Retirees: Three Culture Creators "Graduate"

Retirees: Three Culture Creators "Graduate"
Amy Barnard

This past spring we said goodbye to three retirees who each impacted the culture and educational trajectory of Minnehaha Academy in a unique way. From pioneering the early days of computer programming on campus to instituting AP math classes and developing a culture of “let’s just try it,” the school only became better because of their presence. 

While it would be impossible to cover the depth of each of their careers at MA, in the following profiles we hope to share with you just a snapshot of who each of these amazing educators are.

Merry Mattson
Director of Technology
1979-2020

Ms. Mattson and two students look at the new computer donated to Minnehaha Academy in 1981.

Ask anyone who’s been around for a while what stands out about Ms. Mattson and they will say: Innovation. Mattson constantly looked for ways to bring new technology and new ideas to the classroom. In the early 80’s MA brought in some of the first Apple II Plus computers and Ms. Mattson quickly encouraged students to explore how the computers worked, instituting a computer club that ultimately whetted the appetites of a handful of students who went on to work in the tech industry.

Peter Tamte ‘85 (see alumni profiles, page, 24), who worked alongside Steve Jobs for a season and is a past EVP of Bungie, shares: “It was the initiative of Minnehaha and Mary Mattson in putting this group together that allowed us as a community to learn how to program these computers and see how that industry worked...I don’t know what would have happened in my career if I hadn’t had that experience.”

A few years later Ms. Mattson had a chance encounter with the man in charge of the National Education Supercomputer Program (NESP). While she could have just let that go as a nice encounter, she took hold of the opportunity and worked to get Minnehaha Academy on the very short list of schools with students working on the program. 

“The students had a department of defense email address that they got to use back when the only people who had email addresses were government agencies. So our students were sending files to a supercomputer that was housed at Livermore Labs in California,” explains Rich Enderton, who helped lead the program once Ms. Mattson brought it to the school.

These students were among the first students anywhere to have email addresses.

Mr. Enderton also credits Mattson with playing a critical role in establishing a website for the school long before most schools had a web presence.

“She had a lot of foresight to see what was coming. When she saw something that we needed to be a part of she pushed really hard to get Minnehaha involved. She was the one who would go to bat for it.”

Incoming Director of Technology Sam Terfa, who started at MA on the teaching staff, shares that Ms. Mattson ensured that faculty and staff were well trained in the technology they were using and instituted the use of laptops for teachers very early on.

“Merry made Minnehaha Academy a pioneer in technology adoption,” Mr. Terfa says. “I enjoyed Merry's insistence on quality in everything she did. She always strove for the best solution to address the need and didn't compromise on that.”

We are grateful for how this trailblazer impacted our community!

 

Rich Enderton
Upper School Math and Computer Science
1983-2020

Math and computer instructor Rich Enderton  with numerous students putting together four giant pyramids.

More than a few students credit Rich Enderton with helping them finally “get” math, while others can tell you that their very career trajectories shifted thanks to his instruction, kindness, and brilliance.

“He was the first teacher I ever had who saw how my mind works and tried to teach to that,” shares colleague and former student, Nathan Stromberg ‘96 (MA Visual Arts Faculty). “He turned my academics around in high school.”

Heather Dahlquist, pediatric hospitalist and assistant clinical professor at Yale Medical School shares that while she found Enderton’s AP Calculus class quite difficult, his kindness and support helped her through. Reflecting on her career path she shares that she “couldn’t have done it without” Mr. Enderton.

Similar to Ms. Mattson, Enderton has always been ready and willing to engage with new ideas and new technology. Coming in as a Middle School instructor, Rich took the reins of the Supercomputer project at the Upper School and traveled between the two schools for a season before ultimately landing full time on campus at the Upper School. He also came on board to help make the school website a reality and instituted the AP Math program on campus.

“He was innovative and fun,” says Mr. Stromberg. “He tricked us into learning stuff.”

Enderton often found visual assignments to help students grasp difficult concepts, among them painting an MC Escher mural on the wall outside of the classroom to introduce geometry concepts and building a giant pyramid out of straws and twist ties to help students gain a better understanding of fractals.

Principal Jason Wenschlag says that in addition to academic excellence, Enderton integrated his faith throughout his work and fostered a sense of caring community in his classes, stating that as an educator and a colleague Mr. Enderton “will be sorely missed.” 

Mr. Stromberg sums up Enderton’s impact on his own life this way: “When I’ve thought about who had a profound impact on my teaching, for me it was the humor, approachability, deep love and care for the subject matter, and complete authenticity that were deeply modeled to me in Rich. Even though we are polar opposites in what we teach he's probably had more impact on how I teach than any other teacher I had.”

 

Sandy Elhardt
Physical Education/Health Teacher
1983-2020

MS. Elhardt with eleven students at the old Minnehaha Academy baseball field.

If you’ve ever received a call just to check in and let you know that your child is doing well, you probably had a Middle School student taking physical education with Sandy Elhardt.

Known for her leadership, readiness to support others, and incredible energy, Sandy Elhardt stepped on to campus at Minnehaha Academy in 1983 and only left three times, each to take a year off for the birth of a child.

“She was a leader amongst our staff and helped mentor a lot of teachers,” says colleague Steve Ramgren. For the past five years she was Team Lead for helping sixth graders and their families with the transition into Middle School. A natural mentor, she nurtured younger faculty, planting seeds over the years that impacted the types of teachers they became.

Students knew Elhardt as a teacher who would push them to become their best selves, to try new things, and to persevere. In all of these things, she herself set the example. Something new happening in the world of physical education? Many times Elhardt’s response was, “Hey, let’s try that!” She brought in units like lacrosse and rugby not because she was an expert, but because it was an opportunity to stretch and discover something new. If she didn’t feel confident teaching that new thing she would bring in an expert the first year and then take what she learned and teach it in the coming years.

Occasionally a student might complain about one of these new adventures (or an old standard that they just didn’t like) and Ms. Elhardt would smile and say, “This too shall pass!”

“She always brought things back to this: God gave you gifts and you should use the gifts he has given you,” says Ramgren. When students complained, “but I’m not an athlete!” Elhardt encouraged them to change their mindset. They weren’t there to win at all costs but to come together as a group and discover each other’s giftings, and then how to use those gifts to best support the team.

A community builder at heart, she kept in contact with teachers who retired and sought opportunities to invite the extended MA community into whatever was happening at present.

Principal Karen Balmer calls Ms. Elhardt an “anchor” of the Middle School, sharing: “Anyone who knows Sandy agrees that she has boundless energy and positivity. That focus is solely on her students, and she is always caring for those around her, asking: ‘how are you doing?’, providing encouragement, and praying with and for people. She was a respected voice in our faculty and will be greatly missed!” 

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