Students from Wilbraham & Monson Academy earned 20 academic awards for their respective performance on recent national exams.

Seven of the awards went to five students in the Class of 2025. They were honored at School Meeting on Sept. 30. The other recipients were in the Class of 2024.

Ji Min Hong ’25 placed as a Semifinalist in the 2025 National Merit Scholarship Competition for his effort on the PSAT; he advanced to the finalist round. Meanwhile, Breslin Grozio ’25 received a Letter of Commendation.

Four students in the Class of 2025 earned awards from The College Board. Breslin was granted an AP Capstone Diploma, while Madison Goodwin ’25 received an AP Seminar & Research Certificate.

Also, three members in the Class of 2025 were named AP Scholars of Distinction, granted to students who receive an average score of at least 3.5 on all AP Exams, as well as scores of 3 or higher on five or more exams. Those students were Breslin, Noah Stich ’25 and Vaishnavi “Vivi” Venkat ’25.

Quotes from the students

Breslin: “WMA has provided me with an inclusive learning environment where I can consistently ask questions, reach out to my teachers and talk to my peers about my courses. WMA provides a setting in which I can study and learn to my heart’s content. I love to learn, but I often find it hard to do so on my own. At WMA, I find myself motivated to learn by my teachers and fellow classmates.”

Maddie: “I think my favorite thing about the WMA academic program is the teachers. All of the teachers are there for you, are passionate about their job and want to help you learn. If you need help you can easily go to Office Hours or email your teacher. All of them are so sincere and care about their students, which makes learning much easier and sets us up for success.”

Ji Min: “One of the best things that WMA as a school offers, that has also helped me academically, is the advisory system. I believe that checking in with an advisor every Monday helps to get me on the right track for the coming week. Additionally, most teachers happily met with me during Office Hours or my free blocks to help with any material that I needed extra help with.”

Noah: “The thing that I like the most about WMA's academic structure is the flexibility and customization that it gives you as a student. The course selection is so vast that it really allows you to, with some exceptions, dictate what your classes will be and align them with your academic interests and goals. This flexibility has allowed me to flourish at WMA, assisted by the great teachers and advisors who have helped act as a guide with this course selection. I also like how WMA gives each student some time to decide if a class is right or not for them, whether it be too easy or too difficult, with the ability to add and drop classes.”

Vivi: “I appreciate the creative freedom at WMA, which encourages us to explore and problem-solve independently rather than relying solely on predetermined answers. Unlike my previous school, where learning felt confined to textbooks, I really feel curiosity is encouraged by all teachers here, even in areas I initially wasn't interested in. This environment has pushed me to explore my passions deeply and helped me develop critical thinking skills in ways I hadn't imagined before.”

Class of 2024 award winners:

• AP Capstone Diploma: Xuanyi Chen, Marisa Cyboron, Callie Dunbar, Sally Geoghegan
• AP Seminar & Research Certificate: John O’Connor
• AP Scholar of Distinction: Arielle Chechile, Marisa Cyboron, Han Do, Sally Geoghegan, Hillel Kofsky, Kent Neureiter, Zhongwang Wang, Hanser Yoon