Mount Pleasant’s resident jewel: Wasatch Academy

Duncan McMillan, a Presbyterian minister, opened the doors of Wasatch Academy’s first schoolhouse in Mount Pleasant in 1875. “Let it endure like the Wasatch Mountains; call it Wasatch Academy.” This quote cemented not only the name of the school but launched a tradition of timeless achievement. Evolving for 147 years, Wasatch Academy today continues to achieve academic and cultural milestones.

Wasatch Academy’s mission statement:

“Wasatch Academy is a nurturing community empowering young people to develop academically, socially, emotionally, physically, and ethically, by preparing them for the opportunity of college, work, and a lifetime of learning and contributing to our global society.”

Today Wasatch Academy is the longest continually running high school in Utah, offering unique education opportunities for students in grades 8 thru 12. Eighty to eighty five percent of the students board on the school campus. Students from 27 different countries make up around 30% of the diverse student body.

Ann Stucki, Wasatch Academy college counselor, helps prepare students to become citizens of a global community in the 21stt century. “Exploring through experiential immersion” best describes the project-based curriculum used to build essential skills for students.

In a presentation to the North Sanpete Coalition on March 7, Stucki outlined Wasatch Academy’s diverse approach to education. A few highlights include:

• A learning center that focuses on meeting the needs of individual students to maximize their educational experience. Students enrolled in this program meet one on one with a learning coach to support them in achieving their goals.
• The Engineering Arts program, which excites the imagination with classes in robotics, rocketry, engineering and industrial fabrication, preparing students for life in the 21st century with a foundation in science and technology.
• Outdoor Education, which reflects on the deeply rooted outdoor culture of the Wasatch Mountains and surrounding areas. Students adventure on school-sanctioned trips to the Green River, can learn rock climbing and engage in a variety of snow sports at the academy’s facilities in the Wasatch Mountains. Wasatch Academy kicks off each academic year with an all-school 14-mile trek through the Manti-LaSal National Forest to summit the iconic Horseshoe Mountain.

Wasatch Academy’s equestrian program provides opportunities to students who are experienced and novice riders. The communities surrounding Mount Pleasant share the benefits of the Contoy Arena, an equestrian facility that is one of two joint ventures between Mount Pleasant City and Wasatch Academy. The active student body is engaged in many other extracurricular activities including cross-country, tennis, volleyball, swimming, soccer, track & field, and of course, basketball.

Currently there are just under 200 students enrolled in Wasatch Academy, with 55 college-bound students graduating on May 28th this year. Situated on Wasatch Academy’s 35-acre campus in Mount Pleasant, students and faculty thrive together, cultivating a lifelong sense of respect and acceptance for fellow peers and mentors.

The campus of Wasatch Academy is today listed on the National Register of Historic Places, along with Mount Pleasant’s Main Street. Having restored and maintained the aesthetics of many historical buildings throughout the town of Mount Pleasant for student dormitories, classrooms, athletic facilities and offices, Wasatch Academy adds to the charm of the town and has been prominent in preserving the historical culture of Mount Pleasant.

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