MMI News

MMI Preparatory School senior Brendan Drusda captured first place in the senior division and was awarded a full scholarship to Wilkes University good for any program or degree during the 68th annual Luzerne County Council of Teachers of Mathematics competition at Wilkes University. Brendan Drusda is the son of Jeffrey and Linda Drusda of Drums. Additionally, four other MMI students and one team placed in the top four during the competition. Sarah Moyer, the daughter of Robert and Susan Moyer of Bowmanstown, finished second in the senior division and Ali Aijaz, the son of Fakhruddin and Dr. Naghma Aijaz of...

MMI Preparatory School juniors Katherine Eschenbach and Keenan Overa were two of 76 students from around the world selected to participate in the Pennsylvania School for Global Entrepreneurship at Lehigh University. Katherine Eschenbach is the daughter of David and Maureen Eschenbach, Drums. Keenan Overa is the son of Timothy and Lori Overa, Drums.

Borealis Wind Quintet, one of America’s preeminent chamber ensembles, performed Thursday for MMI Preparatory School students as part of the community outreach program of the Greater Hazleton Concert Series. Amelia Bergeron, Greater Hazleton Concert Series director, opened the program by speaking to the students about the Greater Hazleton Concert Series and the Borealis Wind Quintet. The chamber ensemble’s visit to MMI follows their performance Wednesday night as the Greater Hazleton Concert Series celebrates its 80th anniversary.

Freeland native and local history researcher Charlotte Tancin visted MMI Preparatory School’s recently to narrate a presentation of historical photographs of Freeland and the surrounding areas. Tancin spoke to a packed audience inside MMI’s Joseph A. Turri ’45 Library and Learning Center. Her photos, including some dating back to the 1800s, featured many of the town’s most iconic businesses and residents, as well as a glimpse at Freeland’s churches and a view of surrounding towns like Jeddo and Drifton.

Lindsey Walko, Joshua Narrow, and Charles Bower finished in the top three at the Pennsylvania School Press Association (PSPA) Student Journalism Competition State Championship finals. The competition was held earlier this month in the Hetzel Union Building’s Freeman Auditorium on the Penn State University Main Campus in University Park. Walko, the daughter of Lawrence Walko and Debbie Brenner-Walko of Drums, captured first place in the Copywriting competition. Narrow, the son of Howard and Marie Narrow of Hazleton, finished second in the Poetry division. Bower, the son of Tracy and Stephen Tichy of Drums, took third in Literary Magazine Artwork. MMI...

For the 13th consecutive year, MMI Preparatory School will host the Grammy-nominated Wister Quartet for a public performance at the school on Monday, April 4, at 7:00 P.M. The performance is made possible through the support of Dr. James W. Feussner ’65 in memory of Elizabeth Feussner. Once again this year, the Wister Quartet will perform with guitarist Allen Krantz, a critically acclaimed guitarist, composer, and chamber musician. The concert, which is free and open to the public, will be held in the Athletics and Drama Complex on the MMI campus at 154 Centre Street, Freeland. Doors open at 6:30...

MMI senior basketball players Edward Herbener and Jonathan Stish both earned Wyoming Valley Conference Coaches Association Division 3 honors and were selected to participate in the Wyoming Valley Conference Senior All-Star Game.

Freeland native and local history researcher Charlotte Tancin will narrate a tour of the Freeland area through images from the first half of the 20th century during a presentation in March at MMI Preparatory School. Tancin will make her presentation on Thursday, March 10 at 6:30 P.M. in The Joseph A. Turri ’45 Library and Learning Center on MMI’s campus at 154 Centre Street in Freeland. The event is free and open to the public. It is offered through The Joseph A. Turri ’45 Library and Resource Center as part of the Community Event Series.

The MMI Prepper Playhouse is presenting Disney’s Beauty and the Beast on Friday, March 11 and Saturday, March 12 at 7:00 P.M. in the MMI Athletic and Drama Complex, 154 Centre Street in Freeland. Disney’s Beauty and the Beast tells a classic tale as old as time about Belle (Lindsey Walko), a young woman from a small provincial town in France, and the Beast (Luke Yamulla), who is really a young prince trapped under an enchantress’ curse. If the Beast learns to love and be loved, the curse will be broken and he will be transformed. If the Beast does not learn...

Thirty-one MMI Preparatory School students advanced to compete at the Pennsylvania Future Business Leaders of America (FBLA) State Leadership Conference April 11-13 in Hershey after qualifying during the FBLA Region 16 Leadership Conference held recently in Wilkes-Barre. Seven students received first place awards in their respective categories at the regional conference. Allison McGeehan finished first in Business Law, Elizabeth Borchick was tops in Graphic Design, Alyssa Sweda led the field in Introduction to Business, Chava Kornblatt brought home top honors in Introduction to Business Communication and Joey Kress, Joshua Narrow and Nicholas Young all came in first in Marketing.

MMI Preparatory School juniors Allison McGeehan and Kevin Cibak and sophomores John Malay and Mahad Muhammad each won awards during the Pennsylvania Bar Association Mock Trial district competition at the Luzerne County Courthouse in Wilkes-Barre. McGeehan, the daughter of Thomas and Sandra McGeehan of Drums, and Cibak, the son of James and Deidre Cibak of Sugarloaf, both won best advocate awards. Malay, the son of John and Kathryn Malay of Jim Thorpe, and Muhammad, the son of Ikram and Alia Muhammad of Mountaintop, were each crowned best witness. The winners were chosen by the opposing team.

BB&T Bank made a $5,000 contribution to MMI Preparatory School through the Education Improvement Tax Credit (EITC) program that provides students with need-based financial aid.

MMI Preparatory School held an induction ceremony on February 4 for students who joined the National Art Honor Society. The students inducted into MMI’s Chroma Chapter are Victoria Kline, daughter of Dr. John and Dr. June Kline, Mountaintop; Danielle Pileggi, daughter of Daniel and Sandra Pileggi, Albrightsville; Kryslyn Postupack, granddaughter of Andrew and Mary Postupack, Hazleton; and Erin Sari, daughter of Izzet and Mumine Sari, Sugarloaf.

MMI Preparatory School in Freeland recently received a $955 contribution from First National Community Bank (FNCB) through the Education Improvement Tax Credit (EITC) program to go toward need-based scholarships at the school. MMI Head of School Thomas G. Hood said, “FNCB’s contribution is greatly appreciated by the entire MMI family, particularly the students who will directly benefit from it by receiving financial aid. On behalf of those students and their families, I would like to express our gratitude to FNCB.”

All the proceeds from ticket sales for the Preppers’ varsity basketball game against G.A.R. on January 29 were donated to the cause. Additionally, the students collected donations through a t-shirt and towel sale. The Coaches vs. Cancer program empowers coaches, their teams and communities to join the fight against cancer by participating in awareness efforts, advocacy programs and fundraising activities. Guided by the Coaches vs. Cancer Council, participating coaches help people with cancer today and to find cures to end the disease tomorrow and have raised more than $87 million to help the American Cancer Society’s mission.

Ayla Cooper, an eighth grade student at MMI Preparatory School, won MMI’s competition in the first round of the 28th annual National Geographic Bee and will advance for a chance at a $50,000 college scholarship. Cooper, the daughter of Lea Cooper of White Haven and Jason Cooper of Avoca, will take a qualifying test for the state competition. Up to 100 of the top scorers on the test in each state will then be eligible to compete in their state competition on April 1. MMI eighth grader Benjamin Putnam, the son of Benjamin and Andrea Putnam of Sugarloaf, finished second...

MMI Preparatory School senior Lauren Toscano won a Gold Key award in the Scholastic Writing Awards’ Northeast Writing Region-at-Large competition and will have her work advance to New York City for national consideration. Toscano, the daughter of Jessica Toscano of Drums, won the top prize for her writing portfolio, “I Wasn’t There.” Senior Lindsey Walko and junior Joshua Narrow both won a Silver Key award and junior Olivia Minzola won Honorable Mention. Walko, the daughter of Lawrence and Debbie Brenner-Walko of Drums, won for her flash fiction entry, “Green Dress.” Narrow, the son of Howard and Marie Narrow of Hazleton,...