North Hills student news for the week of May 24, 2022
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Graduates with 4.0
Rebecca Ettore, a psychology major in the psychology honors program, graduated from Indiana University of Pennsylvania with a perfect 4.0 GPA. The daughter of Lisa M. Ettore and Donald J. Ettore, she is a 2018 graduate of North Hills Senior High School. She received the Stanley Lore Scholarship and was the social chair of Phi Sigma Pi honor fraternity. She was a member of Psi Chi national psychology honor society and Phi Kappa Phi honor society.
Science fair
More than 400 students representing 71 schools throughout the region competed in March in Carnegie Science Center’s 83rd annual Pittsburgh Regional Science & Engineering Fair — one of the oldest and largest science fairs in the nation. For the first time in its longstanding history, the two-day fair was held at Carnegie Science Center. Awards totaling more than $1 million in cash and scholarships were announced at the Science Center’s Virtual Awards’ Ceremony.
Four students were selected to represent the region at the Intel International Science & Engineering Fair, which was held in Atlanta from May 7-13. North Hills Senior High School student Michael Gao was among them, with the project “Regulation of Autophagy by a Novel Autophagy-Related Gene.”
“It was a true honor to host PRSEF in our building, and we were blown away by the high caliber of talent, creativity and innovation represented at this year’s science fair,” said Jason Brown, the Henry Buhl, Jr., director of Carnegie Science Center. “Part of our mission is to inspire students to use STEM skills to take on the challenges our society faces — and the students proved that they are more than capable of solving some of our world’s biggest problems.”
National philanthropy award
Maeve Shaughnessy of Ross and Sydney Birchard of Churchill, friends and former classmates at St. Edmunds Academy who work to support individuals with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, are the recipients of the 2022 William R. Simms Award for Outstanding Youth in Philanthropy, Group.
The award, sponsored by Carter through the Association of Fundraising Professionals Foundation for Philanthropy, honors young people with a proven record of exceptional generosity who demonstrate outstanding civic and charitable responsibility and whose philanthropy encourages others to engage on a community, national and/or international level.
“I am so grateful to be receiving the AFP Youth award alongside my best friend,” said Shaughnessy, who currently attends Oakland Catholic High School. “Thank you to everyone who has supported us since we first started ALS Kids, including ALS Association of Western Pennsylvania, our friends and families.”
Bonded by the ALS diagnoses of their grandparents, Shaughnessy and Birchard officially launched ALS Kids after winning a local “Be the Boss” youth competition. Starting with the money and guidance they received through that program, the two have raised more than $50,000 toward ALS research since the inception of their organization.
The pair, nominated by the AFP Pennsylvania Western Chapter based in Pittsburgh, has hosted a variety of events to raise awareness about ALS and funds to support research initiatives, including a walk-run (now an annual event), a miniature golf event, a youth softball tournament and a Change for Change campaign.
Shaughnessy’s and Birchard’s efforts also garnered national attention, traveling to Washington, D.C., for ALS National Advocacy Day to speak with their members of Congress about the significance of funding for ALS research and programs. Even though their grandparents have since passed from ALS, they plan to continue to raise funds and awareness until ALS is eradicated.
The award will be presented at AFP’s ICON 2022 in Las Vegas.
Beattie students succeed in numerous competitions
The A.W. Beattie Career Center had 11 students place first across five different competitions at the FCCLA and SkillsUSA competitions. Each will compete in nationals this summer in Atlanta, including the team of Northgate senior Ryan Geeting, North Hills senior Marisa White and North Allegheny senior Sarah Woods, who placed first in the Chapter Display competition.
Geeting is in the carpentry and building construction program, White is in the advertising design program, and Woods is in the HVAC program.
In FCCLA, North Hills senior Melea Johnson, who is in the early childhood education program, earned first place in the Career Investigation competition.
She will compete in nationals this summer in San Diego.