Alumni Awards
The Blake School honors distinguished alumni through our alumni awards program. Alumni from Northrop Collegiate School, Blake School and The Blake School are recognized in the following categories:
Outstanding Alumni Award
The Outstanding Alumni Award honors alumni who have demonstrated outstanding leadership, achievement and influence in their field and/or in their community activities. If you would like to nominate yourself or a fellow alum, please fill out the nomination form here.
Young Alumni Award
The Young Alumni Award honors graduates of Blake from the last 25 years who have made significant contributions to civic or professional organizations, who are driven by a bold sense of curiosity and openness to differences and who constantly strive to be an engaged, courageous and intelligent world citizens. If you would like to nominate yourself or a fellow alum, please fill out the nomination form here.
Jenny Stephens Hagen Spirit Award
The Jenny Stephens Hagen Award honors alumni who have shown commitment to The Blake School community in the following ways: have devoted extraordinary time and energy to the school; have served as stalwart enthusiasts for the school; and have promoted, attended and supported with vigor the involvement of alumni in The Blake School community events. If you would like to nominate yourself or a fellow alum, please fill out the nomination form here.
Athletic Hall of Fame
The Athletic Hall of Fame highlights the accomplishments of alumni, coaches and friends and celebrates the school’s sports history. In addition to this year’s inductees, the Hall of Fame honors members of Blake’s Hockey Hall of Fame and past recipients of the Alumni Athlete of the Year award, which includes 40 alumni spanning multiple sports and 30 years. To nominate alumni, coaches or Bears supporters for the Athletic Hall of Fame, complete this form. Nominations are welcome year-round, but consideration for the following year closes on Jan. 31. The ceremony and reception are held the weekend of Homecoming & Reunion.
2026 Recipients and Biographies
Amy Bergquist ʼ86: Outstanding Alumna
Amy Bergquist ʼ86 is associate program director of the International Justice Program at The Advocates for Human Rights, a nonprofit that represents people in the Upper Midwest who are seeking asylum, detained by immigration, unaccompanied children or trafficking victims. In her role, Bergquist coordinates advocacy at the United Nations and with regional human rights bodies, focusing on the death penalty. She collaborates with partners in the United States and around the world to amplify their voices, leveraging the United Nations to press governments to respect, protect and fulfill human rights. She draws inspiration from the courage and creativity of The Advocates' clients and partners.
Bergquist clerked for the Honorable Ruth Bader Ginsburg, associate justice of the U.S. Supreme Court, the Honorable William A. Fletcher of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit, and the Honorable John R. Tunheim, district judge of the District of Minnesota. She was an associate at Faegre & Benson, LLP. While in law school, Bergquist served as editor-in-chief of the Minnesota Law Review. Before attending law school, she worked for 11 years at Minneapolis South High School, where she taught social studies and Russian and coached debate and speech.
Bergquist received her law degree summa cum laude from the University of Minnesota Law School, graduating order of the coif and receiving the William B. Lockhart Award for Excellence in Scholarship, Leadership and Service. She graduated magna cum laude from Amherst College with a degree in political science and received her teaching certification through Macalester College.
Bergquist represents The Advocates on the Steering Committee of the World Coalition Against the Death Penalty and chairs the Coalition's World Day Against the Death Penalty working group. Since 2014, she has served as a commissioner on the Minneapolis Commission on Civil Rights.
Bergquist will be honored at Breakfast at Blake on Friday, Sept. 25 when she will be the featured speaker.
Ace Rice ʼ01: Young Alumnus Award
Asa "Ace" Rice ʼ01 is a Minneapolis-based multidisciplinary artist, curator and creative strategist who grew up in South Minneapolis. He is founder and CEO of CREWED creative agency and head of brand and creative for HILOS but may be best known locally as founder of PLOT Gallery, an art exhibition and retail space operating in George Floyd Square.
Before returning to the Twin Cities, Rice spent two decades working in entertainment marketing, fashion and the music industry in New York, Los Angeles and Miami. He has managed marketing for notable brands and artists like Coco and Breezy, Sprayground and Adidas. Rice founded PLOT to support local underrepresented artists, blend contemporary aesthetics with community-building and anchor the local economy.
Deeply invested in the 38th and Chicago community, in 2024 Rice founded KOMBOA, a community land trust with a focus on urban planning, community revitalization and economic development, for which he is board chair. He also serves as a board member for the Chicago Avenue Fine Arts Center, working to promote cultural dialogue and creative empowerment in the Twin Cities.
Rice attended Florida A&M University's School of Architecture for his undergraduate studies. While at Blake, he played on the varsity basketball team. He will be honored at Breakfast at Blake on Thursday, Oct. 29 when he will be the featured speaker.
John Brooks ʼ71: Jenny Stephens Hagen Spirit Award
John Brooks ʼ71 lives in Wayzata, Minnesota, with Joan, his high school sweetheart and wife of over 45 years. The couple is very proud of their children, Christine Brooks White ʼ01 and Mitch Brooks ʼ03, and happy that three of their five grandchildren are enrolled at Blake. Now retired, Brooks enjoyed working in the food business and serving on the board of two family businesses, including MOM brands (Malt-O-Meal).
Brooks also ran a consulting firm focused on family business governance. He served over 20years on the board of the Lakewood Cemetery Association with three years as chair, was president of Woodhill Country Club, served as board member of Global Minnesota, treasurer of Wayzata Historical Society, executive committee member of Shubert Theater and board member of the Minnesota Children’s Museum.
John and Joan hosted Blake’s 2023 Early Learning Center Grand Friend Day. He was a longtime class representative (2002-21) and was on his 50th reunion planning committee,including fundraising for the Class of 1971 Access to Excellence endowment. Brooks was a Blake trustee from 1992-2000 and served as chair from 1998-2000. He and Joan hosted the Ivy Circle Party in 1999. In 1996, as trustee Annual Fund chair, Brooks helped push the Blake Fund over the $1 million mark for the first time in history. His other volunteer roles at Blake have included serving on the 2016 Reunion Planning Committee, the Centennial Campaign Alumni Committee and the Lead Gifts Committee and as 2003-04 Annual Fund representative.
Brooks received his undergraduate degree from Williams College in American studies and his MBA from the University of Minnesota-Twin Cities. While at Blake, he played hockey, tennisand football. He was a member of the 1971 state championship-winning hockey team. Brooks will be honored at Breakfast at Blake on Friday, Sept. 25.