Welcome to the third edition of SHP Alumni Profiles! Our intent is to make this a regular feature on our blog. Turns out SHP alums lead pretty interesting lives! We thought perhaps you’d like to read about them.

Our focus today is on two uncles and two nieces from the Burchell family, all of whom are current or former Minden High students. Brothers Dave and Chris went to SHP in the 1980s and 1990s. Their brother Patrick is dad to sisters Molly and Allison, who went to SHP in the 2010s and 2020s. Burchell family members have been financial and volunteer supporters of Summer Honors for many years. Dave has been an SHPAA board member off and on; Allison, still in her senior year at Minden, is one of the SHPAA student board members this year.
Ellen Burchell – mom to Dave and Chris, and grandma to Molly and Allison – shared these comments about her family’s SHP involvement:
My family and I have benefited from the Summer Honors Program since the 1980s. First with two sons who attended and most recently and currently two granddaughters who have and/or are attending. There have been changes to the program during the years but not to the value and importance of Summer Honors. Staff names have changed over the years, but not the quality.
As a mother, the whole concept of SHP was an unknown at the beginning. As a grandmother, my confidence, belief, and trust in the program was unshakable.
When my sons were participants in SHP they were housed by volunteer families in Holdrege and came home only on the weekend. These kind, caring families added to my faith in the program and the commitment of the Holdrege community’s support.
My granddaughters were transported to and from Holdrege by family and/or school transport. They did not spend two weeks away from home as their uncles had.
I’m glad to know who Maude is and the origins and continuing saga of the Green Jacket. I’ve heard the Flaming Tards perform.
Lifelong friendships were made and continue to enrich our lives.
Thank you Holdrege, SHP Faculty & Staff, and Service Unit #11.
We had each of the four Burchell alumni fill out a questionnaire. Here are their responses.
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Name: Dave Burchell
Former name: The Lowland Slipper
SHP years: 1986-1989
SHP classes: Logic, Statistics, Computer Science, Logic
High school and graduation year: Minden High School, 1989
College and graduation year: University of Nebraska – Lincoln, 2011
Where do you live now? Omaha
How old are you? 54
What’s been your story since high school? I take this question to be asking: Which Muppet, or Muppets, best correspond to my life experience? That is to say, who’s been my Muppet muse? It’s an unfair question, since each of us channels the psyche of various felt and foam characters in the course of our lifetimes – at one point, we are Animal, and another, Sam the Eagle. That said, Waldorf (of Statler and Waldorf) has frequently guided me as I’ve progressed through life. His edgy commentary on the human (Muppet?) condition, unflagging enthusiasm, and proclivity towards napping are inspirations.
How did Summer Honors influence your life? Summer Honors was the highlight of my summers. It was a chance to connect with others I didn’t find anywhere else. The combination of serious study and zany socializing is unique. I was influenced to seek similar environments for study, work, and play ever since.
What books, films, TV shows, plays, art, music, essays, poems, or other creative works have most influenced you in your life? Why? The novel A Man in Full, by Tom Wolfe, introduced me to Hellenistic philosophy as principles for living. I’ve been an active student of philosophy ever since, much to my benefit.
What’s your favorite place on earth? Why? My favorite places are great for reading a book: Outdoors in a backyard or a park under a shady tree on a warm day. The University of Nebraska-Lincoln city campus near Love Library might be my favorite, with easy access to iced coffee and donuts, when refreshments are called for.
What are your goals at this point in your life? My goals are to find projects and work where I can make a unique contribution. As I’ve progressed in my software development career, I’ve spent more time encouraging, guiding, and educating others – work I find just as satisfying as building solutions as an individual contributor.
What is your biggest regret? I regret not making my home as an adult in the ESU 11 area, because my own children weren’t able to experience Summer Honors. Thankfully, they had other enriching and rewarding opportunities. But Summer Honors is one-of-a-kind.
What are you most thankful for? I’m thankful for the guidance I’ve received from a few key mentors and educators, including Tim Burke, gifted educator and administrator who guided Summer Honors during my student days. He went out of his way to give his students opportunities they wouldn’t have had otherwise, tailored to our interests and abilities.
What’s your favorite thing about yourself? I like my skills at meeting new people and in public speaking. Connecting with people keeps life interesting.
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Name: Christopher Burchell
SHP years: 1990, 1991
SHP class: Science
High school and graduation year: Minden High, 1994
Colleges and graduation years: Bachelor of Music, University of Oklahoma, 2000; Master of Arts in Teaching, Valdosta State University, 2020
Where do you live now? Tifton, GA
How old are you? 49
What’s been your story since high school? I took up drum and bugle corps in 1992 after my sophomore year in high school. That’s an all-summer matching activity, so I couldn’t go to Summer Honors. Music became my main thing. My wife, Rachael, had the great idea to spend some time teaching English in Thailand when we first got married. Now teaching is the main thing for both of us. I teach music at a middle/high school and she teaches English at a college.
How did Summer Honors influence your life? I keep my Summer Honors experience in mind as I create challenges for my students. We did a lot of difficult creative things as students in Summer Honors. Those exploits remind me to keep my expectations high.
What books, films, TV shows, plays, art, music, essays, poems, or other creative works have most influenced you in your life? Why? Silence by John Cage, The Death and Life of Great American Cities by Jane Jacobs, Moby Dick. Recently: Strong Towns by Charles Marohn, Bringing Nature Home by Doug Tallamy. I do listen to a lot of podcasts. All the Crooked Media titles, pretty much. And The Rest Is History, 99% Invisible, The Ezra Klein Show. All the stuff you would expect.
What’s your favorite place on earth? Why? I’m pretty much always up for a trip to Wakulla Springs in Florida. You can ride a boat out on this clear river surrounded by birds, alligators, and manatees all completely unconcerned about the humans floating by.
What are your goals at this point in your life? I have a bunch of goals for the music program at my school. The personal goal that goes with that is to avoid burnout while working toward those program goals.
What are you most thankful for? The important people in my life have always been nice to me.
What’s your favorite thing about yourself? I’m allergic to bullshit.
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Name: Molly Burchell
SHP years: 2018-2022
SHP class: Logic x5
High school and graduation year: Minden 2022
College and graduation year: Currently at UNL and will graduate in Spring 2025
Where do you live now? Minden, NE
How old are you? 21
What’s been your story since high school? Since high school, I’ve attended UNL for three years now and I will graduate in May. I’ve majored in agribusiness on East Campus and been involved with the Engler Agribusiness Entrepreneurship program on East Campus.
How did Summer Honors influence your life? Summer Honors Logic class taught me a lot about how to understand the world around me at a deeper level. It showed me how to see things in a new way. It also gave me an opportunity to meet new people and make friends that I otherwise would have never met.
What books, films, TV shows, plays, art, music, essays, poems, or other creative works have most influenced you in your life? Why? Right now, I would say the documentary The Biggest Little Farm has influenced me greatly. It was the first example I had seen of a farm similar to the one I dreamed of starting and it helped me to see my dream as a reality.
What’s your favorite place on earth? Why? I struggle to pick just one place, so my favorite place is anywhere I can be surrounded by the beauty of God’s creation. I especially love anywhere underneath a canopy of trees or where the night sky is clear and uninterrupted by infrastructure.
What are your goals at this point in your life? Right now, I am finishing college. Upon graduation, my goal is to start a diverse organic fruit and vegetable farm in south-central Nebraska. My farm would be my biggest goal right now.
What are you most thankful for? I am most thankful for the ways God has provided for my life in the people He has placed in my life and the purposes He has given me in my life.
What’s your favorite thing about yourself? My favorite thing about myself is my curiosity. Being very curious has led me on many big and small adventures that have been extremely rewarding.
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Name: Allison Burchell (Allie)
SHP years: 2022-2024
SHP classes: Psychology and Logic(x2)
High school and graduation year: Minden High School, 2025
College: I will attend University of Nebraska Kearney in the fall.
Where do you live now? Minden, Nebraska
How old are you? 18
What’s been your story since high school? I am in my last semester of high school and I am looking forward to continuing to write my story after I graduate in May.
How did Summer Honors influence your life? It really helped me step outside of my comfort zone. I met new people and learned how to think deep about the things in life that other people don’t. It has given me a new perspective on life’s questions and I love it.
What books, films, TV shows, plays, art, music, essays, poems, or other creative works have most influenced you in your life? Why? I love meaningful movies and books that really remind you to live a life that makes you proud. Those materials are a nice reminder that your life should be lived in a way that makes you happy. Some books also encourage me for the future because it opens up new opportunities that I wouldn’t have otherwise thought about.
What’s your favorite place on earth? Why? My favorite place on earth is my grandma’s house. This is where all of my family gathers to spend time together. Being there is warm and inviting because we are all together and always have a good time when we are there.
What are your goals at this point in your life? My goals are to go through college and get my degree in early childhood education and a minor in business. I want to make memories with my family. I want to start my life and create a good lifestyle for myself.
What are you most thankful for? I am very thankful for my family. They support me through all of the experiences that I have gone through and will go through. I am also thankful for the event experiences that I have got to experience so far in my life. I have been able to travel around the country and see new places. That is something that I am very grateful for because it is very important to me.
What’s your favorite thing about yourself? My favorite thing about myself is my love for kids. For as long as I can remember, I have been babysitting and spending time with kids every time I’ve had the chance. Since I am going to be a preschool teacher, I will be able to do what I love every day.