“Progression, Execution, Reflection” is the motto of the Wy’East Mountain Academy. “Wy’East” is the original name for Mt. Hood, given by the Multnomah people who first inhabited its nearby lands — the academy’s name emphasizes how the mountain is central to the school’s spirit. Located at the base of Mt. Hood, the academy teaches grades 6-12 and has a maximum capacity of 65 students living on campus. Unlike traditional schools, Wy’East trains students in freestyle skiing, snowboarding, skateboarding, and mountain biking — teaching its students to excel in sports and in academics.
The school offers a close-knit community where students receive a lot of one-on-one attention from mentors, both academically and athletically. “The advantage of having such a small student body is that everyone knows everyone,” explains Mike Hanley, the head of the school and co-founder of the academy. Each student attends the academy with a focus on one sport. Students train in their area of expertise for half the day and attend classes for the other half, evenly split with four hours each.
While some may believe that being in the classroom only half the day means less instructional time, the academic program at Wy’East is slightly more demanding than the requirements of the state of Oregon. Standard Oregon high schools require 24 credits for graduation, with the academy requiring 26 credits.
The school takes great pride in its college acceptance rate, with good reason. “Over the last four years, 100% of our seniors have been accepted to four-year universities,” says Hanley. The academy also has a student government where students can learn to organize events and make improvements to their school while adding leadership experience to their resume. Following the school’s virtual curriculum, students are taught to set Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, and Time-bound (SMART) goals. These SMART goals help them to uphold at least a 2.5 grade point average, which is necessary to participate in athletics at Wy’East.
“All academics need to be completed before students can train in their sport,” says Dan Tattersfield, the director of admissions at Wy’East. “It’s a balance we emphasize to ensure students stay on track with their education while pursuing their athletic goals.” Not only is competitive excellence emphasized, but so is thriving in all aspects of life. Although the academy has produced athletes that go on to compete in events like the Olympics and X Games, “the overwhelming majority of our students will use the skills they’ve learned at Wy’East to excel in various fields,” says Hanley.
Notable examples include Nicole McNulty, who graduated from the academy in 2012. According to Wy’East’s website, after graduation she pursued a career in journalism, working for the New York Times and the Cable News Network (CNN). “Snowboarding and Wy’East taught me that I have the power to achieve what I set my mind to, and it’s up to me to go for it,” McNulty writes.
There is also a high risk of injury due to the extreme nature of the sports students participate in. “There is an old saying that you can carpet your feet or you can carpet the world,” Hanley explains, giving insight into the true culture of the academy. “We believe that you should learn to fall instead of expecting the world to be padded.”
While running a school may be a gratifying experience, it comes with great challenges, especially with operational costs on the rise. Yet even as costs increase, the academy is moving towards a need-blind admissions process. This shift means that a student’s acceptance to the school is solely based on their merit, rather than their family’s ability to pay for the student’s attendance. The ability to use this method of acceptance is heavily reliant on donations and they can be made on the Wy’East Academy website.
Nevertheless, Wy’East’s investment in its students’ success is undeniable. “We are committed to developing our students into the best version of themselves,” Hanley says. “Wy’East isn’t just a school — it’s a place where students come to learn, train, and live their passion for action sports in a community that supports and nurtures their growth.”
