The Huss Center for the Performing Arts has been a staple in the SPA community since its debut in fall of 2015. It has been celebrated by many, including the alumni/ae who attended an event there Oct. 3, to honor Distinguished Alumnae Ruth Huss. The space is only one of many contributions made by the Summit School graduate, known for her philanthropy and civic engagement.

Huss, a 1957 graduate from SPA, was awarded the Distinguished Alumni Award. Her selection for the award is indicative of participation in a number of the most significant organizations in Minnesota. She has helped enrich Minnesota’s and the world’s community through art and music.

Director of Institutional Development Dorothy Goldie is a primary organizer of the event and helps pick the alumni who wins the award. When choosing the Distinguished Alumni, Goldie makes sure they fit the criteria of being close to the SPA community and continually furthering what they have learned in the SPA community in the outside world.

Being nominated for the Distinguished Alumni award is incredibly influential for SPA students. It is significant for students to see people carry out SPA’s mission of ‘shaping the minds and hearts of the people who will change the world’ in the real world. “I think it’s important for students to see that the school has a history and doesn’t just exist at this moment,” Goldie said. 

Narrowing down the nominations takes a lot of work on Goldie’s behalf. Many nominations for the Distinguished Alumni of 2018 were submitted over the years, as the award given out annually, emphasizing the importance of the title Ruth Huss has earned.

The event was full of splendor, elegant enough that the Redleaf Commons, a common gathering space amongst students and faculty, was closed off. A duet performed classical music on the guitar and brass instruments. The event had a small cocktail bar alongside a table of delicacies SPA’s very own cooks had crafted.

According to Goldie, “A experience going to this school is part of the reason why they have lived such a distinguished life.” It is important that students are aware of what being a Distinguished Alumni, like Ruth Huss, means to SPA and appreciate what alumni have done for the community.