Brookfield Academy Now

Congratulations to Sanjal Sharma who earned her high green belt in Tae Kwon Do! 

National Championship! Students Elsie Mumper (Level 7) and Lucille Mumper (Level 3) are both accomplished dancers competing in the genres of ballet, jazz, contemporary, hip hop, and tap. Elsie has been formally dancing since she was one year old and just recently began "on her toes" in pointe. Lucille began at the age of three. This summer the girls traveled to Las Vegas with their teams to participate on behalf of their studio in the national championship for the distinction of "Honored Studio" and they won! Outstanding!

Gratulationes! Ilina Joshi, Level 10 and Ishani Joshi. Level 9, were both winners in the National Junior Classical League (NJCL) Digital Contest and each were awarded a $500 scholarship to attend the NJCL National Convention in July. NJCL organized the National Classical Etymology Exam, the National Roman Civilization Exam, and the National Latin Vocabulary Exam. Nationwide, more than 3,400 students took Etymology, more than 1,500 students took Roman or Hellenic Civilization, and more than 1,900 students took Latin Vocabulary. Students who earned gold medals in at least two of these online contests were eligible to apply for cash awards. Winners were determined by an essay discussing the role of technology in the Classics.

Congratulations to Johanna Zaleski who won several awards for her artwork at the Walworth County Fair. She won 1st place for her Paper Dress and a Ballpoint Drawing and 2nd place for her mixed media piece titled "Junk in the Trunk" (pictured). Her work was entered in the junior division and judged with pieces from other young adults in the area. 

Level 3 student, Ameesh Joshi, earned a Superior rating for the second year in a row, in the National Piano Teachers Association (NPTA) Auditions. Ameesh performed ten memorized pieces and was graded on more than 40 different aspects of musicianship. Very impressive Ameesh! 

Senior Lexi Wilson was chosen to participate in Badger Girls State and was elected Governor during the event. This leadership and government conference, sponsored by the American Legion Auxiliary, brings together more than 700 high school girls from across Wisconsin. They simulate a 51st state, operating under Wisconsin's laws, and develop their own party platforms and issue agendas. Through hands-on experience, they engage in city, county, and state-level government functions, following standard election procedures and conducting official business. Wisconsin Governor Tony Evers attended the conference and referred to Lexi as "Governor Wilson." Congratulations, Lexi!

Level 6 student, Ira Khatri, qualified for and competed in the 25th Annual US Kids World Championship 2024 at Pinehurst, North Carolina. She played 4,850 yards and 18 holes for three days in a row. Competing with students from 56 countries and 40 states, Ira finished 21st out of 60 girls in the 11-year-old girls category. Way to go!

Amelia Buckley, a Level 6 student, plays goalie for the Elmbrook Youth Hockey Organization throughout most of the year. Recently, Amelia was selected to represent her region in the Kohlman Cup, an all-star game for U12 players in the state. Backed by her steady goaltending, her team won an overtime championship game thriller, went undefeated in the tournament, and won the Kohlman Cup. Coaches and officials from other teams during that tournament then selected Amelia as one of two goalies to play for the Wisconsin Select 12U Team. That team is composed of the best players from the state at 12U. In August, Amelia and her Wisconsin Selects teammates will play teams from Canada, Minnesota, Illinois, and beyond in the International Cup in Minneapolis, MN.

Congratulations to Level 8 student Reina Lee. In addition to track and orchestra at school, Reina is a competitive gymnast. At the recent Wisconsin State Competition she earned Vault Champion - 1st place. She qualified to compete at the Regional Competition. She qualified for the regional competition and competed with gymnasts from seven states in the midwest. There she placed 3rd in the All Around. The score for All Around includes her overall performance in Floor, Vault, Uneven Bars, and Balance Beam. 

Congratulations! Level 7 student Mohul Narayan is participating in First Stage Theater's production of Diary of a Wimpy Kid The Musical, at the Marcus Performing Arts Center. The show runs through May 6, so there's still time if you'd like to see the show.

In March, Marilee Nygro (Level 10) was selected to represent Brookfield Academy at the Young America’s Foundation (YAF) High School Conference at the Reagan Ranch in Santa Barbara, California. Marilee spent four days hearing from speakers, participating in workshops, and getting to know other defenders of freedom and The Constitution from high schools around the country. She also had the opportunity to meet Scott Walker, the former Governor of Wisconsin and current President of YAF. Marilee was excited to leverage the education she has received at BA to lead thoughtful conversations and ask thought-provoking questions of the speakers at the conference. She looks forward to continuing her work with YAF now and into the future. Also - a special thank you to Mr. Joel Nettesheim for sponsoring Marilee for her conference attendance!

Congratulations to Brianna Boucher for her impressive riding and earning a nationwide award. She won Best in Breed, which means she performed the best overall for her age class, 13 and Under. Brianna has been riding since she was seven years old and rides in Show Pleasure. In this class, she must walk, trot, and canter to present her horse in the best possible way to the judges. It requires lots of practice and cooperation between her and her horse. She's now preparing for a new show season in which she will ride in eight to ten shows between April and October. 

Bella Smith was recently featured on WISN news. She started a non-profit called Dress Campaign, Inc. to collect gently used dance dresses and share them with students who might not otherwise be able to have a dress. Watch the story here.

History teacher, Karen Ray, has been named High School Teacher of the Year by the Wisconsin Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW). Watch the story on Spectrum News 1.

Rachel was just named the first-place winner in the 2023 Congressional App Challenge for Wisconsin's 5th Congressional District, thanks to her mobile app, "Renal Dialysis." On Tuesday, Feb. 20, Sun was congratulated in a special ceremony by Congressman Scott Fitzgerald. In the spring, she will travel to Washington D.C. to present her app to congresspeople and tech companies at a national science fair.

Watch the CBS 58 story here.  Watch the FOX 6 story here.

Level 3 student Lillian Wickman has been dancing ballet since the age of 2. In the fall, she auditioned and was invited to perform with the Milwaukee Ballet’s Professional Production Company, for the debut performance of Drosselmeyer’s Imaginarium Nutcracker. She was among the youngest in the cast. This tremendous opportunity took time and dedication from Lillian as she needed to keep up with her studies during practice breaks. She continued with her traditional training, along with her training and rehearsals for the performance.

BA Sophomore Neerja Ahuja earned second place in a national Bill of Rights Day contest sponsored by the federal courts. Students in grades 5-12 submitted essays and art projects proposing a new amendment to the U.S. Constitution and Bill of Rights. The panel of judges included U.S. Circuit Judge Diane P. Wood from the Seventh Circuit Court of Appeals, U.S. District Judge Katherine M. Menendez from the District of Minnesota, and U.S. Magistrate Judge Kellie M. Barr from the Southern District of Indiana. Neerja Ahuja's essay can be found here. 

BA sophomore, Raghav Vijayapal, founded a not-for-profit organization called ForeGood. The primary goal of the organization is to raise funds to support Alzheimer's research and awareness. His grandmother's courageous battle with Alzheimer's and dementia was the reason he decided to establish the organization. He held a golf outing at Wanaki Golf Course in June 2023 and has a second event scheduled for July 13, 2024. He also participated in the Alzheimer's Walk in September. Raghav said, "ForeGood is my way of turning personal adversity into a force for positive change, one golf swing and one step at a time." He was featured recently on The Morning Blend on WTMJ. You can view his interview here.