Kenny Larson '82

Developing the Whole Person: A Conversation with Kenny Larson ‘82

                                                                                           Written by Susan Cossette

A Family With A Rich Legacy

Kenny Larson’s family has a rich legacy at Minnehaha Academy. Three generations have been part of the community: His father Ken is a 1960 graduate, Kenny and his four siblings are all MA alumni, and Kenny and his brother Chris have both seen their own children graduate from the school.

Kenny came to MA in eighth grade and immediately experienced the advantages of being in a smaller school. “It definitely was more rigorous academically than the school I had been attending, and I felt supported all the way through my time at Minnehaha Academy from the teachers as well as the students,” notes Kenny.

“The experience that I had at MA allowed me to continue to grow and progress.”

Kenny's Involvement At MA

And grow and progress he did. During his time at Minnehaha, Kenny lettered in cross country, alpine skiing, and tennis, and was also elected Senior Class President. “These were all great experiences for me,” he recalls.

Kenny also was part of the Minnehaha Singers for four years. Says Kenny, “Singing choral music as a high school freshman was maybe not high on my list, but I learned a lot, and looking back, it was an important part of my development. I learned to read music. I still play piano and guitar. I think it’s really important to develop both sides of the brain and have other experiences rather than just academics. I’m a firm believer in the liberal arts and being exposed to lots of things.”

"I think it’s really important to develop both sides of the brain and have other experiences rather than just academics."

Working With The Family Business

Kenny went on to graduate from Wheaton College, and then earned his MBA from Arizona State while working full time for another organization. “My father told us early on if we wanted to be in the family business over the long term and be at an executive level, that two years of outside experience was needed as well as a graduate degree. So, I decided to do both at the same time,” Kenny recalls. “When I finished, I had a couple of other options I was considering, but I knew from when I was pretty young that I wanted to work with Slumberland.”

In 1990, Kenny returned to Slumberland in the Merchandise team and progressed through several roles. In 2008 he succeeded his father as President in 2008 and currently is CEO. A family-founded and owned business, he oversees more than 120 stores in 12 states throughout the Midwest.

"Minnehaha has a great history and legacy and is an awesome spot for kids to learn"

 “Minnehaha has a great history and legacy and is an awesome spot for kids to learn,” concludes Kenny. “Being given the opportunities to follow my interests was important not just for my career but about being developed as a person.”