Partnering for Education

In late April 2019, the Mounds View Schools Education Foundation (MVSEF) hosted its 8th annual Partnering for Education luncheon at the Shoreview Community Center, featuring keynote speaker and alumnus of Mounds View Schools, Blois Olson. Olson is founder and CEO of Fluence Media and a regular political commentator and analyst on WCCO radio and national media. Olson shared stories of personal and school life experiences that were at times difficult, but from which he learned unconditional love and care. Olson quoted the motto from his Island Lake yearbook, “every child every day needs care and encouragement.” Olson said what he learned and the friends that he made in the Mounds View Schools matter to him every day and concluded by saying, “Mounds View, you care. And if you stick with these kids, you stick with all of us.”

Two students representing each of the high schools also presented inspiring talks. Mariana Chavez, a senior at Irondale and active in many areas of high school, shared some powerful lessons from her years in school including what she described as the “fostering of talents until they become strengths” and challenging classes which value “learning over test scores.” She plans to attend Augsburg on a full scholarship and to major in education.

Nate Moller, a senior at Mounds View, spoke about the loss of a friend to suicide and the permanent change that made in his life relative to the value of friendship and support. As he said, “the most important thing about Mounds View is the way people care.” Because Mrs. Bell at Turtle Lake Elementary encouraged Nate’s ability in mathematics, he plans to attend the University of Notre Dame in the fall, majoring in engineering.