Full Circle: Meet the Project Success “Alumni Staff!”

September 17, 2020

Over the course of our 26-year history, Project Success has helped hundreds of thousands of students connect to their purpose. As their journey continues after high school, students become alumni of the program – and sometimes their purposeful path leads them right back to PS.

We have been fortunate to have a number of alumni working at Project Success in a variety of roles throughout the years. Having attended our Minneapolis partner schools where they experienced PS firsthand, our alumni staff are uniquely equipped to serve our students from a place of understanding and build genuine relationships with them.

Learn more about our current alumni staff:

Chase Coley, Program Coordinator

Washburn High School, Class of 2014 
Joined PS team in 2020 

How did having Project Success in school prepare you for the role you have today in the organization? 

I remember being in the classroom and thinking “I just want to work for Project Success.” 

Do you remember your facilitator? What do you remember about them? 

I had Naheeda and Harleigh! I remember thinking Naheeda was really funny and Harleigh [another Project Success alumna!] had the biggest smile. 

Project Success Program Coordinator, Chase Coley, with students at PS, preparing for a college tour.

Why does Project Success matter for students? 

It matters because the genuine care and Kids First mindset the staff have for students gives them the support and tools to be successful. It’s a fun way to connect and learn that’s extremely engaging and hands-on.

PS always reminded me that someone cared about me and what I wanted to do in the future in the little ways that mattered. They always reminded us I our in class workshops that everyone matters and it’s important to take care of the people around us. Project Success made my feel supported in my journey through high school.

What do you believe makes Project Success powerful? 

The people who work here. They’re kind, helpful, genuine, and really do care and it shows. It’s truly a ‘Kids First’ mentality. Rather than telling you what to do or how to do things they guide you and support you in the best way possible. The Project Success staff has always been a remarkable group of people.

What new skills or life tools did Project Success help you develop?

I think Project Success helped me with my confidence in trying new things and talking to new people. As a student it was a comfortable safe community for me to make to friends, try new experiences, and learn about myself.


Chloe Cardinal, Administrative Assistant

Anwatin Middle School & South High School, Class of 2011
Joined the PS team in 2018

How did having Project Success in school prepare you for the role you have today in the organization?

As a student, PS taught me to play to my strengths, lead like I was born to do, and to treat others and myself with kindness and compassion.

What is your favorite PS memory…

Chloe as Audrey in the 2006 Anwatin Middle School musical, “Little Shop of Horrors.”

… as a student? 8th grade BWCA trip.

… as a staff person? Seeing a sea of students attending Hamilton on my 4th day of work at Project Success was pretty great, and so was the Fielding Dreams event with the Minnesota Twins in May 2019!

What do you remember about your facilitator?

I had Jason, Ann, Jeffrey, Kathleen, and Alex. I remember Jason’s responsibility, Ann’s wild spirit, Jeffry’s unending patience and his work on character development for the Anwatin musicals, Kathleen’s kindness, and Alex’s calm, cool, and encouraging attitude.

Why does Project Success matter for students?

Acceptance, encouragement, opportunity … all things that I experienced from the PS staff as both student and staff, but most importantly students are given grace and space to explore opportunities and themselves! Boundary waters, on stage experience, connection to the arts and the community, and now Institute opportunities!


 

Christopher Vang, Program Coordinator

Patrick Henry High School, Class of 2016 
Joined the PS team in 2019 

What is your favorite PS memory… 

as a student? My favorite experience with Project Success was definitely going to visit my dream college NDSU which I later enrolled in. The sense of freedom and trust from the staff really helped me make my own decision to attend NDSU. 

as a staff person?  My favorite experience is being able to share my experiences with other students at theater events, college tours, and being able to connect with them. Engaging with the students and their families brightens up my day. I’ve also been exposed to more theater and the arts which has allowed me to appreciate them more! 

PS Program Coordinator Christopher Vang working at a Project Success Winter Adventure Day event in 2019.

Do you remember your facilitator? What do you remember about them? 

My facilitators were Laura, Ryan, and Kurt! I remember how energetic Laura and Ryan were when they ran their dual workshops together because it was really fun. I learned a very important lesson from Kurt about true values, which taught me about what I truly believe is the most important part of my life, which is my family.  

Why does Project Success matter for students? 

Project Success is essential to all of our students because of how they share arts, college and postsecondary plans, the concept of success, appreciation for nature, and how we nurture their growth. Project Success has a curriculum that works and has shown, statistically, that students are successful when they utilize our programming because we put them first. There are students that don’t receive the same opportunity in other schools, so Project Success does their best to share rare experiences with them all. Grateful for our donors, we are able to provide FREE experiences to students and families with theater, the outdoors, college tours and more. 


 

Hana Sato, Facilitator

Southwest High School, Class of 2011 
Joined PS team in 2017 

How did having Project Success in school prepare you for the role you have today in the organization? 

Wow. Where to begin? My PS facilitator Naheeda is why I went to college, I am almost positive she was one of the first people I told when I applied to college. She was the one who encouraged me to think critically about my future and to plan for what I wanted to do after I graduated. Since I was heavily involved in theater and dance, PS was the one reason why my mom and I could go see shows affordably  meaning for FREE. To this day, my mom still sings the praises of PS because she knew that seeing theater was important to me, and we were able to do that as a family because of PS. Being a facilitator with Project Success is a beautiful blend of interacting and supporting students, my love for theater, and a feeling of community in the workspace. 

PS Facilitator Hana Sato on the Chicago college tour as a Project Success student.

What is your favorite PS memory… 

as a student? 

Hands down, seeing Midsummer Nights Dream at the Guthrie in 9th grade. I was front and center in the audience and I remember coming home to my mom and saying “I actually liked that Shakespeare show!” I still remember that show to this day. What is great is that a few years later, when I was in college, the Guthrie did another rendition of Midsummer Nights Dream and I emailed Naheeda asking if I could get tickets as an alumni. I definitely thought she would say it wasn’t possible, but she said yes and I remember taking my mom. We had so much fun! 

as a staff person? 

Too many to count! I love supporting Anwatin students during their musical. I love having lunch with students in the College and Career Center at Washburn and laughing with them. I love the PBJ 9th grade workshop. I love walking on a college campus during a tour and hearing a student say “I can see myself here.” There are truly too many favorite memories. 

Do you remember your facilitator? What do you remember about them? 

NAHEEDA IS THE BEST. Friends with her on Facebook and we still keep in touch! She is so supportive, kind, funny, and just an overall lovely human being. I remember thinking that her job must be so much fun, not thinking that at some point I could have the job—but high school Hana was correct, it is a great job! 

Why does Project Success matter for students? 

Project Success matters for students because at the core we are asking students to dream about their future. What they want to do, see, say—and often times students don’t get the space to really just dream big and put it out into the universe. It was because of Project Success that I learned about a career path that I originally went to school for, and I would have never known about it if PS hadn’t given me the time to think about what I liked and how that could look for my future. Even though I didn’t necessarily follow that path, it encouraged me to think big.


 

Kyle Munshower, Facilitator

Southwest High School, Class of 2014 
Joined PS team in 2019 

How did having Project Success in school prepare you for the role you have today in the organization? 

​Ryan Shipley was my facilitator and whenever he talked to me, I felt like I had his whole attention, and that he was focusing on me and making me feel important. He always remembered my name and made me think about myself and my future in really compelling ways. This experience was meaningful and transformative, and something I hope to accomplish for current MPS students in my role as a facilitator. Moreover, Project Success further emboldened my passion for theater, both as a participant and audience member, and taught me to think critically about art. I use this passion and critical thinking in my job every day. 

What is your favorite PS memory… 

as a student? 

​My favorite memory has to be the final workshop of senior year. I felt so confident that day, and got to speak out to my classmates in a way that I never had before.  

as a staff person? 

​I really loved getting to see The Glass Menagerie at the Guthrie with some of my 10th grade students from Southwest. The energy in that theater was just so unique and strong and every student in there really CONNECTED with it. The next day, I got to lead a workshop with those students that incorporated themes from the play into the daily lives of the students and afterwards, I truly felt the synthesis of theater and education.  

PS Facilitator Kyle Munshower in a workshop at Field Middle School.

Do you remember your facilitator? What do you remember about them? 

​C. Ryan Shipley. Kind, compassionate, excited, and hilarious. Cares so much about his students and everyone around him, cared so much about meaningful relationships. Still friends to this day.  

Why does Project Success matter for students? 

​Students need to think about themselves. In a specific way. Because in general, the type of thinking about yourself that is promoted to young people these days is sort of a superficial, consumer/marketplace-oriented version. ESPECIALLY with that thinking so prevalent, it is more important now than ever to empower students to ask themselves really hard questions about who they are, what their thoughts on the world are, where they come from, where they want to go in the future, how they’re going to get there, and come to the answers themselves about WHY any of that matters. And it happens. And it is beautiful when it does.  

Anything else you’d like to add? 

​Project Success changed my life as a student, and it began changing my life as an adult on the very first day I started working here. I’m a better person because of this place.


 

Marc Bromaghim-Oropeza, Workshops Manager

Anwatin Middle School & South High School, Class of 2008
Joined PS team in 2012

How did having Project Success in school prepare you for the role you have today in the organization?

Having great facilitators both informed my facilitation style. I took a lot of the organization and planning from Jason and mixed it with the humor from Pip and kind of created my own style from there. The actual workshops helped me in my job interview processes, as it helped me approach each one with a certain level of focus and taking everything step by step.

What is your favorite PS memory…

PS Workshops Manager Marc Bromaghim-Oropeza (with his now wife, Anna!) at Anwatin Middle School.

as a student?

I loved the in class workshops. I don’t want to share too much, but the Survivor activity, Popsicle Stick activity, and Odd Lives activity are still activities I do with my students today because of how much they meant to me when I was a student.
I would also list the musical and BWCA as hugely formative for me in middle school. They showed me that I had a lot of skills in myself that I didn’t know I had, and connected me to my peers on a deeper level.

as a staff person?

I think that in-class workshops have been some of my favorite moments as a facilitator as well. It is so cool to be on the journey of discovery with my students.

I also think the global experiences are a huge piece of programming that we’ve added that is transformational. I’ve gotten to go on the Boston trip to Harvard with EL students, and the Howard/NMAAC tour a couple of times. Both of those trips have allowed me to walk alongside my students as they experience these places for the first time.

Do you remember your facilitator? What do you remember about them?

I had 3 facilitators during my time as a student with Project Success.
#1. Jason was my facilitator in middle school. He also was on my 8th grade BWCA trip. I loved how approachable he was and how genuine he talked to us in class.
#2. When I got to high school I had Pip for 9th and 10th grade. He was extremely funny and was a huge part of the South High community. It felt like he knew everyone and everyone knew him. I had actually met him when he helped out during the Anwatin musical during my time in middle school.
#3. Then for 11th and 12th grade I had Kathleen. I only technically had her in class for 1 semester total, but she also seemed well liked during her time at South.

Why does Project Success matter for students?

One piece that I’ve always stated as important is access. I love that we offer free rides to our programming. When I was a kid that was an ESSENTIAL thing, as I am from a single-parent household, and my mom didn’t need to choose between her job and me being involved in musicals. Students shouldn’t have to worry about those things. They should just be covered. For ALL.