Summer 2026 / Around the Green

For Armani Jones ’26, the journey to Wilson wasn’t just about basketball it was about finding a place that felt like home. Coming from Chicago, nearly 700 miles away, Jones admits the distance could have been a deterrent. As a transfer student, he was looking for a place where he could reset and grow. Instead, that distance became part of what set Wilson apart. “The way the coaches approached recruiting me…they really believed in my ability. That was a green flag from the start.”

That initial connection led him to dig deeper. “It started with the coaches, but as I did my own research and looked further into Wilson, I realized it was a perfect fit,” said Jones. What he found was something he hadn’t expected: a campus culture rooted in connection. “Once I figured out how family-oriented it is—small, but still a place where you can let loose—it just felt right.”

Now a business major and key member of Wilson’s basketball program, Jones describes his experience as transformative. Being part of the basketball team is about more than competition—it’s about trust, leadership, and growth.

“Our coaches trust us to lead, whether it’s on the court or in the classroom,” he explains. “It’s almost a player-led team, and that’s something you carry with you into life—into your career, your relationships, your future.” The experience is demanding, with early morning practices after late-night study sessions, but it’s also deeply unifying. “You build bonds with teammates who are going through the same struggles,” he said.

Jones feels that same sense of belonging extends across campus. “The support here is amazing. You go around campus and everyone knows you. They ask how you’re doing, how your classes are going,” he said. “Just knowing you are seen is huge. It keeps me uplifted.”

Academically, Jones has found equal value in his business courses. “The different courses I’ve taken at Wilson have put put me in a strong position for my future,” he said. Many classes are interactive, from building simulated clothing brands to running airline business models. “It’s not just lectures and quizzes,” he said. “We do simulations, creative projects—things that really prepare you for real life.”

That preparation has already taken Jones beyond campus. During a hybrid internship with a small Chicago-based business, Body by Milk, Jones worked closely with the company’s owner to understand product development from concept to marketing. “I got to see everything step by step—how a fragrance is designed, how it’s produced, how it’s sold,” he says. “It was eye-opening.”

As a two-time all-conference selection and four-time United East Player of the Week, Jones was third in the conference and ranked in the top 100 nationally with 211 total rebounds. In 2025, he received the Wilson Phoenix Award for a male student-athlete, an honor given to an athlete who sparks and sustains the spirit of their team.

After graduating this May, Jones hopes to play basketball professionally before pursuing a career in entrepreneurship and marketing. With goals of playing in Japan, Italy, or Germany, he is open to any opportunity and says, “wherever I start, I’m ready.”

As he looks ahead, Jones says what he will miss most about Wilson is the people, yet he is confident that the connections he’s built will endure, and he offers simple advice to prospective students. “If you’re looking for support, love, and a sure thing, Wilson is the place for you,” he says. “It’s a straight path to where you want to go.”

“From the Wind to the Quiet…”
by Armani Jones ’26

From the Wind to the Quiet
I’m from a city that never stops talking,
sirens sing louder than most dreams
and the trains run through stories
that nobody finishes.

I’m from cracked courts under streetlights,
where the ball was the only sound
I could trust.

Now I wake to hills instead of high rises,
the silence is almost too soft to believe.
The silence places fear within
my chaotic mind
The gym is where I find the
noise again,
every bounce echoes home.

Here in Pennsylvania
The winds feel slower,
but my heartbeat still runs
on city time.

(Reprinted from The Bottom Shelf Review, Spring 2026 )

When Jewels Torres ’26 broke Wilson College’s all-time assists record in basketball, it was not just a milestone in Wilson’s history; it also reflected her commitment to her teammates. That approach took shape the moment she first stepped onto campus as a recruit. Coach Dylan Ward said, “From her freshman season, Jewels showed flashes of the player she would become. She embraced every role, worked relentlessly, and steadily developed into one of the most dependable players in our program.”

Above: Wilson College honored Jewels Torres with the game ball on Monday, Feb. 2, 2026, after she broke the program’s assists record during Saturday’s game. Pictured: (l to r) former women’s basketball coach Allison Steiger, former record holder Theresa Phelps-Denhoff ’01, Torres, and current women’s basketball coach Dylan Ward.

Drawn to Wilson’s close-knit community, Torres knew from her very first visit to campus that she wanted to be a Phoenix. “Everyone I met was very polite and welcoming, and I knew right away that I wanted to come here,” she said.

Torres quickly found her place on the Wilson basketball court. A four-year member of the team and a three-year captain, she credits athletics with shaping her personal growth. “It was amazing to play a sport at Wilson. I would not have traded it for anything else,” she says. “It taught me a lot, and it helped me meet my best friends.”

Playing in over 100 career games with 78 starts, Torres built a record defined by consistency and impact. She played nearly 3,000 minutes, scored 976 points, recorded 335 assists, collected 165 steals, and added 190 rebounds. In 2025, she was named the recipient of Wilson’s Phoenix Award for a female student-athlete, an honor given to an athlete who sparks and sustains the spirit of their team. These accomplishments also earned her a spot in the Gwendolyn Jensen Athletics Hall of Fame, Class of 2026.

In her Wilson career, she also became the all-time leader in assists, breaking a record held for 25 years by Theresa Phelps-Denhoff ’01, also a member of the Athletics Hall of Fame. When honored for breaking the record, Torres said Phelps-Denhoff ’s attendance made the moment even more meaningful. “It was great to meet Theresa. The fact that she came was very special to me,” Torres added.

Ward sees the assist record as a natural extension of Torres’s leadership. “Assists are about trust, vision, and making the players around you better,” he said. “Jewels was never just focused on her own success—she made everyone around her better, and that is the true mark of a great
player and leader.”

Torres also leaves Wilson as one of the most accomplished players in program history since the transition to NCAA Division III. “She didn’t just play in the program, she helped build a winning culture,” said Ward. “Her leadership wasn’t just in big moments, it was in the daily habits, the example she set, and the standard she refused to lower.” Her commitment earned her two All-Conference selections, two All-District Academic honors, and a place on the Dean’s List all four years.

Beyond the court and classroom, Torres found additional ways to lead. As a four-year member of the Black Student Union and vice president of Morgan’s Message, which focuses on mental health awareness, she embraced opportunities to connect with and support others. “I think it’s important to get involved in more than just one thing,” she says. “There’s so much here—clubs, activities, opportunities—you don’t have to be an athlete to feel like you belong.”

Now that she has completed her student teaching placements in kindergarten and second grade classrooms, Torres is preparing for a career in education. An early education major from York, Pennsylvania, she hopes to find a teaching position close to home or near Chambersburg. The sense of community that first drew her to Wilson was what she knew she would miss most upon graduating. “I’m going to miss my friends and my teammates,” she says. “Just the everyday things—practice, getting meals together, being around each other all the time. Those moments mean everything.”

At Wilson, Torres found a home and, in doing so, she became the kind of leader who ensures others feel the same. “Jewels led with quiet confidence and a relentless work ethic,” said Ward. “She was the teammate everyone trusted, the player coaches relied on, and the competitor opponents respected.”

Reflecting on her Wilson experiences, Torres points to the supportive environment that helped her flourish. “What I love about Wilson is the community, how loved I feel being here,” she said. “Wilson helped me come out of my shell. I’m more confident, more independent. I’ve learned to try new things and not be afraid. Wilson changed me in a really good way.”

With decades of clinical, academic, and consulting experience, Michael J. Gerg, DOT, MS, OTR/L, CHT, FAOTA, brings both depth and vision to Wilson’s new Doctor of Occupational Therapy program as both associate professor and program director. In April 2026, he was inducted into the American Occupational Therapy Association’s Roster of Fellows, recognizing his leadership in occupational therapy education and worker rehabilitation.

A graduate of Pennsylvania State University and Temple University, Gerg worked in mental health before expanding into a wide range of adult physical disability settings, including acute care, rehabilitation, and outpatient hand therapy. Today, he is a board-certified hand therapist, certified ergonomics evaluation specialist, and work capacity evaluator. He has also developed a successful ergonomic consulting and legal expert practice, advising organizations such as the Philadelphia Federal Reserve Bank, Kraft Foods, and the Philadelphia Department of Occupational Safety and Health.

As a medical legal expert, Gerg applies his clinical and academic expertise to evaluate standards of care in complex cases. “I also do some medical legal expert work, mainly in the world of ergonomics, but there are times when I’m asked to address whether standards of practice were followed in a case,” he says. “I’ve worked on cases where somebody’s being sued… and I have to look through the notes and see whether I can identify if a standard of practice was followed or not.”

Gerg was joined by Wilson OTD faculty for his induction ceremony for the American Occupational Therapy Association’s Roster of Fellows. Left to right: Douglas Rakoski, assistant professor, Melissa Green, associate professor and coordinator of admissions, Gerg, and Andrea Kessler, assistant professor and academic fieldwork coordinator.

Yet teaching has always been central to his path.

“I knew from early on that I wanted to teach,” Gerg says. “I come from a family of educators, and that’s always been part of who I am.”

Before joining Wilson, he held faculty and leadership roles at institutions including Harcum College, Creighton University, and Temple University, where he helped shape occupational therapy education for a new generation of practitioners.

His decision to lead Wilson’s OTD program was driven by both professional opportunity and personal connection.

“When I heard about this position, I knew it was the right fit,” he recalls. “I felt like I could bring together all of my experience—the clinical work, the teaching, the professional relationships—and build something meaningful.”

Originally from western Pennsylvania, Gerg spent much of his adult life in the Philadelphia region and Winchester, Virginia, where he built extensive professional networks. With Philadelphia recognized as one of the birthplace regions of occupational therapy education, he saw an opportunity to connect Wilson’s program to a rich professional and historical foundation.

“I was so excited because I thought that I could bring so much back because of all the connections I’ve made throughout my career in this area. And when they offered me the position I took it.”

That sense of purpose continues to guide his work as he leads Wilson’s new doctoral program.

“This is my legacy and I know that the development of these programs is also going to be part of the legacy of Wilson. So, to see it do well and succeed is something that I’m going to put everything into to see it happen.”

Read more about Wilson’s new Doctor of Occupational Therapy program here. 

By Sandra Huffman ’86

The weekend of May 2 and 3 brought a series of celebrations to Wilson College, held under sunny but brisk skies and culminating Sunday on the Main Green, where the Class of 2026 gathered for commencement. With morning and afternoon ceremonies returning outdoors after recent indoor ceremonies caused by inclement weather, graduates marked not only the completion of their degrees, but a shared journey defined by resilience, reinvention, and confidence.

Keynote speaker Ken Ohashi, Brand CEO of Brooks Brothers and Nautica, captured the moment’s significance by urging graduates to “take a look around,” reminding them to savor the pride and community surrounding them. Acknowledging the uncertainty many graduates feel, he posed a question he hears often: “What will the world look like? And am I going to be OK?” His answer was simple and reassuring: “First of all, you’re going to be fine.”

Drawing from his personal history, Ohashi encouraged graduates to embrace the power of personal storytelling and recognize the strength in their own life experiences. “What’s your story?” he asked. “I promise you, every single one of you has one.” Whether shaped by hard work, family responsibility, or perseverance through challenges, those stories, paired with curiosity, he explained, will open doors.

Senior Class President and undergraduate degree program student speaker Vincent Natale ’26, a health and physical education major with a coaching minor, echoed that message. He reflected on how the senior class learned to move forward without certainty. “We learned how to show up and give 100% effort before we felt 100% ready,” he said. Natale highlighted the diverse paths students took to reach graduation, yet he noted their unity in shared persistence. “We kept showing up,” Natale said, even in doubt.

That spirit extended beyond undergraduate experiences. Graduate degree program speaker Shana Bonetti, a Master of Fine Arts major, reflected on returning to Wilson as an adult learner in search of purpose. “Taking a leap is exciting, but it is also terrifying,” she said, recalling moments of doubt alongside “glimmers” of joy in the classroom. Her journey, from career change to earning an MFA while balancing motherhood, reinforced the powerful truth that growth requires courage. As she reminded graduates, “You are never too old to set another dream, another goal or to dream a new dream.”

Together, the speakers offered a unified message to embrace your story, remain curious, and trust in the confidence you’ve already built. As Natale concluded, “we didn’t just earn degrees, we earned belief in ourselves.”

For an event program with a list of graduates, as well as a recording of the Commencement exercises, please visit www.wilson.edu/commencement.