News

Sarah Goolishian '13 receives local rotary scholarship

Wilbraham & Monson Academy’s Sarah Goolishian ’13 received a scholarship from the Wilbraham-Hampden Rotary Club at a ceremony at the Country Club of Wilbraham last week.

Sarah was selected as the recipient of the Mark E. Koziol Award, which goes to a local high school student who displays a strong performance in the visual arts and photography.

Sarah certainly fit the criteria for the scholarship. Along with her class work from AP Studio Art, she submitted her extensive portfolio from her 2012 trip to Tanzania with National Geographic.

“I’m very thankful the Rotary Club in Wilbraham and Hampden selected me for the Mark E. Koziol Award,” Sarah said. “It will definitely help with buying books and other school expenses. Everything counts.”

Sarah’s volunteer work at the American School for the Deaf in Hartford also played a role in her being picked for the scholarship. Sarah, whose brother attends the school, regularly volunteered 3-4 hours on Wednesdays.

“The students there have a hard time with conversation and communication skills,” she said. “Even me showing up, they think that’s interesting. They’re learning about someone outside of their school. For them it’s hard to picture bigger scenarios. They have a hard time thinking outside of their classroom. Most of them board there.”

Following graduation at WMA, Sarah will attend Tulane University in New Orleans. She said she felt comfortable on the campus and with the people. She was also drawn to the school’s broad yet flexible selection of studies.

“They have a great archeology and anthropology department, and they’re integrated with other departments,” she said. “You can make your own kind of major.”

Boys' Lax qualifies for playoffs

The Wilbraham & Monson Academy Boys' Lacrosse team completed its march toward the playoffs Wednesdsy, beating Kingswood Oxford 14-7 at home to clinch a berth in the WNESSLA Tournament.

After going 1-13 last season, the Titans are 9-4. WMA plays at Gunnery in its regular season finale Saturday. The Academy will also play at Gunnery in the tournament, which is set for Monday at 4:30. If the Titans win they will play in the championship Wednesday.

Eight players scored and every member of the team played against Kingswood.

Click here to see a video interview with Coach Roland, Devin Salmon '14 and John Tierney '15.

Boys' Volleyball beats Phillips Andover

The Wilbraham & Monson Academy Boys' Volleyball team won its regular season finale Wednesday, beating Phillips Andover at home 3-1.

WMA won in four sets: 25-20, 25-14, 21-25 and 25-22. The Titans trailed in the fourth set 19-18 before WMA took control behind the play of Randolf Thurman '14. The match concluded on a big spike from Goodluck Okonoboh '14.

The Titans will finish its season Saturday at the Founding Four Tournament at NMH.

Click here to see a video with Coach Barone, Marcel Pettway '15 and Kevin Perez '13.

Softball beats Miss Hall's to stay in playoff chase

The Wilbraham & Monson Academy Softball team beat host Miss Hall's 15-3 in a make-up game on Monday.

The victory pushed the Titans' record to 5-4 in the league and kept their playoff hopes firmly alive. If WMA wins at Cheshire Academy Wednesday, the team will qualify for the postseason.

Click here to see a video with Coach Kindblom, Alyssa Natario '13 and Kelsey Gomes '13.

A Global Discussion with Kasper Moghaddam '86

WMAction had a global dialogue with Kasper Moghaddam '86 across over 6,000 miles of distance.

Commander Kasper Moghaddam '86 is a Staff Director for the intelligence directive for the U.S. Naval Forces in Japan. He maintains and encourages a robust relationship between the United States and Japan.

Kasper talked to WMAction about global responsibility, cultural differences and the importance of passion in our lives. The students were encouraged to ask questions, the discussion that resulted was inspired.

Kasper told the students that "the best thing I can tell you is to go with your gut. If it feels good do it." We hope to continue an active partnership with Kasper and other alumni who are willing to share their stories with students eager to listen.

Blocks Rock! Launches iPhone & iPad Application

Blocks Rock! for the iPhone and iPad is now available for download on iTunes. The game continues to evolve with new technology and innovative students.

Blocks Rock! was invented by WMA Middle School students. Upper School students developed the game's marketing and production as part of their Entrepreneurship class. Finally, through the financial backing of a WMA alumnus, the game was taken to the next level for wider distribution and mobile app development.

Features of Blocks Rock! include:

• Educate and entertain with three levels of difficulty: multiplayer, solo and free play
• Choose from a variety of backgrounds with upgrades available for purchase
• Play with friends locally or from anywhere around the world
• Apply your imagination and create your own design in the free play mode

WMA Blocks Rock! Days

As part of the launch, WMA will host a Blocks Rock! tournament May 16 and 17.

Thursday, May 16

L1 10:20-11:25 • Presentation and t-shirt giveaway at sit-down lunch

L2 11:30-12:35 • Presentation and t-shirt giveaway at sit-down lunch

L3 12:40-1:45 • Presentation and t-shirt giveaway at sit-down lunch

Friday, May 17

A 8:50 – 9:35 • Skye Entrepreneurship class visit

B 10:05-10:50 • Skye Entrepreneurship class visit

L1 10:55-11:40 • Skye Honors Stocks class visit

C 1:25 – 2:10 • Blocks Rock Table-Top Tournament for Gr. 8D in Spa

D 2:15 – 3:00 • Blocks Rock Table-Top Tournament for Gr. 8C in Spa

Footage and photos from the tournament will be used on the official Blocks Rock! website and on social media. Ready to rock?

Learn more about Blocks Rock! online:

Web

Facebook 

Twitter

Another big win for Boys' Lax

The Wilbraham & Monson Academy Boys' Lacrosse team picked up another impressive win, beating host Cheshire Academy 12-8 under the lights Friday night.

The victory pushed WMA's record to 8-4 and on the cusp of qualifying for the postseason. The Titans will qualify for the playoffs with a win over Kingswood Oxford at home Wednesday at 4 p.m.

The Titans have won six of their last seven games, losing only to undefeated Canterbury.

Click here to see a video interview with captains Brendan Butcher '13 and Andrew Mordasky '13.

Boys' Lax beats Hamden Hall 12-7

The Wilbraham & Monson Academy Boys' Lacrosse team continued to stay on course to make the postseason, beating Hamden Hall on the road 12-7 May 8.

The Titans are 7-4 overall, with games remaining against Cheshire Academy, Kingswood Oxford and Gunnery. WMA went 1-13 last season.

Click here to see a video interview with Coach Phil Roland, Harry Kroessler '14 and Spencer Marocchini '16.