SPA Magazine Spring 2022

SPRING 2022

The Magazine of St. Paul Academy and Summit School

A LEGACY OF CHANGE:

HEAD OF SCHOOL BRYN S. ROBERTS RETIRES

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“I’ve always seen myself as a steward...my job was to build on the successes of the past and prepare for the next generation of leaders. We’re all stewards in that respect: we have an obligation to do our best for the time that we’re here. I also know that no one individual is bigger than that continuum, that history, and the generations of people who have been part of this dynamic and exciting school over the years.”

– Bryn S. Roberts, Head of School

The Magazine of St. Paul Academy and Summit School

2021-2022 BOARD OF TRUSTEES OFFICERS Timothy A. Welsh, President

Contents Spring 2022

Let’s be friends.

Follow us at facebook.com/ StPaulAcademySS

William M. Beadie ’58, Secretary Litton E.S. Field, Jr. ’75, Treasurer MEMBERS Mark W. Addicks Bartlett (Bake) J. Baker ’71 Hyung Choi Jennifer Coates ’96 John W. Cosgriff ’93 Elizabeth Driscoll Hlavka Anne Larsen Hooley David W. Kansas ’85 Varun B. Kharbanda ’92 David A. Kristal Amanda Kay Liu Philip McKoy Barbara L. Naramore Tim O’Brien ’77 Thomas H. Patterson ’57 Christopher (Chip) J. Pearson J.P. Peltier Anthony (Tony) Sanneh ’90

4 Through the Doors 12 Spartan Sports 16

On the Cover:

A LEGACY OF CHANGE:

Head of School Bryn S. Roberts Retires

As Bryn Roberts’ 16-year tenure as St. Paul Academy and Summit School’s Head of School comes to a close in June 2022, he talks with SPA Magazine about his work, his vision, and the legacy of change he now hands off to the next generation of school leadership.

34 Alumni/ae News

See what we are doing at youtube.com/user/ StPaulAcademy

37 Philanthropy 38 Class Notes 41 In Memoriam

Head of School >> Bryn S. Roberts Editor and Principal Writer >> Ami Berger

St. Paul Academy and Summit School 1712 Randolph Avenue St. Paul, MN 55105 651-698-2451 (main line) 651-696-1380 (fax) info@spa.edu www.spa.edu

Follow us on instagram.com/ spa_spartans

Principal Photographer >> Scott Streble Design and Layout >> Kimberlea Weeks, CEVA Design

Check out our photo galleries at stpaulacademy. smugmug.com SPA Magazine is published twice annually by St. Paul Academy and Summit School for alumni/ae, parents, and friends of the school.

We welcome your comments and thoughts. Please contact us at spamag@spa.edu with suggestions for stories, news, and photos, or write us at SPA Magazine, 1712 Randolph Avenue, St. Paul, MN, 55105.

Read SPA Magazine online at spa.edu/ SPA_Magazine

>> THROUGH THE DOORS

Ten SPA Seniors Named National Merit Semifinalists

Ten members of the Class of 2022 were named National Merit Semifinalists by the College Board in Fall 2021. The 10 Semifinalists were William Anderson, Divya Bhargava, Spencer Burris-Brown, Eleanor Chen, Jack Hlavka, Ruth Mellin, Alexander Moore, Marie Schumacher, Will Sedo, and Eleanor Smith.

The SPA Semifinalists represented 11% of the Class of 2022; the nationwide

pool of Semifinalists represents less than one percent of U.S. high school seniors. A total of about 16,000 high school seniors from across the country were named Semifinalists in 2021-22, including 275 from Minnesota.

In addition to the ten SPA National Merit Semifinalists named in early September, ten additional members of the Class of 2022 earned National

Merit “Commended” recognition: Kevin Chen, Margaret Fields, Noa Gross, Per Johnson, Naci Konar-Steenberg, Grant Mortenson, Andrew Rose, Kai Sih, Samuel Zelazo, and Milo Zelle. The 20 members of the Class of 2022 who were honored this year by National Merit—ten Semifinalists and ten Commended Students—represent 19% of the Class of 2022.

Middle School Math Team Qualifies for Four Middle School mathematicians qualified to compete at the Minnesota state MATHCOUNTS competition. The team of eighth-graders Trevor Hou, Abigail McKinney, Shefali Meagher, and Allan Wang took second place in their chapter competition, earning the right to advance to the state competition held in March 2022.

The MATHCOUNTS competition is a national program that provides students in grades 6-8 the opportunity to compete in mathematical contests against and alongside their peers. This year, the MATHCOUNTS competition consisted of three rounds of written questions completed individually, in pairs, and as a team.

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Upper School Fall Play Earns 18 Spotlight Awards from Hennepin Theatre Trust The Upper School’s production of Peter and the Starcatcher, the 2021 Upper School Fall Play, was the recipient of 18 awards from the Hennepin Theatre Trust’s Spotlight Program.

The ensemble Spotlight Awards for Peter and the Starcatcher included: Overall Production: Outstanding Overall Performance: Honorable Mention Ensemble Performance: Honorable Mention Student Orchestra: Outstanding Light and Sound Crew: Outstanding Achievement in Theatre: Honorable Mention Overall Production: Honorable Mention Acting Performance: Honorable Mention Run Crew: Outstanding Overall Technical Team: Outstanding

Val Chafee ’22 & Davyd Barchuk’22

Spotlight is an awards program for high school theater. Throughout the school year, Spotlight evaluators watch participating high schools’ theatrical performances and award honors to selected productions, ensembles, and individuals.

Griffin Moore ’22

Ellie Murphy ’22

Per Johnson ’22

The individual Spotlight Awards for Peter and the Starcatcher included: Outstanding Performance in a Supporting Role: Davyd Barchuk ’22 as Ted, Griffin Moore ’22 as Smee Outstanding in Technical Leadership: Vivian Johnson ’22 (Stage Manager), Will Sedo ’22 (Light Board Operator), Gray Whitaker-Castaneda ’22 (Assistant Set Designer), and Milo Zelle ’22 (Sound Board Operator) Honorable Mention Performance in a Leading Role: Val Chafee ’22 as Molly Honorable Mention Performance in a Supporting Role: Ellie Murphy ’22 as Mrs. Bumbrake Evaluator Shout Out: Per Johnson ’22 as Black Stache

State MATHCOUNTS Competition The four members of the MATHCOUNTS team are part of the larger Middle School Math Team program, coached by Middle School math teacher Jenny Borovsky. This year’s two teams both had championship seasons, with the “Gold” team taking first place in their division and the “Blue” team taking third. In addition to the team results, SPA also had seven team members place in the top ten for individual results in the division: Trevor Hou ’26 (1st); Shefali Meagher ’26 (2nd); Sophie Kannapiran and Allan Wang ’26 (tie for 3rd); Kaya Cayci ’28 (8th); Abigail McKinney ’26 (9th); and Isaak Senaratna ’27 (10th).

“I really appreciate the effort the students put in all year,” says Borovksy, who notes that the students practice every week during quiet study and occasionally after school. “Each team member has a strength they bring to the team,” she says. “The students work well together on the team round, checking each other’s work and questioning reasoning.”

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>> THROUGH THE DOORS

Student Art and Writing Honored in 2022 Minnesota Scholastic Art Awards

Fifteen SPA students in grades 8-12 were recognized in the 2022 Minnesota Scholastic Art Awards (MSAA) program. Established to ensure that literary and artistic talent are recognized in schools and communities across the country, the program honors student work in 27 diverse categories including animation, architecture, dramatic script, fashion, painting, photography, poetry, sculpture, and video games.

Mac Brown ’22

This year’s MSAA winners include: Gold Key • Henry Burkhardt ’22 (2 pieces) • Annika Kim ’25 • Nina Starchook ’22 • Natalie Waibel ’25

Silver Key • • • • • • • • •

Nan Besse ’22 Hannah Brass ’23 Mac Brown ’22 Henry Burkhardt ’22 (portfolio) Mia Hofmann ’22 Annika Kim ’25 Vivian Johnson ’22 Rita Li ’24 Noa Ní Aoláin Gross ’22 (portfolio )

Hannah Brass ’23 Natalie Waibel ’25

Carys Hsiung ’26

Honorable Mention • • • • • • • •

Nan Besse ’22 (portfolio) Noa Ní Aoláin Gross ’22 Carys Hsiung ’26 Annika Kim ’25 (4 pieces) Sutton Lillygreen ’22 Anna Nowakowski ’23 Sarah Oppenheim ’22 Nina Starchook ’22 (portfolio) • Elizabeth Trevathan ’22 • Asa Zirps ’23

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Sarah Oppenheim ’22 Asa Zirps ’23

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RubicOnline Co-Director Elizabeth Trevathan ’22 Named Minnesota Journalist of the Year; Co-Director Elle Chen ’22 honored as State Finalist “Her portfolio is extensive, with exemplary writing in every mode of journalistic reporting, including social media,” the JEA judges said of Trevathan. “Paired with her creative writing, she is just such a versatile writer.”

In a rare double honor for a publication, Trevathan’s Co-Director Elle Chen ’22 was named a Minnesota State Finalist in the JOY competition. “Exemplary leadership skills are evident in every aspect of the journalist’s portfolio,” the JEA judges noted of Elle’s work. “The theme of servant leadership shines through in her essay and letters of recommendation. Such an impressive array of skills with podcasts, interactive images, photography, diversity reporting and feature writing.

The Journalism Education Association, the nation’s largest scholastic journalism organization for educators, selected SPA senior Elizabeth Trevathan ’22, Co-Director of RubicOnline, as the Minnesota Journalist of the Year ( JOY). RubicOnline is the digital partner publication to SPA’s printed student newspaper, The Rubicon.

Trevathan is the sole JOY winner from Minnesota, selected from among nominated student journalists from around the state. Candidates for the award must submit a portfolio of journalistic work that highlights their writing, design, photography, videography, and multimedia skills.

Upper School Director of Publications and Rubicon advisor Kathryn Campbell is excited for Elizabeth to move on to the national JOY competition and is enormously proud of both her Co-Directors. “Elizabeth and Elle make a fantastic team since they complement each other’s strengths,” says Campbell, who says the JOY judges had “an impossible choice” in selecting one of her Co-Directors over the other for the JOY award. “Elizabeth is moving on to the national competition, but I know if it had come out the other way, they would celebrate each other with the same enthusiasm and care,” Campbell says. “They collaborate with a tremendous amount of respect for each other, for their staff, and for our publications program as a whole.”

Middle and Upper School Publications Honored with State and National Awards SPA’s publications programs in the Middle and Upper Schools were honored with multiple state and national awards for exceptional writing, design, art, and photography, including: • Pacemaker Finalist, RubicOnline (National Scholastic Press Association) • Crown Award Finalists, Rubicon, RubicOnline, and Iris: Art & Lit magazine (Columbia Scholastic Press Association) • “Superior” Ranking, Iris: Art & Lit magazine (National Council of Teachers of English) • “Design of the Year” for the Rubicon, RubicOnline, and Iris: Art & Lit magazine (National Scholastic Press Association) • “Editorial Cartoon of the Year,” Elle Chen ’22 (National Scholastic Press Association) • “Portfolio of the Year,” Photography, Nikolas Liepins ’21 (National Scholastic Press Association) • All-State Gold, Rubicon, RubicOnline, Iris: Art & Lit magazine, Ibid yearbook ( Journalism Educators of Minnesota)

• All-State Gold, Middle School Yearbook ( Journalism Educators of Minnesota) • All-State Silver, Middle School Art & Lit magazine ( Journalism Educators of Minnesota) • First Place, Writing, Middle School Art & Lit magazine (American Scholastic Press Association) • Second Place, Writing, Middle School Yearbook (American Scholastic Press Association) www. spa.e du

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SPA Student-scientists win awards at 2022 Twin Cities Regional Science Fair, move on to state, national, international competitions SPA student-scientists have once again earned multiple national, state, and local honors at the Twin Cities Regional Science Fair (TCRSF) for their original research in science, computer science, and engineering. Fourteen students competed in this year’s TCRSF, which was held virtually throughout the month of February 2022.

For the fifth year in a row, SPA students competing at TCRSF were named Finalists in the Regeneron ISEF competition, the world’s largest international pre-college science competition. The team of seniors Alex Moore and Ruth Mellin will present their project, entitled One-way ASL translation: 3D printed robotic hand with integrated speech recognition, during ISEF’s finalist competition in early May; Alex and Ruth created a smartphone app which allows the user to speak a short phrase that then uses ASL fingerspelling to recreate the spoken words with a 3D-printed robotic hand. Alex and Ruth were awarded one of two ISEF Finalist spots for Minnesota; senior Will Sedo and junior Linnea Colley were also tapped as first and second alternates, respectively.

In addition, nine SPA student projects will move on to the Minnesota State Science and Engineering Fair (for poster projects) and nine will move on to the next phase of the Minnesota Junior Science and Humanities Symposium (for research papers). See below for a full list of the students’ projects.

Of the 14 TCRSF competitors, eight were students in SPA’s Advanced Science Research (ASR) course, taught by Cathleen Drilling and Karissa Baker; four were students in Dr. Kate Lockwood’s Advanced Technology Projects (ATP) course; and two worked independently. Both the ASR and ATP courses are designed for students who want to conduct independent original research in an area of their interest and choosing. “We’re really proud of our students’ projects, as they are completely of their own design,” says ASR faculty Cathleen Drilling, who notes that the students go through the full scientific investigative process: selecting a topic, combing through the primary literature to find a “gap in knowledge” to investigate, designing the experiment, gathering and analyzing data, and then using their findings to create both a paper and a poster/presentation. “It is a challenging academic and scientific experience,” Drilling says, “but one that allows them to apply so much of what they’ve learned throughout their science coursework at SPA. It’s thrilling when their efforts are commended externally.”

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Alex Moore ’22 and Ruth Mellin ’22 present their research at ISEF.

Student Projects: Andrew Bai ’23 & Annie Bai ’24: The extreme cold in the context of a warmer planet and a cooler solar cycle Spencer Burris-Brown ’22: Assessing the Influence of Personality on Active and Passive Procrastination among Adolescents Val Chafee ’22: The Effect of Adolescent Temperature Variation on Development and Adult Performance in V. cardui Ben Chen ’23: Recycled Plastic for Resilient Infrastructure Linnea Cooley ’23: Effect of Ethanol and Octocrylene on the Cell Growth and Chlorophyll-a Levels of Cyclotella meneghiniana Cooper Bollinger Danielson ’23: The Effect of Varying Concentrations of Miracle-gro fertilizer on Composting Earthworm Ecosystems Per Johnson ’22: The Effects of Temperature on Learning Complex Tasks in Red Harvester Ants Naci Konar-Steenberg ’22: The Raft Game: An Experiment in Player-Centric Quasi-Random Terrain Generation Ruth Mellin ’22 & Alex Moore ’22: One-way ASL translation: 3D printed robotic hand with integrated speech recognition James Montague ’22: Creation of a highly-efficient wind turbine: using wind detection and direction adjustment to optimize wind energy production Kishori Patel ’22: The Effect of the Amount of Beef Food Source and Exposure Time on Calliphora vomitoria Pupation Will Sedo ’22: Optimizing Waterflow in a Simulated River Environment

Scientific Journal Publishes the Original Research of Divya Bhargava ’22 In April 2022, the peer-reviewed scientific journal Bone Marrow Transplantation (BMT) published the original research of SPA senior Divya Bhargava ’22.

Bhargava’s paper, entitled Impact of CDC warning on co-prescribing of opioids and benzodiazepines in older allogeneic hematopoietic cell transplant recipients, Divya Bhargava ’22 an analysis of the use of opioids and benzodiazepines before and after updated warnings were released by the Centers for Disease Control.

The paper is based on research Bhargava conducted as part of SPA’s Advanced Science Research (ASR) course, which is the Upper School’s most advanced course for student-scientists. The course was taught by US science teacher Cathleen Drilling; Bhargava also worked with an external mentor, Dr. Daniel Weisdorf, Professor

of Medicine at the University of Minnesota, in pursuing the project. Bhargava credits Drilling and her mentor, Dr. Weisdorf, with encouraging her to submit her research to BMT, a peer-reviewed medical journal. After multiple external reviews, revisions, and review queries, Bhargava’s paper was accepted for publication in March 2022.

The timing of Bhargava’s research makes her accomplishment that much more impressive, Drilling says.

“Divya completed this work last fall at the height of COVID when students weren’t regularly on campus,” says Drilling, who also notes that Bhargava opted for a data-analysis project “in which she spent hours upon hours analyzing patient data to determine if prescription habits changed after the CDC recommendations were updated. It’s a tremendous piece of work.”

Four Students Honored in Minnesota Aspirations in Computing Program In spring 2022, the Minnesota Aspirations in Computing Program (MNAiC) honored four SPA students for their interest in and aptitude for computing and computer science. Ruth Mellin ’22 was named a MNAiC State Winner Award recipient, one of only 20 such winners in Minnesota.

Maryeva Gonzalez ’23 was named a State Honorable Mention recipient, and Hannah Brass ’23 and Anja Seifert ’24 were named Rising Star Honorees.

Ruth Mellin ’22

Maryeva Gonzalez ’23

Hannah Brass ’23

Anja Seifert ’24

The MNAiC program offers year-round events and activities designed to “inspire and empower students in high school to become our next, best Minnesota-grown technology talent.” MNAiC partners with the National Center for Women and Information Technology (NCWIT) to support high school students who identify as women, genderqueer, or non-binary in furthering their computing-related education and career aspirations.

Mellin’s MNAiC State Winner Award is the first for a SPA student; Mellin was named Honorable Mention in the program in 2021. “Being involved in MNAiC has allowed me to take what I learn in school and apply it to better understand complex issues in the STEM field” says Mellin, “and I love engaging with other students who have a shared passion for STEM.”

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Homecoming 2021

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Homecoming festivities returned to campus this fall, with a celebratory week of special events and activities leading up to Blue and Gold Day on Friday, October 1. The Lower School Blue and Gold Assembly, the Upper School Pep Fest, the All-School Homecoming Carnival, and the Storming of the Field all led up to the day’s highlight: the girls’ soccer team’s 6-0 victory over Lakes International Language Academy.

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>> SPARTAN SPORTS | FALL 2021 SEASON RECAP GIRLS’ TENNIS SEASON HIGHLIGHTS: Girls’ tennis spent the 2021 fall season developing individually and collectively as a team. Notable victories for the year included victories over Highland Park, Academy of Holy Angels, and New Life Academy. In section competition, captains Maggie Fields ’22 and Elizabeth Trevathan ’22 played each other for third place in an intense and competitive match that saw Maggie win 3-0.

(6-2, 5-7, 6-4)

GIRLS’ SOCCER SEASON HIGHLIGHTS: Girls’ soccer had a spectacular season, finishing 15-2-1 overall and winning the IMAC Conference Championship with a 3-1 double overtime victory over IMAC rival Minnehaha Academy. Led by All-State selections Mia Hofmann ’22, Sawyer Bollinger Danielson ’25, and Naomi Straub ’22, the Spartans earned the #2 seed in their section, and rolled to a 8-0 Quarterfinal victory over St. Paul Humboldt. They would then match up against the Redhawks of Minnehaha for the third time on the year. The team competed extremely hard but ultimately fell 3-0 in the section semifinals.

ALL-CONFERENCE: Maggie Fields ’22, Elizabeth Trevathan ’22

ALL-CONFERENCE HONORABLE MENTION: Naysa Kalugdan ’23 and Leni Nowakowski ’23

ALL-ACADEMIC ALL-STATE: Maggie Fields ’22, Sonia Ross ’22, and Elizabeth Trevathan ’22 Class A Gold Team Award

ALL-STATE: Mia Hofmann ’22, Sawyer Bollinger Danielson ’25, and Naomi Straub ’22

ALL-CONFERENCE:

Mia Hofmann ’22

Sawyer Bollinger Danielson ’25, Heidi Deuel ’23, Andrea Gist ’22, Mia Hofmann ’22, Naomi Straub ’22, and Annie Zhang ’25

Maggie Fields ’22

ALL-CONFERENCE HONORABLE MENTION:

Symbol denotes team or athlete competed at the State level

Maryeva Gonzalez ’23 and Aurelia Meza ’24

BOYS’ SOCCER SEASON HIGHLIGHTS: Led by a team of veteran players including IMAC Player of the Year Leo Larson ’22 and AllState selections Cooper Bollinger Danielson ’23 and Gregory Forsberg ’22, boys’ soccer finished with a strong 9-3-4 overall record and 5-1-1 in conference play, capturing their first IMAC Conference title since 2015. The team earned the #2 seed in their section and defeated Twin Cities Academy and Hiawatha Collegiate to advance to the section title game for the first time since 2012. In what was a well-played game, the Spartans fell to a skilled Humboldt team, 1-0.

IMAC PLAYER OF THE YEAR: Leo Larson ’22

ALL-STATE: Cooper Bollinger Danielson ’23, Gregory Forsberg ’22, and Leo Larson ’22

ALL-CONFERENCE: Cooper Bollinger Danielson ’23, Mac Brown ’22, Gregory Forsberg ’22, Leo Larson ’22, and Zekiah Juliusson ’22

ALL-CONFERENCE HONORABLE MENTION:

Leo Larson ’22

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Yash Kshirsagar ’23 and Ezra Straub ’25

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VOLLEYBALL

Riley Erben ’23

SEASON HIGHLIGHTS:

Charlie Johnson ’22

FOOTBALL

Despite a 5-14 overall record, Spartan Volleyball claimed victories over IMAC rivals Blake and Breck and finished 3-7 in the conference, building a lot of momentum for next season. In the postseason, the Spartans faced off against St. Agnes in the first round of section competition, taking the match to 5 sets before falling 14-16 in the final set. Expectations are high for the 2022 season as the Spartans will return AllConference honoree Solvej Eversoll ’23 and All-Conference Honorable Mention selection Riley Erben ’23 for their final year as Spartans.

SEASON HIGHLIGHTS:

ALL-CONFERENCE:

The SMB Wolfpack, a cooperative program between SPA, Minnehaha Academy, and The Blake School, had another great season, finishing 6-4 behind the leadership of Spartan seniors and captains Charlie Johnson ’22 and Judah Thomas ’22. In the postseason, the team received a bye in the first round, advancing straight to the semifinals against Benilde St. Margaret’s.

Their 10-3 victory in the semifinals put them in the section championship game against Academy of Holy Angels, where they would fall 42-6.

Solvej Eversoll ’23

ALL-CONFERENCE HONORABLE MENTION: Riley Erben ’23

ALL-DISTRICT HONORABLE MENTION: Joey Stolpestad ’23 and Judah Thomas ’22

Taylor Barkwell ’25

GIRLS’ SWIMMING AND DIVING

CROSS COUNTRY

SEASON HIGHLIGHTS:

SEASON HIGHLIGHTS:

The Sparks swimming and diving team, a co-op between SPA and Highland Park, had another great and competitive season, finishing second in the Saint Paul City Conference with a 3-1-0 record.

At the conference diving meet, Katherine Welsh ’22 took the IMAC championship title with a score of 382, and Elena Sjaastad ’23 and Olivia Szaj ’22 finished third and fourth respectively. Welsh also had an outstanding performance at the Section 6AA meet, where she earned first place with a final score of 367.95 and was named Section 6AA Diver of the Year. Welsh advanced to the Minnesota State Diving Tournament, where she placed 6th overall with a final score of 359.05.

Katherine Welsh ’22

The 2021 cross country season was filled with personal bests and consistent improvement. At the IMAC Conference Championships, the boys’ team finished sixth, and the girls’ team finished 4th overall. Individually, Henry Burkhardt ’22 paced the Spartans all year and ran a personal best at the IMAC Conference meet where he finished fifteenth overall. The girls’ team was led by Taylor Barkwell ’25 who finished fifth at the IMAC Conference meet and represented SPA at the State meet where she finished 60th overall.

SECTION 6AA DIVER OF THE YEAR:

ALL-CONFERENCE:

ALL-STATE/ALL-CONFERENCE:

Katherine Welsh ’22

Taylor Barkwell ’25

SECTION 6AA DIVING CHAMPION: Katherine Welsh ’22

IMAC CONFERENCE DIVING CHAMPION: Katherine Welsh ’22

Katherine Welsh ’22

ALL-CONFERENCE HONORABLE MENTION: Henry Burkhardt ’22, Maren Overgaard ’26 and Inga Wing ’25

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>> SPARTAN SPORTS | WINTER 2020-21 SEASON RECAP GIRLS’ BASKETBALL SEASON HIGHLIGHTS:

ALPINE SKIING SEASON HIGHLIGHTS: Alpine Skiing had another strong season. At the IMAC conference championship, the boys finished 3rd (of 7 teams) and the girls finished 5th.

Additionally, in conference competition All-Conference performers Soren Mishra ’23 finished 6th and Evy Sachs ’26 finished 8th in overall scoring. At the section meet, the girls’ team finished fourteenth, and the boys’ team finished tenth, sending Henry Giles ’24 to state, where he finished 78th overall.

Henry Giles ’24

ALL-CONFERENCE: Soren Mishra ’23 and Evy Sachs ’26

ALL-CONFERENCE HONORABLE MENTION:

Despite a 5-17 overall record, girls’ basketball put up impressive regular season wins over Hope Academy, Nova Classical, Cristo Rey Jesuit, and Twin Cities Academy/Great River. In post-season competition, the Spartans were the eleventh seed in their section and cruised to a dominant 57-30 victory over fourteenth seed Math and Science Academy. In the second round, the girls played tough but ultimately fell 39-24 to sixth seed Concordia Academy. Expectations are high for the 2022-23 season as the Spartans will return All-Conference Honorable Mention honoree Lindsay Browne ’23 leading the team.

ALL-CONFERENCE HONORABLE MENTION:

Clara Garner ’22, Will Sedo ’22 and Wyatt Tait ’23

BOYS’ SWIM & DIVE

Lindsay Browne ’23 and Naomi Straub ’22

SEASON HIGHLIGHTS: The Trojans, a cooperative with Highland Park Senior High School, dominated conference competition once again this season, placing first at the St. Paul City meet, capturing the Twin Cities Championship. At the section championship meet, the 200 medley relay team of Gabriel Bangoura ’23, Rishi Bhargava ’24 and Connor Overgaard ’24 finished fourth and Ben Hanson ’22 swam a career-best time in the 500 free.

ALL-CONFERENCE:

Ben Hanson ’22

Gabriel Bangoura ’23, Rishi Bhargava ’24 and Connor Overgaard ’24

SEASON HIGHLIGHTS: It was an exceptional season for boys’ basketball, which won 7 of their first 10 games and finished with a 15-9 record in the regular season. The Spartan’s biggest win of the season came on Senior Night with a 10260 win over Lakes International Language Academy, and a career-high scoring performance by senior captain Brandt Baskerville ’22, who broke the school’s single-game record with 43 points. In the postseason, the Spartans were seeded fifth in the Section 4AA tournament and rolled to a 94-77 opening-round victory over St. Paul Washington Tech. In the quarterfinals, SPA fell to a talented St. Agnes team, 82-42.

MEN’S EPEE: Mason Brooks ’22 (First place), Milan Mishra ’25 (Fifth place)

MEN’S SABER: William Moran ’23 (Fourth place), Andy Rose ’22 (Fifth place)

ALL-CONFERENCE: Brandt Baskerville ’22 and Clarke Baskerville ’22

Ethan Carter ’24 and Tysen Hayes ’24

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SEASON HIGHLIGHTS: It was another championship season for Spartan fencing. The team dominated the regular season and finished the year by defending the Men’s Team State Championship for the seventh year in a row at the Minnesota State High School Fencing Championships. In the team competition, mens’ and womens’ fencing both finished in the top three in the state, with the boys finishing second and the girls finishing third overall. Individually, Mason Brooks ’22 took home a first-place finish in men’s epee.

Additional top five finishes at State included:

BOYS’ BASKETBALL

ALL-CONFERENCE HONORABLE MENTION:

FENCING

Brandt Baskerville ’22

WOMEN’S SABER: Nora Shaughnessy ’24 (Fifth place)

WOMEN’S FOIL: Claire Kim ’25 (Fifth place)

Girls’ Nordic

Lucie Bond ’22

NORDIC SKIING SEASON HIGHLIGHTS:

Lindsay Browne ’23

Girls’ and boys’ Nordic both had strong seasons. The boys’ team was paced by veteran skiers Henry Burkhardt ’22 and Jack O’Brien ’23, and the girls earned the IMAC conference championship for the second consecutive year and qualified for the Minnesota State Nordic meet. At State, the sprint team of Helen Townley ’25 and Maren Overgaard ’26 came in fifth, with Helen finishing second overall in the relay. In the individual pursuit competition, finishers included Inga Wing ’25 (15th), Taylor Barkwell ’25 (50th), Eleanor Mody ’27 (100th), Marie Schumacher ’22 (104th), and Johanna Pierach ’25 (107th).

ALL-CONFERENCE: Taylor Barkwell ’25, Jack O’Brien ’23, Maren Overgaard ’26, Marie Schumacher ’22, Helen Townley ’25 and Inga Wing ’25

Symbol denotes team or athlete competed at the State level

ALL-CONFERENCE HONORABLE MENTION: Henry Burkhardt ’22, Sam Hilton ’27, Thomas Kovarik ’25, Eleanor Mody ’27 and David Schumacher ’25

GIRLS’ HOCKEY SEASON HIGHLIGHTS: Girls’ Hockey had another stellar season in 2021-22, finishing 18-7 in the regular season and 2-1 in conference, with their only loss coming to a strong Blake team. Behind the senior leadership of Lucie Bond ’22, Minnehaha United achieved two, six-game winning streaks and defeated IMAC rival Breck twice on the year. In the postseason, United was seeded sixth and drew a tough matchup against three-seed Benilde St. Margaret’s, ultimately falling to Benilde 6-1.

ALL-CONFERENCE: Lucie Bond ’22 and Charlotte Goings ’24

ALL-CONFERENCE HONORABLE MENTION: Heidi Deuel ’23, Greta Magnuson ’23 and Aurelia Meza ’24

George Peltier ’23

BOYS’ HOCKEY SEASON HIGHLIGHTS: Despite a 8-17 overall record, Spartan hockey put up impressive wins over traditional rivals. Highlights of the regular season were the team’s victories over IMAC foes: a 7-3 victory over Minnehaha Academy and a 3-2 win over Breck. In section play, the Spartans were the sixth seed and matched up against the three seed, Chisago Lakes. In what was a tough contest, SPA would fall 3-1. Expectations will be high for the 2022-23 season as the Spartans will return All-Conference honoree George Peltier ’23 and All-Conference Honorable Mention selections Ethan Peltier ’25 and Nelson Wodarz ’23.

ALL-CONFERENCE: George Peltier ’23 and Judah Thomas ’22

ALL-CONFERENCE HONORABLE MENTION: Ethan Peltier ’25 and Nelson Wodarz ’23

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A LEGACY OF CHANGE:

HEAD OF SCHOOL BRYN S.

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ROBERTS RETIRES

BY LAURA BILLINGS COLEMAN | PHOTOGRAPHS BY SCOTT STREBLE

As Bryn Roberts’ 16-year tenure as St. Paul Academy and Summit School’s Head of School comes to a close in June 2022, he talked with SPA Magazine about his work, his vision, and the legacy of change he now hands off to the next generation of school leadership.

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A history scholar and career educator who is rarely at a loss for words, Bryn Roberts has a gift for inspiring oratory.

It’s one of the qualities that first impressed the members of St. Paul Academy and Summit School’s search committee when they offered him the job as Head of School in 2006.

As Roberts’ 16-year tenure as the school’s leader comes to an end this spring, however, those who have worked with Roberts say it is his capacity for asking questions—and listening to the answers—that is the quality they value the most.

“What’s always impressed me about Bryn is the quality of the questions he asks,” says Tim Elchert, who retired as SPA’s Lower School counselor in 2020 and worked closely with Roberts throughout his time as Head. “He’s an intellectual, and a problem solver, and he can always find the right words–but what really demonstrates his character to me is the way he asks follow-up questions. He listens, very closely, to everyone.”

“I’ve never worked with any senior level administrator who enjoys talking with students more than Bryn,” says Theresa Collins, who joined SPA as Upper School Principal in 2021. “He is deeply curious about every person here, not just what they do but how they do it,” Collins says, “and that curiosity is not just fact-finding. He encourages all of us–students, faculty, new principals like me–to think about what’s next, what’s the future, what can he do to help you on the path forward? It’s a lovely balance for a leader and for a mentor.”

That curiosity—paired with a teacher’s passion for serving and supporting students and families—has always been the foundational element of the significant transformation that SPA has experienced under Roberts’ leadership. From construction projects to curriculum redesign to faculty hiring, those who know Roberts observe that nearly every change began with the same question: What do we need to do to create the next generation of critical thinkers?

“SPA’s mission statement is ‘shaping the minds and the hearts of the people who will change the world,’ and it’s never lost on me that when you walk up the stairs to Bryn’s office, those words are what you see, right on the wall above his office in giant letters,” says Tim Welsh, President of SPA’s Board of Trustees. “When I imagine Bryn, I see

ASKING THE RIGHT QUESTIONS “When we began looking for a new Head of School, we wanted to find someone who was a strong leader but had a light touch. We needed someone who could bring people along through change and not break the furniture along the way. Bryn was without question the right person for the job. He had a very strong sense of who he was as a school leader and what he could bring to SPA. He’s an intellectual and very good at asking questions, but the quality of his questions, and the level of interest he has in people and what skills they can bring to a shared vision, was very inspiring. I remember picking him up at the airport and dropping him off at the hotel before his interview, and then immediately calling another member of the search committee to say, “I’ve just met our new Head of School.”

— Dorothy Goldie ’73, Director of Institutional Advancement, former Trustee, and co-chair of the Head Search Committee, 2005

him walking up those stairs every day, focused on that mission, because that is who he is,” Welsh says. “He really believes in his core that these kids will make a positive difference in the world.

He’s dedicated his life to that.”

As Roberts prepared for his long-planned retirement in June 2022, he sat down with SPA Magazine to reflect on the changes that have taken place under his watch. Many of his colleagues were also eager to share what they learned from him and what they’ll miss when he steps down: seeing him cheer from the stands at dozens of SPA sporting events every year, reading to kindergarteners in the Lower School, raving about the latest performance in the Huss Center, sharing his high-brow reading list and low-brow reality-TV favorites with colleagues, and being moved nearly to tears while taking SPA students on their first Broadway trip to see Hamilton during a school trip to perform at Carnegie Hall.

“Bryn came to the school at a time when the SPA school community was eager for calm, thoughtful leadership, and he provided that,” says Lucy Polk, who retired from the Upper School English department in 2018. “He’s going to be a hard act to follow.”

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Q

What initially drew you to SPA? What opportunities did you see here?

It was evident to me from my first visit that what mattered at SPA were stellar academics first and foremost. When I arrived in 2006, there was a rich, robust curriculum that really pushed students and challenged them to take advantage of the talents of their teachers. I appreciated that the school was not wedded to an external curriculum like the Advanced Placement program, which meant a lot more room for innovation and creativity, especially in the Upper School where you can go in-depth and develop a broad elective program that resembles a small liberal arts college.

My arrival at SPA coincided with a moment in time when educators knew we were on the cusp of seismic changes in the classroom related to technology, but we didn’t yet know what exactly those changes would be or how they would influence teaching and learning. No one did.

And while the school had embraced technology to a degree, it had not yet had a big impact on how we were teaching, which probably wasn’t significantly different from thirty years earlier. I could see even in those early days that bringing this technological revolution into the classroom would be an important part of my job as Head of School, and it was also clear that there was a community of teachers, parents, and Trustees who were ready to bring SPA into that new realm with confidence and enthusiasm.

Roberts’ first appearance on the cover of SPA Magazine, in the Summer 2006 issue.

RAISING THE BAR I think one of the hardest parts of a Head’s job is finding a way to move a school community toward a vision that’s even bigger than the vision they have for themselves.

SPA has always been a great school, and it would be easy to be complacent and say ‘let’s just keep doing what we’re doing.’ But that’s not Bryn. He raised the aspirations of the community, he raised the academic standards of the school, and then he went out and raised the money to make the new buildings possible.

He helped us be better as a community than we could imagine, he had a big vision, and then he did the hardest part–he achieved it.

— Tim Welsh, President of the Board of Trustees and parent

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What were the biggest challenges you saw at the start?

A pressing issue in those first few years was the development of a succession plan for nearly a third of our faculty, many of them master teachers who had been at SPA for decades and were quickly approaching retirement. We knew that a thoughtful and deliberate plan for hiring exemplary new teachers was essential to the future of the school.

And then there were the facilities issues: when you’re at a school that’s 122 years old, you end up trying to stuff programs into buildings that were built in another time for ways of doing school that no longer apply. This was especially true for the Upper School, which had last been renovated in the 1970s and had a third more students than we had appropriate space for in 2006.

From an administrative standpoint, it was clear to me early on that the school had become centralized around the Head of School, which is a challenge when you’ve got two campuses. The school had grown, but we hadn’t developed the complex services or the sinews of connection inside the school that we really needed if we were going to change and evolve. We needed extraordinary principals who had the autonomy to focus on outcomes in each division. You could make the argument that schools are in the business of preparing students for transitions—from grade to grade, but also from division to division, and then from Upper School to the world of college and work. To make those transitions successful, we needed both strong connections between the divisions and independence within the divisions to design programs and curriculum. We really focused on building that structure, and we introduced new ways of talking about curriculum, creating academic committees, and giving the principals the tools they needed to support their teachers and their students.

Q

At left: Roberts reads to SPA’s littlest Spartans during his annual visit to Kindergarten classes; at right, Roberts at a Lower School assembly.

You also began a new focus on social and emotional learning.

Why was that important to you?

Excellent academics define a school, but if children can’t bring their best selves to school, then they’re never going to unlock the academic riches that are available to them. Social and emotional learning has to be woven into virtually everything that we do, and we’ve worked at it in every division in different ways that reflect the ages and development of our students. Holly Fidler [Lower School Principal from 2014-2021] brought in the TOOLBOX program, which is a marvelous set of tools that help the students understand their emotions and how to approach challenging situations. In the Middle School we have a terrific advisory program called Developmental Designs that shapes how students think about their roles and responsibilities in the community. The Upper School wellness curriculum is an important piece in that division, and we recently added a second full-time counselor in the Upper School to support our students.

We also launched the Center for Learning and Teaching to support students who have learning differences and to provide resources for all our students and faculty. When Jill Romans ’86 was appointed Assistant Head of School for Student Development and Community Engagement, all those programs moved under her and became much more cohesive, in the same way that Cindy Richter ’78 [Assistant Head for Academic Programs] has unified our K-12 academic program. Our concern for our students’ social-emotional well-being touches every corner of the school program, and we are extraordinarily fortunate to have an Assistant Head with Jill’s background and skill to oversee this work. Very few independent schools have Assistant Heads—one on the academic side and on the social/emotional side—who work together in that way.

MENTAL HEALTH SUPPORT “Bryn has always believed that if you’re not tending to all aspects of a student’s life, then what you’re doing in the classroom doesn’t really matter.

If you have a student who’s anxious, or worried about what’s happening on the playground, or what they’re seeing on their social media feed, then they’re not really learning. There were not many schools asking how we need to think about school from that mentalhealth perspective.”

— Dr. Jill Romans ’86, Assistant Head of School for Student Development and Community Engagement

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Q

SPA also adopted a new mission statement, “shaping the minds and the hearts of the people who will change the world,” in 2013.

What was the inspiration for that new mission?

The new mission was inspired by the ISACS [Independent School Association of the Central States] re-accreditation team that visited SPA in 2011. We received a glowing report from the visiting team, but they told us that our mission statement, then a decadeold, failed to capture the intellectual energy and creativity of the school. As we began to think about updating our mission, we noticed that most independent schools focused their mission on specific academic outcomes, or sometimes on broad ideals like “truth, honor, and justice.” Those statements tended to be very internally focused and were not always connected to the broader world.

We took a different approach, one that was focused on linking what happens within our walls to what students will be capable of doing as community leaders once they venture beyond the comfortable precincts of their alma mater. We want to develop astute thinkers and good citizens, and we want our students to grow into adults who are collaborative, empathetic, and who have a sense of the philanthropic. We developed the new mission with the invaluable guidance of [branding consultant] Bruce Tait, who is a marvelous strategic thinker and a current parent. His insights were tremendously helpful in creating and launching the mission. We’re not suggesting we’re the only school whose students can change the world, or that there’s only one path, but we gave a lot of thought to what qualities we wanted to cultivate in our students, and that is evident in the both the strength of the mission statement and the extent to which it has been so thoroughly absorbed by the SPA community.

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How have you approached diversity and equity work at SPA, particularly in the last two years since the death of George Floyd?

In the immediate aftermath of George Floyd’s murder, the SPA community—faculty, staff, students, parents, alumni/ae—was grieving and angry. Mr. Floyd’s killing was yet another example of the crippling and lethal power of racism, and a vivid reminder of America’s long history of racism, although for our communities of color, no reminder of this was necessary. The tragedy of the murder and the aftermath across the Twin Cities also gave us a propulsive sense of urgency with regard to our own diversity, equity, and inclusion work at SPA. We’ve spent the last two years asking ourselves important and difficult questions, all of which are centered around making SPA a place where every student has an equal opportunity to thrive, and where everyone feels a deep and authentic sense of belonging. We’ve developed an ambitious strategic action plan for diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging and have already started implementing pieces of it, including a comprehensive overview of the K-12 curriculum. We’ve added a fulltime staff member who will focus on the recruitment and support of faculty and staff of color. We know this is a journey that will take time and effort from everyone, but we also know that it will help us create and sustain the kind of school community to which we aspire.

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The Randolph Campus has been transformed since you arrived in 2006. Will those new buildings—and the gifts that made them possible—be your most important legacy?

I’ve been asked a lot this year about what my legacy will be, and it’s natural for people to look at the Randolph Campus and assume that the new buildings are the big story.

But the real story is what happens inside the building. The curricular innovation, the work that the faculty do in their classrooms, the integration of technology—these are the most important stories, and they are at the heart of what we wanted to do with our new teaching spaces. We built the buildings to house a culture and provide the best teaching environments for our students and our faculty.

Raising the money to build the facilities was always going to be a challenge. The Great Recession hit not long after I arrived at SPA, and we did have concerns about the fundraising–the school hadn’t undertaken a serious capital campaign since the Middle School was renovated [in 2000]. But we discovered that the Middle School had demonstrated the power of beautiful architecture and spaces designed with care and vision for children and teachers. The community could see how transformative that new Middle School was. And the Board of Trustees and our community understood that the Upper School had fallen behind, and that our academic program was going to suffer without appropriate physical changes.

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MAKING ROOM IN THE ROOM The dramatic physical changes to the Upper School have been breathtaking, yet they reflect an academic program that already existed–the curriculum inspired the buildings and not the other way around.

We had outstanding programs and were teaching in ways that we didn’t have space to do fully. There wasn’t room in the room, and now there is.

— Dr. Cindy Richter ’78, Assistant Head of School for Academic Programs

HEAVY LIFTING When Bryn first came to SPA he could see we were doing a first-class program in third-class facilities.

He liked nothing more than to be at school, talking to faculty, and staff and students, but he sacrificed the relationships and time he might like to have had on campus to go out and do the heavy lifting it took to fundraise effectively on behalf of our students. Now, what you see when you walk in the Huss Center is a place that truly honors the students and faculty who have put on so many amazing performances throughout the years, and a place that truly honors the rich heritage of our senior speech program. The science and math areas in the Schilling Center are nonpareil, and proof of how closely Bryn listened to what the architects, the experts, and the faculty had in mind for the space. He believed in making sure that we had the best possible facilities for our students and teachers to do outstanding work.

— Jim McVeety, retired faculty member

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Q

You ended up raising more than $80 million for the renovations and other initiatives since 2010.

How did you accomplish that?

I truly enjoy telling the story of the school. I care about SPA deeply, and I love talking to our alumni/ae and our parents, just like I love talking to the students here at school. One of the things that struck me when I talked to people about these projects was their devotion to SPA, and their faith in what we were doing, and their excitement about the school’s future. They understood that these changes—not just the buildings but the innovations in our curriculum and the program as a whole—were the latest iteration in what has been and what will continue to be a legendary institution. Donors truly believed that we were capable of accomplishing our ambitious goals, and it made them feel proud that their school could do this.

BUILDING BEYOND CLASSROOMS When we began the work on the Schilling Center, Bryn’s vision was organizing the design around the skills that SPA students will need in the future. Instead of thinking only about the specific subjects that would be taught in the new building, Bryn asked us to focus on the larger picture—a building that would be a laboratory for all the exploration and discussion and self-guided work that SPA students do in their classes. What the faculty was doing from a curriculum standpoint was so inspiring that in many ways, the [Schilling Center] designed itself to be a space for what SPA already does and wanted to do.

Bryn has created such an inspiring culture based on SPA’s innovative curriculum and high expectations. The messages we got from SPA’s leadership and faculty was all very consistent in terms of what they wanted and needed, and having such a unified culture within a community that’s building a structure makes for great architecture.

— Jim Moore, Architect and Associate Vice President, HGA

A view of the Huss Center’s Redleaf Commons (inset) and the exterior of the building, facing Juno to the west.

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The first major construction project was the Huss Center for the Performing Arts, which opened in 2015. Why was that the priority?

I’ve always considered the performing arts and fine arts to be at the core of what we do, a vital component of our academic program, and central to the SPA experience. We’ve had an exceptional program in both theater and music for years, but we were constrained by our outdated facilities.

Ruth and John Huss’s support for an elegant, state-of-the-art performance center was the first major building in the renovation of the Randolph Campus. Ruth is a Summit School alumna—she and John have always been among the school’s most devoted supporters. The Huss Center showed the community what we could achieve in the interest of our students today and in the years ahead. It was an inspiring model for everyone.

Bryn Roberts with John and Ruth Huss ’57 at the opening celebration for the Huss Center in the fall of 2015.

Huss Center opening performance, Fall 2015

Every(man), Fall 2018

Les Misérables, Spring 2016

Pops Concert, Winter 2019

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Q

The $15 million Hugh Schilling ’43 donated to SPA in 2016 was the largest philanthropic gift ever made to an independent school in Minnesota.

How did that gift come about?

My first meeting with Hugh occurred in 2005, after I had accepted the job at SPA but before I had even started my tenure, when I visited him at his home in Arizona. Hugh never pulled any punches, and that was true even in my initial conversation with him.

He asked me what I planned to do to bring SPA’s math and science curriculum into the twenty-first century, and it was the start of a years-long conversation that was so much bigger than a building—it was about the curriculum, and the teachers and the students, and about the future of work and the role of science and math in the years ahead. Hugh loved SPA with an abiding passion. He always talked about the marvelous education he received at SPA and how it launched his engineering career, and he wanted to be sure that our current students would have that same opportunity.

Hugh was an engineer and a fabulously successful international businessman who wanted to create a world-class learning space for SPA students, and he wanted a curriculum to match. His vision for the school and mine converged, but we came at it from different perspectives over hours of conversation. We wanted SPA graduates to be so talented in math and science that they would become the natural leaders in our city, our state, nationally and internationally, and he knew we couldn’t do that without better facilities and technology. But he never once made any effort to influence the curriculum. When he made the gift, the only commitment he required of the school was that we start the project by a certain time because of his age [Schilling was 92 at the time of the gift and passed away in 2020—Ed.] He wanted to see the buildings completed and teachers and students using them. That was all he asked, and I’ll always be grateful that we were able to do that for him.

Hugh Schilling ’43 meets with teachers in their classrooms in the just-opened Schilling Center in fall 2019.

The western exterior of the Schilling Center, facing the North Lawn.

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Tim Welsh, Bryn Roberts, and Hugh Schilling ’43 joined students for a ceremonial “groundbreaking” of the Schilling Center in September 2017.

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“In funding this building and the programs designed by your teachers, [Hugh Schilling] is demonstrating enormous confidence in you–faith in your ability, faith in your power to innovate, and faith in your imagination. He believes that you, those of you sitting in this auditorium, are the keys to a better future.”

– Bryn Roberts to Upper School students at the September 2016 assembly announcing Hugh Schilling’s $15 million gift

Hugh Schilling ’43 joined the construction crew on the first day of demolition for the new building.

Students in the Schilling Center first-floor commons, a popular space for studying and socializing.

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VISIONARY LEADERSHIP I’ve known leaders with great visions and the ability to imagine where the organization needs to go. Others are great at getting things done.

Some have huge hearts and care very deeply about the people around them. And some are just inspiring people that you want to be around.

Very rarely have I seen all four of those attributes in one person, like I do with Bryn. He’s never been the kind of person to say “I created this amazing thing, and the next person can’t change it.” Instead, his approach is “I’ve created this amazing thing, so the next person who comes along can take it to the next level.”

— Tim Welsh, President of the Board of Trustees and parent

Q

During your tenure, you’ve hired nearly 78% of the current full-time teaching faculty. What has that meant for the school?

Our current faculty is an extraordinary group with a wide range of backgrounds and experiences. Teachers at SPA have always been the heart of the school—they shape conversations in the classrooms and in the hallways, and they define and preserve the culture of the school. The teachers we’ve hired in the last decade are no exception, and they have brought a freshness and a new perspective to school that SPA needs, that any institution would need.

Teaching is one of the most challenging and rewarding professions.

Teachers aren’t just conveying knowledge. They’re providing a model for what it means to be a scholar and a good citizen in the community.

There isn’t a moment during the school day when our students aren’t watching their teachers, observing how they respond to questions, how they express joy and frustration and how they live their professional lives as prominent members and leaders of an intellectual community.

Our faculty are extraordinarily talented at helping their students—each of whom has very different strengths and weaknesses—recognize their talents and discover their passions and strengths as scholars and citizens.

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The final years of your tenure will always be associated with the pandemic. How has COVID-19 affected you as a leader and the school as a community?

The pandemic has been the most difficult period in my thirty-year career as a school leader. I believe some of the best work I did was during COVID, but it was the hardest and most challenging. Especially in the beginning, everyone in the entire SPA community—teachers, students, families— felt overwhelmed and we had to make a lot of decisions quickly and without very much information. During those first months in the spring of 2020, our teachers essentially had to recreate school in their living rooms and kitchens, and they did an exceptional job both in their instruction and in maintaining as much of a sense of normalcy for their students in an incredibly challenging and anxious time.

Opening school in the fall of 2020, before vaccinations were available, was also entering unknown territory, but we did an extraordinary job of developing protocols, upgrading our HVAC systems, reorganizing classrooms and food service, hiring a cohort of teaching assistants, building our medical staff and health offices, developing a contact tracing program.

We were also trying to take care of our families who had lost jobs and suffered financially and needed scholarship support for their children to continue at SPA. I’m proud we were able to do that for families, and that the Board never hesitated to ensure that the funds were available. You literally had to take your school apart and put it back together again within the constraints of the pandemic—it was an unprecedented challenge for everyone. Now, with the vast majority of our community vaccinated and school operating as close to normal as we’ve been in two years, I think we can look back with pride and gratitude for how we weathered the storm.

But the reverberations of the pandemic will be with us—with all schools—for a long time to come.

I had very much hoped that the last two years of my time at SPA would be immersing myself back into the scrum of school life after many years of traveling and fundraising.

I had been looking forward to focusing on the strategic plan, in particular, and thinking about how to help the school transition to its next Head of School. Under the press of COVID, I wasn’t able to do that, and it’s one of the very few regrets I have about my time here.

Lucas Johnson and Dalante Peyton, Class of 2016 Ella Coon, Class of 2012

At every Commencement of his tenure, Roberts has presented the Head of School Bowl, given to those members of the senior class who have been recognized by their teachers and peers for significant contributions to the school.

Adnan Askari, Class of 2018

Kathryn Schmechel, Class of 2017

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As you look back at your time at SPA, what moments have made you most proud?

I remember going with Ruth and John Huss to look at the Huss Center auditorium just after the iron and steel infrastructure had gone up. We were up above, looking down at the framing and trestles, you could finally see the structure of the building—you could see what this was going to be. John was so excited, taking photos—he’s a wonderful photographer— and I knew at that point that we were on the cusp of something special. When the Huss Center opened and we were sitting in that beautiful auditorium, watching a remarkably talented group of kids in Les Misérables, it all came alive. You suddenly understood what it meant to have the students fully embrace the opportunity that they’d been given. It was amazing.

It’s the same in the Schilling Center and the new humanities wing: if you look into a classroom or walk through a common area, you’ll see that the students are using those spaces exactly as they should. They inhabit these spaces joyfully. You can sense their energy and creativity, even if they’re just fooling around and doing goofy things. But more often than not, you’ll sense that intellectual hum: they’re working in groups, doing problems, and they’re always laughing and supporting each other in trying to figure things out, and that’s just what we wanted. You see that the students have thoroughly come to inhabit those spaces and make them their own, and I hope that’s always the case.

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“My 16 years here represent a relatively brief time. SPA has been around for 122 years, and I’ve never lost sight of that historical continuum. I’ve always seen myself as a steward, and I know that I’ve been the beneficiary of the work of people who preceded me, and that my job was to build on the successes of the past and prepare for the next generation of leaders.

We’re all stewards in that respect: we have an obligation to do our best for the time that we’re here. I also know that no one individual is bigger than that continuum, that history, and the generations of people who have been part of this dynamic and exciting school over the years. It has been an honor and privilege to serve as SPA’s Head of School.”

— Bryn S. Roberts, Head of School

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>> ALUMNI/AE NEWS

ALUMNI/AE EVENT CALENDAR June 2022 Commencement for the Class of 2022

Sunday, June 5, 2022, 4 p.m.

Randolph Campus

September 2022

Join the Alumni/ae Council on LinkedIn! Your SPA Alumni/ae Council (listed right) is working hard to connect our alumni/ae community this year, and would love to hear from all alums in the SPA Alumni/ae LinkedIn group. If your company or organization has job openings or internship opportunities, please share them in the group. You can find us by searching “St. Paul Academy and Summit School Alumni/ae”.

2021-22 ST. PAUL ACADEMY AND SUMMIT SCHOOL ALUMNI/AE COUNCIL Hayley Peterson ’08 President Matt Gollinger ’96 Events Chair Mercedes Henderson Clark ’88 Volunteerism Chair Sarah Crandall ’02 Peter Daniels ’02 Jim Delaney ’93 Jamie Forman ’77 Lindsay Giese ’05 Stephanie Hill ’11 Ali Hussain ’07 Walt Lehmann ’81 John Moore ’95

Distinguished Alumni/ae Award: Now Accepting Nominations

Reunion Weekend 2022

After a hiatus due to the pandemic, St. Paul Academy and Summit School is currently accepting nominations for the Distinguished Alumni/ae Award (DAA).

Friday and Saturday, September 9-10, 2022

Visit www.spa.edu/alumni/events for more information

Launch of the Athletics Hall of Fame

Saturday, September 10, 2022, 1:30 p.m.

Details to come, contact cjenkyns@spa.edu for more information

The DAA honors alumni/ae who have made noteworthy contributions to society through professional or civic accomplishments and involvement. The program began in 1987 to honor alumni/ae whose achievements reflect major contributions to their chosen fields and/or communities. The program is designed to recognize outstanding role models in the hope that the accomplishments of the Distinguished Alumni/ae will encourage current students to develop high aspirations and goals.

Nominations for the award are accepted from all members of the school community. The selection process is conducted by Alumni/ae Relations staff, along with a committee formed of alumni/ae and current and former representatives of the Board of Trustees.

Nominations for the DAA are accepted from any member of the SPA community. Please visit https://www.spa.edu/alumni/connect/daa to submit a nomination, or contact Chris Jenkyns, Director of Alumni/ae Programs, cjenkyns@spa.edu or 651-696-1308.

Alumni/ae Regional Captain Program: Meet Your Captains!

St. Paul Academy and Summit School’s Alumni/ae Regional Captain Program provides the opportunity for alumni/ae outside of the Twin Cities to connect in their particular city or region of the country. Captains serve in a variety of capacities that meet the needs of local alumni/ae, including welcoming new alumni to the region, assisting with local events, and collaborating with the Alumni/ae Council and Alumni/ae Office for local community engagement opportunities.

We have Regional Captains serving Atlanta, Boston, Chicago, Los Angeles, New York City, Phoenix, Seattle, South Florida, and Washington D.C., and are currently looking for Captains to serve in the Boston, Chicago, and San Francisco areas–contact Director of Alumni/ae Programs Chris Jenkyns at cjenkyns@spa.edu or 651-696-1308 to learn more.

Visit https://www.spa.edu/alumni/connect/regional-captains to learn more about your Regional Captain and get connected!

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Be Social With Us!

Reunion Weekend 2022: September 9-10, 2022 Save the date for Reunion Weekend 2022! Reunion events will be held on Friday, September 9 and Saturday, September 10. This year’s Reunion will celebrate classes ending in “7” and “2” and Class Parties for these classes will be held on Saturday evening of Reunion Weekend. Class Parties for our young alums in the Classes of 2007, 2012, and 2017 will be held on Friday, November 25, 2022.

We invite all members of classes ending in 7 and 2 to assist us in planning Class Parties by becoming a Class Reunion Volunteer! All class members are encouraged to volunteer, and there are opportunities to help no matter where you live or the time you have available. For more information, please reach out to Chris Jenkyns, Director of Alumni/ae Programs, at cjenkyns@spa.edu.

Please note: The format of Reunion events will be determined based on pandemic protocols, and all alumni/ae will be notified via email and mail.

Facebook: facebook.com/SPAalum or individual class pages (contact your Class Agent regarding Class Pages; these pages are managed by individual classes and are not overseen by the school).

Instagram: instagram.com/spa_spartans

LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/groups/ 1949775 or search on “St. Paul Academy & Summit School Alumni”.

Launch of the Athletics Hall of Fame September 10, 2022 The entire SPA alumni/ae community is invited to join us on Saturday, September 10 during Reunion Weekend for the launch of the school’s new Athletics Hall of Fame (see next page for details). Please join us as we celebrate our athletics history, recognize our talented alumni/ae athletes, and recognize those who have made a significant impact on the school through sports. Invitations to the event will be sent to all alumni/ae over the summer; please contact Chris Jenkyns, Director of Alumni/ae Programs, at cjenkyns@spa.edu for details about the event.

Please note: The format of Reunion events will be determined based on pandemic protocols, and all alumni/ae will be notified via email and mail.

SPA Online Directory: spa.edu > Alumni/ae > Directory to search for classmates, local alumni/ae, or alumni/ae in a particular field or industry.

SmugMug photo galleries: stpaulacademy.smugmug.com > Alumni/ae to view photo galleries from all events.

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>> ALUMNI/AE NEWS

Launch of the Athletics Hall of Fame Saturday, September 10, 2022, 1:30 p.m.

Work is now underway on a new archival project celebrating SPA’s long history of athletic accomplishment. The St. Paul Academy and Summit School Athletics Hall of Fame, a new section of the school’s website, will launch in the Fall of 2022 and will feature the first inductees to the Hall of Fame as well as a timeline of athletics at St. Paul Academy, Summit School, and the merged school.

The inaugural inductees to the Hall of Fame will be students who graduated from the Summit School before 1970 or from St. Paul Academy before 1950. Any member of the SPA community is invited to suggest potential candidates for the Hall of Fame for next year’s class of inductees and for future classes. To nominate a candidate for induction, please submit the form located on our website at www.spa.edu/athletics/ hall-of-fame/nomination-form.

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>> PHILANTHROPHY

HONORING A LEGACY: THE ANNE KLUS CHORAL ENDOWMENT FUND

“

“It is my fervent hope that my students will continue to gain enjoyment and appreciation for expressing themselves through the art of music. I have witnessed such growth of individual expression and independence that happens as a result of success in the arts. The human spirit and emotions are elevated through the international language of music, and I can’t think of a more noble legacy to share with my students.”

After 34 years leading SPA’s Choral Music Program, Anne Klus will retire at the end of the 2021-22 school year. In celebration of Klus’ career, SPA has established the Anne Klus Choral Endowment Fund, which pays tribute to the creativity and joy she has brought into the lives of her students and the SPA community through music making. The Klus Fund will provide resources to further the Choral Music program at SPA, and will support new initiatives such as commissions, guest performers, guest conductors, workshops, touring expenses, recordings or other programming that creates the best possible choral experience for future students and inspires in them a lifelong love of singing.

We invite the entire SPA community to join us in honoring Anne Klus and her remarkable legacy. Make your contribution to help establish the Anne Klus Choral Endowment Fund by visiting the Klus Fund website at www.spa.edu/giving/make-a-gift/anne-klus-fund, or contact Sarah Johnson in the Office of Institutional Advancement at sjohnson@spa.edu or 651-696-1320 for more information.

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>> CLASS NOTES

Have news to share?

’54

’70

Email your news to alumni@spa.edu or send it to Class Notes:

Class Agents

Class Agent

Bill Kansas Bonnie Mairs

Charlie Greenman

St. Paul Academy and Summit School 1712 Randolph Avenue, St. Paul, MN, 55105

Bill Kansas was recently inducted into

We look forward to hearing from you!

Become a Class Agent!

Class Agents keep in touch with their classmates and provide updates on SPA happenings.

Class Agents also help with special events and reunions.

All classes welcome additional volunteers and multiple Class Agents are encouraged.

the Minnesota Masters Swimming Hall of Fame, and has been setting state and national records in his age group. Last year he swam the butterfly leg in his medley relay, and swam in five other relays, claiming the fastest time in the nation for his age group.

’62 Class Agent

The Class of 1962 is looking for a Class Agent. Please contact alumni@spa.edu or 651-696-1308.

To become a Class Agent, please contact alumni@spa.edu or 651-696-1302.

s Members of the Class of 1970 have been getting together for skating and walking over the past year at Lake of the Isles. Fun is had catching up and reflecting on their time at St. Paul Academy and Summit School.

Pictured are Bruce Lilly, Chip Lindeke, and Bill James (back) and Charlie Greenman and Bob Adair (front.)

’72

Contact Your Class Agent Please visit our website at www.spa.edu/alumni/connect or reach out to Director of Alumni/ae Programs Chris Jenkyns at cjenkyns@spa.edu.

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s After a successful career as a venture capitalist, Bob Siqveland is currently the Chief Operating Officer of a public company in the gaming industry. He is also the author of four novels and his most recent books, Simple Witness and The Vicissitudes of Fortune have earned 14 book awards.

Class Agent John Edgerton

s After 45 years working at ME Global, the leading global supplier for total wear product solutions in the mineral processing, aggregate, construction and recycle industries, Andy Fulton retired at the end of 2021.

Andy had been President and a Board Member with ME Global since 2011 after serving in several senior management roles.

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’85

Class Agent

Class Agent

Lit Field

Dave Kansas

outlined the development of his own engagement with data science and also reminisced about his time as a student at SPA, including his memories of playing on the basketball team and winning the Quiz Bowl championship.

’90 Class Agents Debbie Lipschultz Goldenberg Darren Strafelda

’90

s Billy Given was named the LXXXV King Boreas at the 2022 St. Paul Winter Carnival. Billy’s coronation as King Boreas and his long-time association with Winter Carnival was profiled by the Pioneer Press. The article notes that Billy would have been crowned King Boreas for the 2021 Carnival, but his reign was pushed back to 2022 due to the pandemic. “This is our city, and we haven’t had a celebration in two years,” Billy says in the article. “Let’s enjoy the city. Let’s enjoy winter. Let’s enjoy one another and have some fun.”

sOn November 5, SPA welcomed Steven Levitt back to campus for

a special Upper School assembly focused on data science and the ways in which “big data” increasingly shapes our culture, experiences, and worldview. Levitt, who is a Professor of Economics at the University of Chicago and the co-author of the bestselling Freakonomics book series, spoke to Upper School students and faculty about the rapidly expanding role of data science as a driving force in contemporary economics, media, and social change. Steven

s Tony Sanneh was the subject of a short documentary film released by the US Soccer Federation as part of Black History Month in February 2022.

The film, entitled “Big Cat, Big Impact: Tony Sanneh” is a celebration of Tony’s career in professional soccer and his work as the founder of the Tony Sanneh Foundation. Tony, who was appointed to the SPA Board of Trustees in 2021, served as the Game Ambassador for the World Cup Qualifier played in St. Paul’s Allianz Stadium in early February 2022.

In December 2021, Sasha Aslanian ’86, Melissa Schumi Jones ’97, and Anne Toomey ’97 were featured at the Alumni/ae Council’s Speaker Series event, “Global Reach: A Conversation on Life and Experiences Working in Foreign Affairs and Overseas.” Sasha, a producer and reporter for American Public Media moderated the virtual conversation, which highlighted the panelists’ international work and expertise: Melissa is a Political/Economic Counselor with the U.S. Mission to the African Union in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia; and Anne serves as Transformation Director for Deloitte Asia Pacific Financial Advisory.

Sasha Aslanian ’86

Anne Toomey ’97

Melissa Schumi Jones ’97

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>> CLASS NOTES

’95

’99

Class Agents

Class Agent

Class Agents

Katie Kirschbaum Frisch Kris Weum

Lisa Stein

Soph Myers-Kelley Reid Kett

’13

Soph Myers-Kelley was recently

appointed to a faculty-status medical liaison position at East Carolina University.

s In December 2021, NASA announced the selection of Anil Menon as part of its first Astronaut Candidate Class in four years. A practicing physician and lieutenant colonel in the U.S. Air Force, Anil was one of ten members of the 2022 Astronaut Candidate Class chosen out of a pool of 12,000 applicants.

The NASA press release about the Candidate Class notes that Anil was SpaceX’s first flight surgeon, helping to launch its first humans to space during the Demo-2 mission and building a medical organization to support the human system during future missions. Prior, he served NASA as the crew flight surgeon for various expeditions on the International Space Station. Menon is an actively practicing emergency medicine physician with fellowship training in wilderness and aerospace medicine. Anil reported for duty with NASA in January 2022.

s Rebecca Jarvis is the host of the ABC News podcast The Dropout, which served as the inspiration for the recent Hulu series of the same name. The podcast tells the story of Elizabeth Holmes and her biotech start-up Theranos; the Hulu series, which premiered in March 2022, stars Amanda Seyfried as Holmes.

Rebecca, who is ABC News chief business, technology and economics correspondent, also served as an Executive Producer on the Hulu series.

’03 Class Agents Tom Christ Brenden Goetz Aleks Sims

s Hannah Neprash and her husband celebrated the one-year birthday of their son, Isaac, in March 2022. Hannah currently works as an assistant professor at the University of Minnesota’s School of Public Health.

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NEW! Alumni/ae Spotlight Series The Alumni/ae Spotlight Series is a new online feature highlighting the work of SPA graduates in their respective fields, careers, and communities. Spotlight profiles now online include: Serene Lawrence ’07, a member of the Red Cliff Band of Lake Superior Ojibwe, Hopi Tribe and the Chief Operating Officer at Eighth Generation, the fastest growing Nativeowned company in the United States; Reena Singh ’94, Senior Program Officer at the Blue Cross Blue Shield of Massachusetts Foundation, who is working to expand and improve health access to communities that are racially, ethnically, economically, and socially marginalized; and Elie Foster Donahue ’94, Senior Vice President of Marketing at Rothy’s, the sustainable fashion company named one of Time magazine’s 2019 “Best Inventions.”

Visit www.spa.edu/alumni/ spotlightseries to read the series or suggest an alum to spotlight!

Serene Lawrence ’07

Reena Singh ’94

Elie Foster Donahue ’94

>> IN MEMORIAM

Our condolences are with the family and friends of those we have lost.

Full remembrances and obituaries are available on the SPA Alumni/ae website at www.spa.edu > Alumni > Publications > In Memoriam.

1944

1953

1975

Georgia Ray Lindeke

Richard Pryor

Jeffrey Ross

1946

Wallace Parks Ritchie, Jr.

1981

September 19, 1926 - July 21, 2021

Richard Dunn

Passed away January 24, 2022

Nancy Katharine Gaver Priedeman Passed away September 9, 2021

1948 Catherine Bowes Wolff “Kitty” Hartzell

Born April 7, 1935; SPA was notified of Mr. Pryor’s passing in the spring of 2021 Passed away March 17, 2022

1954 James “Jim” Neher

December 4, 1935 - February 15, 2022

Frederick “Rick” Driscoll

Passed away January 30, 2022

John “Jack” Stafford, Sr.

November 17, 1930 - January 3, 2022

Passed away April 26, 2022

George Richard “Dick” Slade

1957

1949

Linda Towle

Piers Lewis

1964

1951

Judith (Giddens) White

Laurence Michael “Mike” Butler

1965

1952

Peter Shepard

Dean Alexander

Stuart Goldbarg

Passed away April 30, 2022

December 13, 1930 - December 1st, 2021

March 11, 1933 - November 24, 2021

Passed away May 5, 2020

May 25, 1946 - September 9, 2021

Passed away January 18, 2022

Passed away October 4, 2021

Passed away December 9, 2020

Jean Hart

July 7, 1933 - August 3, 2021

1966

James Mann III “Jim” Wallace

Joseph “Tom” Marver

October 26, 1934 - December 24, 2021

Passed away February 20, 2022

Sarah “Sally” (Moore) Allen

1968

Passed away April 4, 2022

Passed away on March 23, 2022

Mary Marthaler

April 28, 1963 - June 15, 2020

Miriam Chaya (Cardozo) Charney Passed away on March 24, 2022

1982 Leslie Harpole

Passed away January 13, 2021

1995 Rachel Ives

Passed away November 28, 2021

Friends Beth Miner

(parent of alum and volunteer) 1938 - 2020

Former Faculty Elisabeth “Lissa” Mary (Flinn) Gelden Passed away March 8, 2022

David Fulton Herr

July 13, 1950 - December 22, 2021

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>> PERFORMANCES

Middle School Fall Play: A Midsummer Night’s Dream

Upper School Fall Play: Peter and the Starcatcher

Upper School One-Acts: The Yellow Wallpaper

Middle School Instrumental Concert

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Middle School Choir Concert

Upper School Pops Concert

Middle School Musical: Shrek Jr.

For more photos from SPA’s student performances, visit stpaulacademy.smugmug.com

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Non Profit Org. U.S. Postage

PA I D

Twin Cities, MN Permit No. 3400 1712 Randolph Avenue St. Paul, MN 55105-2194 Change Service Requested

June 2017

TO PARENTS OF ALUMNI/AE: If this is no longer the current mailing address for your alumni/ae child, please let us know at alumni@spa.edu or 651-696-1318.

“

“My 16 years here represent a relatively brief time. SPA has been around for 122 years, and I’ve never lost sight of that historical continuum. I’ve always seen myself as a steward, and I know that I’ve been the beneficiary of people who preceded me, and that my job was to build on the successes of the past and prepare for the next generation of leaders.”

– Bryn S. Roberts, Head of School

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