Honorees

Jeffrey Bouldin has served as a North Huntingdon Township police officer since 1979, after graduating in 1978 from Penn State University with a BS degree in law enforcement and corrections. In 1990, he was assigned to the detective unit and was designated as the North Huntingdon Police sole Juvenile Officer. In 1995, he was promoted to the rank of Sergeant. In 2009, he became a certified instructor for the ALICE (Alert Lockdown Inform Counter Evacuation) program which helps instruct Norwin school personnel on appropriate actions during an emergency.

At Norwin, Lori Burdell made a name for herself as a student-athlete. Her outstanding performance on the tennis court allowed her to become the first Norwin student to receive a four-year athletic scholarship to a Division I university, West Virginia University, where she quickly proved herself by holding the top singles and doubles positions on the team her freshman year. She would go on to be recognized as a college athlete of the month on multiple occasions as well as serving as the tennis team co-captain during her junior and senior years. She graduated from West Virginia University with a B.A. in Speech Communications.

Dr. Dan Davis is a 1972 graduate from Norwin High School. He is a past recipient of the Roger’s Scholarship. While at Norwin, Dan was a three year letterman in Track and Cross Country - where he held the record for the mile and two mile as well as Norwin’s cross country course. He played basketball until his senior year when he began concentrating on his running skills.

Dr. Robin Sleigh Dillon is the William Wilson Selfridge Professor of Philosophy and Director of the Center for Ethics at Lehigh University. Her career as a philosopher was presaged in high school by participation on the debate team, where she first learned the power of reasoning, and in the junior and senior class plays, where she learned how to see things from others’ perspectives. After attending Lafayette College for two years, she transferred to the University of Pittsburgh, where she earned her B.A. (1977) and Ph.D. (1987) in philosophy. She joined the faculty of Lehigh University’s Department of Philosophy in 1987. She has also had visiting appointments at the University of North Carolina and Moravian College. She has been the recipient of fellowships from the Andre," Mellon Foundation, the Charlotte Newcombe Foundation, and the American Association of Academic Women Educational Foundation, and she received Lehigh’s Stabler Award for teaching excellence.

Dr. Robin Sleigh Dillon is the William Wilson Selfridge Professor of Philosophy and Director of the Center for Ethics at Lehigh University. Her career as a philosopher was presaged in high school by participation on the debate team, where she first learned the power of reasoning, and in the junior and senior class plays, where she learned how to see things from others’ perspectives. After attending Lafayette College for two years, she transferred to the University of Pittsburgh, where she earned her B.A. (1977) and Ph.D. (1987) in philosophy. She joined the faculty of Lehigh University’s Department of Philosophy in 1987. She has also had visiting appointments at the University of North Carolina and Moravian College. She has been the recipient of fellowships from the Andre," Mellon Foundation, the Charlotte Newcombe Foundation, and the American Association of Academic Women Educational Foundation, and she received Lehigh’s Stabler Award for teaching excellence.

William F. Caruthers, II, ‘73, is a graduate of the University of Michigan and the University of Pittsburgh School of Law. He is an estate planning attorney practicing in the firm firm at Caruthers & Caruthers, PC, with thirty-seven years of experience. He started his career as an assistant public defender for Westmoreland County and was the solicitor for the county’s Register of Wills for over twenty years. He has been admitted to practice before all Pennsylvania Courts and the U.S. Supreme Court.

Child welfare advocate, Adam Garrity, is a licensed social worker employed by the University of Pittsburgh’s School of Social Work as a Practice Improvement Specialist–where he serves as a consultant to child welfare agencies across the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania.

Adam’s previous work experience includes roles as: counselor and case manager in a youth group home, caseworker, program specialist for Westmoreland County Children’s Bureau, intern at Forbes Regional Hospital, and intern with Judge Harry F. Smail, Jr.

Lisa Casavant, née Hopkins, graduated from Norwin in 1991 and went on to receive a BS in Mechanical Engineering from West Virginia University in 1995 and a Master of Mechanical Engineering degree from the University of Delaware in 1997.

Casavant is known for her contagious enthusiasm, fearlessness in business, and being “the glue” in her organization. With a passion for helping people, she focused her engineering career on the development of medical devices and built a company with an unheard-of level of work-life balance and flexibility for employees, long before the pandemic made those benefits the norm.

Mark worked for Congressman John Murtha starting in 1995 until his passing in February 2010, before serving in the U.S. House of Representatives from May 2010 until January 2013.

In Congress, Mark served on the House Armed Services Committee and the Small Business Committee. He also co-founded and co-chaired the Marcellus Shale Gas and the Army Aviation caucuses in Congress. Mark has been the Executive Director of the PA Rural Development Council for Governor Tom Wolf since April 2015, advocating for rural Pennsylvanians and advising the Governor on rural issues. Mark has been an adjunct professor at St Francis University, teaching courses in State & Local Government and the Legislative Process since 2013.

R. Neil Faust was born in Sewickley Township on January 26, 1935. He graduated from Sewickley High School in 1953 and California State College in 1957.

He received his master’s degree from Indiana University of Pennsylvania and then his Principal’s Certification from Pitt. He spent 36 years at Norwin School District as a teacher, principal, elementary supervisor, and transportation coordinator before retiring in 1993.

Dr. Sharon Brown-Welty was appointed Dean of Cal State San Bernardino’s Palm Desert Campus in July, 2014 where she oversees the operations of a university campus. In her capacity as Dean, she is responsible for the academic offerings, student life programs, community outreach and fund raising, and general administration and operations of the campus. Since her appointment as Dean, she has chaired the CVEP (Coachella Valley Economic Partnership) Committees on Education: College Access and Completion and also has chaired the Committee on Successful Transitions. She serves on the HARC (Health Assessment and Research for Communities) Board and the C4C (Communities for Collabo­ration) Board as well as on several committees of the Clinton Health Matters Initiative.

While attending Norwin High School, Alan E. Harff was a saxophonist in Norwin’s award-winning marching band and attended the Central Westmoreland Career & Technology Center to study HVAC technology.

At fourteen, Harff joined the Circleville Volunteer Fire Department and has been an active member for twenty-four years, serving as an EMT for twenty-two years. Harff served as a 911 Dispatcher for Westmoreland County for fourteen years. In 2015, he obtained his Class A CDL and is currently the OSHA & Safe Operations Manager for PGT Trucking of Aliquippa, Pennsylvania.

Dr. Constance DeMore Savine is proud to call Norwin School District her home. From the age of four, DeMore wanted to teach at Norwin like her father did; her long-term goal never changed. She was fortunate enough to be hired by Norwin in 1996 after graduating from Indiana University of Pennsylvania. While teaching middle school social studies, she earned a Master’s Degree in Educational Leadership and a Principal’s Certification from St Francis University.

David “Dave” Fauth and his four siblings—Preacher’s kids—all graduated from Norwin. He performed in the junior class play and lettered in baseball, and was a member of the 1969 region champs who reached the WPIAL semifinals. Dave then earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in Chemistry and six varsity letters in cross country and baseball at Thiel College in 1973. He went on to the University of South Carolina, earning a Ph.D. in Inorganic Chemistry.

The call to action was made in 2010. Since then, Dina Denning has worked within two community service groups, first with The Norwin Rotary Club and now with The Norwin Lions Club, to bring assistance to the students of the Norwin Schools that are struggling with weekend nutritional needs.

With the financial backing of local businesses, organizations, and individuals; the volunteer work of many people; and a strong relationship with a local grocer, many children of the Norwin Schools are being served with Kitty Sacks to sustain themselves through the weekend.

Rebecca Gediminskas is a 1974 alumnus of Norwin. She holds a Doctorate of Nursing Practice from Carlow University, and a bachelor’s and master’s degree in nursing from the University of Pittsburgh. She has taught at the Westmoreland County Community College for twenty-nine years where she served as interim dean for the Health Professions and Natural Science. At the college, Gediminskas has been awarded the Outstanding Teaching Award three times, in 2018, 2010, and 1999. The award honors a full time faculty member that demonstrates excellence in the classroom, leadership and community service. She has been named in Who’s Who Among America’s Teachers, Medicine and Healthcare, American Women, American Education, and belongs to many nursing organizations.

While serving as President of Duncan Financial Group’s Insurance Division for the past 15 years, John has overseen the company’s unwavering delivery of the gold­level service its clients have come to expect.

John is a graduate of Indiana University of Pennsyl­vania, where he earned his degree in Business Management. He takes his civic responsibility seriously, a trait passed on by his father, who taught him the importance of supporting the community that supports his company. John has long-served as President of the Norwin Public Library Board, and is a board member of the Norwin Chamber of Commerce, where he co-chairs the annual Golf Outing. He is also member of the Norwin Rotary Club, on the Board of the Norwin School District Community Foundation, and a member of the Irwin Lions Club. John strongly supports Norwin’s Student Athlete of the Week Program, where he is honored to present awards to the school’s outstanding scholars and athletes. One of John’s passions is Norwin’s Relay for Life event.

Kenneth Gongaware began working at a young age on his family’s dairy farm on Barnes Lake Road. He was the primary summer “hand” on the farm from 9th grade until he graduated from college. He learned that hard work could be fun and rewarding. Ken was a recipient of the John Phillip Sousa Award at Norwin.

Ron graduated from Norwin in 1966, and entered Indiana University of Pennsylvania, majoring in music.

While at IUP, Ron played trombone in various music ensembles. He formed a music group called the Hickeybones – a trombone sextet plus rhythm that specialized in jazz and pop music, featuring Ron’s music arrangements. After graduating in 1970, with a Bachelor of Science degree in Music Education, Ron enlisted in The United States Army Band in Washington, D.C., as a staff arranger.

Westmoreland Counly Commissioner Ted Kopas has served in office since 2010. He manages a $330 million annual budget, nearly 2,000 employees, and oversees programs that touch on every aspect of our communities: human services, public safety, corrections, and economic and community development. He has worked closely with fellow public sector leaders, as well as those from the private sector and other civic leaders to confront the challenges facing our region-the opioid epidemic, an aging and shrinking population, infra­structure, long-term care for seniors, and local government cooperation.

Al Lynn, along with his parents and sisters, moved to North Huntingdon in 1964. He played football and basketball at Norwin Junior High West. He graduated from Norwin High School, where he was a member of the football and track team, as well as chorus. He received his Bachelor of Science Degree in Elementary Education from Clarion State College and earned his Master of Science Degree in Education and Elementary Administrative Certification from Duquesne University in 1978.

David McCullough attended West Virginia University, studying trumpet with Roger Sherman and conducting with Don Wilcox. He developed an outstanding band program at Brooke High School in Wellsburg, West Virginia before becoming the Assistant Director of Bands at Syracuse University.

McCullough is a doctoral candidate in conducting at the University of Washington where he studied with Peter Erös and Tim Salzman. He has conducted performances at the American Bandmasters Association National Convention, Regional MENC Conventions, and the College Band Director’s National Association. An active arranger, adjudicator, clinician and guest conductor, Mr. McCullough has presented premiers of works by Walter Hartley, William O. Smith, and Brian Bittle.

In 2005, Jerome “Jerry” Grcevich received the “National Endowment for Folk and Traditional Arts” award. He is a Master Artist of the Tamburitza Instruments, which are native instruments of Croatia. The tamburitza instruments are a family of instruments that include the tamburitza prim, tamburitza brač, tamburitza bugarija, tamburitza cello, and tamburitza bass.

Richard earned a Bachelor’s degree in Engineer­ing from the United States Naval Academy in 1964. While at Annapolis, played baseball and football and played in the national championship football game for Navy in 1964. Became a decorated jet fighter pilot during the Vietnam conflict while flying over 300 combat missions. While on active duty, earned a Master’s degree in Management.

Tim Kotch, Sr. is a 1974 graduate of Norwin High School. He has a long record of service to the Norwin School District, including serving as the Assistant Superintendent of Secondary Education since 2015, Norwin High School’s assistant principal (2003-11) and later principal (2013-15), teaching mathematics and computer science at Norwin High School from 1999 until 2003, and teaching mathematics at Norwin Middle School East from 1994 until 1999.

Lt. Col. Christopher K. Raible was raised in North Huntingdon, Pennsylvania, graduating Norwin High School with honors, ranking seventh in his class. He then attended Kent State University for one year where he studied aviation before transferring to Carnegie Mellon University where he graduated with a degree in Civil Engineering in 1995.

George S. Koury, Jr is a 1977 graduate of Norwin High School and is a lifelong Norwin resident. George went on to St. Vincent College 81’ to study Business & Finance and began his career with the Koury Real Estate team founded by his father several years earlier.

His love for Irwin quickly thrived with his multiple projects around the community that touched so many others as these projects enabled the town to continue to grow and prosper. Most notably is the interest of George and his partners interest in the Lamp Theatre that started its renewal and renovation in 2004 and the donation of the Lamp Theatre to the Westmoreland Cultural Trust. It is with that vision and desire to see the Lamp Theatre open again for the enjoyment of others, that his commitment maintained the opportunity for this community staple to once again light its stage.

Heather Coiner Newell is the proud daughter of Ron and Anne Coiner and sister to Jack, Ted, and Brian Coiner. She is also the daughter-in-law of Terry and Carol Newell. Both the Coiner and Newell families have been North Huntingdon residents for many decades and delight in its strong sense of identity and community. When she was a Norwin student, Heather learned valuable leadership lessons as Colorguard Captain for the Norwin Marching Band and Winter Colorguard and as French Club President.

Victoria “Tori” Holden graduated from Norwin High School in 2007. She played on the field hockey team and was elected captain as a senior, earning recognition on the WPIAL All-Section First team. Holden then earned her Bachelor of Science in Immunology and Infectious Disease from the Pennsylvania State University in December 2010, where she performed research on the role of dietary Vitamin D in Inflammatory Bowel Disease.

From a young age, Ben knew he wanted to be on television and build a career as a journalist. After graduating from Norwin High School in 2005, Katko went on to study journalism at the P.I. Reed School of Journalism at West Virginia University, graduating in 2009. It didn’t take long for Katko’s journalism career to get started when he got to WVU; two days after moving onto campus in 2005, he began an internship with WVU Television Productions where he spent long hours logging videotape of sporting events before advancing to other roles. His internship would include shooting highlights of major football and basketball events and leading a team that produced and executed in-arena shows during basketball games. During the summer of 2008, Katko worked as an intern with KDKA’s Sports and Special Programming Department in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. At KDKA, Katko’s internship would expand to include a paid summer job as a staff member on the Nightly Sports call show. He also worked as an audio technician and producer, giving him a broader understanding of the different elements of television news and production.

During his time at Norwin High School, Daniel Priatko made his name on both the football field and in his academic studies. As the football team captain, Priatko was selected as the most valuable player by coaching staff, teammates, and the local newspaper and voted Norwin High School’s Most Outstanding Male Student, as well as Senior Class President as voted for by the student body.

Heather Coiner Newell is the proud daughter of Ron and Anne Coiner and sister to Jack, Ted, and Brian Coiner. She is also the daughter-in-law of Terry and Carol Newell. Both the Coiner and Newell families have been North Huntingdon residents for many decades and delight in its strong sense of identity and community. When she was a Norwin student, Newell learned valuable leadership lessons as Colorguard Captain for the Norwin Marching Band and Winter Colorguard and as French Club President.

Michael Reiter has more than 30 years of law enforcement experience culminating in eight years as the Chief of the Palm Beach Police Department. He has operated Michael Reiter and Associates, the leading security and investigative firm in Palm Beach, Florida for the past twelve years. Reiter is an expert in crisis management, travel security, art and jewelry theft and the prevention and investigation of crimes against high net worth individuals.

Bob Perkins has been a lifelong resident of the Norwin Community. At an early age Bob’s parents instilled in him the importance of being active in the community by volunteering and giving to those in need.

Bob has been effective in taking the knowledge he gained through family and business experiences and shar­ing it with the community through his dedication to volunteer work. Bob’s accomplishments range in numerous aspects of his life, and he is humbled by each experience that has helped to shape the person he is today.

Colleen Shogan is the Deputy Director of National and International Outreach at the Library of Congress and an Adjunct Professor of Government at Georgetown. She was previously the Deputy Director at the Congressional Research Service (CRS) at the Library of Congress. Prior to joining the Library, Colleen served as a policy staffer in the Senate. She came to Capitol Hill in 2005 through the American Political Science Association (APSA) Congressio­nal Fellowship program. Before working in Congress, Colleen was Assistant Professor of Government and Politics at George Mason University. She joined the George Mason faculty in 2002, after completing her Ph.D. in Political Science at Yale University. At Yale, she was a Graduate Fellow with the National Science Foundation. She received her Bachelor of Arts degree from Boston College, where she graduated summa cum laude and was a member of Phi Beta Kappa, Alpha Sigma Nu, and the Order of Cross and Crown.

Dr. David Medic was raised on Medic’s Farm, overlooking Shafton, the Pennsylvania Turnpike, and several area communities. Weekends, summers, and holidays were filled with relatives, family friends, incredible food, and enjoyable times. After graduating from Norwin in 1967, he attended Penn State University Park for three years. During his second and third years, he lived and worked at PSU’s beef barns, and also worked at the horse barns and the Animal Diagnostic Laboratory as his class schedule permitted.

After graduating Norwin in 1986, John Tirpak attended Westmoreland County Community College and became certified as a paramedic, serving the community through his work in Emergency Medical Services for over thirty-four years. Tirpak has been part of North Huntingdon EMS/Rescue since 1995 and currently works as an Operations Supervisor and paramedic.

Laura Rodgers DrAP, CRNA, CHSE serves as the Simulation Coordinator for the Oakland University-Beaumont Graduate Program of Nurse Anesthesia. She graduated from the University of Pittsburgh with a Bachelor of Science Degree in Nursing and earned her Master of Science in Nursing from the Oakland University-Beaumont Graduate Program of Nurse Anesthesia. Rodgers completed her Doctorate of Anesthesia Practice at the University of Michigan in 2017. She obtained her CHSE in 2018, a certification for educators focused on healthcare simulation.

Rich Siniawski has always lived by the words of Vince Lombardi: “the harder you work, the harder it is to surrender.” Born in Wilkinsburg, Pennsylvania, Siniawski grew up in Shafton and continued to live in the Norwin community where he would raise his children. His upbringing instilled a strong work ethic that continues to today, leading him to be an active volunteer in the Norwin community.

Amy Noblick has always had a passion to succeed and willingness to serve the well-being of others. She was an AP student at Norwin High School, graduating in the top five percent of her 2003 graduating class. She was the Knight Krier Newspaper Editor and was very active in sports playing basketball, running cross country, and jumping for the track and field team.

Casey Harper has lived a lifetime by his mother’s words: “always remember where you came from, work hard, be honest, and give back.” This knowledge and wisdom granted by his mother would activate Casey Harper’s calling to make an impact. The homegrown and national contributions of C. Harper Charities are long and influential; they are directly involved with Norwin Athletics, the Police Athletic League (PAL), the local police department, Jamie’s Dream Team, The Lamp Theatre of Irwin, the Jacktown Ride n’ Hunt Club, Make-A-Wish, Toys for Tots and the Hines Ward Positive Athletic Foundation, to name a few. Yet he judges his success not by the growth of his endeavors or by the credit that comes with it, but by how he’s been able to influence his community and inspire those around him.

Since childhood, Dr. Jennifer Toth has had a passion for medicine. After graduating from Norwin, she attended Washington and Jefferson College where, in 1994, she earned a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Biology. In 1996, Toth earned a Master’s Degree in Physiology from Penn State University. She then attained her MD from the MCP/Hahnemann University School of Medicine in 2000.

Col. Smith is a 1987 Norwin HS graduate who served 26+ years in the Air Force. He graduated the Air Force Academy with a BS in 1992 as the Outstanding Cadet in Legal Studies. He was the top graduate of his Defense Information School class, and served 4 years as a Public Affairs Officer.

Victoria Saunders graduated in 2019 ranked second in her class of three-hundred and ninety-six students. Throughout her high school career, her love of challenges led her to take twenty AP and honors courses, earning thirty-three college credits. She was a member of the National Honor Society, the Psi Alpha psychology club, student council, the Interact Club, and served as her Class Office’s recording secretary. She was a varsity letter-winner and captain of the Norwin girl’s volleyball team and also managed the boy’s volleyball team.

Christopher Olson resided on North Street in Circleville until he departed for college. His formal education began with Kindergarten on WQED, followed by attending Circleville’s Junior High School West, and finally, Norwin, where he graduated in 1969.

Despite being uncertain about his career path at the time, he decided to pursue marine biology. This eventually led Olson to transfer to Bucknell University, a choice made in part because the biology program was not premed-oriented. During his freshman year at Bucknell, a classmate convinced him to explore medicine in a summer externship at Monsour Hospital. It was a decision that would change Olson’s direction in life.

Turnshek is a 1973 graduate of Norwin High School. He received his BS (1977) from Villanova University and his PhD (1981) from the University of Arizona. He was a Mellon Postdoctoral Fellow and Research Assistant Professor at the University of Pittsburgh (1981 -1984) and a tenure-stream Astronomer at the Space Telescope Science Institute (1984 -1988), where he worked on the Hubble Space Telescope as both a calibration scientist and an instrument scientist for the Goddard High Resolu­tion Spectrograph, in addition to conducting independent research.

Lois Lauffer Woleslagle, a 1949 Norwin Graduate, served as Class Secretary and a Varsity Cheerleader. She dated and fell in love with the Captain of the Football team, Norman Woleslagle. They married in 1953, and settled in North Irwin where they raised two children, Mary Louise and Norman.

Norman’s dream was to always own his own paint store. In 1970 Norman and Lois opened Woleslagle’s Paint Store located on 4th Street in downtown Irwin. The store geared to selling Benjamin Moore Paint, wallpaper and paint supplies. Lois was the proprietor while Norman and his brother, Joe Woleslagle were the painting and wallpaper contractors. The business soon expanded to include custom contracting and home remodeling with son Norman as contractor. This year 2021 Interiors by Woleslagle is celebrating 51 years of serving its customers.

Born in 1933 in Trafford, Pennsylvania, Ron Peduzzi formed half of the famed Peduzzi Twins duo. Together, he and his identical twin Rey conquered Trafford High School, Geneva College and the United States Marine Corps from which Ron retired as Colonel.

In 1958 Ron took a job teaching math at Norwin and began a lifelong commitment to the blue and gold culminating in twenty-five years as the Norwin High School principal. During his early tenure at Norwin, Ron was an assistant coach for the football and baseball teams. In 1960, he helped lead the baseball team to the WPIAL Championship. In 1971, Ron became the high school principal, a title he held – and treasured - until 1996. More than 15,000 students graduated under the watchful eye of Mr. Peduzzi.

Vance Varner is a 2018 graduate of the Norwin High School. During his time at Norwin, he strove to be active in academic and extracurricular activities. In school, he challenged himself with many AP and Honors classes, and was in the top five percent of his class. He has received awards such as National Merit Commended Scholar and AP Scholar with Distinction. Along with his academics, he feels that his extracurricular activities have also greatly defined him as a person. In school, he played for three years on both the high school soccer and volleyball teams. He has been involved in many clubs such as Model United Nations, History Club, Interact Club, and the Spanish Club where he served as treasurer. He is most proud of his work with the Boy Scounts. For eight years, he has been active in Boy Scout Troop 251 in Larimer. He recently earned his Eagle Scout rank upon completing his service project at the First United Church of Christ. Vance said that “Becoming and Eagle Scout, combined with all of my olther activities, has greatly helped me to becomme the young man I am today.”

Don Kattic had been the Commander of VFW Post 781 for 20 years, taught U.S. History at Norwin High School for 35 years and continues to promote and recognize our military servicemen and women.

His decision to join the Marines launched a lifetime of commitment and service not just to his country at large, but to his local community as well. After completing boot camp at Parris Island, S.C., Kattic was sent to California and then to fight on the front lines in the Korean War.

Fred S. Pollier’s academic background includes engineering and economics, a Master’s program in Business Administration, and the Penn State University Executive Management Program. After completing college in 1966, he finished the Management Training Program at a leading Department of Defense contractor and was assigned to supervise Armor Tank Foundry Programs.

Richard (Dick) Zentner graduated from Norwin High School in 1962. After attending Ricks College in Rexburg, Idaho for two years, he served in the US Army for two years, of which sixteen months were in Germany.

Dick worked for Duquesne Light Company in Pittsburgh for thirty-nine years retiring from the position of Operating Supervisor. He continued working on Duquesne Light property for eight years as an employee of Pike Electric, an Engineering and Construction firm rebuilding the infrastructure as Outage Coordinator.

Shannon Reiter, née Hughes, serves as President of Keep Pennsylvania Beautiful, a statewide community improvement nonprofit organization. Reiter started her career with the organization in 2004 when she joined the staff of PA CleanWays. In 2005, she took on the leadership role, and in 2010, led the organization’s merger with Keep Pennsylvania Beautiful. Under her leadership, Keep Pennsylvania Beautiful has secured millions of dollars of direct and in-kind support for local communities from both the private and public sectors and led the growth of numerous programs, including Pick-Up Pennsylvania, which has become the state’s signature grassroots community improvement program, and the creation of innovative programs such as Young Ambassadors of Pennsylvania, a program dedicated to building civic leaders and community stewards.

After Charles D.A. Ruffolo met his Dutch wife, Herma, the American soldier exchanged his hometown of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, for the Netherlands in the Dutch province of Drenthe/Overijssel. He served and retired after 20 years from the military and is a graduate of the United States Army Sergeants Major Academy, where he served as a Battalion Sergeant Major. He is a member of the US Army’s Sergeant Morales Club for being a dedicated professional whose leadership is characterized by true personal concern for the needs, development, and welfare of the soldier. He earned his MPA/MBA degree in his free time while in the military and fine-tuned his natural talent for linking (networking) common interests.

Mr. Hunter J. Stecko, son of Eric and Danielle Stecko, will graduate this spring as valedictorian of Norwin High School’s class of 2017.

In addition to his strong academic achievements, Stecko has been an active participant in a number of Norwin’s clubs and organizations for the past four years. Most notably, Stecko served as president of the Norwin Speech and Debate Club and a three-year state and national qualifier, class president and student council representa­tive, president of the Norwin Select Orchestra, and treasurer of the Norwin Quiz Team. He has volunteered extensively with local organizations, including his local church, Saint Agnes, and served as a volunteer coach for the local 12u travel baseball team. His hard work and dedication has been honored through multiple awards and scholarships. Selected honors include recognition as a Hugh O’Brian Youth Leadership (HOBY) delegate, National Merit Scholar­ship finalist, Coca-Cola Scholar semi-finalist, and one of Trib Total Media’s Top 100 Citizens.

Jim graduated from McKeesport High School in 1966; Pennsylvania State University in 1970 (B.S. in Finance); University of Pittsburgh School of Law in 1973 (J.D.).

Upon graduation from law school he began practicing law in North Huntingdon focusing his practice in the areas of real estate and title insurance law. Currently he is a partner in the law firm of Myers Duffy Dansak & Clegg, LLC located in Irwin.

For the past four years, Mara has made her number one priority to be to not have an obvious number one priority. Her driving force has been to try to experience as many of the opportunities available within the Norwin community as possible. At Norwin High School her final class rank was fourth, she was a class officer (secretary) for four years, she earned a place in the Global Scholars program, and was a letter winner in five different varsity sports. In addition, her performance in her Advanced Placement Art classes earned her recognition as one of the top graduating visual artists in Westmoreland County.

My name is Kailee Scalise and I am honored to receive the NAFA Scholarship. I am currently a junior at the University of Pittsburgh pursuing majors in Marketing and Supply Chain Management with a minor in Economics and a certificate in Leadership and Ethics.

Growing up in the Norwin area, I was very involved in my community and school clubs my entire life. I played club soccer starting at age 7 and joined the high school soccer team my freshman year. I was the President of the Norwin Show Choir, Vice President of the Bel Canto Women’s Choir, Class Secretary, and member of the Norwin Theatre Company where I landed multiple lead roles. I was also involved in the Aevidum Positivity Club, which is a club that I co-founded my senior year.

Kelley Skoloda, née Murray, M.B.A., is the Founder and CEO of KS Consulting & Capital LLC, where she works with her son, Jake, for clients across the country. Kelley was previously a partner at the global PR firm Ketchum and is the co-chair of the Investment Committee at the Next Act Fund, a Pittsburgh-based angel investing group comprised primarily of women that focuses on investing in female-led early-stage companies.

Dillon Stein, D.O., is the Director of the Division of Palliative Care at Butler Health System in Butler, Pennsylvania. After graduating from Norwin High School in 2003, he received his undergraduate degree in Biology from Alfred University, followed by his medical degree from West Virginia School of Osteopathic Medicine. Subsequently, he moved back to Pittsburgh and completed an Internal Medicine Residency and Chief Residency at West Penn Allegheny Health System. After finishing his Hospice and Palliative Medicine fellowship at the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center in 2016, he began practicing palliative care in Butler where he helped establish an inpatient consult service and began the only outpatient palliative care clinic in rural Butler County.

After graduating from Norwin in 1976, Kirk Youngstead immediately joined the U.S. Army and was deployed to Korea for 13 months. At nineteen, he was promoted to the rank of Sergeant and completed his four-year commitment in 1980.

Upon returning home, Youngstead worked in coal mines until he was hired as a 911 dispatcher in 1984. In 1985, Irwin Police Chief Ben Perkins asked Youngstead if he wanted to be a police officer for Irwin Borough, and he accepted the part-time position. He attended the Police Academy in 1986 and was hired full-time by North Huntingdon Township police in September 1990, receiving the rank of PFC while working patrol assignments and eventually working as a shift supervisor for eight years.

Maleah Phetsomphou was born in Laguna Hills, California and moved to North Huntingdon, Pennsylvania at the age of five. As a child, Phetsomphou played for the Norwin Soccer Club, often visited the Norwin Public Library, and loved to play outside. Growing up, she became deeply involved in her community, which led her to love the people around her. She recognized the inherent goodness in humanity, especially in the women surrounding her.

Aaron Shedlock graduated as valedictorian from Norwin Senior High School in 2003, and was also chosen as the graduating class’s “Most Outstanding Senior Male” and “Kenneth Tray Male Scholar Athlete”. While at Norwin, he was captain of the boys’ soccer team, a member of the WPIAL all-star team, and a finalist for the Westmoreland County Judge John J. Driscoll Scholar-Athlete Award. He then completed a double-major in chemistry and psychology at the University of Virginia (2007), a doctor of medicine at the Penn State College of Medicine (2011), and pediatric residency at Children’s National Medical Center in Washington, D.C. (2014).

Dr. Daniel Medic, Jr. is a practicing physician serving his North Huntingdon community for over thirty years. He grew up on a farm in Shafton where his parents stressed the importance of education.

He was inspired to pursue a career in medicine by an uncle, who was a family doctor.

After graduating from Norwin, Douglas Plank was recruited by Ohio State University to play football, graduating with a BA in Sociology in 1975. Despite requiring knee surgery, Plank played five games in his senior year, and managed to get drafted based on what he accomplished in those five games. He played in three Rose Bowl games, was drafted in the NFL, and played eight seasons at defensive safety for the Chicago Bears, as well as playing for the USFL Chicago Blitz while simultaneously selling real estate, giving sports talks, and renovating residential homes in the Chicago area.

Dr. Douglas Matty serves as the Director of Army AI Capabilities at the Army Artificial Integration Center (AI2C) which was established under Army Futures Command in October 2020. The AI2C leads and integrates the Army artificial intelligence strategy and implementation plan, synchronizes key development efforts, and sets the foundations for operationalizing Artificial Intelligence within the Army Modernization Enterprise. The organization is based out of Carnegie Mellon University in Pittsburgh, PA, leveraging the Pittsburgh ecosystem related to AI and robotics.

Halle Copeman is a proud Norwin graduate. Halle played softball for PAL and Norwin, participated in track, played basketball for NCAA, and served as the statistician for the Norwin High School boys’ basketball team.

Siniawski earned a bachelor’s degree in marketing/business from Penn State University. Working at S & T Bank as a Retail Sales Associate, she has received many Incredible Customer Experience Awards, and is ranked as one of the top five employees in her position. Known throughout the community as Moola Moola—the S&T’s Children Savings Account Mascot—she participates in the Light Up Norwin Parade, and visits elementary schools preparing financial literacy lessons for young children.

Ellis McCutcheon graduated in 1962 where he was a varsity letterman in basketball. He was a psychology major at IUP, and later earned graduate degrees at Auburn University and Nova University. A psychology professor for 35 years, Dr. McCutcheon’s 140 scientific research articles have appeared in several prestigious psychology journals. He is currently ranked in the 87th percentile against scientists from all over the world by ResearchGate, a website that disseminates research in all scientific disciplines. His six books include one about the psychology of baseball players who played briefly in the Majors – a copy of which is in the Baseball Hall of Fame. Another of his books chronicled the story of a Norwin student who was murdered and the subsequent investigation leading to a controversial conviction.

Molly Hudson is a graduating senior student-athlete at Norwin High School. Over the course of her high school career, Hudson has endeavored to make the most out of the opportunities offered by Norwin.

Ranked tenth out of four-hundred and three students in the 2022 graduating class, Hudson has pursued multiple honors and advanced placement classes during her high school career. At the same time, Hudson played soccer for all four years, including two years as a varsity defensive starter.

Rachelle Dené Poth is an edtech consultant, presenter, attorney, author, and teacher. Rachelle has taught French, Spanish and STEAM:Emerging Technology at Riverview High School in Oakmont since 1997. Rachelle has a Juris Doctor Degree from Duquesne University School of Law, a Master’s in Instructional Technology and is currently pursuing a doctorate in Educational Technology.

Once a Knight, always a Knight! Sara Colosimo has been a proud Norwin Knight since 1988. Sara feels that her educators played a hand in motivating her to become the person she is today. In addition to working hard in the classroom, she excelled on both the tennis and basketball teams, while also being involved in various clubs and organizations.

Sean Mainwaring is a lifelong resident of the Norwin Community. He attended Norwin School District for grades K-12, where he was heavily involved in sports and activities. From academics, lettering in football and track to participating in Show Choir, Sean’s dedication to the Norwin School District started at an early age. After graduating from Norwin High School, Sean pursued an undergraduate degree at Clarion University, where he graduated with his Bachelors of Science in Elementary Education.

Dr. Terri L. Yost is a 1988 graduate of Norwin High School. She began her career as a registered nurse at Latrobe Hospital before accepting a commission in the United States Army Nurse Corps. She served for over 20 years before retiring as a Lieutenant Colonel in 2016. Twice deployed to Iraq, Yost served as the Office in Charge of the Troop Medical Clinic and provided care to more than 10,000 service members, DoD civilians and coalition forces. She also deployed to Vietnam as part of a Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency team to search for and retrieve the remains of military service members missing in action.

Tom Hempel attended Central Westmoreland Vocational Technical School for much of his high school years. His career began as an Industrial Sales Engineer for DoAll Corporation. Fulfilling a childhood desire to become a police officer, he enrolled part time in the Police Academy. After completing the Municipal Police Officers Education, he became a part time officer for the borough of Manor, and then a full-time officer in Pitcairn, while still working for the DoAll Corporation. Retiring as an officer in 1999, he joined Philips Respironics selling sleep and home respiratory products where a promotion gave him the state of North Carolina as his sales territory. Retiring due to health, he said, “I praise my Lord and Savior. He has truly blessed me. I give him all the glory!” Helping others gives him great enjoyment, and he lives by the philosophy “Thoughtful people hang with thoughtful people, good people hang with good people.”

Tom Shrump graduated from Norwin in 1984. After graduation, he attended the University of Pittsburgh. Upon graduation from Pitt, he worked for the H.J. Heinz Company for many years until eventually ending up as Director of Operations at Armada Supply Chain Solutions, a job that he loved.

Throughout his high school years, Tom was a tuba player for the Norwin Marching Band. He was also a member of the Norwin 1982 Grand National Champion marching band - an honor he was so proud of.