Parent Council

Welcome!

Dear Macalester Parents and Family members,

It was late summer 2021, and we were on the precipice of the mythical empty nest. We knew nothing of the Macalester Parent Council. Who knew that after a cup of coffee with Tony Saputo-Swanson, the Associate Director of Parent Philanthropy and Engagement, we would join the Parent Council and eventually be privileged to serve as Co-Chairs? Not us. The explanation…the Macalester Community.

As we took advantage of opportunities to join calls and attend events with Macalester faculty, administrators, coaches, families, and students, we became increasingly drawn to Macalester’s mission and curious about pathways to engage. The Parent Council provided early access to information about strategic initiatives and the ability to influence next steps; opportunities to hear from students who are already changing their communities through internships; and connections to other Macalester family members who shared wise counsel on managing important life events like registering for housing. The more we learned and benefited from the grace and support of the Macalester Community, the more we wanted to engage.

Racing into the 2022-23 school year, we are excited to work with the Macalester administration, the Parent Council, students, and Macalester family members to consider what’s next. Launched in 2006, the Parent Council will continue to:

• Share perspectives with Macalester faculty and administrators about the most important issues impacting the Macalester Community;
• Support the Imagine, Macalester Strategic Planning Process, as together we imagine Macalester’s future;
• Engage with prospective and newly admitted students and their families to help them prepare for their journeys in the Twin Cities or elsewhere; 
• Invest in students and alumni through regional and campus events and Macalester Career Exploration, and
• Support the Macalester Fund and encourage other parents to give gifts in support of our bright and talented students from across the country and around the world. 

Our objective for this coming year is to support the fantastic existing framework and identify new pathways to engage across our dynamic Macalester Community.

If you are interested in learning more about how you can engage to support Macalester’s mission, please contact Tony Saputo-Swanson at [email protected]. 

Thank you for supporting Macalester. Go Scots!

Renée and Brendyn Ryan P’25
Co-Chairs, Macalester Parent Council

Directory of Parent Council Members