Congratulations to Eli Amoroso on going to UMass Amherst and good luck! This is what Eli has to say about fencing and going off to College:

I started fencing at AFA 4 years ago when they moved to their facility within walking distance of my house. I grew up watching The Princess Bride, so fencing had a lot of appeal.

I graduated from Raleigh Charter High School in 2020. I was part of the leadership team of the Queer-Straight Alliance for 3 years and president of the club as a senior. I also worked stage crew for 5 of the school’s theatre productions.

I’m headed to UMass Amherst in January after a gap year and a half! I’ll be studying art and biology in order to pursue my goal of becoming a scientific illustrator.

My parents met at the UMass fencing club when they attended, so I basically have no choice.

Fencing can be a good way to decompress from school and forget about your homework for a couple hours, but don’t let yourself forget about schoolwork entirely. Also, give epee a try if you haven’t already.