Academy of Finance, international visit, fall musical

Como seniors from the Academy of Finance presented their case studies about worker retention in the insurance industry at The Travelers in downtown St. Paul. (photo by Kris Somerville)

by Eric Erickson

The Academy of Finance (AOF) senior cohort spent the day of Oct. 24 downtown at The Travelers Companies. As part of a continuing collaboration, the students presented case studies on worker retention in the insurance industry.

AOF 11th graders visited Land O’Lakes Headquarters on Nov. 6. The juniors spent the day in the marketing department learning about careers in marketing and advertising.

All 290 Academy of Finance students in the program, grades 9-12, will be hosting approximately 40 Wells Fargo corporate employees at Como on Nov. 19. The Wells Fargo Day is an annual highlight as students partner with mentors, develop and refine resumes, conduct mock interviews, and for the seniors, present their assigned case studies.

The International Visitor Leadership Program hosted by the U.S. State Department, partnered with Global Minnesota to bring “Women Leaders: Promoting Peace and Security” to Como Park High School.

Eight leaders representing their nations had multiple professional objectives including demonstrating how women leaders mentor the next generation for areas of expertise. To help facilitate this, Global Minnesota scheduled a visit to Como for discussions with Mr. Erickson’s students. The guests had small group conversations with a U.S. History class, and a round table discussion with senior AP Government students.

The distinguished guests included a news reporter from Croatia, an agency head from the U.K.’s Ministry of Defense, an educational development director from Ukraine, a NGO consultant from France, a director general of EU Affairs from Malta, a school administrator from South Sudan, and diplomats from Moldova and Ireland.

Como’s Theatre and Music Department Choir presented the annual fall musical in the Cougar Forum this year. With building construction making the auditorium unavailable, directors Carole Whitney and Allison Hartzell decided to utilize the small but new forum space.

“This is a wonderfully talented, creative, and flexible cast that has worked to make the show a delight, even outside of our usual theater home,” Whitney said.

The Frog Princess entertained audiences for two nights after two months of preparation. Cast members were John Dugan, Aspen Schucker, Ava Vitali, Wim Lemkeit, Wyatt Hanson, Lila Seeba, Emilie Pagel, Lee Tuggle, Maisee Her, Boon Yang, Toby Sax, and Jordan Allison. Chorus members included Mariatu Kanu, Gemma Pham, Dulce Ruiz, Htakee Saw, Leeda Thao, and Tee Tee Wah.

Como Park High School’s Accelerated Programs Night is Thursday, Nov. 21 from 6:30-7:45 p.m. The event is an opportunity for prospective students and families to learn about the many options for accelerated coursework at Como including Advanced Placement (AP) and College in the Schools (CIS) courses, plus Post-Secondary Enrollment Options. The event will take place in the school library and refreshments will be provided. Questions can be directed to Como’s AP Coordinator Teng Lo (teng.lo@spps.org) or Como Principal Stacy Theien-Collins (stacy.theien-collins@spps.org).