning about in other classes as well. For example, we built canoes in Outdoor Ed, and I know with Mr. Migely in sixth grade history students learned a little bit about the history of birch bark canoes and how they have played an important role in this area. There’s a lot of opportunity, and we’re still honing our focus in the program.

2. Why is it important that Middle School students participate in a program like Outdoor Ed? Our program is not going to lead every single one of our Middle School students to become an avid outdoors person — that’s not the goal. We’re hoping to expose students to many pathways to living well; outdoor recreation, outdoor fitness, and outdoor skills are one path to that.

There are students who are uncomfortable in the woods, and students who are scared to be outside because of bees and insects. As they’re developing those thoughts and opinions about the world around them, we hope that they can have the confidence to be able to go out there and explore. We don’t want their fears to hold them back. We want them to have the confidence and the resilience to be able to meet challenges, overcome them, and accomplish whatever their goals are.

3. How is Breck’s Outdoor Ed program unique?

The fact that we are administering an Outdoor Ed program to every single Middle School student — 400 students! — and doing it within the school day is really unique. You usually see Outdoor Ed programs in other schools as co-curricular: after school, weekends, or overnight trips. We believe that every student deserves these kinds of opportunities, so we’re really trying to make that happen during the school day. We are trying to leverage the incredible campus that we have here and really think about where Breck lies in the world and the environment around us. B

15

DANCING THROUGH BRECK The Dance Program at Breck gives students the opportunity to learn who they are — on and off the stage.

It’s an hour before the biannual Breck Dance Program showcase. In the dance room, the feeling is electric.

in our program to have a voice to express their desires, hopes, and dreams.”

“The hour before you perform, you’re standing in the dance room and everyone gets in this giant circle,” says Ari Leventhal ’23, Upper School dance captain. “We’re all just looking at each other, thinking ‘We’re gonna do this. Even though it’s really scary, we’re gonna do it — together.’ That’s the best feeling ever.”

Building confidence

That camaraderie rings true to Calvin Ansari ’23, another Upper School dance captain who has been involved in dance at Breck since fifth grade. “During the dance concert, even when we’re not performing, we’re backstage, still supporting our dancers as much as we possibly can,” he says. “I think that’s pretty indicative of the whole dance program: everyone supporting each other all the time.”

The school’s dance program lives into Breck’s mission and values, and students who go through the program embody the school’s values in the studio, on the stage, and in how they move through the world.

“We are committed to helping students tell their stories through movement and dance,” says Breck Dance Program Director Risa Cohen (pictured center above, teaching in Breck’s dance studio). “We want all students

16

Cohen has been running Breck’s dance program since 2007. Beginning in fifth grade, students have the opportunity to learn modern dance techniques, foundational ballet skills, and original choreography during the school day. Each semester culminates in a showcase, where students from each class perform two dances in two different styles. Upper School dancers can submit original choreography for consideration in each show as well.

But the program itself is so much more than just the end of semester performance. Students learn who they are as learners and people through dance.

“Our dance program embraces all dancers and movers, and we strive for excellence and rigor,” says Cohen. “My goal is to make sure all students feel really confident and really good about being in their bodies to move and tell stories.”

Ansari appreciates that dance gives him the unique opportunity at school to exercise both his body and his mind. “It’s a really nice break in the day to get up, move around, explore your body, and explore your feelings,”

PROGRAM HIGHLIGHT

he says. “That’s something you can’t really get anywhere else during the school day.”

Dancing also helps students build confidence through healthy risk taking and getting outside their comfort zone. The dance studio is a safe place to try new things and learn new things — and to fail and try again.

“One of the great things about dance, especially here at Breck, is that there’s a lot of risk taking: There’s an emotional risk. There’s a physical risk. And there’s obviously an immense mental risk,” says Cohen.

“Students here at Breck are really curious about exploring things outside of their comfort zone. And they can do that through dance.”

Gemma Schmidt ’27, who participates in dance at Breck and outside of school, recognizes the dance environment at Breck feels different than at other places.

“Ms. Cohen makes it a safe space for her students. She says, ‘I’m going to do things that embarrass me; you’re going to do things that embarrass you. It’s all fun, and we’re all learning.’” says Schmidt. “You just get to be who you are. And it’s very fun to express yourself.”

Beyond the studio Leventhal began dancing at Breck in seventh grade and understands how her participation in the program has helped shape who she is outside of dance. “No matter what level you’re at, you’re still dancing and allowing yourself to be vulnerable,” she says. That vulnerability allows you to grow. Leventhal will continue to study dance next year in college.

With the support of the larger dance community, students are able to push themselves — and one another — to grow. As a Middle School dancer, Schmidt loves that she has older students in the program, like Leventhal, she can look up to. Next year as a ninth grade student, she will be able to dance alongside those mentors.

“It really is a great environment: supportive, helpful, and encouraging,” Schmidt says. “Getting an opportunity to work with the people who I’ve idolized for so long is surreal.”

Breck’s dance program is one of the many ways Breck students have the opportunity to learn about themselves and the world around them. And it is through these experiences that they are able to go into the world confident leaders ready to make a positive impact on the world.

“Students often come into my class stressed, exhausted, and full of anxiety. I love that they leave feeling relaxed, creative, confident, secure, and empowered,” says Cohen. “I love seeing what dance does to them. If students feel uplifted and confident and empowered, they bring that out into our community.” B

17

ATHLETICS

SPORTS NEWS

WINTER 2023

Consistent with our mission, Breck provides a comprehensive and competitive athletic program that 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.

Winter Highlight: Breck/Blake Boys Swim and Dive are State Champions for the seventh consecutive year.

The boys swim and dive team had another stellar year. They won all of their dual meets as well as both the Class A True Team Section Meet and the Class A True Team State Meet. In addition, they won the Section 2A Championship for the 13th consecutive year, and Jack Schurtz-Ford ’23 was the Section 2A Swimmer of the Year.

The team went on to win the Class A State Championship for the 7th consecutive year. Schurtz-Ford became a state champion with the 200 yard medley relay, in the 100 yard freestyle, in the 100 yard backstroke, and with the 400 yard freestyle relay. Andrew Colgan ’24 became a state champion with the 200 yard freestyle relay; he also took third place in the 200 yard individual medley and second place in the 100 yard breaststroke. Ivars Emerson ’23 took fourth place in the 100 yard backstroke. SchurtzFord won Automatic All-American times for the 200 yard medley relay and the 400 yard freestyle relay.

Colgan, Emerson, and Schurtz-Ford all received All State awards. Team awards went to Luqmaan Peer ’26 (MIP), Emerson (Mustanger), and Schurtz-Ford (MVP). Next year, the team will be led by captains Colgan and Chaske Weston ’24.

18

Boys Basketball The boys basketball team had a great season and took second place in the IMAC Conference. Both the JV and Varsity teams were champions of the Crosby-Ironton Tournament in December. The team defeated talented teams such as Brooklyn Center, Chisholm, Redwood Valley, Jordan, Southwest Christian, and Mound Westonka. Kevin Armstrong ’24 and Miles Newton ’25 won All Conference Honorable Mention awards. Hanif Muhammad ’24, Waziri Lawal ’23, and Will Walker ’23 won All Conference honors.

Team awards went to Teddy Koch ’25 (MIP), Muhammad (MVP), Michael Sweeney ’24 (Mustanger). Next year’s team will be led by captains Muhammad, Newton, and Sweeney.

Girls Basketball The girls basketball team had notable wins against Blake, St. Paul Academy, Edison, and Eagle Ridge. The team hosted the first round of the Section 5AA Tournament and defeated Minneapolis North.

Noelle Murray ’23 and Sophie Welsh ’25 won All Conference Honorable Mention awards. Catherine Walker ’25 received All Conference honors. Team awards went to Maria Rohlfsen ’26 (MIP), Welsh (Mustanger), and Walker (MVP). Next year’s team will be led by captains Corinne Moran ’24, Walker, and Welsh.

Boys Hockey The boys hockey team worked hard, improved throughout the season, and had a lot of one goal games. The team defeated Proctor, Marshall School, Mound Westonka, St. Cloud Crush, Rochester Lourdes, Southwest Christian, and St. Paul Academy. Ben Amato ’25, Zach Huotari ’24, Luke Kern ’23, and Nate Miller ’24 won All Conference Honorable Mention awards. Drew Blake ’23 received an All Conference award. Team awards went to Liam Devlin ’24 (Polly Cavanaugh), Colton Engelsma ’24 (MIP), Blake (Mustanger) and Miller (MVP). Next year’s team will be led by captains Miller, Ollie Kadue ’24, Huotari, and Erik Nordseth ’24.

Girls Hockey The girls hockey team gained a lot of experience and improved as the season continued. The team defeated Visitation, Armstrong/ Cooper, Delano, Waconia and Luverne, Northern Tier, and Pine City. Senior goalie Sarah Peterson ’23 collected her 2,000th save this year and was named one of the top five goalies in the state for Senior Goalie of the Year. Taylor Berman ’25, Emerson Milchman ’24 Lauren Strothman ’24, and Katie Theissen ’24 won All Conference Honorable Mention awards. Berman, Peterson, and Maggie Wallander ’26 won All Conference awards. Team awards went to Wallander (MIP), Mackenzie Abbott ’24 (Mustanger), Peterson (MVP). Peterson was also nominated as the team’s Hobey Baker award winner and was nominated All State Honorable Mention. Next year, the team will be led by Kayla MacKinnon ’24, Milchman, Strothman, and Theissen.

19

ATHLETICS

Gymnastics The gymnastics team improved their skills this year and won a few meets while competing against some of the top teams in the state. They took fourth place at the Breck Luau Invite and second place at the Section Meet with their season high score.

At the Section Meet, Emi Fabrega ’26 finished in 10th place in the all-around and seventh on beam. Sarah Fishbein ’23 finished in 10th place on bars and ninth place in the all-around.

Hannah Cavanaugh ’26 took 10th place on vault, and Cayla Cavanaugh ’26 took seventh place on bars. Cata Fabrega ’27 took sixth place on bars and beam. Anika Golla ’25 finished in first place on floor, and in the All-Around competition, she took second place on vault, fourth on bars, and third on beam.

C. Fabrega (bars) and Golla (all-around) qualified for the Class A State Individual Meet. Golla finished in 12th place in the all-around. C. Cavanaugh (beam) and Golla (all-around) won All Section awards. Golla (vault, bars, floor, and all-around) won an All State award. The team qualified for All American recognition, and Golla (vault, floor, and all-around) received individual All American recognition. Team awards went to H. Cavanaugh (MIP), C. Cavanaugh (Mustanger), and Golla (MVP). The captains will be determined next year.

Alpine Ski The alpine ski team had a good showing in the IMAC. The girls team took third place; Emi Colianni ’27 took ninth place, and Annie Grossman ’26 took 10th. The boys team took second place overall; Tripp Beltz ’24 took first place, and Wyatt Birdsong ’23 took second place. Beltz finished seventh in the Section 5 meet and qualified to participate in the State Meet at Giant’s Ridge, where he took 36th place out of 88 skiers. Beltz and Charleston Harvath ’23 won All Conference Honorable Mention awards. W. Birdsong won an All Conference award.

Team awards went to Harvath and Svea Frantzich ’25 (MIP), Henry Gaillard ’24 and Eva Breiland ’23 (Mustanger), and W. Birdsong and Stella Birdsong ’26 (MVP). Next year, the team will be led by captains Will Adkisson ’24, Beltz, Aidan Bispala ’24, Gaillard, Frances Strahan ’24, and Ruby Wold ’25.

Nordic Ski The nordic ski team competed well against the other IMAC teams. In the IMAC Conference race, Josh Frett ’25 took second place, Lilia Yorkhall ’24 took eighth place, and Jackson Garrison ’24 took 10th place. Frett finished in fifth place at the Section Meet and qualified for the State Meet at Giant’s Ridge, where he finished 25th out of 112 racers. Garrison won an All Conference Honorable Mention award, and Frett and Yorkhall won All Conference awards. Team awards went to Anna Harrington ’27 and Thomas Dill ’26 (MIP), Yorkhall and Garrison (Mustanger), and Esme Gulbransen ’25 and Frett (MVP). Next year, the team will be led by captains Sevi Adrian ’25, Garrison, Elin Wellmann ’24, and Yorkhall. B

20

MUSTANGS ON THE MOVE Twelve members of the Class of 2023 will go on to play sports in college at both NCAA Division I and Division III schools. Good luck next year to: Madry Breazeale

Harris Gulbransen

Eva Breiland

Alden Keller

Cece Cohen

Georgia LeWin-Mills

Maggie Drawz

Maggie Ott

Erin Duggan

Sarah Peterson

Meagan Englert

Jack Schurtz-Ford

Swimming, Claremont McKenna College Soccer, Johns Hopkins University Rowing, University of Kansas Soccer, Worcester Polytechnic Institute Lacrosse, Rutgers University Swimming, Colby College

Track and Field and Cross Country, Tufts University Track and Field and Cross Country, Duke University Soccer, Macalester College Lacrosse, University of Puget Sound Hockey, Bowdoin College Swimming, Colgate University

21

ATHLETICS

SPORTS NEWS

SPRING 2023

Winter Highlight: Boys tennis doubles team of Braeden Barkmeier ’23/Paddy Greene ’24 won the Class A State Consolation Championship.

The boys tennis team won the Section 2A championship and sent John Gorman ’23 and doubles team Braeden Barkmeier ’23/ Paddy Greene ’24 to the Singles/ Doubles Class A State Tournament.

Barkmeier/Greene won the Consolation Championship.

Gorman, Greene, and Enrico Petto ’24 won All-Conference awards. Barkmeier won an AllConference Honorable Mention award. Team awards went to Petto (Mustanger), Gorman (MIP), and Gorman (MVP). Next year, the team will be led by captains Greene and Petto.

22

Baseball This year, the Mustangs won the IMAC Conference!

At the Section Tournament, they were placed in the consolation bracket after winning their first game but losing their second. They defeated top teams Southwest Christian, Central Public Schools, and Rockford before falling in a close game to Litchfield in the Section semifinal game. Ben Amato ’25, Max Aronson ’24, Tommy Belman ’24, Liam Cavanaugh ’25, Nate Miller ’24, and Colin Mitchell ’25 won All-Conference Awards. Drew Blake ’23 and Garrett Trench ’26 won All-Conference Honorable Mention awards. Team awards went to Aronson (Mustanger), Cavanaugh (MIP), and Belman and Mitchell (MVP). Next year, the team will be led by captains Aronson, Belman, Miller, and Mitchell.

Softball The softball team saw participation rise this season and worked hard amidst a tough schedule with multiple weather-related cancellations and reschedules. Marit Everett ’27 and Maria Rohlfsen ’26 won All-Conference awards. Tori Born ’25 and Sarah Fishbein ’23 won All-Conference Honorable Mention awards. Team awards went to Andi Hernández ’23 (Mustanger), Avital Krebs ’26 (MIP), and Rohlfsen (MVP). Next year, the team will be led by captains Born, Parker Jones ’25, and Rohlfsen.

Boys Golf The boys golf team was undefeated in the regular season! Mark Hofer ’25, Jax Julkowski ’25, and Teddy Koch ’25 won All-Conference awards. Sam Adkisson ’23, Ollie Kadue ’24, and Ford Stofer ’27 won Honorable Mention awards. Team awards went to Jack Drawz ’25 (Mustanger), Hofer and Julkowski (MIP), and Koch (MVP). Next year, the team will be led by captain Koch.

Girls Golf The girls golf team was undefeated in the regular season. They took second place in the IMAC Conference and at the Section Tournament. Selena Qiao ’26 qualified for the Class AA State Tournament. Erika Fehr ’23, Sophie Layman ’27, and Qiao won AllConference awards. Torrin Luoma ’26 won an AllConference Honorable Mention award. Qiao was also named All State. Team awards went to Fehr and Sarah Peterson ’23 (Mustanger), Layman and Nora Oberlies ’25 (MIP), and Qiao (MVP). Next year, the team will be led by captains Luoma, Oberlies, and Qiao.

23

ATHLETICS

Boys Lacrosse The boys lacrosse team saw participation rise this year and worked hard throughout the season with a young team. The team is looking toward a bright future as the majority of the team will return next season. Wyatt Birdsong ’23 and Henry McMullin ’23 won All-Conference awards. Team awards went to Birdsong (Mustanger), Chase Wilkinson ’26 (MIP), and Birdsong (MVP). Next year, the team will be led by captains Sam Bae ’24, Nick Berney ’24, Tripp Beltz ’24, and Max Snyder ’24.

Girls Lacrosse The girls lacrosse team had a very positive team culture of kindness and caring and never gave up! They had amazing come-from-behind wins over Mahtomedi and Eastview/Eagan.

Erin Duggan ’23 and Petra Lyon ’23 received All-Conference awards. Witt Mehbod ’24 and Maggie Ott ’23 received All-Conference Honorable Mention awards. Team awards went to Mehbod (Mustanger), Madison Dovenberg ’26 (MIP), and Duggan (MVP). Next year, the team will be led by captains Mehbod and Sophie Welsh ’25.

Track and Field The track and field team ended the season by sending seven state qualifiers in five individual events and two relays to the MSHSL Class A State Meet: Maggie Mixon ’24, Amelia Bras ’23, Svea Frantzich ’25, and Lulu McGarry ’26 in the 4 x 100 and 4 x 200; Esme Gulbransen ’25 in the 3,200m; Alden Keller ’23 in the 1,600m, where he took third place, and the 3,200m, where he took fifth place; McGarry in the 200m dash, where she took eighth place; and Annabelle Ellenbogen ’26 in the 800m and the 1600m, where she took sixth place. The girls team also took second place at the IMAC Relay Meet. Bras, Jackson Croom ’25, Ellenbogen, Patrick Eyres ’25, Frantzich, Harris Gulbransen ’23, Keller, McGarry, and Mixon won All-Conference awards. E. Gulbransen, Noelle Murray ’23, and Ezra Satran ’25 won All-Conference Honorable Mention Awards.

Team awards went to Samantha Dvorak ’25 and H. Gulbransen (Mustanger), McGarry and Eyers (MIP), and Ellenbogen and Keller (MVP).

Next year, the team will be led by captains Dvorak, Eyers, Jackson Garrison ’24, and Cori Thibodeaux ’24. B

24

25

All photos by 1000 Words Photography

Middle School Spring Musical Breck Theater presented Frozen JR. on May 19–21, 2023.

26

CY R A NO

Upper School Spring Musical Breck Theater presented Cyrano on March 9–11, 2023.

27

STAFF APPRECIATION DAY

STAFF APPRECIATION DAY 2023 Congratulations to the following faculty and staff members who were recognized at this year’s Staff Appreciation Day chapel:

Master Teacher One of Breck’s greatest and rarest distinctions is that of Master Teacher. This year, Breck awarded Kim Schafer, fourth grade teacher, the honor of Master Teacher.

The Jean Wigley Award The Jean Wigley Award was established in 2001–02

by Michael and Barbara Wigley, parents of Breck alumni, in memory of Mr. Wigley’s mother, Jean, who was known for her giving nature and strong belief in the goodness of people. In 2023, Breck presented the Wigley Award to Brian Trussell, science department chair.

Faculty Chairs Breck bestows two Faculty Chairs awards each year. The Faculty Chair program gives outstanding faculty members funds to pursue professional development projects over the course of their three-year terms. This prestigious honor is made possible by the generosity of families who have made major gifts to Breck.

This year, Stacy Moore (above left), third grade teacher, received the Lee and Penny Anderson Family Foundation Faculty Chair. Ashley Kieger (above right), Middle School Spanish teacher, received the the Carl and Eloise Pohlad Family Faculty Chair.

28

Mustang Yearbook Dedication

Ernest Campbell Award Faculty and staff members vote for one of their colleagues who demonstrates “self-giving love” for Breck. This year’s Ernest Campbell award winner was Head Chaplain and Director of Community Life Alexis Kent.

Students chose to dedicate edition 80 of the Mustang yearbook to English Department Chair Cynthia Lotze.

2023–24 Sabbatical Upper School French Teacher and World Languages Department Chair Sébastien Saunoi-Sandgren will spend his sabbatical year focusing on writing an original novice-level French language reader that focuses on equity, diversity, and representation; reconnecting with and expanding his critical understanding of Francophone culture by traveling to and studying in France and Morocco; and reigniting his love of running by training for and running the Paris Marathon.

Years of Service Awards

10-Year Service Awards:

Madison Austad ’09, Lee Dunn, Gretchen Scherer-Luebke, Kate Starns

20-Year Service Awards:

Melita Anderson, Megan Lee, Leah Malec, Stan Michaelis

30-Year Service Awards: Annette Bruscino, Barbara Jacobs-Smith, Elizabeth Powers-Dempsey ’89

29

RETIREES

COMMITTED TO OUR COMMUNITY The Breck community wishes well five beloved faculty and staff members as they embark on their next adventure: retirement. Please join us in thanking these individuals for their collective 128 years of service to our school!

Barbara Jacobs-Smith

Michal Sagar

What I love about Breck I love so many things. I love that there are preschool children all the way through 12th grade; I can see my little third graders or second graders as they graduate.

That is the best. I love the community. When you’re at your highs, everyone at Breck celebrates and supports you, and then when you’re at your very lowest, they absolutely rally around you to help you in whatever way is best for you. People really love each other here.

I also really love teaching and working with children.

I love working hard for the benefit of my classroom and students — knowing what they need and where they’re going. I also love collaborating with my fellow teachers on how to do our craft best for children.

Favorite Breck project In 2001, a Lower School parent donated a box of large paper maps. At the time, I had been doing a project with my students where I had them do a life-size self portrait from direct observation. I thought the maps would be a great substrate. So it’s a self-portrait on a map, with aspects of the map that show through. That project has gone on every year since 2001; it’s one of my favorite projects, and the students look forward to it. They are drawing who they are, or where they would like to go, or how they envision themselves.

It’s a project that is psychologically, emotionally, and intellectually really poignant and pertinent to the moment of their life. It’s the project that students who I have now will say, “I saw those portraits up and always thought about what I would do when I got to do that project.”

Third Grade Teacher At Breck since 1993

Favorite thing to teach at Breck I love the science curriculum at Breck and the fact that we take a deep dive into one curricular area.

For instance, in third grade, it’s phenology, which is looking for changes in nature because of seasons and climates. I love that we get to go outside to 52 acres of incredible spaces. There are wetlands, grassy areas, the ponds. There are so many different places you can take children to see different kinds of creatures and plants and trees. It is a target rich environment for teaching about the environment and nature. I also love that in third grade I can really teach the thing I love, which is birding in nature.

30

Visual Arts Department Chair At Breck since 1996

What I will miss most about Breck I think of the art room as my place of magic. It’s a place where I’ve been able to be part of fostering creative energy with young people. I will miss being able to work with young people in a creative way that is open to not only the material of art but to the spirit of it. The most interesting thing is when a student comes to understand the lesson behind the lesson — that there isn’t just one way to do something; that your imagination is a resource you have. You can’t find it on your phone. It’s in you. It’s in the world. It’s how you connect with nature, with our cosmos. That’s going to be hard to leave. That’s the best part.

Dale Siewert

Marcy Wegner

Marcia Novatney

At the All Staff Closing Chapel in June, Dale was awarded an honorary Breck diploma for his years of service to our community.

Dale earned a GED after he left high school before graduation to serve in the U.S. Air Force.

What I love about Breck I feel incredibly blessed to have gotten to work here and have most of my career here. I know how special this school is having been in public school for 10 years. It’s just a really magical place. And I know it sounds corny, because I know everyone says this, but I love the community here. I love being able to see my kindergarteners grow up and graduate, and I love being able to stay connected to them the whole time they’re here. I love that they come back to visit me — to say hi and hang out for a little bit.

You just can’t manufacture that. I won’t get to really see my current kindergarteners grow up, and I think that will be sad.

Favorite Breck memory When I worked in Upper School, the students chose me to participate in their homecoming. Every year they pick two adults to crown the homecoming king and queen, and that year, they chose me to crown the king and the head chaplain at the time to crown the queen. I felt honored that they chose me. We got dressed up and walked down the aisle with two of the students from Lower School. The king and queen who won were so excited. It was so fun and very memorable.

Chief Engineer At Breck since 1997

Favorite Breck memory About 15 years ago, I was called to one of the old science rooms. In those rooms, they had glass traps underneath the sinks. That day, the students were washing out the fishbowl, and the fish accidentally went down the trap and stayed there. You could see it because it was glass. So I pulled the trap apart and retrieved the fish. And it lived for another year or so after that!

I remember that day Jake Miller, the former biology teacher, asked me, “Mr. Siewert, you really like a challenge, don’t you?” And yeah, I do!

What I love about Breck I love working with all the different departments and all the different faculty and staff. It’s always a team effort, and we all take pride in what we do. As Breck’s chief engineer, you never know what one day to the next will bring. For example, I might be repairing the pipe organ, providing trend logs of space conditions for science projects, taking out a smoking quilt after getting burned by the sun’s rays through a snow globe, building a bottle rocket launcher for a science project, or joining in the Winterfest concert honoring veterans like I did this past November. Every day is different.

Kindergarten Teacher At Breck since 2000

Favorite Breck tradition I think my most favorite day in kindergarten is when the gingerbread men run away. It’s at the beginning of the year, and the kids want so badly to believe in the magic. Some of them are a little savvy and think they know it’s not real. “They didn’t really run away,” they’ll say. “Somebody took them out of the oven.” One year, I had a boy in my class say to his classmates, “People, can’t we just have the magic of kindergarten?”

It was hilarious. But I think that encapsulates kindergarten well: the magic of it all.

Administrative Assistant At Breck since 2001

What I will miss most about Breck I have learned a lot being part of this community, and I truly believe I have become a better person for being here. I will miss so many things. One thing I will miss is the open and honest conversations that people have here. And that being open and honest is the norm! I love that you can be in a conversation with someone and say something, and they’ll say, “I disagree.” There’s an underlying respect and trust that we can all share and learn from one another. I love that about Breck. And I think that is connected to another thing I will miss: the overall acceptance of people here. Breck celebrates each individual person for who they are. I will miss being surrounded by that. B

31

RETIREES

MAKING AN IMPACT

(PART 2)

With a Breck education as their guidepost, Breck alumnae have made their mark on the world.

32

On the 50th reunion year of the Class of 1972, Breck celebrated the women who graduated and, with their graduation, helped our school return to its foundational mission of coeducation. Since 1972, Breck has graduated thousands of women and men who have used their Breck education to make a difference in the world.

In this issue, we recognize five alumnae from the last five decades — Rachel Hardeman ’98, Taylor McCanna ’12, Rachel (Kordonowy) McGarry ’91, Allison O’Toole ’89, and Jolawn (Richardson) Victor ’99 — who have become trailblazers in their fields. From public health to STEM to business, the arts, and nonprofit work, these women have paved the way — thanks in part to their Breck education.

This article is a follow up to the winter 2023 Today at Breck article “Making an impact (part 1),” where we highlighted five current and former faculty and staff members who made a significant impact at Breck.

WOMEN AT BRECK

CHANGEMAKER A conversation with Rachel Hardeman ’98

» Blue Cross Endowed Professor in Health and Racial Equity, Division of Health Policy and Management, University of Minnesota School of Public Health » Founding Director, Center for Antiracism Research for Health Equity (CARHE), University of Minnesota School of Public Health As a Breck alum, 2020 Distinguished Alumni Award recipient, current parent to Leila ’31, and Board of Trustees member, Rachel Hardeman ’98 is a familiar face within the Breck community. Her notoriety, however, extends far beyond Breck. She is a local community advocate, a national thought leader, an esteemed public health researcher, and an antiracism changemaker.

As the founding director of the Center for Antiracism Research for Health Equity (CARHE) at the University of Minnesota, Hardeman studies a critical and complex determinant of health inequity: racism. Her work links structural racism to health in tangible ways, identifies opportunities for intervention, and dismantles the systems, structures, and institutions that allow inequities to persist.

“As a leader and someone who truly believes that we will achieve racial justice, I refuse to grow numb,” says Hardeman.

“Structural racism is a public health crisis, but it is also a fixable problem!”

Hardeman earned a B.S. in chemistry from Xavier University of Louisiana and an M.P.H. in public health administration and policy and Ph.D. in health services research and policy from the University of Minnesota School of Public Health. Her Breck education is what started her on the path she’s on now, which is why she’s chosen to give back so much to the community as an alum. “I am honored to contribute to the Breck community,” she says.

What do you love about your job?

I always say that my ultimate goal is to manifest racial justice so that all women and girls — but particularly Black women and girls — get to live their full greatness and glory. The work of antiracism is fueled by love, and I personally am fueled by love for the Black women

and girls in my life, especially my daughter, my sister, my mother, and my grandmothers. That love keeps me working towards the collective goal of racial justice.

I feel incredible joy, pride, and hope to see my work contributing to broader change. When my research and legislative advocacy helps inform public policy, I know I’m building a better future for my daughter, and for all Black women and girls. When I see my mentees and junior colleagues innovating research methods and achieving new heights, I know I’ve done my part to pay forward the support I received as a scholar and support the next generation of changemakers.

In what ways do you think you’ve made an impact in your field?

I am incredibly proud of my impact on the field of public health research through the publication of many high-impact articles. These commentaries are important because they can guide and empower researchers across the field. I’m also proud of the opportunities I have had to translate my research to the lay public.

Whether it’s participating in Tracee Ellis Ross’s new podcast I Am America or being interviewed by National Public Radio about reproductive health, I value the opportunity to communicate research to the public in ways that are digestible.

I’m also incredibly proud of my advocacy work. At CARHE, one of our founding missions is narrative change. Racism, not race, is a fundamental cause of racial health inequities. I amplify that message in local and national media outreach, as part of expert

34

Photo by Chris Cooper

testimony to policymakers, and through talks I give across the country. If you keep your eyes and ears open, you’ll see and hear me, my colleagues, and my mentees speaking truth on racism in newspapers, on radio and podcasts, and even on TV.

no longer part of my day-to-day experience, much of what I learned in the halls and classrooms helped guide me through college and graduate school.

As a Breck student, my curiosity was embraced, and I was offered a safe space to ask questions and critically I’m probably most proud of the relationships I’ve reflect. These skills prepared me to be fearless when tackling some of society’s most vexing problems. cultivated with my local community. On-the-ground Simultaneously, Breck community organizations reinforced something that are the heart and soul of the work to achieve racial my parents instilled in justice, and I wouldn’t be me — to whom much is As a Breck student, my curiosity was given, much is required. where I am without their embraced, and I was offered a safe space to The expectation was and partnership. I do my best ask questions and critically reflect. is set at Breck that we to repay and pay-forward each have a role to play in this work, just as so many have done for me. and a contribution to make to our community. The work I do can’t be done alone; it is done as part of a wide community of diverse How do you think Breck prepared you for the work people, perspectives, and talents coming together to you do today? collectively build a better future. That also sums up Breck’s values and why our community is so engaged in I graduated from Breck in 1998 and headed out into the the work of changemaking. B world to continue to learn and grow. While Breck was

35

WOMEN AT BRECK

FROM DREAM TO REALITY A conversation with Taylor McCanna ’12

» Aerospace Engineer, Aircraft Operations Division, National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) The spring 2011 issue of Today at Breck featured the newly created Breck robotics team as they headed to the national competition: “‘It was really fun building a robot, but it was also fun building a team. And even though the work was intense, I made a lot of friends,’ says junior Taylor McCanna, who hopes to work for NASA someday.”

“Someday” is today for Taylor McCanna ’12, who has worked full-time for NASA’s Aircraft Operations Division for more than five years. After attending Purdue University, McCanna participated in a rotational internship program out of NASA’s Johnson Space Center in Houston, where she “fell in love with everything.” At the end of her internship, she was offered a full-time position.

Today, McCanna helps train astronauts using the same jets used in the Apollo days of the 1960s and 70s. “We manage the aircrafts — we keep them flying, keep them safe, and make any upgrades that need to happen with the aircraft,” she says. She is also trained as a flight test engineer and gets to fly backseat to test out the upgrades she’s helped design.

At Breck, McCanna developed the skills that make her successful in her job today. “I can’t say enough about how much I liked the teachers and how much I liked the environment,” she says. “Breck gave me a safe learning space to be a nerd.”

How do you think you’ve been able to get to where you are today?

Working at NASA was just a big dream. I didn’t expect to get here this fast. To be honest, this was kind of an end goal. I think I kept an open mind and did not discount any opportunity. My hope is to show that you can do hard things if you work really, really hard, even when the path is really difficult.

I am so incredibly thankful to be where I am today. I have big dreams, big ideas, and big goals, and I have excitement and passion. I might not always be the

smartest engineer in the room, but I know I’m going to work the hardest. I think I bring a different perspective to the table than the typical engineer. I love to work with people, and I love to think about the big picture. I think having a bigger mindset of tackling problems is something I can really contribute to my team.

What do you like about your job?

Every day is different and brings a new challenge that requires you to think on your feet and use all different parts of your brain. It’s so incredibly unique.

I like that my project is right there in front of me. I work in the hangar and in the airport, so I have the opportunity to see a project all the way from initial design concept to flight — that is very unique and very difficult to find in any other kind of engineering field.

A lot of times you’re just in charge of the design or just the improvement. It’s a very cool environment to be able to see the whole project from beginning to end.

I also love getting the opportunity to fly. Imagine going in a race car where you can flip and do spins. It’s incredibly exhilarating.

How has your Breck education impacted the work you do today?

I built a really good foundation at Breck that definitely helped me flourish afterwards. All of the opportunities at Breck that helped get me out of my shell were very beneficial — from robotics, to Advanced Science Research, to theater, even.

I helped found the robotics team, which is definitely a proud legacy of mine. Robotics gave me the confidence to be able to step into a STEM arena. It showed me an

36

open door and that my goal was not a pipe dream — I could actually do it.

me the communication skills that set me apart from my classmates and allowed me to show my passion and excitement for the space industry to potential I think what really refined my skills and gave me recruiters and employers. It still helps me today to the discipline I needed to get through college was communicate with different types of people. We the Advanced Science have mechanics, pilots, Research Program (ASR) engineers, people who with Lois Fruen (profiled work in quality and safety I built a really good foundation at Breck that in “Making an impact, — all these different (part 1)” Today at Breck, definitely helped me flourish afterwards. stakeholders who are winter 2023). very much interested in keeping our astronauts, Ms. Fruen would make fliers, and crew safe. It really takes someone with big you perfect your presentations and reports over and picture thinking to be able to bring them all together over again. Not only that, she asked us to explain the and sit down and accomplish the goal. B multiple facets of our research in different ways to make sure that other people understood. ASR gave

37

WOMEN AT BRECK

ALWAYS LEARNING

A conversation with Rachel (Kordonowy) McGarry ’91 » Elizabeth MacMillan Chair of European Art and Curator of European Paintings and Works on Paper, Minneapolis Institute of Art Rachel (Kordonowy) McGarry ’91 radiates an unparalleled passion for art. Incredibly knowledgeable with a deep appreciation for the history behind a piece of art, McGarry has organized numerous exhibitions in her more than 15 year career at the Minneapolis Institute of Art (Mia). Most recently, she curated an exhibition at Mia centered on Caravaggio’s Judith and Holofernes (c. 1599), on loan from the Gallerie Nazionali di Arte Antica in Rome.

After leaving Breck, McGarry earned her B.A. in art history from Colgate University and her M.A. and Ph.D. from the Institute of Fine Arts at New York University, specializing in Italian Renaissance and Baroque art.

McGarry’s favorite part about her job is researching and discovering new things about centuries-old works of art.

“There’s so much to learn still,” she says. Her curiosity and love of learning was ignited while McGarry was a student at Breck. Now the parent of Lulu ’26 and James ’22, McGarry understands on a new level how her Breck education set her up for success.

“Find your passion,” she advises. “Whatever it is, if you have a job where you really love what you’re doing, it’s not a job.”

What do you love about your job?

I love doing research. I have always loved that part of the job because I love learning something new every day. I also love that my job is so varied. Every day I come in with a big list of things I plan to do that day.

And then emails and projects and meetings come up, and I completely shift gears.

We get a lot of loan requests. So I work to figure out if a piece of work is stable enough to travel and if it’s an important enough project that would merit lending.

In addition to loan requests, we have dealers, galleries, and collectors constantly in touch about things they’re selling or things collectors might want to give us. So we have to assess the quality and what we would want for the collection. We really just want a few really important acquisitions every year, but we go through hundreds of things.

Our department is really big; I think we have approximately 50,000 objects that we’re caring for. One fun thing I love to do is bring things out of storage that haven’t been shown for a long time.

I love rediscovering things in storage, researching them, and getting to put them on view. In researching these pieces, you can find new attributions of things and bring things to light that people have previously overlooked. We can bring fresh eyes and new questions to art, because every generation has its new set of questions and way of thinking.

What do you see as the impact of your work?

I think the conservation work we do is so important. I love bringing art of the past to life for visitors of the museum — people of all ages and backgrounds and beyond just scholars. I enjoy getting the public, friends, and family members excited and curious about history.

We also get to help people learn to enjoy art and find a passion for it. I like seeing them

38

learn to trust their eyes, really look at art, and walk out of the museum uplifted or terrified or whatever. I like that art can point out universal things — people in the past were dealing with the exact same things we are today. We have works in the collection that deal with love and breastfeeding and family and motherhood. Art can help us realize how all these things haven’t changed through the history of time.

How did Breck prepare you to do the work you do today?

during every class because you might be called upon at any minute. So I think that was hugely impactful.

Even though it was offered, I didn’t even take art history at Breck because I was doing a bunch of other history electives. My hardest subject was French — I was more of a math and history student. But I use French every day now, so it was really, really helpful that I took it at Breck. Even if Even if a class at Breck is really challenging, a class at Breck is really you know you’re going to learn a lot; you’re challenging, you know you’re going to learn a lot; going to get a really good education. you’re going to get a really good education.

Breck is a great preparatory school and gave me a firm grounding in all of the fields: language, science, math, history, writing — everything. Breck also really helped me build a lot of confidence. Because of the small classes, we were expected to speak a lot, and teachers called on us to have opinions on things. You were totally engaged every day

Breck also instilled in me a sense of civic and social responsibility. I love the mission of our museum; it’s a nonprofit, and it’s here to serve our community. That definitely ties back to my experience at Breck. B

39

WOMEN AT BRECK

ENDING HUNGER TOGETHER A conversation with Allison O’Toole ’89 » Chief Executive Officer, Second Harvest Heartland “Making an impact” is an understatement when talking about Allison O’Toole ’89. In her more than 30 year career at the intersection of health and social good, O’Toole has influenced policies, championed organizations, and uplifted people across the State of Minnesota. Her resume spans from state prosecutor to government advocate to nonprofit leader.

With a B.A. from Franklin and Marshall College and a J.D. from Mitchell Hamline School of Law, O’Toole now leads Second Harvest Heartland, one of the largest food banks in the country. Her current goal? Eliminate hunger completely in Minnesota. While this sounds ambitious, O’Toole has a conviction that this goal is achievable — if the community, government, and organizations like hers come together.

At Breck, O’Toole developed the confidence she needs to act boldly in her work today. “Breck really was the foundation on which I launched,” she says. In gratitude, she’s given back to the school in all the ways she knows how, from volunteering on the Alumni Council to now serving on Breck’s Board of Trustees. “I love the school,” she says.

How have you gotten to where you are today?

We can all look back and think about what our parents have given us, either genetically or in terms of our character. Both my parents were self-employed, so they had a drive and motivation that was just instilled in me.

So from a very young age, I learned to work really hard.

My dad and grandpa had a family drugstore, and they

were just as much about filling prescriptions as they were about helping a community connect and thrive.

That is a thread that has guided me the whole way through my career.

My resilience, determination, and motivation largely came from my parents, but it was absolutely fostered during my time at Breck as well. Breck has been a huge part of why I’m here today. When I think about my education — high school, college, and law school — I have the deepest connection to Breck because it is what centered me to excel. Breck not only opened my mind to a lot of different things, but it also made me flexible and curious. At Breck, I learned we have a responsibility to each other, and I developed a respect for the world and our community. Breck also taught me leadership lessons and resilience and gave me the confidence to go big and be bold in the things that I’m doing now.

How have you made an impact in the nonprofit/government space?

At different junctures in my career, I’ve had the honor to do big things in the State of Minnesota. At the insurance exchange, [MNSure], we achieved the lowest uninsured rate in state history, and the second or third lowest in the country. We achieved that because we worked tirelessly to make the exchange work so people could shop for their health insurance.

Now leading one of the largest food banks in the country, I’ve had the opportunity, responsibility, and honor to serve this community during some of its darkest days

40

What advice would you give to Breck students and in the last three and a half years. During that time alumni who hope to pursue a career like yours? when everyone was at the table — the government, the community, organizations like Second Harvest The most important thing is to work hard. I’ve always Heartland — hunger rates in Minnesota actually worked really hard. Don’t have a master plan for your went down. We’ve shown that when everyone comes life. I’ve never had a master plan; opportunities come together, we can make food insecurity rates go down. and go and you ride those waves. If you have a master When I look forward, I think we have the responsibility plan, you’re never going and opportunity to take to achieve it. A lot has hunger off the table once happened for me, but a lot and for all.

[Breck] gave me the confidence to go big of what I always set out and be bold in the things that I’m doing now. to do hasn’t happened.

We live in a really unique I always thought I was state, and we are part of gonna go to law school, an amazing community. It which I did, but I’m not practicing anymore. I’m is hugely generous but also really smart. When I think licensed, but I’m not practicing. So engage and learn about my job to end hunger together, we might be the and continue to be curious. If you have an opportunity first state in the country to be able to do it, because we presented to you, take it. Take advantage of all the have the resources, the intelligence, and the know-how opportunities that Breck affords. B and skill. I hope I can say the next time you see me in this magazine — in however long it takes — that I’ve done that.

41

WOMEN AT BRECK

DUAL PERSPECTIVES, GLOBAL SUCCESS A conversation with Jolawn (Richardson) Victor ’99 » Vice President and General Manager, Intuit UK » Board of Directors, Jebbit A self-described jack-of-all-trades, Jolawn Victor née Richardson earned dual degrees in physics and electrical engineering from Spelman College and Georgia Institute of Technology. She has combined her technical background with an MBA from New York University’s Leonard N. Stern School of Business and is now vice president and general manager for Intuit UK, a leading accounting software provider. In her role, she leads and inspires a team of 350 professionals responsible for building and marketing accounting software. This rare combination helps her remain a powerhouse integrator, bridging gaps between the technical and business world to develop insightful products that delight the customers and grow the business.

What do you love about your job?

I love that my work is so multifaceted. I’ve always desired global experience and to see the world through

different lenses. I began my career as an engineer with General Mills. After receiving my MBA, I spent a decade in consumer product marketing and then transitioned to the technology arena. This dual perspective as both problem solver and marketer has provided me with a unique product manager background.

Every day brings a variety of tasks, from collaborating with developers to integrating AI into Intuit’s products.

Intuit’s products remove mundane tasks to save accountants time in doing their day-to-day work so that they can bring value to their work and be more than just bookkeepers.

What do you see as the impact of your work?

I’ve lived and worked on three continents, and every market brings different challenges and opportunities to add value to clients. Our products in South Africa provide customers with the confidence that their taxes adhere to strict government regulations. In Singapore, my work has helped small businesses and entrepreneurs thrive. In India, creating digital tools was invaluable during the pandemic shutdown.

How did Breck prepare you to do the work you do today?

I am a Breck lifer, and my many years at Breck, from preschool through Upper School, prepared me for a great college education and paved the way for my corporate career.

42

What advice would you give to Breck students and But if I dig deeper into my Breck experience, I recall alumni who hope to pursue a career like yours? that I was never put into a silo as a “science kid.”

I was encouraged to I didn’t have long-term explore many things career plans, but I did and was involved in Go where you’re uncomfortable, and have set measurable goals for sports, theater, dance, the a space to fall safely. Each experience I’ve each role I’ve taken on. yearbook, and community had has added different skills to my toolkit.

Along the way, I stayed service opportunities. I open to learning new literally dipped my toe in things and to learning everything and loved that as much as possible with each opportunity. Go where I could do all of that at Breck. I never felt busy when my you’re uncomfortable, and have a space to fall safely. plate was full, and that certainly holds true today!

Each experience I’ve had has added different skills to my toolkit. B

43

MELROSE CENTER

CHANGE ON THE HORIZON New Director of Leadership and Equity Cheléah Googe and Dean of Equity Jordan Zickermann hit the ground running as they envision the future of the Melrose Family Center for Leadership and Equity.

The Melrose Family Center for Leadership and Equity looks different than it used to. It’s not just the physical space that was refreshed during the 2022–23 school year. The center also welcomed new leaders: Cheléah Googe, who formally began her post as Director of Leadership and Equity at the Melrose Center in January 2023, and Jordan Zickermann, who became the Dean of Equity in May 2022.

Googe came to Breck by way of the Beauvoir School in Washington D.C., where she served as their director of diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) and co-director of specialists, teaching, and learning. Before coming to Breck full time, Googe provided training and support to Breck during the 2020–21 equity audit and over the last two years has conducted DEI trainings for faculty, students, the Parents Association, and Board of Trustees through her consultancy, Work Beyond the Work. With a B.A. in education policy and administration from the University of Richmond, an M.Ed. in counselor education from Virginia Commonwealth University, and a Ph.D. in higher education from Old Dominion University, Googe was well-suited to jump into her role at Breck.

44

“I’m very proud to be a Black woman educator. My mom is an educator, and my grandmother is an educator,” she says. “I never thought that I’d end up in education. But I was really intrigued when I got to college in education policy and how history and geography impacts our present experiences.”

In January, Googe hit the ground running at the Melrose Center in partnership with Zickermann, who had been laying the groundwork for the center since the tail end of the 2021–22 school year. Zickermann, a psychology and Native American studies graduate from the University of Minnesota-Morris, brings her own experiences as both a former Native American cultural liaison for White Bear Lake area schools and a DEI specialist for the Hennepin County District Court. “[My experience in college] got me thinking about the importance of DEI and the importance of having open and honest conversations about identity and historical trauma and about creating spaces to have these types of conversations,” she says. “I’m very happy to be at Breck and to have started when I did at the very end of last school year. I was able to start the new school year with insight that allowed me to roll up my sleeves and get to work.”

Googe and Zickermann spent the 22–23 school year getting to know the Breck community and its needs as they work to establish a clear purpose for the Melrose Center. The pair is passionate about their work and have a synergy that students, faculty, staff, and families have already begun to rally around.

Their goal is to to build a sustainable program that adds value to every corner of Breck.

“We want to make sure that our students preschool through 12 know that the Melrose Center is a place for them, a place to have critical conversations about identity, leadership, equity, and justice,” Googe says. “We want to do our best to make sure we provide opportunities for students — no matter what division they fall in — to engage in age-appropriate conversations that build their capacity to be in a healthy community with one another.”

It’s an exciting time for the Melrose Center at Breck, especially with leaders like Googe and Zickermann at the helm. “The work we’ve done so far around reclaiming the Melrose Center as a space and letting people know what our hopes and dreams are in terms of community building across campus has been really well received already,” says Googe. “We have to continue building a strong structure that allows for the student experience of Melrose to stay consistent.”

The Melrose Family Center for Leadership and Equity is a cross-divisional brave space where students, faculty, and staff explore crucial issues of equity, leadership, joy, and restoration, shaping the daily health of our school community.

In the 2022–23 school year, the Melrose Center team…

•

Facilitated 12 formal affinity groups across all three divisions

•

Hosted, or partnered on, community engagement events, including the Village community event, a Ramadan Iftar celebration, World Culture Night, the Breck Film Festival, and more

•

Hosted school-wide and division specific student learning opportunities, such as the MLK Symposium and Mingle in Melrose

•

Advanced student and faculty professional development through conferences like the Student Diversity Leadership and People of Color Conference, It’s Time to Talk, and the Hawai’i DEI Conference

•

Provided Breck faculty development through Innovation Coaching, Equity Literacy Pathways, and Restorative Justice Training

•

Taught Inclusive Leadership in the Upper School Mustang Block to all 10th grade students

•

Assessed progress on Breck’s Community Commitments and reconnected with members of the Core Team

Zickermann agrees: “We want to keep the work going and take it to greater heights.” B

45

LOWER SCHOOL CLOSING

LOWER SCHOOL CLOSING The Lower School community celebrated the end of the 2022–23 school year on Friday, June 2.

46

MIDDLE SCHOOL CLOSING

MIDDLE SCHOOL CLOSING The eighth grade Class of 2027 completed their Middle School journey during the closing ceremony on June 2. The Middle School faculty was honored to present the following students with awards for leadership, effort, sportsmanship, and academic excellence: • Enzo Petto ’27 (leadership) • Mary Thornton ’27 (leadership) • Dammee Tufaa ’27 (effort) • Leo Ansari ’27 (effort) • Ana Ribciuc ’27 (sportsmanship) • Sebastian Castaneda ’27 (sportsmanship) • Adelaide Stern ’27 (academic excellence) • Michael Scherer ’27 (academic excellence)

47

LEGACY FAMILIES

IN THE FAMILY Congratulations to the class of 2023 graduates who followed in their parents’ footsteps to also receive a Breck diploma.

Georgia LeWin-Mills ’23 | Kari LeWin-Mills ’91

Madry Breazeale ’23 | Tracey (Thayer) Breazeale ’84

Sydney McDaniel ’23 | Tarnika McDaniel ’97

Maggie Drawz ’23 | Paul Drawz ’92

Paul Wiese ’23 | Annik Miller ’90

Vivian Kalla ’23 | Jodie (Justesen) Kalla ’89

Sarah Peterson ’23 | Daniel Peterson ’92

48

BACCALAUREATE

BACCALAUREATE AND SENIOR PINNING The Class of 2023 celebrated the traditional Baccalaureate ceremony and Senior Pinning on June 4 in the Chapel of the Holy Spirit.

Retiring Visual Art Department Chair Michal Sagar was chosen as the Baccalaureate speaker and offered words of wisdom to the graduates: “A wish I have for you is to find your people, those whom you want to know and whom you are able to be yourself with in precious ways. And in finding those who understand you readily, I also wish for you to activate an important principle of art, that of contrast. If everything is the same, we tend not to notice. Contrast, with its energetic sensibility, enables us to see. So, also find those people you might not necessarily vibe with immediately. Perhaps the world we know now that is defined by a great deal of division may open to new possibilities — one of dynamic harmony.”

49

COMMENCEMENT

COMMENCEMENT 2023 The Breck community celebrated the Class of 2023 on June 5 in the Chapel of the Holy Spirit. Surrounded by their family and friends, the 106 graduates closed their academic chapter at Breck and looked to their very bright futures beyond our campus. Joshua Luger ’12 welcomed the graduates into the Breck alumni community, and English Department Chair Cynthia Lotze shared the following words about the Class of 2023 in her Commencement speech: “Every year my students are different — even when they’re the exact same people, like so many of you who had my class two, even three, of your four years of Upper School. You were different every year: Each of you is a conversation I’ve wanted to keep having. So though I never planned to be speaking to you in this way, I am always speaking to you. That’s what teachers do.”

• Sarah Peterson, Valedictorian

• Sarah Peterson, McCall Academic Award

• John Gorman, Salutatorian

• Sydney McDaniel, Haupt Cup

“We have invested in you this amazing Breck education that has shaped you in ways you don’t yet realize.

You are ready to live authentically, with compassion, excellence, and the tools to be inclusive and contribute positively to your communities. Selfishly, we want to keep you close because you are additive to our lives and everything around you, but generously, we know your place is in the world — doing amazing things — with Breck always in your hearts. And, we love you.”

—Natalia R. Hernández, Ed.D., Head of School, offers words of wisdom to the Class of 2023

50

51

COLLEGE MATRICULATION

CONGRATULATIONS, CLASS OF 2023 In accordance with our mission, Breck graduates matriculate to colleges and universities that are compatible with each student’s individual needs, interests, and abilities. This year, the 106 graduates will matriculate to 75 schools across the United States and Canada.

American University

Colorado College (2)

Johns Hopkins University

Barnard College

Cornell College

Lewis & Clark College

Boston College (2)

Creighton University

Loyola Marymount University (2)

Bowdoin College

Davidson College

Loyola University Chicago (2)

Brown University

Dickinson College

Luther College

Butler University

Duke University (3)

Macalester College (3)

Carleton College (2)

Eckerd College

Michigan Technological University

Carnegie Mellon University

Elon University

Middlebury College (2)

Case Western Reserve University

Emory University

Northwestern University

Chapman University

Georgetown University

Oberlin College (2)

Claremont McKenna College

Gonzaga University

Pennsylvania State University (2)

Colby College

Gustavus Adolphus College

Pepperdine University

Colgate University (2)

Hampton University

Pomona College

52

106

m itt sub

Breck seniors

59%

ed

ttend to a

acceptance rate

894 total applications

75 colleges and universities

to

hin w it

257 unique institutions

30 states, DC, and Canada

31%

3rd

of graduates to attend a US News Top 25 institution

Morehead-Cain Scholarship winner in 10 years

Rhode Island School of Design

Tulane University of Louisiana (2)

University of Oregon (2)

Rice University

University of California, Berkeley

University of Ottawa

Rutgers University

University of California, Davis (2)

University of Puget Sound

Santa Clara University (2)

University of California, Irvine

University of St. Thomas (2)

Southern Methodist University

University of California, Los Angeles

University of Wisconsin, Madison (3)

St Olaf College (4)

University of Chicago

University of Wisconsin, Milwaukee

Texas Christian University

University of Denver (2)

Vanderbilt University

The George Washington University

University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

Wake Forest University

The New School The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

University of Kansas University of Michigan

The University of Texas at Austin

University of Minnesota, Twin Cities (4)

Tufts University

University of Notre Dame (4)

Washington University in St Louis Wesleyan University Worcester Polytechnic Institute Yale University

53

Publications like this are made possible in part by the Breck Fund.

To make a gift, scan the code or visit breckschool.org/support

YOU +

ME +

US

+

WE

ALUMNI SPOTLIGHT

ALWAYS A MUSTANG

Middle School Robotics Coach Darius Bieganski ’13 recognized for his outstanding mentorship and support to the FIRST Tech Challenge team.

When Darius Bieganski ’13 got word in 2017 that Breck needed coaches for its newly established Middle School robotics team, he jumped at the chance to return to his old stomping grounds.

“I was very deeply involved with the programming [as a student] and just had a lot of fun with it,” he remembers.

He first joined the Upper School robotics team as a Breck sophomore, and, during his tenure, the team advanced to the World Championships twice. It was his own mentor, Gene Jasper, who asked him to return as a coach. Jasper, who established both the Upper School and Middle School robotics programs at Breck, didn’t have to ask Bieganski twice.

“When I was a student here, he took a lot of time and energy to help us out,” says Bieganski, who works fulltime as a software engineer at NBC Sports. “He’s the person who pulled me in [as a coach].”

Together with his fellow Middle School FIRST Tech Challenge (FTC) coach Cody Wilkens, Bieganski now mentors Breck students just as Jasper did when he was a student. This winter, he was awarded the 2022–23 Compass Award at the FTC Minnesota Qualifying Tournament. This award, nominated by student team members, recognizes “an adult coach or mentor who has given outstanding guidance and support to a team throughout the year.”

Bieganski has been dedicated to Breck robotics for nearly 15 years, but the formal recognition was unexpected. “I did not expect to get it,” he says. “It was a very pleasant surprise.”

“Darius, in the most simplest way, has completely changed my life,” one student says in the award nomination video. “He has shown me not only what I can do with a skill set in computer science and mechanical engineering, but how to apply those skills and further my learning.”

“He has a unique understanding of students and their challenges,” another student agrees.

Bieganski particularly enjoys leading the Breck Middle School team. Nestled between the Lower School FIRST LEGO League and the Upper School Stampede Robotics

team competing in the FIRST Robotics Competition (FRC), the Middle School FTC team provides students a much-needed transition between “playing with LEGOS and real mechanical and electrical engineering,” says Bieganski.

Before the Middle School program existed, students could be out of their element joining the Upper School team. “It’s real engineering, and you can really hurt yourself. If you don’t know what you’re doing, you can cost yourself and others money, time, and energy. It isn’t playtime.” In Middle School robotics, students are introduced to the concepts, tools, and safety measures they will need to know in Upper School, but in a controlled, limited capacity.

The FTC competitions are open to students in grades seven through 12, so Breck Middle School students are often up against peers with much more experience than them. However, Bieganski believes that helps build their confidence and prepares them for future robotics competitions—and beyond.

“To compete with or against a 12th grader as a seventh grader is terrifying, but it’s also really empowering,” says Bieganski. “It’s like, ‘I’m actually here with these kids. I can hang with them. I can look at what I built and it’s actually similar to what they built.’”

Helping students build that confidence is one of many reasons Bieganski has chosen to continue coaching robotics at Breck after so many years. “I do this program because it is such a great opportunity for kids to mature, to learn, and, in my opinion, to be prepared for the modern world.” B

55

ALUMNI

CLASS NOTES

3

5

1

1976

Elizabeth Sanders retired this spring as director of general medical services at the state psychiatric hospital in New Hampshire and plans to move to Durham, North Carolina. In her retirement, she looks forward to traveling and spending time with her granddaughters.

In August 2022, Cecily (Murphy) Majerus became Chief Executive Officer for the Marine Mammal Center in Sausalito, California.

The Center is the largest marine mammal hospital in the world and provides leadership in the field of ocean conservation through marine mammal rescue, veterinary science, research, and education.

1985

Eric Christ recently accepted a position as General Manager for HealthEquity, the Salt Lake City based provider of health savings accounts.

1994

Chris Neher, John Myers, Elia Ayaz, Steve Sorenson, Patrick McGrann, and Jon George gathered for another CND trip on the North Shore. 1 56

6 2

1998

Simone Hardeman-Jones was recognized as one of 200 Black leaders in the Twin Cities by the Minneapolis/St. Paul Business Journal. Simone is the executive director of GreenLight Fund Twin Cities.

2006

Katie (Brattain) Hogan is currently the head of the math department at a school in the Dallas independent school district. She currently lives in Dallas, Texas with her husband, Colin, and two children, Silas and Annie.

2010

Katie Thornton won the prestigious Bart Richards Award for Media Criticism for her recent podcast series The Divided Dial. The five-part series came out in late 2022 in collaboration with WNYC’s radio program On the Media. 2

4

2013

Kiko Laureano returned to campus this spring to work with Acting II students in the Black Box. She helped students work on scenes and answered questions about her professional theater experience. 3

2018

In 2022, Brooke Samaratunga was chosen as a Baccalaureate Student Speaker for her graduation from Trinity College. 4 Through Breck’s Alumni Council this spring, Terrina White and Gabby Billings delivered books and read to young scholars at Agape Child Development Center, one of Breck’s community partners. 5

7

2019

Josh Taylor visited Breck in an official capacity in mid-March as CDT Josh Taylor, a Firstie (senior) at the United States Military Academy at West Point.

He returned to Breck on a recruiting visit, where he shared about his experience and journey at West Point. In May, CDT Taylor was commissioned as an infantry officer in the United States Army.

His first duty station is Fort Campbell with the 101st Airborne Division. 6

2021

This spring, Melanie Oden made Top 10 of All Time for the Grinnell Women’s Track and Field Team for the 60m and triple jump events. 7

ALUMNI

IN MEMORIAM 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 Brown ’47 James Lewis ’47 Bruce Wheaton ’49 Robert Cottor ’50 Jerry Siperstein ’50 Fletcher Driscoll ’51 Winston Sandeen ’51 Paul Thatcher ’51 Peter Madden, Sr. ’54 Anthony Cheek ’55 William Snipes ’55 Charles Olson ’61

» » »

»

Charles “Trey” Kelso ’95 Ernest Campbell, former Breck chaplain Judy Stenwick, longtime Breck kindergarten teacher Lorraine Mesken, Breck’s first Dean of Women, spotlighted in the winter 2023 edition of Today at Breck

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 included in the next issue.

ALUMNI ENGAGEMENT

MUSTANG MEDIA

In March, Majka Burhardt ’94 published a new book, More, which is an intense and emotional epistolary memoir about being one of the world’s top ice climbers, born at the confluence of motherhood, adventure, career, and marriage.

REUNION PLANNERS FOR 2023 1973: Marnie Weston Boivin ’73, Michael Mamer ’73, George Flora Jr. ’73, and Sherrill (Brings) Flora ’73 1983: Jeffrey Rainey ’83, Becky Watkins ’83, Fred G. Goldberg ’83 2003: Leah (Lussier) Sixkiller ’03, Andrew Dormanen ’03, Katie (Crowe) Eick ’03 2013: Halle Huff ’13 2018: Alex McFarland Jr. ’18 Please reach out to alumni@breckschool.org with questions or if you want to plan your class reunion.

ALUMNI SPORTING EVENT HOSTS Mens Baseball 2023: Eli Kramer ’97 Mens Soccer 2023: Joe Ginsburg ’11

Do you have any updates to share with the Breck community?

Scan the code here or email alumni@breckschool.org.

Erik Stolhanske ’87 wrote, produced, and starred in the movie Quasi with his filmmaking group Broken Lizard. The movie was released on Hulu in April and tells the story of a hapless hunchback who yearns for love.

57

IN THEIR OWN WORDS

A FINAL GOODBYE Director of Community Life and Head Chaplain Alexis Kent reflects on her 16-year Breck experience.

This time of year is often referred to as the “season of lasts”: the last chapel, the last outdoor cookout, the last day of classes, and our last time on campus. This series of lasts embodies the process of saying goodbye, so it is timely that I write my last reflection as Head Chaplain as I too prepare to say goodbye to this chapter at Breck.

Sixteen years ago I applied for a job across the country.

I was early in my career and looking for a new context — so much so that I didn’t fully understand exactly how

58

much further North I was relocating. I moved here in November, and it was cold! My Breck colleagues advised me on what winter boots to purchase, lent me winter gear until I could purchase my own “real coat,” and coached me on how to dress for Ski Day. I thought I’d be at Breck for three to five years, but, as it turns out, winter wasn’t the only surprise. The culture of care and the unique embodiment of Episcopal identity had me in awe.

to be an Episcopal school, including connecting with the words and practices of the Episcopal tradition.

Whenever we have a baptism in an Episcopal Church, all those gathered renew their Baptismal Covenant through a series of questions. Breck pulls strongly from this ritual, often citing the words, “Will you strive for justice and peace among all people, respecting the dignity of all human beings?” as a guide for our values, DEI work, and overall community ethos. But there is a very key component of this ritual we do not often feature at Breck: the reply, “I will with God’s help.”

To strive to respect the dignity of all human beings is a nobel and inspiring goal, but how one does this is just as essential. Implied in the reply are two important truths.

First, we cannot do this alone, and second, a power greater than ourselves is there as our guide. In a high performance, academically challenging environment like Breck, where we strive for excellence with integrity, it can be easy to forget that humility, faith, and interconnection are important elements for how we live and learn together. Breck has taught me that being right is less important than being in relationship.

Our relationships are the sacred weaving that makes Breck Breck. And it is those relationships that I will miss most.

Of course, there are so many other things I will miss at Breck, like Halloween in the Middle School, which is an epic display of creativity and spirit by students and faculty alike, or lighting the candles in the Chapel of the Holy Spirit and watching a thousand students go silent with the simple spark of the flame. I will miss baked potato bar, the best Breck lunch ever (not even worth the debate), and Homecoming, including the Blessing of the Animals and our Distinguished Alumni recognition. It is such an honor when our alumni return home. I will miss meeting and greeting our new and returning families, sharing the understanding that we are an Episcopal school and we teach there are many paths to God. And I will miss hearing the first beats of the drum at our Native American Gathering, led by our Native American students.

Breck has provided me such sacred spaces to teach kids about identity, spirituality, and some of the world’s greatest wisdom traditions. Gathering in the chapel has allowed for prayer, as well as tears, laughter, and singing, as an embrace of what it means to be human in community with one another. I have had the opportunity to work alongside devoted and impressive colleagues as well as pursue tremendous professional development opportunities — like when I was able to live in a Buddhist monastery on a summer grant or travel on a sabbatical year studying religion through the lens of holidays and festivals. All of this and so much more kept me at Breck for much longer than I had anticipated.

This list goes on and on. One cannot spend 16 years in our hallways without an infinite number of things to be grateful for. Whether you return in the fall or not, remember that surrendering to the great wisdom of one another is perhaps the greatest learning one can do. Miigwech, Pidamaya, and thank you. B

Through the years, I have had the great privilege of shaping and guiding our articulation of what it means 59

Non-Profit Org. U.S. Postage

PAID

123 Ottawa Avenue North Golden Valley, MN 55422

Permit No. 2995 Twin Cities, MN

SAVE THE DATE

March 9, 2024