To Spain and Back Again: The Story of Kari and Emelia Nelson

Sit down with Kari Nelson long enough and you’ll learn that her true love and passion for life isn’t art, but her family.

When asked about accomplishments she’s experienced or wonderful things she’s seen in her time here at MCA, she comes back time and again to how much of a blessing it’s been to watch her three children (Franklin, Carlson, and Emelia) grow up in a Christian environment where they’ve been given room to flourish in their God-given talents.

Spending time with family is what means the most to Kari, and the Nelsons were able to wrangle up the whole fam for a long-awaited trip to Europe in 2023 to hike the Camino del Norte across Spain. “We started in France and went all the way to Loredo, Spain. She [Eme] did about 80 miles of it and then I continued and walked 200 more. [...] It’s always been a goal—‘Wouldn’t it be fun to backpack across Spain as a family?’”

That trip captures something essential about Mrs. Nelson in that she’s ready to set out on adventure whenever it calls. It also helps explain why Kari lights up when she talks about what it’s been like teaching her own children here at MCA in what’s been quite an adventure of its own. “I have had all of them pretty much since 1st grade,” she smiled. “I taught them from 1st grade to high school, all of them.”

Being both mom and teacher changed her teaching, too. “It makes me a better teacher because… I want to make it the best lesson possible for my kid. [...] As a parent, you become a much better teacher when you have your own kids.” She laughed about the unique vantage point it gave her—“I also get to see all their friends and all their enemies, not that they had a lot.”

Kari’s sons, Franklin and Carlson, have graduated, but Emelia is still in high school—and much like that endless Camino del Norte trek seemed to be, Eme’s creativity knows no bounds. “All of my kids are very gifted artistically,” Kari said, “but Emelia is three-dimensional. [...] She understands textures and fabrics and how to form something instead of just keeping it flat.” Eme also sews her own dresses, crochets “like a crazy woman,” and makes granny-square quilts for people in nursing homes. And her Renaissance Festival costumes, designed every year, are one of Kari’s favorite things to see go from idea to fruition.

Speaking of Emelia and how immersed she is in being creative across all facets of life, Eme took on something quite unexpected this fall when she found herself in the lead role of Maranatha’s fall play: The Hobbit. Much like Bilbo Baggins, Emelia was a bit daunted at first, but when adventure calls a Baggins, one picks themself up, gathers their things, and sets off on adventure.

“She didn’t sign up to do that,” Kari laughed. “She just wanted to have a weapon and a ‘role that makes my mom proud.’” Being cast as the lead came as “a big WHAT? ‘I’m the hobbit?’” But Kari saw exactly why it fit. When asked to sum up her daughter, three words came to mind: “Strength, loyal, and creative”—just like Bilbo was once he got over the initial shock of it all. Emelia is a natural leader when needed, adventurous in all she does, and one who will fight endlessly for what she believes in.

And woven into this beautiful story of Kari, Emelia, and the entire Nelson family, is the fact that Mrs. Nelson has been a steady presence at MCA since 1996. Across the years, Kari has seen so many wonderful things, one of her favorites being the day the school celebrated her son Carlson winning the “Doodle4Google” contest as a third grader back in 2013. “They announced him as the winner with this huge sign,” she said with the biggest smile. “That was definitely a really big one.”

Kari Nelson isn’t just an amazing art teacher or “World’s #1 Mom,” she’s also an incredibly strong pillar to our entire MCA community. She’s been through the ups and the downs, and through it all has stayed loyal to God, her family, and passionate about what she does day in and day out. Although what Kari does carries so much weight and significance, she prefers to see her work in a more lighthearted way. “I don’t work,” she laughed. “I play. That’s all I do.”