Alexis, Andrew, and Cade Bunnell

1. How long were you at Ramalynn for?

Our family was at RMA for 8 years!

2. Did you participate in any extracurricular activities at RMA? If so, what were your favorite moments?

Wisdom Tales- It was always inspiring to learn about Wisdom Tales stories from Miss Lynn. The morals of these stories often correlate to actions that we as students could apply in school. Additionally, it was taught as an oral lesson which was unique compared to most lessons because as students we were responsible for remembering the stories. We would look forward to this every week. We remember coming home and telling our parents about these stories.

Science Fair from 2nd grade- We learned about the scientific method and were able to apply these skills to test different science experiments. It was really cool to see our progress and growth with the science fair over the years.

Student Council- Organizing the Fall Fest at the school farm!

Morning Market- Even as primary school students, we were able to contribute to the school by volunteering at the Morning Market. It was fun to learn about money exchange in a real experience and to see our friends as “customers”.

Learned an instrument- Andrew: Cello, Alexis: Violin, Cade: Saxophone; We still play today and are thankful for the opportunity to learn these instruments.

Robotics Club- Favorite moment: Advancing to State after the 2nd year of competing and putting RMA on the map for robotics!

Odyssey of the Mind- A chance to let our creativity really shine through and collaborate with our peers to solve problems.

Knowledge Bowl- We loved the competitive atmosphere and representing our school.

Sports Camp- The excitement around the school when a hockey tournament was coming up! It was so much fun.

Math Olympiad- Cade and Andrew both got a perfect score with the Math Olympiad which was a really cool experience.

 

3. What was student life like at RMA?

We really felt comfortable being ourselves and exploring our interests at RMA. The children and teachers at Ramalynn are kind and come from a diverse set of backgrounds. The Montessori curriculum allowed us to advance in educational material at our own place and we were able to start high school in advanced honors courses.

 

4. What school tradition were you most excited about each year?

The RMA first day of school tradition. We would have a rocket launch and milk and bananas. Also, all of the students in the school would come outside for this and we would sing the school song and national anthem.

 

5. What were some of your favorite memories of your time at Ramalynn?

Nutcracker Performance, Trojan War, A Midsummer’s Night’s Dream. Andrew was the assistant director for the Nutcracker performance. We loved the excitement around the school when it came to the Nutcracker and other theater performances.

 

6. What did you do after you graduated from Ramalynn? Did you receive any honorable mentions/awards in high school/ college?

All three of us attended and graduated from Burnsville High School as Valedictorians and gave the graduation speeches.

Andrew - John Coskran Volunteer Service Award for over 2,000 hours of volunteer service

Alexis - Target TWIST EPIC for excellence in STEM.

Cade - Advanced to International Science and Engineering Fair

 

7. What do you think of your education compared to your friends who went to other schools? Did you feel more prepared for high school and college?

We all think that our education was very well-rounded because Ramalynn gave us many opportunities to excel in academics, athletics, and the arts. We were taught to be kind to all living beings and volunteer to help others. These are all values that we continue to pursue as adults.

 

8. If you could describe your RMA experience in two sentences, what would it be?

We first handedly were given an exceptional elementary and middle school Montessori experience. We as Montessori students were exposed to many world cultures, taught to show kindness towards all, and well-rounded in our learning.

 

9. What are you up to these days?

We are 1st/3rd year undergraduate students at the University of Minnesota Twin Cities with Neuroscience Majors and in the Honors Program.

 

10. What are your future aspirations and goals in life?

We all aspire to attend medical school to become doctors. Andrew and Alexis want to be neurosurgeons and Cade wants to be an Orthopedic Surgeon.