Mäkelänrinne Upper Secondary School

Mäkelänrinne Upper Secondary School (Finnish: Mäkelänrinteen lukio; Swedish: Backasbrinkens gymnasium), commonly known by the nickname Märsky, is a co-educational upper secondary school (lukio) in the Vallila district of Helsinki, Finland. It offers sports-specialized programs in addition to general studies. History The predecessor of Mäkelänrinne Upper Secondary School, Itäinen yhteiskoulu (lit. 'Eastern Co-educational School'), received an operating permit from the Finnish Government on 16 May 1957 and its first classes were held on 1 September of the same year. Itäinen yhteiskoulu was a lower secondary school that operated out of a wooden building in the Kallio district during its first year. The student body numbered over 600 by the school's fourth year of operation and it relocated annually to accommodate the rapid growth. The foundation stone of the current school building on Mäkelänkatu (lit. 'Mäkelä Street') was laid 30 May 1960 and the building was fully completed in March 1961. The school received an upper secondary school permit in 1962, at which time its name was changed to Mäkelänrinteen yhteiskoulu (lit. 'Mäkelänrinne Co-educational School'). The first graduates of Mäkelänrinne's upper secondary school graduated in the spring of 1965. Of the 24 graduates, seven had begun as students at Itäinen yhteiskoulu in 1957, the school's inaugural year of operation. Sports It is one of fifteen upper secondary schools in Finland with designation from the Ministry of Education and Culture as an urheilulukio (lit. 'sports upper secondary school'), an institution at which students can combine general studies with specialized sports courses and physical training. Around 700 of the approximately 1,000 students attending Märsky in 2024 were in the sports-specialized program, while the remaining students were enrolled in general studies. The Swedish-language Brändö Gymnasium is the only other sports-specialized upper secondary school in Helsinki. Focus sports As of 2024, Märsky offered fifteen sport specializations: Notable alumni Atte Harjanne (born 1984), politician and climate scientist Kari Ketonen (born 1971), actor and screenwriter Sari Multala (born 1978), sailor and politician Maria Ohisalo (born 1985), politician and sociologist Heli Rekula (born 1963), visual artist Sportspeople Märsky of the Year The Märsky of the Year (Finnish: Vuoden Märsky) honor is annually awarded to a Mäkelänrinne Upper Secondary School alumnus on the basis of success in post-secondary studies, sport, or professional life, with consideration paid to admirable personal qualities. A jury of Mäkelänrinne Upper Secondary School alumni and teaching staff make the selection. 2000: Hanno Möttölä (graduated 1996), basketball player 2001: Marja-Liisa Pihlström (graduated 1983), international hotel executive 2002: Heli Rekula (graduated 1983), visual artist 2003: Hanna-Maria Seppälä (graduated in 2003), swimmer 2004: Mikael Pentikäinen (graduated c.1984), journalist and editor 2005: Aki Riihilahti (graduated 1995), association football player 2006: Heikki Lehtonen (graduated 1975), CEO of Componenta 2007: Anu Oksanen (graduated 1984), head coach of Marigold IceUnity 2008: Sari Multala (graduated 1997), sailor and politician 2009: Marjo T. Nurminen (graduated 1986), journalist and non-fiction writer 2010: Ville Peltonen (graduated 1993), ice hockey player 2011: Paula Heinonen (graduated 1980), biotechnologist and nutritionist 2012: Tuuli Petäjä-Sirén (graduated 2002), windsurfer 2013: Mårten Boström (graduated 2002), orienteering competitor 2014: Jan Lassus (graduated 1985), surgeon 2015: Juha Auvinen (graduated 1983), diplomat and DG ECHO unit head 2016: Kaisa Lehtonen (graduated 2001), triathlete 2017: Michaela Moua (graduated 1996), basketball player and civic activist 2018: Sami Pihlström (graduated 1988), philosopher and philosophy of religion professor 2019: Maria Ohisalo (graduated 2004), politician and poverty researcher 2020: Jari-Pekka Keurulainen (graduated 1975), football coach and physiotherapist 2021: Emma Terho (graduated 2000), ice hockey player and executive, sports influencer 2022: Shawn Huff (graduated c.2004) & Petteri Koponen (graduated 2007), basketball players 2023: Anna Eronen (graduated 1997), naval officer and aide-de-camp to the President of Finland 2024: Harri Heliövaara (graduated 2009), tennis player References External links Official website (in Finnish)