Arts + Culture

Investing in Life

The Highest Return: How Devi Brunsch Redefined Investment Article by Sharon Perez | Photography by J Garner Photography Devi Brunsch didn’t set out to write an investing playbook. But if you spend an hour with her, you realize she has. Hers just doesn’t start with stocks or spreadsheets—it starts with the courage to pivot, the discipline to build skill, and a belief that the best returns are measured in health, relationships, and community impact. A trained artist with a Bachelor of Fine...

Finance + Legal Services

Investing is a Mirror

Patience compounds. Discipline protects. Character outlasts cycles. Article by Chris Ishii | Photography by Adobe Stock For a long time, investing seemed like it was about being right. Right about markets. Right about companies. Right about timing. Over time, experience suggests something more important. Investing is not primarily a prediction exercise. It is a mirror. In 2008, on the top floors of a Seattle high-rise, a flagship financial office was operating in an environment few...

Life + Culture

MIHS Sparkle Cheer

Where Spirit, Inclusion, and Community Shine Together Article by Head Coach Jami Blumenstein On Friday nights under the stadium lights, during packed basketball games, school assemblies, parades, and community events, one thing is always clear at Mercer Island High School: Sparkle Cheer brings people together through smiles, open hearts, and a kind of joy that warms everyone’s hearts. Sparkle Cheer is a unique and deeply meaningful cheerleading team where students with and without special...

Home + Design

There’s No Place Like Home

Meet the Minds Behind the Insights Article by Sharon Perez and Chris Ishii | Photography by Various Homes shape our lives in ways that are often felt before they are understood. Beyond style or scale, a well-considered home supports how we move through our days—how we gather, rest, focus, and reconnect. It reflects not only personal taste, but values, rhythms, and a relationship to place. For this Home Issue, we invited a small group of professionals whose work places them close to that...

Arts + Culture

Pride of the Island Marches in London

Article by Paulette Denman | Photography by Jim Jantos On January 1, 2026, Mercer Island High School’s marching band, the ‘Pride of the Island,’ stepped onto the world stage for London’s 40th New Year’s Day Parade. Our 206 band students marched alongside 15 other American high school and college bands, as well as a wide assortment of international performers. The parade route led them through the heart of London, ending with a glorious sunset behind Big Ben. Over six days, London became both...

Home + Design

Designed for Life on Mercer Island

Inside the Experience of Home on Mercer Island Article by Chris Ishii | Photography by Various The Framework of Daily Life on Mercer Island Before finishes are chosen or furniture is placed, architecture quietly sets the terms of daily life. It determines how light enters a room, how spaces relate to one another, and how a home responds to its surroundings. On Mercer Island, where landscape, water, and neighborhood context all play a role, architecture becomes less about statement and more...

Life + Culture

988 Find Your Peace

Local Students Use Apparel to Spark Mental Health Awareness and Support SOUND Behavioral Health Article and Photography by Firmani + Associates A small group of Mercer Island students have turned a simple idea into a powerful message: sometimes awareness can start with something as ordinary as a T-shirt. What began as conversations among friends about mental health, loss, and the weight many young people quietly carry has grown into 988 Find Your Peace, a student-led apparel initiative...

Health + Wellness

Giving from the Heart: We Give at Breakfast

A Mercer Island Tradition of Caring and Connection - MIYFS Foundation Annual Breakfast Article by Amy French, Executive Director | Photography by MIYFS Foundation Each February, something remarkable happens on Mercer Island: neighbors and friends gather not just to share breakfast, but to reaffirm their commitment to our community. On February 11, 2026, the Mercer Island Youth & Family Services Foundation (MIYFS Foundation) will host its 24th Annual Fundraising Breakfast at the Mercer Island...

Arts + Culture

Local Lights Shine

Mercer Island High School Drama Department brings Radium Girls to the stage Article and Photography by Kelly Goto Experience powerful theater as the Mercer Island High School Drama Department presents Radium Girls.  Written by D.W. Gregory, produced by special arrangement with THE DRAMATIC PUBLISHING COMPANY of Woodstock, Illinois, and directed by Daniela Melgar.  Based on true events from the 1920s, this historical drama follows a group of young female factory workers who bravely fight for...

Health + Wellness

Healthy Families

Raising Teens: Finding Balance and Connection Article by Paulette Denman, LMFTA | Photography by Stu Denman I’ve been a parent on Mercer Island for almost 18 years. Our community thrives because of the deep commitment so many families have to raising supported, successful kids. When my boys were little, many sweet, well-intentioned people warned me about the dreaded teenage years. As I struggled to get a squirming toddler into their car seat, they’d say “Just wait until they’re teens, that’s...