Jocelyn Aalborg – Highlands Ranch, Colorado … Just a few weeks ago, Mile High Academy (MHA) welcomed honor classes and alumni home for its annual alumni festivities.

The weekend began with Grandparents Day on Friday, September 23. More than 100 grandparents enjoyed the morning with light refreshments and time in the classroom with their grandchildren. A special all-school chapel was held on the soccer field, with a student-led song service and a special worship thought by grandparent and former Rocky Mountain Conference (RMC) superintendent of schools, Lonnie Hetterle. Grandparents enjoyed time with their students and were given suncatchers as gifts to commemorate the day.

“I love Grandparent’s Day at Mile High Academy,” said Julie Collett, grandparent. “The kids are so excited to be able to show their grandparents their classrooms and everything they are learning. The teachers and administration work hard to make this such a special day for the kids and their grandparents.”

On Alumni Sabbath, the school welcomed 12 honor classes and along with other alumni for the annual event. New music teacher, Ismael Castillo, and his upper and middle school band and choir kicked off the music performance season by performing several selections

“After five weeks of hard work and determination on behalf of every student from middle school through high school, the MHA music department had an amazing first performance,” said Castillo. “I am incredibly proud of each student for not only putting in the hard–and sometimes annoying–work of learning the musical elements, but [also] for the simple things like arriving in uniform and arriving on time. These students have excelled from the most basic of expectations to the more complex aspects of this program and have made me not only a proud teacher but proud to be called their teacher.”

Attendees were warmly welcomed by MHA alumna and current MHA teacher Christina Hernández, and treated to a generation video, featuring five current MHA seniors whose parents or even grandparents have attended MHA. A special dedication of Rebecca Berg’s upper school classroom was held in honor of Jim Feldbush, former teacher and mentor who, throughout the years, touched the lives of many MHA students. Feldbush lost his battle with cancer just over a year ago.

“It is an honor to have my classroom dedicated to Mr. Feldbush,” said Berg. “He left a legacy of love for his students and love for God, a legacy we work to fulfill every day at MHA.”

Andrew Carpenter, current MHA principal, was the alumni speaker. He focused on the importance of being an alum and that, while each have chosen a different path, what connects MHA alums is the story of the relationships built during their time on campus. He compared MHA to a hub, where the Lord has brought the students to MHA–some for generations. And while the paths have been different for all, MHA is where it all connects, the hub of stories, testimonies, and relationships.

After the service, the alumni enjoyed a haystack lunch and toured the campus. The day concluded with fellowship and an open gym night.

Sunday’s Mustang Classic golf tournament dawned sunny and warm as 14 foursomes met at Arrowhead Golf Course. After checking in, grabbing Mustang swag and breakfast burritos, the golfers headed off to enjoy fast greens and the beautiful nature sights Arrowhead has become well known for. Unique to this year was a prize drawing, with tickets purchased to be entered to win a signed Grant Ordelheide print, a Yeti cooler, and much more. Putting green, hole-in-one and skins competitions were held throughout the course. The event concluded with an Italian lunch and awards ceremony.

“Our group had the best time at the MHA tournament,” said Matthew Moreland, MHA parent and RMC’s associate director of planned giving and trust services and corporate real estate manager. “There was so much wildlife out there this year. I couldn’t believe how many deer, bucks, turkeys, and hawks we saw out on the course. I had a great time hanging out with friends and supporting Mile High Academy. I look forward to playing in this tournament again next year!”

Although the annual festivities are over, the school is looking forward to hosting its annual alumni basketball games on Saturday, January 21, 2023.

–Jocelyn Aalborg, MHA vice principal and development. Photos supplied. To watch the MHA generation video, visit https://vimeo.com/rmcsda/mhagenerations