I AM 742: Alumna Jessica Backes

Jessica Backes in dress blues with her flute

Music is in her blood. For 2014 Tech High School graduate, Jessica Backes, music is a way to connect with people. Backes just visited South Junior High School, her former middle school, to talk to students about music, but more importantly, to stop and say hello and thank you to her old band director, Anita … Read more

I AM 742: Alumna Sara Algoe

Curiosity is human nature, and it can be a powerful driving force. For 1994 Tech High School alumna, Sara Algoe, curiosity is not only her motivation but a craving to learn more about human nature itself. Algoe yearns to discover how emotions tie to the physical and mental well-being of human beings. She began to … Read more

Diving into a New Record

Matchinsky adjusts the fulcrum.

It’s time. It’s her turn. She walks along the tiled floor, her feet splatting on the wet tiles. She takes the first step on the ladder to the diving board, and the crowd dies down so low that she can hear the hum of the air units in the Tech High School pool. “Deep breaths,” she … Read more

I AM 742: Family, Tradition and Honor

Robert Thorson in uniform

Family, tradition and honor are words military personnel think of when asked why they enlist. The same is true for Robert Thorson, Tech High School parent and U.S. Navy veteran. Thorson followed in his naval grandparents’ footsteps. He boasts that his grandmother was one of the first officers in the U.S. Navy WAVES, (Women Accepted for … Read more

Alumni Success Story: Nicole LaVoi

Nicole LaVoi

When it comes to young women in sports, St. Cloud Area School District 742 has a robust history. Starting in 1972, Peg Brenden became the first girl in the state to earn a letter for competing on a boys’ tennis team after arguing her rights in court and with the school district. Later that year, … Read more