By Yegor Zenkov
Forest Redlin graduated cum laude from TPA in 2013 and has since gone on to Macalester College in Saint Paul Minn. There, in addition to his academic achievements, he is a two-sport athlete and was named the Attack Teams Player of the Year. De Equitibus asked him about his experience:
DE: How have you felt the effects of your TPA education in college?
Forest: The Socratic Method used in all classes at TPA has helped me immensely to articulate my thoughts clearly in the classroom. The ability to grapple with challenging theoretical concepts and express my thoughts while working in group settings has been very beneficial to my college experience.
DE: What was the biggest change that you felt from high school to college?
Forest: The biggest challenge I have faced in college was learning how to handle a far more rigorous workload. Although it may seem TPA requires a significant amount of time dedicated to your studies outside the classroom, be prepared to rediscover your relationship with sleep (or lack thereof).
DE: How has being a two-sport athlete affected the rest of your college education?
Forest: Being a two-sport athlete has had very positive impacts on my education both from what I learned during my high school years and my continued athletic pursuits in college. One thing that has stuck out for me is that when you are required to allocate regular hours every day for your sport, you develop valuable skills in time management and an understanding of how valuable your time is. Furthermore, the often quoted traits such as hard work, dedication, perseverance, and competition all transcend your athletic pursuits into your education.
DE: So far, what has been your proudest moment/achievement at Macalester?
Forest: Although I have performed very well in the classroom, my proudest moment at Macalester goes beyond the classroom. This past season I was a part of the Macalester Scots Football Program that ended an 87-year drought and secured a Midwest Conference Championship and a berth in the National Playoffs. While this was an incredible feat, what made this season even more special was the relationship the team developed with two young boys from the St. Paul community. Through the Team IMPACT Organization, a group that pairs terminally or chronically ill children with a collegiate athletic team to act as a support system, I helped facilitate a relationship with brothers Caleb and Elijah Maaske. Caleb was diagnosed with Chiari Malformation at age two and has had multiple surgeries and struggles to handle the pain that comes with this incurable disease since that time. I was asked by my Head Coach to assist in taking on the responsibility of overseeing this relationship and making these two brothers a part of our team. We have since drafted Caleb and Elijah onto our team in a televised draft day special event involving all the teams at Macalester and get together regularly to do fun activities such as a weekend at Chuck E Cheese, a few hours at SkyZone, or even just a meal at CafeMac. Although Caleb continually suffers from his illness, hearing his mother speak about the time he and Elijah spend with “their time” has truly made a difference in their lives is something truly incredible to be a part of.
DE: What advice do you have for current TPA underclassmen?
Forest: TPA provides a unique opportunity for students to learn from some of the brightest and caring educators I have ever been around. Take in every opportunity you have to completely absorb yourself in TPA’s incredible curriculum. The skills and concepts you will learn will provide a fundamental basis for understanding what it takes to be successful in higher education. Use your time at TPA to learn to appreciate quite possibly the most effective method of teaching and group of educators you will ever be exposed to.