80 minute read
Community Fund Update
Uncertain times reveal ‘true character, resolve and extraordinary commitment’ of WMA community
In April as the full scope of the pandemic became a reality, we launched the Community Fund as a way to focus all of our fundraising efforts on providing the resources necessary to react and adjust to the needs of our faculty, our students and their families, and our programs—with a goal of completing the 2019–2020 academic year.
We have faced challenges before in our history, and in these times the true character of our community has been revealed. It is only through the resilience, the loyalty and the resolve of the entire community that each time we have emerged as a stronger, more vibrant place.
The current situation is no exception. Thanks to the commitment and generosity of our community, we were, in true Atlas style, able to persevere through the spring, provide a high-quality, emergency online program and find a way to honor the Class of 2020 with a heartfelt, socially distanced send-off that involved our entire school community. Although the academic year came to an end for the students, it was just the beginning of the work that needed to be done in order to prepare for a new school year in the presence of a global pandemic. When we launched the Community Fund, we were not certain what our needs as a community would be. But as those days turned into weeks, it became clear it would take significant resources to prepare our campus for the fall and the safe return of our students and faculty. Without the benefit of a large endowment, we are left to rely on our own fiscal discipline and voluntary support to make this happen. Your support of the Community Fund played a key role in putting us in a position to be ready for in-person learning this school year.
With almost $200,000 raised since the launch of the Fund up to June 30, we were able to take significant steps to insure the safety of our community—from relatively small items, like masks, hand sanitizers and air purifiers, to much larger projects such as the addition of three new shared bathrooms in Rich Hall and removal of the pews in Alumni Memorial Chapel to make room for additional dining seating.
The biggest project on campus has been the renovation of the basement in Mattern Science Building. The original plan for the summer was to convert the more than 4,500-square-foot space into a Design & Fabrication Space that would be ready for September 2020. Unfortunately, the pandemic delayed the original plan, but because we had half of the necessary funding in hand, we were able to move forward on the renovation part of the project to create much-needed space for socially distanced classrooms. At the conclusion of this academic year, we will turn our efforts to the second phase of creating the Design & Fabrication Space.
Perhaps the most important part of our plan for in-person classes has been having the ability for widespread, frequent testing here on campus. We are participating in a testing consortium with the Broad Institute that has allowed us to test students and faculty two times per week.
The Community Fund will continue to be the focus of our fundraising efforts through this year as it will take time to fully recover from the impact of this pandemic. As you can read in the Opening of School article on pages 2–3, we continue to invest in the education of our students while prioritizing the health and safety of all members of the WMA community. These efforts require a significant and ongoing financial commitment. We are grateful and appreciative for all of your support and hope that we can continue to count on you to help us meet the challenges that lie ahead.
Throughout our history, the WMA community has always come together to support and guide us through tough times and this moment is no exception. While we don’t know what the future of this pandemic will hold, one thing is certain, it is times like these when we see the true character, resolve and extraordinary commitment of the entire WMA community.
News from the Hill
Liam Etti ’20, Chuc An ‘Ann’ Tran ’21 win Harvard Model UN honors
Specialized agency—the phrase alone is impressive and stands out.
Similarly, at the largest Model United Nations event in the world, two students from Wilbraham & Monson Academy were impressive and stood out.
Among more than 4,000 peers, Liam Etti ’20 and Chuc An “Ann” Tran ’21 received awards based on their performance at the Harvard Model UN, which was held in Boston on the last weekend of January. The 67th session of Harvard Model UN drew students from 57 countries.
Liam and Ann participated in Specialized Agencies, aka Crisis Committees, which are more intense than the traditional format. Liam portrayed Omotola, a Nigerian female who verbally and physically fought against the British Empire for the Women’s War of 1929. Ann, meanwhile, was the master of supplies for the Pirate Confederation of Ching Shih in the early 1800s.
Liam won an Honorable Mention Award, while Ann was recognized with a Diplomatic Commendation.
“Specialized Agencies are uniquely difficult to prepare for, because sessions are designed around ‘crises’ that happen in real time, while delegates are simultaneously trying to work on the larger problem that they have spent months researching,” said Ms. Sommer Mahoney ’11, who serves as faculty advisor with Mr. Gary Cook. “Both Liam and Ann are particularly talented researchers, writers and persuasive speakers, and they’ve learned how to apply all of those skills in the intense situations that Harvard creates for these committees. We’re so proud of their success.”
Chuc An “Ann” Tran ’21
Liam Etti ’20
Shane Appiah ’21 Norah Omar ’21 Shane Appiah ’21, Norah Omar ’21 lead on, off campus
Norah Omar ’21 and Shane Appiah ’21 are exceptional role models in the Wilbraham & Monson Academy community.
Being leaders on campus, though, wasn’t enough for either, as they joined the Youth Advisory Board for District Attorney Anthony Gulluni ’99 last year.
In February, Norah and Shane brought Mr. Gulluni’s Netsmart Program to an elementary school in Chicopee to educate Grades 2 and 3 students about internet safety.
“It was heartwarming because they were responsive and interactive,” Norah said of the presentation’s success. “They responded to it very well. I think it’s crucial we do this because there are a lot of unsafe conditions on the internet right now, especially with social media use increasing with the younger ages.”
“The Youth Advisory Board feels it’s the best way to combat people who are being affected online in a negative manner. We want to start very young with elementary students so they know how to interact online safely.”
WMA wins 5 awards at state Model Congress
Wilbraham & Monson Academy’s reputation as a school with an influential presence in regards to government—both locally and globally—has been brought to the forefront at the state level this year.
Soon after the Upper School’s Model United Nations program landed two award winners and four more from the Middle School, WMA’s Model Congress had five students receive honors at the state event in Boston in February.
Kyle Yamagishi-Rodstein ’20, Michelle Itkin ’22, Jack Perenick ’21 and Chuc An “Ann” Tran ’21 won Best Delegate Awards, while Liam Etti ’20 earned an Honorable Mention.
“The overall performance of the 2020 Model Congress team was outstanding,” said Dr. Anthony Kandel. “In addition to winning four Best Delegate Awards and one Honorable Mention award (a school record), the entire group was focused, on task, engaged and truly enjoyed the experience. In sum, the trip was a major success by any measure.”
Model Congress, an after-school activity, was led by Dr. Kandel, Chair of the History & Global Studies Department.
“Model Congress is an important part of the WMA co-curricular program for several reasons,” Dr. Kandel added. “Students with a deep interest in the political process have the opportunity to engage in that process at a very well-run event. Additionally, our students develop relationships with many students from other schools who share the same interest. Finally, Model Congress is a great way to develop knowledge of national current events, enhance public speaking skills and improve one’s diplomatic skills as well.”
Michelle Itkin ’22
Jack Perenick ’21 Chuc An “Ann” Tran ’21
Liam Etti ’20
Kyle Yamagishi-Rodstein ’20
Liam Etti ’20
Michelle Itkin ’22 Pair earn National Latin awards
Respect for their teacher helped two Wilbraham & Monson Academy students earn lofty awards on one of the country’s most difficult assessments.
Liam Etti ’20 and Michelle Itkin ’22 received Silver Medals and a Maximum Cum Laude Certificate for their performance on the 2020 National Latin Exam. Liam took the Latin 4 test, while Michelle tackled the Latin 2 exam.
Both praised the efforts of their teacher Mr. Don Kelly, who has been instructing Latin to WMA students for more than 40 years.
“It really is an honor to receive an award from the NLE,” Liam said. “Mr. Kelly is one of the best teachers at the Academy, and it has been one of the great honors of my educational experience to be his student. Mr. Kelly is fully dedicated not just to the academic lives of his students, but also to their success at the Academy as a whole. If there is one thing that I will take with me to Ireland and Columbia it’s the classical lessons and charisma of one of the great teachers of the Academy. And, of course, his unforgettable advice: ‘Semper Ubi Sub Ubi.’”
“I’m proud to have won a silver medal on the exam,” Michelle said. “Mr. Kelly and I spent the weeks leading up to the test reviewing for it so I’m glad our work paid off. I’ve loved taking private lessons from him this past year, and Latin has been one of my favorite classes in high school so far.”
Also receiving recognition for their performances on the National Latin Exam were: Liam Murphy ’20
Magna Cum Laude Certificate, Latin 3 Exam Theresa Kervick ’20
Cum Laude Certificate, Latin 4 Exam Asha Puri ’20
Cum Laude Certificate, Latin 2 Exam
Catarina Carter ’20
Catarina Carter ’20 places 4th in country on National French Exam
Two years ago, Wilbraham & Monson Academy’s Catarina Carter ’20 was interrogated by French Police on the France-Spain border regarding a problem with her visa. She didn’t understand a word and felt helpless.
Never again.
Following her second year of taking French as a foreign language, including her first at WMA, Catarina finished the National French Exam (Le Grand Concours) as one of the top students in the country for her skill level.
Catarina won a gold medal and posted the fourth-best score in the nation on the French 3 exam.
“This is probably the first time I’ve met the very high expectations I had set for myself, so I couldn’t be more excited about winning a gold medal,” Catarina said. “It’s safe to say that I’m now obsessed with most things French, a result of Madame Dubois’ incorporation of Francophone cultures into her curriculum.”
“Catarina has a unique perspective on things because she has been exposed to several languages and cultures, and she would bring this multiculturalism to the classroom in her humble and respectful way,” Madame Dubois said. “Catarina also participated this year in all the French Club activities, the immersion day at Bancroft; and she won second place in our class baking contest, putting a lot of care and effort into making delicious macarons. Catarina’s unpretentious, dynamic, warm personality and enthusiastic interest in the Francophone culture will truly be missed.” The following students earned awards on this year’s national exam.
frEnch 1 Guo Yin ’23, silver medal, ninth place nationally James Kumpulanian ’21, certificate
frEnch 2 Tiana Gao ’22, silver medal, sixth place nationally Brady Gouin ’23, certificate
frEnch 3 honors Catarina Carter ’20, gold medal, fourth place nationally Sophia Hurtado Rodriguez ’21, silver medal, fifth place nationally Yuzuki Yamaoka ’23, silver medal, eighth place nationally Bernardo Hurtado Rodriguez ’21, bronze medal Cole Salvador ’22, bronze medal Kathryn Quinn ’20, certificate
frEnch 4 honors Genna Miccoli ’22, bronze medal Lainey Gilmartin ’22, bronze medal Xiaojing “Emily” Du ’20, certificate Muwei “Katharine” Xu ’20, certificate Julia Puppolo ’20, certificate
frEnch 5 AP/Post AP Jeremy Dubois ’21, Division 5C, gold medal, sixth place nationally Jack Perenick ’21, Division 5A, silver medal, 10th place nationally Liam Garrison ’20, Division 5A, bronze medal Charlotte Derose ’21, certificate Karin Yamaoka ’21, certificate Emily Fafard ’20, certificate Tendo Kalule ’21, certificate Ian Brook ’21, certificate
Giang Tran Bao “Cindy” Doan ’24
Middle School Model UN
If students in Wilbraham & Monson Academy’s Middle School had a say right now, there would be plenty of clean water for everyone in the world.
Four Middle School students—all representing countries in regard to clean water—received awards at this year’s Innovative Model United Nations Conference at Northeastern University in Boston in February.
Working together, Leah Thorn-Szostkiewicz ’24 and Dakotah Thomas ’26 won a Best Delegate Award for their representation of Germany. Meanwhile, Giang Tran Bao “Cindy” Doan ’24 and Padraig Dunbar ’26 teamed as members from Sweden to win Best Position Paper.
The after-school activity, which was run in conjunction with the National Geographic GeoBee, was coordinated by Madame Fabienne Dubois.
“Model UN teaches the students about problems in the world; issues in the world,” Madame Dubois expressed. “It requires students to dig deeper and reflect on possible solutions. It’s amazing for a Middle School student to be thinking how we can make the world a better place. Also, they have to learn how to speak, debate, write, research, compromise; so many skills are involved in this. I think it’s an invaluable experience for them because we learn so many things.”
Nine Middle School students, who received help prior to the event from Upper School Model UN members Liam Etti ’20 and Jack Perenick ’21, attended this year’s conference. Giang Tran Bao ‘Cindy’ Doan ’24 advances to state National Geographic GeoBee
Wilbraham & Monson Academy’s Giang Tran Bao “Cindy” Doan ’24 qualified for the National Geographic GeoBee State Competition after winning the Middle School GeoBee and then scoring in the top 100 amongst all of the school winners in the state on an online exam.
“Advancing was a big surprise,” Cindy admitted. “I surpassed my expectations. I was happy. I learned I advanced in the middle of science class and everyone started cheering. I promised them each $10 if I won the money (for earning first place).”
Led by Madame Fabienne Dubois, the GeoBee and Model United Nations were offered as an after-school activity in the Middle School during the second trimester.
“Cindy worked a lot during the trimester,” Madame Dubois said. “She was focused and engaged in everything we did. She came a little late into the group because she was busy with robotics but she caught up. She was amazing. She studied, was on task and used her time well. It didn’t come as a surprise when she advanced to the next round. She deserved it; she worked really hard for it.”
Giang Tran Bao “Cindy” Doan ’24 Dakotah Thomas ’26
Leah Thorn-Szostkiewicz ’24 Padraig Dunbar ’26
Jinyu “Melody” Zhan ’22 Junyi “Brian” Lu ’21
Ryan Cordeiro ’21 Wooseung “Colin” Oh ’22
riflery
Riflery lands 4 on all-state team
On the heels of another perfect record, the Wilbraham & Monson Academy Riflery team landed four members on the Connecticut Rifle & Revolver Association 2020 High School All-State First Team.
Ryan Cordeiro ’21, Junyi “Brian” Lu ’21, Jinyu “Melody” Zhan ’22 and Wooseung “Colin” Oh ’22 garnered the association’s highest honors. WMA, which has had 14 All-State selections during the last four years, accounted for one-third of the 12 spots on the First Team.
“The All-State selections for these four are well deserved,” Coach Bill Passy said. “They were the backbone of the team, which captured yet another state championship for WMA and won every competition they entered. Some of the events they won came against more experienced, year-round shooters. I look forward to having them all back next year.”
• toP: Xin “Julie” Xiong ’20. Bottom: Yuhan “Alex” Zha ’22.
swimming
Xin ‘Julie’ Xiong ’20, Yuhan ‘Alex’ Zha ’22 win swim titles
Much like it is for the Wilbraham & Monson Academy Girls’ Basketball team, the future is bright for Najla Cecunjanin ’21 and Rhaymi Porter ’21.
After being selected to play in the New England Prep School Athletic Council Class C All-Star Game in March, the junior teammates were named to the All-NEPSAC Team for Class C. Najla made the first team while Rhaymi earned a spot on the honorable mention list.
“Najla shined brilliantly in her first year in Titans’ red and blue,” Coach Durelle Brown applauded. “A multidimensional player, Najla was able to provide our team with an assortment of her skill set. Najla can shoot it (41%) from three, she can drive to the basket, she can pull up off the dribble, she can hit the offensive glass, she can create for her teammates, she can handle the ball against pressure, she can rebound and she can guard multiple positions.
“Rhaymi truly blossomed in her second year as a Titan. Last season as a repeat sophomore, Rhay was surrounded by veteran leadership, which afforded her a lesser role. But this season Rhay was forced to do more for her team to find success. Always a freakishly dominant rebounder and shot blocker, the true growth in Rhay’s game was seen on the offensive end. She nearly doubled her total points and points per game average this season, while becoming a focal point for us on the offensive end, all the while not relenting at all on her defensive responsibilities and capabilities.” Xin “Julie” Xiong ’20 and Yuhan “Alex” Zha ’22 were great during the regular season for the Wilbraham & Monson Academy Swimming team.
That didn’t change in the championship season either.
Against some of the toughest competition in the region, Julie and Alex each won an individual event at the Babcock Invitational at Williston Northampton School in Easthampton, Massachusetts, in February.
Julie touched first in the 200 individual medley in 2 minutes, 19.60 seconds, and also took second in the 500 freestyle.
“I was hoping to get my best time and improve in the backstroke. It’s an honor to win it,” Julie expressed. “There were a lot of strong competitors. From my point of view, my weakness is backstroke. This race I did that pretty well. I didn’t get caught by any other swimmers. The only downside was I didn’t sprint really hard in the freestyle. That’s something I could improve.”
Alex won the 100 butterfly with a meet-record time of 56.05, and also finished third in the 200 IM.
“I think overall I did pretty well,” Alex said. “My start was pretty good. I think I could still improve on my turns. If I can make them faster I can
girls’ basketball
Girls’ Basketball lands pair on All-NEPSAC team
improve my time.”
• Najla Cecunjanin ’21, left, and Rhaymi Porter ’21.
John Adams ’20
Keller Boothby ’20
boys’ basketball
Trio named to all-league for Boys’ Basketball
With success comes rewards, and there were plenty of both for last season’s Wilbraham & Monson Academy Boys’ Basketball team.
Soon after winning its first New England title since 1986, three Titans were named to the New England Prep School Athletic Council Class AA All-League team.
John Adams ’20, who made the honorable mention team the previous two seasons, earned a spot on the selective First Team with teammate Kyle Filipowski ’22, while Keller Boothby ’20 was named to the honorable mention list.
“To have three players be named all-league is a testament to the basketball the team played this year and, for these three players, an incredible honor,” Coach Mike Mannix said of the three players receiving postseason honors.
• Beti Stevens ’20
• Nick Morin ’21
skiing
Nick Morin ’21, Beti Stevens ’20 each claim 2 ski medals
Not every high school basketball player can score 1,000 points.
Wilbraham & Monson Academy’s Kyle Filipowski ’22 isn’t like every high school basketball player.
Already with multiple offers from Division I college basketball programs, Kyle reached the 1,000-point mark in just his third year of varsity basketball. Kyle sank a foul shot during an AA Conference game at MacDuffie School in Granby, Massachusetts, in February to reach the milestone.
Kyle, a versatile 6-foot-9, 215-pound forward who hopes to play at a high-major Division I program, was later recognized for his accomplishment before WMA’s Senior Day game against Brimmer & May School of Newton, Massachusetts.
“I really didn’t know I was that close to it,” Kyle said. “It was kind of surprising to me. I just wanted to go out there and do what I want to do and have fun. I’m extremely proud of myself for that and I’m going to just keep doing what I usually do.” Wilbraham & Monson Academy’s Nick Morin ’21 and Beti Stevens ’20 knew very little about the competition or the course at the New England Prep School Class C Alpine Ski Championship at Shawnee Peak in Bridgton, Maine, in February.
So Nick and Beti kept their skiing simple—they just raced.
Nick and Beti each earned a pair of medals at the New England Championship, which drew schools from throughout the Northeast.
Nick topped a field of 42 skiers to win the giant slalom before taking third among 46 competitors in the slalom.
“My first run was good,” Nick said of the GS competition. “I wasn’t being too aggressive because I knew I had to finish both runs. But I laid down a solid run and didn’t make any major mistakes. For my second run there was a lot of pressure because I was in first, but I had a pretty big margin so I knew I just had to finish. I think it was a big deal for me because I’ve been working hard all season. I had a good race.”
Meanwhile, Beti placed third in the giant slalom and slalom, which both boasted 39 skiers.
“We had GS first thing in the morning,” Beti said. “The GS course held up well. Everything ran smoothly for both runs. I learned after my first run what I needed to adjust to improve my second run. I was a little faster my second run. Usually I tend to do better in slalom, but I did a lot better in the giant slalom than I usually do.
boys’ basketball
Kyle Filipowski ’22 reaches milestone
I was proud of myself for that. Overall, it was good.”
• Kyle Filipowski, center, with his mother, Becky, and father, David, right.
Winter Sports Highlights 2019–2020
coed skiing
Captains: Nick Morin ’21, Beti Stevens ’20 Highlights: Morin won the New England Class C individual championship in the giant slalom and placed third in slalom; Stevens finished third in both GS and slalom, and won the league’s sportsmanship award; Girls’ team finished fifth at the New England Class C Championships, while the Boys’ placed eighth.
coed riflery
Varsity season record: 10–0 Captains: Alexander Otte ’20, Ryan Cordeiro ’21 Highlights: Third undefeated season in last four years; Prep School Gallery Match Champions for fourth straight year; used individual (199 out of 200, Junyi “Brian” Lu ’21) and team-record (967) scores to win CT High School Riflery League Championship; Jinyu “Melody” Zhan ’22, Wooseung “Colin” Oh ’22, Lu and Cordeiro were named All-State First Team.
• Another Riflery team championship photo.
boys’ basketball
Varsity season record: 18–12 Captain: John Adams ’20 Highlights: Won Class AA Championship, first program title since 1986 and fifth overall; Kyle Filipowski ’22 was named Tournament MVP; NEPSAC All-Stars were first-teamers Adams and Filipowski, and Keller Boothby ’20 (Honorable Mention); team won WMA’s prestigious Trustees Cup.
• Beti Stevens ’20, left, and Nick Morin ’21 • Celebration time for the Boys’ Basketball team and Titan Nation.
• Julia Pelletier ’21 • Blake Stewart ’20
winter track
Captains: Emma Curley ’20, Kyle Dube ’20 Highlights: Blake Stewart ’20 set the school record (21 feet, 10 inches) in the long jump; Dube, a top sprinter, anchored the 4×200 and 4×400 relay teams, while Julia Pelletier ’21 excelled in the high jump and 300; team concluded the season with strong performances at the Armory Youth Championships in New York City.
boys’ swimming
Varsity season record: 0–6 Captains: Egor Tokarskiy ’20, Ian Brook ’21 Highlights: Team MVP Yuhan “Alex” Zha ’22 was one of five individual qualifiers for the NEPSAC Championships, where he placed second in the 100 butterfly to help the team to a sixth-place finish; Nagomu “Nago” Yoshitake ’23 won the team’s Coaches Award.
• Yuhan “Alex” Zha ’22
girls’ swimming
Varsity season record: 1–5 Captains: Xin “Julie” Xiong ’20, Isabella Gomes ’20, Norah Omar ’21 Highlights: Seven girls qualified for the New England Championships, where Xiong won the 100 butterfly to lead the team to a fourth-place showing; Xiong was Team MVP, while Gomes was honored with the Coaches Award.
• Norah Omar ’21
girls’ basketball
Varsity season record: 11–12 Captains: None Highlights: All-NEPSAC Class C selections Najla Cecunjanin ’21 (First Team) and Rhaymi Porter ’21 (Honorable Mention) played in the NEPSAC Class C All-Star game; team finished runner-up in the Dexter Southfield Holiday Hoop Classic and third in the Kingswood Oxford Invitational Tournament.
• Theresa Kervick ’20
wrestling
Varsity season record: 7–5 Captains: Will Crocker ’20, Tristan Lynch ’20 Highlights: Lynch (195 pounds) and Griffan Wolusky ’21 (160) qualified for the New England Championships; Lynch was Team MVP, and Crocker won its Coaches Award; team wins included Williston, Hotchkiss, Hamden Hall, Pomfret and Canterbury.
• Will Crocker ’20
Fine & Performing Arts
5 students earn state honors for art
Zheng “Richard” Xie ’20 and Jingting “Gina” Xie ’20 both entered art contests in 2019 and didn’t come away with the results they had hoped.
Richard and Gina entered contests again in 2020, with their expectations set very low.
Those hopes turned to unsuspecting glee in February when they received silver medals for their entries into the Scholastic Art and Writing Awards, a statewide contest for students in Grades 7–12 in Massachusetts.
Richard’s collection of illustrations was completed for his AP 2D Art class last year.
“Throughout my project, the main topic was communication between now and present times,” Richard said. “I drew pictures of older versions of myself and projected them onto a wall. Then I stood next to it and communicated with the older version of myself.”
Gina made a four-minute video for her college portfolio.
“I filmed this movie for a collection of my garments because I’m doing fashion design,” Gina explained. “I designed clothes. I wanted to show things under the cover because most people are covering themselves and pretending, most of the time. I was trying to show people have colors. In the video I have a model. She is wearing the clothes I designed. It’s a collection of clothing. She’s wearing all of them at once. In the video she’s ripping off the clothes, like taking off the cover.”
WMA also had four students earn Honorable Mention recognition: Zihan “William” Chen ’21 (twice); Eric Kim ’21; Tianqi Li ’20; and Richard.
• Artwork of Zheng “Richard” Xie ’20.
• “The Cover” by Jingting “Gina” Xie ’20.
Voice of Tianyi ‘Andrea’ Xu ’25 heard
Much like so many women in the United States 100 years ago, Wilbraham & Monson Academy’s Tianyi “Andrea” Xu ’25 wanted a voice.
After learning about the 19th Amendment in Mr. David Allen’s Grade 7 World Cultures class in the Middle School, Andrea entered and won a poster contest hosted by the Mercy Warren Chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution in April.
Andrea was declared the winner of the middle school division. The drawing included suffragists Susan B. Anthony and Elizabeth Cady Stanton, as well as the movement’s red-fisted symbol and quotes along the borders. Her work was displayed at the Wilbraham Public Library.
“I wanted to draw a poster because I think it is important for people to raise their awareness on women’s rights, and I think this is an interesting part of U.S. history,” Andrea said.
“The way Andrea worked in quotes by suffragettes on the borders is especially thoughtful, yet I can’t help but think that her vibrant use of colors also caught the judges’ attention,” Mr. Allen said. “We turned some of our class focus to Women’s History Month in March and read “I Am Malala” in our online classes as a concluding experience, so it was nice to keep this focus going with some Middle School trips to the Wilbraham Public Library to see Andrea’s poster this fall.”
• Award-winning artwork of Tianyi “Andrea” Xu ’25
• Yusi “Christine” Mo ’21
• Norah Omar ’21 Writers Norah Omar ’21, Yusi ‘Christine’ Mo ’21 win state awards
What began as a writing assignment for a class at Wilbraham & Monson Academy turned out to be pieces of award-winning literature for two members of the Class of 2021.
Following a prompt in Mr. Tim Harrington’s ’73 AP Language and Composition class regarding a childhood memory, Norah Omar ’21 and Yusi “Christine” Mo ’21 earned silver medals in February for their submissions to the statewide Scholastic Writing Awards.
“I never thought I would be good at personal narrative—nonfiction,” Christine said. “But once I started to write this year in AP Lang., I found out it’s a good way to express myself and talk about my experiences to share with other people. I find it intriguing and I like it a lot. I’m very surprised I won an award. I didn’t think my writing would be recognized like that. I’m very thankful toward Mr. Harrington.”
Norah used a trip to Asia as inspiration for her entry of “Superman On A Rooftop.”
“It’s about a trip I took to Bangladesh, which is where my parents were born,” Norah said. “There were these two boys, and I think they were not even 5 years old, and I saw how independent they were. I admired that about them and I learned so much from that. But it was also frustrating because there was a certain helplessness. Growing up in the U.S., I have so many opportunities that these boys didn’t have, and that’s what I tried conveying in my story.”
Three WMA students also earned Honorable Mention honors: Chuc An “Ann” Tran ’21, Cole Salvador ’22 and Christine.
Bell Ringing Ceremony
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Class of 2020 students and their immediate families were invited to campus on Friday, May 22, to experience a time-honored and prestigious tradition—ringing the Monson Bell. Members of the graduating class were also presented an unofficial diploma by Head of School Brian P. Easler and allowed to take photos of their ceremonial Commencement walk through the LaBrecque Academic Gate.
1 Head of School Brian P. Easler. 2 Theresa Kervick ’20. 3 Julia Puppolo ’20, second from left, and family. 4 Alexander Otte ’20. 5 Kya Monette ’20. 6 Always a Titan. 7 Isabella Gomes ’20. 8 Mariel Picknelly ’20. 9 Vincent Sweeney ’20. 10 WMA Pride! 11 Jackson Bloomfield ’20, second from right, with sister Zoe Bloomfield ’18, right, and proud parents Fine & Performing Arts Department Chair Paul Bloomfield, left, and former faculty member Sherri Krassin. 12 The view up Broad Walk. 13 Tristan Lynch ’20. 14 Faculty Marshal Don Kelly. 15 Liam Garrison ’20. 16 Edward “Tripp” Barkett III ’20, center, with family. 6 3
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Commencement: Class of 2020 graduates virtually
The following story appeared in the online edition of Atlas on May 29, 2020.
Wilbraham & Monson Academy kicked off its weekend of senior Commencement festivities in a unique way this year: with multiple ringings of the Monson Bell by the Class of 2020 (from an acceptable social distance). Although the entire community was not able to gather for this event, the bell ringing was attended by local seniors and their families. The Monson Bell is rung for important victories or ceremonies, and granting this privilege to this year’s graduating class was a fitting start to the seniors’ weekend.
Because the Academy was not able to bring together all of its students for a typical graduation ceremony, a prerecorded event was orchestrated by the Academy’s administration and Marketing & Communications Department. The video was released to the WMA community on Saturday, May 23, at which point seniors were instructed to open graduation care packages that had been mailed out or personally delivered to all seniors before the event.
The hour-and-a-half-long commencement video began with a thoughtful reenactment of the typical senior procession through the campus LaBrecque Academic Gate and over the Senior Bridge. Next, Head of School Brian Easler, wearing his instantly recognizable blue commencement robes, spoke from the chapel podium. He introduced the circumstances of the ceremony and the Class of 2020’s first student speaker Julia Puppolo ’20.
Puppolo offered a heartwarming account of this class’s journey through high school from humble beginnings in ninth grade all the way to this unconventional commencement ceremony. She said her farewell to the WMA community and spoke about moving on to the more-thanever uncertain world as high school graduates. Above all, Puppolo offered her congratulations for the Class of 2020 graduation and for all the hard work it took them to get there. The ceremony proceeded with the induction of the new members of the Cum Laude Society and presentation of Prizes awarded to members of the Class of 2020. After awards were presented, Mr. Easler orated a bittersweet and heart-wrenching valedictory. He spoke about the lives of his recentlydeceased parents and passed the lessons and experiences of their lives on to the graduating class as they proceed into the world. The final student speaker was Hao “Harrison” Pan ’20. Pan turned his speech toward the future rather than the past. Pan stressed the importance of perseverance through difficult times like these, saying this will not be the last time a difficult period
• Happy times for Asha Puri ’20. • Emily Tarbell ’20 shares a family moment.
arises, so we must learn what we can now to be more prepared for the next. Pan knows WMA has prepared for the world a unit of global leaders who are capable of working together and in any area they desire.
The ceremony closed with a reading of the names that form the graduating class by Dean of Faculty Walter Swanson, as well as a musical performance by Moonsu “Jackson” Kang ’20. Kang performed a rendition of “For Good” from the Broadway musical “Wicked.” The song was selected for its themes of friendship and goodbyes.
Although this year’s ceremony was anything but typical, it was certainly a special experience nonetheless.
“It was disappointing that I couldn’t graduate the normal way where I could see all my friends and teachers and celebrate together, but the experience was very new, interesting and kinda fun,” Kang said.
Many seniors hope to see their friends and teachers again for the final gathering that was taken away because of the current circumstances. In order to state that need, WMA is planning a “large celebratory event” where all students and faculty can be welcomed back to campus to celebrate the Class of 2020. The date for this event was not yet decided at the time of printing.
Wilbraham & Monson Academy is very proud of the perseverance and resiliency shown by members of the Class of 2020. The above is a list of college decisions made by the graduating class. Congratulations to all!
Class of 2020 Prize Winners
The Academy’s storied tradition of Prize Day and Commencement has long honored students who excel in all parts of campus life. The announcement of Class of 2020 prize winners was made through a virtual commencement video on May 23, 2020.
The Frank Chapin Cushman Memorial Award and the Cora Pease Chandler Award are considered to be the two most prestigious prizes awarded at Commencement.
Liam Garrison ’20
corA PEAsE chAndLEr AWArd Presented each year to the student who has shown the best Wilbraham & Monson spirit during the school year, excelling in character, courtesy, scholarship and athletics.
Julia Puppolo ’20
frAnk chAPin cushmAn mEmoriAL AWArd Presented each year to the student of Wilbraham & Monson Academy who best lives up to the Academy’s motto of: “Live Clean, Speak True, Work Hard, Play Fair.”
Class of 2020 Prize winners
A full list of prize descriptions can be found here: www.wma.us/students/class-of-2020.
Berube Prize Emily Fafard ’20
Dr. Joseph P. Cebula Memorial Award Kizuki Koyasu ’20
Gift of the Class of 1965 Moonsu “Jackson” Kang ’20
Head of School Award Hao “Harrison” Pan ’20
Billy Lak Prize Edward “Tripp” Barkett III ’20
Stephen D. Luckraft Memorial Award William Crocker III ’20
Markell and Monson Class of 1898/ Owen David Dow Memorial Award Grace-marie Gouin ’20
Harriet Jones Nelson Trust Pheeraphat “Pete” Trairatanobhas ’20
Pieria Prize Margaret Kuhn ’20
Dr. George E. Rogers Scholar Athlete Award Jonathan Adams ’20
Phil Shaw Awards Xin “Julie” Xiong ’20 and William Crocker III ’20
Kyle E. Webb Award Betelihem “Beti” Stevens ’20
Trustees Cup Varsity Boys’ Basketball Induction of Cum Laude
Don Kelly, President of WMA Chapter of the Cum Laude Society
Elected with the Class of 2019 Hao “Harrison” Pan ’20
Class of 2020 Xiaojing “Emily” Du ’20 Emily Fafard ’20 Emily Fallon ’20 Liam Garrison ’20 Grace-marie Gouin ’20 Ragene Hong ’20 An Nguyen ’20 Julia Puppolo ’20 Pheeraphat “Pete” Trairatanobhas ’20 Xin “Julie” Xiong ’20 Muwei “Katharine” Xu ’20 Kyle Yamagishi-Rodstein ’20 Yinqi “Sherry” Yang ’20 Eungi “David” Youn ’20 Tianyu “Joe” Yu ’20
Most Valuable Member Award
The Hill – Saki Doi ’20
Eveline Barber Departmental Awards
cEntEr for EntrEPrEnEurshiP, Economics & finAncE Entrepreneurship & Finance Kyle Dube ’20
EngLish dEPArtmEnt AP Senior English 12 Julia Puppolo ’20
Howe S. Newell Senior English Award Edward “Tripp” Barkett III ’20
finE & PErforming Arts dEPArtmEnt Visual Art – 2D Design Erika Zaripova ’20
Visual Art – 3D Design Tianqi “Wernich” Li ’20
Music Vocals Madeline Rahilly ’20
Music Chamber Ensemble Mu-Chieh Huang ’20
Music Jazz Ensemble Jackson Bloomfield ’20
Marilyn Erickson Memorial Prize Zheng “Richard” Xie ’20
history & gLoBAL studiEs AP World History Pheeraphat “Pete” Trairatanobhas ’20
mAthEmAtics dEPArtmEnt AP Statistics Pheeraphat “Pete” Trairatanobhas ’20
AP Calculus BC Tianyu “Joe” Yu ’20
Ernest J. Lawton Memorial Award Hao “Harrison” Pan ’20
sciEncE dEPArtmEnt Edward F. Morris Prize Muwei “Katharine” Xu ’20
AP Environmental Science Joshua Besse ’20
WorLd LAnguAgEs dEPArtmEnt Advanced Spanish Catarina Carter ’20
Catherine Ingraham Award for Excellence in French Liam Garrison ’20
Prizes: Upper School Underclassmen
The list of high achievers in our Upper School was very strong during the 2019–2020 academic year. Here are photos and names of our Special Prize award winners, and a complete list of Eveline Barber Departmental Awards.
Special Prizes
Alumni Award Chuc An “Ann” Tran ’21
Class of 1977 Humanitarian Award Jeremiah Patterson-Yancey ’22
Davison Prize Norah Omar ’21
John L. Nepomuceno Prize Shane Appiah ’21
Trustee Award Yusi “Christine” Mo ’21
A full list of prize descriptions can be found here: www.wma.us/students/class-of-2020.
Chuc An “Ann” Tran ’21 Jeremiah Patterson-Yancey ’22
Norah Omar ’21 Shane Appiah ’21 Yusi “Christine” Mo ’21
Eveline Barber Departmental Awards
cEntEr for EntrEPrEnEurshiP, Economics & finAncE AP Economics Hong Linh Duong ’21
EngLish dEPArtmEnt ESL Language & Literature Qianrui “Cara” Liang ’23
Freshman English Madaket Stoltz ’23
Sophomore English Genna Miccoli ’22
George H. Hefflon Memorial Award Chuc An “Ann” Tran ’21
finE & PErforming Arts dEPArtmEnt Theater Kylie Kane ’21
history & gLoBAL studiEs World History Yuzuki Yamaoka ’21
AP Human Geography Mai Khanh “Kayla” Nguyen ’21
AP US History Ryan Cordeiro ’21
mAthEmAtics dEPArtmEnt Algebra Matthew Filipowski ’22
Geometry Julia Besse ’23
Precalculus Yewon Lee ’21
Rensselaer Mathematics and Science Award Zihan “William” Chen ’21
AP Calculus AB Hong Linh Duong ’21
sciEncE dEPArtmEnt Computer Science & Technology Hong Linh Duong ’21
STEM 9 Brady Gouin ’23
Biology Jack Whitcomb ’21
AP Biology Yewon Lee ’21
Chemistry Zihan “Angela” Tian ’22
AP Chemistry Sungbeom Choi ’21
Physics Pradipa “Miang” Patanakijpaibul ’21
Bausch & Lomb Science Award Mai Khanh “Kayla” Nguyen ’21
WorLd LAnguAgEs dEPArtmEnt Intermediate Latin Jiseong Choi ’23
Advanced Latin Emma Adelson ’21
Intermediate Spanish Madaket Stoltz ’23
Intermediate French Tiana Gao ’22
Advanced French Tendo Kalule ’21
Most Valuable Member Award
Atlas Cole Salvador ’22
Class of 2020: Titan Deliveries
Titan—our trusty mascot and often times the face of WMA—made house calls to Class of 2020 students who lived in the immediate area of campus. The purpose on a sunny Thursday in late May? To deliver yard signs to seniors, so they could proudly display them on their front lawn. Decked out in traditional Titan gear, Titan traveled 200 miles and made 44 stops in 14 different towns to add a special touch to the Class of 2020 and their family members. Way to go, Titan; and way to go, Class of 2020!
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1 Maddie Rahilly ’20, center, with mom and dad (Steve ’79). 2 Vanessa Gwozdzik ’20. 3 Atilla Troy ’20, left, and his sister Sara Troy ’20. 4 Cayden Brodnax ’20, center, and proud family members. 5 Margaret Donahue ’20, second from right, with her family. 6 Kasey Reed ’20, was surprised during a work shift at Costco. 7 Linea Lamothe ’20, third from left, and family. 8 Kathryn Quinn ’20 and her mom, left. 9 Liam Etti ’20, right, with sister Cecily ’21, left, and family. 10 Asha Puri ’20, second from left, and her brother Rohan Puri ’23, left, and family members. 11 Vin Sweeney ’20 and his proud dad. 12 J.P. Catellier ’20, left, next to sister Brooke ’22 and family.
WMA Middle School Awards 2019–2020
WMA’s Middle School held its Closing Ceremony on May 28, 2020, and with it honored many of its finest and brightest students. Director of the Middle School Stuart Whitcomb was the emcee during a virtual ceremony offered to families.
EvELinE BArBEr PrizEs
Grade 6 English Mary Kathleen “Katie” Hutcheson ’26
Grade 7 English Emma Landry ’25
Grade 8 English Emily DeNucci ’24
Grade 6 Math Zoe Pinnock ’26
Grade 7 Math Kennedy Pelletier ’25
Pre-Algebra Lilyth Mathison ’24
Algebra 1 Anh “Angel” Tran ’24
Algebra 1 Accelerated Breslin Grozio ’25
Honors Geometry Yebin Sim ’24
Grade 6 Science Dakotah Thomas ’26
Grade 7 Science Olivia Tierney ’25
Grade 8 Science Stephnie Essien ’24 Grade 6 World Cultures Dakotah Thomas ’26
Grade 7 World Cultures Brooke McLaughlin ’25
Grade 8 World Cultures Giang Tran Bao “Cindy” Doan ’24
MS ESL Composition Riri “Lily” Chiken ’24
MS Spanish 1A Ally Orquiola ’25
MS Spanish 1B Liam Shea-Gallagher’24
US Spanish 2 Owen Swanson ’24
MS French 1A Breslin Grozio ’25
MS French 1B Mariana Mujica ’25
US French 2 Sally Geoghegan ’24
Grade 6 Art Padraig Dunbar ’26
Grade 7 Art Ally Orquiola ’25
Grade 8 Art Geunyeong “Suri” Bae ’24 Grade 6 Health Mary Kathleen “Katie” Hutcheson ’26
Grade 7 Health Sarah Henderson ’25
Grade 8 Health Meiyi Chen ’24
Grade 6 Music Padraig Dunbar ’26
Grade 7 Music Emma Landry ’25
Grade 8 Music Lilyth Mathison ’24
Grade 6 PE Caitlin Stratton ’26
Grade 7 PE Javier Herrera ’25
Grade 8 PE Kayden Chhoun ’24 Director’s Award Sally Geoghegan ’24
Paul Beach Godard Prize Callie Dunbar ’24
James Lagomarsino Leadership Award Emily DeNucci ’24
Residential Life Award Meiyi Chen ’24
Middle School: Grade 8 Yard Sign Deliveries
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Without the traditional, in-person Middle School Closing Ceremony to honor our Grade 8 students and other prizewinners, a handful of faculty members were able to make personal and socially distanced deliveries to local students. It was fun for all to see familiar and happy faces again.
1 Kayden Chhoun ’24, middle, and his family—the Mannix clan. 2 Gabe Dziura ’24, third from left, with faculty parents Michael and Sue and siblings. 3 Owen Swanson ’24, second from left, brother Jack Swanson ’23, right, and parents Kelly McLellan, left, and Dean of Faculty Wally Swanson. 4 Lily Mathison ’24, right, with mom and faculty member Amy Mathison. 5 Leah Thorn-Szostkiewicz ’24 with her parents, Daniel Szostkiewicz, left, and Jennifer Thorn. 6 Faculty member Meaghan Cavanaugh and Liam Shea-Gallagher ’24. 7 Callie Dunbar ’24 with faculty member Virginia Giokas. 8 Audrey Harris ’24, right, with her sister Rilee Harris ’23, left, and their parents. 9 Gabby Pierce ’24, left, and faculty member Jes Rohan.
Virtual Alumni Reunion: June 2020
Alumni Reunion 2020 went virtual! In lieu of an in-person event last summer, alumni logged on to hear updates about the Academy, reconnect and surreptitiously sneak a peek into the homes of their former classmates and teachers. During the weekend of June 5–7, the Classes of 1980, 1985 and 2010 held mini “ReZoomions” and alumni of all ages joined a virtual address from Head of School Brian P. Easler. Mr. Easler joined the call from the new Athenaeum, and attendees were treated to a “first-look” tour of the space.
It was great to see the faces of alumni near and far! We look forward to a “supersized” Reunion next year, when we will celebrate classes ending in ’0s, ’1s, ’5s and ’6s. Save the Date for June 12, 2021!
• Class of 2010 ReZoomion LEft to right, toP roW: Steff Robbins ’10, Director of Alumni Relations Molly McGill, Caitlin Mitchell ’09 and Russell Dinkins ’09. sEcond roW: English Department Chair Meg Lenihan Hutcheson, Emma Camilleri ’10 (and her new puppy, Wilson!), Hannah Dunphy ’10 and English Department faculty member Tim Harrington ’73. third roW: Head of School Brian P. Easler, Caitlin Charette ’10, Rachael Roy ’10, History & Global Studies Department faculty member Gary Cook. Bottom roW: Assistant Director of Athletics/Head Athletic Trainer Erika Whipple, Will Bourgeois ’10 and Brian Fracasso ’10 (no picture). • Head of School Brian P. Easler gave attendees a “first-look” tour of the Athenaeum.
Dr. Mark Keroack ’72: Through pandemic ‘we will question old ways of doing things’
There was no playbook for Mark Keroack ’72, M.D., MPH, on how to definitively approach COVID-19 when it crept into the Western Massachusetts region in March.
Along with comforting powerless patients and their families, the Chief Executive Officer and President of Baystate Health in nearby Springfield needed to ensure his staff of more than 12,000 people at the largest health care provider in Western Massachusetts could administer the necessary aid in a safe work environment.
At a climactic time in the career of most everyone in health care, Dr. Keroack called upon his experiences from a generation ago to help him in the medical trenches and on the front lines of a pandemic that gripped so many during an unprecedented time in the world’s history.
“Having lived through the HIV/AIDS epidemic as a front-line caregiver, and having studied societal responses to epidemics in the past, much of the pandemic was strangely familiar, even though the speed and scope of this particular infection had not been seen since the flu pandemic of 1918,” Dr. Keroack recalled.
Much like COVID-19, the HIV/AIDS situation in the 1980s was a topic of discussion throughout the country, dominating all news outlets. An unknown disease had entered the U.S. and there was no protocol. Was it contagious, and if so, how contagious? There were so many questions. Finger-pointing, fear, protests, anger, myths and uncertainty were common, and the medical field lacked effective treatment. People in the medical profession were concerned about their own safety.
Sound familiar?
“Having been a front-line caregiver, particularly having been a physician caring for HIV/AIDS patients in the early days of that pandemic, it helped me to empathize with those who felt fear and stress in dealing with an unknown threat.
“It reinforced how important it was to first protect the caregivers; we went to extraordinary lengths to secure personal protective equipment and testing supplies in the early weeks. We communicated frequently and fully, including things we were uncertain about. We also encouraged front-line decision-making and innovation. All of these things were keys to success in developing systems to care for patients with AIDS, and we applied them to our approach.”
Dr. Keroack’s approach to his job shifted as COVID-19 progressed. He recognized early if his
With numerous WMA Alumni engaged in the health care industry, so many have embodied the meaning of our mission statement of “being challenge-seeking citizens and leaders of an evolving world.” From fighting COVID-19 on the front lines to caring for some of the most vulnerable populations, we are highlighting in our Health Care edition a handful of those who have embraced the challenges of a global pandemic. WMA extends our gratitude to all of our alumni on the front lines of COVID-19.
staff didn’t have the necessary equipment, there would be no one to care for the rapidly growing number of patients. He could not allow his facility—and staff—to be overrun. He delegated power within, and then stepped outside of the Baystate umbrella for necessary assistance.
“I was blessed by a highly talented and dedicated management team, organized into an incident command structure that had daily briefings around issues of employee protection, supply chain, hospital operations, clinical innovation and organizational communication,” he explained.
— Dr. Mark keroack ’72
• Dr. Mark Keroack ’72, fifth from right in back row, at a Children’s Behavioral Health Partial Hospital Program visit in August 2018.
“With internal operations in those good hands, my job shifted outside the organization, securing the support of government leaders, fellow hospital CEOs, suppliers and the general public to support our work. This came in the form of regulations (or their suspension), relief monies, surge planning, securing testing supplies and PPE, and overall compliance with public health guidance.”
Baystate spiked for a month starting in midMarch, reporting 180 positive cases and admitting 40 patients into critical care in what Dr. Keroack called an “all hands on deck” effort by his staff.
“The absence of any clear playbook was the key challenge,” the former Cora Pease Chandler Award winner and Varsity Boys’ Soccer captain admitted. “Every day, we needed to deal with problems that had never been addressed before, such as supply chains for personal protective equipment and testing supplies drying up, interpreting and implementing guidance to protect our work force, redeploying people into new roles at a moment’s notice, and brainstorming on how best to move forward.”
Baystate Health provided care for more than 1,000 COVID-19 patients. During this madness, Dr. Keroack reached back to his time as a student at Wilbraham & Monson Academy and opened Albert Camus’ “The Plague,” a fictional story about a how an “existentialist hero dealt with a similar threat.”
“History teaches us that societies and people are forever changed by pandemics and plagues,” said the East Longmeadow, Massachusetts, resident, who looked upon faculty members Mr. Roger Lincoln, Mr. Nick Fleck and Mr. Andre Chesnoy as role models. “I know that living through 20 years as an HIV/AIDS provider changed me.
• Dr. Mark Keroack ’72, bottom left, with members of the Sterile Supply Department at Baystate Health in Springfield, Massachusetts.
“As we emerge from COVID-19, I suspect we will all have acquired new skills in digital interactions. We will question old ways of doing things and perhaps be more innovative. We will appreciate the value of social connectedness. I also hope that we as a country can take lessons from other countries that did better than we did in controlling the spread of the virus because they shared a greater sense of community and sacrifice for the common good.”
• Dr. Mark Keroack ’72, right, with a PPE coach on the COVID-19 Unit.
Dr. Bonnie Faulkner Ryan ’82: ‘At WMA, I learned how to learn ... communicate and lead’
As an emergency physician at the University of Massachusetts Memorial Medical Center in Worcester, Massachusetts, Bonnie Faulkner Ryan, M.D. ’82 was surrounded by COVID-19.
For Dr. Ryan, a Fellow of the American College of Emergency Physicians (FACEP), it put her in a potentially fatal environment. A cancer survivor herself, the Wilbraham & Monson Academy 1982 Class President wasn’t sure if her immune system could win a battle against the coronavirus.
She was afraid.
But Dr. Ryan also had a job to do, and she was going to do her job. With the coronavirus inevitable at her workplace, she made an educated decision—respect the virus.
“Honestly, I am stressed and fearful,” said Dr. Ryan, who was diagnosed with cancer in 2012. “I’ve done my best not to demonstrate these emotions at work. As a cancer survivor I prefer not to test my immune system with this viral infection. I respect how deadly and severe
• 1982 WMA yearbook photo a COVID-19 infection can be. I take every precaution at work, home and when I am out in the community.”
Always one to be in the middle of the action, Dr. Ryan doubled down on all things COVID-19.
“I have volunteered to work all of my shifts and overtime throughout the pandemic,” she said. “At work I feel well prepared and supported with the equipment we need to do our job safely. Now I am focused on not letting my guard down.
“The fear of contracting COVID or bringing the virus home to my family is the most challenging aspect of the job. Wearing several layers of PPE (personal protective equipment) and modifying our emergency procedures such as intubation is challenging. I’ve added a shower and change of clothes at the hospital and decontamination process at home to keep my family safe.”
In a sense, Dr. Ryan felt lucky. The pandemic struck New York City and nearby Boston well in advance, giving her and her colleagues time to prepare for the worst.
“We utilized their successes and attempted to avoid the failures,” Dr. Ryan explained. “We opened extra ICUs for ventilators, extra treatment areas and a temporary hospital at the DCU Center in Worcester. We were able to increase our staffing in the emergency department. It takes longer to take care of a patient when donning and doffing PPE.”
While UMass Medical was never overburdened by the coronavirus, there were still plenty of challenges. Tasked with suddenly dealing with primarily COVID-19 patients, Dr. Ryan was forced to learn something new daily—sometimes hourly.
“Emergency physicians received daily email updates regarding procedures and available treatment/testing areas for patients,” she said. “We modified our workflows and staffing to safely isolate and treat the COVID patients. There are no patients in the hallways and no visitors. All staff and patients wear surgical masks or face coverings at all times.” “I have always been very interested in giving back to WMA.”
— Dr. Bonnie Faulkner ryan ’82, the 1982 cora Pease chanDler awarD winner
Interestingly, the native of Palmer, Massachusetts, could just as easily not have been in the medical field. During her time at WMA and Union College, she had another plan.
“I have always had an interest in science,” the former WMA Girls’ Soccer and Girls’ Lacrosse MVP said. “Prior to applying to medical school, though, I worked in marine biology and then research. Unfortunately, I was often seasick on the boat. I also found the research lab isolating. Medicine was a great combination of human interaction and science.”
Plan B worked, but being “just” a physician wasn’t enough. Always humble, she needs to be doing that little extra. Calling upon her many years of Latin at the Academy, she explained how the word “doctor” comes from the Latin term “docere,” meaning to teach.
“Prior to the pandemic, I was teaching medical students while working in the emergency department and in the simulation lab at the
medical school,” she said. “This lab allows students to practice diagnosis and procedures on robots and mannequins.
“We also teach a disaster day, where students learn how to triage and stabilize a mass disaster. On this day there are live people dressed as victims with lifelike injuries. There are several stations set up where students learn several skills, such as how to stabilize a person’s airway, use a tourniquet, place an IV, practice a chest tube (on pork ribs), splint and more.”
Working with medical students at various stages of their education, she loves teaching and giving her time to help those with a shared passion.
Similarly, when her children shifted into adulthood, Dr. Ryan knew it was time to join another group of people with a shared interest— an interest in WMA. In 2015, Dr. Ryan became a valued and thoughtful member of the Academy’s Board of Trustees.
“I have always been very interested in giving back to WMA,” the 1982 Cora Pease Chandler Award winner said. “Once my children were in college I had more time for my own personal interests.
“At WMA I learned how to learn. I was challenged academically with honors and AP classes. I most enjoyed the science and math classes, and also learned how to best manage my time and multitask. As part of student senate, Senior Class President and team captain, I learned how to communicate and lead.”
Dr. Ryan continues to communicate and lead—as a doctor and teacher in a dangerous work environment, all while being a survivor.
Eric Peterson ’99: ‘WMA was like a family, and I would do anything to help my family’
Zoom became a household name in the early stages of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Many academic institutions used the online video company to hold classes, while businesses throughout the world benefitted from its userfriendly format to conduct conference-like meetings.
People also used Zoom to hold family reunions or social events, such as a book club.
For Eric Peterson ’99, a critical care nurse at Lowell (Massachusetts) General Hospital, Zoom was both good and bad. On one hand, it provided a family an opportunity. On the other hand, though, that opportunity was for loved ones to say goodbye.
During the spring, when the coronavirus was at its apex in Massachusetts, a woman was admitted to the hospital. With a shortness of breath, she tested positive for COVID-19 and was put in isolation and not allowed to have visitors. The woman’s chart read DNR, which in medical terms meant Do Not Resuscitate.
“This woman was getting ready to take her final breaths and couldn’t even be around those who love her,” Mr. Peterson painfully explained. “We as nurses were struggling with this initiative. We were taking shifts being with her holding her hand.”
Mr. Peterson, a charge nurse responsible for all 13 nurses and 36 beds at the critical care facility, and his staff had already seen too many patients die. The hospital morgue was at maximum capacity, and dead bodies were placed in makeshift areas for dead bodies. Mr. Peterson and his staff knew this lady was about to become another coronavirus statistic, but they didn’t want her to simply fade away on her own. “WMA helped me deal with
“As she got worse we brought in a computer and COVID-19 by being strong and contacted her family via Zoom,” Mr. Peterson family oriented. WMA was said. “The family was all able to say their goodbyes. Some of the nurses were crying in the like a family, and I would do background. She eventually passed later that day. anything to help my family.”
“This was the hardest thing to deal with during this pandemic.” — eric Peterson ’99
For Mr. Peterson, a Westfield, Massachusetts, native who attended the Academy for seven years, it was work. Granted, this wasn’t the kind of responsibility he envisioned when he took coronavirus placed on Mr. Peterson and his staff. his mother’s advice and pursued a career in “The policies changed every day,” said nursing while he was playing baseball at the Mr. Peterson, whose sister, Kirsten (Peterson) University of Massachusetts Lowell. But a job Falteisek ’95, is also a nurse on the COVID-19 needed to be done, and he did it. front line, and his mother, Chris, was WMA’s
“To be honest I was focused on the job at Director of Health Services from 1992–1999. hand,” said the former WMA Baseball MVP “We were swamped with new emails on how to and Coaches Award winner. “I wasn’t able to care for the patients. This was all new and we think about my emotions. This was saved until were learning on the fly.” I went home to my wife, where my emotions Often understaffed at the hospital, Mr. Peterson opened up. There aren’t words to describe what regularly called upon the leadership skills he we were seeing every day. People were dying at learned at the Academy to get his team through an unprecedented rate and there wasn’t anything their shifts. we could do. Not only were the elderly being “WMA helped me deal with COVID-19 affected, but individuals in their 30s and 40s were by being strong and family oriented,” said also dying. Mr. Peterson, whose role models during his
“People outside the hospital setting sometimes time at the Academy were Mr. Don Kelly and don’t see this. They think it’s fake. This is not fake.” Mr. Joe Mazeika ’73. “WMA was like a family,
Also not fake were the daily challenges the and I would do anything to help my family.”
Kirsten (Peterson) Falteisek ’95: WMA proved ‘preparation and hard work will always pay off, even in ways not intended’
In her interview for an Academy World article regarding the challenges essential workers faced during the COVID-19 pandemic, Kirsten (Peterson) Falteisek ’95 shared her struggles as a registered nurse at the Phoenix Children’s Hospital in Arizona.
Her comments were powerful and well articulated. It was clear she was a caring nurse and a pro in her field.
One phrase, though, stood out—the type of phrase that makes a person stop and reflect on what’s truly important in one’s life. Late in the interview, she said the responsibility of working in a children’s hospital during the coronavirus pandemic “has been both a blessing and a curse in a way that has forced me to face my own mortality.” Tough phrase: “my own mortality.”
Those three words—just 14 letters—removes all the pettiness of the coronavirus. Suddenly, putting on a mask while picking up a coffee at the drive-thru no longer seems so daunting, and staying socially distanced at the grocery store isn’t so difficult after all.
For Ms. Falteisek and other essential workers, COVID-19 is a life-and-death matter on a daily basis. However, it isn’t just life and death for her—it’s life and death for her family, including her two elementary school-aged children.
“There is always a presence of anxiety that hovers around the possibility of contracting the virus and not doing well,” said Ms. Falteisek, whose workday ranges from the Intensive Care Unit to pre- and post-operative services to the Forensics Department. “The not knowing part of whether you would be considered one of the lucky ones and remain asymptomatic, or placed on the opposite end of the spectrum. This week (in July) there have been two deaths of health care workers, who were previously healthy, without co-morbidities, and had small children.
“This anxiety has been both a blessing and a curse in a way that has forced me to face my own mortality and ensure that I have my affairs in order. What was previously placed on the back burner has suddenly become a priority because you just never know. This has led to focusing on the important matters in life, to be thankful for stable work and to let go of daily stressors that once occupied my life.”
Prior to the COVID-19 outbreak, Ms. Falteisek’s responsibilities in the ICU placed her in position to work with “our most vulnerable population, where outcomes in these children span the range from tragedy to miracle each and every day.”
Now more than ever, Ms. Falteisek can’t help but have her “mom” eyes on at work, with visitor limitations a priority at hospitals throughout the country.
“Families are displaying an increased stress response with limited to no visitation policies in place,” explained Ms. Falteisek, who attended Wilbraham & Monson Academy for two years, serving as captain for the Softball team. “This is particularly true for those kiddos in the COVID-19 unit who are alone. This is a heart-wrenching time for all directly involved.”
While the unknown bred more questions and stress, for Ms. Falteisek, one place of comfort during uncertain times was her education, both in the sense of her academic foundation and what she could control in the moment.
“I can’t speak highly enough about how WMA has prepared me for many aspects in my life,” said Ms. Falteisek who has a brother (Eric Peterson ’99) working on the front lines, and her mother, Chris, was WMA’s Director of Health Services from 1992 to 1999. “One of the most prominent was how preparation and hard work will always pay off, even in ways not intended. While a student at WMA, exam preparation was one thing I always made sure was emphasized and that continues today through continuing education. It has taught me that when prepared for something, stress is relieved exponentially.
“COVID-19 is a prime example of this. Through proper preparation by both hospital and staff, I like to think that we are better equipped to handle the increase in numbers and patient case variation. Learning about this virus is ongoing and WMA has always pushed students to think outside the box, to push individual limits in order to solve world problems. This pandemic is a prime example where both brains and determination will prevail through teamwork, and I have no doubt that past, current and future WMA students are already seeking ways to help this world recover.”
Hannah Clewes ’15: Nursing career gives chance to ‘strive to make an impact in someone’s life every day’
Phrases such as “going to war” and “plan of attack” are often used as military terms.
For Hannah Clewes ’15, she was going to war—against an invisible, deadly and vastly unknown enemy called COVID-19.
As a registered nurse at Mercy Medical Center in Springfield, Massachusetts, and just months into her first job, all of her responsibilities in the Emergency Department pivoted. The emergencies didn’t stop, but so much of what she learned in nursing school suddenly shifted.
One area never changed, and that same area is what drove Ms. Clewes to join the nursing ranks—taking care of patients.
Ms. Clewes attended many more doctor appointments than most children. For the former Coaches Award winner for Softball at Wilbraham & Monson Academy, who has a sister with special needs, going to New England’s finest medical facilities was routine. And she was an active participant at meetings, serving as an advocate for her younger sibling.
• Hannah Clewes ’15 with Head of School Brian Easler, left, at Commencement.
“I got to experience first hand the difference a nurse could make in someone’s health care experience,” she said. “I liked that nursing was the bridge between all aspects of care and I admired the relationship that nurses held with the patients and their families. I wanted a career where I could strive to make an impact in someone’s life every day I went to work.”
Four months after graduating college, Ms. Clewes became that bridge. She believed the Emergency Department “set the tone for a patient’s hospital stay.”
“About two weeks before COVID hit the United States, I was signed off of my orientation as a new graduate RN,” she explained. “When COVID started, I was petrified because I felt that I hadn’t had a chance to be a nurse on my own yet and I was already being thrown into a pandemic. Luckily, I work amongst a strong group of nurses, ED techs and providers that make up the ER team and support each other.”
Ms. Clewes had support, and she benefitted from the wisdom of her more experienced colleagues. But a medical war had begun, and Ms. Clewes was in the crossfire of a novel coronavirus and how to combat a largely unknown disease.
“The fear of the unknown is what made my job the most difficult,” she said. “The beginning of COVID felt like watching a tsunami build up, waiting for it to strike. Nobody truly knew how to prepare or what to prepare for but we were taking note of the dramatic effects of the virus abroad. Many people thought ‘never here, not the U.S. We’ll have it under control; we have great medical care.’ And then it hit. The PPE shortage made nurses feel like they were going to war without a gun.”
Ms. Clewes endured some tough moments. She often drove to work in complete silence, not knowing what her shift would bring. How dangerous would it be? How many emails with new life-saving protocols would be in her inbox? Would they run out of personal protection equipment (PPE)?
But Ms. Clewes always drove to work.
“We continued to care for patients just as we normally would, but each task included additional steps,” she described. “We added pieces to our normal process, such as screening patients for symptoms and exposures, donning and doffing PPE before care, and COVID education. Nurses became a source of education for patients, as well as the general population, who truly just wanted more information on the mysterious virus that was forcing people to stay home.
“The nursing field is ever changing, and to be a nurse you have to adapt to various conditions. Part of working in the ER means you never know what is going to walk through the door at any given time. Although the coronavirus has impacted the world, nurses are constantly trying to find different ways to provide the same care to patients.”
Kayla (Caine) Richards ’09: WMA ‘encourages each individual to find ways in which he or she can improve the community as a whole’
Like a great athlete with a big game on the horizon, Kayla (Caine) Richards ’09 was ready to play her role in the fight against COVID-19.
A registered nurse with five years of experience working at multiple children’s hospitals, Mrs. Richards was two months away from completing a three-year doctorate degree from Georgetown University as a Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetist when her life was put on pause.
In mid-March and within a matter of days, with the coronavirus beginning its initial surge in the United States, Mrs. Richards and her classmates were informed they would not be able to complete their clinical training and would finish the program at their respective homes—not in a hospital.
Essentially, Mrs. Richards was told she would have to sit out the fight against COVID-19 and watch from the sidelines, at least for the time being.
Guilt and frustration then became the norm for Mrs. Richards.
“I felt guilty that I knew I could help, but wasn’t able to in a way that was out of my control,” said Mrs. Richards, a Wilbraham, Massachusetts, native. “I felt guilty that people I admired and trusted with my education were running into this thing and I was watching instead of being by their side.
“Some people were relieved, because it was a scary time. But I was frustrated. I felt like I had been pulled from the big game. I was ready, and I had it in my head that I was going to do whatever I needed to do. It’s just my husband and I, and he’s in a hospital, in the ER a lot because he’s an orthopedic surgeon.”
Her friends or colleagues in the medical field encouraged her to be patient, and “my time was going to come, and there will be a time for me.”
That time came in August when Mrs. Richards started a new job as a registered nurse anesthetist at Suburban Hospital in Bethesda, Maryland.
“I do miss the face-to-face time with patients, because forming that human connection is so important to gaining their trust in us before their surgeries, but we have certainly adapted and are still able to care for and comfort our patients through any amount of PPE!” said Mrs. Richards, who followed her grandmother’s footsteps in the field of nursing. “It is an honor to provide care and comfort to people during some of the most stressful times of their lives, even without the added weight of a pandemic.”
Whether she was at home educating herself on everything COVID-19 or at her new position, Mrs. Richards valued the lessons learned—both in the classroom and out—that she received at Wilbraham & Monson Academy.
“My experiences at WMA shaped so much of my adult perspective and decision-making,” said Mrs. Richards, who earned Cum Laude Honors, the Eveline Barber Department Award for Biology and the Billy Lak Prize during her senior year. “WMA fosters an essential sense of community and encourages each individual to find ways in which he or she can improve the community as a whole. Now, more than ever, we are all relying on our community’s teamwork and better understanding our impact on the greater population. This is evident in our daily personal lives and is also a tremendously crucial dynamic in the health care world”... the health care world she is proud to be in, now serving on the front lines.
Brett Zalkan ’83: WMA was ‘a boot camp for a lifetime of managing complexity’
After a shift in careers and just 10 months into his new profession as a registered nurse, Wilbraham & Monson Academy class valedictorian Brett Zalkan ’83 found himself on the front lines in the early and uncertain stages of the escalating COVID-19 pandemic.
Working at multiple isolation and quarantine sites—without the supplies a standard hospital offers and with so many unknown elements working against him—Mr. Zalkan relied on his experiences at Wilbraham & Monson Academy to manage and thrive during unprecedented times. Specifically, he called upon the lessons he learned in Latin four decades ago.
Yes, his Latin.
“(WMA prepared me for COVID-19 the) same way it prepared me for everything else I’ve done,” said the registered nurse with Seattle-King County Public Health who now resides in Seattle, Washington. “I’m methodical, disciplined, occasionally creative, and skilled at breaking down problems into manageable components. I’ve always credited the advanced study of Latin for instilling these skills.
“But I think it was the whole approach of the school: keep people busy with a variety of academic, intellectual, athletic and even social complexities. In fact, if I could abstract one phrase for what the Academy provides, it’s a boot camp for a lifetime of managing complexity.”
The coronavirus was certainly complex, and so was Mr. Zalkan’s working environment. In late February when Washington recorded one of the first deaths due to COVID-19 in the country, Mr. Zalkan started to work at repurposed hotels to serve people who had other life-challenging issues, let alone the coronavirus. Some patients were homeless, while others battled substance abuse and mental health disorders. All had been diagnosed with COVID-19 and needed treatment.
“(The) biggest challenge was alcohol abuse,” the Springfield, Massachusetts, native said. “We couldn’t let a patient hooked on alcohol withdraw without access to hospital-level medications and treatment protocols. Instead, we followed the principles of harm reduction. Working with our medical director, we determined the amount of alcohol the patient needed not to withdraw.
“We treated vodka like medication. We had a patient who was going from quarantine to detox, and he decided to start quitting on his own by cutting back how much of the vodka he drank. He started going into withdrawal, which led me to utter a phrase I would never have expected to utter as a nurse: ‘To be safe, you need to keep drinking your vodka.’”
That was Mr. Zalkan’s life, and he loved it.
After graduating from Bowdoin College in 1987 and earning his doctorate from the University of Washington in 1995, Mr. Zalkan worked as a senior technical writer and senior content manager. That came to an end when Mr. Zalkan became a nurse, completing his course requirements at Shoreline (Washington) Community College in December of 2018.
“(My) previous career in tech had played itself out,” said Mr. Zalkan, who noted Mr. Don Kelly, Mr. Gary Cook, Mr. John Perry, Mr. Ed Dunn and Mr. Alan Sherman as faculty members he relied on during his six years at WMA. “(I was) miserable and contemptuous of the billionaires who were squeezing out more pennies from overworking employees. I felt that a career in health care would contribute more to my community than working a job I came to hate.
“(It was) incredibly gratifying to work in the epicenter of a global health crisis with people who were most vulnerable to its effects. This represents a huge change for me. When I was trying to become an English professor, my hope was to find a niche in some backwater college where I got to talk about books for a living and few people other than my students would know who I was.”
While COVID-19 undoubtedly and understandably took a massive toll on many brave and selfless people in the medical field, for Mr. Zalkan it validated his career change. He plans to earn his Master of Science (Nursing) at Washington in 2022.
“I am thriving in an environment that mostly serves our most vulnerable citizens,” Mr. Zalkan said. “I am plotting a long-term career path, and I hope that after the COVID-19 emergency subsides, I’ll transition into care for vulnerable people battling substance use disorders.”
A passion for science and health care led Megan Pehoviak ’14 to the front lines
With a passion for science and the experience of taking care of her ill grandmother in high school, going to nursing school for college made perfect sense for Wilbraham & Monson Academy’s Megan Pehoviak ’14.
Soon after becoming a registered nurse, Ms. Pehoviak landed a dream job at Vanderbilt University Medical Center in Nashville, Tennessee—not a bad spot for a 22 year old.
Less than two years into her first job, though, COVID-19 began its spread through the United States, hitting Tennessee hard first in late March, and then a resurgence again in early July.
Professionally, Ms. Pehoviak’s world turned upside down. Her unit on the orthopedics and trauma floor closed, and she was required to learn and take on new responsibilities—fast.
“At the height of COVID-19, I was working on many other nursing units because elective surgeries were canceled,” Ms. Pehoviak explained. “Even after our unit opened back up, we were learning a new sense of normal—constantly doing COVID-19 testing on the floor to either rule out symptomatic patients or enable patients to be discharged to a rehab or nursing facility, wearing masks and goggles for the entire shift, and constantly talking on the phone with patients’ families about their updates since visitors were not allowed.
“Every day there seemed to be a new CDC (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) guideline and it took being constantly flexible and adaptable to be able to stay focused on the job of taking care of our patients.”
One change that didn’t sit well with the Monson, Massachusetts, native was the no-visitor policy. It went against who she was, not only as a nurse but as a person.
“Having to be assigned to work on other units where everything is strange and patients’ diagnoses are unfamiliar caused a lot of anxiety,” she said.
“I think another aspect that has been challenging that many may not think of is the visitor policy. For weeks, no patients were allowed to have visitors at the hospital, other than a few exceptions, and only now (in late July) are they able to have one person, and they still have to be screened every day. Patients are vulnerable, especially after surgery, and it has caused all of us to have better communication with patients and their families and empathize with them.”
The 2014 Phil Shaw Award winner mentioned the word “anxious,” and with good reason. Along with all of the changes and challenges presented in her work environment, a few of her coworkers were diagnosed with COVID-19. Ever the
• Megan Pehoviak ’14, left, enjoys a light moment with co-workers.
optimist, though, the situation only amplified the pride the former WMA three-sport standout has for her profession.
“While the numbers of COVID-19 in the state of Tennessee, at the hospital and even in my close circle of friends and coworkers increases, the thought of ‘what happens if I get this virus’ crosses everyone’s minds constantly,” she admitted.
“It is a whole new work environment in having to wear masks and eye shields for 13-plus hours and know you are coming in contact with hundreds of individuals each shift, not knowing whether or not they have been social distancing or following the CDC guidelines. However, I cannot imagine working with a more supportive staff than I do, and they are constant reminders of why I studied to become a nurse.”
Elijah Barrows ’12: ‘WMA taught me everything I needed to know on how to communicate effectively with anyone’
Every single day, there was anxiety.
Every single day, there were new patients.
Every single day, bodies had to be taken to the morgue.
And every single day, COVID-19 didn’t relent for Elijah Barrows ’12.
Less than three years out of college, Mr. Barrows was doing pretty well for himself, serving as a nursing assistant in New York City at the Hospital for Special Surgery, which is regarded as one of the top-rated medical facilities in the country. Nice pace; famous people; great colleagues—just what he had hoped for when he followed his mother’s footsteps into the medical field.
And then New York City became the epicenter of the novel coronavirus in mid-March, jolting the lives of millions of people, including that of Mr. Barrows.
His workplace became a makeshift intensive care facility in order to handle the overflow of patients from nearby hospitals.
“Everything about my responsibilities at work changed,” he said. “My daily life went from the world of luxury to the grunt work. It was no longer the celebrities, dignitaries, politicians and athletes who I saw every day. It was the old, the poor, the homeless gasping for breath and dying alone. The bells and horns from the monitors rang constantly. It was all a mess.”
And it didn’t stop.
“The most challenging experiences that came from this pandemic were dealing with the anxiety that came with doing the hard work each and every day,” he continued. “There were moments where I didn’t know when this would ever end. I had been working at this virus for weeks and months and it wouldn’t end. A new patient would climb their way up to my unit every day. I would load more and more people to the morgue every single day it seemed. I hadn’t seen my own family in months. I thought about them constantly; I knew they woke up every day worried about me. I couldn’t stop thinking about them.”
When the Springfield, Massachusetts, native would start to reach his breaking point— when COVID-19 kept throwing more and more at him—he would reach a unique level of calmness, focus on what needed to get done and call upon the lessons he learned at Wilbraham & Monson Academy.
“WMA taught me everything I needed to know on how to communicate effectively with anyone—any type of person,” he said. “The doctors I worked under, the nurses I collaborated with, the assistive staff I delegated tasks to, the patients I served. WMA taught me to cut the differences and taught me how to have an impact at each of these levels and with each of the interactions.”
The medical field isn’t for everyone. But with the worst of COVID-19 hopefully over in the New York City area, Mr. Barrows knows the medical field is for him.
“COVID-19 and this pandemic have solidified that I am in the position and field that I need to be in,” he declared. “It has been an honor and pleasure to have had this experience, although it was very tough to deal with at that time and even still presently. I am still truly honored to have done my part to help and to share my experiences from this historic and unprecedented time. This is history and I was a part of it. I can’t help but shake my head and say, ‘Wow!’”
• Elijah Barrows ’12 at the Senior Stone ceremony.
• Elijah Barrows ’12 accepting his diploma from then Head of School Rodney LaBrecque.
Jeremy Korytoski ’06: WMA initiated ‘a level of perseverance and determination even while under tremendous stress’
Jeremy Korytoski ’06 was cautious and uncomfortable, but prepared. For this Academy World story, he was asked questions about being a front-line worker during the COVID-19 pandemic. What was the experience like? How did it affect you?
Was; did—words in the past tense.
A registered nurse since 2011, Mr. Korytoski knew better.
He concluded his interview in late July on the side of prophetic: “COVID is still here. We have seen the communities rally together, and though we have been lucky in Massachusetts, we are far from done with this pandemic.”
Within hours of his interview, there was a coronavirus outbreak at a nearby medical facility, with more than 40 employees and patients testing positive from one single host.
Mr. Korytoski was right—we are far from done with this pandemic.
Mr. Korytoski’s professional life is routinely hectic. A valued member of the Emergency Room at Mercy Medical Center in Springfield, Massachusetts, history showed anything could come through the emergency room doors at any moment.
The coronavirus came through those doors in late March.
“Nursing is not a profession for the faint of heart,” he said. “It poses challenges on a daily basis with a variety of outcomes. Some days you assist the doctor to reset a fractured bone, other days you’re holding a hand while someone takes their last breath. You just never know.
“The ER can be a stressful place at baseline. However, with COVID, the stress has tripled. The way you approach patients and the sheer reality you could develop symptoms at any time certainly contributes to the stress. COVID’s wide array of symptoms and asymptomatic tendencies are going to keep ER’s around the nation on guard throughout much of the winter months.”
Saying the nursing profession chose him, the Northampton, Massachusetts, native uses a mindset he developed at Wilbraham & Monson Academy as a way to handle the many physical and emotional obstacles of his current work environment.
“A level of perseverance and determination even while under tremendous stress has been a trait I’ve been working on for a long time, but one that was initiated at WMA,” he said. “The desire to strive for answers, face challenges head on and persevere has helped me face the unknown of COVID with confidence.
“This virus shows no discrimination to your creed, gender, sexual orientation or political views. One thing is for sure, though, the only way to succeed is together.”
That determination and drive have helped the former three-time WMA Skiing MVP focus on his work, shift by shift, minute by minute, especially since the coronavirus entered his workplace.
“I have been a nurse for nine years. I have seen and treated many illnesses,” he revealed. “After seeing my first COVID-19 patient and the palpable fear within the patient’s eyes, it became clear that skills would have to be sharp and emotions would have to be checked at the door.”
One area that has remained constant throughout the craziness and uncertainty of COVID-19 is the safety of his family. The married, father of two said, “The most challenging and important change to my job has been making sure my family remains healthy and protected.”
• Jeremy Korytoski ’06, second from right, holding his son Noah, 2, with his wife, Lily, and Finn, 1.
