Alumni eNews, February 2017

Feb. 28, 2017

Dear WMA Alumni,

There are exciting events coming up this spring that I hope you'll mark on your calendar. WMA is holding alumni receptions in Washington, D.C., and Boston in April and at GreatHorse in Hampden, Mass., in May.

If you've never been to one of our receptions, they are a great place to meet fellow alumni, network and hear what's new at the Academy. Reach out to your former classmates and come together at one of our events.

In addition to the receptions, we're holding a LuLaRoe shopping night April 7 at Morrow House and bringing in Tim McKeon for a talk April 13.

LuLaRoe brands itself by saying it's "Where Fashion Meets Comfort.'' There will be plenty of women's and girl's clothing to take home that evening.

Tim is co-creator, executive producer, director and head writer for the PBS Kids show "Odd Squad" and will be speaking about his path to writing and producing for television.

All of these events lead us to Reunion 2017. Did you graduate in a year ending in a 2 or 7? We're celebrating your classes on June 9 & 10!

Have questions? Call or email the office!

My best,

Dawn Hines

Associate Director of Alumni Relations

413.596.9118

alumni@wma.us

- Alumni Notes -

The Francis Michael Casey Fund presents Tim McKeon

Tim McKeon is co-creator, executive producer, director and head writer for the PBS Kids show "Odd Squad." Tim will talk about his path to a successful arts career in writing and producing for television at a Casey Fund event on April 13

at 7 p.m. in Alumni Memorial Chapel.

He is the recipient of a Primetime Emmy Award for writing and a Daytime Emmy Award for writing, plus several nominations.

Tim has worked as a writer and producer in kids' TV for more than 10 years. Past credits include Sesame Workshop's new version of "The Electric Company,'' Disney Channel's "Gravity Falls" and Cartoon Network's "Adventure Time.'' A graduate of the University of Massachusetts Amherst and the University of Southern California, Tim currently lives in Los Angeles with his family.

The box office to reserve tickets will open in mid-March.

Titan Scholarships

Scholarships help WMA maintain its diverse community of talented students and help us remain competitive with our peer schools. With the help of generous donors, WMA's financial aid program creates opportunities for approximately 40 percent of our students." - Brian Easler, Head of School

Helping Students with Need Achieve Excellence

WMA Titan Scholarships provide the opportunity for donors to create a short-term, four-year scholarship through a gift of $100,000, with the option of donating $25,000 each year for four years.

How Titan Scholarships Work

All WMA scholarship recipients are selected by the Scholarship Selection Committee comprised of the Director of Admission & Financial Aid, Dean of Students, Director of Advancement and Head of School.

Titan Scholarships provide $25,000 in aid to one student for one year. (Currently, $25,000 is our average award.) If the student continues to meet our scholarship criteria, the scholarship will be awarded in subsequent years.
Titan Scholarships will be awarded to students in Grades 9 or 10. It would be ideal if the same student received the scholarship for four years so they can build a relationship with the donor.
These scholarships provide financial aid dollars above the financial aid budget, thus allowing us to attract the best students with high need.
These scholarships are need-based. None are given strictly on merit.
Students must maintain a GPA of 3.0 or better to be considered for and continue in this program. Character and school citizenship will also be evaluated.
The scholarships will be stewarded by the Office of Alumni and Development along with our Named Scholarships. Students will be connected with donors via mail, and donors have the opportunity to meet with students at our annual Named Scholars Dinner held each fall.

"Scholarships are an investment in our future; not just WMA's future, but also the future of the global community. Through a Titan Scholarship, you can strengthen the Academy and have a direct impact on the academic life of a talented boy or girl." - Mark Aimone, Director of Advancement

For more information, contact Christina Cronin, Director of Capital and Planned Giving at ccronin@wma.us or 413.596.9189.