Whether viewed as an end to four grueling years of schoolwork, a hopeful beginning for new opportunities or somewhere in between, Apr. 25 serves as a long-awaited milestone for many seniors. For seniors Mason Hang and Ben Lorenz-Meyer, who have attended SPA since the LS, the last day of classes also sparks a period of reflection and nostalgia surrounding the teachers who first shaped their experiences at school.

For Hang, one of the most impactful teachers at the LS was Homeroom teacher Jill Chang, who taught Hang’s 3/4B class in third and fourth grade with Homeroom 3/4
teacher Tim Rongstad, who students referred to as Mr. R.

“She was very nice, and I don’t know, I always felt a familial kind of connection to her,” Hang said. “She was also very helpful, and she would laugh at jokes, and she was not afraid to have fun with us when we’re there.”

The LS is packed with memorable experiences that many students still recall today. In particular, Hang recalls the field trips to the farm owned by his family’s organization, the Hmong American Farmers Association. Through their shared connection to the farm, Hang built a long-lasting relationship with Ms. Chang that he still cherishes to this day.

“I remember it was the first year we went to the farm for the field trip, and [Ms. Chang and I] kind of built that connection with the school, and it was … nice to have something familiar,” Hang said.

Eight years later, Hang still keeps in touch with Ms. Chang through his two younger siblings who currently attend the LS. Whenever he visits the campus, he makes sure to greet and catch up with Ms. Chang.

“It was just two long years, and it was really sad for me to kind of move on and go at a young age. [It felt] like this is where I should stay,” Hang said. “I feel like third and fourth grade was a long time ago, but it … shaped a lot of who I am today, and Ms. Chang and Mr. R both did play a big role in that.”

Like Hang, Lorenz-Meyer found comfort in teachers who built meaningful connections with students, especially Spanish teacher Kathy Olson-Studler and STEM teacher Rick Magnuson.

“[Señora Kathy] was … very supportive. When I was at [Concordia Language Villages] in fifth grade, she really helped me out,” Lorenz-Meyer said. “The first night I was there, I was pretty homesick and didn’t feel very happy. She … took me out and supported me, made me feel more comfortable.”

Mr. Magnuson, Lorenz-Meyer’s fourth and fifth grade science teacher, was another teacher who frequently made Lorenz-Meyer’s day. “He was… very funny, and definitely tried to make each science class enjoyable,” Lorenz-Meyer said.

13 years later, Hang and Lorenz-Meyer will step through the doors of the Upper School for the last time
with the rest of the senior class, leaving behind the school that they spent the bulk of their lives at, but preserving the memories of the teachers who first shaped their hearts and minds at SPA.