Brownsville plans graduation ceremonies
Brownsville Area High School will hold its graduation ceremony Friday at 6 p.m. at Redstone Field. In case of inclement weather, it will be held at the high school auditorium at 7 p.m.
The following students will be honored as valedictorians: Maggie Craig, Jenna Jackson, Marion Marcolini, Jill McClelland, Gina Pelehac, Angela Sczypta, Megan Smith and Maegan Wright
The following students will be honored as salutatorians: Mark Battaglini, Angela Fraley and Lisa Marie Zosky.
Craig, the daughter of Ronald and Deborah Craig of Brownsville, is a member of the varsity basketball team, varsity softball team, varsity tennis team, Gateway Program, Upward Bound, National Honor Society, Senior Cabinet and Chess Club, captain of Math Competition Team and president of Tri-Hi-Y.
Her awards include letter winner for basketball, softball and tennis; member of the All-County Softball Team; member of the Laurel Highlands Tip-Off Tournament; and Elizabeth Forward Betsy Invitational basketball tournaments, all-tournament teams; and Chris Dominski Award.
Craig plans to attend Pennsylvania State University and major in chemical engineering.
Jackson, the daughter of William and Jan Jackson of New Salem, is a member of the National Honor Society, Spanish National Honor Society, Interact Club and Ski Club. She is a member of the section champion cross-country team and the track and field team and is the student representative to the Brownsville Area School Board.
Jackson has been awarded the KDKA Extra Effort Award and is the female representative from Brownsville for the Herald-Standard Davis and Davis Student/Athlete Scholarship Program.
Marcolini, the daughter of John and Tammy Marcolini of Brownsville, is a member of the Math Competition Team, National Honor Society, Spanish Honor Society, Tri-Hi-Y and the Gateway Program and she helped to manage the cross-country and track teams in her junior year.
She plans to attend Duquesne University in the fall and major in pharmacy.
McClelland, the daughter of Glenn and Susan McClelland of Brownsville, has earned multiple scholarships from Indiana University of Pennsylvania. She was awarded the KDKA “Extra Effort Award,” the Gatorade-brand “Willingness to Win Award” and the Brownsville Rotary’s student of the month award for February.
She is co-captain of the cross-country and track teams, president of the Spanish National Honor Society, and a member of the National Honor Society, Senior Cabinet, the Gateway Program, Math Competition Team, Tri-Hi-Y, Chess Club, school musical and the Ski Club.
She plans to attend Indiana University of Pennsylvania, majoring in education of the hearing impaired, with a concentration in mathematics.
Pelehac, daughter of Mark and Valerie Pelehac of Republic, will attend California University of Pennsylvania for her first two years of college, then enter West Virginia University’s occupational therapy graduate program for three years.
She is president of the National Honor Society; captain of the tennis, basketball, and softball teams; and a member of the Math Competition Team, Spanish National Honor Society, Senior Cabinet, Chess Club and Ski Club.
Pelehac was awarded the Student Scholar Athlete Award, the Rotary Youth Leadership Award, Rotary student of the month, and a full scholarship to attend Pennsylvania Free Enterprise Week. She was also named All-County for basketball and softball two years in a row and placed in the WPIAL for tennis singles.
Sczypta, the daughter of Joseph and Denise Sczypta of Chestnut Ridge, is a member of the Senior Cabinet, Student Council, Student Forum, Tri-Hi-Y, Chess Club, Interact, National Honor Society and Spanish National Honor Society. She also has participated in the high school musical and served as freshman class president.
She has received the Mountaintop Foundation Scholarship as well as the Wal-Mart Community Scholarship.
She plans to attend the University of Pittsburgh in the fall, majoring in biological sciences.
Smith, a daughter of Crystal and Christopher Smith of New Salem. plans to attend Washington and Jefferson College to major in biology/pre-medicine.
Among school activities, she lists National Honor Society, vice president; Spanish National Honor Society; Student Council parade, field and decorating committees; Senior Cabinet chairman of homecoming gift committee, senior class party committee and senior class picnic committee; Student Forum; Rotary Interact; Rotary Interact board member; freshman class treasurer; Tri-Hi-Y secretary, junior year; Ski Club; “Sound of Music” cast member; and Chess Club.
Her awards include Wal-Mart Foundation Scholarship ($8,000), Mountaintop Foundation Scholarship, Ball Park Inc. Scholarship, Horatio Alger Scholarship, Brownsville Area Rotary Student of the Month, Tribune Review “Best & Brightest” for overcoming obstacles, Wal-Mart 4-Star Cashier, Hugh O’Brien Outstanding Sophomore Award and Senior Survey “Best Personality.”
Wright, the daughter of Donald and Mary Kay Wright of Republic, is involved in many extracurricular activities including Senior Cabinet, Tri-Hi-Y, Student Council, Student Forum, Interact, Chess Club, Ski Club, National Honor Society and secretary of the Spanish National Honor Society.
She performed in past musicals and was voted junior homecoming attendant. She also has been voted “Funniest Girl” among her senior class.
Wright plans to attend California University of Pennsylvania and major in elementary and middle school education.
Battaglini, the son of Mark L. Battaglini of Brownsville and Alberta G. Battaglini of Farmington, is a member of the National Honor Society, French National Honor Society, Senior Cabinet, YEA, Chess Club, Ski Club. He is a member of the high school football team, where he has lettered three years, became the team captain as a senior, made the All-County and All-Conference team and was selected a Davis and Davis/Herald-Standard Player of the Week. He has also been selected as a representative for the Tri-County All-Star Football Classic for Brownsville and is the Student Forum Scholar Athlete award winner.
Battaglini plans to attend Washington and Jefferson College, where he plans to major in biology and pursue a career in pharmaceutical sales.
Fraley, the daughter Karen and Rob Fraley of Merrittstown, is secretary of the Interact Club and Tri-Hi-Y, as well as treasurer of the Spanish National Honor Society. She is also a member of the Math Competition Team, National Honor Society and was on the grand march committee her junior year. She served as captain of both the track and cross-country teams, lettering in each all four years.
She received KDKA’s “Extra Effort Award” for scholar athletes, YMCA’s Scholar Athlete Award, and Brownsville’s representative for the WPIAL Scholar Athlete Award. She has been both All-WPIAL and All-County cross-country, and she received honorable mention at the state PIAA cross-country meet. In track, she has qualified for the WPIAL meet for three consecutive years and holds school records in several events.
Academically, Fraley was the recipient of the Rotary Youth Leadership Award and Brownsville Rotary student of the month, and she received a scholarship to attend Pennsylvania Free Enterprise Week.
Fraley plans to attend Indiana University of Pennsylvania, where she will major in marketing, with a possible minor in Spanish. She has received IUP and the Eberly College of Business’ Board of Governors Scholarship, the Dominion Credit Union Scholarship, Ballpark Scholarship and the Brownsville BPW Scholarship.
Zosky is the daughter Donna Connelly and Joseph Zosky Jr. of Brownsville.
She has been a four-year member of Student Council and Ski Club and a member of the Spanish National Honor Society and the grand march committee and participated in Student Forum. She was inducted into the National Honor Society and is also a member of the Chess Club, the Math Competition Team and Senior Cabinet.
In addition to her school activities, she has also been a member of the YABA Junior Bowling League at Gudac Bowling Lanes for nine years. In those nine years, she has qualified for the district team tournament once, the Coca-Cola brand Scholarship District Tournament four times, the Pepsi brand Scholarship District Tournament once and the Pennsylvania State YABA Championship Tournament once.
Her future plans include attending Duquesne University. Duquesne has awarded her a Provost Merit Scholarship and a Founders Merit Scholarship.