MMSD alumni: Connect and give back.

Randall Elementary’s playground was an important classroom for West High Alum, Donnel Thompson. He learned to show up early and stay late, be a good teammate, pick up teammates after they made a mistake, and how to celebrate. He also learned to take direction and criticism. Those lessons helped propel him to success on and off the field, and they’re why he wants to make sure other Madison students now and in the future can gain those lifelong benefits, too.

Sports and math have helped Mack succeed since he graduated from West High School in 1999. These intertwined loves are why he’s helping promote Madison Public School Foundation’s Play Every Day initiative to make sure students have what they need to succeed individually and to work toward the common good.

At 29, David Aguayo (East High, 2011) has already done many great things – from leading neighborhood cleanups and food drives in elementary school to mobilizing Latino voters in the 2020 presidential election to, most recently, working as part of the Madison-based Latino Consortium for Action to raise $1 million for COVID relief for Latino families. Yet talking to him, it’s easy to believe the best is yet to come.