Athletics

Fall Season Highlights

First Boys’ Cross Country

First Boys’ Cross Country had a rebuilding year, after losing a number of top runners over the past three seasons without building the same depth behind them and then losing a few more to other circumstances. Given these challenges, the steadfast leadership of captain Daniel Pinckney ’20 was inspiring; he was a positive role model in every way. The young team members improved significantly, with many novices counted on as scoring members of the squad. Hopefully, this group will form the nucleus of a successful program in the years to come. Pinckney was named a NEPSAC All-Star for cross country.

Daniel Pinckney ’20

First Girls’ Cross Country

First Girls’ Cross Country had a record-setting season. They were nearly undefeated in dual meet competition (sustaining one loss to Williston Northampton), won the Founders League championship and placed third overall at the Division II NEPSTA Cross Country championships. The girls’ win at the Founders League was a historic one; it represented the first time any Westminster cross country team — girls or boys — has taken home the first-place plaque. Westminster’s “top eight” were influential in securing the team’s place in the record books. The squad, led by captains Bethany Winters ’20, Miranda Douglass ’21 and Olivia Goldstuck ’21, included Annabelle Smith ’21, Laura Mittelman ’20, Bella Tawney ’22, Janessa Yan ’22 and Simone Routledge ’23. Smith was the team’s consistent first-place finisher.

At the Founders League, Smith, along with Douglass, Mittelman and Goldstuck, earned All-League honors (top 15). Winters’ lifetime-best performance was monumental in finalizing the team’s 59-54 victory over runner-up Loomis Chaffee. Smith and Douglass received All-New England honors the following weekend for their top-20 performances, while the Martlets secured another record-setting third-place team finish. The team looks forward to another memorable season next year, as six of the top eight runners will be returning.

Bethany Winters ’20

Karen Newton ’20

First Girls’ Field Hockey

First Girls’ Field Hockey had a great season, culminating in its first Founders League title since 2009. A fall-preparation trip to Bermuda set the tone for a wonderful team ethos, and that energy, combined with the talent of this group of girls, resulted in a superb set of results. Westminster went into its last regular season game with a record of 11-2-0 and made it to the NEPSAC Class A semifinals, where the team lost to Sacred Heart, 3-1. The team was also the WNEPSFHA Class A winner. WNEPSFHA recognized Casey Winslow ’21 and Sam DeLeo ’21. Claire Taylor ’21, Megan Rittenhouse ’20 and Karen Newton ’20 were recognized by NEPSAC, and a NEPSAC honorable mention went to Abby Munger ’20. Tatum Courtmanche ’21 and Mckenzie Bloom ’23 were named All-Founders.

First Boys’ Soccer

First Boys’ Soccer had an extraordinary season by making the New England playoffs for the first time in 10 years with a record of 8-6-2. Preparation started with an international preseason trip to the U.K. The Sixth Formers, led by co-captains Ryan Messina and Will Lynch, helped take the program to new levels within the NEPSAC soccer conference. The team enjoyed big wins over strong teams such as Hotchkiss, Suffield and Brunswick. The team also had some exciting ties against Deerfield and Berkshire. Finishing the season undefeated in its last five games helped the Martlets secure the eighth seed for the New Englands. Westminster would go on the road to face nationally ranked South Kent in the first round. Though the game would end in a loss, it proved to be a valuable experience for the large core of players who will be back for the 2020 campaign.

Lynch and Messina were named All-Founders League. Xander Cardia ’21 and John Picard ’22 were named All-NEPSAC. Representing Westminster in the WNEPSSA All-Star game was Percy Sibanda ’20, Cardia and Picard. Representing Westminster in the NEPSAC All-Star games were Sibanda and Cardia, who were also named to the WNEPSSA All-Star Team and the NEPSSA All-Star Team. Picard and Cardia were recognized as making the All-NEPSAC Team. The Connecticut Soccer Coaches Association also named Cardia to the All-State Team.

Ryan Messina ’20

First Girls’ Soccer

The First Girls’ Soccer season was one of tremendous growth and progress. It began with the team’s first international preseason trip to the U.K., which allowed for a strong start to the season and continued cultivation of the team’s culture of hard work, selfless play and commitment to the process. With a record of 4-8-4, the season was the team’s most successful, recordwise, in years. The four regular season ties were against playoff-bound teams. But beyond the statistics, the growth the coaches witnessed within the team and by each player was impressive. Players came to practice and games each day, melding a fierce competitive spirit with good humor, making this season one to remember. WWNEPSSA recognized captain Jaclyn Laplante ’20, Eliza Roach ’21, Bianca D’Onofrio ’23 and Jillian Gregorski ’23 as All-Stars.

Jaclyn Laplante ’20

First Boys’ Water Polo

In season two, First Boys’ Water Polo went farther than many expected. All members of the 2018-2019 team returned, and the program added about 10 players. The team opened the season with a tough game against Williston Northampton School, where it was clear Westminster had a great deal of learning to do in order to be competitive in the league. From there, games against Andover, Deerfield, Suffield, Loomis, Staples, Choate and Hotchkiss were opportunities to develop and grow as a team. The group exhibited amazing perseverance, despite the challenges of facing stronger and more experienced opponents. The camaraderie at practice was great, and the desire to learn was apparent. A surprising, convincing win against Eaglebrook School helped the team gain confidence. Two wins against Wilbraham and Monson Academy again reminded the team of what it felt like to win and set it up for success. The Martlets defeated Deerfield 9-5 in their own pool, earning their first league win. It was a great way to culminate the second season for Westminster water polo. Max Larock ’22 was named to the All-NEPSAC Team.

Winter Season Highlights

First Boys’ Basketball

After losing two key players, First Boys’ Basketball came together and battled hard for the rest of the season. Some team members went through a series of injuries but still showed mental and physical toughness. A highlight of the season’s second half was a tight game on the road where Westminster beat The Gunnery. Coach David Pringle is proud of this group of young men, especially captain Jack Devlin ’20.

Jack Devlin ’20

Bella Tawney ’22

First Girls’ Basketball

First Girls’ Basketball really had two separate seasons. Although Westminster’s final record was disappointing, not long before that, the Martlets were riding high and feeling optimistic. Westminster garnered two wins in the holiday tournament at Ethel Walker, culminating the first third of the season with a resounding 22-point win over Kent. The Martlets continued their winning ways with a solid team effort against Hopkins and found itself at 4-4 — or .500 — that late in the season for the first time in five years. But then, due to a tougher schedule, injuries and illness, they lost 11 games in a row. The Martlets did bounce back with a 38-point win over Canterbury. Westminster will miss departing Sixth Formers co-captain Bethany Winters and 2019 MIP Allison Kijanka. Bella Tawney ’22 was named a NEPSAC All-Star.

First Boys’ Swimming and Diving

First Boys’ Swimming and Diving finished its dual meet season with its best record (9-2) since 2006 and finished second at the NEPSAC Division II championships. Max Larock ’22, Eddie Shin ’21, Jason Shi ’21 and Layton Harmon ’21 broke the school record in the 200 medley relay (1:39.11), and Owen Huang ’23, Shi, Harmon and Larock were NEPSAC champions in the 400 free relay in school record time (3:16.71). Larock was Founders League champion in the 100 backstroke and set a new school record (53.07).

Max Larock ’22

First Girls’ Swimming and Diving

First Girls’ Swimming and Diving finished the season with its best dual meet record ever (10-2), a fourth place finish at the NEPSAC Division II championship, and set nine new school records, out of 13 events. Lucy Benoit ’23 broke the NEPSAC Division II and Founders League records in the 200 IM (2:05.60) and 100 backstroke (56.62), winning both events at both meets. Over the course of the season, she also set school records in the 200 freestyle (1:57.19) and 100 butterfly (58.45). Ellie Thorson ’21 broke the school record in the 50 freestyle (25.13), and Cecilia Raymond ’20 set the school records for six-dives (242.30) and 11-dives (411.90), earning All-American consideration. The 200 medley relay team of Benoit, Angelesia Ma ’20, Katherine Ashe ’21 and Thorson set a new school record (1:54.49), and the team of Ashe, Campbell Swift ’21, Thorson and Benoit broke the school record in the 400 freestyle relay (3:47.48).

Angelesia Ma ’20

Eve Cathcart ’20

First Boys’ Squash

The First Boys’ Squash season opened with a 7-0 win at Salisbury, a close match against Berkshire and an exciting 4-3 win against Loomis with George Hartmann ’23 winning the deciding match. Little did the team know that there would be seven more 4-3 matches during the season, the most the team has ever had. Five of those were wins and three were losses, including one against Millbrook when two players were out and captain Mac Dye ’20 went to 10-12 in the fifth game before all was decided. One week, Travis Paulsen ’20 won the deciding match against both Loomis and Suffield with the team watching. At the HEAD U.S. High School Team Squash championships a 4-3 win against Darien High School moved the team into the semifinals where it barely lost 4-3 to St. George’s and ultimately placed fourth of 16. In the NEPSAC Tournament, the team drew Loomis. The 4-3 result was familiar, but the key match fell to Dye. A spirited 5-2 loss against Choate was close enough to hope to reach the finals, but, ultimately, the team finished fourth.

First Girls’ Squash

First Girls’ Squash took another step forward this season. Following up on last season’s Division III championship at the HEAD U.S. High School Team Squash championships, the girls earned a berth in Division II (which Westminster hosted), taking 13th place. A week later, at the NEPSAC New England B Tournament, the girls secured 14th place, which was two better than last year and four points out of 11th. The highlight of the weekend was the title won in the No. 7 flight by Eve Cathcart ’20.

First Girls’ Hockey

First Girls’ Hockey had its best season in years, finishing with an 18-7-1 record. The team earned a spot in the Elite 8 of the NEPSAC Girls’ Ice Hockey Tournament for the first time since 2014 and won the Founders League championship for the eighth time in program history. Highlights were decisive wins over Loomis, Kent and The Hill School. Much of the success of the team was due to the commitment of Sixth Formers Taylor Adams, Jenny Guider, Abby Munger and Megan Rittenhouse. Mandy Busky ’21 and Rittenhouse were recognized by NEPSGIHA and received honorable mention as All-New England hockey players.

Taylor Adams ’20

Ned Blanchard ’20

First Boys’ Hockey

After back-to-back Elite 8 NEPSAC Boys’ Ice Hockey Tournament berths in the last two postseasons, this season’s Martlets were looking in from the outside. First Boys’ Hockey muscled through a challenging season record-wise, losing 12 games by one goal or with an empty net goal. At 7-17-1 on the year, it would have been easy to throw in the towel in January. But through the leadership of four-year players and captains Ned Blanchard, Ryan Pineault and Jake Monroe, as well as other Sixth Formers Charlie Flam, Ben Huisman, Matt Lewin, Quinn Armstrong, Sean Hurley, Wyatt Pastor and Darion Benchich, January and February saw hard work and team unity in practice, on the bus and during games.

Visit www.Westminster-School.org/page/Athletics/Athletics-Schedule for the latest game results and team schedules.

Relating Science to Life Experiences

Nearly two decades ago, Westminster took the bold step of changing its science curriculum to offer physics as the first course for new students. The sequence changed from students taking biology, chemistry and then physics to students taking physics, chemistry and then biology.

Westminster was an early adopter of the “physics first” concept that is designed to introduce students to the discipline most fundamental to the workings of the universe, so they can build on that knowledge in their subsequent coursework.

Current courses in the Science Department include Physics, Physics Honors, AP Physics, Chemistry, Chemistry Honors, AP Chemistry, Biology, Biology Honors, AP Biology, Astronomy, Neuroscience, AP Environmental Science, and Human Anatomy and Physiology.

The curriculum is designed not only to prepare students who will eventually work in scientific fields but also to provide nonsciencefocused students with an appreciation and understanding of scientific knowledge. Twelve faculty members teach in the department, with many having long tenures at Westminster.

years, including when physics first was adopted, led the Westminster faculty who researched and planned the curriculum change. They visited other schools that had already switched their curriculum to the physics first model, and they created a transition plan at Westminster.

“We had to offer two levels of physics for the first two years to make the shift,” he explained. “We had returning students who had already taken biology, and they still had to have a physics course available to them. We also had new Third Formers taking physics. Faculty members had to step outside their comfort zone and teach different classes to make it happen and that was very positive.”

Greg emphasized that Westminster’s goal in reordering the curriculum was to improve how its science courses are woven together. “If you are teaching a chemistry subject like the electron structure of the atom, and students don’t even know what electrical charges or electrical forces are, it is like someone waving their hands and saying it is magic,” he said. “Whereas when students have taken physics before taking biology and chemistry courses, it is easy to refer to what they have already learned in physics. It is sequential and makes sense. Almost all of our students take physics, chemistry and biology at the very least, with most students taking a fourth or fifth science course before they graduate.”

A Standout Program

“Physics first is a standout program,” said Lee Zalinger P’05, ’07, ’09, who serves as head of the Science Department and has taught at Westminster for 10 years. “Part of the reason we teach physics first is because it is so easy to connect it to the everyday lives of students. For students to learn the skills you want them to exhibit, it is important to teach to their own experiences.”

Lee teaches Chemistry, Astronomy and Physics Honors this academic year but has also taught Biology and Algebra 1. He has been teaching for 34 years, mostly in independent schools, including two years at Kaohsiung American School in Taiwan. He is a graduate of Colby College where he majored in geology and biology, and he earned an M.A.L.S. from Wesleyan University.

“We offer many AP courses and have added rigorous non-AP electives for students who are not ready for APs,” he explained. “This year, we added Neuroscience as an elective, which is a whole year about the brain.”

With the arrival of the DNA revolution, he says first-year high school students are not developmentally ready to study such things as gene editing in biology. “Physics first dovetails with their algebra and geometry studies, and it is very concrete,” he said. “A lot of public and private schools have adopted physics first. We have Physics Honors and AP Physics for students who want more advanced knowledge in the subject. A greater number of Westminster students take physics than in schools that do not offer physics first by a huge margin.”

Science teacher Greg Marco P’08, ’11, who previously served as head of the Science Department for 10 Greg Marco teaching Chemistry Honors.

“Part of the reason we teach physics first is because it is so easy to connect it to the everyday lives of students. For students to learn the skills you want them to exhibit, it is important to teach to their own experiences.” On opposite page: top, Lee Zalinger, head of the Science Department, teaching an Astronomy class in the Class of 1957 Planetarium in Armour Academic Center; and below, students conducting lab work. Above, science teacher Stacy Ciarleglio with students in a Human Anatomy and Physiology class.

Science teacher Stephen Mayfield working with a student in a Chemistry class.

The results of the change have been extremely positive. “We have had far greater enrollment in our science courses than we had before this transition,” said Greg. “We have also created a pathway for the most outstanding science students to do a lot of in-depth, high-level science courses while they are still in high school. We have had students take all four AP science courses during their time at Westminster, and we never saw that before in the older model.”

While the idea of physics first is not new, he said the main drawback for schools in adopting the model is the scarcity of physics teachers. “The problem is there aren’t enough physics teachers nationwide when you are teaching physics to freshmen and you need a significantly greater number of physics teachers. They just don’t exist.”

Greg’s path to teaching science stemmed from two very good high school science teachers who inspired his interest. Following graduation from Colby College with a major in chemistry and biology, he went directly into a Ph.D. program in biochemistry at Ohio State University, where he soon realized he enjoyed the teaching assistant component associated with the degree program more than the research. He ended up transferring to the University of Maine where he earned an M.Ed. in science education. His first three years of teaching took place in public schools in Maine.

Since his appointment to the Westminster faculty in 1989, Greg has taught all disciplines of science and currently teaches Chemistry Honors and Biology Honors. “I like teaching the more quantitative subjects, with chemistry and physics as my favorites,” he said.

Learning to Think Like a Scientist

Amanda Rappold teaches all levels of physics at Westminster, including AP Physics. She brought 12 years of experience teaching science at Williston Northampton School when she was appointed to the Westminster faculty in 2014. Before Westminster, she also spent two years at Perkiomen School in Pennsburg, Pa., teaching science and serving as the Science Department chair. Her interest in physics was prompted by her professors at the University of Massachusetts at Amherst, where she earned a B.S. and an M.Ed.

In teaching physics, Amanda says there is a problem-solving structure that applies to many aspects of life. “You have to figure out how to get from where you are starting to where you want to go, breaking down steps along the way,” she said. “Students really learn to think, and it gives a purpose to math. Students learn fundamental laws of nature in macroscopic systems and then see how those laws of nature inform how microscopic and more complex systems behave in subsequent science courses.”

During class, Amanda often combines conceptual discussions with physical activities and math. “I change discussions about every 20 minutes,” she explained. “I try to move the class at a pace that keeps the strongest students engaged and challenged, while not losing the students who are less confident.”

“Since most of our students are involved in athletics, they can picture thinking about force, acceleration and mass in the activities in which they participate.”

She regularly holds discussions in her classes about everyday things such as airbags, crumple zones in cars, how football pads and hockey pads function, and the forces at work in catching balls. “Since most of our students are involved in athletics, they can picture thinking about force, acceleration and mass in the activities in which they participate,” she said. “And students on my swimming team get an extra helping of it because all swimming is basically force analysis.”

Her goals for her students are twofold: “I want students who come into my classroom to leave after the year more interested in science than when they got there and more confident in their ability to become scientists and to think like a scientist,” she said.

Susie Bailey, who also teaches physics and is in her second year teaching in the department, brought with her to Westminster 16 years of experience working at HDR Engineering in Boston, where she focused on bridge and tunnel design that included work on the Central Artery Boston Tunnel Project, commonly known as the Big Dig. She earned a B.S. in civil engineering at the University of New Hampshire and an M.S. in structural engineering from Northeastern University.

Susie has extensive experience in STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) outreach to students. During her master’s degree program, she served as a program manager for a STEM program that introduced middle and high school girls to engineering. And while she was working in transportation engineering, she was involved with the Boston chapter of Women’s Transportation Seminar (WTS), where she was co-chair of the student outreach committee. In her outreach work, she mentored students in model bridge competitions and volunteered to bring after-school engineering programs to area schools and groups. She is currently working on a certificate program through Tufts University to teach engineering to high school students, and she serves as advisor to Westminster’s SWENext (Society of Women Engineers) student club.

Susie incorporates frequent lab work into her Westminster courses. “With every new concept, we do a lab,” she said. “The idea behind a lab is that you can prove the concept that has been introduced with a hands-on experiment. I enjoy showing students how things they interact with every day apply to what we are learning.”

She is also a champion of encouraging students to meet with their science teachers when they are struggling with a concept. “Once students realize teachers are here to help them, it works to their benefit,” she said. “It is important for them to learn early to use their teachers to ask questions and seek help.”

On occasion, she shows videos of projects from her engineering career in class to stimulate student interest in science-related careers. She hopes to be a role model for students thinking about pursuing science in college and beyond, especially young women. Science teacher Shawn Desjardins teaching a Biology class.

Challenges of Learning Science

Lee says teaching science can be challenging because science is hard. “We try to communicate to students that science is always changing,” he said. “If you are going to study science, it is a slow process, but it’s always growing and self-correcting. Every year in Astronomy, I have to change what I am teaching because we know new information. Even though I have been teaching for a long time, some of the subject matter I am teaching this year is brand-new.”

At Westminster, every science classroom is attached to a lab space and every discipline has its own prep room. “We try to do as much lab work as we can,” said Lee. “Armour Academic Center has wonderful spaces with lots of natural light. We even turn the geothermal heating and cooling system in Armour into a lesson in physics.” With younger students, he works with them to learn how to write lab reports. “You can’t ask them to do this if you haven’t taught them how to do it,” he said. “It builds confidence as they become more independent doing this by the end of the year.”

Teachers often use content from the internet that is current and readily available to demonstrate scientific concepts. “YouTube is full of excellent science videos that are between two and 10 minutes long,” said Lee. “And the fact that every picture NASA has ever taken is available to my astronomy curriculum is incredible. We get pictures right from the Hubble Telescope, and we watched the first all-female spacewalk live in class.”

Since the internet often perpetuates scientific hoaxes, students are cautioned that just because they find information

Lee Zalinger has a wide selection of celestial images he can project on the dome of the Class of 1957 Planetarium to teach his Astronomy class.

online, it doesn’t mean it is true. “We teach them to look for credible sources for information,” he said.

“The ability to visualize and have mental models that can be demonstrated has grown,” added Amanda, who also likes the option of using animated images from the internet in her courses.

In AP Physics, Amanda does not use a textbook. “AP Physics went through a massive overhaul about five years ago,

Science teacher Mark de Kanter ’91 with students in AP Biology.

and textbooks have not yet caught up,” she said. “I use a prep book for structured review.”

For science classes that do use textbooks, most students prefer a paper copy rather than a digital copy. “We tried to go paperless in the Science Department, but students want their screens and paper side by side,” said Lee.

Field trips provide a way for teachers to take students off campus to augment lessons in the classroom. Westminster students in AP Biology have journeyed to the American Museum of Natural History in New York City for decades for a day of biology. During their visit in February, they performed a lab exercise focused on neuroscience and measuring neural signals, and they toured the permanent exhibits that provided a walking tour of vertebrate evolutionary history. Similarly, AP Environmental Science spent a class period in October doing a stream ecology lab that included collecting macroinvertebrates from Salmon Brook in nearby McLean Game Refuge. And students studying astronomy don’t travel far at all when they view the universe from the school’s planetarium and observatory. “In my Astronomy class, students do projects where they have to make two 10-minute presentations to their classmates. They are not only learning about astronomy, they are learning how to present information to others. Presentation skills are important to every career.” And in AP Biology, students lead class each day by first discussing their response to a specific question in small groups, after which they share their insights with the entire class. Mark de Kanter ’91, P’19, ’22, who teaches AP Biology, sits with the students and acts as a scribe of their thoughts as much as a presenter of information.

Gaining Other Skills

Besides gaining scientific knowledge, students learn other skills in their science classes. “We have worked presentations into many of our courses, and students are graded on their presentation skills as well as their science content,” said Lee.

Science teacher Tom Wiseman presents information to students in a Neuroscience class.

Students also learn how to collect, display and analyze data in their science classes. “We try to teach our students to be independent thinkers using analytical tools,” said Lee. “We want them to be able to evaluate critically whether something makes sense and is reasonably true. We also work on bolstering mathematical problem-solving skills.”

In most courses, the emphasis on memorization is reduced. “There used to be a lot of students who were very successful in science because they could memorize, and we have taken that away,” said Lee. “They have to think and that can be a bit of a wake-up call.”

Strengths of the Department

Lee points to the camaraderie among faculty members in the department as a real strength. “We like working together and we support each other,” he said. “I think the students pick up on that enthusiasm. We have a very experienced department, with numerous faculty members serving or having served in administrative roles.” Bill Sistare is director of studies, Greg Marco was the former dean of faculty and director of studies, Mark de Kanter is the current dean of faculty, Tom Wiseman is director of academic technology, Grant Gritzmacher is a form dean and Nancy UrnerBerry ’81, P’11, ’16 was a form dean. Many are also first team coaches.

Most of the department’s faculty members were trained in the sciences, not just in teaching science. “We are a very content-savvy group,” said Lee. “I am sometimes leery of an education major teaching science because they have not had enough time to take adequate science coursework.”

A regular part of department meetings involves faculty members talking about science and pedagogy. “Every meeting someone does what we call a five-minute musing,” said Lee. “For example, Stephen Mayfield spoke about dark matter, and at another meeting, we talked about what the Earth would be like without a moon. We all take turns.”

The department will have its first endowed chair next year funded through gifts to the Soar Together Campaign by Bob Bynum ’69, who has had a career as an electrical engineer, working for high-tech companies in Alabama and California. The new endowed chair will underwrite Lee’s salary as department head. “The department is going to walk a little taller, knowing that we have an endowed chair,” said Lee. “We are very appreciative of the support.” “We want them to be able to evaluate critically whether something makes sense and is reasonably true. We also work on bolstering mathematical problemsolving skills.”

Supporting Girls Interested in STEM

In 2018, Westminster students worked with science teacher Susie Bailey to establish a branch of the Society of Women Engineers (SWENext) on campus. Susie was a member of the Society of Women Engineers (SWE) in college. “It is a great network to navigate engineering and what is involved,” she said about being involved with a SWE club.

High school clubs are called SWENext and college and professional groups are called SWE. Westminster’s club is under the umbrella of the University of Connecticut (UConn), where there is a SWE chapter.

“I created SWENext after attending an engineering program at UConn the summer after my Third Form year,” said Allie Masthay ’21. “Several of the program leaders were involved with UConn’s branch of SWE and gave me advice about starting a high school branch. I talked with Simonne Ponce ’21 about this because we are both very passionate about supporting girls and women in science and math fields. This was the perfect opportunity to do that, and we have been co-heads of the club for the last two years.”

SWENext at Westminster has about 17 members this year and meets monthly. Students organize and plan the STEM-oriented projects for the meetings. This year, they conducted a tower-building competition using pasta and marshmallows, built tin can robots to focus on engineering and robotics, and constructed Stirling engines. Last year, the club hosted a catapult-building contest and brought in some UConn students to help.

“It is inspiring to see so many girls attend the meetings and get excited about the projects,” said Allie. “The tin can robot project was especially exciting because all of the girls got a tangible result afterward. The whole reason Simonne and I started the SWENext branch was to create a safe space for girls to learn about the STEM fields and so far it is a success.”

“I really enjoy being a part of a club that explores so many different aspects of the STEM fields and allows each of us to try experiments we normally wouldn’t conduct in the classroom,” added Simonne, who plans to pursue a career in a STEM field, particularly physics or engineering. “There is so much freedom and opportunity to conduct our own projects and to delve into the different opportunities that the STEM fields have to offer, whether it is chemistry, physics, engineering or environmental science.”

Top and bottom right, students working on STEM-oriented projects during meetings of SWENext, and center, Allie Masthay ’21 and Simonne Ponce ’21 serve as co-heads of the club.