Enriching Education - Inspiration from the Class of 2025

 Graduation season is upon us and there is no shortage of inspiration from the Class of 2025. Here are some inspiring seniors from Pittsburgh!

 

Salma Alouane: Pittsburgh, PA

Baldwin High School Student Uses Arabic Calligraphy to Fund Global Female Education - Yale Bound in the Fall

Baldwin High School student is also founder of an emerging nonprofit business in which she hand creates bookmarks with Arabic calligraphy designs and sells them to help fund female education across the world, in places where it’s needed most. Baldwin High School senior Salma Alouane received a letter many high school seniors dream of. After painstakingly submitting college applications months before, she opened a letter to read, “Welcome to Yale College! It is with the greatest enthusiasm that I write to congratulate you on your admission to the Class of 2029.” Alouane has been accepted to the ivy league school, where she plans to study economics, potentially with an eye to practicing law.  In addition to her academic work, Alouane is a member of the National Spanish Honor Society, avid participant in SeaPerch robotics, teaches Arabic to young children at her mosque, and has founded a nonprofit. She explains, “I am the founder of an emerging nonprofit business in which I hand create bookmarks with Arabic calligraphy designs and sell them to help fund female education across the world, in places where it’s needed most.” Salma was recently awarded a scholarship from Brentwood Baldwin Whitehall Chamber of Commerce to support her college education. 

 

Keenan Kerr: Pittsburgh, PA

Lincoln Park High School Senior Helps Struggling Peers Get Caps and Gowns for Graduation  - Naval Academy Bound in the Fall

Keenan Kerr is fearless.  From mock trial and student council to white water kayaking and skydiving, Kerr hasn’t met a challenge he wasn’t willing to take on. When it came time to apply to college, he reached for the stars and was recently accepted to the U.S. Naval Academy.  When he saw a need in his community, he launched a nonprofit and is now providing caps and gowns free of charge to students who struggle to afford graduation attire.  The Tassel Trust  is a student -led nonprofit created by Kerr whose mission is to make sure no high school senior misses graduation because they can’t afford a cap and gown.  “We provide them for free — no paperwork, no proof of income, and no questions asked,” Kerr says. “I started Tassel Trust after seeing how often students quietly struggle to pay for graduation attire. For some families, $40–$60 is simply out of reach. But graduation is an important milestone, and I believe every student deserves to walk across that stage with pride.”  Students request a cap and gown through a simple Google Form and community members donate new or used caps and gowns or donate money so that the organization can buy new ones. Kerr uses a Google Sheets system to match donated gowns to students based on school, size, and color. The nonprofit is also asking local businesses and schools to host donation bins to make giving easier.  Kerr will attend the U.S. Naval Academy in the Fall, with an ultimate goal of law school on the horizon.  

 

Anna Lis: Pittsburgh, PA

Baldwin High School Student Rises Above Near Fatal Disease to Graduate and Inspire Many

Anna’s condition is called Eosinophilic esophagitis (EoE) and it is a chronic-immune-mediated disease, characterized by esophageal dysfunction secondary to eosinophilic infiltration. She truly is a wonderful girl & really wants to be a positive force for EOE, so that she can help/inspire others!

 

 

Class of 1975 Returns to Celebrate the Class of 2025: Pittsburgh, PA 

More than 100 members Plum Senior High School’s Class of 1975 return for Class of 2025 Commencement on May 28

Among the returning members of the Class of 1975 is Angie Tedesco Wilson. At the ceremony, Angie will join her grandson, Logan Hanscom who will graduate with the Plum Senior High SChool Class of 2025 and celebrate his high school journey including an emphasis in musical theater and cheer him on as he pursues a path towards nursing at Clarion University.Plum Senior High School will host a special commencement celebration as the Class of 2025 receives their diplomas. In honor of this milestone, more than 100 alumni from the Class of 1975 will return to Plum to celebrate their 50th reunion and support this year’s graduates. Also among the Class of 1975 is Charles R. (Randy) Morgan, Captain, United States Navy (Retired), who credits Plum for laying the foundation of his 35-year military career. Reflecting on his time as a student, Morgan says, “Most of all, we learned that we treat everybody with dignity and respect. The school set that standard, and the motto ‘Exceptionally prepared for success’ is priceless.” Morgan recalls the strength of Plum’s dual offerings in vocational education and college preparation, and gives special credit to the counselors who guided students toward promising futures.