News
AP Exams are just around the corner for twenty-two Academy students. Presently the Academy offers just one AP course in US History, but additional courses are slated for next year. AP courses—which are standardized high school courses taught for college credit—are gaining popularity in the US. Students may enroll in an AP course and pass a test for to earn college credit in that subject area. However students may elect to sit for the test and earn credit without having taken the corresponding AP course. A group of students from of the class of 2008 took AP tests last spring—having only taken our regular course offerings and not the AP course—and passed the AP courses with flying colors. Most colleges accept AP credit without question.
Germany was the destination of Admission Director Ron Bradbury on a recent recruiting trip. Bradbury attended student fairs in Stuttgart and Munich seeking qualified students.
Aimee Bence was recently inducted into the Allegany County Sports Hall of Fame in recognition of her accomplishments in basketball both at Houghton Academy and Houghton College. During her high school career, Bence scored 1222 points and secured 623 rebounds. She had an equally impressive and successful record at Houghton College. Presently she holds a PhD in Medicinal Chemistry and works for Eli Lilly.
Career Day ‘08 was well-received by the students. Keynote speaker and alum Aimee Bence, Ph.D. (‘91) discussed her career in as a researcher in the pharmaceutical business. Another popular presenter was Jordan Dover (‘98), presently employed by NASA and working in international relations. During Career Day, students select 4 professionals and then spend 30 minutes with each one in a small group setting. A complete list of presenters includes:
| Presenter | Job | Employer |
|---|---|---|
| Tim Beach | Printing | Register Graphics |
| Aimee Bence ‘91 | Medical Research | Eli Lilly and Company |
| Terri Bradbury | Social Worker | Home Care and Hospice |
| Daryl Brautigam | Attorney | Brautigam and Brautigam, LLP |
| Doug Crandall | IRS Agent | IRS Retired |
| David Daugherty | Dentist | Houghton Dental Center |
| Tom Donahue | Journalist | St. Bonaventure University |
| Jordan Dover ‘98 | External Relations | NASA |
| Deanna Hand | Athletic Trainer | Houghton College |
| Ken Harris | Tool and Die | Keystone Tool and Die |
| Sean Moran | Architect | Hanlon Architects |
| Ben Sayers ‘91 | Technology | CEO VoIP Supply LLC |
| Tom Scott | Game Warden | Dept. Environ. Conservation |
| William White | Ophthalmologist | University Eye Specialists |
| Eric Wilmot | Automotive Teacher | Alfred State College |
| Meg Wright | Physician Assistant | Southern Tier Pediatrics |
Mens basketball coach Philip Merrill was named the Section V Coach of the Year. Mr. Merrill has been coaching multiple sports for each of his 20+ years of service to Houghton Academy.
Awards for excellence in basketball were given to the following students at the end of the season:
- Allegany County Allstars (second team, girls): Shelly Bradbury, Lauren Daugherty, Beth Lord
- Allegany County Allstars (boys): Jake Merrill (second team); Trent Shatto, Greg Wright (first team)
- Allegany County MVP: Greg Wright
- Great Eight (second team): Greg Wright
- Section V Tournament Allstar: Trent Shatto
- International Association of Approved Basketball Officials (#50) Sportsmanship Award: Houghton Academy
Trent sets up a hapless opponent for his patented 390-half-flip layup.
Greg Wright elevates to shoot two.
Philip G. Stockin, Headmaster, promoted Houghton Academy to thousands of prospective students in Poland on March 6, 7, and 8. An educational fair, called “Perspectives” , afforded a venue for Stockin to man a booth in an exhibition hall for three days. Polish high school students, who may choose their high school based on a school’s special focus, were also presented with the opportunity to study in the USA at Houghton Academy. Stockin distributed about 2000 leaflets with the Polish equivalent of “High School in America” on one side and a brief description of Houghton Academy on the other side. More serious inquiries also took the schools promotional CD; Stockin engaged in numerous lengthy conversations about the Academy. Houghton Academy was the only American institution at the event.
Chinese parents react to seeing photos of their students in Houghton.
Headmaster Stockin enjoyed dinner with over 80 parents and students in Guangzhou, China on Saturday, February 29. After dinner, Stockin and a group of parents enjoyed a slide show with pictures of their kids in school. During a two day stay in China, Admission Director Bradbury interviewed 19 applicants for next fall. Face-to-face interviews greatly enhance the application process.
Dinner in HCMC, formerly Saigon.
Philip Stockin, Headmaster and Director of Admission Ron Bradbury enjoyed dinner with the parents of both current Vietnamese students and alumni on February 26 in Ho Chi Min City. Stockin and Bradbury travel to Asia and offer parent-teacher conferences to review the progress of their students from that region as well as to recruit new students. About 25 family members and friends attended the event at the Ashima restaurant.