On Friday, Jan. 31, at the home boys Bethel Park-Mt. Lebanon basketball game at halftime, eight alumni of Bethel Park High School were inducted into the annual Great Alumni Hall of Fame. Months prior to the ceremony, community members nominated specific alumni in which they deemed noteworthy of contributing to society.
The Great Alumni Hall of Fame was setup in conjunction with the bylaws of National Honor Society. The inception of the Great Alumni Hall of Fame occurred last year, as seniors Luke and Carmen Jansante led the way.
Explaining the alumni selection process, Luke and Carmen Jansante said: “By submitting a nomination online, a community member can be nominated for the Great Alumni Hall of Fame as long as they meet the three criterion, which are: somebody who did something exceptional in their professional career beyond high school, somebody that did something that was on a large scale community service, and somebody that did something really great that changed the lives of citizens. To be inducted, you don’t have to meet all three criterion, as you only need to meet one of the three.”
Throughout the alumni selection process, Zac Enick, SGA President, Kaileigh Poe, NHS President, and Logan Vignovic, PACS President, were all present. In addition, community member Mr. Andrew Amrhein, two faculty members, a principal, and NHS Sponsor Mr. Lorenzi helped in the selection of the eight alumni.
“This year we had 22 nominations,” Luke and Carmen said. “Each selection committee member took three or four applications to review. After knowing the candidates inside-and-out, committee members went around the room to present their candidates. Then, all committee members voted for one of those presented candidates.”
The alumni’s nomination stays in the pool of candidates for five years, which gives the opportunity for past candidates to be inducted in the future. On a final note, Luke reflected on the experience, saying, “It’s amazing and eye-opening to see all the Bethel Park community members making an impact. Even though some didn’t get inducted, you can really see how they are life-long contributors to the community.”
Listed below are the biographies of the eight Great Alumni Hall of Fame inductees of 2014:
– Brigadier General Mark Bellini, Class of 1975; United States Army Retired. During over 31 years of active duty BG(R) Bellini served in a variety of command and staff positions in the United States and overseas. Some highlights include commanding officer positions in the 3rd Armor Division, Germany, 1st Cavalry Division, Texas, and 1st Infantry Division, Germany. Among many other places, he served in Somalia, the Balkans, Turkey, and Italy. He began his military career in 1979 after graduating from Edinboro University of Pennsylvania, with a bachelor’s degree in Economics. A graduate of the Army’s School of Advanced Military Studies Program and the Army War College, he earned three master’s degrees during his time in the service. In 2005, he was appointed the 49th Quartermaster General of the United States Army, and Commandant of the Quartermaster Center and School, Fort Lee, Virginia. Among his many awards and decorations are the Distinguished Service Medal, Legion of Merit, Bronze Star, and the Meritorious Service Medals. He retired from active service in January 2011, after completing his 5th assignment in Europe.
– Dr. Ariel Hollinshead, Class of 1947, dedicated her life to pioneering scientific research as an oncologist, educator and cancer researcher at George Washington University. Her first major discovery, while researching viral diseases, led to effective poliovirus treatment. She has identified a multitude of antiviral drugs and vaccines as well as the discovery of resistance to antiviral drugs. In cancer research, she discovered that active proteins, called epitopes, were useful for monitoring tumor progression. Dr. Hollinshead pioneered the field of proteomics—developing proteomics technology and managing the testing of epitope activity during 17 clinical trials. Her numerous honors and accomplishments include over 280 published articles on active immunotherapy, which earned her the name, “Mother of Immunotherapy.” Her proudest moment was being selected the 1976 Bi-Centennial Medical Woman of the Year by the Joint Board of American Medical Colleges. She is currently Professor Emerita at George Washington and serves on the Oncology Boards of three institutions.
– Dr. Brenna Brucker, valedictorian, Class of 2005, was ranked as one of the top 20 high school seniors by USA Today before attending Brown University Medical School in Providence, RI, where she received highest honors for her Aging Research. She is currently pursuing a career as an Emergency Room Physician. In Medical School, she was a Student Ambassador and prepared lecture slides to bring current geriatric medical research concepts to Padua University in Italy. She is a co-founder, with her brother, of the non-profit, Providence Alliance of Clinical Educators. Dr. Brucker currently directs four research projects and has done research in orthopedics and geriatrics and has published two books with her brother. Dr. Brucker is the only high school student in the United States to ever win both the Wendy’s High School Heisman (female national champion-2004) and the All USA High School First Academic Team – 2005. She is now an Emergency Medicine Resident at Vanderbilt.
– Dr. Daniel Croitoru, Class of 1975, is an Associate Professor of Surgery of Pediatrics at Children’s Hospital at Dartmouth, in Lebanon, NH. He is a dedicated pediatric surgeon who has performed several thousand surgeries, saving and improving the lives of many babies and young children. He has authored and co-authored publications on various surgical procedures including one which is world-acclaimed for the correction of pectus excavatum (funnel chest). He is named on the patent for the method, device, and instrumentation to correct pectus excavatum. He previously worked at Children’s Hospital of the King’s Daughters in Norfolk, VA and taught at Eastern Virginia Medical School in Norfolk.
– Judge Robert C. Wyda, Jr., Class of 1977, served his community in many ways—protecting the citizens of Allegheny County in the District Attorney’s Office, working as an Administrator for the Allegheny County District Court and serving as the District Magistrate for Bethel Park since 1999. Judge Wyda served in the United States Navy for over 20 years and rose to the rank of Commander before his retirement. As District Magistrate, he was known for developing and implementing programs to assist the community in its battle against drug use. As Magistrate, he was always fair and understanding to any person who came in front of him, and he was always willing to meet with anyone who needed his assistance, no matter what time of day. Bethel Park lost a great friend when Judge Wyda passed away suddenly in August 2013, but his legacy of making Bethel Park a better place will be remembered and treasured for a long time.
– Linda Latsko Lockhart, Class of 1973, defines “service” as “giving back time and talent in such a way that it creates measurable impact.” In 2006, she transitioned from the for-profit world to social entrepreneurship when she founded the Global Give Back Circle, an education and empowerment process for girls, the largest gender-based tertiary education for at-risk girls in Kenya. Today her program ensures that 590 Kenyan girls—many of whom are orphans–are getting a college education, being mentored and giving back to their communities, empowering them to break out of the circle of poverty, while bringing their families and communities with them. The program was launched in China in 2013 and will begin in India in 2014. Global Give Back Circle was featured on stage with President Clinton at the 5th Annual Clinton Global Initiative Meeting. Through this opportunity, scholarship funding increased from $350,000 to $7,000,000.
– Ray Henry Baughman, Class of 1960, spent 31 years in industry and has greatly impacted the lives of people living in underdeveloped countries with his scientific and technological contributions, particularly in the area of creating time-temperature monitors to ensure the viability of vaccines. Throughout his career, he has issued 69 U.S. Patents and received numerous national and international awards for his work in Nano-Technology. He is listed among the Top 100 Material Scientists of the Decade (2000-2010) and in 2011 Time Magazine recognized his invention among the “50 Best Inventions of the Year.” In 2001 he became a Professor and Director of the NanoTech Institute at the University of Texas at Dallas, where he established the award-winning George A. Jeffrey NanoExplorers High School Student Program in memory of a University of Pittsburgh Professor, who gave him the opportunity to conduct research at Pitt while he was a Bethel Park High School student.
– Rick Sebak, Class of 1971, is a producer and director at WQED, where he has worked for the past 25 years, producing numerous local and national programs for PBS, including “Kennywood Memories,” and “Things That Aren’t Here Anymore.” He has been called the Creator of the “Scrapbook Documentary,” because of his unique and insightful approach to delving into the history of his subjects. Audiences recognize him because of his friendly narrative style and the unusual topics he frequently covers. He generously gives of his time and talents, serving as a guest speaker for various organizations, informing and entertaining with his down-to-earth storytelling style. His programs and talks have inspired people and created a great deal of civic pride and belonging. He has been nominated for several Emmy Awards and writes for Pittsburgh Magazine. Mr. Sebak is definitely on the cutting edge when it comes to promoting Pittsburgh through the arts.
