My name is Dylan Whiting and I am currently a junior at Mass Academy as part of the Class of 2025. I have always lived in Hopedale Massachusetts, attending Hopedale Memorial Elementary School from Kindergarten to 6th grade when I moved up to Hopedale Junior/Senior High School. I went there from 7th grade until 10th grade when I transferred to Mass Academy. I live with my parents and my brother Cameron who previously attended MAMS and is now off to Northeastern to study Computer Engineering. My favorite family member is my rescue dog Xander. Some of my interests include music, movies, athletics, and DECA.
When I was younger I played many different sports, including soccer, tee-ball, tennis, baseball, flag football, and basketball. I continued to play baseball and basketball mainly until middle school. When I moved into the Hopedale Junior/Senior High School in the 7th grade, I joined the school's varsity tennis team. I started playing exhibition matches but eventually became one of our team’s second doubles players. Our last game last season took place in Nantucket and required a 4 hour commute to get there including riding on a high speed ferry boat. In addition to tennis I enjoy staying active and going to the gym.
Another passion of mine is movies and television. I am known to fly through television series and regularly watch movies. I enjoy going to the movie theaters near my house and seeing any new movies that come out. My favorite TV shows include Community, Brooklyn 99, The Walking Dead, and How I Met Your Mother. I enjoy action movies and comedies. Some of my favorite movies of all time are The Truman Show, Baby Driver, and Yesterday.
Something that I loved to do at my sending school was to participate in my school’s DECA chapter which was a club for business. I joined DECA Jr as a 7th grader and learned about the program until I could join our chapter in my freshman year. That year I competed in the category of Principles of Marketing in which I placed at the States competition and was allowed to compete on the international scale in Atlanta. The next year I competed with a written project in the Integrated Marketing Campaign Event. My team and I created a marketing plan for a local charity race and competed at states. We then were able to participate in the Leadership Academy at the international competition in Orlando. In addition, I was a part of the Marketing team in my chapter in which I managed the club;s social media accounts. Learn more about DECA
I have always had an interest in music in a variety of ways. When I was younger, my brother and I took piano lessons for three years which introduced me to playing music. After that I learned the bass to play in my school band and learned how to play the acoustic and electric guitar. I played in the Hopedale School band for 6 years, from 5th grade to 10th grade. I also performed in the Jazz Ensemble at my school and occasionally marched with the school band in parades. I have also been a part of my school’s chorus for a long time and joined the acapella ensemble which have both been a lot of fun. In addition, I participated in many of my school’s plays and musicals. I was also apart of Tri M Music Honors Society. In addition to performing music, I enjoy listening to music. You will rarely catch me without my earbuds and I listen whenever I have the time. I love to collect old vinyl records to listen to on my record player. I mostly listen to classic rock or rap music, with my favorite artists being The Beatles, Jim Croce, and Stevie Wonder. Learn more about my school's music program
One of the ways I gave back to my community was through music. This included performing for the community such as singing with the Acapella at the town tree lighting. Additionally, I volunteered teaching STEM to elementary school students at Abby Kelly Foster Charter Public School, teaching them about evolution and engineering. I also worked at Project Just Because, a food pantry in providing services for people in need. Finally, I participated in WalkFit, an organization that helps Visually Impaired People and teaching people to guide visually impaired people.
