Grit is a firmness of character and indomitable spirit, an understated quality that shows itself in the face of challenge and adversity. There are many words we use to describe ourselves—scrappy, nimble, resilient, gutsy. We chose grit for the cover because it carries the weight to describe the Northland community this past year, and always. We have built outdoor blackboards, implemented rigorous testing, and changed the way we do everything to keep campus going. For 129 years, alumni, faculty, staff, students, and friends have banded together to find a way through all obstacles. We don’t stop. You don’t stop.

Here are six stories of alumni and how they navigated their lives this past year.

Sarah Szymaniak ’17: Hitting the Ground Running 
Haley Hyde ’19: Holding It All Together
Chris ’94 & Judy Young ’93: Switching Gears
Andy Okey ’87: Responding with Care
Kealy White ’99: Stepping Back, Leaning In
Jason Akl ’99: Looking Forward

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