Summer 2026
18. Girls flag football program starts strong 22. International educators learn
together at inaugural Breck Institute
28. Claudette Laureano and Brad Peterson retire
Summer 2026 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 Director of Communications Eric Halverson Editor and Chief Writer Rosie Moroney Designer Abby Terrell Chief Photographer Isaiah Rustad Contributing Writers Liv Kramer ’26 Oliver M. ’34 JP Musoke ’26 Contributing Photographers Ursula Bader Alicia Korpi Brian Sobas Communications Coordinator Kelli Frederickson Printer First Impression Group On the cover: Members of Breck’s girls flag football team, which completed its inaugural season this spring.
Breck School is an Episcopal, independent, college-preparatory day school enrolling students of diverse backgrounds in grades preschool through twelve. Mission We create confident learners who lead lives of intellectual curiosity, selfknowledge, and social responsibility. Core Values Compassion: Honor the dignity of all human beings. Excellence: Strive with integrity for the highest standards. Inclusivity: Foster a just and welcoming community. Respect: Value each other’s unique talents, spirit, and potential.
The Breck community celebrates Holi, the Hindu festival of colors, on the Chapel Green on March 31.
Summer 2026 | 3
In this issue
22.
18. FEATURE
26. COVER STORY
PHOTO FEATURE
Cultivating belonging
Gaining ground
From sunrise to sunset
Educators from around the globe visit campus to learn together at the inaugural Breck Institute.
The inaugural girls flag football season opens a new chapter for Breck Athletics.
The Class of 2026 filled their year with cherished traditions — from beginning to end.
6
20 Questions with Jordan Zickermann
8
Mustang Moments
10
Object of Study: Grade 6 History
12
Program Highlight: Stampede
14
Additional Sports Highlights
28 Retirees:
Claudette Laureano and Brad Peterson
30 Where are they now: Dr. Curt Langlotz ‘77
32
This or that: Julian Randall ’11
34 Alumni Class Notes and In Memoriam
38 In their own
words: Oliver M. ’34
From the Head of School Dear Breck community, In addition to warm summer days filled with family, lake time, and fun reads, this summer represented two important milestones: one personal, one professional, and both connected to the essence of Breck. Earlier this summer, my husband, Bobby, and I celebrated our 30th wedding anniversary with an intimate vow renewal ceremony held in our beloved Chapel of the Holy Spirit — a space where our community gathers to celebrate and mourn, to reflect and to listen, and to mark the moments in our lives that matter most. For my family, this personal milestone is deeply intertwined with our time at Breck. Like so many of you, we know the immense pride of watching our children share a senior speech, perform in a holiday program, and turn their tassel at commencement in our Chapel. I am deeply grateful to Head Chaplain Rev. Katie Ernst who led the service for us as well as to my daughters who prepared all the tiny details. Professionally, July 1 marked the start of my 10th year as Head of School at Breck. As lifelong educators, Bobby and I were drawn to Breck because we found here the kind of supportive care and academic press we believed in and sought out for our own daughters. This unique balance of care and rigor was deeply aligned with my doctoral program, which is grounded in the research of Dr. Joseph Murphy and his concept of “personalization and press.” From my first days on campus, I saw that philosophy alive in our classrooms, led by our expert faculty. It is a true gift to lead a school whose mission and core values align so closely with our personal ones. Today, I am so proud that our school continues to bring this vision of personalization and press to life at Breck and beyond, which is highlighted in myriad ways throughout the pages of this magazine — like in the story of the inaugural Breck Institute, where we had the opportunity to share our vision of personalization and press with top schools across the country and world. As we look to the future, I hope you feel the same enthusiasm I feel for our school and community. I am deeply grateful to my family for their unwavering support and encouragement over the last 10 years, and I look forward to leading this community — with our shared mission and values as our uniting foundation — for many years to come. Warmly,
Natalia R. Hernández, Ed.D. Head of School
Summer 2026 | 5
with jordan zickermann Middle School Dean | Grades 7 and 8 1
What music are you listening to lately? Olivia Dean, Kendrick Lamar, SZA, Young Spirit, and all 90s/2000s R&B.
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What’s one of the last books you read? The Middle School Handbook!
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What’s your favorite time of year? Mid-spring, once the mud is cleared up and my allergies have settled down. I love the crisp morning air in spring.
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What’s one of the most adventurous things you’ve ever done? I booked an Airbnb in Hawaii that was literally just a hammock in someone’s backyard. I went off on a solo trip for a week and a half…didn’t even tell anyone! I would highly recommend!
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What is your favorite Breck lunch? Grilled cheese and tomato soup! I love all of the soups at Breck, really.
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What’s your dream job? If I had to choose something other than what I do now, I’d say my dream job would be to own a food truck. I’ve always thought about it!
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What’s one of the best decisions you’ve ever made? At the time, stepping away from college basketball after two years was a really hard decision because it had always been my dream. But choosing myself ended up opening so many doors. I graduated a year early, got the chance to travel the world, and jump started my career.
8
What advice would you give to your younger self? Trust your gut, take strategic risks, believe in yourself, don’t let the haters get you down, and start saving money!
6 | Today at Breck
9
What do you remember from kindergarten? How to spell my teacher’s name. We had a whole song for it. Shoutout to Ms. Felitto!
10 What is the most important room in your home?
The living room. We spend a lot of time there. I also love our backyard. It’s huge and has so many trees — and lots of turkeys. One of the reasons I live so far from campus is to enjoy the peace that comes from a private backyard.
11 What’s your favorite place on the Breck campus?
The Melrose Center: my original stomping grounds on campus! It’s always full of energy, and you can count on finding someone to talk to, whether you have something on your mind or just need a good laugh.
12 Favorite comfort food? Gumbo cooked low and slow
16 Favorite family tradition? Every summer, my family
goes up to Red Lake for the powwow. What makes it even better is that we all camp out for a week. I am excited for my daughter to join in the tradition this summer!
17 Three people — living or dead — you’d want to
have dinner with? If I’m going for good vibes and a fun conversation, I’d invite Alicia Keys, Michelle Obama, and Diana Taurasi! And if there’s room for dessert guests, I’d add Keke Palmer, Snoop Dogg, and Dallas Goldtooth.
18 If you could travel anywhere, where would you go? New Zealand, Fiji, and then Australia. All in one go!
19 What’s your pet peeve? One of my biggest pet
with the perfect roux! The shrimp, chicken, sausage…I need all of it. Lately, I’ve gotten into making gumbo greens, and that’s also a hit.
peeves is when the bottom of my pants get wet from rain or snow. I don’t know what it is about the bottoms especially, but it’s like they stay wet for the rest of the day!
13 Favorite treat: salty or sweet? Salty for sure. Hot
20 What keeps you up at night? My 1-year-old daughter,
14 If you had a theme song, what would it be? This is
Zickermann was a recipient of the National Center for American Indian Enterprise Development’s 2026 Native American 40 Under 40 Award, which celebrates leaders under the age of 40 who have demonstrated exceptional leadership, initiative, and dedication to their communities and professions. Previous to her current role, Zickermann was Breck’s dean of equity.
Cheetos to be exact. All of my guilty pleasures are some sort of salty/spicy treat. a really hard question. I have so many favorites, but I am going to go with “Put Your Records On” by Corinne Bailey Rae.
15 Favorite line from a movie? “Offense sells tickets,
defense wins games.” —Coach Davis, Love and Basketball
Rowyn! A good night’s sleep isn’t part of this chapter of my life, but I’m living for all of the baby snuggles.
Summer 2026 | 7
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8 | Today at Breck
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MUSTANG MOMENTS Spring 2026 semester in photos: 1. Team Premium (Erik Larson ’26, Garrett Trench ’26, Cooper Klinck ’26, and Mike Barefield, Upper School history) winning Tour de Breck on May 28. 2. Members of the Mustang Chorale perform at Middle School Closing on May 29. 3. Middle School students canoe in the pool as part of outdoor education. 4. Students participating in the Beautiful World of Bees May Program examine the hive alongside Breck beekeeper and Visual Arts Department Chair Coreena Affleck. 5. Student government leaders from the Class of 2027 process through the Class of 2026 in their caps and gowns at Commencement on June 3. 6. Preschool students examine the Wilder Bell with Preschool Teacher Ms. Emmy Van De Laarschot. 7. Students celebrate the acceptance of newly admitted Mustangs this spring. 8. Middle School students building sets for the Middle School spring musical, Guys and Dolls JR. 9. Lower School students in the affinity group Kaleidoscope participate in an activity led by Dean of Leadership Justin Toliver. 10. Upper School students play hacky sack on the Chapel Green.
Summer 2026 | 9
10 | Today at Breck
OBJECT OF STUDY
The past in person
Grade 6 history visits Reconciliation Park in Mankato, Minnesota to see the Memorial Scroll up close. Dedicated on December 26, 2012 to mark the 150th anniversary of the U.S.-Dakota War of 1862, the Memorial Scroll sits within Reconciliation Park in Mankato, Minnesota on the site of the hanging of 38 Dakota men — the largest mass execution in U.S. history. Designed to resemble a buffalo hide due to its deep cultural and spiritual significance to the Dakota people, this 20-foot-tall fiberglass monument memorializes the names of the 38 men executed on one side and a Dakota prayer and a poem entitled “Reconcile” on the other side. It sits adjacent to a nine-foot tall limestone buffalo as well as benches with the engraving “Forgive Everyone Everything,” illustrating that the park is a place of remembrance, reflection, and ongoing reconciliation. Grade 6 Breck students are pictured viewing this scroll during their end-of-year overnight trip, where they visited a handful of historical sites across the state of Minnesota they had studied in class. “In 6th grade history, a lot of what we cover is Minnesota history, and a good chunk of the year we cover native history — both Dakota and Ojibwe,” says Jim Migely, grade 6 history teacher. “This trip allows kids to take what we’re reading about in articles and the textbook and to actually see these places firsthand, think critically, but also ask questions that help them learn even more than what they learned in class. Regarding Reconciliation Park in Mankato, my hope is that students recognize that memorializing even our most difficult history is vital for fostering empathy and communal understanding — the foundation of both healing and education.” B
Photo by Michelle Bonderer
This end-of-year trip around MN will take place annually for grade 6 students. In 2026–27, grade 8 students will travel to Washington, D.C.
Summer 2026 | 11
PROGRAM HIGHLIGHT
Finding your sweet spot In Stampede, everyone is a leader.
When Dean of Leadership Justin Toliver began developing the new nine-week sophomore leadership experience, they knew how important it was to introduce it in the right way. And that started with the name.
framework, which was created by Bill George, Breck alumni parent and executive fellow at Harvard Business School, where he has taught leadership since 2004.
And so the program became Stampede: The Breck Leadership Seminar.
One way they achieved this was through meticulous and intentional program design. For example, every sophomore was placed into a “crew” they would move through the experience with. Each crew was hand picked to include students from different friend groups, sports teams, classes, and interests (“We wanted it to be emotionally safe, but we didn’t want it to be comfortable,” Toliver explains), and each crew was named after a specific animal that had a lesson to teach about leadership.
“I wanted the experience to feel different than something [students] had experienced at Breck before. I wanted it to have its own flavor, its own culture to it,” explains Toliver. Stampede was built around the True North leadership
Together, for 90 minutes during Community Partnerships (CP) block on Wednesdays in the spring, “crews” would engage in different leadership education and exploration together “hopefully in ways that felt engaging, dynamic,
“I’m a deeply school-spirited person, so I thought about the Mustang and the idea of a stampede,” says Toliver. “I think it’s a really beautiful image to see a group moving together with a very intentional energy or goal — moving towards something together.”
12 | Today at Breck
and meaningful,” says Toliver. The programming included in-classroom learning and lectures about leadership, guest speakers, individual and group reflection, as well as hands-on team building and experiential learning. Ultimately, the goal of Stampede is to help students begin the lifelong practice of discovering who they are as leaders at Breck — and beyond. “We gave them opportunities to practice leadership in real time,” Toliver explains, “and to think about themselves as learners, leaders, and part of a larger community.” Initially skeptical of a new program that truncated her sophomore CP, Taylor H. ’28 found Stampede to be an incredibly valuable experience. “It opened my mind a lot about leadership and the little things that leadership actually is,” she says. “I felt like I grew as a person. That was something that I really enjoyed — just finding who I am as a person. We say we know who we are, but I feel like we don’t necessarily take the time to understand who we are as people and how we carry ourselves.” Mackenna S. ’28 also learned a great deal in Stampede this year: “Everyone cares about leadership, and everyone is a leader in their own way,” she says. “[Stampede] is very valuable because it’s a step-bystep thing: finding yourself, finding your sweet spot, and finding how you can become a leader, even if you’re not the most extroverted person.” So inspired by their Stampede experience, both Hall and Schlieman hope to be involved in some capacity in Stampede again next year or the following year as seniors. “I want to help the younger grades, because I feel like some people don’t know their full potential of how they could actually step up,” says Schlieman. After completing the inaugural year, Toliver feels “really proud” of the program and how willing sophomores were to dive in despite it being unfamiliar. They hope to make meaningful changes moving forward to ensure the experience continues to be of the highest caliber for students and the Breck community at large. “I really want to set a high standard that I expect students to really dig in here how they would anywhere else at Breck,” they say.” B Stampede is funded by a $1M gift from Bill and Penny George and their sons Jeff ’92 and Renee George and Jon George ’94 and Jeannette Lager.
Stampede Declaration In Stampede, we affirm that leadership is not reserved for a few; it lives within every one of us. Every participant holds responsibility for their own growth, while committing to uplift and empower those around them. The experience is not about instant transformation. It’s about planting seeds — of purpose, character, and growth — that will take root over time, guiding us through our passions, our future careers, and our lives.
Summer 2026 | 13
Winter/Spring Sports 2026
Summer 2026 | 15 Stars indicates a team or individual who advanced to state.
Shooting his shot As an athlete and photographer, JP Musoke ’26 shares what it is like to be in front of the camera — and behind it.
What most people at Breck know about me is that I play basketball and I take photos. Two things that seem completely different: one loud, one quiet; one full of motion, one frozen in time. But what most people don’t know is that both identities have taught me something essential: how to be present, how to notice, and how to leave a legacy. I still remember stepping onto the court at Williams Arena for the state championship game my sophomore year. The lights were bright, the opposing crowd was loud, and I felt a mixture of nerves and excitement that I hadn’t felt before. But as soon as the game started, I realized something important: It wasn’t about me; it was about being part of something bigger. Every pass, every screen, and every defensive rotation mattered. Success came from noticing what was happening, not just on the court, but around me, and responding with focus and intention. That lesson carried over when I picked up my camera. At first, I just wanted to take cool photos and capture goals, saves, and highlights. But over time, I realized that the most powerful photos are about presence: noticing the subtle expressions, the sweat on a forehead, the teammate celebrating quietly on the bench. On the court, I’ve learned to read my teammates, anticipate their movements, and adjust in real time. Photography requires a similar awareness. When I shoot a game, I’m constantly adjusting my angle, my focus, and my timing, trying to anticipate the moment that will make the image speak for itself. In both cases, it’s not just about what I do alone — it’s about collaboration, connection, and understanding everyone around me. During games, there are mistakes, missed shots, and turnovers. Off the court, there are photos that don’t come out right, blurred shots, and moments missed. The key isn’t perfection; the key is learning from each experience, adjusting, and being ready for the next moment. On the court, winning a championship is amazing, but what lasts isn’t just the trophy — it’s the memories, the relationships, the effort, and the spirit of a team that refused to give up. With photography, a single image can become part of someone’s memory, a frozen moment that carries emotion, pride, and story far beyond the game. Being behind the camera has also taught me something humbling: You don’t have to be in the spotlight to make a difference. Sometimes your role is to notice, to preserve, and to honor what’s happening around you. And sometimes, that’s more important than being the one taking the winning shot. B Excerpt of JP Musoke’s 2026 senior speech printed with permission.
16 | Today at Breck
MEET THE ATHLETE
Full spe ed
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What do you love about sprinting? I can’t really say, “Oh, I love to run” — I’m not going to go out and do a few miles. That’s not what I’m meant for. But I think I always knew I was a sprinter. Even in elementary school, I’d be the fastest girl playing tag or something. Being able to go full speed, or getting to your max speed, there’s nothing like it. The runner’s high you feel after a workout is also something that I love. After working out, you feel this sense of accomplishment that’s like none other.
ead ah
Three questions with track sensation Lulu McGarry ’26
How do you keep pushing yourself to keep going? After my sophomore high school season of track, I really found a passion to continue doing my sport in college, so that has helped motivate me. Also, in the classroom, I’ve learned to push myself academically, and I think that comes into play a lot in my athletics. Breck really prioritizes putting your best foot forward in the classroom, but it goes beyond that. I think just having that culture around me really pushes me to be my best version of myself.
3
What has athletics taught you about yourself? I’ve learned a lot about myself through athletics. Sometimes with school, you can say that you’re hard working, but you don’t always see the outcome of it. But with athletics, especially with track, you can see the hours that you put in [as your times get faster]. With track, I’ve been able to definitely see myself as a hard worker, just devoting a lot of time to it. B
This spring, Lulu was the MSHSL Class AA state champion in the 100M, 200M, and 400M dashes. She was named the 2026 Star Tribune Girls Track and Field Athlete of the Year. In addition, she won Breck’s Athena Award, which is given to senior female athletes from across the Twin Cities in recognition of their excellence in sports, academics, and community service. In the fall, Lulu will attend Yale University, where she will run on the D1 track and field team as a 200 and 400 sprinter.
Summer 2026 | 17
Gaining ground
The inaugural girls flag football season opens a new chapter for Breck Athletics. By Liv Kramer ’26 It was the summer before my senior year at Breck. Like clockwork, my annual excitement for the fall — a season that guaranteed a lot of football: on McKnight, in the backyard, perhaps at U.S. Bank Stadium if I was lucky, and always on TV — began to build. I’ve always loved football. Many of my fondest elementary memories consist of recess football games in the snow, the line between “two-hand touch” and “tackle” blurring more with every snap. My Thanksgiving dinners often meant scarfing down food as fast as possible so I could hurry outside with my cousins to play catch and run routes before the sun went down. I’ve been a lifelong Vikings fan, a mostly-heartbreaking duty that was instilled in me by my dad the moment Stefon Diggs caught the Minneapolis Miracle in 2018, but a duty nonetheless. So, as I settled into summer break, coming off the high of an electric Breck junior vs. senior girls powder-puff game (an annual Field Day competition that the Class of 2026 proudly dominated in both of its eligible years), I thought to myself: There is so much good energy surrounding this sport. Why can’t girls play football beyond recess, Thanksgiving dinner, or powder-puff? Well, as it turns out, we can. A simple Google search revealed that in the spring of 2025, which had then just 18 | Today at Breck
wrapped up, the Minnesota Vikings organized and sponsored Minnesota’s first high school girls flag football league with 51 participating schools, a playoff tournament, and a state championship at TCO Stadium in Eagan. With the help of Gmail and perhaps a stroke of beginners luck, I was able to get in contact with an extremely qualified head coach, Jodi Rehlander, who played 25 years of professional tackle football for the Minnesota Vixen, currently serves as the head coach of the Minnesota Minx, and worked as a referee in the inaugural high school flag football league. At the annual Breck Club Fair in September, Coach Rehlander and I set up a makeshift table for the future team, and we were shocked and over the moon with excitement when 79 Breck students signed up to play. Thanks to the incredible support of the Breck Athletics Department, especially Director of Athletics Brett Bergene, Breck was awarded $10,000 from the Vikings to fund our new flag team, the largest possible grant that the Vikings offered. With these overwhelming first successes under our belts, Coach Rehlander and I got to work. We organized preseason clinics for interested players to learn the ropes of the game, one that none of us had played before, at least not
formally or competitively. We brought on an additional five coaches: a passionate, grassroots, and hardworking group composed of dedicated parents, Breck alums, and longtime faculty. We held informational meetings, sent countless emails, and realized it was all worth it over and over again: the moment the team put on our uniforms for the first time; our team bonding barbeque; walking across McKnight hand-in-hand with our first-grade buddies; looking out at the hundreds of fans who came to support us at our home opener; and of course, the feeling of the first completion, tackle, touchdown, interception, game played, and eventually, game won. The competition we faced this inaugural season was fierce. But, on May 10, all three Breck teams took home their first wins, ever. It was pure triumph and joy, a moment that we’ll never forget. It was the absolute honor of my high school career to help bring this football team to life, but the greater honor was undoubtedly the opportunity to do it alongside my forever teammates, classmates, and friends. I hope that our work leaves a lasting legacy on Breck athletics, and I hope we’ve inspired future Breck students who will inevitably dream up their own dreams to chase them. Because, if I’ve learned anything, it’s that here at Breck, a dream is just a few yards away from becoming a reality. B
Summer 2026 | 19
2026 State champions
20 | Today at Breck
The girls hockey team celebrates their Class A State Championship on February 21 at the Grand Casino Arena in St. Paul, defeating the Warroad Warriors 4-1.
Summer 2026 | 21
Cultivating belonging
At the inaugural Breck Institute, Breck opens its doors to educators from around the globe to collaborate, reflect, and grow the practices that help every learner flourish. Art by Anna Godeassi In April, educators from around the country — and from across the world — arrived on campus for three days of learning, connection, and bearing witness to Breck’s mission and values in action. They were here for the inaugural Breck Institute on Instructional Leadership for Social and Academic Belonging — an experience born out of the Peter Clark Center for Mind, Brain, and Education and the Melrose Center for Leadership and Equity. Branded as “A School Visit, a Team Retreat, and Professional Learning — all in one,” the Breck Institute invited educators from independent schools like Cairo American College in Cairo, Egypt; Harvard-Westlake School in Los Angeles; Ravenscroft School in Raleigh, North Carolina; Visitation School in Mendota Heights, Minnesota; and others to come together to learn how to actively bridge equity and teaching and to evaluate the practices that create the conditions for each and every student to be academically and socially successful at school. Summer 2026 | 23
What is belonging? BELONGING
is a fundamental human need to feel connected, accepted, and valued as an authentic member of a community or environment. Belonging is the subjective experience of knowing you have a rightful place and that you matter to the group as a whole.
ACADEMIC BELONGING
is a student’s sense of being an accepted, valued, and capable member in the classroom and academic program. Academic belonging is perceiving oneself as a participant whose intellectual contributions matter, who finds relevance within academic disciplines, and feels supported through challenging academic work.
SOCIAL BELONGING
is a student’s sense of being an accepted, respected, and connected member with peers and in the broader school community. Social belonging is perceiving oneself as a participant whose personal presence matters, who has a place within formal and informal groups, and who feels supported in navigating school culture.
24 | Today at Breck
“I’ve never participated in a professional development experience like the one that we curated,” says Dr. Chéleah Googe, director of leadership and equity at the Melrose Center and organizer of the conference alongside Sarah Flotten ’85, director of the Peter Clark Center, and Julie Kallio, lead researcher, with support from Ben Friesen, innovation specialist, and Halle Huff ’13, event manager. Schools sent teams of three to five educators — teacher-leaders, academic and instructional leaders, and equity and belonging practitioners — for the intentionally collaborative learning experience where they had the opportunity to speak with students and teachers about social and academic belonging at Breck, reflect and strategize for their own schools through facilitated discussions and breakout sessions, and build connections and partnerships with peer educators. For Flotten, the conference offered a valuable outside perspective on the ways Breck has prioritized belonging across the school and how Breck’s mission and values are actually lived out and understood.
As guests moved through the school, “all our values kept coming up — the confident learners, self-knowledge, what does social responsibility look like,” she shares. “Hearing that through someone else’s lens was really affirming.” “The way that our programs are structured are so intentional and so research informed,” adds Googe, “and through preparing the curriculum of the Institute it felt really cool to get a chance to name that. Every single thing we do [at Breck] is intentionally designed for the student experience.” Putting on a successful conference like this one (which the Breck team plans to do again next year) positions Breck as a national — and international — leader in teaching and learning. More importantly, it helps our educators reflect on what we do and why. “We have to articulate what we do, and then we get really amazing feedback and form partnerships with people who make us better at what we do,” says Kallio. “It helps make us and our work better.” B
Learning together
Attendees reflect on what made their experience at the Breck Institute so transformative.
“What I loved was that the goal of [the Breck Institute] was to create a collaborative partnership with other schools, where we can learn from each other, iterate different versions of what we’re doing, and give each other feedback and ideas. We’re going to partner, we’re going to stay connected, and we’re gonna do this together — which I really, really appreciate.” —Dr. Ericka Galegher Cairo American College | Cairo, Egypt
“[The Breck Institute] has been really transformative. I’m leaving with a lot of ideas.” —Luivette Resto Harvard-Westlake School Los Angeles
“In seeing some of the things that Breck does with such purpose — its planning and thinking about curricular implementation and belonging and how that is imbued into different parts of the school life — taking some of those ideas back is something I’m excited for.” —Winder Holeman North Shore Country Day School | Winnetka, Illinois
“We’re all excited to take pieces of our learning back to our schools and see how we can improve our schools and use what we’ve learned in a positive way.” —Billy Loftin Visitation School | Mendota Heights, MN
Summer 2026 | 25
The Class of 2026 filled their year with cherished traditions — from beginning to end. Senior moments pictured here include senior sunrise, senior t-shirt day, funny senior portraits, senior speeches, athletics senior nights, senior/first grade buddies, Tour de Breck, Baccalaureate, and Commencement.
Parting words Long-time teachers offer their final reflections upon their retirements from Breck this spring.
“One quote I took to heart earl y on was, ‘Find a job you love and you’ll never have to wor k a day in your life.’ After 29 years of teaching orchestr a at Breck, I know how true that is. I never felt like I was just going to work. Each day meant making music with my wonderful students and every rehearsal brought som ething new. Working with ‘my kids’ and sharing thos e moments has been one of the greatest joys of my life. If I could relive those 29 years, I would in a heartbeat.”
Cl au de tte La ureano
Strings Teacher, at Breck 1982–1988 , 2003–2026
28 | Today at Breck
“Much has changed since I cam e to Breck in the fall of 1988. Classes met for 40 minutes every day. Sam Salas and Peter Clark, now respectively a Commons and a Center, were people I engaged with regularly. Breck did not have a field house, performing arts center, Middle School library, nor Middle School dining room. Facilities and programs have grown and evolved. People have come and gone. Yet the essence of Breck has not cha nged. We still are a community built on rela tionships. We still join together to pursue excellence in all its forms. We still buil d strength through diversity. May this never change.”
Bra d Pe terson
Math Teacher and former Math Department Chair, at Breck 1988–2026
Summer 2026 | 29
WHERE ARE THEY NOW
Processing pioneer
Curt Langlotz ’77, M.D., Ph.D., helps doctors be better doctors using AI. For many of us, artificial intelligence (AI) feels relatively “new.” But not for Dr. Curt Langlotz ’77.
he has held a number of different academic and research roles focused on AI and improving patient outcomes.
“I actually have a Stanford diploma from 1983 with ‘artificial intelligence’ printed on it,” he shares, “so I’ve been at this for a long time.”
“I run my own research lab with about a dozen students and postdoctoral scholars where we develop AI methods to help radiologists detect disease earlier and prevent medical errors,” he says. His work leading AIMI extends to help fellow physicians make better decisions and improve health. “We support labs at Stanford that are building AI systems to help doctors take better care of patients,” he explains.
A pioneer in medical AI, Langlotz is the senior associate vice provost for research, director of the Center for Artificial Intelligence in Medicine and Imaging (AIMI), professor of radiology, medicine, and biomedical data science, and senior fellow at the Institute for Human-Centered Artificial Intelligence at Stanford University, where he bridges the gap between cutting-edge engineering and life-saving clinical care. Throughout his entire academic and professional career, Langlotz has had Breck’s core values at the foundation of everything he does: “Breck taught me the value of academic excellence and personal integrity,” he says. After graduating from Breck in 1977, Langlotz attended Stanford University where he earned his bachelor’s in human biology and master’s in computer science — as part of the first class of students on the newly formed artificial intelligence track. He then went on to pursue both an MD with a specialty in radiology and Ph.D. in medical information science also from Stanford. “I’ve always been fascinated by how the body and the mind work, but I also grew up as a kid who loved playing with computers,” he says, which led him to pursue a career as both an academic AI researcher and a physician. After spending more than two decades practicing radiology and doing research at the University of Pennsylvania — where he also established a new division for Health Services Research — Langlotz returned to Stanford, where
30 | Today at Breck
While companies like OpenAI and Google dominate the mainstream conversation around AI, Langlotz emphasizes the importance of academic institutions — like Stanford, which is a leader in releasing data sets for non-commercial use — in driving innovation in AI in medicine. “Companies like Google or OpenAI don’t always have access to the massive health care datasets,” he says, “but on campus, we have ethicists, legal scholars, and engineers who collaborate on the responsible development and implementation of these new tools.” After spending his entire career researching AI in medicine, Langlotz recognizes the opportunity to improve health care and medical outcomes for patients when physicians and AI work together. “Human intelligence and machine intelligence are different,” he explains. “We understand the patient context…and the pathophysiology of disease (how disease spreads). Machines never get tired…and just work and work and work. But they are doing pure pattern recognition and don’t understand some of the conceptual things. So what that means is the combination of the two is going to be better than either one alone.” B
Dr. Langlotz returns to Breck On campus for the first time since graduating, Dr. Langlotz shared the following five life lessons to Breck juniors and seniors at the 2026 Cum Laude Society Induction Ceremony on April 12.
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Use AI tools not to replace your learning and thinking but to augment, collaborate, and synthesize. In the era of AI, it’s really never been easier to graduate from America’s top universities without doing any serious thinking. So you as an individual must choose to learn difficult skills and graduate with rigor and integrity.
Learn to communicate. The world rewards people who are best at communicating ideas, not the people with the best ideas. So take advantage of opportunities to practice writing and presenting.
Leadership is service. Leadership not about being in charge or necessarily even being the best at the domain in which you’re working; it’s about bringing people together. It’s about setting an example for your peers and inspiring a group of people to greatness.
Be kind whenever possible. It’s always possible to practice kindness.
5 Get stuff done. The most important advice I give to young people is just learn how to get stuff done. Ideas are easy; execution is everything.
AI in medicine over the next decade Where are we headed, Dr. Langlotz? SCIENTIFIC DISCOVERY Speeding up the discovery of new drugs and treatments and improving ways to stage disease.
DECISION SUPPORT Tools that augment human decision-making to help doctors make better diagnoses and support for caregivers.
OPERATIONS Ambient scribes that listen to doctor-patient conversations so the physician can focus on the patient rather than typing and staring at a computer screen.
PATIENT USE AI algorithms used directly by patients to help manage their own health and decide when to see a doctor.
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ALUMNI SPOTLIGHT
Julian Randall ’11 After graduating from Breck, Julian Randall ’11 attended Swarthmore College for his undergrad and went on to earn his MFA in poetry from University of Mississippi. He is the author of six books, including his most recent middle grade novel in verse, Shook, published in August 2026. Julian currently lives in Chicago.
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THIS OR THAT FICTION
NONFICTION
PAPERBACK
HARDCOVER
You can simply travel with more poetry books.
POETRY FOOTBALL
ITALIAN DUNKERS
PROSE
Oof, tough answer! Mock Trial by a hair.
MOCK TRIAL
CRISPY CHICKEN SANDWICH
BACCALAUREATE
COMMENCEMENT
SENIOR COMMONS
SALAS COMMONS
EXTROVERT SPRING Optimists get things done! Keyboard forever.
INTROVERT
Fall is the return of football so I gotta go with that!
FALL
OPTIMIST
PESSIMIST
TIKTOK
KEYBOARD
PEN
COFFEE
TEA
Salas Commons Light never really loses its magic.
The Gatorade the dining staff would sneak me before games :)
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Class Notes
The Alumni Office had a great time connecting with BRECK MUSTANGS IN ATLANTA in April. 1
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40s
RICHARD “SANDY” SANDERSON ‘48 spends time between his home in New Hampshire and Wales (with his grandkids) wearing his Breck Mustangs hat from his 50-year reunion. 2
70s
BILL BAKER ‘76, KIMBERLEY FITERMAN-DUEPNER ‘76, LAURI (KROPP) FOX ‘76, LIZ (NOLAN) NORDSTROM ‘76, and DAN WESTRUM ‘76 are the Class of 1976 50year reunion planners. CURT LANGLOTZ ‘77, M.D., PH.D. spoke at the Cum Laude Induction Ceremony and alumni event in early April. 3
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80s
MAYA (KLASHNYA) TESTER ‘81 and PETER TESTER ‘81 are the Class of 1981 45-year reunion planners. LYNNE (MOORE) NELSON ‘86 and AMY WENDEL ‘86 are the Class of 1986’s 40year reunion planners. AMY’S newest film, RELATIVELY NORMAL, premiered in July at the Santa Barbara International Film Festival. The film follows a teenager, Hannah Glass, as she navigates a pandemic lockdown under one roof with her dysfunctional family.
90s
STEPHEN SPAULDING ‘96, WHITNEY (SOMMERS) NELSON ‘96, THERESA (CHA) BAUGUS ‘96 are the Class of 1996 30-year reunion planners.
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SARA MARSH ‘98, JORI (MILLER) SHERER ‘02, ALEX FRÉCON ‘05, and ALLISON COLE ‘14 presented as a part of the alumni panel for the Life After Breck series for seniors in April. 4
00s
MIKE BEAVERS ‘01 rejoined the Breck Alumni Council for the 2026–27 school year.
34 | Today at Breck 4.
5.
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8. AMNA KHILJI ‘01 was appointed an industry advisor at Georgetown University’s School of Foreign Service. CARA SANDBERG ‘01 has been appointed to serve as a judge in the Alameda County Superior Court. Sandberg has served as a deputy county counsel for the Santa Clara County Counsel’s Office since 2023. 5 SHEA’NA GRIGSBY ‘02 was inducted into the U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association Division III Hall of Fame. 6 DAN GEOFFRION ‘06 and KATHERINE (BRATTAIN) HOGAN ‘06 are the Class of 2006 20-year reunion planners. MILES MARMO ‘06 and Agency Squid won a Gold Award for Twin Cities Business Best of Advertising in May. CHARLIE RYBAK ‘07 emcee’d the awards ceremony. 7
NICK DERRICO ‘08 completed neurosurgery residency and joined the practice at the University of Mississippi Medical Center (UMMC) as an assistant professor in Jackson, Mississippi.
10s
KATHERINE PAULSEN ‘10 and Brian Maehl got married in summer 2025 at a summer camp with 14 other Breck alums in attendance. 8 JULIAN RANDALL ‘11 recently published his fifth book, Shook, a middle-grade novel which follows a 12-year-old basketball phenom learning to navigate his anxiety disorder after being sidelined by an ankle injury.
9. STEPHEN HEADRICK ‘15 joins the Breck Alumni Council for the 2026–27 school year. MADI LOMMEN ‘15 served as the alumni speaker for Commencement 2026. She also joins the Breck Alumni Council for the 2026–27 school year. 9 SHIVANI NOOKALA ‘16 and NOAH FOSTER ‘16 are the Class of 2016 10-year reunion planners. HARRISON KLOPP ‘18 returned to Minnesota as a reporter for KSTP. 10 ALEX MCFARLAND ‘18 dropped his new album Smile in June 2026. 11
NATH SAMARATUNGA ‘14 rejoins the Breck Alumni Council for the 2026–27 school year.
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11.
BROOKE SAMARATUNGA ‘18 is interning at the Department of Global Communications under the Civil Society Unit at the United Nations. 12 TERRINA (T) WHITE ‘18 joins the Breck Alumni Council for the 2026–27 school year.
20s
ANDREW FULLERTON ‘21 and CAROLINE HEDLUND ‘21 are the Class of 2021 5-year reunion planners. 12.
13.
EMILY JOHNSON ‘22 won the Design Excellence Award from the UC Berkeley Architecture Department for her project, “Curved Complex.” KELAN MCKAY ‘26 and VEDA RAO ‘26 are the Class of 2026 alumni representatives. 13 In the 21st Tour de Breck, Tour de Liv (GABBY STRATTON ‘26, OLIVIA KRAMER ‘26, TALIAH EYAL ‘26, and Bobby Hernández) won the Fundraising Cup. The seniors raised $500 for their class gift. 14 Tour de Breck Team Premium (ERIK LARSON ‘26, GARRETT TRENCH ‘26, COOPER KLINK ‘26, and Mike Barefield) won the Race Trophy. 15
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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: Charles Converse ‘49 Richard Stokke ‘57 William Reay ‘62 Donald Harshbarger ‘64 Tyler Congdon ‘85 Mary Lynn Kirby ‘88 We recognize there may be others in our community who have passed away but are not listed here. Please reach out to alumni@breckschool.org if there is someone who should be listed in the next issue.
15.
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Welcome to the Breck Alumni Association, Class of 2026!
The class of 2026 will matriculate to the following colleges and universities: American University Auburn University Aurora University Belmont University Bemidiji State University Bentley University Bethel University Boston College (2) Bowdoin College Brown University Cal Poly Carleton College (4) Carnegie Mellon University Case Western Reserve University Centre College Chapman University College of Charleston College of Saint Benedict Colorado College (2) Dartmouth College
Elon University Emerson College George Washington University Gonzaga University Gustavus Adolphus College Hamline University (2) Imperial College London Ithaca College Johns Hopkins University Kenyon College Lehigh University (2) Loyola Marymount University Macalester College Marist University Miami University Middlebury College (2) New York University New York University Shanghai Northwestern University (2) Oberlin College Princeton University
Purdue University Rice University Rochester Institute of Technology (2) Saint John’s University Santa Clara University Scripps College Smith College St. Olaf College (3) Syracuse University (2) Tufts University University of California, Berkeley University of Chicago (2) University of Colorado Boulder (2) University of Colorado Denver University of Denver University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign University of Iowa University of Maryland
University of Miami (2) University of Michigan University of Minnesota Morris University of Minnesota Twin Cities (8) University of Mississippi (3) University of Oregon (2) University of Pennsylvania (2) University of Puget Sound University of San Diego University of San Francisco University of St. Thomas University of Vermont University of Wisconsin–Madison (2) Vanderbilt University (2) Wake Forest University Washington University in St. Louis Wellesley College (4) Wesleyan University Yale University (2)
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IN THEIR OWN WORDS
Always ask questions
In Lower School, Oliver M. ’34 learned the value of being intellectually curious. Something I have discovered about myself in the Lower School as a learner is that I am very curious. When I was in First Grade I thought it was bad to ask a question if it wasn’t related to what we were learning. Whenever I had a questions I would just ignore it. That is because I was so afraid of making a mistake that I thought if I didn’t ask questions I would make less mistakes. But in second grade I started to ask questions. Soon I had realized that asking a question was not a mistake. All of a sudden I was even more curious! Because I was
38 | Today at Breck
asking questions I was learning more and I was happier. I am very happy I started asking more questions because I know so much more than I would have known if I hadn’t asked questions. If I had to give advice to someone for the Lower School I would tell them to always ask questions. Asking questions has helped me get through the Lower School and be a better person. B Miller is pictured above with his grade 4 teacher, Lisa Hunninghake.
Happy 140th birthday, Breck! Join in the celebration at breckschool.org/give.
We’re all in. Celebrating 140 years 1886–2026
Summer 2026 | 39
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“WE BRING RESEARCH INTO THE CLASSROOM — STRENGTHENING INSTRUCTION AND
DEVELOPING CONFIDENT, CAPABLE LEARNERS.” —SARAH FLOTTEN ’85, DIRECTOR, PETER CLARK CENTER, WHICH CELEBRATES 10 YEARS THIS YEAR. READ MORE ABOUT THEIR IMPORTANT WORK ON PAGE 22.