Students gather around the front of the classroom, saying their final goodbyes
as the teacher cracks out a box of Krispy Kreme doughnuts from behind his
desk. It is Sandy High School sophomore Nathan Gunesch’s last day of school
until spring break, but he won’t be going very far.

Gunesch spends four months out of the school year studying at the Mt. Hood
Academy in Government Camp, a small boarding school that allows nationally
acclaimed student skiers to train and race competitively while still
accomplishing their academic goals.

Mary and Bill Gunesch, Nathan’s parents, founded the MHA more than 28
years ago. Both are directors of the program under the Mt. Hood Ski
Education Foundation, which at times proves to be an overwhelming, but
worthwhile task.

“It’s challenging. As a non-profit, we have to work hard to make ends meet,”
Mary Gunesch said. “But the program has done a lot of good things for a lot of
kids.”

The MHA program has always been a large part of the Gunesch family’s life,
requiring them to learn to balance the demands of the academy, as well as
their own needs.

“Skiing has always been huge for my family,” Nathan’s sister Ali Gunesch said.
“My parents started Mt. Hood Academy in the 80s so they had been doing it
long before my brother and I came along. Balancing everything has always
seemed easy. My parents were always the kind of people who put their
children ahead of basically everything.”

With their busy schedules, the Gunesch family has managed to stay close
through the one thing that they all share: their love of skiing.

“We are a very close family,” Ali said. “I think skiing has helped us stay close
because we are all passionate about it. So we are often all busy with the same
thing. It has always been family first, my entire life, and so we are really
close. It was never hard for us to stay close, we just are.”

Mary and Bill Gunesch, while devoting most of their time to the MHA program,
have also managed to make a significant impact on the skiers at the
academy.

“My parents have had a huge impact on many skiers through the academy
both academically and in ski racing,” Ali said. “I think my parents have been
parental figures for many ski racers as they grew up. More than a few
students have come back and said going to the academy was one of the most
impacting experiences of their life. They love helping kids, both their own and
others, to achieve their goals.”

“It’s actually really helpful to have them there just because they are very
supportive of everything I do,” Nathan added.

One of Mary Gunesch’s favorite parts about the Academy is the opportunity
she has to see her children succeed.

“I’ve had a lot of good trips to races and training camps,” she said. “Last fall I
got sick and I didn’t know if I’d be able to go to the Junior Olympics in Alaska
in the spring. I ended up being able to do that and it was awesome. Nate got
on the podium twice, and that was really neat.”