Bright, funny and endlessly talented, Isak Anderson was a 14-year-old graduate of Sparta Middle School who passed away suddenly on July 2, 2015. He loved music, playing guitar, sports, ASU football, lacrosse, skiing and especially his family. His parents Kylen and Tom, and his sisters Ellen and Liz, believed that the best way to keep Isak’s spirit alive was to create the Isak Anderson Memorial Fund, which was developed in conjunction with the Sparta Education Foundation (SEF).

In November 2018, the Anderson family donated some of the funds to create a state-of-the-art recording studio at the high school. The studio not only exposes students to the recording side of the business, but it also allows them to record audition pieces for their portfolios. The studio is the first of its kind in the area and will be inspiration for students looking at a career in the technical side of music recording.

Isak’s mother, Kylen, was a member of the SEF from 2007 to 2013 serving as President from 2010-2011. She came up with the idea of having a Turkey Trot 5K on Thanksgiving morning, and served as a co-chair of this a major SEF fundraiser and longstanding community tradition for many years. She has been a strong supporter of the SEF since it began in 2006.