WRA Viewbook 2024-25

L I G H T - T R U T H - J OY

WELCOME TO RESERVE

find

yourself

W E L C O M E T O F E E L I N G W E L C O M E. Welcome to an incredible opportunity for you to be the you-est you’ve ever been. The student. The artist. The athlete. The friend.

The human full of potential. This is the year and the place to find yourself and find your way.

WELCOME TO RESERVE

find your

people

WELCOME TO RESERVE

Vir∙i∙des∙cent adjective The quality or act of becoming green Emboldened by our motto of “lux et veritas,” meaning “light and truth,” WRA embodies a vivid and brilliant viridescence, and so do its students. Therefore, is it any surprise that we think Reserve Green becomes you?

R E S E RV E G R E E N B E C O M E S YO U. Once you put on the Reserve Green blazer, your outward appearance isn’t the only evident change.

Immediately polished and comfortable, Reserve Green becomes part of your identity. The collar frames your confidence, your energy. While the buttons hold tight a promise that what you learn here and achieve here will stay with you.

FOREVER A PIONEER.

LOCATION

YOUR VERY OWN

limitless sky F I N D YO U R S E L F I N T H E M I D D L E O F S O M E W H E R E. With welcoming, wide-open spaces for learning and living, our 190-acre, brick-and-ivy, Hudson, Ohio campus lies within our country’s Heartland.

How many of your dreams, ambitions and aspirations do we have room for?

All of them.

LOCATION

OOOOhhio!

Did you know that New England settlers moved west to establish the communities of their dreams?

While we may look like New England, we are proudly Ohio.

Independent, open and one of a kind. We put our own spin on brick and ivy. A Great Lake-side location, wide-open spaces, National Parks and big-city attractions make it obvious why Ohio is known as the Heartland.

Scan to see our Ohio videos!

OHIO IS K IND,

and so are we We have developed standards for how we engage with one another in community and in conversation.

This is the power of kindness.

VA L U E

unique thoughts, perspectives, experiences and backgrounds LIFT

others rather than bring them down LISTEN

thoughtfully and practice patience I N T E R R O G AT E

ideas not people INVITE

participation and belonging SPEAK

to others, not about them LIVE

respectfully, peacefully and productively

LOCATION

Our town is in the running for the best place on earth. Quaint, walkable village. Stores, restaurants — Chipotle or Ming’s Bubble Tea anyone? Boutiques.

Amenities and a farmers

market. Our region

features 3 pro sports

teams, Playhouse

Square, the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, concert venues, an international airport 29 miles from school, a national park, ski slopes & warm smiles.

ACADEMICS

SHINE ON,

bright one

From here to everywhere At Reserve, engaged learning stems from brilliant courses. Open your mind to explorations of synthetic biology, engineering, Mandarin Chinese language and culture, digital music production and storytelling in sports. From classic to unconventional, WRA has the inspiration your brain has been craving in an environment where we teach you how to think, not what to think.

More than 100 courses are brought to you by teachers who are PhDs, authors, entrepreneurs and most importantly, likable humans who care.

Our learning spaces are as diverse as the thinkers who inhabit them — from a 6,000-square foot maker space in our Wang Innovation Center, to classically beautiful Seymour Hall, to world-class Wilson Hall, where labs are on the level of top universities.

The world is your classroom, with experiences beyond campus that are exclusive to Pioneers.

Spend a summer at a DocPrep program at the Baylor College of Medicine. Work in the polymer sustainability research lab at the University of Akron’s Goodyear Polymer Center. Get immersed in molecular biology, nuclear physics and astronomy at the Heidelberg International Institute of Science.

Ready to launch? We intern on another level.

ACADEMICS

School is solved

The Academic Center (TAC) is our researchrooted, in-house, all-hands-on-deck support system for Pioneers. Team TAC, in conjunction with you, our faculty, college counselors and support professionals will empower you with strategies for time management, writing support, self-advocacy and whatever it takes for you to be the very happiest version of you.

C for yourself Every staff member and student exemplify six Cs that are baked into our curriculum: CHARACTER CITIZENSHIP C O L L A B O R AT I O N C O M M U N I C AT I O N C R E AT I V I T Y CRITICAL THINKING

Eureka!

T H E C H A N C E T O S T U DY C A N C E R I M M U N O L O GY. WRA is ranked best in the state for STEM, due in no small part to a duo of disciplines not found at any other high school in the country.

In our Cancer Immunology track, you can become a true clinical researcher by studying cancer-fighting bacteria and inoculations with the Cleveland Clinic. In Synthetic Biology, you’ll engineer solutions to real-world problems using software and lab equipment that rival that of major institutions.

ACADEMICS

The Wang Innovation Center Imaginations running wild is commonplace at WRA’s Wang Innovation Center, our futuristic makerspace. With 6,000 square feet of additive printers, CNC machines, circuitry connectors, robot assemblers and hoodie embroiderers you’ll find technology and brains buzzing with non-stop possibility.

Soldering 101

Farm bot built by a budding agricultural engineer

Ideation in progress

Testing a prototype

MAKE PROGRESS

among other things C R E AT E A selfie-skateboard

An impact

A modern chair

A statement

A graphic chair

An effort

A chocolate mold

An impression

A concrete lamp

A discovery

A robot

A difference

A N Y T H I N G R E A L LY

I N VA L UA B L E C O N N E C T I O N S

ACADEMICS

SET YOUR

future to bright Ready to choose your own path?

We’ve got the perfect opportunity — and it’s aptly named Compass.

Pitch an idea for pursuing a personal exploration or passion, and WRA will help you make it happen.

Solve global challenges. Design an app from scratch.

Build a curriculum for health education.

Unite cultures. We’ll provide the resources.

You design the Capstone project — and let the world-changing begin.

ACADEMICS

Another only-here initiative, The WRA Center for Food Innovation, Sustainability and Service (CFISS) brings the study and practice of microbiology, hydroponic farming, economics, social consciousness and artistry together in one, satiating experience.

Taste

Artist rendering of our epicurean lab

Sure to satisfy the most voracious appetites, the CFISS encourages a sampling of food-themed courses like Anthropology of Food Systems and Agricultural Engineering; immersive new dining experiences; and explorations at the intersection of food, science and culture.

A culinary masterpiece in the making, CFISS is offering an imaginative fusion of opportunity and community.

With fresh programming, gathering spaces, food labs and gardens soon to be built, WRA’s new center will provide students and families with experiences that are far beyond epicurean.

B D G D I U N

CULTURE OF CARE

Meet our Chief Joy Officer

A mash up of compassion, neuroscience, energy and effervescence, WRA’s official Head of School Suzanne Walker Buck P ′24, is dedicated to infusing fun, wellness and positivity campus wide.

Your wellbeing is her top priority, and this commitment is something we all can feel good about.

CULTURE OF CARE

MINDING

your mind The stresses of studenthood are real.

They come in every size, shape and manageability level, and we’re here to help you keep it all in check.

So, whether your zen is a me-moment, a conversation, or a plan for achieving your optimal level of okay-ity, WRA HAS A CULTURE OF CARE and a support system for every student.

CULTURE OF CARE

The ultimate care package

From friendships to faculty to free time, at WRA, our culture of care is everywhere.

• Care packages from student to student • • Exam week pop-up coffee house • • Karaoke nights • • Advisors • • Therapy dogs • • Student tutoring • • Peer partnerships • • Licensed counseling staff • • On-site psychologist • • Book clubs • • Visits from baby goats • • DEIB programs • • Nature hikes in the Cuyahoga Valley National Park • • Impromptu pizza parties • • Friday firepits for s’mores • • Yoga • • Student to student mentorship: Green Key Society • • Athletic trainers • • 24/7 safety personnel • • Nutritionists • • 24/7 access to healthcare • • Dorm faculty • • Flexible scheduling with free periods • • Dumpling dinners • • A giant tree swing • • Living room study sessions with faculty & friends • • Fresh air + quiet grassy spaces • • Cheer on friends at matches & games •

DORMS & CAMPUS LIFE

Youtopia

This, as they say, must be the place, and here’s why they keep saying that: chef-prepared meals; brick-and-ivy views out every window; skies fulls of fresh air; roomfuls of friends; late-night pizza and gaming parties; independence; and unlimited amounts of your own space.

F R O M M O M E N T O N E , YO U B E L O N G. Which means moving confidently through the world starts with moving here.

Stay in the moment Room to grow. To live. To experience.

To activate your superpowers. WRA has everything you could want in a campus life.

Like 10 dorms from boutique to homey to historic; days and nights filled with endless activity; or a quiet, cozy space to relax in.

Whether you choose to be a boarder or day student, your “where do I see myself?” is here.

DORMS & CAMPUS LIFE

Enjoy 428+ new friendships.

4 seasons.

348,480

minutes

outside of

class to have fun. 18-26 reasons to smile per day.

An infinite number of memories in-the-making.

10 welcoming dorms. 12.4 billion blades of grass across our 190-acre campus. 60 Adirondack chairs to enjoy the outdoors.

32 gazillion instances of pure joy.

This is WRA.

DORMS & CAMPUS LIFE

AC R O S S O U R VA R I E D D I N I N G O F F E R I N G S, E V E RY F O O D I S C O M F O R T F O O D. Whether it’s a meal our chefs create that will remind you of home, campus-grown vegetarian options or celebrating Taco Tuesdays, we’ve got countless menus and venues that are sure to satisfy.

Craveables OUR I NCLUDE D-I N -TUI TI ON F OOD OP TI ON S WI LL NOURI S H YOUR H EART, M I N D & TAS T EBUD S

FOR SHARING THE LUX TRUCK

Overstuffed food truck stocked with rocket pops, pumpkin lattes and hot cocoa to go!

ELL SWORTH DINING HALL

Chef-prepared dishes that are balanced, locally-sourced + cater to allergies + special requests.

On-the-Go

Sit & Relax

THE CAMPUS SAMPLER

A celebration of seasonal selections from Dia de los Muertos, Mardis Gras or Lunar New Year, topped off with home-baked cookies and birthday cake.

Try Them All

F A M I LY S T Y L E W E E K LY S I T- D O W N M E A L S

A heaping helping of conversation, civility and perspective in a community-wide seated meal that’ll fill you with family.

D O R M DA S H

Pop-up pizza parties and donut days brought to you by Parents@WRA.

T O DAY ’ S S P E C I A L

Stay Awhile

Yum ( A C T U A L LY E V E R Y D AY I S )

HOT SP OTS

Roast marshmallows over one of our fire pits around campus or hit up the local farmers market on weekends.

SWEETS

Decorate a cake or try our cider press with apples picked from our orchard.

Food and fun are baked into all of our campus programs.

Out & About

Mmm!

DORMS & CAMPUS LIFE

In common + uncommon Lead. Join. Start. Attend. Appreciate. Network.

Connect. Whatever verb suits you, WRA has every opportunity to foster friendships or spread your wings and try something new to suit your every version of you.

Clubs to consider RESERVE SP ORTS NETWORK C R E AT I V E W R I T I N G C L U B ECO CLUB

Aside from looking great on your resume, WRA Clubs let you get involved in your community, develop new skills, network with new friends, mentors, alumni and professionals, connect with classmates or — now don’t tell all the other schools — just have endless amounts of fun.

With 50 outstanding student clubs and organizations — as well as the chance to start your own — finding friends with uniquely similar interests, talents, passions and preferences is another way to get involved in the WRA community and beyond.

GSA /G E ND E R & S E X UA L I T Y ALLIANCE QUIZBOWL UNICEF SKI CLUB PIONEER INSTITUTE FOR PRESIDENTIAL STUDIES MOCK TRIAL FILM CLUB L AT I N O S U N I D O S ART CLUB

CLUBS & ORGS

for the win

ATHLETICS

Ready your game face

Turn up the energy, spirit and brand-new-turf-stadium lights for a joy you’ve never before experienced. Whether you’re swimming for college scouts, trying tennis or hoisting a foam finger, WRA athletics will have you teaming, screaming and beaming.

ATHLETICS

Star power? Got it.

In fact, 1 in 5 of our athletes continue their sports careers at the college level.

Pioneer Green is gold With every-level sports and fitness programming, WRA athletics will no-doubt win you over.

23

VA R S I T Y S P O R T S

45,000

S Q UA R E- F O OT F I E L D HOUSE

2

TURF FIELDS

50+

TRAINERS A N D COAC H E S

1

V I C TO RY B E L L + A P O S T- G R A D U AT E PROGRAM

A few highlights FOUR WRA FENCERS ARE COMPETING in Charlotte at the Junior Olympics, the first national tournament in over 20 years for the program!

THE WRA GIRLS T R AC K & F I E L D T E A M is rewriting the record books.

The team set a new Spring Medley Relay record at WRA!

24 MEMBERS OF THE CLASS OF 2024 committed to playing NCAA Division I, II, & III athletics across five sports!

W R A L AC RO S S E I S N AT I O N A L LY RECOGNIZED on the Inside Lacrosse Power Rankings.

SERVICE & TRAVEL

READY TO

move mountains?

Photo taken from annual service trip to Pine Ridge Reservation in South Dakota

WRA Service Learning and Travel Opportunities Medical research trips to Germany, France, Taiwan and Baylor College of Medicine.

Exchange student programs in Guatemala.

Service trips working with the Oglala Lakota Tribe in South Dakota.

With all of these chances to travel, learn and serve, Pioneers have endless opportunities for, well, pioneering.

Pocket the planet

Go far. Then further.

See, lead, change the world.

Seek varied views and viewpoints.

Serve, learn, climb, fly.

Find a way to find your way.

T H E W O R L D I S R I G H T O U T S I D E YO U R D O O R. Prefer to venture closer?

Unplug for the day with service, outreach and travel opportunities on campus and in our zip code. Be a Red Cross Ambassador.

Raise funds for Toys for Tots. Work with Habitat for Humanity or a local food pantry. Pursue a cause you’re passionate about.

We’ll help get you there.

SERVICE & TRAVEL

TODAY,

we tomorrow Here, impressing the future you is easy. As a future grad, you’ll have every opportunity — and the help and guidance necessary — to jump from the perfect-for-you high school right into the perfect-for-you college. With advanced coursework and unmatched learning experiences, WRA starts you along your path from day one.

84%

of our Class of 2024 received acceptance to a Top 50 College or University.

In total, this class racked up acceptances from

235

different colleges and universities in the U.S., Canada and abroad.

Trading the Pioneer jersey for

Division I, II, III

including Ivy League, NESCAC and Big 10 Conferences in five different men’s and women’s sports: basketball, lacrosse, soccer, wrestling and track and field.

WRA helped launch the college careers for

34

committed athletes in 2024.

ARTS

Masterpieces in the making

Dabbling in the arts at WRA allows you to step out of your comfort zone into music, poetry, art and performance.

All of these outlets for creative expression build courage, confidence, discipline, perseverance and a bit of future-serving well-roundedness— bravo!

ARTS

Try set design. Visit our gallery or paint paintings

for it. Throw pottery. Play the

saxophone. Attend a Cabaret.

Doodle on a notebook. Compose

a string quartet.

Discover a hidden talent. Hear our Head of School rap. Try out for a musical. Dance at a Cleveland

Cavs game.

Sing at the Vatican. Take in

the sound of the crowd &

take a well-deserved bow.

Illustrate and photograph.

Enjoy a Chapel morning performance. Attend our Bicentennial Recital Series. Spend time at the Cleveland Museum of Art.

400-seat theater

State-of-the-art lighting and sound equipment

Dozens

of vocal and ensemble concerts, creative workshops and guest performances

2 annual

dance performances

3 annual

stage performances

Fully equipped photography studio

Sculpture and ceramic kiln rooms

Year-round art gallery

+20

Fine & Performing Arts courses, including Digital Music Production

Our Bicentennial Tree wrapped in 75,000 lights in honor of our upcoming 2026 celebration

For 200 years WRA has been steadfast and strong Forever in pursuit of light and truth, Pioneers have found themselves here.

Found their people here.

Found their place here.

Those very classrooms, dorm rooms, stages and fields now stand ready to inspire you.

Encourage you. Include you.

Now, we invite you to carry that torch.

To turn up that inner glow. To look up and out into your brilliant new universe.

It’s time to visit.

To apply.

To shine.

WRA.NET

bring on the

brilliance

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©2024 Western Reserve Academy

CONNECT WITH US WRA.NET INSTAGRAM: westernreserveacademy | FACEBOOK: Western Reserve Academy | X: wrapioneers VIMEO: Western Reserve Academy | YOUTUBE: WRA1826 115 College Street Hudson, Ohio 44236 | (330) 650-9717 | admission@wra.net

©2024 Western Reserve Academy