MMI News

Four MMI Preparatory School students placed in the top four at the Pennsylvania School Press Association Student Journalism State Championships, which were held last month at Penn State University’s University Park campus. Joshua Narrow and Julia Snyder both won the state championship in their respective categories. Narrow placed first in the Literary Magazine Poetry category, while Snyder topped the field in the Literary Magazine Artwork category. Danielle Pileggi received the State Reserve Champion title for finishing second in the Literary Magazine Artwork category and Chava Kornblatt was fourth in the Yearbook Photo Caption Writing category.

MMI Preparatory School senior Joshua Narrow was recently appointed the Hazleton City Poet Laureate during a meeting held at Hazleton City Hall on March 22. Narrow was selected out a group of creative writing students from schools throughout Greater Hazleton to fill the position. The Poet Laureate has been 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.

MMI Preparatory School inducted senior Katherine Eschenbach and juniors Anna Haber, Talia Logerfo, Julia Snyder and Stephanie Zellner into the MMI Chroma Chapter of the National Art Honor Society during a ceremony at the school earlier this month. During the ceremony, MMI art instructor Lisa Ferry welcomed guests and explained the history of the art honor society. Attorney Lee Ann Palubinsky ’02 was the guest speaker. Palubinsky earned a bachelor of arts degree in journalism from American University in Washington, D.C. and a juris doctorate degree from Barry University School of Law, where she specialized in constitutional law and First...

MMI Preparatory School will host its annual Open House this Sunday, March 26 from 2:00-4:30 P.M. The public is invited to attend the event where students will showcase their projects. Each year, MMI students are challenged with preparing special research projects, which are displayed at Open House. Students in grades six through 12 will display, explain, and demonstrate their projects in classrooms and locations throughout the school. Visitors will be able to observe a variety of student projects in the areas of literature, mathematics, science, and social studies. In addition, food projects prepared primarily by senior students will be featured....

The MMI Prepper Playhouse is presenting Shrek The Musical, which was postponed last weekend due to the storm, this Friday, March 24, and Saturday, March 25, at 7:00 P.M. in the MMI Athletic and Drama Complex, 154 Centre Street in Freeland. Tickets are $8 for adults, $6 for students, and $12 for reserved seats and may be purchased by calling the school at 570-636-1108 or emailing admissions@mmiprep.org. Based on the Oscar-winning DreamWorks Animation film, Shrek The Musical is a Tony-Award winning fairy tale adventure, featuring songs from Jeanine Tesori and a book by David Lindsay-Abaire. Shrek brings all the characters you...

Four MMI Preparatory School seniors advanced from the semifinalist round to become finalists in the 2017 National Merit Scholarship Program. Ali Aijaz, Anirban Chowdhury, Allison McGeehan and Nicholas Young, who received semifinalist recognition last fall, are among just 15,000 students nationwide to be named finalists in the 62nd annual National Merit Scholarship Program. As finalists, Ali Aijaz, Anirban Chowdhury, Allison McGeehan and Nicholas Young have an opportunity to continue in the competition for some 7,500 National Merit Scholarships worth about $33 million that will be offered in the spring.

MMI Preparatory School junior Angelica Alday has been honored for her exemplary volunteer service with a President’s Volunteer Service Award. The award, which recognizes Americans of all ages who have volunteered significant amounts of their time to serve their communities and their country, was granted by The Prudential Spirit of Community Awards program on behalf of the President’s Council on Service and Civic Participation. MMI nominated Alday for national honors this fall in recognition of her volunteer service. Alday, the daughter of Dr. Senen Alday and Milagros Azcueta-Alday, Mountaintop, has participated in several volunteer activities in the region. She was...

MMI Preparatory School eighth-grade student Louis DeAngelo advanced to the MATHCOUNTS state competition after posting the second highest individual score and finishing third in the Countdown Round.   Alistair Plotnick, Connor Spencer, Elizabeth O’Donnell, Rachael Betz, Benjamin Zhao, Hiba Muhammad. Samantha Sparich, Kevin McNulty and Natalie Graham also competed on MMI’s MATHCOUNTS team. The MATHCOUNTS Competition Series is designed to cultivate talent in the nation’s brightest young minds by bringing together students from all 50 states in a one-of-a-kind competition consisting of a series of in-person contests. The Competition Series, which was created in 1983, is the longest-running MATHCOUNTS program...

The MMI Preparatory School Mock Trial team advanced to the District 2 Championships following semifinal wins by its defense and prosecution units. Garrett Kost, Marc Lobitz, John Malay, Joshua Narrow, Hunter O’Clair, Erin Sari and Jonathan Smith were MMI’s winning defense team members. Ali Aijaz, Merci Centrella, Kevin Cibak, Andrew Decker, Evan Dryfoos, Mahad Muhammad and Jonathan Smith were members of the winning prosecution team. D. Scott Wiggins, MMI Head of School and Mock Trial adviser, said, “The performance of our student attorneys and witnesses was extraordinary. The magnitude of time and investment it takes to prepare oneself and carry forth...

MMI junior Angelica Alday, the daughter of Dr. Senen Alday and Milagros Azcueta Alday of Mountaintop, was one of just 30 girls selected to participate in the Center For Women in Technology’s (CWIT) Bits and Bytes Program, which was held Feb. 19 and 20 at the University of Maryland Baltimore County (UMBC), an honors university in Maryland.

For the 14th consecutive year, MMI Preparatory School will host the Grammy-nominated Wister Quartet for a public performance at the school on Monday, March 6, at 7 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 St., Freeland. Doors open at 6:30...

Forty-seven of MMI Preparatory School’s 76 entrants in ninth through 12th grades qualified to attend the Future Business Leaders of America (FBLA) Pennsylvania State Leadership Conference, which will be held from April 2-5 in Hershey. MMI students qualified for the state conference in 26 different individual and team competitive events during a regional competition at the Woodlands in Wilkes-Barre. The list of competitive categories includes: Business Calculations, Business Ethics, Business Law, Business Planning, Client Service, Computer Problem Solving, Cyber Security, Global Business, Health Care Administration, Help Desk, Insurance and Risk Management, Introduction to Business, Introduction to Business Procedures, Introduction to...

MMI Preparatory School recently received a $1,000 contribution from FNCB Bank through the Education Improvement Tax Credit (EITC) program to go toward need-based scholarships at the school. MMI Director of Advancement Kim McNulty said, “On behalf of everyone at MMI Preparatory School, “I’d like to thank FNCB for their generous contribution. MMI students have received more than $3 million in direct scholarships thanks to the contributions from companies like FNCB since our EITC program’s inception in 2005. When you contribute to MMI through the EITC program, your gift directly supports funding for children in need to attend our school.” FNCB...

Anden Karlick captured first place in MMI’s Sixth Grade Science Fair for his presentation on Root Systems and Erosion. John Schwear III placed second for his presentation on Tire Pressure in Bicycles and Jeffrey DeAngelo was third for his presentation on How Senses Change Your Taste. The Science fair took place on January 27 in the MMI Cafe. All sixth grade students were required to complete a project, which they then showcased to the school and their families. Projects were judged by AP Science students and faculty.  

Seventh grader Christian Homnack was the winner and classmate Connor Spencer finished as the runner-up in MMI Preparatory School’s competition as part of qualifications for the National Geographic Bee. MMI’s Geographic Bee competition, at which students answered questions on geography, was the first round in the 29th annual National Geographic Bee. As MMI’s winner, Homnack now has a chance to compete for a $50,000 college scholarship. Christian Homnack is the son of Lori Pavell, Hazleton, and Dennis Homnack, St. Johns. Connor Spencer is the son of Christina and Christopher Spencer, Mountaintop. Grete Floryshak, MMI Social Sciences instructor and adviser for...

This past weekend, MMI students participated in the Pennsylvania Music Educators Association (PMEA) District 9 Orchestra Festival at Elk Lake High School. Junior Angelica Alday earned second seat for violin and will advance to the PMEA Regional Orchestra Festival, which will be held March 9-11 at Bangor Area High School. Junior Aaron Harman placed third in the orchestra seating auditions for trombone and freshman Molly O’Connell placed ninth in the violin section. Students were accompanied by music instructor Christine Lizbinski.

Six MMI Preparatory School students won a total of 16 awards in this year’s Scholastic Art & Writing Awards competition. The students were honored during a recent awards ceremony at Marywood University. Senior Evan Spear won the American Voices Medal for writers, the highest honor presented to a writer by the Scholastic Writing Awards. Only one writer from each region is presented with this award each year. Spear also received a Gold Key Poetry award. The American Voices nominees are “Best in Show” awards that most exemplify originality, technical skill and the emergence of a personal voice or vision. Five...

MMI Preparatory School received a $500 grant through the ExxonMobil Foundation that it will use toward its science and technology departments. MMI was nominated for the grant ExxonMobil Educational Alliance grant by Liberty Petroleum Distributors of New Milford. The grant funds are specifically designated for math or science departments. MMI plans to use the grant money to fund a collaborative project between the Marine Biology and Robotics classes where students are working toward building Remotely Operated Underwater Vehicles (ROVs). Michael Mele, MMI Science Department Chair said, “We are so appreciative of the support for this cross curriculum project and for...