It's Official! Meet the MVPS

As of July 14, it's official! All four of us have officially filed for candidacy for the White Bear Lake Area School Board.

If you've been following along, you may have seen the letters MVPS popping up. So who are the MVPS?

• Amanda McFarlane

• Ryan Vernosh

• Amy Puschinsky (that's me!)

• Chris Streiff Oji

Together, we're four community members running for the four open seats on the White Bear Lake Area School Board.

For those who may not be familiar with how the School Board works, there are seven total board seats. Board members serve four-year terms, and elections are staggered so that some seats are up for election every two years. This year, four seats are on the ballot.

When I first started considering a run for School Board, I wasn't sure what that journey would look like. I spent time talking with former School Board members and community members to learn more about the role, the commitment, and how I could best serve White Bear Lake Area Schools.

Through those conversations, I was introduced to Amanda, Ryan, and Chris. What began as a few discussions quickly revealed that we shared many of the same values and hopes for our schools. We all believe in putting Students First, remaining Future-Focused, and building a Community Strong enough to support every learner.

As we got to know one another, it became clear that we could accomplish more together than we could individually. We made the decision to support one another's campaigns with the shared goal of filling all four open seats.

What I didn't expect was the incredible level of community support we would receive.

As someone who moved into this community, one of the first things I noticed was how deeply people care about White Bear Lake. There is a genuine passion here for our schools, our students, and our future. Over the past several months, I've had the privilege of experiencing that firsthand.

We've been encouraged by former School Board members, parents, educators, neighbors, and community advocates who have generously shared their time, knowledge, and support. Many have offered guidance based on their own experiences, while others have stepped up to volunteer, organize events, host conversations, make phone calls, or help us spread information throughout the community.

One thing I've learned is that supporting public education doesn't require running for office. There are countless ways to get involved, and every contribution matters. Whether you're willing to knock on doors, host a meet-and-greet, display a yard sign, share information with friends and neighbors, or simply have conversations about what matters most for our schools, your involvement makes a difference.

This campaign has already shown me the best of White Bear Lake: people who care, people who show up, and people who believe we can build something stronger together.

Thank you to everyone who has supported our campaigns so far. We are excited for the months ahead and look forward to continuing conversations throughout the community.