MMI Preparatory School graduate Salvadore DeFazio ‘67 presented his latest sculpture to the school during Alumni Weekend. The sculpture honors the Class of 1967 as classmates prepare to celebrate their 50th reunion with a gathering in October. The statue was unveiled during a ceremony Saturday in the Mildred Culp Kahler Courtyard at MMI.
“I have artwork all over the world and felt it was time to do something for my alma mater,” DeFazio said. “It’s something I wanted to do for MMI because, obviously, I developed my earliest training at the school.”
DeFazio explained that the sculpture has dual titles that combine the concepts of art and mathematics. In an artistic sense, the sculpture is known as Apollo’s Harp and represents Apollo, the Greek God of the sun. On the mathematics side, the sculpture carries the title of Plotting the Gravitational Waves of the Solar System and honors MMI’s history as the Mining and Mechanical Institute.
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MMI Preparatory School art instructor Lisa Marie Ferry was selected to receive the 2017 Pennsylvania Art Education Association (PAEA) Outstanding Non-Public Art Educator Award. The award recognizes exemplary contributions, achievements and service to art education at the state, regional and national levels. It is given on behalf of the PAEA Awards Committee and PAEA Board.
A nomination letter and two additional letters of recommendation were required for each award candidate. The award selection process took into account a candidate’s level of education; participation in National Art Education Association (NAEA) activities on the national, regional, state and local levels; their leadership roles, offices and/or honors in other professional associations; related experience with program development, publications, artistic production and/or exhibitions; and additional teaching or related experiences.
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MMI Preparatory School inducted four members into its Wall of Fame during the 12th annual Wall of Fame Awards dinner, which was held Saturday as part of MMI’s Alumni Weekend festivities. Stephen A. Makuta ’69 and Wilson L. Zehner ’81 were recognized for Athletic Achievement, Dennis P. Clarke was honored for Service to MMI and Atty. Donald M. Barnes ’61 was inducted for Professional Achievement.
MMI Head of School D. Scott Wiggins said, “On behalf of the entire MMI family, I am honored to see Steve, Wilson, Dennis and Don inducted into the MMI Wall of Fame. During their time at MMI, they each played a crucial role in developing MMI Preparatory School into the exemplary academic and athletic institution that it is today. They continue to serve as outstanding representatives of MMI in their personal and professional endeavors.”
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MMI Preparatory School’s literary magazine, Angst, won a Silver Award from the Pennsylvania School Press Association.
Angst is produced annually and features literary and visual works of art that are submitted by MMI students in grades 9 through 12. The 2016-2017 edition included 22 poems, 11 non-fiction pieces, 10 works of fiction and 24 art or photography submissions. MMI English instructor Jennifer Novotney served as the faculty adviser for the project. Student editorial board members were: Olivia Minzola, editor in chief; Evan Spear, co-editor and visual arts editor; Jessica Smith, nonfiction editor; Hunter O’Clair, assistant nonfiction editor; Jacob Weiksner, fiction editor; Nicolo Cottone, assistant fiction editor; Jaclyn Braunstein, poetry editor; Merci Centrella, assistant poetry editor; Gabriella DeMelfi, production and biography editor; and Gunner Jankouskas and Zachary Gera, copy editors.
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MMI Preparatory School received a first-place award for Local Market Share during the Eastern Region Meeting at the Future Business Leaders of America (FBLA) National Competition in Anaheim, California. The award is given to the school with the highest percentage of students in a high school involved in FBLA among all the states along the east coast of the United States as well as the island chapters of the Caribbean. This marked the sixth consecutive year that MMI students advanced to the national competition.
Chava Kornblatt, Morgan Long, Allison McGeehan, Jakob Schwabe, Jonathan Smith, Jessica Smith, Julia Snyder and Stephanie Zellner represented MMI at the event. McGeehan finished fourth in the nation in the Insurance Risk Management event.
MMI Social Sciences instructor Katherine Zucco serves as FBLA adviser and MMI Art instructor Lisa Ferry served as the chaperone.
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MMI Preparatory School has announced the names of students who achieved Head of School’s List status for the second semester of the 2016-2017 school year.
Head of School’s List students are:
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MMI Preparatory School has announced the names of students who achieved Honor Roll status for the fourth quarter of the 2016-2017 school year.
Honor Roll students are:
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MMI students received 23 first-place awards, 20 second-place awards and two third-place awards at the Pennsylvania Junior Academy of Science State Competition, which was held on the Pennsylvania State University main campus.
Junior Abigail Paul received a perfect score and earned special recognition from the Pennsylvania Science Talent Search (PSTS), which identifies and recognizes outstanding science talent in students who are juniors or seniors in high school.
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MMI’s Relay For Life team raised $1,891 and will donate the funds to the American Cancer Society during the annual Relay For Life of Greater Hazleton, which will be held Saturday from 10 a.m. to 11 p.m. at Hazleton Area High School Track at Cougar Park on 23rd Street in Hazleton.
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Students in seventh, ninth and 11th grades delivered presentations as part of MMI Preparatory School’s annual “Best of the Best” program during an assembly held at the school. Junior Lauren Babinetz, the daughter of Michael and Patricia Babinetz of Jim Thorpe, was the overall “Best of the Best” winner for the second semester for her presentation on the Morality of Self Driving Cars.
The assembly program is designed to help MMI students improve and enhance their communication skills, which are important as they progress through high school, college, and beyond.
Additional “Best of the Best” presenters were: seventh grader Rachael Betz, the daughter of Dr. Amy Houm of Tamaqua and Richard Betz of Honesdale, for her presentation on Big Cats; seventh grader Nathan Thayer, the son of Robert Thayer and Mary Foltz of Mountaintop, for his presentation on Secretariat; freshman Grant Warren, the son of Richard and Atty. Rebecca Warren of Danville, for his presentation on Kilobots; and junior Hunter O’Clair, the son of Candice and Timothy O’Clair of Drums, for his presentation on WWE Superstars.
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MMI Preparatory School seniors Allison McGeehan and Nicholas Young both won National Merit Scholarships and junior Aaron Harman qualified for the 2018 National Merit Scholarship Program.
McGeehan was selected as the winner of a National Merit $2,500 Scholarship and Young received the National Merit Computer Aid Scholarship. In March, McGeehan and Young were among just 15,000 students nationwide to advance as finalists in the 2017 National Merit Scholarship Program and two of four finalists at MMI.
Harman was selected as a qualifier for the 2018 National Merit Scholarship Program based on his performance on the 2016 Preliminary SAT (PSAT)/National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test.
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MMI Preparatory School in Freeland conducted its 125th Commencement Exercises on Thursday, May 25, as seniors were awarded diplomas by Stanley B. Warner III ’92, chairman of MMI’s Board of Directors.
This year’s graduating class of 42 seniors amassed more than $6.4 million in merit scholarships and awards. The 2017 graduating class also attained an average SAT score of 1733 and 1239 on the Redesigned SAT. The Class of 2017’s average ACT score is 27.
Members of the Class of 2017 were accepted at over 71% of the colleges they applied to and will attend over 27 different colleges and universities this fall.
Retired Major General Peter Bayer ’80, a former United States Army Major General and former Director of Strategy, Plans and Policy on the Army staff at the Pentagon, delivered the commencement address. His message was simple, “Follow your heart, find your purpose and pursue it with passion.”
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MMI junior Angelica Alday has been chosen to serve on the Junior Leadership Wilkes-Barre Student Advisory Council for the 2017-2018 program year. In this role, she will mentor and advise members of the Class of 2018, and will have the opportunity to serve as a Project Advisor or as a member of the Selection Committee that will work to choose members of the Class of 2019.
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MMI Preparatory School seniors Garrett Kost and Allison McGeehan were recently named the Hazleton Elks Lodge #200 Teenagers of the Year.
The award is designed to recognize outstanding young men and women for achievements in school and community life. Applicants were judged on the basis of character, leadership, citizenship and scholastics.
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MMI Preparatory School recently presented athletic awards to students during the school’s annual Awards Convocation.
The awards were presented by MMI Athletic Director Jason Tribbet and team coaches.
The District 2 Pennsylvania Interscholastic Athletic Association Scholar-Athlete Award were presented to Dana Carrato and Nicholas Young. The award is for students who have participated in MMI’s athletic program for multiple years, maintained high academic averages and are involved in community and school service. Dana Carrato and Garrett Kost received the 2017 Wendy’s High School Heisman Award, which recognizes students for success and achievement in both academics and athletics.
Golfer, Jessica McClellan, was recognized as the girls’ medalist in the Wyoming Valley Conference Pre-District tournament. She shot the lowest female score among all competitors in the tournament with a round of 83. McClellan went on to finish second in the District II Championship at Elmhurst Country Club in Moscow with a round of 90. This earned her a spot in the PIAA Eastern Regional Tournament at Golden Oaks Golf Club in Fleetwood.
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MMI Preparatory School recently held its annual upper school Awards Convocation for students in ninth through 12th grades.
MMI Head of School D. Scott Wiggins welcomed those in attendance and MMI College Admissions Counselor Stephanie Shandra served as emcee.
Senior Allison McGeehan received a special award honoring her service as Pennsylvania Future Business Leaders of America (FBLA) State Reporter for the 2016-2017 school year. In addition to assisting MMI FBLA adviser Katherine Zucco, McGeehan spent a significant amount of time over the past year serving more than 500 students across the state in her capacity as State Reporter. Allison was also presented the 2017 Jake Kislan ’56 Polonaise Society Award, which honors the highest achieving Polish American graduate of MMI and is sponsored by Mrs. Michelle Kislan in conjunction with the Greater Hazleton Polonaise Society
Sophomore Andrew Decker was recognized for his performance in the Poetry Out Loud competition. Decker was MMI’s school winner for the second consecutive year and went on to place in the top five in the state out of more than 7,000 entrants.
The Eckley B. Coxe Jr. Memorial Subject Awards were presented to senior students who have excelled in their fields of study as follows: Visual and Performing Arts – Garrett Kost; History and Mathematics – Ali Aijaz; Spanish – Allison McGeehan; Science – Nicholas Young; Chinese – Keenan Overa; German – Megan Marchetti; and English – Joshua Narrow. Narrow was also recognized for his recent appointment as the Hazleton City Poet Laureate, a role that was recreated to help foster an appreciation for the humanities in the Hazleton area with the hope that students can get involved with various art-based organizations to exhibit their work.
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UGI Energy Services recently donated $15,000 to MMI Preparatory School as part of the Opportunity Scholarship Tax Credit (OSTC) program.
The OSTC program, along with the Educational Improvement Tax Credit (EITC) program, enables a Pennsylvania business to gift up to $750,000 of its Pennsylvania state tax dollars directly to the school’s scholarship program. Tax credits are given for 90 percent of gifts given in two consecutive years, or 75 percent of a one-year gift. EITC and OSTC enable companies to support local schools at a minimum cost.
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Peter Bayer, a retired United States Army Major General and former Director of Strategy, Plans and Policy on the Army staff at the Pentagon, will give the Founder’s Day Address at MMI Preparatory School’s commencement ceremony on May 25.
Bayer, a 1980 MMI graduate, is the Area Vice President, Northeast for Penske Logistics where he leads a team of more than 1,900 associates providing world class transportation and warehouse management logistics support to 37 diverse customers nationwide.
Prior to joining Penske, he proudly served for over 29 years as a soldier in the United States Army in a variety of command and staff positions in the United States, Germany and the Middle East. He has extensive leadership experience at the tactical, operational and strategic levels and spent the majority of his career in operations and training with duty in multiple armor and cavalry units, including four post-9/11 operational and combat tours in Kuwait and Iraq.
In addition to his work at the Pentagon as a Major General, Bayer served as the Deputy Chief of Staff for Strategic Plans and Policy, Headquarters Supreme Allied Command Transformation, NATO.
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MMI Preparatory School captured first place and had a total of six teams finish in the top 25 during the recent regional Luzerne County Envirothon competition.
Five of MMI’s six teams placed in the top 10. The winning team of Lois Polashenski, Joshua Kalada-Kania, Samuel Sessock, Alexander Sessock and Lauren Babinetz recorded a score of 432 points out of a possible 500 points and will advance to the state competition, which will be held May 23-24 at the University of Pittsburgh campus in Johnstown.
MMI’s freshman team of Grant Warren, Kai Mele, Elias Bachman, Benjamin Putnam and Adam Tron placed fourth. The team of Garrett Kost, Kayla Leonard, Bailey Slusser, Kaitlyn McGeehan and Christine Park finished fifth. Stephanie Zellner, Gabriella DeMelfi, Daniel DeMelfi, Dana Carrato and Coleman Smith combined to place sixth. The team of Mahum Ahmed, Amanda Kalada-Kania, Elise Hreha, Kelisa Hysenbegasi and Alexander Jordan came in ninth. Summer Evancho, Maya Rizkalla, Lindsey Baloga, Ayla Cooper and Catrina Havrilla teamed up to finish 21st out of 30 teams.
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MMI Preparatory School is offering all area school children an opportunity to make their summer vacation enjoyable and educational at the same time through its annual MMI Summer Camps in June and July.
A variety of camps will be offered in morning and afternoon sessions across a five-week period. Topics include Asian Art Camp, Silly Storybook Theater Camp, Ooey Gooey Science Camp, Cake Decorating Camp, Creative Engineering Camp, Amazing 4-in-1 Robot Camp, and Asian and Spanish cooking camps.
MMI faculty and staff along with instructors from Sciensational Camps and Box of Light will lead the summer camps on MMI’s campus at 154 Centre Street in Freeland. Although each camp is open only to certain age groups, there are offerings for students from ages 6 through 15. A full list of camps, dates and times are listed below.
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