Academy World Spring 2020

SPRING 2020

The Magazine of Wilbraham & Monson Academy At Home. In the World.

ACADEMYWORLD

also in this issue: Athenaeum / Design & Fabrication Space / ONLINE DISTANCE LEARNING

by brian p. easler Head of School

perspectives

‘All of our students still hold . . . the power to change the world’

I

Read the Head of School’s page at www.wma.us/hos

have told the students and staff on many occasions, upon returning from a long alumni or recruiting trip overseas, that I never miss them as much as when school is in session and I am not on campus. I can no longer say that. I miss them so much more now — when I am here, while we are ‘in-session,’ but they are not on campus.

I walked over to the Senior Bridge at 7:50 a.m. on Monday, March 30, the day we began our spring trimester of Online Distance Learning. It was a beautiful morning. The sun was shining, birds were singing and the Rubicon was bubbling under the bridge. Missing, though, was the usual throng of students making their way up the hill, the sound of their excited conversations about what they did for vacation, maybe a boy sprinting out of Rich Hall half-dressed because his “alarm didn’t work.”

Instead, there was just the heavy absence of our most prized members of the community and the life of the Academy — their enthusiasm, their laughter, their spirit and their energy. Mostly, for me, there was a lack of the usual collective promise that they represent. When I watch our students day-in and day-out, I see their potential and I imagine the positive impact they will have on the world around them. I see them as possibility incarnate. But . . . now, with everyone relocated from the campus community to the hundreds of in-home classrooms around the globe, I don’t see them at all.

With all of this swirling around in my head, standing there on the Senior Bridge on that beautiful morning, my thoughts naturally jumped to Commencement Day when that Bridge is the focal point of such intoxicating exuberance and celebration. It is probably the most memorable day on campus for many, the pinnacle of the WMA experience, and I felt the weight of what the Class of 2020 and their families will miss out on . . . what the whole student body will miss.

I sat down on the bridge with a heavy heart.

And then I remembered that even though I don’t see them right now, even though they are not here and will not be able to enjoy the usual end-of-year rituals and ceremonies; even though

I will not be distracted by a campus-wide cheer and look out my office window and see a student in full sprint chased by another with huge smiles on their faces as the Fish Game culminates; even though this spring will be completely different from those before it . . . the essence of it will remain unchanged.

All of our students still hold in their hands and their minds the power to change the world and the desire to face that challenge — and they will be better prepared for it having gone through this. They are still the personification of hope, promise and entrepreneurial spirit. They are still the focus of our collective pride and adoration.

This truth, regardless of current circumstances, will never change.

In that moment I stood back up on the Senior Bridge and actually believed I could feel their energy radiating from around the globe and converging here, where it always does, on the campus of our beloved WMA, like the generations of alumni before them and whom they are about to join . . . and my heart was filled with joy.

Because I won’t be able to present the Class of 2020 with a valedictory this spring as I normally would, with a few last pieces of parting advice, I will do so now . . . by offering one simple suggestion.

“Please do not let yourselves or your experience at WMA be defined by the impact of this crisis.

Your time here has been far too valuable to let that happen. You will have your time to celebrate; it will just be different. Embrace this as something you cannot control and a challenge you will overcome, and be proud of what you have accomplished here. We are certainly proud of you, we salute you and we could not be more pleased to have you join our alumni ranks forever.”

Respectfully,

contents

Editor

Design

Teddy Ryan

Stoltze Design

Associate Editors

Printing

Russ Held Bill Wells

Hadley Printing

Chris Tinnesz Advisory Board

Mark Aimone Brian Easler Don Kelly Molly McGill Janet Moran Contributing Writers

Mark Aimone Emma Curley ’20 Brian P. Easler Tim Harrington ’73 Russ Held Moonsu “Jackson” Kang ’20 Molly McGill Janet Moran Teddy Ryan Wally Swanson Bill Wells Photography

Paul Bloomfield Zoe Bloomfield ’18 Liam Etti ’20 Russ Held Tom Kates Molly McGill Dave Roback Bill Wells Various contributing photographers

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Board of Trustees Art Director

Scott B. Jacobs ’75, Chair James E. LaCrosse ’50W, Vice Chair Mark R. Shenkman ’61M, Vice Chair David A. Reeves, Treasurer Krista Hanson, Secretary Raymond J. Anton ’61M Christopher C. Antonacci ’06 Bonnie Faulkner Ryan ’82 Caitlin S. Flynn ’06 Linda B. Griffin William R. Guerin ’89 Judith A. Knapp Robert F. Little Barry M. Maloney ’85 Andrew P. Mele Craig A. Rubin ’63W Paul J. Sullivan ’91

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Trustee Emeriti

Eric W. Anderson Michael J. Flynn Richard S. Fuld Jr. ’64W Peter C. Lincoln ’55W Donald J. Stuart ’73 Life Trustee

William E. James ’64W

Alumni, we’d like to hear from you! Send your current contact information and news to alumni@wma.us.

“Academy World” is published in the spring and fall for alumni, parents and friends of the Academy. Please direct comments and letters to:

feature Story

WMA Alumni

28 Celebrating the Class of 2020

38 40 42 46 48

WMA Spotlight 2 4 6 27 50 52 54 58

Opening the Athenaeum Design & Fabrication Space Update New Branding Online Distance Learning Health Services Rugby Program: 10 Years and Counting Faculty Fun Facts Senior Stones: Every Stone has a Story

Wilbraham & Monson Academy Marketing & Communications Office 423 Main Street Wilbraham, MA 01095-1715 marketing@wma.us

Demetri Tsolakis ’01 Heather Little ’13 Anthony Gulluni ’99 Don Nicholson ’79 Sommer Mahoney ’11

Departments 8 14 22 24 60 64

News from the Hill Titans Victorious Fall Athletic Season Recap Fine & Performing Arts Alumni Events Class Notes

In Memoriam 72 We Remember

Archives

Our Mission

Wilbraham & Monson Academy is a transformational experience where students become challenge-seeking citizens and leaders of an evolving world.

Wilbraham & Monson Academy does not discriminate on the basis of race, religion, color, national origin, age, sex, disability, sexual orientation, genetic information, military status, gender identity, and any other categories protected by federal, state or local law.

get social with us! @wilbrahammonsonacademy @WMAalumni

74 Monson Bell

on the cover Recognizing the Class of 2020 for its perseverance, resiliency and ability to stay TitanStrong.

Produced by WMA’s Art Director Chris Tinnesz.

retraction In the fall issue of “Academy World,” current parent Steven Austin was mislabeled under the alumni events photo album. We apologize for this error.

@wilbrahammonson wilbrahammonsonacad @wilbraham_monson

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by brian p. easler Head of School

SUPPORTING WMA: the Athenaeum

Perfect timing and fit for new Athenaeum On time and under budget. Those two phrases are not often used to describe a construction project, but that is exactly how things went for us with the new Athenaeum. Due to the superb work by our WMA Facilities Steering Committee and our construction management team, the Athenaeum was finished right on schedule and comfortably under budget.

• Head of School Brian P. Easler leans on a bookshelf in the Reading Room, the largest space in the Athenaeum.

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Despite the fact that students were unable to return to campus after spring vacation to this exciting new addition to their campus, the building will remain pristine and unused until they are able to return. Satisfying several of the Campus Master Plan objectives — primarily the need for intentional community space, academic collaborative space and the beginning of a campus reorganization — the Athenaeum will surely have a dramatic and positive effect on daily life at WMA. We can hardly wait for the students to see it and put it to good use.

The new building is centered around the Reading Room, which is the largest room in the layout. The Reading Room is intentionally social in nature, where patrons will not be shushed

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for having reasonable and relevant conversations with each other in a comfortable and relaxed environment. The Study Room, on the other hand, is decidedly quiet and serious, where you can expect to be shushed, with predominantly more traditional library-style tables and lamps, and is glassed in to provide both quiet and supervision from the circulation desk in the Reading Room. Both of these rooms, which dominate the front of the floorplan, benefit from the majestic view of the WMA landscape from Rich Hall to “up the hill.”

Behind these two primary rooms are three private study rooms, also separated by glass, that students and faculty may sign up for to study as groups or work on projects. One of the rooms will accommodate 12 or so students with a conference table, and the other two will accommodate 6–8 students. All three of these private study rooms have a glass whiteboard and a large screen TV with relevant AV connections for use by those utilizing the rooms.

Aside from a well-appointed office next to the circulation and workstation area, there is a large workroom with plenty of storage for our Library Services staff to use for their own work and for working with students on projects.

Since we decided to connect the Athenaeum to the existing Gill Memorial Library now instead of waiting for the next construction phase, the large joining lobby will be a short-term study resource as well. What will eventually function as a walk-through lobby is fitted for now with an additional table and seating arrangement, matching the rest of the decor, for use as an additional student study and collaboration space.

All of these lovely indoor spaces are wrapped on the north side by a raised, stone terrace which complements the new Rich Hall Portico in its design and intent. Students have been so responsive to the social atmosphere created with the Adirondack chairs on the Rich Portico that we decided to replicate that social, outdoor space on the Athenaeum. The views of the campus from this raised vantage are simply stunning.

The whole building was designed to make the indoors and the outdoors of the campus seem to be seamlessly joined, and the success of that intent is never more evident than at night when it feels, from inside or outside the building, as though there is no glass at all. On a campus where the facades of historic buildings are dominated by brick and stone and very few windows, this new space, shrouded in the same brick and stone, provides a window, literally and metaphorically, into and out of the heart of the school.

Finally, and as you will recall, the Athenaeum represents the first step and the key that will unlock the rest of the Campus Master Plan. Before we could continue with the construction of a new kitchen and serving area and the renovation of the Chapel into a dining room (and the renovation of the current Dining Hall into a modular auditorium), we needed to replace the existing library. With this project, we have done one better . . . by building

a new library that will also utilize the existing library space to great advantage. And, since the Athenaeum is fully funded by the generous support of our alumni, families and friends . . . we’re ready to head full steam into fundraising for the dining hall project. That project, once funded and completed, will be truly transformational to the Wilbraham & Monson Academy experience and the life of our beautiful campus.

• clockwise from left: A view from the new space into Gill Memorial Library. The buildings are connected and can be traversed through the framed cutout of the former exterior wall.

A reflection of Rich Hall behind Head of School Brian P. Easler shines on the exterior windows on the Athenaeum.

Academic buildings of “The Hill” are in full focus through the large windows of the Reading Room.

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by brian p. easler Head of School

SUPPORTING WMA: Design & Fabrication Space Update

Continuing a Legacy Dr. Kathleen Gorski was a truly inspirational teacher and dedicated educator who shared her love of all things science with the WMA community for 10 years — from 2008 to 2018 — until she succumbed to a long struggle with cancer.

• An artist’s rendering of the new Design & Fabrication Space in the lower level of Mattern Science Building.

Doc Gorski, as many of us referred to her, had a vision of science and STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) education at WMA that we fully embraced as a school but were only partially able to complete before we lost her. The Innovation Lab in Mattern Science Building was the first step in realizing this vision and it has served us well, but that space was always intended to be just the beginning.

After having taken some considerable time to grieve Doc Gorski’s loss as a community, we are poised to begin anew, spurred even now by her vision of what can be. We are now excited to add a 4,800-square-foot Design & Fabrication Space to the WMA campus, which is the next natural iteration of our program and which will complement and enhance the existing Innovation Lab and programming. We will not call it a STEM Lab, because that

New 4,800-square-foot Mattern Design & Fabrication Space fall 2020

• The proposed floor plan of the Design & Fabrication Space.

term is not nearly distinctive enough for a facility like this. We think Doc Gorski would agree. So, we have gone to our usual source of the best ideas . . . the students, and asked them to help us figure out what to call the new space, just like we did with the Athenaeum. We know they won’t disappoint.

The new state-of-the-art lab will house a digital printing, cutting and fabrication area including various types of 3D printers, 3D scanner and a laser cutter, a machine shop with a manual lathe and mill and a CNC lathe and CNC mini-mill, a well-equipped wood and composite shop, two robotics bays with computer-aided design and programming stations, a design studio for fashion, textiles and photography, and much, much more. These enhancements will allow students to create everything from robots and submersible vehicles to sculptures and art installations. It will be the type of lab space usually seen only at the collegiate level and unmatched by any other secondary school in our region.

You are probably wondering where this amazing new facility will be located . . .

Coincidently, we have also recently solved a decades-long WMA conundrum: how to make use of the enormous lower level of the Mattern Science Building, which was previously not possible because it had only one fire egress.

With the creative addition of a walk-out entrance from the basement onto the Mattern parking lot, we will transform that space into a building-wide lower level that opens directly to the outdoors. With this addition to the current internal stairwell,

we will then have two appropriate means of egress and the ability to use that space — an enormous 4,800 square feet of dry and temperate space (not including existing mechanical space) which also has 15-foot ceilings. This is a massive amount of room that has literally and figuratively been right under our feet, and which we will now be able to utilize.

Since the space is below grade and has no windows, we did not want to use it for classrooms. A shop, however, or a lab, is an entirely different story. Mattern lower level is quite literally the perfect location for our new facility. With minimal renovation and some serious HVAC and lighting upgrades, we will turn it into a facility well-beyond most others anywhere at the high school level. Since the structure is preexisting and renovation work is minimal, we will be able to invest more heavily in what goes into the space and its functionality for student and program use.

Fundraising efforts for this initiative are underway and gaining a lot of traction. Our aim is to fund not only the renovation and equipment but also an endowed fund that would generate the necessary revenue to cover annual costs for consumable materials, maintenance and future upgrades. Any designated funds raised over the project cost will go into this endowed fund.

We think Doc Gorski would be pleased.

Please consider helping us make this truly remarkable opportunity into a transformational reality for WMA students for next year and the years to come. To contribute to our efforts, you can make a donation here: www.wma.us/steam.

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departments: new branding

by brian p. easler Head of School

Being ‘At Home. In the World.’ not brand new to WMA

Your brand is what people say about you; how they describe you when you are not in the room. This is true for both institutions and individuals, and it is often a hindrance to understanding what people really think.

In my experience, all over the world, people are generally kind and considerate. This is wonderful, but as a result, they are often hesitant to give real, honest feedback for fear of hurting feelings or causing upset. It is precisely that sort of honest feedback that aids most in understanding ourselves — who we are and who we want to be — and it is truly a gift when people are willing to give it.

This is why we chose, after an admission and marketing audit last year, to engage a branding firm called MindPower to perform a brand analysis for us and to initiate for WMA the process of self-(re)discovery. MindPower was the person “in the room” when we were not — for conversations with students, staff, parents, alumni, admission-regret families, and local leaders and business executives to ask all of them what they think of WMA, how they would describe the Academy and what it means to them. One of the primary goals was to determine if those of us inside the school — living it day in and day out — understand it similarly or differently than our other constituents, which will improve how we communicate with our larger community.

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Here is what we learned from that research, in a nutshell: Brand Positioning Statement: For those who value an inclusive environment and globally-focused education, WMA provides the opportunity for transformative growth in a deeply atmospheric setting. Through an intentional mix of challenging academics, applied learning and horizonbroadening experiences, WMA prepares its students to be ready for the world. This is a school with heart — whose graduates go on to great things.

Brand Drivers: We celebrate differences, value a diverse mix of perspectives, push beyond our comfort zones, connect teaching and learning to the work of the world, look through a global lens and foster joyful learning.

None of this surprised us. On the contrary, it perfectly reinforced what we already believed to be true. It affirmed all of the good work the folks at WMA have been doing for generations, and it also gave us a fresh perspective with which we have begun adapting our messaging and our outreach.

You will begin to notice subtle-yet-powerful ways in which we will use this new understanding of how to communicate

the benefits of WMA in the months and years ahead, and we look forward to your feedback.

A secondary goal of this process was to evaluate our brand identity — the one thing that symbolizes us visually and most succinctly, to determine if it matches appropriately with our brand and conveys what we want it to convey. For WMA, that brand identity is the school crest.

We wanted to preserve the crest and the history it represents for us as our brand identity, but we wanted to do this while also giving it a more simplified and contemporary look. We also wanted to add a new tagline that would explain who we are as succinctly and as memorably as possible.

As you can see at left, and within the context of the branding feedback above, the new crest and tagline are every bit as “global” as they were before, but decidedly more simple, distinctive and representative of the WMA experience specifically.

To simplify the crest, in addition to some minor artistic alterations, we removed the vertical line above the chevron that had previously separated the two schools (Wilbraham and Monson academies), literally and symbolically; and we removed the multiple dates in favor of using just the earliest date of the three as our one school founding date. We are fiercely protective of our institutional heritage and we will always be true to it, but we also wanted these recent changes to convey that we are one school, unified, moving forward confidently, together.

Since the new tagline only changes how we describe ourselves and doesn’t change who we are or what we promise, we hope that it resonates with you and your WMA experience the way that it has for us. I also hope that you have an opportunity to return soon so that you can feel the energy on campus and be reminded that at WMA, you too, are at home, in the world.

• Examples of new images and branding used in Admission marketing campaigns.

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departments: NEWS FROM THE HILL

News from the Hill • Hao “Harrison” Pan ’20 earned the highest distinction among 54 WMA students honored for their success on AP tests.

Hao “Harrison” Pan ’20 earns National AP Award Behind his efforts and those of his teachers, Wilbraham & Monson Academy’s Hao “Harrison” Pan ’20 was recognized by the College Board with one of its highest honors.

Harrison, along with Yujia “Cynthia” Xie ’19, earned the National AP Award for 2018–19.

Overall, fifty-four Academy students were honored by the College Board for their performance.

Through his junior year, Harrison completed nine AP Exams, scoring a 4 or better on all of them. To gain National AP Award status, students must receive an average score of at least 4 on all AP Exams taken, and scores of four or higher on eight or more of these exams.

“Three or four years ago, one of my friends (Mark Xu ’16) went to NYU (in Abu Dhabi),” Harrison explained. “He got the National AP Award. I thought he was a good role model and I wanted to follow his example.

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“To be honest, in ninth, 10th and 11th grade I was really nervous before the tests and I barely got any sleep. The preparation was intense, and then you have the mental part. I had the pressure from myself, which is the hardest part, my parents and peers. I was nervous, but after (all of) the tests I knew this award was coming.”

Below is a list of WMA students who received honors: AP Scholar (Granted to students who receive scores of 3 or higher on three or more AP Exams): Anna Axas ’19, Josh Besse ’20, Emily Fafard ’20, James Gagnon ’19, Julia Grocott ’19, Gene Kang ’20, Moonseong Kang ’19, Abigail Lacey ’19, Nolan Lorenzana ’20, Tristan Lynch ’20, Daniil Melikhov ’19, Patrick Ogunbufunmi ’19, Gianna Paroli ’19, Nick Spellman ’19, Yupei Sun ’19, Brandyn Vitek ’19, Yinqi Yang ’20, Haoran Zhang ’19, Yongwei Zhang ’19.

AP Scholar with Honor (Granted to students who receive an average score of at least 3.25 on all AP Exams taken, and scores of 3 or higher on four or more of these exams): Liam Etti ’20,

Maya Ferris ’19, Ragene Hong ’20, Tianqi Li ’20, An Nguyen ’20, Jack Perenick ’21, Ingrid Salvador ’19, Yiwen Wang ’19, Jack Woodbury ’19, Zehui Yu ’19.

AP Scholar with Distinction (Granted to students who receive an average score of at least 3.5 on all AP Exams taken, and scores of 3 or higher on five or more of these exams): Elizaveta Biryukova ’19, Ziyi Chen ’19, Erika Convery ’19, Xiaojing Du ’20, Alyssa Gaderon ’19, Liam Garrison ’20, John Kennedy ’19, Adam Kugelmass ’19, Rusudan Mumladze ’19, Hao Pan ’20, Julia Puppolo ’20, Celina Rivernider ’19, Gokul Sivakumar ’19, Yuke Wu ’19, Yujia Xie ’19, Muwei Xu ’20, Shiheng Xu ’19, Kyle YamagishiRodstein ’20, Zeyi Yan ’19, Tianyu Yu ’20, Xiaoyu Yu ’19.

National AP Scholar (Granted to students in the United States who receive an average score of at least 4 on all AP Exams taken, and scores of 4 or higher on eight or more of these exams): Hao Pan ’20, Yujia Xie ’19.

AP Capstone Diploma: Ziyi Chen ’19, Maia Hutcheson-Jones ’19, Adam Kugelmass ’19, Abigail Lacey ’19, Rusudan Mumladze ’19, Kyle Yamagishi-Rodstein ’20.

AP Seminar and Research Certificate: Elizaveta Biryukova ’19, Will Crocker ’20, Liam Garrison ’20, Ragene Hong ’20, Gene Kang ’20, Julia Puppolo ’20, Jack Woodbury ’19.

AP International Diploma (Students must score a 3 or higher on five or more AP Exams; exams taken multiple times only count once — the highest score will be used for award calculation; students must attend a school outside the U.S. or U.S. territories, or students attending a school within the U.S., U.S. territories or the DoDEA network must send AP score(s) to a university outside the U.S.): Maia Hutcheson-Jones ’19.

Cindy won the following awards at this year’s contest, which included subject areas in literature, a special area (unsolved mysteries), art and music, science, social studies and history: Gold Medal – Debate Champion Gold Medal – Team Bowl Gold Medal – School Top Scholar Silver Medal – Challenge Special Area Silver Medal – Team Writing Silver Medal – Challenge Science Silver Medal – Team Debate Silver Medal – Champion Scholars

Bao Giang “Cindy” Doan ’24 wins 15 World Scholar’s Cup awards

Silver Medal – Writing Champions

Wilbraham & Monson Academy’s Bao Giang “Cindy” Doan ’24 won so many awards at a global educational competition in November the event’s organizers nearly couldn’t fit all of her accomplishments onto her certificate.

Competing against some of the brightest students in the world, Cindy earned nine medals at the World Scholar’s Cup Tournament of Champions 2019, which was held Nov. 8–13 at Yale University in New Haven, Connecticut.

Cindy, who participated with two students from her previous school in Vietnam, qualified for the tournament finale after advancing from two earlier rounds in Ho Chi Minh, Vietnam, and Beijing, China. She also participated in the event in 2018.

Top 20% – Individual Challenge Top 25% – Challenge Literature Top 30% – Team Countdown Top 30% – Challenge Social Studies Top 35% – Challenge Arts Top 35% – Challenge History

Kennedy Pelletier ’25 takes voice to Beacon Hill For a few minutes in the fall, Wilbraham & Monson Academy’s Kennedy Pelletier ’25 had one of the most influential voices in the state of Massachusetts.

Kennedy addressed a group of state senators on the Joint Committee on Public Health at Beacon Hill in October in support of a bill sponsored by Sen. James T. Welch, D-MA, that would allow restaurants to have an EpiPen on site for customers.

With the entire WMA Grade 7

in attendance, along with multiple faculty members, Kennedy spoke for 2–3 minutes regarding the importance of the bill. At age 8, and prior to knowing she had a food allergy, Kennedy suffered a reaction while vacationing at Disney World.

“I wanted everyone to have an EpiPen if they needed one,” Kennedy explained. “Some people have a reaction before they know they’re allergic to something. If they have a reaction and don’t know

they’re allergic, they could have an EpiPen if they needed it.

“It was really cool (to present at the statehouse). I was excited and I liked doing it. I was happy all of my friends went. I was nervous, but my friends really helped. They were supportive and that helped me not be as nervous.”

Kennedy emailed Senator Welch last year explaining her situation.

In September, Welch invited Kennedy to speak at the statehouse in support of his bill.

• Kennedy Pelletier ’25, right, with Sen. James T. Welch, D-MA.

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departments: NEWS FROM THE HILL

Emily Fafard ’20 gives back to former school Wilbraham & Monson Academy’s Emily Fafard ’20 wanted to make a difference in the region where she grew up.

Little did she know she would be making a difference at a place that helped shape her into the person she is today.

As part of the Hampden County District Attorney’s Student Advisory Board, Emily was part of a four-person group that gave a one-hour presentation regarding identifying online dangers to second and third graders at Chapin Street School in Ludlow in January. Emily, a lifelong resident of Hampden County, attended Chapin Street School.

The student advisory board addresses topics such as racism and stereotyping in schools, gun violence in schools, students having a lack of interest in school and unhealthy relationships.

“I wanted to make a positive difference in the Hampden County community as part of the advisory board,” Emily said.

“We represent Wilbraham & Monson Academy. We talk about issues that face the youth population in Hampden County.

I think it’s important we hear the youths’ opinion on certain issues because we are the future and we need all the resources and all the help we can get. I wanted to be part of that positive change.”

Xiaojing “Emily” Du ’20 helps needy children Born as her family’s third child during China’s one-child policy, Wilbraham & Monson Academy’s Xiaojing “Emily” Du ’20 is grateful for the opportunities she has — so much so that when she stumbled upon some kids who had very little, she felt she had to at least try to better their lives.

During a family vacation near the Grand Shaolin Temple in China, Emily discovered the BiaoKuang Elementary School, located approximately 60 miles west of her home in Zhengzhou. It was clear the Grades 1–6 school lacked certain needs, such as proper supervision, care and academic structure. Emily decided to cut her vacation short and stay to volunteer at the understaffed school.

Since then, Emily has not only volunteered every summer, but also found ways to make a difference in the children’s day-to-day education. Specifically, she collected 1,200 books through donations, and built a website so educators could record and email academic-based online videos. The videos are shown on one of the school’s three projectors, which were purchased with money raised by Emily.

“I love them,” Emily smiled. “Once you see all the children, you know they shouldn’t be in such a position. They deserve the same opportunity we have. They’re so positive and so happy. They don’t feel like they’re being treated badly and don’t have (enough) resources. They’re grateful, and they study really hard.”

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• Xiaojing “Emily” Du ’20, center, delivering books to needy students in China.

Rayce Abal-Sadeq ’21 impresses at Poetry Out Loud Rayce Abal-Sadeq ’21 doesn’t think of himself as a poet.

Being an orator, though, well now that’s a different story.

Using his strong public speaking skills and adding a touch of the dramatic, Rayce was named the winner of Wilbraham & Monson Academy’s Poetry Out Loud competition in January.

“I’m confident in public speaking,” Rayce said.

“It was more expressing the poem, and doing it how I would say it myself rather than how the poet would. It’s how you interpret the poem.”

Reciting E.E. Cumming’s Buffalo Bill’s and John Brehm’s “Layabout,” Rayce bettered 13 other contestants to advance to a state semifinal, which took place at the Community Music School of Springfield in March.

WMA claims 5th straight ‘Top Private School’ honor Being the best never gets old, especially when it comes to education and the well-being of students.

For the fifth year in a row, Wilbraham & Monson Academy was named the Reader Raves Top Private School in the region by MassLive.com.

“It doesn’t surprise me that we won it, because I do feel we are the best private school in the region,” Head of School Brian Easler said. “I believe that, and I think everyone at WMA knows that. It feels rewarding the community at large — the region at large — also feels we are the best private school in the Pioneer Valley. It fuels all the work we’ve all been doing in this whole community, and it provides encouragement to keep doing what we’re doing.”

MassLive.com annually holds voting for various categories, from best restaurant to best local bank. The contest typically receives more than 50,000 voters. WMA has claimed the No. 1 spot among private schools in 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019 and now 2020.

While he knows parents likely had a large say in the contest, Mr. Easler is certain in order to garner enough votes to win, other WMA supporters must have taken the time to advocate for the Academy.

“It does signal our parents are very happy with what they get here at WMA,” Mr. Easler said.

“But I also think it’s more than our parents voting on it. I think it’s also alumni parents, vendors who work with the school and community members who surround the school. That’s why it’s so meaningful for me because it’s the broad, regional community signal that it sends to us of the job we’re doing here and how people feel about us.”

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departments: NEWS FROM THE HILL

TO BE OR NOT TO BE

By Zihan “Angela” Tian ’22 What is the meaning of to be?

Is it something that is related to life?

The smallest unit of life is the cell.

What did this tell us?

The most important thing in this world, Isn’t the biggest, but the smallest.

A drop of water can become an ocean.

A piece of leaf can become a tree.

A person can become a miracle.

Then what is “not to be”?

Is it back to the start, back to the null?

No reincarnation, sink into the dark!

Flowers crumble, decay and feed the soil.

Oceans dry, exhaust and return to the sky.

Creatures cease, extinct and give opportunity for others.

The stars shatter, everything facing the end of the universe, or maybe the start.

Like the moon cycle, phases full to none and back to full.

Being part of this historical cycle.

Living inside this complex system, standing between to be and not to be.

I am here listening, I am here finding, I am here thinking, the most unassuming parts.

Zihan “Angela” Tian ’22 cashes in on writing talent At a young age, Wilbraham & Monson Academy’s Zihan “Angela” Tian ’22 has already done something few writers ever accomplish: she has been paid for her writing.

Within a two-week span, Angela had a pair of poems published in the Shenzhen Daily, which is the largest English newspaper in China’s fourth-largest city.

Both pieces originated two years ago when Angela was a student in the Middle School.

She was paid a little more than $7 per poem. The first poem, “To Be Or Not To Be,” was published Jan. 1, while “The Shadow” went to print Jan. 8.

“A friend of mine was visiting me,” Angela said. “She’s published some poems and said mine was good. She gave me an email of a publisher to me. And told me I should definitely talk to them. I talked to the publisher, who was from Shenzhen Daily, the only English newspaper in Shenzhen. It’s very famous, (especially) for kids at international schools. I sent my poem and she put it in the newspaper the next day.”

Jack Perenick ’21 named Outstanding Delegate at Yale Model UN The overall theme of Yale Model United Nations is “Learn Today; Lead Tomorrow.”

Thrust by his passion for diplomacy and his interest in the role throughout the world of the United Nations, Wilbraham & Monson Academy’s Jack Perenick ’21 is acquiring all of the tools to be a productive leader of tomorrow.

Jack earned a rare honor at the Yale Model UN in Connecticut in January, winning an Outstanding Delegate Award for his work representing Slovakia on the Special Political and Decolonization Committee concerning the current Palestinian refugee crisis and Xinjiang crisis in China.

“It was an honor because I really enjoyed the experience,” Jack said. “I learned a lot about current crises and how I can have a positive impact in the future in terms of realworld solutions, and especially towards what the UN can do to solve real current crises.”

The event drew 1,800 students from 40 countries to Yale University. Of the 100 students on his committee, Jack was one of just a handful to win an award.

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AC ADEMY WORLD SPRING 2020

Middle School Robotics team shines again The Wilbraham & Monson Academy Middle School has rightfully earned a positive reputation in a notable field.

For the third year in a row, the Middle School Robotics team advanced to the highest level of competition in the state.

WMA Middle School placed fifth among 30 teams at the 12th annual First Lego League Qualifying Tournament in December at Western New England University, which secured a spot at the Massachusetts First Lego League Championship at Worcester Polytechnic Institute.

The WMA Middle School program, which included 17 students, was coached by Science Department faculty member Luke Pelletier and and Science Department Chair Diana Cost. The students were split into two teams for the event. The group that advanced also won a first-place trophy for Mechanical Design.

“We won the Mechanical Design Award based on what the students know about the robot,” Mr. Pelletier said. “What the judges are looking for is can the students tell the history of the robot. They’re getting a feel whether the coach built this thing or did the students.

“Obviously, I give some direction, but I’m very proud of the last couple years. I have not been building. I may re-do something to show them, or I may critique something and have them redo it, but that robot, the students built. I take pride in that.”

• Left to right: Nick Dufresne ’25, Camryn Fisher ’25, Sarah Henderson ’25, Caeli Whitcomb ’25, Future City advisor Jamie Gouin, Brooke McLaughlin ’25, Javier Herrera ’25, Olivia Tierney ’25 and Breslin Grozio ’25.

Not shown Emma Landry ’25 and Tianyi “Andrea” Xu ’25.

Middle School teams fare well at Future City competition

• Back row, from left: Diana Cost, Chair, Science Department, Gabe Dzuira ’24, Makar Mamakov ’25, Seamus Dineen ’25, Nicholas Dufresne ’25, Padraig Dunbar ’26, Breslin Grozio ’25, Dakotah Thomas ’26, Science Faculty member and Robotics Coach Luke Pelletier.

There are unquestionably budding engineers in Grade 7 of the Wilbraham & Monson Academy Middle School.

Competing in the Future City New England competition for the first time, all three Middle School teams came away with an award at the 2019–20 event, which was held in January at Worcester Polytechnic Institute.

The three groups were judged for visual city design, an essay, model, presentation and project plan.

“I could not have been happier,” Middle School Science faculty member Jamie Gouin said. “The students were professional as soon as we got there. We set up our stands and set up our models. There were judges and people inquiring about their cities. They were well-rehearsed and practiced to make sure every team member had some insight. They were well spoken throughout the day, and the way they represented the school we could not have asked for anything more.”

WMA’s Atlas Valley team was named the second runner-up among 38 teams, Titan Cove won the Public Safety Award and Rubicon Falls was crowned the winner of the Sustainability Award.

Front row : Anh “Angel” Tran ’24, Bao “Cindy” Giang Doan ’24, Stephnie Essien ’24, Elijah Moskvitch ’26, Geunyeong “Suri” Bae ’24, Yebin “Adelyn” Sim ’24, Gabrielle Pierce ’24, Tianyi “Andrea” Xu ’25 and Marilynn Odei-Boateng ’26.

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departments: Titans Victorious

winter track

Blake Stewart ’20 sets school record in long jump One reason Blake Stewart ’20 came to Wilbraham & Monson Academy for a postgraduate year was so more collegiate track & field coaches would see his talent.

Blake’s talent was on full display Jan. 15 when he set a school record in the long jump by soaring 21 feet, 10 inches in a winter track meet at Phillips Exeter Academy in New Hampshire.

“Right when I landed I didn’t know if it was a bad or good jump; I really didn’t know,” Blake said. “But when I got out of the pit I saw the distance and knew it was a good one. (When I heard the official say 21–10) I felt good because throughout the season I’ve been improving every meet in the long jump and 55 meters so it was good to hear the 21–10.”

Blake topped his previous best of 21–7.5, which he did at a meet at Phillips Andover Academy in Massachusetts before winter break.

“Toward the end of the meet Ms. Hutch (Coach Meg Hutcheson) showed me on her phone that I had broken the school record,” he said. “I didn’t know. I was happy because it felt like I was going in the right direction right now for track.”

boys’ cross country

Boys’ Cross Country races to undefeated regular season Was this a surprise season for the Wilbraham & Monson Academy Boys’ Cross Country team?

Sure was.

Was this a historical season for the Titans? Absolutely. In fact, it was a banner season.

WMA swept its three opponents at a quad meet in Worcester, Mass., Nov. 2, giving Coach Danielle Vartabedian and the Titans a perfect record for the regular season.

The Academy posted a low score of 35 vs. Pomfret School (45), Worcester Academy (45) and Cushing Academy (105) to improve to finish the regular season 9–0.

“When the last runner came in I couldn’t do the score fast enough. I was almost in shock when we had actually beaten those schools. (When the team learned we won) the guys went nuts, cheering and shouting. The bus ride home was a lot of fun — lots of music and singing. I think I’m still in shock because it’s not the season I expected to have with all these young guys, who most of them on Day One had never run a mile.”

At the quad meet, all seven of the WMA’s varsity runners placed in the top 15: 2. Gio Biondo’21; 3. Tianze “Spark” Xiong ’23; 9. Sam Essien ’23; 10. Brady Gouin ’23; 11. Ty Cosenzi ’23; 14. Jack Swanson ’23; and 15. Javier Herrera ’25.

“It was a close meet,” said Gio, the team’s captain. “I was happy we all came together. We all ran our hardest and busted our butts to become undefeated this season. That hasn’t happened in years.

This is an emotional, happy moment for everyone. It was definitely a surprise, having graduated our (two) fastest runners.”

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football

Ajahn Rue ’21, Aidan Held ’21 earn All-NEPSAC Football honors The Wilbraham & Monson Academy Football team had a turnaround season, and a number of Titans were rewarded for the program’s improvement.

Six players earned postseason recognition for their efforts during the 2019 season, which saw the Titans go 3–5.

Most impressively, Ajahn Rue ’21 was selected to the Class B All-New England Prep School Athletic Council First Team as a wide receiver. Defensive end Aidan Held ’21, meanwhile, was named to the Class B All-NEPSAC Honorable Mention list.

“Ajahn had a fantastic season,” Coach Jeff Vartabedian said.

“We quickly found out he was a really dynamic player and could do a lot of different things. He was a huge weapon and our go-to guy in the passing game. He has a knack for running routes, has incredible hands, and does a great job making people miss and getting extra yards. He turned some short passes into some long, explosive plays and touchdowns.”

In the Evergreen Conference, Ajahn, Aidan and Justus McDougal ’20 were picked for the First Team, while Conor Murphy ’21, Enrique Rosado ’22 and Rile Rhodes ’21 gained Honorable Mention.

• Ajahn Rue ’21

football

Enrique Rosado ’22 sees football stock rise during the winter After a strong first season on the gridiron with Wilbraham & Monson Academy, Enrique was named the top defensive lineman at the Excel Sports Academy Showcase in Westfield, Massachusetts, in December.

“I didn’t think I’d win MVP because there were a lot of good defensive linemen there, but I tried to give it my all and tried to get my name out there to college coaches,” Enrique said.

Enrique, a 6-foot-2-inch, 216-pound defensive end, won the award less than a month after being named to the Evergreen Conference Honorable Mention list.

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departments: Titans Victorious

girls’ soccer

Girls’ Soccer standouts earn All-Star recognition Four members of the Wilbraham & Monson Academy Girls’ Soccer team were named to multiple allstar games in November following their performances during the 2019 regular season.

Emma Curley ’20, Theresa Kervick ’20 and Morgan Wesson ’21 were selected to the Women’s Western New England Prep School Soccer Association All-Star Game, which was held at Ethel Walker School in Connecticut.

Julia Pelletier ’21 was picked to play in the Women’s New England Prep School Junior AllStar Game at Deerfield Academy in Massachusetts.

• Julia Pelletier ’21

• Left to right: Theresa Kervick ’20, Morgan Wesson ’21, Emma Curley ’20 and Coach Don Nicholson ’79.

boys’ soccer

Niko Baltazar ’21 shines for Boys’ Soccer team Much like the Wilbraham & Monson Academy Boys’ Soccer team, Niko Baltazar ’21 showed improvement this season and is headed in the right direction.

Niko represented WMA at the Western New England Prep School Soccer Association All-Star Game, which drew the top players in the region to Loomis Chaffee in Connecticut last November.

“Niko had a fantastic junior year and emerged as one of the leaders on this team,” Coach Roy Fink said. “Niko was asked to play in a different position that is not his natural one and scored a few very important goals for us. Niko’s talent, combined with his hard work, was recognized by every coach we played against.”

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girls’ volleyball

Girls’ Volleyball team sends 3 to Western New England All-Star Game Three members of the Wilbraham & Monson Academy Girls’ Volleyball team enjoyed an extra match this season when they were invited to compete among the top players in the region at the Western New England All-Star Game at Hamden Hall in Connecticut in November.

Claire Casey ’20, Natsumi Suzuki ’20 and Rhaymi Porter ’21 represented the Titans. The three teammates, though, did not play on the same team at the all-star event, which used an eight-team tournament-style format. Claire (setter), Natsumi (libero) and Rhaymi (outside hitter) played their natural positions at the all-star game, which consisted of 20-minute matches.

• Claire Casey ’20, left, Natsumi Suzuki ’20, center, and Rhaymi Porter ’21.

girls’ volleyball

Girls’ Volleyball, ‘Spike it for Life’ honors the late Dr. Gorski Dr. Kathleen Gorski’s spirit lives on.

The Wilbraham & Monson Academy Girls’ Volleyball team played at Ludlow High School Oct. 4 in a Spike it for Life match.

The nationally-recognized event serves as a fundraiser for cancer research. The Titans took to the court in honor of Dr. Gorski, WMA’s former Science Department Chair, who passed away from cancer in June 2018.

The Academy donned pink shirts for the match, with proceeds going toward breast cancer research at the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute in Boston.

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departments: Titans Victorious

archery

boys’ basketball

Archery helps Gene Kang ’20 land scholarship

Kai Robinson ’21 wins gold medal for national basketball team

In large part due to the quality of the event, Wilbraham & Monson Academy’s Gene Kang ’20 loved his archery experiences at the Bay State Games.

The committee for the Jack Aborn Memorial Scholarship thought Gene was a quality archer, person and student, so much so that the group granted the WMA senior a scholarship after participating in the 2019 tournament.

“It’s a well-run event,” said Gene, who has competed in archery events for a decade. “It’s the biggest event for archery in Massachusetts, for high school and everyone. Since I love the event

What’s it like to represent your country as an athlete at an international event?

Ask Wilbraham & Monson Academy’s Kai Robinson ’21.

Playing for Cayman Islands, Kai helped his country to a gold medal in men’s basketball at the 2019 NatWest International Island Games, which were held in July.

“It was so cool,” Kai beamed. “I had one teammate my age, but everyone else was five years or more older than me. But they took me under their wing. I gained their trust. Eventually, I was one of the leaders on the team even though I was five years younger than them.”

so much it felt good to win the scholarship because it came from such a good place.”

The scholarship, in its 10th year, is to be used toward education. Mr. Aborn was a former member of the BSG Archery Committee and longtime supporter of the sport.

field hockey

Field Hockey pair among elite in Western New England

• Grace Gouin ’20, left, and Emily Fallon ’20

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Less than 24 hours after finishing their field hockey regular season with a win, Emily Fallon ’20 and Grace Gouin ’20 completed their careers among the best players in the region, playing in the Western New England Field Hockey Prep All-Star Game in November at Suffield Academy.

Emily, a center back, and Grace, a center midfielder, were among the top 40 players in the region to participate in the game.

Coach Barbara Roy said, “Grace commanded the field from our center-mid position. She never gave up no matter what the team faced on the field. She’s an outstanding athlete who was a pleasure to coach. Grace has the ‘it’ factor a coach looks forward to having in a player.

“Emily led the defensive line this year with grace and poise,” Coach Roy added. “She had the strongest drive on the team, making it easier for her team to advance up the field. She played like the game was on the line until the last second ticked away on the clock. Not only is she a great athlete, but she’s an exceptional student. She’s the perfect example of a student-athlete.”

The biannual event drew 2,000 athletes from 22 islands to Gibraltar to compete in 18 sports.

Kai, a 6-foot-1 point guard, either started or was the first off the bench for the Cayman Islands.

The team beat Saaremaa 75–63 in the final to claim the country’s second-straight gold medal.

“It was crazy — the ceremony and getting the gold medal,” Kai said. “We were living like kings.

When we got home there was a huge ceremony.

We brought home a gold medal, and there aren’t many gold medals on the island. To be able to do that at 17 was a big blessing.”

riflery

Junyi ‘Brian’ Lu ’21 leads Titans to 3rd perfect season in 4 years In any sport, greatness rises to the occasion. Junyi “Brian” Lu ’21 is a great shooter, and Wilbraham & Monson Academy Riflery is a great team.

In its biggest competition of the season, Brian and his teammates were at their best, setting multiple school records en route to winning the Connecticut High School League Shoot-Off Feb. 26 in Wallingford, Connecticut.

Brian finished with a 199 (out of 200) to lead the Titans, who finished with a five-person score of 967 (out of 1,000). Both totals established school marks. WMA topped the five-team field by 11 points, with Bunnell High School of Stratford, Connecticut, placing second at 956.

The Titans, who were captained by Alexander Otte ’20 and Ryan Cordeiro ’21, finished with an undefeated season record for the third time in four years.

“We kind of expected it the other two years (2016–17, 2017–18) because we had veteran shooters,” Coach Bill Passy said of winning the Shoot-Off title. “This year we were fairly young;

Junyi “Brian” Lu ’21

we had a returning nucleus of about four kids coming back. To see them progress through the year like they did and improve, it was big.

“Our depth at the beginning of the year was a little thin but as they improved it made us much stronger. To have that going into a big match is

• Front row, from left: Jiwon Lee ’23, Guo “Gawain” Yin ’23, Steven Holik ’22, Jacey Regalado ’21, Jinyu “Melody” Zhan ’22. Middle row: Jinseon “Bella” Hwang ’23, Alexander Otte ’20, Ryan Cordeiro ’21, Wooseung “Colin” Oh ’22. Back row: Coach Brian Lautenschleger, Jake Girhiny ’22, Junyi “Brian” Lu ’21, Arzum Li ’23 and Head Coach Bill Passy.

good because you don’t have to rely on the same people. And the best part is we only graduate one senior. We had record-breaking years in 2017 and 2018, which were great for the school, but I think this one was more impressive just because of the younger team. It came out of nowhere, really.”

Along with Brian, Wooseung “Colin” Oh ’22 (193), Cordeiro (193), Jinyu “Melody” Zhan ’22 (191) and Arzum Li ’23 (191) all landed in the top 10 and contributed to the school mark, which was previously 966.

Brian bettered the individual school record of 198, which was shared by Dan Wesson ’18 and Erika Convery ’19.

“It was incredible. Before the match started I told the team I’d take a 955 as a score — that would put us in the mix,” Coach Passy explained.

“We shot a 967, which was incredible given the pressure and competition. The team that came in second Bunnell, they have mostly year-round shooters. For us to beat them with seasonal shooters was impressive.”

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departments: Titans Victorious

boys’ basketball

That (New England) Championship Season

• Front row, from left: Saher Williamson ’20, Keller Boothby ’20, Liam Murphy ’20, John Adams ’20, Cinque Stephens ’20, Quion Sneed ’20 and Keyshawn “Key” Collier ’20. Back row: Head Coach Mike Mannix, manager Phuc “Jenny” Huynh ’22, Khalil Kamara ’21, Kai RobinsonAllard ’21, Sean Seymour ’22, Kyle Filipowski ’22, Matt Filipowski ’22, Deven Austin ’22, Ajahn Rue ’21, Ray Johnson ’23, manager Oliver Piantini ’21, Coach ShaCor Privott ’14 and Coach Ryan Minns.

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Forty years after the “Miracle on Ice” by the 1980 U.S. Olympic Hockey team, there was “Team Bounce-back” at Wilbraham & Monson Academy.

Coach Mike Mannix and his Boys’ Basketball team, which trailed in all three of its tournament games, rallied to win the 2019–20 New England Prep School Athletic Council Class AA Tournament title.

“When there was a big game, we were ready,” said Coach Mannix, who finished his sixth season as head coach and 11th overall at WMA. “Whenever there was a tough moment, we were Team Bounce-back. The team always bounced back, and it was the spirit of the kids.”

The fourth-seeded Titans overcame a 17-point deficit to defeat No. 2 Worcester Academy 86–81 in the championship game at Western New England University in nearby Springfield on March 8.

The Titans (18–12) reached their first Class AA title game after making their first tournament appearance since 2015.

During the playoffs, WMA beat No. 5 Kimball Union

AC ADEMY WORLD SPRING 2020

Academy 72–66 after spotting the guests the opening seven points in a home quarterfinal, and then stunned top-seeded Cushing Academy in overtime 70–61 after being down by 10 in the second half in a semifinal on the road.

“I never saw us come apart,” Coach Mannix explained.

“Sometimes the other team goes on a run and you try to do too much in one play. There’s no eight-point play. In the championship we may have had a few moments where we didn’t react the best, but I never saw us have the problem of stringing together those possessions where we were out of sorts or rattled.

It would be here or there but then we’d pull it back together.”

Four-year starter and 1,000-point scorer John Adams was captain on a team with six other seniors or postgraduates.

“Also, with the senior leadership, those guys were determined to end their career on a high note. They kept everyone together,” Coach Mannix said.

Coach Mannix and his coaching staff of Ryan Minns and ShaCor Privott ’14 did a great job keeping everyone together when things weren’t going well early in the season. With the team 0–2 in league play, the turning point came with a December win versus then-undefeated Kimball.

• The Boys’ Basketball team and Titan fans celebrate together moments after winning the New England Class AA championship.

• Another banner for Greenhalgh Gymnasium!

“We were coming off a game where we lost in double overtime at the buzzer,” Coach Mannix said. “Then we went into that game and more or less dominated Kimball Union, and they were a really good team. We also won our next two games going into Christmas Break. I felt winning the Kimball Union game and the two going into break, I thought we figured out who we were and the players saw what we were capable of.”

What the team was capable of was winning the first Boys’ Basketball title in 34 years, which was celebrated by ringing the Monson Bell and a gathering for the WMA community in Heritage Courtyard.

“For the team to finish everything by ringing our Monson Bell in the Courtyard as a signature of a major school accomplishment and landmark moment . . . standing back and watching them was similar to when you’re a parent watching your children accomplish something amazing,” Coach Mannix beamed. “I was so happy for the school.

“We’re grateful for Mr. (Brian) Easler and the administration’s support; I know our players appreciate that. They fully understand their teachers, administration, headmaster — they don’t have to go to the games, they didn’t have to set up a big celebration after we won the championship; but it was amazing and I know our players appreciate it.”

This was the fifth New England Boys’ Basketball title in school history, joining the Monson Academy 1953–54, Wilbraham Academy 1968–69 and WMA teams of 1972–73 and 1985–86.

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departments: Fall sports Highlights

Fall Sports Highlights: 2019

water polo Varsity season record: 4–10 Captains: Emre Myuftyuoglu ’20, Egor Tokarskiy ’20, Kyle Yamagishi-Rodstein ’20 Highlights: Big win over Deerfield Academy, an 8–6 decision at home; also dropped hard-fought overtime game at Deerfield; six seniors; team improved goal-scoring and goals-against totals from previous season.

boys’ cross country Varsity season record: 9–0 Captain: Giovanni Biondo ’21 Highlights: Biondo won the majority of the team’s races, including a 31st place finish among 150 runners at the New England Championships; Tianze “Spark” Xiong ’23 won the team’s Coaches Award.

• Samuel Essien ’23, left, and Giovanni Biondo ’21

field hockey Varsity season record: 1–14 Captains: Grace Dineen ’21, Isabella Gomes ’20 Highlights: Finished season with win against Marianapolis; Emily Fallon ’20 and Grace-marie Gouin ’20 represented WMA in the NEPSAC All-Star game.

• Gunn Thiennukul ’20

• Charlotte Derose ’21

football Varsity season record: 3–5 Captains: Will Crocker ’20, Tristan Lynch ’20 Highlights: Wins over Tilton (fourth-quarter comeback to win 24–18), Cushing (39–19) and Portsmouth Abbey (blocked field goal at the end to win 14–12); nearly upset Super Bowl qualifier Proctor, scoring in final minute but missed a winning two-point conversion; All-NEPSAC recognition for Team Offensive MVP Ajahn Rue ’21 (First Team) and Defensive MVP Aidan Held ’21 (Honorable Mention); Crocker was named team’s Doug Foley Coaches Award winner.

• Will Crocker ’20

girls’ cross country Varsity season record: 3–6 Captains: None Highlights: Titans performed a recent best at Williston Invitational with a top 10 finish overall; top runners were Yusi “Christine” Mo ’21, Youbin Kim ’22, Katie Johnson ’20 and Jenna Makkiya ’21.

• Katie Johnson ’20

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girls’ soccer Varsity season record: 4–10–1 Captains: Emma Curley ’20, Vanessa Gwozdzik ’20, Theresa Kervick ’20 Highlights: Victories over previouslyundefeated Canterbury, a great win on long road trip to Millbrook and a very exciting victory over Class A Deerfield; Curley, Kervick and goalkeeper Morgan Wesson ’21 were recognized as Women’s Western New England Prep School Soccer Association All-Stars, and Julia Pelletier ’21 was named a New England Prep School Junior All-Star.

• Emma Curley ’20

boys’ soccer Varsity season record: 3–14–1 Captains: Niko Baltazar ’21, Kyle Dube ’20, Zheng “Richard” Xie ’20 Highlights: Baltazar was named to both the NEPSSA All-Star and WNEPSSA All-Star teams.

• Niko Baltazar ’21

girls’ volleyball Varsity season record: 2–14 Captains: Claire Casey ’20, Natsumi Suzuki ’20, Rhaymi Porter ’21, Emily Fafard ’20 Highlights: Defeated rival Suffield Academy 3–2 on the road, and Ethel Walker in season finale; Casey, Suzuki and Porter represented the Titans at the Western New England Girls’ Volleyball All-Star Game; team awards went to Porter (MVP) and Fafard (Coaches).

• Emily Fafard ’20, Claire Casey ’20, Najla Cecunjanin ’21, Julia Puppolo ’20 and Rhaymi Porter ’21

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departments: fine & performing arts

Fine & Performing Arts Emma Feeley ’21 showcases dance talent The Eastern States Exposition, known locally as the Big E, has been offering attractions to its visitors since the state fair opened in 1916.

For the last few years, one of those attractions has been Wilbraham & Monson Academy’s Emma Feeley ’21, who has annually dazzled the crowds in West Springfield, Massachusetts, with her dancing ability.

Along with three of her friends from her dance school, Emma performed in the New England Building for 45 minutes in September. This was the sixth year Emma and her teammates have had their dance skills showcased at one of the country’s largest fairs.

“The Big E was fun. It’s different,” Emma said. “I was in charge because my teacher was in charge of other classes. I had to make sure I had introductions, and I had to make sure everyone was where they were supposed to be and make sure we filled the timeslot — all that fun stuff.”

Ayslin Dziedzic ’25 in tune with helping others Singing is part of who Wilbraham & Monson Academy’s Ayslin Dziedzic ’25 is.

Helping others in need is part of who she is as well.

Ayslin sang at the 4th Central Mass. Lyme Conference at the Sturbridge Host Hotel & Conference Center in November. The event, hosted by the Central Massachusetts Lyme Foundation, brought awareness and educated people on the risks of Lyme Disease and vector-borne diseases.

Ayslin, who performs with the Dan Kane Singers, sang “Hero” and “Faith of the Heart.” After learning her mom had been diagnosed with Lyme Disease, she sang at the 2017 conference. She’s also performed at the Soldiers’ Home in Holyoke, the Rays of Hope Walk in Springfield, local nursing homes and churches.

“I’ve done a lot of benefit concerts,” Ayslin said. “I’ve had two of my own. When I was 8 or 9 I did one for a close friend of mine, my aunt’s grandson. He had a type of cancer, but he’s well now and doesn’t have cancer anymore. I like to do them because it makes people happy. I also feel like people who are young (who see me perform), it might inspire other people to do things for other people.”

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AC ADEMY WORLD SPRING 2020

• From left: Bufan “James” Xu ’23, Katarina Brook ’26, Nya Da Silva ’21, Roshni Jilte ’22, Bruna Da Silva ’21, Fine & Performing Arts Faculty member Kiayani Douglas, Liam Etti ’20, Oluwafikayo “Fikayo” Olasunkanmi ’21 and Emre Myuftyuoglu ’20.

Kiayani Douglas shows off work throughout Northeast Even though she is just two years into her career at Wilbraham & Monson Academy, Ms. Kiayani Douglas of the Fine & Performing Arts Department is already exhibiting traits of a great teacher.

She’s leading by example.

As if earning an art scholarship wasn’t enough, Ms. Douglas was the focus of three workshops in the Northeast.

Titled “Fallacies of a Black Identity Enthusiast,” Ms. Douglas held her first solo show in February at Springfield Technical Community College in Springfield, Massachusetts.

Separately, also in February, Ms. Douglas held a Printmaking Workshop Honoring Black History Month in Yonkers, New York. And in Maine in January, Ms. Douglas had her work on display at a workshop called Race Amity: Finding Our Paths in Bridging the Racial Divide.

“For me, it’s important for my students to see that I can be a professional artist and a teacher,” Ms. Douglas said. “There’s often times that stigma with art teachers that if you’re an art teacher you could not make it in the art world. I’ve always had the intention of being an artist, and teaching is part of my journey.

“I’m trying to honor myself; it’s a bit of self-care for me. If I’m not doing things in terms of my personal art, I feel like I’m not taking care of myself. That’s something that’s important to me and a part of self-care.”

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departments: fine & performing arts

WMA Faculty members put creative side on display Abstract is a common term in the world of art. There is nothing, however, abstract about how five faculty members and staff at Wilbraham & Monson Academy feel about their love of art and essentially their professions.

Four teachers in WMA’s Fine & Performing Arts Department and one member of the Academy’s Marketing & Communications Department displayed multiple creations at the Abstract by Design Show in Binney Art Gallery in September.

“Our teachers are still practicing artists and are still displaying their work for both colleagues and students,” WMA’s Dean of Faculty Wally Swanson said. “I think it’s great for our kids to see our adults are still fine-tuning their craft as they get older.”

Mr. Paul Bloomfield, Ms. Kiayani Douglas, Mrs. Virginia Giokas, Mrs. Marvina Lowry-Brook and Mr. Chris Tinnesz had various works on display.

• Left to right: Kiayani Douglas, Paul Bloomfield, Marvina Lowry-Brook, Chris Tinnesz and Virginia Giokas.

Paul Bloomfield shares ‘cohesive story’ at local arts center Not every artist can have work exclusively displayed at a gallery.

Wilbraham & Monson Academy’s Paul Bloomfield isn’t any artist.

WMA’s Fine & Performing Arts Chair had more than 30 pieces exhibited at the Bing Arts Center in Springfield, Mass. The two-plus years project of drawings and paintings, which focused on recent political figures involved in scandals, was featured in September and October 2019.

“I’ve had solo shows before,” Mr. Bloomfield said. “They help you focus on the story more because you have to tell the story more clearly.

When you’re sharing the space with someone else, it’s hard to do that and because other things might speak louder than yours to some people.

This way, it’s a more cohesive story — you can control it.”

• Left to right: Faculty member Paul Bloomfield, Anh “Angel” Tran ’24, Tianyi “Andrea” Xu ’25, Bao Giang “Cindy” Doan ’24, Yebin “Adelyn” Sim ’24 and Geunyeong “Suri” Bae ’24.

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in the classroom: ONLINE DISTANCE LEARNING

Spring trimester brought global challenges to our classrooms

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s the world adjusted to the spread of COVID-19, students left for Spring Vacation on March 6 and soon after learned that they would not return to classes on campus for the remainder of the academic year.

WMA quickly began the transition from a brickand-mortar program to a virtual one — Online Distance Learning.

This abrupt transition was no easy feat. This was a novel experience to most faculty and staff, who were also doing this virtually while tending to the needs of their own families during this crisis. The task — to transition the entire educational program online — needed to balance our global population’s needs and capabilities without deviating from the program, lesson plans and curriculum our faculty have worked hard to produce.

The result was successful, to say the least.

The transition was spearheaded by the academic Deans of WMA — Kevin Kane (Studies), Erik Kindblom (Academics & Institutional Analysis), Wally Swanson (Faculty) and Stuart Whitcomb (Middle School) — and the Information Technology department of Marxan Pescetta (Director), Josh Bain and John Fonte. Assistance and guidance from the academic department chairs was invaluable as online instruction began March 30, a mere six days later than our scheduled return to classes after Spring Vacation.

The new weekly schedule included a mix of two synchronous (live) and two asynchronous classes per subject through Zoom video conferencing and Google Classroom.

Asynchronous classes ranged from tasks like viewing a video to completing a written exercise or reading in addition to regularly scheduled homework. Faculty also made themselves available for extra help in between classes, during free periods and on Wednesdays, the one day during the school week when no synchronous classes were held.

With students from more than 30 countries worldwide, we endured challenges of sharing learning across multiple time zones and

hemispheres. Students were given guidelines ranging from a technology checklist to appropriate Zoom and online class etiquette and internet safety to setting up a functional and efficient space for their online learning. One stark change from the typical third trimester of the academic year was the decision to have no formal end-of-year exams (papers and projects could take the place of those).

As a school, WMA also incorporated nonacademic programming for our students.

From live concerts and hands-on art sessions to workouts, meditation and faculty pet sessions, members of the community were able to participate in as much or as little as they chose while social distancing. Regardless of where our students and faculty are, our learning continues — from all parts of the world.

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Reflections: Class of 2020

The final 60 days of the senior year for the Class of 2020 were marked by a global pandemic and an abrupt end to their time on campus when the Academy went to full, Online Distance Learning for the spring trimester.

Without the chance for final memories, goodbyes and the likes of Prom, Prize Day and Commencement, we’d like to share a few thoughts and images to help soothe their hardships. Stay TitanStrong, Class of 2020!

‘This will be some amazing, surreal story for our grandchildren’ Email from Moonsu “Jackson” Kang ’20 April 13, 2020

I first came to WMA as an eighth grade international student in 2015. I still can’t believe I’m a senior and about to graduate. In eighth and ninth grade, my grades were slipping and I was not much of a leader. But starting in 10th grade I became a different person. Change was so visible that (English Department Faculty member) Mr. (Tim) Harrington asked me, “What happened between ninth and 10th grade?”

School trips were life-changing. I made amazing friends and family — shoutout to (Faculty member) Mr. (Michael) Dziura, “Team Forever” and my Broadway expert partner Julia Puppolo ’20. Above all, theater and music have given me my identity. With Mrs. (Sue) Dziura’s support, I’ve done my other self, Aldolpho (in The Drowsy Chaperone), and my dream role, Jean Valjean, from Les Misérables.

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In 2020, when we should be going to school with casual outfits on sunny days and hanging out with friends, because of COVID-19 I can’t see my friends. Graduation, Prize Day and Prom are canceled/postponed; the Fish Game, which I had waited for five years, is canceled. We are stuck at home and have to wear masks wherever I go.

I didn’t know March 6 was the last time I could see my friends before my last year of high school ended and I had to come back to Korea, 6,811 miles away. But, I believe that we will all get through this, and we will be in history books. This will be some amazing, surreal story for our grandchildren. Through thick and thin, ups and downs, WMA has given me a momentous experience. I will continue to be a leader as the school taught me and will try to make the world a better place.

day. No one was sad, everyone was excited for what was to come for the rest of the year, we talked about prom dresses and dates. It might seem like we got a bad ending to some but for me it was the best goodbye. No one talked about leaving, we all talked about what the future held for us. Optimistic and ready.

I thought I would email you because I know how hard this must be on you as well. And to tell you that my senior year was not ruined, and I now appreciate every normal or boring day I had at WMA. As well as the funny moments and memories along with it.

Thank you for everything, Emma Curley ’20 Another memory . . .

‘We all talked about what the future held for us. Optimistic and ready.’

Email from Emma Curley ’20 to Mr. Easler Original publish date: March 19, 2020 Subject: Thank you

Dear Mr. Easler, I’ve been trying to find closure in this whole situation. I am the type of person who hates endings, especially if it’s an ending of something I love. I’ve always hated my birthday because I hate growing up and saying goodbye to that year of my life, and I never finish a book that I love because I do not want it to end. Goodbyes are really hard and I personally get nervous saying goodbye because I want to say something that resonates with a person. I do not want them to think “that was a crappy goodbye.”

Thinking now about all of the amazing and beautiful people I have met at this extraordinary school, they are the most smart, innovative, funny, charismatic, and just some of the best people I have met throughout my 18 years on this earth. The thought of having to say goodbye to everyone genuinely hurts my heart. But I have found closure to this crazy situation. The last day I had, the Thursday before we left for spring break was a normal day. Everything was perfect.

I saw my friends, we hung out, walked to class and ate lunch. I went to spring sports preseason and got to meet the girls lacrosse team I would have played with my last year.

I find closure in this because in a year, when I am away at college in my dorm room, I will be thinking about WMA, my home, and missing my friends and teachers just wishing I was there, longing to just spend one more day there again as a student. I can remember my normal perfect last

At an indoor track meet, I was waiting to check in for the long jump event. I am the talkative type and like to strike up a conversation with anyone around me. While waiting, there was a man, one of the workers, waiting to check people in. We started off with small talk, he asked me where Wilbraham & Monson was located and how many kids attended the school. As we kept the small talk going, he asked me about the school and why I had chosen to attend. He said, “Sell it to me, why should I go there?” I sat for a second and sarcastically remarked that WMA is better than Disneyland, to which the man gave a chuckle.

But then I thought more about it, and I told him that WMA is my home and there is no place I would rather be in the world than with these people and a part of this community. That it was my perfect fit and I’ve never felt like I’ve belonged more in a place. When we finished the conversation, he told me that if his son was still my age he would have sent him to WMA.

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Reflections: Class of 2020

Seniors on Social Media A sampling of seniors highlighted in our #titantuesday series on Instagram.

“The WMA community is full of adults that are determined to see me and my peers succeed, whether that is in an academic setting or out in the community. This support is very motivating, especially for us stressed-out seniors!”

beti stevens ’20 from maine

“What I like about WMA is the lifelong friendships that you make. You get to know everyone in your dorm and spend a considerable amount of time with them throughout the school year and that is what makes friendships last lifelong.”

emre myuftyuoglo ’20 from turkey

“Through the years at WMA, I realized that this place made me become a very open-minded person. Having the opportunity of making friends from different parts of the world, and studying along with one another every day, made me look at the world differently and set bigger goals for the future.”

“Something I love about WMA is the strong community. The way everyone pushes themselves and encourages each other.

Everyone here competes against themselves to reach their full potential.”

kathryn quinn ’20 from massachusetts

erika zaripova ’20 from russia

“I love the community, and everyone is really welcoming. Also, it’s easy to fit in and you feel at home!”

kyle dube ’20 from illinois

“Since I started living at WMA, I began to see the beauty in small things. I notice the morning dew on the freshly cut lawn and the sunsets behind the middle school parking lot. Kindness can change what people see.

Every day I feel like I can see more.”

ragene hong ’20 from south korea

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“I love the support within WMA’s community, and I love the support for one another at WMA. I get to experience many unique opportunities as a student here.”

margaret donahue ’20 from massachusetts

“WMA is a place that fosters individuality and supports you in anything you feel is worth pursuing.”

liam garrison ’20 from massachusetts

‘There are so Many Beautiful Reasons to be Happy’ Excerpts from Head of School Brian P. Easler’s video message to the WMA community, April 5, 2020

Hi everyone, I hope you are all doing well and taking care of yourselves and those close to you, while also hopefully finding some ways to be happy. Just saying that phrase, finding ways to be happy, makes me think back to Olexander Oliinyk, otherwise known as Sasha, in the Class of 2014.

Aside from being a good student and an allaround awesome guy, he was also a serious wrestler and three-season athlete. He typically trained several times every day, morning, afternoon and night. If the gym wasn’t open, he would just go outside and do hundreds of burpees.

For a student with that kind of self-discipline and physical presence, I was struck by the sign that he had posted on his dorm door for his senior year. The sign read, “There are so Many Beautiful Reasons to be Happy.”

Perhaps one reason that phrase resonates with me, then and now, is because there have been moments in my life, like all of you, like now, when I was working through a challenging time and I needed to look for reasons to be happy.

The example that comes most readily to my mind, and is surprisingly similar to our current circumstances, is my various military assignments and deployments. We definitely had to look for reasons to be happy.

Because of those deployments, I also missed out on many things that are common enough to be expectations in our lives — h igh school graduation; first wedding anniversary; twentyfirst birthday, that pinnacle of American milestones. At the time these losses made me angry and sad, which is natural, but I also knew that I volunteered for that service. None of us signed up for this. I can only imagine the loss felt now, particularly by the members of our graduating class, from the things our students will miss. I am so sorry this is happening to you.

I promise that we will try to make it up to you in some way.

Over the last several weeks, I’ve actually come to recognize many similarities between being deployed and our current state of global isolation.

Of course, they are not the same . . . but there are definite parallels . . . just to name a few: • Being caught up in something larger than ourselves which impacts our lives, and over which we have very little control • Being thrown into a new and uncomfortable set of rules • Living with uncertainty and a good bit of fear, for ourselves or for others • Being isolated with a limited set of other people, sometimes in very close quarters • Trying to find some sense of order and predictability in changing circumstances You see, despite the obvious differences between military deployment and our current situation, there are many similarities. If this is true, it means that all of us, deployed or isolated at home, will likely suffer similar hardships and struggle

through similar challenges. From my own experience being deployed and now living through these times with you, I have some predictions about some little bits of GOOD that you can get out of it regardless of your individual circumstances: • You will make different connections with the people close to you, probably deeper and more meaningful, though not always easy • You will learn to recognize and appreciate things that you may have taken for granted • You will learn a lot about yourself and the others in your life • You will be stronger, once you get through this, for having gone through it Despite how this is currently affecting you, and your loved ones and friends, or how it might in the near future, I hope you all try to take Sasha’s advice and spend a little time each day looking for some beautiful reasons to be happy. They are always there . . . See you all again soon.

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departments: campus events

Opening of School 2019 1

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1 Tatiana Slugina ’20 is all smiles during Opening of School Weekend. 2 New students for the academic year 2019–2020 stand in front of Rich Hall.

3 Theresa Kervick ’20 with Head of School Brian Easler during Convocation. 4 Will Crocker ’20 shakes hands with Head of School Brian Easler at Convocation.

5 Head of School Brian Easler directs Breslin Grozio ’25 as he prepares to sign the Matriculation Book.

6 Chloe Raker ’26 enthusiastically greets Head of School Brian Easler at Matriculation. 7 Moonsu “Jackson” Kang ’20 is ready for the start of his fifth and final year at the Academy. 8 Adil Kamara ’24 signs the Matriculation Book under the watchful eye of Head of School Brian Easler. 9 Orientation leaders Isabelle “Izzy” Wilson ’22 and Jeremiah Patterson-Yancey ’22 display their school spirit.

10 Orientation leader Norah Omar ’21, in white shirt, enjoys Opening of School activities. 11 First-year students Cinque Stephens ’20 (top) and Enrique Rosado ’22 enjoy a laugh during Orientation.

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departments: campus events

Fall Fest 2019 1

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Students and the WMA Community enjoyed a great day of fun as part of an early school year activity on campus in early September.

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1 From left: Samantha Saltzman ’20, Edward “Tripp” Barkett ’20 and Emma Curley ’20. 2 Mariel Picknelly ’20, left, and Brian Ruballos ’20.

3 Chloe Raker ’26, left, and Beti Stevens ’20. 4 From left: Vanessa Gwozdzik ’20, Kya Monette ’20 and Margaret Donahue ’20 are all smiles. 5 Middle School students are all concentration during a game of Jenga. 6 Class of 2021 students enjoy lunch. 7 From left: Ayslin Dziedzic ’25, Caeli Whitcomb ’25 and Lily Mathison ’24. 8 Moonsu “Jackson” Kang ’20. 9 Oluwafikayo “Fikayo” Olasunkanmi ’21.

10 Mary Davidson from Dining Services shares her colorful personality. 11 Good friends and good times.

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by Tim Harrington ’73 Faculty, English Department AUGust 25, 2019

departments: matriculation address

Matriculation Address First things first, I would like to extend my warmest greetings to all of you this glorious Sunday morning. Welcome to Wilbraham & Monson Academy!

And I especially direct that welcome to all of you down front here with the best seats in the house.

Let me say this first — We are so happy to finally meet you! We are so happy to see you here this fine August morning!

I’d like to ask the other loyal alums up here on stage and the faculty and staff that are here to join me in giving you the applause that you so much deserve!

Why did we clap, you wonder? You haven’t done anything — yet.

But you do look great! You clean up pretty nicely, I must say.

But that is not why I was clapping. And it’s not just because you got up bright and early for this mysterious ceremony, after all that jet lag and the not-so-great sleep you probably had in your first night in your new dorm room with your new roommate.

And it’s not because you had to get up early and put on a tie (and it wasn’t even for church!).

My reasons are existential. It is because you are HERE on this morning of this day wearing your blazer (or borrowed blazer) in this month of August 2019. Of all the places you could be right now, you are here.

And that is why I applaud you. You had the remarkable good sense to come here to this school. To me, that makes you exceptional.

You are probably wondering who I am and why am I up here saying all of this to you. I’m not the headmaster. I’m not even a dean.

I like to think it’s because I know more about this school than just about anyone here.

I know that sounds like boasting, because it is. But like you, I went to school here.

I don’t know if there was a matriculation then but if there was I missed it because I was attending high school down that road. I had applied to this school and been accepted the previous year but I didn’t want to go then. I didn’t want to go to a brand new school again and be a new kid all over again. I was afraid of that. But something

happened over the next year or so. And suddenly in early September of 1970 after school had already started, I changed my mind. Suddenly, I saw the possibilities.

So I had a first day of school where I knew no one. I sat on one end of a red leather couch in the lobby of Rich Hall between classes — with another boy who sat on the other end of the couch (he became a very good friend) and stared at an old grandfather clock that’s not there anymore, worrying that I was going to be late for class because there was no bell system then.

(Quick note about tomorrow, we still don’t have a bell system.)

Well, I spent three years here and I realized very quickly that I had made a great decision.

I made lasting friendships, learned tons of useful and not so useful things — much of it forgotten — especially the chemistry. I played football, ice hockey and baseball — and most important, I grew up. That was a long time ago.

It says on my tag ‘1973’ — that is so long ago!

That is like a century ago!

I graduated and left, but I came back twice over the years to teach and coach — the last time (which is this time) for the past 13 years. This will be my 14th year. All three of my daughters attended and graduated from this school — my youngest graduated just over a year ago.

So over the past 50 years, I have been a student, an English teacher (and a History teacher), a coach, a department chair, a parent and last but not least an alum.

Some of you — the cynical ones — are probably thinking I’m a little biased and you would be right. Of course I am biased. But that doesn’t mean I’m wrong.

We all know WHY you are here — to get a great education from knowledgeable and supportive teachers — and that education will make possible the rest of your life. That is no small task, but we have a pretty good record.

But WHERE are you? That’s what you are wondering now.

Those of you from Wilbraham and the neighboring towns have probably driven by this place dozens, if not hundreds, of times and you’ve probably been a little curious about what was going on here. Like those people right there

driving by now. They’re probably wondering what we’re doing here under this big tent so early on a Sunday morning.

To those of you who flew in from China, and Thailand, and Cambodia, and Mexico, and Serbia, and Korea, and Nigeria, and England, and Russia and Germany (and my apologies if I missed your country but we would be here all morning) — I’m pretty sure you don’t have a clue. We’re somewhere that’s really not all that close to Boston or New York — even though it looks like that on the brochures and maps. We’re somewhere in a place called Massachusetts.

Let me be your tour guide for a brief moment — just so you know how to talk like the locals and can find your way around.

Those buildings up there — those old buildings are the classroom buildings. That’s “up the hill.” If someone is in class, people generally say “they’re up the hill.” If they’re not in class, people say “they’re down the hill.” Get it?

That little creek over there — that’s the Rubicon. It’s been called that on campus for 100 years (and I am not exaggerating). I could tell you what that means, but if you want the best answer, ask Mr. Kelly. He will probably throw some quotes from Tacitus or Horace at you — maybe in Latin if you are lucky.

You know that place where all the boarders met last night that administrators like to call the student center — that’s really the Spa. It was known as the Spa in 1969 when I first visited here and even then it had been called the Spa for as long as anyone could remember. I don’t think even Mr. Kelly knows why.

That big building right there — as you all know is Rich Hall — but there up above the front

Mr. Harrington’s Senior Stone

door is the head of a guy up there holding a big rock. You think you got it tough! That’s Atlas and he’s holding up the Earth. And he is a Titan.

And that’s important.

Look around you. These fields and streams, these woods and hills, these old houses and old buildings are where you will create the next chapter of your life — with these people surrounding you.

Welcome to your new world!

It will be a world of new friends — some of which will be friends for life. It will be a world of hard work and challenges — many of which you will overcome.

It will be a world with victories — big and small — and with defeats. And there will be defeats — not even the New England Patriots win ’em all. It’s a world of dreams and possibilities.

This is just the place where you will become the person you want to be. No big deal, right?

In the next few minutes you will sign your name to a book. (Don’t worry — in ink, not in blood. We’re not pirates) In doing that, you will agree to an oath and you will become a Titan.

Not just for today, or this week or this year . . . but for life.

“So over the past 50 years, I have been a student, an English teacher (and a History teacher), a coach, a department chair, a parent and last but not least an alum.”

I’m not exaggerating and I’m not kidding.

When I said at the beginning of this speech that we were really happy to see you, I wasn’t exaggerating or kidding then either.

By coming here and by being you and by doing all the great things you are going to do, you make us who we are.

By doing your best and striving in the classroom, on the sports fields, on stage, in the pool, on the court — YOU make US better.

By being a part of this school and this community and by becoming the best person you can be, YOU will define US and write OUR next chapter.

You won’t just go to this school. You will be a part of it — in perpetuity.

With that comes burdens and blessings. With the burdens come expectations, responsibilities and stewardship. With the blessings comes being a part of something bigger than yourself.

Today you are signing your name in a book, but when you graduate next year or four years from now — or maybe six or seven years from now — you will leave a stone in one of these walls with your classmates. It will be your stone and it will be laid in a wall next to the stones of your friends and it will have your name or inscription carved into it.

And you will come back to Wilbraham and bring your friends and maybe years from now even your kids to see us and to see that stone, your stone in that wall. I know you will. I’ve seen it so many times.

It will be like coming home — and I know this from personal experience and from the graduates from this area and from all over the world. Even my own kids and their friends — when they come back, they go to look for their stones and the stones of their classmates.

In a very real way — from the moment you sign the book — you are one of us. And when your stone is laid in that wall, it means you will always be one of us.

Because of that, you will always be welcome and we will always be happy to see you! So happy to see you!

You are a piece of us. And we will always be a piece of you. And we will always be connected by that stone in that wall at this place.

Go Titans!”

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departments: family weekend 2019

Family Weekend 2019 1

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5 1 Fatmata, left, and Alimamy Kamara, right, with son Khalil Kamara ’21. 2 Parents Amy, left, and Seth Wilson chat with Beata Puri, right, in Morrow House.

3 Tatiana Slugina ’20 carries the Russian flag during the Flag Procession Ceremony in Alumni Memorial Chapel.

4 Julia Puppolo ’20 and Rabia “Ceren” Erkek ’22 are all smiles during the Flag Procession Ceremony. 5 Liam Garrison ’20 on the trumpet. 6 Charlotte Derose ’21 takes aim during field hockey action. 7 WMA parents (left to right) Ana Castrillon, Michelle Jacques and Christine Gouin.

8 Danielle Vartabedian, left, and her daughters Savannah and Laurel ’21. 9 The start of the boys’ cross country race at Winchester Field. 10 Norah Omar ’21 and Julia Besse ’23 await a volleyball serve. 11 The Girls’ Varsity Soccer team celebrates a goal. 12 A field-long view from behind Boys’ Soccer goalkeeper Jayce Nielsen ’20. 13 Cayden Brodnax ’20 jumps over a tackler, while Gene Kang ’20 (2) looks on.

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Alumni in Action: Demetri Tsolakis ’01

By MOLLY McGILL Director of Alumni Relations

Demetri Tsolakis ’01: ‘WMA opened me up to a much broader sense of the world’

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emetri Tsolakis ’01 is on a mission to share his appreciation for Greek culture with the world. With the opening of his latest passion project, Back Baybased meze and wine bar Krasi, Tsolakis keeps finding new ways to bring his favorite characteristics of Greek life to the restaurant scene in Boston.

Krasi is the Greek word for wine, but it goes much deeper for Tsolakis. “It’s life and love and the way we express ourselves. It’s also about celebration and people coming together,” Mr. Tsolakis said. “When celebrating life’s major moments, you have a glass of wine.”

Boasting one of the largest selections of Greek wines in the country, Krasi is well-positioned to help people celebrate. The restaurant will also feature a menu of meze, or small plates, which Tsolakis said will showcase some lesser-known, regional Greek cuisine.

As Mr. Tsolakis, who was known as James at WMA, describes it, he was first inspired to learn more about his own Greek heritage by the diversity he encountered as a student at the Academy.

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“WMA opened me up to a much broader sense of the world and I met so many people from all over the world who really influenced what I wanted to do in life,” Mr. Tsolakis said.

He participated on the Track & Field and Tennis teams, and was editor of the yearbook during his senior year. But when he wasn’t busy at school, he could often be found studying in the first booth of family-owned Mykonos restaurant in Springfield, Massachusetts.

Growing up in the restaurant business made him fall in love with the industry and with the community feeling around the enjoyment of food and drink.

He also recalled spending a lot of time with international students on campus and learning from their diversity and stories. “Being around so many different cultures made me feel that much more excited to share my own culture and to celebrate it,” Mr. Tsolakis said.

His AP European History teacher Don Nicholson ’79 played a major role in his desire to learn more about his own culture. Mr. Tsolakis said, “Something about his approach to history and his knowledge of a variety of cultures really inspired me to focus on my own culture. For some reason, his serious approach clicked with me.”

This influence ultimately led Mr. Tsolakis to study international business at Suffolk University in Boston. He took advantage of travel opportunities during college, and even had the chance to be involved with an EU program in Prague when the Czech Republic joined the European Union in 2004. After graduation, Mr. Tsolakis worked for two years as an investment banker before ultimately deciding to follow his passion. “I could not be stuck behind a desk,” Mr. Tsolakis said. “I needed to use my brain creatively, meeting new people and bringing to life my ideas. I was out the door as soon as I put my resume together for the hospitality field.”

Mr. Tsolakis eventually had the idea to open Greco, a fast-casual restaurant serving Greek

staples like gyros, while visiting his best friend in Greece (they would go on to partner on the restaurant opening). At press time, Greco had two Boston locations, in Back Bay and the Seaport, with two more set to open in 2020 (one in TD Garden arena and one in downtown Boston).

Mr. Tsolakis’ next restaurant, Committee, opened in the Seaport in 2015. “(With Committee) I wanted to do something that captured the way Greek people eat and drink, with communal tables for large groups and social gatherings,” Mr. Tsolakis said.

In all of these endeavors, Mr. Tsolakis and his business partners have cultivated a special buzz and a cult-like following. The secret to his success, as he described it, is always being involved in projects that inspire and motivate him. His advice to students and young alumni is “‘Be you.

Do you. Express you.’ In the restaurant industry, every day is different and you can use every part of your brain and everything you’ve learned in life. And I love that I’m sharing my culture with people every day.”

Demetri Tsolakis ’01 and the wonderful team at Krasi hosted WMA alumni, parents and guests for a Giving Day Kick-Off Party on Feb. 12, 2020.

• Symin Charpentier ’07 spins the prize wheel.

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By BILL WELLS Director of Student Promotion

Alumni in Action: Heather Little ’13

Heather Little ’13: ‘WMA instilled a confidence in me and a willingness to try things’

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ilbraham & Monson Academy’s Heather Little ’13 had made it.

After graduating from the Academy and New York University, where she double majored and finished with a successful internship in New York City, Heather was offered a job in finance in Manhattan.

A real job!

And in classic Heather Little fashion, she politely said, “No, thank you.” For the young woman who engraved “Try things; eat mangos with peanut butter” on her Senior Stone, she needed more in her professional life than crunching and analyzing numbers five days a week. She not only wanted a challenge, but a challenge for the greater good; a challenge with meaning and honor.

Heather found that challenge in Teach for America, a nonprofit organization where young adults are placed for two years in some of the most academically challenged regions in the country and tasked, quite honestly, with being miracle workers. With the support of her family, as well as relying on so many things she learned at WMA, Heather has not only survived, she has thrived.

• top left: Heather Little ’13 enjoys a teaching moment with a student. bottom left: Heather Little ’13, left, and members of her school’s cross country team. top right: Prize Day photo with Brian Easler in 2012. bottom right: Heather Little ’13 competing on the Girls’ Tennis team during her WMA days.

Heather went to Mississippi for TFA’s training in the Summer of 2018 before heading to Eastern Kentucky for the 2018–19 school year. To say the least, that part of the country was different than what she experienced in Wilbraham, Massachusetts, or New York City. But she had a job to do — teaching math in one of the poorest regions in the country.

“At first, I was really struck by how much responsibility I had as a very young person,” she admitted. “I’ve taught about 300 kids in the past two years. Especially in the areas the TFA serves, teachers are given a great deal of autonomy with curriculum, lesson planning and their classrooms.

“I’ve learned about flexibility in situations with variables beyond my control, how to work with different kinds of leadership, how to teach and lead in a manner that encourages people to meet high expectations, and how to be less ideological and more oriented towards actions and outcomes. I’ve learned a lot about a part of the country that I really struggled to understand from Massachusetts or New York City. I’ve also learned the kind of love a person can have for a child, and now I really know what it’s like to wish the world for someone.”

Heather estimated only 25 percent of her students come from traditional, two-parent homes.

The rest live in single-parent families, with grandparents, foster homes or with older siblings. “(The frequency with which kids change homes or family structures) creates a lack of stability, sometimes gaps in schooling, and often burdens children with caring for aging grandparents or younger nieces, nephews or cousins,” she said.

“Our kids grow up too fast, when they should still be dreaming about what’s possible for them.”

Not surprisingly, the same person who packed as much as she could into her experience at WMA — including two school trips overseas, receiving the Cora Pease Chandler Award in 2013 and a number of extracurricular activities — has been all in since Day One. Along with her teaching responsibilities, she helps with the math team, started a coding club, runs the German

“WMA taught me how to have really constructive student-teacher dialogue.”

— Heather Little ’13

club, and is the assistant coach for cross country and outdoor track.

Despite not going to college to become a teacher, her teaching toolbox is filled with her classroom experiences from the Academy. The lessons she learned at WMA have proven to be a constant support.

“WMA taught me how to have really constructive student-teacher dialogue,” Ms. Little said. “I ask a lot of questions in class during my direct instruction. I try to keep the kids really engaged even during the drier parts of class. I also love my students very, very much, just like I was as a student at WMA. “More than anything, WMA instilled a confidence in me and a willingness to try things.

My senior stone reads “Try things; eat mangos with peanut butter,” which was about my trip to Haiti but also my mental state more generally senior year. TFA has been hard, and I’ve faced failure here in ways big and small. (But) WMA was so supportive that I felt comfortable trying, failing and working on things I cared about until I found success.”

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Alumni in Action: Anthony Gulluni ’99

By BILL WELLS Director of Student Promotion

Anthony Gulluni ’99: WMA ‘was a jump-start for my life ahead’

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ampden County District Attorney Anthony D. Gulluni ’99 said his postgraduate year at Wilbraham & Monson Academy was a turning point in his life.

Three years ago, with the foundation provided to him at the Academy, Mr. Gulluni’s career took a turn that landed him in the national spotlight.

Early in 2015, within the first month of being named the top law enforcement officer in the region, Mr. Gulluni met with Mr. and Mrs. Ziegert, whose daughter Lisa was abducted and killed in 1992, a case that remained unsolved.

Twenty months after his meeting with Lisa’s family, Mr. Gulluni gave the case a jolt, using a breakthrough in DNA testing that narrowed the list of suspects and provided new leads. One year later, an arrest was made; and in 2019, the culprit admitted to killing Lisa Ziegert, closing a case that had lasted 27 years.

• Anthony Gulluni ’99 with his senior stone.

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“There is never closure or a resolution for those who have suffered an unthinkable loss such as this,” Mr. Gulluni said.

“But it has been incredibly gratifying to form a strong bond and relationship with the Ziegert family. Given that they and the Western Massachusetts community waited so long for justice, it was very special to take over the investigation and make an arrest, secure an indictment, and then to personally preside over a first-degree murder plea, which is very rare in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. This experience, I believe, is something that will not be eclipsed in the rest of my career.”

A two-hour episode on the Lisa Ziegert case and its resolution was aired on NBC’s “Dateline” in January. Interviewed for more than two hours, Mr. Gulluni recalled growing up in Springfield, Massachusetts, at the time of the murder in nearby Agawam, and how he, along with a team of law enforcement professionals, employed a fresh look, new technology and some

old-fashioned grit to track down the killer. Many of these skills and abilities exercised during this case, in his opinion, were honed at the Academy by outstanding faculty and fellow students by whom Mr. Gulluni was surrounded.

“I think everyone here, going back to my time in 1998 and 1999, and to present day, is encouraged to explore their talents and be the best they can be,” Mr. Gulluni said. “I didn’t have that frame of mind beforehand; I didn’t think of my future that way. So to be around so many motivated, smart and talented young people who were going off to great places and who had big plans was a jump-start for my life ahead.

“To run for office at 33, not many years after I graduated from WMA, and take that chance and believe in myself, I believe had its foundation in the lessons I learned and how my eyes were opened to what I could achieve. The Academy has been at the core for a lot of stuff in my life, and if you can characterize my professional career as being successful, a lot of that started at WMA.” Prior to Mr. Gulluni gaining national attention in January, he proved himself to be an innovator in the structure of court systems.

Since taking office, which included winning a second term in 2018, he has initiated three topicspecific courts: one for veterans, one for people who have substance abuse issues and the third for young adults.

Two-and-a-half years in the making, following a similar court in San Francisco and implementing a grant from the Department

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Alumni in Action: Anthony Gulluni ’99

of Justice, the Emerging Adult Court of Hope (EACH) launched in February.

“It’s designed to disrupt what is a track for a lot of young people who are growing up in the inner city and urban communities in this county who don’t have a great chance from day one,” Mr. Gulluni said. “They aren’t surrounded by positive influences, and they don’t have support and resources. As a result they’re committing crimes as juveniles, become 18 and keep committing crimes, which takes them into the adult system, and they end up spending their 20s in large part in jail and prison.”

Members of EACH receive counseling, therapy and service providers, and are involved in educational programs that include careers in trade professions.

“If we can get them involved in careers, it provides them hope and it’s a better alternative to what they had been doing,” Mr. Gulluni said.

“We want to turn lives around.”

• Anthony Gulluni ’99 speaks at school meeting.

Mr. Gulluni wasted no time addressing the growing obstacles the nation’s veterans face by partnering to create a separate court for former military members who need additional support through the criminal justice process.

“Many veterans who come into the court system are experiencing issues that have their genesis in their service to our country,” he said.

“They’re coming back from their service with all kinds of wounds we can’t see, and post-traumatic stress disorder is certainly one of them.

“We owe them a response. The Veterans’ Court removes their cases from the regular stream of cases and provides them with services and mentors who are also veterans to work with them every step of the way, and ultimately address the core issues, which are often substance use disorder and mental health. We owe them that.”

A year after being elected as the youngest District Attorney in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, Mr. Gulluni helped established a drug court in Springfield. By this time, the opioid crisis had gained national attention,

stretching into all areas of Hampden County and beyond, and deadly overdoses became far too frequent.

“When I came into office in 2015, it was really the advent of the opioid and addiction crisis. As we know, that crisis existed for many, many years in poor and urban communities, but it came into the larger consciousness of the public in 2014–15,” said Mr. Gulluni, who was recently voted President of the Massachusetts District Attorneys’ Association, a role in which he addresses and speaks to criminal justice issues on a statewide basis on behalf of the Commonwealth’s 11 district attorneys.

“We have focused on prevention and education throughout the county,” Mr. Gulluni said. “We work very hard on the proactive side as well as the law enforcement side.”

Mr. Gulluni teamed with another Wilbraham & Monson Academy graduate to tackle the expanding substance abuse in the region, forming the Hampden County Addiction Task Force with Dr. Mark Keroack ’72, who serves as the

Anthony Gulluni ’99, right, with Head of School Brian P. Easler.

Yearbook photo from 1999.

Anthony Gulluni ’99 during an interview as part of an NBC “Dateline” episode in January 2020.

President and Chief Executive Officer of Baystate understand what’s going on in all corners Health in Springfield. of the region.

Mr. Gulluni has also implemented a combined “I get to take that knowledge and say, open door/boots on the ground philosophy.

‘OK, this is where we have to work.’ Then Some of those boots are new . . . very, very new. we can provide resources to help address But they’re on the inside, and Mr. Gulluni the issue.” gains valuable insight as to what is happening Other programs initiated by Mr. Gulluni in a segment of Hampden County. geared toward making a connection with the Using what he calls the Hampden County teenage population include: Youth Advisory Board, which includes students from nearly every high school in the region • Hoop Up Springfield: A 3v3 basketball including WMA, Mr. Gulluni meets weekly with tournament for students ages 12–18 that is teenagers in his office. The students provide him also paired with a job fair. with information on hot topics, and they then • Stop the Swerve: Having already made serve as ambassadors for his office to students of contact with 5,000 local high school all ages throughout the county. students, the initiative addresses drugged, “The Youth Advisory Board started small distracted and drunk driving. and has become one of our marquee achievements,” • Adopt a Class: The District Attorney’s Mr. Gulluni beamed. “It’s such an important Office adopts five classes every school year, piece in what we do. It allows us to better structures mock trials in those classes and

invites the students to the courthouse so they can experience the judicial system firsthand.

• Court Tour Program: Students come to the courthouse for the day to engage in “honest conversation” with probation officers, defense lawyers, prosecutors and judges to learn about career opportunities and more about the judicial process.

“We’ve opened up a dialogue with the community and young people,” Mr. Gulluni said. “I think that’s how we’re successful in the long term. We have to be in court and prosecute, and that’s a very important part of public safety, but we have to think long-term by engaging with young people who will make either good or bad decisions in what they will definitely confront, which ultimately affects all of us and the communities in which we live.”

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By BILL WELLS Director of Student Promotion

Alumni in Action: don nicholson ’79

‘Passion for the game was evident’ for retiring coach Don Nicholson ’79

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he timing was never going to be great, and 25 years seemed like a good number.

Wilbraham & Monson Academy Girls’ Soccer Coach Don Nicholson ’79, who brought the program to the pinnacle of prep school soccer, stepped down from his role as head coach following the final game of the 2019 season.

With passion and commitment, and well known for scrimmaging with his players during practice, Coach Nicholson coached the girls’ team for a quarter century. Assistant coach and former player Sommer Mahoney ’11 was named as his successor.

“I think some of it had to do with me being athletic director,” Mr. Nicholson said. “That role has evolved over the last few years. It’s gone into the after-school program, starting to encompass non-sports. I’m happy about that but it adds a lot. The fall is tough because it’s the start of the school year. I felt like I was missing (other teams’) practices because I would be at my practice on my field. I felt in order to be more efficient at my job and to do it better, and to give the fall sports and activities the same attention, I had to make a move.

“There would never be a good time. There would always be new girls coming in and new groups and it would keep going. Twenty-five years seemed like a good time. This year was one of those times where I missed quite a bit in the fall. I had to make a decision between my career and what’s my main job or my passion, which is coaching soccer.”

After serving as an assistant coach for the boys’ team for 12 years, Coach Nicholson took over

the girls’ program in 1995. Two years later the program was in the tournament, where it stayed every season from 1997–2014 — a remarkable 18-year postseason run. WMA reached the prep final six times with Coach Nicholson at the helm, winning the championship in 2000 and 2001.

His final record was 261–102–38 (70-percent winning percentage), and 19 players earned all-state honors under his guidance. “(Head of School) Dick Malley pushed it,” Mr. Nicholson explained. “It’s probably one of the greatest things in my career that’s ever happened to me when he sent me in that direction, although the first two years I didn’t think so because it was rough. I think I won one game my first year and two my second; lost 14, 15 games, whatever it was. But in the third year I realized I had to recruit and

started recruiting. The recruiting connection starting going well and I got some kids in my third year, and in 1997 we beat Suffield and squeaked into the tournament.”

Christina Wakefield ’14, one of WMA’s alltime greats, earned all-state honors before playing at Boston University. Christina currently serves as an assistant coach at Gettysburg College, where she utilizes many of the values Coach Nicholson instilled into his players.

“Coach Nick not only influenced my soccer ability, but my coaching philosophy as well,” Christina said. “His passion for the game was evident as he coached the girls’ team to numerous titles and victories both on and off the field through his dedication to each player. I am grateful to have been coached by Coach Nick and to call him my mentor.”

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By BILL WELLS Director of Student Promotion

Alumni in Action: sommer mahoney ’11

Sommer Mahoney ’11: New era begins in Girls’ Soccer

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he top position for the Wilbraham & Monson Academy Girls’ Soccer program is staying in the family.

Sommer Mahoney ’11, a former player and assistant coach for the Titans, took over as head coach when Don Nicholson ’79 retired after a remarkable 25-year run at the end of the 2019 season.

“I’m really excited,” Ms. Mahoney said.

“When he first told me he was stepping down and then told me he wanted me to replace him, I was in shock. Since I’ve known him for so long and since I’ve been part of this program for so long and I understand his legacy, it was a little intimidating to me and I wasn’t sure I trusted anyone to carry this program on other than him, but I trust Don enough that if he thinks I can do it, then I have to trust that I can because he has faith in me.”

Coach Nicholson asked Ms. Mahoney in October if she would be interested in the head coaching position. After withstanding the initial shock of hearing Coach Nicholson wasn’t returning to the sidelines, and then some backand-forth conversation, Ms. Mahoney agreed to the position.

“I’ve learned so much being Don’s assistant coach — the balance between how to manage emotions as a coach,” she said. “As a player, I would get lost in the game; as a coach, you don’t have that luxury. You’re just watching; I feel so many things when I’m standing on the sidelines, from elation to frustration to rage.

“Don has taught me so much . . . and that has translated into every aspect of my life here as a teacher, as a dorm parent — just recognizing what I’m feeling and deciding if it is a good emotion to implement at that time with teenagers I’m working with.”

— Sommer Mahoney ’11 “Don has taught me so much how to channel that and to make it productive, and that has translated into every aspect of my life here as a teacher, as a dorm parent — just recognizing what I’m feeling and deciding if it is a good emotion to implement at that time with teenagers I’m working with.”

Ms. Mahoney, a faculty member in the History & Global Studies Department who served as the team’s assistant coach the last four seasons, played soccer at Sarah Lawrence College in New York after her career as a Titan.

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“Soccer to me is all about teamwork and going out onto a field and trying to accomplish something,” Ms. Mahoney elaborated. “No goal is ever scored by one individual player, and no goal is ever allowed because of one individual player. I firmly believe that. We’re all working together toward something common. That’s important for creating genuine relationships and creating pride in yourself and in something bigger than yourself.”

Ms. Mahoney is also assistant coach of the Girls’ Varsity Rugby team.

By Teddy Ryan Director of Marketing & Communications

WMA SPOTLIGHT: Health Services

‘Moms of WMA’ have many years of patients and patience

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f the many people dedicated to Wilbraham & Monson Academy’s transformational student experience, few wear as many “hats” as the staff of the Health Services Department.

Nurses, advisors, second mothers, confidantes, teachers, guidance counselors, cheerleaders — you name it, they wear it. For the countless students, faculty and staff who have been impacted by their care, the three women who are our Health Services team are incredibly humble and gracious. Rose Power, Lucie Ziemba and Amy Crocker are the embodiment of compassion and caregiving. The three women — a ll school nurses — are mainstays on campus and combine for nearly 50 years of service to WMA. “Rose, Lucie and Amy are, in my mind, literally and figuratively the Moms of WMA,” Head of School Brian P. Easler said. “I have known Rose and Lucie for 20 years and Amy for almost 10, and I have been consistently impressed with their professional and nurturing approach to the health of everyone on campus and . . . their patience. We are all lucky to have such fine women looking out for our welfare.”

Foundations Mrs. Rose Power

Our Director of Health Services has worked at WMA since 2000. She grew up in nearby Northampton, Massachusetts, and went to nursing school in Boston. She began her career working with adults in the burn trauma unit before getting married, moving to Connecticut and working as a Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) nurse.

Her son Jeffrey ’06 started at WMA in Grade 6 with apprehension, but after his first day Mrs. Power recalled, “He said ‘Mom, I love it here so much. Thank you,’ and that was the first sign.” Her friend Catherine Jurgens (a parent to Peter ’06 and Brigid ’08), then head of Health Services at WMA, announced she was leaving and encouraged Mrs. Power to apply, and the rest is history. Mrs. Power also had her daughter Kerry ’07 graduate from the Academy.

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“I never dreamed I would work here or any other school or be a school nurse because I loved the NICU so much,” Mrs. Power said.

“The first few years, (there was) a huge learning curve — so different from being in the ICU with tiny babies to being around teenagers. I was the advisor to the peer counselors back then, and we were making smoothies and I just kept thinking to myself, I can’t believe I’m working and I’m making smoothies and I’m hanging out with kids. It was pretty awesome.”

Mrs. Lucie Ziemba

A native of nearby Chicopee, Massachusetts, Mrs. Ziemba joined WMA 20 years ago. She was not always in the nursing field. She worked for the vice president at Smith & Wesson in Springfield, Massachusetts, and then stayed

home when her first of two sons was born.

It wasn’t until a late-night trip to the emergency room for her husband, Jim, when she became a healthcare advocate for him, that she realized nursing was her calling. Mrs. Ziemba pursued her nursing education while raising her sons Nick and Alex. This college journey made her appreciate the health care vocation for all its challenges and day-to-day “non-routine” scenarios.

Following nursing school, she pursued rotations through many disciplines and ultimately felt most comfortable with the medical surgical practice.

“When you see and do many medical treatments and rely on your assessment skills to make patients (and the WMA population) feel better, it’s a home run,” Mrs. Ziemba said.

Mrs. Ziemba joined the WMA community shortly before Mrs. Power.

• School nurses Amy Crocker, left, and Lucie Ziemba, center, with Director of Health Services Rose Power.

“Rosey, Amy and Lucie are awesome to work with. They are the most caring and go above and beyond to make sure all the students get the best care possible. They are professional and very knowledgeable about everything.”

— Erika Whipple, Head Athletic Trainer Mrs. Amy Crocker

Mrs. Crocker attended Minnechaug Regional High School, a public school in Wilbraham, and studied nursing at Elms College in Chicopee.

She worked as a surgical nurse at Holyoke (Massachusetts) Hospital and later transitioned to Baystate Health and then into homecare for mothers and babies. She met Mrs. Power while studying nursing and serendipitously reconnected when she was working as a home health aide and Mrs. Power was the nurse who oversaw the case. Not long after, she started at WMA part-time and moved to full-time after a couple of years. Her children — Maggie ’18, Will ’20 and John ’25 — have attended, or are attending, WMA.

What It Takes

Aside from having a positive and caring bedside manner, there are a few key ingredients to being a nurse, and being a good one. “ Nursing is a science. But you also need to be present and instill trust.” —mrs. power “ B e open-minded, have empathy, be able to listen, be patient. It’s a balance between encouragement, pushing harder and compassion — and treating each unique case individually.” —mrs. crocker “ You have to know when to speak up and when to listen — a lot.” —mrs. ziemba

Knowing how to problem-solve is key, and being able to think on your feet is important.

A typical day is anything but typical in the Health Services Office on Faculty Street. The nurses can have a host of various ailments and issues happening at once, and no two days are ever the same. With the right combination of skill, warm personality and caring nature, the three handle every ailment — big and small — with grace and kindness.

Changes Over the Years

Things can change significantly in 20 years.

They can also stay the same.

“Kids don’t change. Their worries are similar during this period of their lives. How the nurses try and help the students find solutions and adapt to their current situation has changed quite a bit,” Mrs. Ziemba said. Perhaps one of the biggest changes, and trends, the nurses have seen is the use of technology, namely social media and the impact it’s had. Mrs. Power referred to a book the WMA faculty book group has read, “The Great Disconnect,” and shared her concern for families spending too much time connected to technology, and not to each other. On the positive, “health education (at WMA) has been a big plus and working with Tess (Presnal) as the School Counselor — it’s having as many resources available to kids as possible.”

Deep Impact

For Mrs. Power, Mrs. Ziemba and Mrs. Crocker, WMA has also left an indelible mark on their lives. On varying levels, they’ve seen the impact they’ve had on students during their time here.

“An amazing part of the job (when it’s super busy) is you work very hard to encourage the students. Sometimes the kids can figure out where they went wrong and how to straighten out their dilemma and how to make it right. To help them understand this is life and tomorrow will look a little different after a good night’s sleep. It’s comforting to know you’ve made a difference,” Mrs. Ziemba said. “The community of students

• School nurses Amy Crocker, left, and Lucie Ziemba, center, with Director of Health Services Rose Power.

and adults alike is so incredibly supportive of one another. The adults are a committed and caring group in seeing the students through their time at WMA. You learn from each other.”

As an alumni parent and even though they have been alumni for a long time, Mrs. Power is proud that WMA is now, not just her kids’ school, but hers too. “It’s been life-changing for me. The exposure to other cultures and perspectives . . .”

She loves seeing the transformation of students upon graduation — whether they started in Middle School, Grade 9 or even as a postgrad.

“WMA is another family and community.

The support here as a parent and now as a staff member . . . I gave (daughter) Maggie her Middle School certificate and her diploma and this year, I’ll give Will his,” Mrs. Crocker said. “Kids get what they need here, and the education, the travel and the network of alumni and parents is invaluable. Kids just saying ‘thank you’ makes me feel like I made a difference.”

“Kids come to us from all over the world, they all have stories,” Mrs. Ziemba said. It takes special people to work with students — whether they be teachers, coaches, advisors, dorm parents or, yes, nurses. They all have stories too, and we are grateful that Mrs. Power, Mrs. Ziemba and Mrs. Crocker have, and continue to, share theirs with us.

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By Coaches Wally Swanson and Tim Harrington ’73

wma spotlight: RUGBY

A Decade of Titan Rugby • Filip Vukelic ’16, foreground, in action during his senior year.

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t’s hard to believe that the Wilbraham & Monson Academy Rugby program has crossed the 10-year threshold. This spring marks the 11th season of existence for the boys’ team and 10th year as a varsity sport. A girls’ program was established in 2018, and this spring was to mark its first at the varsity level.

WMA’s experience in the sport of rugby during the past decade looks much like a microcosm of the sport in the United States.

American Rugby has lived a roller coaster ride for the past 100 years, from Olympic gold medalists in the 1920s, to being invisible as a sport in the 1950s and 1960s, to a great revival in the 1970s at the college and club level, to the decline and restructuring of the clubs and territorial unions in the 1990s and early 2000s, and finally to the resurgence over the past two decades. This resurgence has been fueled by the growth of the game at the youth and high school level. In February, New England’s first professional rugby team — the Free Jacks — played its first match and at least one of the players on that team took the field as a high school player against the Titans.

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Wilbraham & Monson Academy rugby has played a proud role in that resurgence in New England. Both Titan coaches — Tim Harrington ’73 and Wally Swanson — were on the first board of the Massachusetts Youth Rugby Organization, which emerged in the 2009 restructuring of high school rugby across the U.S. The aim of MYRO was to win acceptance of the high school sport at the state level, which occurred two years ago.

Although that has been a victory for the sport in Massachusetts, it has been a mixed blessing for the Titans since we are no longer a league match for any of our historic rivals, and since New England prep schools have resisted adding the sport even though it is now widely played in Massachusetts and Connecticut. However, for the Titans, the high school restructuring gave us an immediate pathway into a league structure (based on high school and club teams at that time).

The first piece of advice we would give anyone thinking of starting a high school rugby team in the U.S. is to do it when you have two experienced Australian players in the student body, which is what we did. That non-varsity 2009 team was trounced in its first match against an established high school club team, Worcester Spartans. That same WMA team, led by Australian fly-half Scott Watson ’11 and winger Maoi Marcellino ’10, went on to win nine of the next 12 matches, including a victory over Worcester in the MYRO tournament to clinch our bracket in the MYRO state tournament.

The program was airborne.

The next year was even more successful, with many returnees including scrum-half Jeremy Gilfor ’11, center Kanta Sugai ’11 and Watson at fly-half.

The 2010 team went 9–2, with narrow losses against perennial powerhouse teams Belmont High School and Bishop Hendricken of

Warwick, R.I. The loss against Hendricken was the toughest to swallow since it was by one point in extra time at home. The team rebounded from those losses and clinched the MYRO Division II state championship at the end of the season with victories over Needham and Scituate high schools.

The following year, MYRO changed the tournament dates to June (after Commencement for us) to put them more in line with MIAA championships, and WMA has been unable to compete in the championships since. That did not come as a surprise, and WMA has put together a hybrid schedule playing prep teams, regional club teams and high school “friendly” matches since then. We have also been part of the first tottering steps of a potential New England prep rugby league with Kimball Union, Albany Academy and the Harvey School.

During the next six years, the team was able to replicate its early success as a growing number of international boarding students and local day students came to the sport out of curiosity, though not usually with much experience in the game. At WMA, roughly 90 percent of our players learn rugby here.

Those teams from 2011 to 2017 were always competitive and always managed to win more

• Scrum-half Jabari Walrond ’21 passing the ball out of the scrum with the help of Sam Zabolotnij ’19, left, during the 2019 season.

• Fly-half Asha Puri ’20 looking to pass with scrum-half Gianna Courtney ’22 in support.

matches than they lost. Many of the boys who came out were athletes in other sports who deserve much credit for ignoring the naysayers and coming to rugby. Many of the boys had hardly played competitive team sports before, but were willing to try a sport where just about everyone else was also a beginner.

The geographic and ethnic diversity of our team has always reflected our school. Over the years there has been a chain of impact players from China (Ethan Qiu ’13, Steven Shen ’14, Jack Xie ’14, Gavin Chen ’14 and Evan Qiao ’14), South Korea ( Jon Lee ’10, HS Jung ’12 and Ralph Lee ’15), Italy (Baccio Galletti ’16 and Edo Comazzi ’17) as well as Eastern Europe, Kuwait, Mexico, Bangladesh, Angola and Japan.

We have always been a welcoming group.

Those teams benefited from a number of football players coming out, including Max Rankin ’12, Desmond Gray ’12, ShaCor Privott ’14, Jack Viens ’13 (our first four-year starter), Miles Nallen ’15, Drew Mele ’15, Filip Vukelic ’16 and the late Dillinger Perez ’15. Soccer players like Phil Antonacci ’13, Andy Goncalves ’15 and alltime single-season scoring leader Evan Roy ’15

have also been impact players. The team has done especially well with wrestlers, like Sasha Oliinyk ’14, Joe Thibault ’13 and Jordan Payne ’16, and we’ve even had a few swimmers (Cole Hansen ’17, Wenjun “Happy” Chang ’18 and Austin Fabbo ’15).

And one or two even came here knowing how to play rugby already, like Ryan McLarney ’12 and Alex Corcoran ’13. While our coaching colleagues at WMA may disagree, to us they are all rugby players.

The past two years have presented new challenges as the sport has taken off with Massachusetts high schools while the local regional clubs have dissolved, partly as a result. We are still able to field talented and explosive teams, like the 2018 team that went undefeated (and unchallenged) up to its final match with our archrival Harvey School (we lost). That team had big and athletic forwards (captain Rohan Heron ’19, Sam Zabolotnij ’19, Anthony Arnieri ’18 and Shohei Ishikawa ’19) as well as speed in the backs (Jason Lee ’19, Ben Wisniewski ’18 and Jakub Kanovics ’19) and most of all, possibly the school’s best scrum-half/fly-half tandem (Kizuki Koyasu ’20 and Ties van Haastrecht ’18).

• Boys’ Rugby coaches Wally Swanson, left, and Tim Harrington ’73.

The 2019 team had more new players than previous teams and played an arguably tougher schedule than we have played in the past (the high school teams keep getting larger and better). But that “losing” season was one of the most fun and satisfying of any of them: led by captains Koyasu and Will Crocker ’20, we got better each match and we came through with a big win over Harvey at home on the last day of the season, effectively getting payback.

It was a memorable send-off for our seniors, and set us up nicely for the 2020 season.

Through it all, our philosophy has remained constant: have fun, learn and live the ethos of the game, and play rugby the right way.

There is no other reason to play rugby except for fun. Presently, there is no pot of gold at the end of the rugby rainbow, though we are beginning to see changes in the college admissions process for the better. At the end of every match, we cheer for the referee and our opponents and then feed them by our pitch in the woods. The smell of hamburgers and hotdogs on the grill has become a fixture of the spring at WMA. Hugh Harrell Field, in our humble opinion, has become the best place to watch a game on campus.

The spring of 2018 marked another red letter day for rugby at WMA when the first girls’ team took the field against Lincoln-Sudbury.

Led by former boys’ rugby manager Celina Rivernider ’19, the girls in our community asked for their own rugby team. The 2020 season was to mark their third year of existence and their first with varsity status.

Over 10 years, we’ve had some extremely talented players. Over the years, we’ve also had a host of untalented players. That is the wonderful reality of coaching inclusive high school sports. Yet, it is the growth of each of these players that has made coaching so rewarding.

Per Academy rules of team equity, each varsity team gets new uniforms once every five years. As our boys don their third set of uniforms and our girls wear their first, we are so pleased to see WMA Rugby continue to move forward as we count the days until the next match.

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departments: Faculty Fun Facts

Titan Faculty: Outside the Classroom

David Allen Faculty, Middle School History Mr. Allen had several short stories and non-fiction essays published

by StoryWeaver Press in “Telling Stories by the Bay,” an anthology of works by writers based on Lake Michigan, where Mr. Allen used to live and teach.

Fabienne Dubois Chair, World Languages Madame Dubois went to Washington, D.C., during November break for the American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages Conference, which is the largest conference for language teachers in the country.

Meg Lenihan Hutcheson Chair, English Department Ms. Hutcheson had a busy winter, conducting several alumni admission interviews for her alma mater, The University of Pennsylvania.

Elizabeth MacLauchlan Faculty, Science Ms. MacLauchlan competed in an indoor triathlon in Enfield, Connecticut, in January.

Rohit Murthy Faculty, Science Mr. Murthy had work from his master’s thesis published in The Journal of Physical Chemistry C. He coauthored the piece with Marc Bourgeois ’08.

Bill Rosenbeck Faculty, English Mr. Rosenbeck hosted meditation sessions twice a week at the Yoga Shop in Ludlow, Massachusetts.

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Jim Irzyk Chair, Center for Entrepreneurship, Economics & Finance Mr. Irzyk spent Christmas in Dublin, Ireland, and New Year’s in London, England, with his family, including his daughter Jordana ’17.

Teddy Ryan Director of Marketing & Communications Ms. Ryan teamed with crisis communications expert Jane Hulbert of The Jane Group and presented “Crisis 2.0: From Voiceless to Viral: a New Era in Communications” at the 2019 The Association of Boarding Schools (TABS) National Conference in December.

Anthony Kandel Chair, History & Global Studies Dr. Kandel enjoyed 10 days during Winter Vacation with his family in Copenhagen, Denmark, where they visited museums and Christmas markets, went on a canal cruise and experienced socialized medicine after Dr. Kandel hurt his back.

Bill Wells Director of Student Promotion Mr. Wells attempted a single-day, 100-mile charity run for Rick’s Place, a nonprofit in Wilbraham, Massachusetts, that offers free support and services to children who have experienced the death of a parent or sibling. Mr. Wells, who has run 23 marathons, completed 83 miles in March 2020.

Brian Lautenschleger Faculty, World Languages Mr. Lautenschleger spent Winter Vacation in Mexico with family.

Kelsea Lewis Faculty, Science Ms. Lewis bought her dogs a new backyard (and herself a home) a few minutes from the Academy. The dogs are happy, and Ms. Lewis is glad to have a shorter commute to work.

Erika Whipple Assistant Director of Athletics, Athletic Trainer Ms. Whipple got the school’s new “mascot” in August — a puppy named “Tilli Bean Titan.”

Stuart Whitcomb Director of WMA Middle School Mr. Whitcomb became an honorary Ludlow resident, having recently won initiation to Gremio Lusitano Club on a prestigious soccer waiver.

The majority of the invitation was based on Mr. Whitcomb’s ability to run from one side of the field to the other without stopping, which he did successfully on his second attempt.

John Lombard Faculty, Mathematics Mr. Lombard created a line of math leisurewear called “Quintessential Quadratic,” which he said is “all the rage at MIT and other nerdcentered institutions.” Mr. Lombard also adopted a dog, Spoon, from Mississippi.

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PAUL BLOOMFIELD Chair, Fine & Performing Arts Department

departments: Faculty Fun Facts

If These Walls Could Talk 2 3 1

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1 Jack and Zoe: Digital Print

3 Equality: Color Silkscreen print

When living on campus, there was a swing hanging from a tree between the Swanson’s and Hutcheson’s house. For me, seeing my kids play together with joy and abandon is priceless.

This graphic was produced in my AP 2D Design class to teach one of the primary applications for printing, which is to communicate an event or an idea. This particular silkscreen poster was about creating equal opportunities between boys and girls for education in India. We created an entire event for this. It showed the potential of thinking beyond the classroom and collaboration. With Mr. Swanson’s Global Studies class, we created a music, art and

2 Bottle: Photogram A quick snapshot of Fine & Performing Arts Department Chair Paul Bloomfield’s office wall, which sheds light on his love for art, travel and Wilbraham & Monson Academy.

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While my assistant for the “Darkroom to Lightroom” class in summer 2019, my son Jackson ’20 made this in the darkroom. It illustrates how direct the creative impulse can be.

educational event that raised money for a charity that we visited in WMA’s first trip to India in 2010.

4 Lioness in Namibia: Digital print

This photograph was taken in Namibia on a WMA camping trip with Mr. Dziura in 2017. Being close enough to see the muscles of a hunting lioness was one of many experiences that made that trip unique and indelible. It reminds me that there is just more to life.

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5 Abstract Painting: Acrylic on canvas, by Martin Mao ’16

I like the composition — there is energy but it is balanced with calm tonal gradations.

6 Girl Dancing: Digital print

Back story: Cambodia is a special place for me. On my first visit with Mr. Dziura and WMA students, we visited Tiny Toones, a hip-hop school for underprivileged kids in Phnom Penh. A few days later, I got very sick and had to suddenly leave the trip to have surgery in Thailand.

However, I was so taken by the energy and focus of the school that I vowed to return.

This photograph — taken the following year in Cambodia, with a WMA Educator’s Grant to photograph and raise awareness for issues related to child labor, health and safety — especially connected with the arts. With my wife and former WMA Middle School Humanities teacher, Sherri

Krassin, we raised money for Tiny Toones. This photograph was part of two exhibits, and the project culminated with a school-wide presentation from Loung Ung, author of the memoir and movie “First They Killed My Father.”

7 Two Boys Dancing: Digital print

This image was also from the same trip to Cambodia. I wanted to add the energy I felt at the time of photographing the image so I drew on the photograph.

8 Still-Life: Charcoal on paper,

by Zoe Bloomfield ’18

After years of taking most of the art classes I teach here at WMA, my daughter Zoe ’18 told me she would never major in art. Almost two years later, she recently presented this large drawing to me, and told me she was declaring a double major, including Fine Art. It just goes to show that you never know.

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Alumni: SENIOR STONES

By MOLLY McGILL Director of Alumni Relations

Every Stone has a Story

In 1947, Wilbraham Academy Headmaster Charles Stevens sought a way for graduates of the Academy to leave a piece of themselves for posterity. For many years, students had engraved symbols into the foundation of Fisk Hall.

Mr. Stevens’ idea resulted in the creation of the Alumni Wall, which is now a series of walls throughout various parts of the campus on which graduating classes leave their Senior Stones.

• Alina Shirley’s ’15 senior stone.

• Ben Wisniewski’s ’18 senior stone.

From “The Hill” to the front of Rich Hall, along Main Street, down Faculty Street and now past the Athletic Center, Academy alumni have designed and left their own, unique 10-inch-by-7.5-inch mark on our campus. All told, approximately 6,400 Senior Stones are permanent fixtures of both individual and Academy history.

Alina Shirley ’15

“When I was at WMA, I was certain that in some way, music was going to play a major role in my professional and personal life. Although music is still extremely important to me, I ended up choosing a different path in college, delving into biology and health science. If you place the musical notes of my senior stone on any scale, you might get a fun series of notes, but in reality they simply spell out UH — U H. Spoken phonetically, this says “uhlineuh,” a common mispronunciation of my name and a nickname I received from my close friends while at WMA. I’m still only called this nickname by my best friends from high school, who I am still very close with, and in this way, it truly is a connection to the unique time I spent growing up at WMA.”

Ben Wisniewski ’18

“‘Benski’ is my nickname among family and friends. I decided to carve it on my stone because I consider WMA to be my family, even though I was only there for one year. It took me about two hours to carve and was not that hard, given the right tools. My dad has been in business as a mechanic for 42 years now and he has more tools than the Michelin Man. I used his Dremel tools and with tracing, steady hands (took both hands) and an understanding of the power, I was able to drill out my name and the year of graduation. If I had used a chisel and a hammer, I would probably still be working on it to this day. I believe any slight mess ups in carving added character and I’m very pleased with the results.”

Every stone has a story, and we want to hear yours! Email us at alumni@wma.us to share your Senior Stone story and maybe you’ll see it in future issues of the magazine.

John Banas III ’80

At first glance, John Banas’ senior stone looks fairly ordinary.

His name appears prominently in the middle of the stone and the years he attended WMA (1976–80) are carved into opposite corners. “Pres” — short for President — is displayed in the top right corner and offers a glimpse into John’s activity as a student. However, a little digging uncovered the deeper significance of John’s title of “Pres” and exposed an interesting period of WMA’s history.

“The mid-to-late 70s were a pivotal time for the Academy,” Mr. Banas said. Through a confluence of factors, the WMA at which John arrived in 1976 was a far different place from the Wilbraham Academy his father attended two decades earlier.

“The economic recession in the early ’70s meant the Academy broadened its acceptance criteria to keep afloat,” Mr. Banas said. “Then there was the counterculture movement of the mid-60s to mid-70s, and the backlash to authority. There was this perception that a school club or a society, especially at a prep school, was too institutional. Gold Key Society was, like, ‘the man,’” Mr. Banas said. As a result, when John arrived as a freshman in 1976, there were almost no extracurricular clubs or societies on campus. “I remember calling my father and

he would tell me to join this club or that group,” Mr. Banas recalled. “I’d say ‘Dad, those don’t exist anymore!’ So, he told me to resurrect them.”

Mr. Banas certainly took that advice to heart. In his sophomore year, armed with information from his father about Wilbraham Academy clubs from the ’50s, he and some classmates resurrected the Student Government, the Gold Key Society and the Atlas newspaper. They even created an “underground” newspaper called The Ferret (for those who wanted a bit more editorial freedom). “That first year, the student senate was self-appointed. I think we put on a few dances. By the time I was a senior, we had a student government comprised of representatives from each class and the group really acted as the voice of the students.”

As Mr. Banas simply stated, “When you start or restart something, that’s what happens. You become President, because there’s no one else!”

Forty years later, the moniker “Pres” is engraved into his senior stone, and is an apt, if understated, representation of his impact on WMA. As for the letters “JT” carved into the lower left corner of the stone? Well, that’s a story for another issue of The Ferret . . .

• John Banas III’s ’80 senior stone.

• John’s father, John Banas Jr.’s ’55W senior stone.

• John Banas III ’80 on Rich Hall steps with faculty member Scott Diddel’s St. Bernard.

DEPARTMENTS: Alumni Events

Young Alumni Gathering January 8, 2020 1

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Recent alumni and friends joined some of their favorite staff and faculty in Gill Memorial Library to catch up on WMA and share what’s new in their lives. photos by zoe bloomfield ’18 1 Left to right: English Faculty member Tim Harrington ’73, Brendan Kane ’17, Emma Kindblom ’17 and History & Global Studies Faculty member Gary Cook. 2 Olivia McCauley ’16 and Emily Dromgold ’17. 3 Marissa Fabbo ’17 and Zoe Bloomfield ’18.

4 John Tierney ’15 catches up with faculty members Jim Irzyk and Luke Pelletier, and Steve Ragnauth ’12.

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WMA Giving Day February 13, 2020 1

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Our second annual #WMAGivingDay was a big success, thanks to support from the entire WMA community!

By the numbers: 24 hours 157 donors More than $36,000 raised for the Atlas Fund Gifts came from: Alumni & Current Students - 47% Parents & Friends - 38% Faculty & Staff - 15%

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1 Asha Puri ’20, Director of Advancement Mark Aimone and Gabby Zebrowski ’22. 2 Kyle Filipowski ’22, faculty member ShaCor Privott ’14 and Matt Filipowski ’22. 3 Katie Cronin ’20, left, and Beti Stevens ’20 help Catarina Carter ’20, center, celebrate her birthday. 4 Cecily Etti ’21, Emalee Watson ’21 and Beti Stevens ’20.

5 Jack Whitcomb ’21, Marvin Morris ’21 and Jeremy Dubois ’21.

6 Advancement Office staff members Sarah Wakelin and Kristin Oldham pose with the prize wheel. 7 Giving Day treats were a big hit with students and faculty alike!

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Giving Day Kick-Off Party Demetri Tsolakis ’01 hosted alumni, parents and staff at his new meze and wine bar, Krasi, in Boston on Feb. 12.

8 Steff Robbins ’10 and Colin Akerly ’09.

9 Josh Binney ’07 and Symin Charpentier ’07.

10 Dominic Pessolano ’11, Aislinn Calabrese ’11 and Teddy Davis ’11.

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TRAVEL: ALUMNI trip

Alumni Asia Trip November 2019 1

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Head of School Brian P. Easler and Director of Advancement Mark Aimone toured Asia last November to visit alumni, families and prospective students in Tokyo, Bangkok, Hanoi, Beijing and Seoul.

1 Dinner in Tokyo, left to right: Ted Kitahara ’88, Yugo Fukushima ’94, Mark Aimone, Michiharu Honda ’81 and Brian Easler. 2 Mark Aimone and Brian Easler pose with mothers of current WMA students at the Beijing reception. 3 Mark Aimone and Brian Easler pose with current fathers of WMA students at the Beijing reception. 4 In Seoul on the final leg of their trip, Brian Easler and Mark Aimone met with a great group of parents and alumni. 5 With alumni in Beijing, front row (left to right): Haotian “Roger” Cui ’15, Mark Aimone, Brian Easler and Teresa Kennedy ’12.

Back row: Ziwei “Vivian” Wang ’11 and Rui Zhi “Orange” Weng ’09.

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departments: class notes

Class Notes 1952 Wilbraham After 30 years in Maine, Nathaniel Bond and his wife, Beth, are making plans to move back to Massachusetts to be closer to their children.

1952 Monson At 84, Jack Woodhead is “alive and kickin’ in Georgia!” He is enjoying an ’18 Miata, world travel and four cats, as well as fond memories of George Rogers and George Morrow.

Jack writes that he enjoyed Monson (1949–52), but after 67 years regrets he didn’t enjoy it more.

1962 Wilbraham 1 Robert Bromage, a legendary figure in Enfield (Connecticut) baseball history, received the 2019 Contributor to the Game Award from the Connecticut Board of Approved Baseball Umpires, Hartford Chapter at its annual dinner on Oct. 11, 2019.

Bromage, known affectionately by his Enfield High School players as “The Chief,” coached the Raiders for 39 years. After retiring from Enfield in 2005, Mr. Bromage went on to help rebuild the East Granby (Connecticut) High School baseball program, where he coached until June 2019.

1963 Monson 2 Cary Brick, a former WMA Trustee, is a frequent contributor to Thousand Islands Life — an online magazine highlighting writing and photography about the Thousand Islands region of New York, where he and his wife, Janet, formerly resided. Cary’s articles can be found at www.thousandislandslife. com. In 2017, Cary and Janet established the Brick Riverside

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Foundation, a geographic-specific charitable foundation that provides support for St. Lawrence River-area programs and institutions to enhance the quality of life in the Thousand Islands region. The foundation recently announced gifts to the Village of Clayton for upgrades to its regional Pier Park and to River Hospital to aid its emergency department and expansion. Cary and Janet currently reside in Sugar Land, Texas.

1964 Wilbraham Jose Ruben Mendoza writes: “It is with deep regret that I inform you of the passing of my brother, Carlos Alberto Mendoza ’66W. Carlos kept an active life to the end, earning his law degree at the age of 67 and playing golf throughout his adult life.”

1965 Wilbraham 3 David Cooper and his wife, Trudi, traveled to Korea to have fun with their granddaughter (pictured) and her parents from Bangkok. They also enjoy traveling quite a bit in the American Southwest.

1967 Wilbraham 4 Anthony “Tony” Gagliardi met with members of WMA’s Advancement Office in New York City in November 2019. Tony retired and started Oxford Risk Consulting after 46 years in the 4

property & casualty underwriting and broking world. He is keeping a hand in the business, taking time to enjoy his family (three children and five grandchildren), and he never forgets the positive impact Wilbraham and friends made there have had on his life.

Tony and his wife of 44 years spend part of their time in South Carolina (pictured enjoying a sunset there). On facing page, Tony stands with Director of Alumni Relations Molly McGill, center, and Director of Leadership & Planned Giving Nick Stafford, right.

1968 Wilbraham 5 Rob Humberston presented to students in WMA’s Finance, Entrepreneurship & Business (FEB) Society and the Center for Entrepreneurship, Economics & Finance (CEEF) Speaker Series in September. Mr. Humberston, who recently retired from a long career in banking, portfolio management and wealth management, presented his experience from “WMA to Wealth Management.” He also shared his perspective on the importance of giving back to your community and finding ways to develop personal passions and interests.

1972 6 Carter Wormeley and his wife, Mona, visited WMA in August 2019 during a trip north from Alexandria, Virginia. It was Carter’s first time back on campus in nearly 50 years and he was excited to revisit his old dorm rooms, as well as his “work station” in the kitchen from the days when student workers helped prepare and serve lunch. Carter retired from his role as asset manager for the U.S. General Services Administration at the end of 2019.

1973 After spending the past six years in Canada (the first five in Edmonton, Alberta, and the last year in Guelph, Ontario), Chuck Feinstein and his wife moved to Germany in August 2019. Chuck writes: “My wife has accepted a two-year contract to teach German and English at the International School of the Rhine in Neuss, Germany. This is across the river from the beautiful city of Dusseldorf. We live in a very nice apartment, right in a vibrant section of the city and are having a wonderful time. If anyone is passing through, contact me by email and we could have a drink in the Allstadt at the ‘longest bar in the world.’”

1974 7 Dana Gahres, owner of Dana’s Main Street Tavern in Monson, Massachusetts, hosted Coach Mike Mannix, Coach ShaCor Privott ’14 and members of the Boys’ Varsity Basketball team for dinner in December 2019.

1980 8 Keith Liederman celebrated his 25th year on the job at Kingsley House (in New Orleans), the oldest settlement house in the South and one of the nation’s premier social and human services organizations.

Keith was recently elected Chair of the Board of the Child Welfare League of America. In addition, Keith and his wife, Luanne, are excited to announce the marriage of their daughter Camille to Reda. Keith writes, “They are studying at Vytautas Magnus University in Kaunas (Lithuania) and my wife and I couldn’t be prouder!”

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1984 9 Tracy (Thompson) Viola has expanded her real estate business and now serves all of Massachusetts and Connecticut. She specializes in first-time home buyers and residential real estate, and added commercial real estate and cash investors to her business portfolio. She is pictured (at right) at a networking event with one of her agents.

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1986 Lawrence “Micha” Ordway lives in central New York with his wife and children. He works as an attorney and is one of the managing partners of his firm. Lawrence writes: “Many years have passed since my days at WMA. I think of my time at the Academy fondly. Life has provided me with many wonderful opportunities and the Academy provided a great foundation for it all.”

1989 10 Attorney Mahsa Khanbabai, Chair of the New England Chapter of American Immigration Lawyers, appeared on The Rachel Maddow Show in September 2019 to discuss her work on behalf of deferred action. In addition, Mahsa serves as an advisor for Save the Children’s Boston Leadership Council. During their November 2019 “Celebrate the Future of Every Child” event, Mahsa joined

a panel to discuss her experience visiting refugee camps in Lebanon.

The event raised more than $250,000 to benefit Save the Children’s “Return to Learning” initiative, which aims to get refugee children back in school within 30 days of displacement, and Save the Children’s programs for Syrian refugees in Lebanon. Mahsa is pictured second from right.

1993 11 While on an East Coast vacation in October 2019, Miyuki Noji took the opportunity to visit WMA for the first time in 20 years. She is pictured, center, with her daughters Aria and Alicia behind her Senior Stone. The family lives in Hawaii, where Miyuki works in banking.

1997 12 Tia (Woodard) Younger and James Younger visited with their three children in August 2019 while in the area to see friends and family.

It was the couple’s first time back since graduation; and they toured with a Gold Key student, visited Mr. D’Avanzo’s science class and had lunch in Lak Dining Hall.

1999 13 Teresa (Holuk) Bruno and her husband, Frank Bruno ’98, welcomed a baby girl to their family. Seraphina Louise Bruno arrived July 23, 2019, and joins big sister Ariana and big brother Steven.

2000 14 After years of working as a production sound mixer for advertising and films, Aldo Carrizales, left, is opening Cubush Music Academy near Monterrey, Mexico. The academy is

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based on Edgar Willem’s pedagogical system and their mission is to give children the tools to discover a new and exciting world through their senses.

Aldo writes: “My main objective is not only for the children to become great musicians, but most importantly for them to become great human beings.”

Aldo has been married to photographer Pamela Baxter for 10 years. They have a 3-year-old daughter named Nina and are expecting a baby boy named Noah.

and keeping busy with four under 4.

We’ve been fortunate to have help from another WMA alumna Maya Ferris ’19 who’s been babysitting our kiddos!” Rachel continues to work part-time as a nurse practitioner at Baystate Hospital’s cardiology office in Springfield, Massachusetts.

2003 17 Lindsay Jagodowski and her husband, Ryan Burt, welcomed a baby boy to their family. Finn Gregory David Burt arrived Aug. 16, 2019. The family resides in Alexandria, Virginia.

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2001 15 Charles “Chuck” Bridge married Erica Hollot on Dec. 21, 2019, in Hampden, Massachusetts. The couple resides in Springfield, where Chuck works as a sourcing recruiter for Amazon Web Services and Erica serves as an Assistant Athletic Director at Springfield College.

2002 16 In 2019, Rachel Gagnon and husband Matt welcomed their fourth child, and second son, Kyson. Rachel writes: “We’ve been enjoying our life 16

2004 18 Marisa Barone-Fenn was chosen to run the 2020 Boston Marathon for the Joseph Andruzzi Foundation, which helps cancer patients who need financial assistance. Marisa (pictured on right of photo) is hoping to crush her $10,000 fundraising goal — 100 percent of which goes directly to the foundation.

Editor’s note: At the time of publication, Marisa had already surpassed her $10,000 goal — congratulations Marisa!

19 Stephanie (LaRiviere) Hodges and her husband, Alan, welcomed son Lenox into their family on Nov. 28, 2019 (Thanksgiving Day!). Lenox joins big sister Salem, 2, and big brother Quincy, 4.

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departments: class notes

20 Pat Phelan was inducted into the Enfield Hall of Fame during the 24th annual induction dinner, held at Oak Ridge Golf Club in Feeding Hills, Massachusetts, on Sept. 6, 2019. Pat was recognized for his achievements in soccer, including: 2003 Gatorade National High School Soccer Player of the Year; NCAA champion at Wake Forest; and professional player for six years. Pat is pictured second from right, along with the other inductees.

2006 Elizabeth (Goldberg) Coyle became program director of Future Problem Solving Program International, a nonprofit organization focused on developing students’ abilities to achieve positive futures through critical thinking, problem solving and service learning. Elizabeth writes: “Like at WMA, we have participants from all over the globe who come together to compete throughout the year. I am excited to work with this incredible program!”

21 Jack O’Leary and his wife, Erika, welcomed a baby into their family.

Vivienne Elizabeth O’Leary was born May 15, 2019, and joins big sister Clara.

22 Anna (Hart) Owen has started a mobile beer and wine trailer business called Good Time Tap, LLC, which currently operates in Massachusetts and Connecticut. The trailer can be booked for weddings, parties, corporate events and more. Follow 22

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Good Time Tap on Instagram @goodtimetapllc, on TheKnot.com or at https://goodtimetap.com.

Anna visited WMA in January 2020 to meet with the Office of Advancement (pictured on left with Director of Alumni Relations Molly McGill) about bringing Good Time Tap to the Alumni Reunion Games, and she was able to surprise former soccer coach Don Nicholson ’79 (facing page).

2007 23 Josh Binney and Sarah Palmer were married on Oct. 5, 2019, at Eastward Ho! in Chatham, Massachusetts. The couple resides in Boston, where Josh works for Raytheon Company and Sarah is an attorney.

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2008 24 Josh Kennedy married Vanessa Watkins on Aug. 31, 2019, in Strathroy, Ontario. The couple resides in Thunder Bay, Ontario.

2009 25 Chelby Wakefield graduated magna cum laude from St. George’s University School of Medicine in May 2019. In July, she started her residency in internal medicine at West Virginia University, after which she plans on pursuing a fellowship in hematology/oncology (hopefully, she says, in her home state of Colorado!). Before medical school, Chelby worked as a clinical research

coordinator in the hematopoietic stem cell transplant department at DanaFarber Cancer Institute in Boston and at the University of California in San Diego. Her research has been published in journals and in poster presentations around the globe. Chelby, center, is pictured at graduation with her sisters Chantal (left) and Christina Wakefield ’14 (right).

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30 Dominic Pessolano graduated magna cum laude with a Bachelor of Science in pre-med biology in 2015, then obtained his MBA in 2016 — both from Springfield College. He then moved to Boston, Massachusetts, to attend Tufts University School of Medicine’s Master of Public Health program and concentrated in Global Health. He now works at an oncology pharmaceutical company in the area of pharmacovigilance in Cambridge.

26 Steve Marcus was named head coach of the St. John’s Edge of the National Basketball League of Canada in the fall of 2019. At 28, Steve is the youngest head coach in the league and one of the youngest professional head coaches worldwide.

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27 Victoria Mordasky, right, was elected and sworn in as a constable for the town of Stafford Springs, Connecticut, in November 2019. In addition to her duties as constable, Victoria is the Practice Manager for Stafford Veterinary Clinic.

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28 Colin Scott married Amanda Albertson on Aug. 24, 2019, in Sturbridge, Massachusetts. The couple met in college. Amanda teaches second grade, and Colin was recently selected to join the Hampden County S.W.A.T. team.

2011 29 John Moran and his company Vaya Island were featured in articles in Forbes and the New York Post.

John founded the e-commerce swimwear business in 2014 out of his dorm room at Merrimack College.

He’s since built sales of the company and brought in $500,000 in 2018.

John splits his time between Cape Cod and Florida — both great locations for swimwear scouting!

31 Maodo Lo played point guard for the German National Team in the 2019 FIBA Basketball World Cup, hosted

by China. Germany finished 18th in the FIBA World Rankings.

In January, Kelsey Gomes started a job with the Tampa Bay Rays in St. Petersburg, Florida. As an account manager for Corporate Sponsorship Activation and Sales, she develops relationships and maintains dayto-day contact with 35–40 of Major League Baseball’s Tampa Bay Rays corporate partners. Kelsey oversees advertising, hospitality and experiential assets such as ballpark signage, in-game promotions, media elements, in-market retail programs, community events, premium tickets and client entertainment.

32 Alyssa Natario graduated with her doctorate of physical therapy from Sacred Heart University in Fairfield, Connecticut, in May 2019. She passed the National Physical Therapy exam in July 2019 and is now a full-time, inpatient physical therapist at Saint Francis Hospital in Hartford, Connecticut.

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2015 33 In March 2019, Alex Caldwell registered as a PGA Associate and started his journey to become a PGA member and a head golf professional.

Alex is currently the assistant pro at Ludlow Country Club in Ludlow, Massachusetts. Alex writes: “I played in a few tournaments this year, and finished tied for fifth for best individual pro score in the pro-am series of the PGA’s Connecticut Section. It’s been a great experience so far and I’m loving every minute of it!”

Hannah Clewes received a Bachelor of Science in Nursing from Endicott College in May 2019. In the summer of 2019, Hannah accepted a position as a registered nurse in the emergency department at Mercy Medical Center, in Springfield, Massachusetts.

34 John Tierney presented to Mr. Irzyk’s Portfolio Management class on Jan. 30. John is a financial advisor with Charter Oak Financial and focuses his practice on student debt refinancing, wealth accumulation, investment strategies and income strategies with young employees, parents and professional athletes. He provided students with real-world case studies to walk them through financial management best practices and decision-making processes.

2016 35 Junhao “Mark” Xu, a fourthyear student at NYU Abu Dhabi, participated in the Third International Conference on Economic Research in Alanya, Turkey, hosted by ALKU and the Central Bank of Turkey. As the only undergraduate participant, Mark presented his paper on the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank to a room full of professors, graduate

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students and central bankers.

Mark writes: “The conference was a transformative experience. In addition to gaining valuable feedback on my research, I learned a lot from other presentations (especially Oxford professor Peter Neary’s), received personal guidance from the Chief of Economic Modeling and Quantitative Assessment at the WTO, and networked with economists from different backgrounds.” Mark is pictured at far left.

2017 36 Katie Cronin, a junior at Bryant University, and Molly Socha ’15, a redshirt senior at University of Hartford, faced off during a preseason soccer match in Hartford last August.

WMA alumni were there to cheer for both. Left to right: Ricky Appel ’14, Cronin ’17, Socha ’15, Carly Cronin ’13 and Cam Bouchard ’13.

of Oxford. Jordana, right, and a friend are pictured in front of the “RadCam” (Radcliffe Camera building), one of the University’s libraries.

38 Kiana Smith spent part of the spring semester studying in Malaga, Spain. After participating in a fiveweek immersion program there last summer, Kiana loved it so much she decided to return for a full semester.

She will continue her Spanish studies and will challenge herself with history and international studies courses in Spanish.

2018 39 Coach Mike Mannix, left, visited former player Devonn Allen in November. Devonn finished his second year playing guard for the Amherst College Men’s Basketball team.

We’d like to hear from you!

Send your news to alumni@wma.us or call Molly McGill, Director of Alumni Relations, at 413.596.9118.

Emily Dromgold is in her junior year at Wellesley College. She is studying Chinese and Music, working as a teaching assistant in writing and is a published poet. Her most recent works have been published in Massachusetts Best Emerging Poets 2019 (from Z Publishing), Lily Poetry Review, Paragon Press and Otherwise Engaged Journal.

37 Jordana Irzyk spent the year studying French Literature at St. Edmund Hall at the University

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departments: WE REMEMBER

Communication sent by Head of School Brian P. Easler in Sept. 2019 “It saddens me to inform you that Mr. Arthur J. Kelley Jr. passed away on September 15 (2019).

Mr. Kelley was a member of the Wilbraham Academy faculty for 15 school years, from 1955 until the merger with Monson Academy in 1971. He taught English, was the advisor for dramatics and the Rubicon, and started the ski program. A veteran of World War II, Mr. Kelley rarely spoke of his wartime experiences with the Army Air Corps but was well known for wasting no opportunity to dissuade his students of any glamorous perceptions of war.

Intelligent, dignified and patient, Mr. Kelley was a favorite of his students and fellow faculty. He will be deeply missed by those who had the good fortune to know him.”

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We Remember Mr. Matthew F. Allen ’80 Alumni

Mr. Robert E. Harding Jr. ’41W Alumni

Mr. Norman T. Pincince ’41M Alumni

Mr. Arthur J. Kelley Jr. Former Faculty

Mr. Frederick M. Bodington Jr. ’55M Alumni

Mr. Clark Douglas Jacobs ’78 Alumni

Mr. Bruce B. Rava ’83 Alumni

Sheila Flynn Alumni Grandparent

Mr. Frank D. Johnson ’42W Alumni

Mr. Michael P. Shebek ’48M Alumni

Mrs. Josephine Stellato Alumni Grandparent NG

Mr. Roger B. Leland, Esq. ’47W Alumni

Mr. Harvey L. Spaunburg Jr. ’41W Alumni

Ms. Mary M. Bacon Alumni Parent, Former Faculty

Mr. James E. Leonard ’49W Alumni

Mr. Theodore F. Van Singel ’91 Alumni

Mr. Peter M. Doukellis Alumni Parent

Mr. Robert A. Martin ’45W Alumni

Mr. R. Wallace Watson ’70W Alumni

Mrs. Mary Keroack Alumni Parent

Mr. Richard F. McBride ’47W Alumni

Mr. Allan P. Wiegand ’52W Alumni

Mr. Richard T. Miller Sr. Alumni Parent

Mr. Richard T. McCarthy ’51W Alumni

Mr. F. Beecher Wooding ’59M Alumni

Mr. Richard M. Altman Alumni Parent NG

Mr. Robert P. McGoldrick ’42W Alumni

Mr. Thomas Dineen Current Grandparent

Mr. Carlos A. Mendoza ’66W Alumni

Mr. Legrande R. Howell Former Faculty

Mr. Robert A. Briggs ’49M Alumni Ms. Christine Chambers ’99 Alumni Mr. Donald T. French ’51W Alumni Mr. Alfred G. Gola ’47M Alumni Mr. David G. Green ’67W Alumni Mr. Charles G. Greenhalgh Jr. ’42W Alumni Mr. Arthur Hacking Jr. ’50W Alumni

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history: From the Archives

By JANET MORAN Director of Archives

The Monson Bell: A Historic Legacy W

hat connection do the Mayflower, Paul Revere and Sir Francis Bacon have to Wilbraham & Monson Academy?

Why the Monson Bell, of course!

The Monson Bell has sat proudly atop “The Hill” next to Old Academy — the two oldest icons of our Academy history — since 1971. And the Bell’s history dates back to the early days of Monson Academy.

The original Monson Bell was donated by Benjamin Fuller, less than two years after Monson Academy’s founding in 1804.

He was a seventh-generation descendant of Edward Fuller, who had sailed on the Mayflower and was one of the 41 signatories of the Mayflower Compact, the first document to establish selfgovernment in the new colony.

Tragically, the bell was destroyed in the disastrous fire of Old Academy at Monson Academy in 1886.

It was soon replaced by the current Monson Bell, which was donated by Benjamin Fuller’s son, also named Benjamin.

The bell came from Meneely Bell Foundry, a late 19th century family foundry in Troy, New York. The foundry’s founder Andrew Meneeley was an apprentice to Julius Hanks, whose father learned from and worked for Paul Revere.

• A Monson Academy student uses his foot on the bell frame for extra leverage to ring the Monson Bell.

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The west facing side of the Monson Bell contains the following inscription:

“Knowledge is Power” Donated by Benjamin Fuller This famous proverb dates back to Sir Francis Bacon in the 1500s.

The Meneely sound, it is said, is revered for its rich tone and exceptional quality. This foundry, a leader in its industry, mastered the technique of melding a winning combination of materials made up of 80-percent copper and 20-percent tin to create these beautiful bronze bells.

The Bell was nearly destroyed again by another fire in 1953.

Thankfully it was saved and a year later was mounted outside the newly-built Alumni Hall, Monson Academy’s main academic and office building at that time.

Through its history on the Monson campus, the Bell was rung to call students to classes and to celebrate an athletic victory.

Ron Masnicki ’57M shared a recollection of a memorable game. Mr. Masnicki played football for Monson Academy and he recalled the time they drove quite far to play the U.S. Coast Guard Academy, a daunting team against which Monson had never achieved a victory . . . until that day. The Monson team was finally victorious with a 6–0 win. When the team arrived back at campus, close to midnight, the boys knew what they had to do. They victoriously rang that bell until the lights on all the neighboring houses turned on and the town had awakened.

Since the merger into Wilbraham & Monson Academy nearly 50 years ago, the Monson Bell has established itself as a hallowed fixture on the Wilbraham campus. Today, it is rung at major on-campus events such as Commencement and Reunion, and sometimes after an athletic win. It serves as a reminder of the rich history of Monson Academy, in addition to an active tradition and representation of the storied timeline of WMA. Written with special thanks to Mary Swierad, Collections Manager, Monson Historical Society.

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SUPPORTING WMA: WMA Community Fund

By MARK AIMONE Director of Advancement

True heart and character shining in WMA community

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hile the physical heart of the WMA community lies between Faculty Street, Springfield Street and Main Street, the true heart of WMA shines within each of us who has experienced — either past or present — the warmth, care and support that makes WMA so special.

It is during times like these that we see the true character and resolve of our community and how fortunate we are to be a part of it. It has been extraordinary to see the outpouring of support for one another from alumni, parents and friends around the world.

In true WMA fashion, many of you have asked how you can help and what kind of impact it will make. As we face these unprecedented circumstances, it is difficult to know what lies ahead and exactly where we will need your support. However, it is clear that we need your support.

“Throughout our history, the WMA community has always come together and gotten us through tough times.”

In response to this unprecedented situation, we have created the WMA Community Fund.

This fund will be focusing all of our efforts on collecting support that will provide us the ability to react and adjust to the needs of our faculty, our students and their families, and our program as we move forward. These funds can be used for anything from shipping a student’s belongings home, to supporting a current family who needs additional financial assistance, or helping us retain our amazing faculty and staff. We know this is a tough time for many of you and, for some, now may not be the time to financially support the Academy and we understand. But, if you are able to make a gift or continue your support, the impact of your generosity will be immeasurable.

Throughout our history, the WMA community has always come together and gotten us through tough times. In this critical situation we again look to that spirit to keep our school and our students moving forward. It is fitting that Atlas, a symbol of strength and perseverance, stands over the entrance of Rich Hall as this truly exemplifies the character of this community: People connected by a shared WMA history standing ready to help each other in a time of need.

Thank you for all you have done and continue to do to make the WMA community so special.

Please stay healthy and safe!

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Wilbraham & Monson Academy 423 Main Street Wilbraham, MA 01095-1715 www.wma.us tel: 413.596.6811 address service requested

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