MMI News

Debra Minzola, PhD, MSN, CRNA, program director at the Geisinger Health System/Bloomsburg University of Pennsylvania Nurse Anesthesia Program, recently visited MMI Preparatory School to provide 10th and 11th grade students with a hands-on information session designed to help them learn about becoming a Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetist (CRNA). Minzola, along with Assistant Program Director Shannon Slabinski, MSN, CRNA and nine graduate students, set up multiple stations for hands-on experience, including two stations with heads for intubations, a gowning and gloving station, and a station for epidural and spinal puncture. During the program, the students watched a video on what it’s...

MMI Preparatory School students completed community service projects at six locations throughout Greater Hazleton to honor a late MMI alumna for the inaugural Athena S. Ford ’01 Day of Service. Athena S. Ford was a 2001 MMI graduate who passed away on October 23, 2016, as a result of complications sustained in an automobile collision where she was a seat-belted passenger and suffered a traumatic brain injury. The Athena S. Ford ’01 Endowed Fund for Community Service was established in 2017 by members of the MMI Class of 2001 as a way to honor Ford. “Athena was one of the most...

MMI Preparatory School senior Aaron Harman was named as a Semifinalist in the 2018 National Merit Scholarship Program. Harman, the son of Ronald and Yvonne Harman of Drums, is among a national field of just 16,000 students to be named Semifinalists in the 63rd annual National Merit Scholarship Program.

MMI Preparatory School’s Interact Club collected much-needed school supplies for Humble Middle School in Humble, Texas, and partnered with the Freeland Fire Department to organize a collection drive of non-perishable food and other supplies for Hurricane Harvey victims in Texas. Interact Club members reached out to MMI students, faculty, staff, and friends of the school to collect 12 boxes, which weighed more than 350 pounds, of school supplies that were shipped to Humble Middle School. New MMI faculty member, Robert Olive, grew up and taught middle school in Humble, which was one of the areas that was most drastically affected...

MMI Preparatory School junior Joel Cruz received the Raymond G. Weber award during the Pennsylvania Free Enterprise Week (PFEW) program, which was held in July at Lycoming College in Williamsport. The program is presented by the Foundation for Free Enterprise Education. The Raymond G. Weber award, which is rarely given at PFEW, is the only individual student award ever presented during the program. It is named after one of the founders of PFEW, whose passion and vision made the program what it is today. The award is presented to students who rise above extraordinary challenges, exhibit remarkable courage when faced...

MMI Preparatory School seventh graders Jakob Narrow and John Schwear III received recognition and will have their artwork exhibited as part of the 2017 International Interdependence Hexagon Project competition. For the competition, which was completed during the 2016-17 school year, Narrow and Schwear competed in the Elementary Division (grades 4-6) in the 2-D category, which indicated a single student worked to create a two-dimensional hexagon. Narrow won the award for Most Effective All-Over Interpretation, while Schwear was an honorable mention selection in the Most Relevant Interdependence Theme category. The International Interdependence Hexagon Project is a visual arts opportunity for young...

MMI Preparatory School art instructor Lisa Marie Ferry recently gave a presentation at the STR2E2AM Evidence-Based Practices Conference at King’s College’s Sheehy-Farmer Campus Center in Wilkes-Barre. The conference covered material for pre-kindergarten through 12th grade educators in the areas of science, technology, reading, writing, engineering, early childhood education, arts and mathematics. Ferry’s presentation was entitled “Turning Anxiety into Creativity.” The hands-on session addressed the anxiety and stress students suffer in the classroom and examined evidence-based strategies that can be used to alleviate their symptoms not only in the art curriculum, but other classes and beyond.

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...

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...

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...

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...

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...

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.

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.

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...

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...

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...

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.