New Era for Eagle Sports!

Any questions or concerns regarding athletics please feel free to reach out to

Athletics at Pioneer Academy is in the beginning stages with excitement for the future. During our winter season, we are excited to announce we have varsity boys and girls teams competing. Our boys have a competitive 22 game NJSIAA schedule against teams statewide. The boys also compete in Regional Showcase Tournaments. Where they have the opportunity to showcase their talents and skills in front of college coaches.

The student athletes have been training hard and getting better everyday with Coach Tony Paris and Bernard Boa. The boys are led by juniors: Christian Chaney, Leo Becker, Jacob Becker, and You Roa. As well as, seniors: Chris Jones, Mohammed Alatiyat, and new transfer Tyler Koenig.

Our girls’ team is excited to start their journey as Pioneer Academy’s first Girls’ Varsity Athletic Team. They have been working hard practicing three times a week with Coach Luis Santos, Coach Matthew Silvestri, and Coach Jackie Hernandez. They have games scheduled as well, and we look forward to building the girls’ program stronger each year.

All schedules for basketball games will be posted around the school and we would love the support at home games from our school community. Games are played at XCEL Sports and Fitness located in Fairfield, starting in the 2nd half of December.

We are also pleased to announce the formation of our next Pioneer Academy Varsity Sport. This sport being Boys Varsity Volleyball, this is a spring sport. All upper school boys interested are welcome to join. Be on the lookout for announcements on meetings and starting dates in the coming weeks. Practices will start at the conclusion of basketball season in late February. The boys will be competing against local schools in North Jersey. We look forward to starting our Girls Varsity Volleyball Team in Fall 2023, as it is a Fall sport in New Jersey.

Boys Club Soccer has been training Mondays and Wednesday in preparation for the Fall 2023 season. With a full year of practice they should be ready to embark on a competitive journey against many local schools. Any Upper School boys interested in playing Soccer for the school, should be attending these training sessions on Mondays and Wednesdays.

Can you please introduce yourself?

My name is Jiaqi Wu, a high school senior as well as an international student representative of SGA this year. I am 18 years old and from Anhui, China.

Why did you want to study in the USA and why Pioneer Academy? When did you start school at Pioneer?

For me, as a young teenager, it is fascinating to study abroad and see different things all over the world, and one of the countries with the best opportunity and education system is the USA. I started my study at Pioneer in 8th grade.

What is the difference between education in China and in America?

These two education systems deviate from their intentions and expectations for students. The approach of Chinese education is to train students in a standard and rigorous format instead of educating each student based on their differences. However, the education I experienced in America is more suitable and appropriate that allows each individual to develop their interests. For example, every Chinese high school student is required to take the same courses as everyone else, which is not the case in America.

Tell me about your hometown. What is something you love more about it?

My hometown is Hefei, a developing city with essential public facilities. I miss and love my neighborhood’s fine cuisine and entertainment.

AP courses so far. Playing the piano and hanging out with friends are my favorite things during my spare time.

How have you been involved at Pioneer Academy?

I am the international student representative in SGA, and I am glad to help in improving our school environment both in academics and extracurricular activities.

How would you describe the dorm life at Pioneer Academy?

What is one part of American culture that you are excited to experience and one part of Chinese culture that you would like to share with Americans?

I am interested in feeling the air of popular American sports games in colleges, such as football and tennis. One of my favorite Chinese cultures is family gatherings, where family members come back to their hometown no matter where they were and fireworks accompany the bell of Spring Festival- Chinese New Year.

What is your favorite subject to study in school? What do you do in your spare time?

My favorite subject in school is mathematics because Dr.Yildiz is an excellent math teacher and a kind person. I started my first AP in my Freshman year, and I have taken 10

Many students are living in the dorm, especially International students. Students here are amiable so we are happy to spend time with each other playing together intimately, which makes the dorm a home away from home. We also have a comfortable environment for gathering and studying, as the school keeps improving the conditions of dorm life.

What would you like to study when you go to university?

I intend to study Computer Science and related majors like data science in college, and most of the schools I am applying to have highly ranked CS programs.

Where do you see yourself in 10 years and what would you like to be doing?

I want to be an entrepreneur, focusing on software development.