Heritage and Hope Dinner

March 1, 2012

''This is a special evening because we have the opportunity to see, hear and feel the impact of a Minnehaha Academy education. God has truly been faithful!''
–President Donna Harris

And what a special evening it was. Sunday, February 26, nearly 400 people gathered at the Doubletree in Bloomington to hear from students, parents and alumni about their transformational experiences at Minnehaha, and their thankfulness for the scholarship that made it possible.

Becca Lundberg '13, shared that Minnehaha has helped nurture her God-given talents and abilities, through band, orchestra and speech, in addition to the rigorous classes. Gifts and talents were on full display: guests enjoyed music by the Minnehaha Chamber Orchestra, a solo by Ali Kispert '12, and a fantastic video created and produced by Ryan Chun '12, with a soundtrack by Stig Benson '11. Keynote speaker and scholarship recipient James Barnett '04, recounted the many teachers who invested in his life, ensuring that he reached his potential.

He was encouraged by Coach Ron Monson to ''give his gifts for free'' and he now serves with Teach for America. His skills and gifts in teaching and mentoring have led to significant improvement in test scores among the most at-risk students. ''Every day I work to ensure that students are receiving a high quality education just like the one I received at Minnehaha. I want Minnehaha to live up to its founding legacy and provide students, like me, a chance to reach their highest potential.''

Thank you to Carrie Johnson for taking photos.