Holloways in the Hallways

There was a time when no matter which Eden Prairie Schools building you entered, you had a pretty good chance of finding a Holloway or two.

These days, two Holloways work for the district, two attend Eden Prairie High School (EPHS), and two are in college making Eagle Nation proud.

Eden Prairie Schools was an amazing jumping-off point for her children, said mom Nolana Holloway, who now works as an inclusion and belonging facilitator at EPHS and first joined the district in 2006. 

“We found a community for our kids here in Eden Prairie Schools,” she said. “When we first joined the district, there weren’t a lot of people who looked like us — but there was always an incredible teacher or two who connected with and inspired our kids, who saw who they could be.” 

“The number of teachers who understand diversity has only grown through the years,” she added.

Now counted among those dedicated teachers is Nolana’s oldest child Malakai Holloway (‘18), whose lasting connections in Eden Prairie inspired her return to teach visual and theater arts at Central Middle School. A graduate of Bethel University in St. Paul, Malakai believes in the importance of Black students seeing a Black teacher at the front of the classroom. She’s not stopping with representation at school: Malakai is also training to run the 800-meter race for the U.S. in the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics.

"We found a community for our kids here in Eden Prairie Schools.” – Nolana Holloway 

Malakai’s younger sister Niamya Holloway (‘22) was a celebrated scholar and athlete at EPHS and now plays on the University of Minnesota women’s basketball team. A government buff, she hopes her policymaking and administrative degree (with a minor in German) will allow her to someday work in urban planning to create safe play spaces in cities. 

Nolana’s son Todd Holloway is on his way to a degree in engineering and cybersecurity at North Central University in Minneapolis. He also excels in sports, but with a twist: Todd is a member of a D1 esports varsity team playing Nintendo’s “Super Smash Bros.”

“He takes competition to a whole new level!” Nolana laughed. “And, of course, I think they all get that drive for success from their mom.”

Starting their 10th-grade year at EPHS, twins Caleb and Maleah Holloway also share the drive that defines their older siblings. Maleah is considering a career in pediatric endocrinology after walking alongside her brother during his childhood diagnosis of Type I diabetes. Caleb, meanwhile, doesn’t let that diagnosis stop him. He’s a four-sport athlete (football, wrestling and track for Eden Prairie, and rugby outside of EP), and is considering becoming a structural architect.

So where does that signature Holloway direction, purpose and momentum come from (besides mom)? 

Nolana is quick to credit Eden Prairie Schools staff who helped shape her kids through teaching and mentoring. Teachers have stuck by them through their college journeys, checking in with them or attending their games. And, of course, the focus starts at home. 

“We are a family of educators,” Nolana said. “The kids’ grandma was an educator, and my husband is a college doctoral advisor. We told the kids they had to focus in school on the three As: arts, athletics and academics. They didn’t have to master all three, but have a balance. Eden Prairie has allowed them to do that.”

That balance is something Nolana hopes she can continue to help other Eden Prairie Schools students find in her new role. Having witnessed the impact EP staff had in her own children’s lives, she knows how important it is to build welcoming and inclusive environments for every Eagle.  

“When you’re comfortable in the space you’re in, you produce better work,” Nolana explained. “I’ll be creating affinity spaces and building connections with students, staff and families as we dig into our data and test scores to better understand what our school can do to help everyone feel safe and do their best.”

“Our community still has work to do, but I’m really proud of the strides Eden Prairie Schools has taken for families like mine who are looking for a good community to settle in.”