STOW — With the cut of a ceremonial ribbon, the Town of Stow and state officials on Tuesday welcomed Masters Academy International (MAI) and the U.S. National Training Center for the Olympic & Paralympic sport of fencing.
“Today we are not just cutting the ribbon or opening the doors. Masters Academy has built a launchpad for human potential,” Select Board Chair JT Toole said during the opening celebration on Tuesday, Sept. 15. “They’ve created a place where grit meets intellect, where passion meets purpose, where ideas have the opportunity to be truly impactful.”
MAI Co-Founders Chris Masters and Peter Masters, Gov. Maura Healey, and Cognita CEO David Baldwin cut the ribbon as Stow officials look on, left. (Photo Courtesy Town of Stow) Stow officials celebrate following the event. (Photo Courtesy Town of Stow) From left, MAI co-founder Chris Masters, Stow Town Administrator Denise Dembkoski, Stow Select Board Chair JT Toole, and MAI co-founder Peter Masters. (Photo Courtesy Town of Stow) Stow Town Administrator Denise Dembkoski, left, and Select Board Chair JT Toole, right, share a moment with Olympic medalist Lauren Scruggs. (Photo Courtesy Town of Stow) Gov. Maura Healey speaks. (Town of Stow)
MAI is based at the 82-acre former Bose Corp. property on Great Road. The $83 million transformation turned the site into a campus featuring academic facilities, sports and performance training areas, and soccer, lacrosse and baseball fields.
The school will offer eight sports: baseball, basketball, golf, fencing, figure skating, lacrosse, hockey, and soccer, with more to follow. Students will benefit from five hours of academic instruction and four hours dedicated to sports training daily. This structure enables students to accumulate more than 2,880 hours of sports-specific training in Grades 6-12.
Gov. Maura Healey praised the strong collaboration among MAI’s principals, the state and Town, singling out Stow’s staff and elected officials, the Select Board, and Town Administrator Denise Dembkoski.
Gov. Healey then urged students to chase their dreams. “No matter where you ultimately go, know that you will land in a great space, and be so much better for it, because of the time you spent here,” she said.
MAI founders Chris and Peter Masters said the school was the fulfillment of a longtime dream to create a new type of school where academics and athletics coexist.
“The simple premise was young people shouldn’t have to choose between excelling in the classroom and pursuing excellence in a sport they loved,” Peter Masters said. “We believe there was a better way to do both.”
Dignitaries included Lt. Gov. Kim Driscoll, Cognita CEO David Baldwin, Head of School Andy Williams, state Rep. Kate Hogan, state Sen. Jamie Eldridge, and Lauren Scruggs, who won a team gold medal and individual silver medal at the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris.
Rep. Hogan, who was praised for playing a significant role in coordinating state and local efforts, said, “In life there are miracles that happen, and this is one of them. Today it’s a place where students from around the world will chase something remarkable: Academic excellence alongside athletic excellence.”
Town Administrator Dembkoski said: “Today we celebrate not just what has been built, but what has yet to come. We look forward to the students who will learn here, the athletes who will train here, the jobs that will be created, and the countless connections that will strengthen our community.”
Leading global schools group Cognita is a founding partner, bringing its global education expertise and commitment to excellence to this transformative new academy.
MAI’s initial enrollment includes about 300 student-athletes in Grades 6-12, including students who have committed to compete at Division I universities such as Harvard, Penn and Rutgers.
MAI partnered with The Newman School, an independent, private high school in Boston, to guide its educational programming.
MAI has become the Town’s largest taxpayer, providing significant relief to Stow property owners.
About Masters Academy International
Masters Academy International (MAI) is an elite boarding and day school in
Stow, Massachusetts, designed to redefine the student-athlete experience. MAI
prepares students to think, train, and perform at professional standards by integrating pro-level coaching, top-tier academics, and comprehensive student development into one aligned model — ensuring students never have to compromise one for the other.
The school is operated in partnership with Cognita, a global education leader with more than 90 premium private schools worldwide. MAI provides a structured pathway for students aspiring to compete at the collegiate and professional levels while excelling in the classroom and in life.
About Cognita
Launched in 2004, Cognita is an extraordinary community of schools that span 20
countries and share one common purpose: to thrive in a rapidly evolving world. With
over 90 schools in Europe and the U.S., the Middle East, Latin America, and Asia,
Cognita employs over 22,000 teaching and support staff in the care and education of more than 100,000 students across five regions and offers 14 academic curricula.
Together, Cognita schools provide a uniquely global education that goes beyond
grades, to develop all-round academic excellence – equipping young people with the agency, adaptability and positive attitudes that prepare them to grow, thrive and find their success in a rapidly evolving world.
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