Summer 2016

Summer 2016
A Magazine for the Constituents of Our Lady of the Sacred Heart High School
Serve Him with a joyful heart

Greetings from OLSH!
Our school community is deeply invested in,
and blessed by, our longstanding legacy
of serving others in need. I believe that
Blessed Mary Angela Truszkowska, foundress of
the Felician Sisters, would be greatly pleased by
the extent to which our students, faculty and staff
members bear witness to her call to “serve Him with
a joyful heart”. Through the driven, purposeful, and
often courageous efforts of our alumni scattered
across the region and the globe, we are able to cast a
wide net of impactful service laced with loving and
caring support.
In this edition of OLSHighlights, we are pleased to
present a profile of Blessed Angela and share stories
of faith in action, manifested in a variety of forms.
We hope you will be inspired by each and every
account of servant leadership contained within the
pages that follow, as well as the many exciting ways
in which OLSH continues to grow and evolve!
It is a true honor for me to serve Him with a joyful
heart by providing leadership for Our Lady of the
Sacred Heart High School. Thank you for your
ongoing partnership and prayerful support of our
collective efforts to provide an education that is
accessible, relevant, rigorous, and transformative,
and maintain a nurturing learning environment
firmly rooted the Catholic faith and Felician-
Franciscan tradition.
Our Lady of the Sacred Heart, pray for us!
May God’s blessings surround and sustain you.
Sincerely,
Terry O’Rourke Donoghue
President
“I believe that Blessed
Mary Angela Truszkowska,
foundress of the Felician
Sisters, would be greatly
pleased by the extent
to which our students,
faculty and staff members
bear witness to her call
to ‘serve Him with a joyful
heart’.”
PRESIDENT
Terry O’Rourke Donoghue
DIRECTOR OF
COMMUNICATIONS &
CONSTITUENT RELATIONS
Jessica Cerchiaro
DIRECTOR OF ADVANCEMENT
Jenna Sheetz ‘07
ADVANCEMENT
OPERATIONS MANAGER
Kim Corrado
ALUMNI AND PARENT
RELATIONS MANAGER
Deena Swank ‘92
WRITERS & CONTRIBUTORS
Sr. M. Faith Balawejder
Sr. M. Andrew Budinski ‘60
Dena Rose Buzila
Jessica Cerchiaro
Abigail Cercone ’16
Dominic Davis ‘17
Thomas DeAngelis ‘16
Regina Garofalo
Hannah Harrison ‘17
Daniel Joyce ‘17
Jonathan Kim ‘17
Andrew King ‘17
Sr. Christine Marie Nizialek
Sr. M. Cabrini Procopio ‘59
Tara Richardson ‘17
Jessica Sellman ‘02
Jenna Sheetz ‘07
Maureen Steuernagel
Deena Swank ‘92
DESIGNER
Michael J. Cerchiaro ‘96
PHOTOGRAPHY
Chelsea Clifford
Harry Giglio Productions
Mallory Hurley ‘07
Christina Trocchio ‘18
OLSH Yearbook Staff
PRINTING
Multi Print Media
SPECIAL THANKS
Felician Sisters
OLSHighlights is published by
the Advancement Office of Our
Lady of the Sacred Heart High
School and mailed free of charge
to alumni, faculty, staff, students,
families, and friends of OLSH.
Contributions to
Alumni News & Notes and
address changes may be sent to:
OLSH Alumni Office
1504 Woodcrest Avenue
Coraopolis, PA 15108
(412) 424-4610 · alumni@olsh.org
Table of CONTENTS
Summer 2016
FEATURES
2 82 nd Annual OLSH Commencement
Ceremony
4 Honoring Mary, Queen and Mother:
May Crowning
6 Starting a Second Career at OLSH
12 An Echo through the Decades: Serve where
you are needed
14 Blessed Mary Angela: A Reflection
16 Celebrate the Experience: OLSH
Legacy Gala 2016
SPOTLIGHTS
5 Ryan Wasil ’16 & Nathan Nicklas ‘17
Scouts Saw Need and Started to Build:
Eagle Scout Projects Benefit OLSH
7 Abby Cercone ‘16
Making an Impact & Serving Others
9 Megan Jones ‘02
I Can and I Will: Facing Challenges with
Courage and Strength
10 Alumni First Responders: Bravely Serving
their Communities
IN EVERY ISSUE
8 Advancement News
15 What’s Happening Around OLSH
www.olsh.org
18 What's Happening Around OLSH Athletics
21 OLSH News & Notes
22 Alumni News & Notes
24 In Memorium
14
2 5 9 16
#OLSHChargers
Be Known | Be Transformed | Be Inspired • 1

82 nd Annual
Commencement
Ceremony
On Sunday, June 5, 2016, Our Lady of the Sacred Heart
High School celebrated the graduation of the Class of
2016. The day began with the traditional Baccalaureate
Mass in the OLSH Chapel, concelebrated by Fr. Joe Freedy and
Fr. Dennis Klemash. The 97 graduates then processed to the
Angela Activities Center for the 82nd annual commencement
exercises, where they listened to speeches given by Class
President Thomas DeAngelis, Salutatorian Kristian Biega,
and Valedictorian Andrew Iezzi. After the distribution of the
diplomas by President Terry O’Rourke Donoghue, Principal
Tim Plocinik, Assistant Principal Mary Catherine Praskovich,
and Class Moderator Michael Miller, the graduates received
a blessing from the faculty and staff, led by Sr. Mary Francine
Horos ‘68.
Congratulations Class of 2016!
The OLSH Class of 2016 was offered a combined total of over
$7 million in scholarships and grants from a variety of colleges,
universities, and other organizations. They now head to a
prestigious list of colleges and universities as they pursue their
future goals.
Where is the class of 2016 going?

Honoring
May Crowning
On Monday, May 16,
2016, the birthday
of Blessed Mary
Angela Truszkowska, OLSH
students, faculty, and staff
gathered in the Chapel for a
prayer service in celebration
of the May Crowning. This
year, they were honored to
be joined for the first time
by the Felician Sisters and
several OLSH alumni.
The service began with a
reflection on the significance
of the May Crowning given
by Campus Minister Daniel
“Monty” Montgomery.
Jane (Wojtkowski) Lucci
‘54, author of the OLSH
Alma Mater, then shared a
few words about the origins
of the song and sang it for
the OLSH community as it
was originally written. She
then led the community in
singing the Alma Mater as
Sr. Ralph Maria Piontek,
CSSF ‘38, placed a crown of
flowers on a statue of Mary,
4 • www.olsh.org
assisted by OLSH senior and
St. Timothy Award recipient
Mary Kohser.
Sr. Mary Cabrini Procopio,
CSSF ‘59, spoke about
the significance of our
community’s devotion to
Mary and the importance
of the school community
coming together with the
Felician Sisters to celebrate
the Blessed Virgin. She
called on the students to
look to Mary for aid and
pray for her intercession.
She reminded them of the
strength of Mary’s influence
over her Son, as seen when
she persuades Him to
change water into wine at the
wedding in Cana. She said
that to love Mary is to love
Jesus better, since Jesus came
to us through Mary.
The service closed with the
Litany of the Blessed Virgin
Mary prayed by all present. •
queen
mother
SPOTLIGHT: RYAN WASIL ‘16 & NATHAN NICKLAS ‘17
Scouts Saw Need and Started to Build
Eagle Scout Projects Benefit OLSH
Jessica Cerchiaro
Earning the rank of Eagle Scout
is one of the highest honors for
Boy Scouts. The rank requires
the completion of a variety of tasks,
most notably a large scale project for
the community that demonstrates
leadership and involves other scouts.
While many young men at OLSH have
earned this rank, two Scouts recently
identified needs at OLSH and chose to
have their projects benefit our school.
Ryan Wasil ’16 became a Tiger Cub in
kindergarten and has been involved with
the Scouts ever since. When thinking
about what to do for his Eagle Scout
project, he remembered that he and
fellow OLSH band members stored their
instruments on the floor in the music
room and thought of building shelves
to store instruments and other items.
He shared his idea with music teacher
Mr. Allan Pontiere and the OLSH
administration, and everyone agreed it
would fulfill a need for the school. Ryan
then learned that there was a great deal
of planning that would have to go into
this project. The Sisters had specific
requirements for the shelves – the stain
had to match existing woodwork and
they could not be visible through the
windows. “I learned how much work
goes into the actual planning side of
this (or any) project,” commented Ryan.
“In some ways, the planning was more
important than the actual construction.
I spent several months designing,
budgeting, getting
permissions, and
raising money long
before building
On March 22, 2016 Joe
Weber ‘17 achieved the
Boy Scouts of America
rank of Eagle Scout. Joe
has been active in the
Boy Scouts since the 1st
grade and has held many
leadership roles in his
Troop. The Eagle Project
Joe selected benefited
his parish, St. Margaret
of Scotland in Green Tree and involved the construction and
placement of directional signs around the parish property. •
started.” Ryan
also learned a lot
about leadership,
as he worked with
a variety of people
to help complete
the project. “I was
really surprised (in
a good way) at how
generous people
were with their time
and money,” Ryan
shared when talking
about the help he received. He was
supported by Mr. Pontiere, his scout
troop, his sisters and parents, as well as
OLSH band families and his extended
family, who made monetary donations
toward the project. The Lowes in
Cranberry generously gave a 40%
discount on materials for the project,
which helped tremendously with the
costs. Once he was ready to build, Ryan
received help from The Venture Crew, a
scouting organization, and fellow OLSH
students Matt Tarasovich ’16, Brandon
George ’16, and Nathan Nicklas ’17,
as well as his dad. After putting in
what he estimates as over 200 hours
on the project, Ryan was pleased with
the results – as was Mr. Pontiere and
the OLSH community. The shelves are
a beautiful and functional addition to
the music room –
keeping the space
more organized
and protecting
s t u d e n t s ’
instruments.
Involved with the
scouts for 10 years,
Nathan Nicklas
’17 began thinking
about his Eagle
Scout project and
also saw a need
at OLSH. “As
Ryan Wasil ‘16 and Mr. Allan Pontiere
a theater student, I wanted to come
up with a way to display the school’s
Gene Kelly Awards, and protect them,”
said Nathan. He knew the school was
looking for a new way to display the
theater awards and also learned that
there was a need for a space to display
academic awards, as well. Nathan
came up with a location for the display
case project in the Hall of Community,
allowing anyone who comes to see a
theater performance to see the awards.
He is in the early stages of his project,
hoping to complete it this summer.
“I am learning a variety of different
skills,” Nathan commented, “including
fundraising and budget management,
overcoming material obstacles, and
adjusting my plans with the plans of
others.” He will involve his fellow scouts
as he moves to the construction phase of
his project.
Both young men saw a need at their
school, and took the opportunity to
make a difference. Their efforts not
only helped them to earn the prestigious
rank of Eagle Scout, but also benefitted
their classmates and the entire school
community. •
Be Known
Be Known | Be Transformed | Be Inspired • 5

Starting a Second
Career at OLSH
Meet three of OLSH’s newest faculty members
Many people start out in one
profession and end up in
another for a variety of
reasons. For three of OLSH’s newest
faculty members, teaching at OLSH
came after another fulfilling career.
For music teacher Allan “Rusty”
Pontiere, working at OLSH was a way
to continue working with students
after retiring from a public school
position. For Susan Rusnak and
Paula Vigrass, teaching came after
training and work in engineering
fields. Regardless of how they started
their journey, these three teachers
have been struck by the opportunity
to engage students in fields that they
love, helping to foster a love of music
or engineering or computer science
in the students that enter their
classrooms.
Before coming to OLSH, Allan “Rusty”
Pontiere was a band director for
over 30 years and music department
chairperson for 20 years for the
Montour School District. He taught
elementary, middle, and high school
band and high school chorus during
his tenure. After retiring from Montour,
he needed to keep busy, and he
knew he wasn’t quite ready to “walk
the malls in a sweatsuit”! He wanted
to continue in music education in
some way. He had been subbing at
OLSH from time to time, and when the
music teacher position opened up,
Rusty interviewed and got the job. He
looked forward to working with older
students since he had spent the last
22 years of his career working with
5th-8th graders. “Being Catholic all
of my life, I was also looking forward
to teaching in a small Catholic high
school with much smaller class sizes,”
he shared.
Science teacher Susan Rusnak
started her career as a civil engineer
focusing on traffic and highway
design. After taking time off to stay
home and take care of her two
sons, Susan obtained her Master’s in
Education, and worked for several
years as a substitute
teacher. When a
position teaching
physics in the OLSH
science department
opened up, Susan
decided to bring her
engineering experience
to the classroom. “I
am still active in
the engineering
community,” Susan
shared, “and wanted to
help students discover
the opportunities
available to them if
they were considering
an engineering career.”
Allan “Rusty” Pontiere
After graduating from Grove
City College with a Mechanical
Engineering degree, Computer
Science teacher Paula Vigrass spent
about 10 years working in technical
sales, but she felt called toward
education. “I always knew that I
wanted to teach,” she says, “and
returned to school to get certified to
teach Mathematics.” After obtaining
her teaching certificate, Paula
worked as a substitute teacher in the
Mars, Seneca
Valley and
Pine Richland
school districts
and taught
some cyber
courses. When
Susan Rusnak
told her that
OLSH was
looking for
a computer
s c i e n c e
teacher,
P a u l a
decided to
apply.“ The
first thing that
interested
me was the
possibility of
teaching the Paula Vigrass
computer
programming courses,” Paula said. “I
had the opportunity to teach some
cyber computer science courses and
enjoyed the challenge. Once I saw
the beautiful facilities and met some
of the faculty and administration, I
knew it would be a good fit.” •
SPOTLIGHT: ABBY CERCONE ‘16
Making an Impact & Serving Others:
A Senior Year of Service
Jessica Cerchiaro
Since her childhood, service has
been an important a part of life
for Abby Cercone ’16. As a Girl
Scout, she documented over 200 hours
of service, but at OLSH she had mainly
focused on her academics and her role
on the cheerleading squad. This year,
however, Abby was inspired to get more
involved in service at OLSH after Senior
Service Day in the fall.
When it came time for the seniors to
sign up for projects for Senior Service
Day, Abby chose to go to McGuire
Memorial Home, another Felician
Ministry. She had been considering
a service-related career and thought
spending the day at McGuire would help
her get a feel for one aspect of health
care. While there, Abby and other OLSH
students helped facilitate games for
McGuire’s Fall Festival that was going
on that day. “I loved being there,” Abby
shared. “It was fun interacting with the
residents.”
Abby returned to OLSH with a renewed
interest in doing service. When the
Young Hands activity moderator, Ms.
Theresa Long ’86, encouraged her
students to become more actively
engaged in service, Abby suggested that
the group plan service days similar to
the Senior Service
Day throughout
the year. She
suggested that
they go to McGuire
to start.
The Young Hands group at McGuire at Christmastime.
With Ms. Long’s
blessing, Abby
took the initiative
to contact Brooke
Graff, Director of
the Adult Training
Facility, and made
arrangements for
the group to make
regular visits to
McGuire. “The
Adult Training
Facility at McGuire
Memorial is most
appreciative of
Abby’s willingness
to serve as well
as her strong
leadership
qualities,” shared Graff. “Her
compassion shines as she visits with and
assists the adults in the program. Abby
has become a friend to many and has
truly made a difference in the lives at
McGuire.”
Abby and other
OLSH students
have gone back
to McGuire twice,
helping to prepare
decorations for
holiday parties,
playing games
with the residents,
and assisting
with Earth Day
preparations.
She says that the
experiences she
has there keep
her coming back.
“Seeing people
with those types
Abby Cercone ‘16 and a McGuire resident.
makes me realize the things I take for
granted,” she adds.
Being involved in service has given
Abby a sense of purpose. “I like making
an impact and giving back and I really
wanted to focus my senior year on
doing something for somebody else, not
just me,” she says. She hopes that the
underclassmen in the group will keep
the collaboration with McGuire Home
alive after she graduates.
Next year, Abby plans to attend Slippery
Rock University and major in Spanish.
She hopes to pursue a career as either
a translator or teacher. She also plans
to continue to serve at McGuire after
graduation and may even apply to work
there over the summer. •
Be Transformed
of challenges really
6 • www.olsh.org Be Known | Be Transformed | Be Inspired • 7

ADVANCEMENT NEWS
EITC/OSTC
The 2015-2016 school year showed the largest growth
in funds raised through the Educational Improvement
Tax Credit (EITC) and Opportunity Scholarship Tax Credit
(OSTC) PA state programs with more than $165,000 raised
for student scholarships. While this growth is exciting, OLSH
has the potential to accept millions of dollars to provide tuition
assistance to qualifying students. If you are a business owner
or know of a business owner who is passionate about OLSH
and/or Catholic education, please contact Jenna Sheetz,
Director of Advancement. Businesses who participate in EITC/
OSTC receive a 75% tax credit in Year 1 and a 90% tax credit in
Year 2 of their commitment to OLSH.
LEAVING YOUR LEGACY:
MYTHS ABOUT PLANNED GIVING
Planned giving is too complicated.
You don’t need to be an expert to make a planned gift. A
simple conversation with a tax advisor, financial advisor,
or attorney can help you to determine whether gifts like
bequests, charitable gift annuities or gifts of insurance are
right for you and your family.
Making a planned gift will take away from my current
finances or will take away from my heirs.
Planned gifts allow you to make a gift either in your lifetime
or as part of your legacy in the future. Planned giving can
potentially provide tax savings and/or tax deductions to
you or your heirs in the future, and can even provide the
opportunity of deferring tax liabilities.
I’m too young to think about planned giving.
Are you buying your first home and starting a family? As
you establish a living will and insurance policies, now is the
perfect time to consider a planned gift to OLSH.
Individuals and Foundations who have included OLSH
among their planned giving intentions are welcomed into the
Blessed Angela Society.
Have you already named OLSH as a beneficiary as part of
your planning?
Let us know so we can name you to the Blessed Angela
Society.
GIFTS THAT KEEP ON GIVING:
ENDOWED SCHOLARSHIPS AT OLSH
FAQ: Why should I make a gift to an endowed scholarship
fund?
Current endowed scholarship funds, including the Sr. Mary
Pulcheria Endowed Scholarship Fund and the McNally
Endowed Scholarship Fund, seek to provide dollars to benefit
students well in to the future. Endowed scholarships at OLSH
are awarded to students once the fund reaches the required
minimum of $25,000. This requirement insures the viability
and sustainability of the scholarship. By making a gift to an
endowed scholarship, you are making an investment that will
yield a return on your contribution well in to the future.
ANNOUNCING THE
SR. M. PULCHERIA SAUKAITIS
ENDOWED SCHOLARSHIP
The OLSH Advancement Team
is thrilled to announce that the
Sr. Mary Pulcheria Saukaitis
Endowed Scholarship is
fully funded! Inspired by her
leadership and vision, alumni,
parents and friends of OLSH
honored Sister Mary Pulcheria,
beloved former science teacher
and OLSH principal, with gifts
to the scholarship fund.
The Sr. Mary Pulcheria
Saukaitis Endowed Scholarship
will be awarded to an OLSH
student for the first time during
the 2017-2018 school year. Application details will be shared
during the 2016-2017 school year.
To make your gift to the Sr. Mary Pulcheria Saukaitis Endowed
Scholarship Fund, visit http://www.olsh.org/giving.
For more information on these or other Advancement Initiatives,
contact Jenna Sheetz ‘07 Director of Advancement at (412) 269-7726 or jsheetz@olsh.org
SPOTLIGHT: MEGAN JONES ‘02
I Can and I Will:
Facing Challenges with Courage and Strength
Deena Swank ‘92
Many people described as
“inspirational” are often
reluctant role models who do
not see themselves as anything more
than survivors. Megan Jones ’02 is one
of these people. She has faced many
challenges, including life-threatening
illness, the loss of her leg, and the loss
of her sister to brain cancer, with fierce
defiance and an insuppressible sense of
humor.
Instead of hiding from the sometimes
harsh realities of life, Megan attacks
them head on. She is not afraid to talk
about what has happened, though she
has been known to make up a few stories
more colorful than the truth (ex. telling
a particularly ignorant woman in a store
that her leg fell off when she sneezed).
While some might find it shocking that
she would post a picture of Peg Leg Beer
and hail it as “the perfect beer for an
amputee,” it’s in Megan’s nature to laugh
at life. She has known great suffering,
but she has not let it take that essential
part of her being.
Although Megan doesn’t consider
herself inspirational, others have
been wise enough to recognize her
strength. Former OLSH Religion
teacher, Tim Crossen, says, “I have
never seen a person face suffering with
such courage and defiance as Meg.
Sr. Johnna (Ciezobka) once quoted
Mother Angela, the foundress of the
Felicians to me, that ‘we will be known
by our unknown.’ It took me years to
understand that phrase, but I think
that it means that people like Meg live
the Felician spirit and the Cross of
Christ through their ability to transform
suffering into hope, and although they
don’t make headlines, they have a deep
effect on the people that they encounter.
Whether Meg likes it or not, and she
might kick me in the shin with her good
foot for saying it, she is a saint, and I
know something more of the Paschal
Mystery because of her.”
From the age of 8 or 9, Megan struggled
with health issues that left her
doctors baffled and her and her family
frustrated. It wasn’t until 2003, at the
age of 19, that she received a diagnosis
of Multiple Sclerosis. In 2004, her
life became even more complicated
when a routine knee surgery led to an
infection that nearly killed her and
necessitated the amputation of most
of her right leg. The health problems
that followed have been persistent and
physically and emotionally draining. In
2009, she nearly died from an arterial
hemorrhage. Her veins are so damaged
from IVs and aggressive medications
that she was fitted with a chest port,
twice. She has fought infection and
bouts of sepsis, that have caused her to
spike fevers over 106 degrees and left
her with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder,
severe headaches, and seizures. In
addition, she continues to cope with the
symptoms of MS.
Life dealt Megan and her family another
blow in 2014 when her oldest sister,
Michaeleh, was diagnosed with brain
cancer and died less than 2 months
later. As Megan said in a blog post less
than two weeks after her sister was
diagnosed, “I’m learning now what
it’s like to be on the other side of this
particular coin. I’m learning how to be
the caregiver instead of the one getting
care. I’m learning about the emotional
rollercoaster my family and friends
are constantly on when I get sick again
and again. I’m learning. I know how to
be the patient. I don’t know how to be
the sister of one: but I’m learning.” Even
the act of going to the hospital to visit
Michaeleh was an incredible challenge
as it would trigger episodes of PTSD for
Megan. Trading roles with her sister was
difficult, but Megan once again found
purpose in her pain, saying, “There are
a number of reasons I think I’m still
here even though I’ve faced death more
times than I care to count and one is to
be here to help my oldest sister when she
Megan Jones ‘02
ultimately took her from us. My health
struggles put me in a unique position to
help her.” In the end, it was Megan who
held her sister’s hand as she passed away
on November 2, 2014.
Through all of this, Megan has not
lost hope. A talented artist and writer,
when Megan graduated from OLSH in
2002, she planned to go to college and
pursue a career that would let her flex
her creative muscles. When these plans
were derailed by health issues, she didn’t
give up her dreams, she evolved them.
“My goal now,” she says, “is to remain as
healthy as I can for as long as I can and
to use this time to enjoy being alive,
enjoy being with family and friends,
and write a book to share my journey
because if I can help even just one
person that makes my struggles worth
it.”
In addition to working on her book,
Megan regularly contributes to Tackling
Mountains blog, where she shares not
only her story, but the stories of those
she admires and whose strength inspires
her. “The people I most admire,” she
says, “are the people who aren’t afraid to
admit to being afraid and aren’t afraid
to cry because they understand that
Be Inspired
was diagnosed with brain cancer which
continued on page 24
8 • www.olsh.org Be Known | Be Transformed | Be Inspired • 9

Bravely Serving their Communities
Deena Swank ‘92
Firefighters, EMS personnel, and
other first responders serve their
communities by bravely providing
assistance to those in need. These jobs
are demanding physically, mentally and
emotionally. When others are running
from a dangerous situation, they are
often running toward it. Many OLSH
students and alumni have chosen to
serve their communities by working in
the fields of fire and rescue.
OLSH senior class president Thomas
DeAngelis ’16 has been training as a
volunteer firefighter for two and a half
years. Many of his family members have
been firefighters, including his father,
who died in the line of duty. He trains
weekly with his department and takes
classes as well. He admits that being a
firefighter can be emotionally challenging,
saying, “You see lots of things you
normally wouldn’t see. You get called to
help people in their worst times.” Helping
people through those times of trauma
and stress, however, is what Thomas
finds to be the most rewarding part of
his job. “It is rewarding to help restore
the peace,” he says. Thomas plans to
continue his training and work toward
becoming a paid career firefighter.
Steven Sluzynsky ’07, who has been a
professional firefighter for the past two
years, also began fighting fires while he
was a student at OLSH. At the age of
16, Steve became Monaca’s first junior
volunteer firefighter. In fact, he fought his
first fire the night
before his first
day of school as
a senior.
Steve’s interest
in fighting fires
began as a child.
He remembers
an experience
at the age of
two that first
grabbed his
attention: “There
was a big fire
in our town and
my mother and I
watched it. After
the fire was out a fireman picked me up
and let me climb all over the truck. My
love for firefighting began that night and
only grew.” Shortly after that incident, his
father became a volunteer firefighter and
continues to fight fires after 26 years of
service.
Becoming a paid fire fighter has not been
an easy achievement. Steve says that
one of the biggest challenges to his job
was “getting the job”. After graduating
from John Carroll University in 2011,
He spent the better part of three years
applying for jobs with departments along
the east coast and locally. “Anyone who
knows this field knows how challenging
it is to be hired as a professional
firefighter,” he says. “You have to take a
written test, a physical exam, and a field
Steven Sluzynsky ‘07
exam, complete an interview (sometimes
a couple of interviews), and also have a
background check and a psychological
test!” There aren’t many positions
available, so the competition can be
tough.
Steve remembers former Social Studies
teacher Mr. Tony Finnegan urging him
and his classmates to pursue a job that
they could look forward to going to each
day. He says, “Very few people can say
they ‘love’ their job, I’m fortunate enough
to be able to say that. When you love
what you do, it’s not ‘work’.”
Steve’s persistence has paid off, and
he is now able to serve as a career
firefighter for the City of Steubenville, OH.
He enjoys the brotherhood among the
men with whom he works and the sense
of fulfillment that comes with feeling like
you’ve helped someone. He says, “Being
of service to the community I live in is a
great feeling. I feel that in some way, I am
doing my part to better the city.”
Amanda (Klein) Gonzalez ‘02 found her
passion as a paramedic. She has been
a nationally registered paramedic since
2010 with experience since 2008 in EMS
(Emergency Medical Services).
Amanda began college with the intent of
getting a degree in nursing. She moved to
New Orleans, but Hurricane Katrina and
“life” got her a little sidetracked. She was
making good money as a bartender, but
she wasn’t fulfilled, and when a friend
called her out, she made a change. “He
told me I was too smart to just be going
through the motions of life and I was
meant to be in healthcare because I was
such a caring person,” says Amanda. “He
recommended I become a paramedic
because I would be ‘like a little action
hero’. I started the program and couldn’t
get enough! Now I couldn’t imagine a
better fit for me!”
There are three levels of EMS personnel:
EMT Basic, Advanced EMT, and
Paramedic. Amanda began, as all EMS
Amanda (Klein) Gonzalez ‘02
personnel do, as an EMT Basic, which
involves skills such as administering
basic life support, bandaging, splinting,
monitoring vital signs, and placing
basic airway adjuncts. Amanda chose
to continue her training to become
a Paramedic, the highest level of
EMS. “Paramedics work directly
underneath a physician’s license,”
explains Amanda. “It’s almost easier
to say what we can’t do! I can intubate,
use electricity to perform an external
pacemaker, synchronize cardiovert (a
timed electrical shock delivered to a
specific part of the heart to slow it down
from rapid life threatening rhythms),
perform defibrillation, start IVs, perform
interosseous access (an invasive
procedure in which you drill into the
patient’s bone if an IV can’t be obtained
or the patient is critical), give over 30
medications with standing orders, and
the list continues.”
Being a paramedic is not without its
challenges. “There are many things that
are challenging when it comes to EMS,
nursing, police, or fire,” Amanda explains.
“We have long hours. On my ‘days off’, I
work for another 911 service. We never
know if we’re going to get off on time
because a late call is a ring away. I see
my work family more than my own.”
In addition, the work environment is
constantly changing and some of the
things EMS personnel witness can be
difficult to handle. “You see people at
their worst moments,” she says. “You
see what people are capable of doing to
themselves or each other. You have to
be able to separate yourself from reality
to function and go onto the next call. I
always dread the question people love
to ask: ‘What’s the worst thing you’ve
ever seen?’ I’ve seen those things so you
don’t have to.”
Despite all of the challenges of her job,
Amanda knows it is the perfect fit for her.
Her goal is to treat each of her patients
the way that she would want a member
of her own family to be treated. She finds
fulfillment in knowing that she is making
a difference. She says, “We can’t save
everyone, that’s inevitable, but there are
things besides medicine that we can give
to our patients and their families. This
year I had the opportunity to meet one of
my patients that I had resuscitated and
came home from the hospital with no
deficits. There are no words to describe
the feeling of palpating a pulse that
wasn’t there or hearing a baby cry for the
first time.”
There is no doubt that Amanda is a
busy woman and well-respected in her
field. Besides working for two 911 busy
systems, Amanda is also a preceptor
(instructor) for students, a field training
officer for new hires, and an instructor
in Basic Life
Support (CPR)
and Advanced
Cardiac Life
Support. She
also serves
on the board
of directors
for Help for
Heroes, a
nonprofit that
assists injured and fallen police officers
and their families. This year, Amanda was
honored as the Paramedic of the Year by
the VFW Post 3267 for her outstanding
service. •
10 • www.olsh.org
Be Known | Be Transformed | Be Inspired • 11

An
Serve where you are needed
Sister Mary Andrew Budinski ‘60
Mo ther Mary Angela
Truszkowska, foundress of
the Felician Sisters, had the
foresight to insist that her sisters keep
chronicles of their lives and work.
She herself was a prolific
letter writer. Through
the written word,
she supported,
celebrated,
admonished and
directed her
daughters.
Blessed
Angela’s
chronicles
and letters
b e a r
witness to
her legacy.
Echoing
from those
pages is a
mantra that
has reached
this generation
as: serve where
you are needed.
This phrase formed
her childlike heart,
unfolded during young
adulthood, and flourished in
the founding of the Felician Sisters.
The biographers of Sophia Truszkowski
tell us that on May 16, 1825, she was
born prematurely and inherited a
frail constitution. Because of her
delicate condition, she was doted
upon by her parents and family. She
was a precocious child and the eldest
of six siblings. Because her parents,
Joseph and Josephine, feared for her
health, they engaged a private tutor.
She had a keen mind and her intellect
soared under the tutelage of Anastasia
Kotowicz, a dear family friend. She
was given the privilege of access to her
father’s extensive library, which included
through
volumes ranging from classic literature
to spiritual books. These tomes
rounded out her education and she
began to tutor her brothers and sisters.
In childhood, Sophia found
clever ways to earn a few
pennies, which she
anxiously shared
with the poor
she met on
the streets of
Warsaw. Her
potential for
piety soon
became
obvious as
she began
vying to
be the first
at daily
Mass by
waiting at
the church
doors in the
very early
hours of the
morning. She
was even able to
convince her notso-enthusiastic
sister,
Valerie, to accompany her.
In 1844, the tranquil life of Sophia
was devastatingly interrupted by the
death of her beloved sister, Valerie. Not
only was it a premature death, but one
caused by the negligence of a doctor
who mistakenly administered poison
rather than the intended remedy. The
shock of Valerie’s death at a few days
short of her 17th birthday hung over the
family like a funeral pall.
For many years, Sophia felt drawn to
contemplative life. She was convinced
that she should enter the Visitation
Cloistered Convent, but her father
refused to give his blessing. Because
of his own declining health, he asked
Sophia to accompany him to the medical
baths in Cologne, Germany. She agreed
and lovingly served as his devoted
companion and nurse. During a visit to
the Cathedral of Cologne, Sophia knelt
in prayer and was confident that she
heard in the depths of her heart that she
was not to enter the Visitation Convent.
Upon their return to Warsaw, Sophia,
who was experiencing inner turmoil,
decided to resume her routine of predawn
vigils and daily Mass. On occasion
she saw children in the streets whom
she believed to be orphans. She realized
that her few coins would not sustain
them. With the support of her cousin,
Clothilde Ciechanowski, who had
the same burning desire to serve God
completely, she rented a room in a garret
and began teaching and caring for the
street urchins during the day. They also
hired a woman to care for the children
during the night. Her father welcomed
the opportunity to finance their efforts.
The Institute of Miss Truszkowski grew
quickly, but they did not have funds
for another caretaker. After many
sleepless nights and interior dialogue
she and Clotilde decided to move into
the Institute. They gave of themselves
completely.
On May 27, 1855, Sophia and Clotilde
were received into the Third Order of
St. Francis with a rule written for lay
men and women. As was the custom,
they received new names. Thus, Sophia
became Angela, and Clotilde became
Veronica.
On November 21, 1855, the two women
pronounced a private, but no less
solemn and binding, vow that they
belonged completely to Jesus and would
be committed to their work of charity.
Thus, a Congregation was born and the
Blessed Virgin Mary was its foundress.
Angela and Veronica’s routine visits to
the shrine of the Capuchin Franciscan
St. Felix, patron of children, were a
welcome sight for the city’s inhabitants.
It was these people who first called them
the Sisters of St. Felix and they became
affectionately known as “Felicians”.
Mother Angela watched the early
expansion of her community throughout
Poland. While communication was
difficult, the message to serve where you
are needed was received and held close
the heart of every Felician Sister.
On October 10, 1899, Mother Angela
closed her eyes to this world and was
embraced by the One who filled her
heart and life, the One who compelled
her to serve where she was needed.
It was no wonder that she wished to
multiply herself a thousand times; how
else could she respond to her Beloved.
The congregation grew from the
confines of a garret to the extremities
of the globe. Works of charity spread
first through Poland, then to Germany,
France, and Italy, then Russia and
the Ukraine. On November 21, 1874,
five Felicians
from Poland
celebrated
their arrival
in Polonia,
Wisconsin after
a month-long,
perilous voyage
over land and
sea.
the
Be Known | Be Transformed | Be Inspired • 13
Under the guidance of Father
Joseph Dombrowski, who invited
the sisters to evangelize the Polish
immigrants, the sisters’ lives and
work bore fruit beyond what they
could have asked for or imagined.
Their pioneer spirit and
disposition to serve supported
them through the hardships of
being foreigners in a foreign land.
They survived the tragedies of two
fires that took their simple home
and all the books and resources
that they brought from Poland
to help them in their ministry.
Within four years, they had
outgrown the space in Polonia
and moved to Detroit, Michigan,
which became the first Province
of the Felician Sisters in America.
Invitations to serve where they
were needed kept drawing the
sisters to new ventures. Vocations were
plentiful, and by the mid-twentieth
century, eight thriving provinces existed
in the United States and Canada. By
the 21st century, the continuous growth
of the Felician Sisters enabled them to
expand across the globe to serve in the
Northwest Territories, Africa, Brazil, and
Mexico.
In 2009, after more than ten years of
discerning, again on November 21st,
the Sisters were reconfigured under the
Patronage of Our Lady of Hope into one
province of the Felician Sisters of North
America. The motivation behind this
step was to further to the mission of the
Felician Sisters in spite of the reality of
their diminishing numbers.
The sisters do not thrive on numbers but
on wisdom, age, and grace. Serve where
you are needed are words that still echo
in the hearts of the sisters. Those words
are endowed with a spiritual energy that
empowers Felicians of all ages to fulfill
Mother Angela’s wish to multiply herself
a thousand times to show God’s love. •
For further information on Blessed Mary Angela
and the Felician Sisters
visit www.feliciansistersna.org
Books suggested for further reading:
The Heart of Mother Angela, by SM Fidelia Chmiel (Shemco Publishers)
On Earth as in Heaven, by Sister Marie JoAnn Lewko (Felician Sisters)
(In this text is a list of all the former provinces; each has its own history)
12 • www.olsh.org

Blessed Mary Angela: A Reflection
Sister Christine Marie Nizialek
Since my early years in the convent I have always seen Blessed
Mary Angela as a woman ahead of her time. Women in
religious life in Poland in the mid-19th century were cloistered
and devoted to constant prayer. Angela herself longed for
the life of prayer. However, from her childhood she saw the
sufferings of the poor especially women and orphans. Putting
her own desires aside, she and several companions devoted
themselves to caring for the women and teaching the orphans.
The Felician Sisters became the first active religious community
in Poland. As I deal with my chronic illness Blessed Mary
Angela again serves as a model for me. After a relatively short
time leading the Congregation she founded, Blessed Mary
Angela was forced into retirement by her deafness. She spent
thirty years caring for the flowers used on the altar and praying
for her sisters. This was God’s will for her. Helping my sisters
and praying for them here in Blessed Mary Care Center in
Buffalo and participating in OLSH Board meetings via phone
is likewise God’s will for me at this time in my life.
Sister Mary Cabrini Procopio ‘59
Blessed Mary Angela is my inspiration as I live my life trying
to follow in her footsteps. For Blessed Angela doing what
God was asking of her at the moment was what directed
her thoughts and decisions. She loved God so intensely that
this love spilled over into service to those who were most in
need. As I reflect on my years as a Felician Sister I can see
her influence in my life when I am faced with challenges or
difficult decisions. I ask myself--- “how can I claim to be a
daughter of Blessed Angela if I can’t do what God is asking of
me at this time?” I continue to pray to her daily and hope
that I can follow God’s will in my day to day living just as she
did.
Regina Garofalo
As I began reading Blessed Angela’s autobiography and letters
to the sisters three years ago, it did not take me long to feel
a close connection to her. Her love for others and for Jesus,
even from the time she was a little child, offered me a sense
of closeness and belonging. Blessed Angela had great zeal
for helping others and a deep empathy for the poor. She
understood that following the Will of God was not always
easy but offered a great peace which existed deep within the
soul. Blessed Mary Angela was a woman of true strength and
perseverance through difficulty and suffering and she inspires
me because she believed that everything stemmed from LOVE.
She tells us, “To love is to give,” and by accepting this I become
willing to join in the cross of our Lord and to continue serving
others with a joyful heart!
Sister Mary Faith Balawejder
Blessed Mary Angela Truszkowska truly inspires me. I think
of her as a woman for all seasons. As a young child, she was
already drawn to God and to God’s people, especially the poor.
She gave away “her treasures” as she saw children in need on
the streets of Poland. She was a very good student and an
inquisitive person who became a life-long learner. In her early
adult years, she was so creative, drawing orphaned children and
older women in and teaching them skills for living – spiritual,
intellectual, social and physical. Other women who also had
a heart for Jesus and for the poor, were drawn to her and
together they became Felician Sisters under the direction of the
Capuchins. In later life, she faced many difficulties and always
relied on the Lord to support and guide her. She became
more and more “like Christ” as she suffered from cancer, from
emotional struggles, from spiritual dark nights. Her life speaks
to me in all of the seasons of my life. She models how I am
to live in deep trust and surrender to God’s will, living in
boundless love of God and neighbor.
WHAT'S HAPPENING AROUND OLSH
MARCH FOR LIFE
This year OLSH planned to send two buses of students to the
annual March for Life in Washington, DC, but a bad snowstorm
kept one bus home and brought the other home early! A
group of students participated in an overnight experience at
the Catholic University of America and had the privilege of
celebrating Mass with Bishop Zubik before having to return
home before the actual March. •
SPRING MUSICAL
The OLSH Theatre Department presented “Thoroughly
Modern Millie” in March to sold out audiences. The show was
recognized by the Gene Kelly Awards for Excellence in High
School Musical Theatre with nominations for Best Costume
Design, Best Lighting Design, Best Scenic Design, and Best
Musical (all in the Budget I category). The cast got to perform
on the Benedum Center stage on May 28. •
PA MUSIC EDUCATORS ASSOCIATION
Ivy Nowakowski ‘16 was selected for
the PA Music Educators Association
(PMEA) Region I State Chorus. She
auditioned in February as part of
the PMEA High School District Festival
and was one of fourteen first altos to
move on.
FACULTY VS. STUDENTS
BASKETBALL GAME
This year’s faculty vs. students
basketball game supported the
Karagory Family. OLSH physical
education teacher and conditioning
coach Mr. Kris Karagory was
diagnosed with lupus earlier this
year and has been experiencing
a variety of complications and
infections. His road to recovery will
be long, but the OLSH community
will continue to keep him in our
prayers. The game raised over
$2,500 for the family and it was
a great example of the OLSH community coming together to
support one of our own. •
LOVE WALK FOR THE POOR
Keeping a tradition alive, OLSH hosted its own Love Walk for
the Poor on the school’s campus after the diocesan-wide
event was postponed. Started by OLSH’s Sr. Louise Marie
Olsafka in 1990, the Love Walk raises awareness for the poor
and homeless. This year’s Walk collected donations for the
West Hills Food Pantry and Choices Pregnancy Services in
Coraopolis. •
In addition to the PMEA Chorus representation, OLSH was
represented in the PMEA Junior High District I Band Festival in
April for the first time. Amalia Enriquez ’19 played the trumpet
and Sydney Shirlow ’19 played the alto saxophone. •
14 • www.olsh.org
Be Known | Be Transformed | Be Inspired • 15

Dena Rose Buzila
The 2016 OLSH Legacy
Gala kept true to this
year’s theme “Celebrate
the Experience” as more
than 200 guests joined in a
fun celebration of all things
OLSH. As our school’s largest
fundraiser, the annual OLSH
dinner and auction continues
to generate funding for
many student programs.
Thanks to the generosity
of our guests, sponsors and
auction supporters, more
than $136,000 was raised on
Saturday, April 30!
Guests enjoyed the upbeat
music of DJ Eric Burnett of
Fireside Events, delicious
dinner selections and a
decadent dessert assortment
prepared by the Hyatt’s
Executive Chef Nicholas
Saxon. The candy table and
homemade ice cream, served
from an authentic ice cream
cart, added to the party
atmosphere--all against a
spectacular backdrop of
colorful balloon sculptures.
The highlight of the program
every year is the presentation
of the OLSH Legacy Award.
RoGene Falbo Clark ‘63 was
honored for her dedication
to the advancement of the
mission of OLSH. In her
acceptance speech Rogene
reflected on her experience
as an OLSH student
and part of the OLSH
community. “It remains
with me today,” she said,
“the values and compassion
that I experienced at OLSH.
Everyone who attends this
wonderful place of learning
and growing should strive to
keep the spirit of OLSH and
share it throughout their
lives.”
The 2016 Alumnus with
Heart Award recipient
was Theresa Long ‘86,
whose dedication to the
creation and sustaining of
the Mooncrest Community
Garden, along with her
many other contributions
to OLSH, demonstrate her
commitment to OLSH and
the values of the Felician
Sisters.
This year’s auction tables and
ticket auction prizes offered
guests a unique and valuable
selection of more than 90
packages, some of which
matched the “Celebrate the
Experience” theme. Thanks
to the tireless efforts of the
2016 Auction committee, a
record $54,204 was raised
through the live and silent
auctions and ticket auction
sales. Items receiving high
bids included an Italian-style
dinner party with Father
Sam Esposito, a trip to Santa
Fe, New Mexico, the Little
White House Dinner, a
Sidney Crosby autographed
skate, a stay at a Siesta Keys
condo, a week-long stay at
Massanutten Resort, VA, a
three-game Pittsburgh sports
experience, and scholarships
to several colleges and
universities, including Ave
Maria University.
Once the Charger Cash Raffle
winners were announced
(Sue Johnson (friend of
OLSH), The Cejer Family
(current OLSH family) and
Mary Yakima (alumni
parent and grandparent)),
the party continued as
guests enjoyed mingling and
dancing.
At OLSH we will continue
to “celebrate the experience”
and we are grateful for yet
another successful Legacy
Gala event made possible by
so many dedicated sponsors,
donors, volunteers and
guests. •

WHAT'S HAPPENING AROUND OLSH ATHLETICS
SOFTBALL
BASEBALL
BOYS VOLLEYBALL
HOCKEY
SWIMMING
BOWLING
The Softball Team, led by captains
Natalie Graff ’17 and Alexis Brinza
’17, finished their season with a record
of 6-11 overall. With no seniors on the
team this year, the girls are looking
forward to building on the talent of the
returning underclassmen. •
The Baseball Team, led by captains
Adam Pace ’16 and Nicholas Duerr ’16,
finished their season as section champs
with a record of 9-1 in section and 17-4
overall. They took home a win in the first
round of WPIAL playoffs over Jeanette
but ended their playoff run in the second
round with a loss to Union. Coach Phil
McCarren also achieved a milestone this
season with his 100th win. •
Led by co-captains Collin Neville
’16 and Sean Cahalan ’16, the boys
earned themselves a spot in the WPIAL
playoffs. After winning the first round
in an upset against Pittsburgh Obama
Academy, the boys ended their season in
the quarter finals against rivals Beaver
County Christian. The team finished the
season with a 7-10 record. In addition,
Collin Neville ‘16 and Andrew King
‘17 were named to the first and third
teams respectively of the WPIAL AA Boys
Volleyball All Stars. •
The OLSH Hockey Team qualified for the
PIHL playoffs for the 2nd time. Although
they lost in the first round, they fought
hard and ended their season with a
record of 9-9-1. While the team will need
to find a new goalie for the upcoming
season, they are confident that the
young talent on their team will help bring
them another successful season in the
fall. •
The Cornell-OLSH Co-op Swim Team,
under the leadership of new head
coach and OLSH alumna Kristina
Boburka ’11, may have been small in
size, but they were not short on talent.
Dan Joyce ‘17 medaled in the 100
Breaststroke and finished in the top 10
in the 100 Freestyle event at the MACs.
He also qualified to compete in the PIAA
Championships. •
While the girls team had a rebuilding
year with a record of 4-6 after the loss
of 5 seniors, the boys were able to
qualify for the WPIBL Championships
with a record of 8-2. The girls, under
the leadership of captain Hannah
Harrison ’17, were able to recruit some
underclassmen this year and are looking
forward to a better season next year.
The boys will lose 7 seniors next year,
including captain Malachi Kristek ’16,
but hope that the strong underclassman
talent will give them a boost as well. •
FOOTBALL
OLSH is pleased to welcome Dan
Bradley as head football coach for the
2016 season. Bradley has served as
head coach for the football programs
at Ambridge and Sto-Rox High Schools
and in a variety of other football roles
over the course of the past 20 years.
He has achieved success with past
teams, coaching four WPIAL runners-up,
one WPIAL Champion, and one state
runner-up, as well as individual players,
three of whom hold records as WPIAL
all-time leading passers. Bradley played
for Bethany College, the Pittsburgh
Marauders,
and Team USA
as a defensive
back. The
OLSH Chargers
will play in the
1A section
this fall as
the football
program
begins its 7th
year. •
OLSH STUDENT-ATHLETES CONTINUE
TO PLAY IN COLLEGE
Six members of the Class of 2016, have signed letters of intent for collegiate
athletics next year.
Brianna Van Volkenberg will play basketball for St. Vincent College next year.
Sisters Anna and Monica Lohmann will run for St. Francis University.
Rachael Cummings has committed to play
women’s basketball at Penn State Beaver.
Collin Neville will play men’s basketball for
St. Vincent College.
OLSH soccer forward Bella Marra signed to play
next season at Division I St. Bonaventure.
Courtney Alexander signed an athletic letter
of intent to play women’s basketball at Indiana
University of Pennsylvania.
BOYS
BASKETBALL
The Boys Basketball Team, led by
captains Adam Pace ’16 and Collin
Neville ’16, earned a spot in the WPIAL
playoffs with a record of 10-4 in section
and 16-6 overall. Though the team lost
in the first round of playoffs, they are
looking to several returning starters to
help lead the team next year. •
GIRLS
BASKETBALL
The team had high expectations going
into this season, and they were not
disappointed. With a 23-5 season, they
not only took the section championship,
they made it to the semi-final round of
WPIAL playoffs and the third round of the
PIAA state playoffs. Courtney Alexander
’16, Rachael Cummings ’16, and
Brianna Van Volkenberg ’16 have all
signed letters of intent to play collegiate
basketball next year. Though the team
is losing 9 seniors, they have plenty of
underclassman talent to lead the way
next year. •
TRACK & FIELD
The Boys and Girls Track & Field
Teams had a lot of success this
season, including having 6 members
qualify to compete in the PIAA State
Championships. Courtney Alexander
’16 competed in the high jump and tied
for 10th place. Relay team members
John Ziegler ’16, Nathaniel Hersh ‘16,
Cole Cejer ‘17, Matt Schnarre ’17, and
Chris Kocent ’18 finished the 4 x 800
meter relay in 13th place and the 4 x
400 meter relay in 10th place out of 27
teams. •
18 • www.olsh.org
Be Known | Be Transformed | Be Inspired • 19

WHAT'S HAPPENING AROUND OLSH
SENIOR SEMINAR
The second year of OLSH’s Senior
Seminar: Felician Values Fulfilled
was completed. Senior students
presented to small groups
of faculty on the five Felician
Core Values and how they have
experienced those values over the
last four years at OLSH. •
NHS NEW INDUCTEES
The following students were inducted into OLSH’s chapter of
the National Honor Society in April: (Juniors) Shawn Blake,
Andrew Gabriel, Katherine Goliwas, Ethan Harrell, Andrew
King, Nathan Nicklas, Dylan Osheka, Luke Rattay, Tara
Richardson; (Sophomores) Elyse Belak, Brendan Burke,
Kathryn Dickey, Isabel Dobbs, Jennifer Falgione, Emily
Halbedl, Irene Harrell, Andrew Heller, Celeste Kristek, Grace
Lipscomb, Kevin Meurer, Alexis Moskala, Macy Skepanski,
Christina Trocchio. The new NHS officers were also installed:
President - Chris DeSalle; Vice President - Rosie Stock;
Secretary - Holly Taylor; Treasurer - Rachel Kuchnicki. •
ROOTS
The annual Roots reception took place on May 11. The Roots
reception is a culmination of a freshman English class project
where students interviewed their oldest living relative and
created a biography of that individual. At the celebration,
freshman students and their guests toured the school,
attended Mass in the Chapel, and enjoyed refreshments and a
performance by the Show Choir. •
20 • www.olsh.org
CARING PLACE DONATION
On April 1, 2016, a group of
six students accompanied
Mrs. Maureen Steuernagel to
the Highmark Caring Place, a
center for grieving children and
adolescents, in Wexford for a day
of service. The students included
four seniors, Abigail Cercone,
Emily Efthimiades, Megan
Krance and Mayra Pollo, along
with freshmen Alyssa Brinza
and Corinne McDevitt, who are
members of the Young Hands activity. They presented the
Caring Place with a check for $200 raised through the selling
of Halloween and Valentine’s Day Candy Grams. That check
was matched by Highmark. After a tour of the facility, the girls
assisted the Caring Place staff with assembling packets for an
upcoming orientation program, moving boxes and preparing art
supplies for a group of families. •
JUNIOR ACHIEVEMENT/
FUTURE EDUCATORS
A group of OLSH students volunteered to serve as Junior
Achievement of Western Pennsylvania instructors for students
at Our Lady of Fatima Catholic School in Hopewell. The
students were tasked with teaching topics such as how family
members contribute to the well-being of the family, what it
means to be a business owner, how to explore your career
options, being fiscally responsible, and the importance of
international business. OLSH students Kristian Biega ’16,
Gina Crisci ’17, Courtney Cyrilla ’16, Elizabeth Fernandez
’16, Samantha Keeley ’16, Mary Louise Kohser ’16, Mara
Mercadante ’17, Sara Oros ’16, Emily Palombo ’16, and
Amanda Weber ’16 spent the day at Fatima in service to the
school students. Junior Achievement programs foster workreadiness,
entrepreneurship and financial literacy skills, and
use experiential learning to inspire students to dream big and
reach their potential. Students who participate in the program
each year are eligible for scholarship monies for high school
and college. •
OLSH NEWS AND NOTES
Students
Sophia Blake ‘19 was one of ten solo
artists/bands to appear on 91.3 WYEP
Reimagination III CD, an initiative that
matches young area musicians with
professionals who mentor and guide
them through the recording process.
Sophia was also selected to perform at
the Three Rivers Arts Festival’s acoustic
stage on Sunday, June 5 as part of this
initiative.
Brendan Burke ‘18 was honored by the
Benedictine Sisters of Pittsburgh for
his role in collecting shoe donations for
their Heart and Sole project. Brendan
collected 135 pairs of shoes and $650
from OLSH and St. Teresa school and
parish.
Jacob Dickey’s
‘16 interpretation
of an excerpt
from Angela’s
Ashes by Frank
McCourt earned
him his second
2nd place finish
in prose at the
Pennsylvania High School Speech
League state tournament. Sam
Huddleston ‘16 competed in
extemporaneous speaking and made it
to the semifinal round, finishing 9th
overall. Sam and Jacob travelled to Salt
Lake City to compete in Congressional
Debate at the National Speech & Debate
Association National Tournament in
June.
Rachel Kuchnicki ‘17 was recognized
at Seton Hill University’s Women in
Science Day for her achievements in
mathematics. Kuchnicki was nominated
by teacher Mr. Michael Schuster for
this honor. The event consisted of
lectures, workshops and a luncheon
where young women interested in the
fields of math and science were given
certificates. Kuchnicki was offered a
4-year scholarship to Seton Hill valued at
$72,000!
Alexis Moskala ’18 placed first at the
PJAS Regional Competition held at
Duquesne University with her project
“Sucrose, Glucose and Fructose:
Dan Joyce ‘17, Rachel Kuchnicki ‘17, and Daniel
Shaw ‘17 earned scores on the 2015 Preliminary
SAT/National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test (PSAT/
NMSQT) that have entered them into the 2017 National
Merit Scholarship Program. From approximately 1.5
million program entrants across the country, each of
these OLSH students is among the 50,000 highestscoring
participants who will be further recognized
next fall. From the 50,000 high scorers nationwide, about 16,000 will be named
National Merit Program Semifinalists, representing the top scorers in each state,
and approximately 34,000 others will be commended for their performance
on the PSAT/NMSQT. Semifinalists will have the opportunity to continue in the
competition for 7,400 National Merit Scholarships to be offered in 2017.
Uncovering Hidden Sugars in Food and
Drinks.” Under the leadership of OLSH
science teacher Mrs. Susan Rusnak,
Alexis also competed at the State
Tournament at Penn State University,
where she took 2nd place.
Nathan Nicklas
’17 received an
Award of
Excellence from
the Digital Media
Arts Consortium
(formerly TVT) at
the Spring
Student Festival
held at Robert Morris University for his
stop motion video.
Congratulations
to Lindsey
Polojac ‘17 who
placed 2nd in the
state and
received a silver
medal at the
Health
Occupations
Students of America (HOSA) Competition!
Lindsey and a teammate created a
Health Career Display on Audiology and
Speech Language Pathology. Along with
their display, they had to prepare a
five-minute presentation involving the
education, training, and work
environment for each career. The display
and presentation were judged by a panel
of education and health professionals.
Lindsey’s second place finish qualifies
her for the national competition this
summer at the HOSA National
Leadership Conference in Nashville.
Lindsey was also recently inducted as
the President of BCCTC’s HOSA chapter.
Rachael Sarnowski ’16 was awarded
an EQT scholarship and was named
one of the Tribune Review’s Top 100
Outstanding Young Citizens.
Lindsey Seibel ’19 recently earned the
Girl Scout Silver Award with a project she
completed with two fellow Holy Trinity
School alumni that supported the Holy
Trinity School library. Their project added
new and requested books to the library
shelves, as well as other resources,
including two dolls and artwork.
On Sunday, April 17, 2016, Nathan
Walter ‘18 was honored by the
Pittsburgh 1916 Easter Rising
Committee at a reception and award
ceremony at The Grand Hall at the Priory
on Pittsburgh’s North Side. Nathan
received third prize for the poem he
submitted to the committee’s Irish
history art and writing competition. The
contest, themed Easter 1916: Pittsburgh
Remembers, was created to encourage
the region’s next generation to research,
explore and express the roots of Irish
history.
After completing her participation in
the 2015-2016 Westinghouse Science
Honors Institute (WSHI), Gouri Vinod
’17 placed 12th on the WSHI voluntary
exam. She received a $150 award for
her achievement.
Faculty & Staff
Social Studies teacher Mrs. Andrea
Bagnell will be attending an AP Summer
Seminar for World History.
Be Known | Be Transformed | Be Inspired • 21

ALUMNI NEWS AND NOTES
1963
Patricia (Guaragno) Pascoli welcomed
twin grandchildren, Hudson and Lucia, in
September 2015.
1992
Jill Ammon was named Account
Executive of the Year for the 2nd
year in a row at Continuum Managed
Services. Jill was also recognized as
the top acquisitions specialist in the
company and received the CEO Circle of
Excellence Award. This past November,
Jill crossed an item off of her bucket list,
when she traveled to Australia with stops
in Melbourne, Sydney & Perth. In her
spare time, Jill enjoys spending time with
her 2 cats (Pickles & Piper), and her dog
(Jaxson Cooper). Jax is a certified therapy
dog and joins Jill on visits to local nursing
homes.
1994
Marti (Riley) Cruver recently accepted
a staff position at the Center for HOPE
in Ambridge, a faith-based community
center serving Ambridge residents.
1996
2001
Michael ‘96 and
Jessica Cerchiaro
welcomed their
second child, Joseph
Paul, on May 16,
2016. Joey joins his
big sister, Anna, who
turned 2 in April.
Emily (Brocks)
Boardman and her
husband, Brian,
welcomed their first
child, Benjamin
Michael, on June 16,
2015. They currently
live in Arlington, VA.
Michael Reilly III
and his wife, Kelly,
welcomed their 2nd
child, James William
on January 1, 2016.
2002
Erin (Rodgers) Behrman and her
husband, Rob, welcomed their second
child, Genevieve Marie, on May 1, 2016.
Genevieve joins her older brother, Victor,
who will be 2 in September.
Amanda (Klein) Gonzalez was
recognized as the EMT/ Paramedic of
the Year for 2016 by VFW Post 3267.
Kevin Logue is completing his second
school year as the assistant principal of
Oak Glen High School in Hancock County,
WV. In March, Kevin was the recipient of
an Award of Heroism from the Cardiac
Survivors Association for saving a man’s
life in August 2015 by performing CPR.
who is 3 years old.
Katie (Sexton)
Yurchak and her
husband, Joe,
welcomed their
second child, Joseph
Francis Yurchak IV,
on September 25,
2015. He joins his
big sister, Natalie,
2003
Clarisse Garcia was named women’s
basketball assistant coach for Auburn
University.
Bethany (Kurina)
Marek and her
husband, Michael,
welcomed their first
child, Abel Rinaldi, on
March 23, 2016.
The family currently
resides in Sewickley,
PA.
2004
Theresa (Valenty)
Buettner and her
husband, Matt,
welcomed their 4th
child, Jonah Pio, on
January 1, 2016.
Jamie (Smith)
Hopkins and her
husband, Spencer,
welcomed their
daughter, Harper
Bailey Hopkins,
on March 17, 2016.
Elijah Kristek and
Mary Catherine
(Bonner) Kristek
welcomed their first
child, Oliver James,
on May 11, 2016.
2005
Lieutenant Dave DiSanto, a member
of Navy Cargo Handling Battalion One,
stationed in Williamsburg, VA, recently
conducted the annual resupply mission
of McMurdo Station, Antarctica, as part
of Operation Deep Freeze 2016.
2006
Donna (DuBois) Heisler and her
husband, John, welcomed their 2nd son,
Maxwell Joseph, on April 16, 2016.
Things have changed since 1932!
We're sure you have too!
Send your news to alumni@olsh.org or visit the alumni
section of the OLSH website to submit online.
Amy Greek is currently teaching English
for iTTTi in Japan.
2007
Ashleigh (Kaleugher)
Musick and her
husband, Jeff,
welcome their son,
Wyatt Richard, on
February 9, 2016.
Danielle (Sciulli)
Kacsur and her
husband, Ryan,
welcomed their third
son, Declan
Alexander, on
February 10.
Alex Lardin was nominated as a teacher
of the year by the Hampton City Schools
in Hampton, VA.
Steven Sluzynsky and Alyssa Silvestri
announced their engagement in April
2016.
2008
2009
Sara (Ciesielski)
Stark married Joseph
Stark on January 2,
2016.
AC2 Amanda Taylor
was awarded a Navy
Achievement Medal.
2010
Anne Collier is finishing her second
year at the Cornell School of Veterinary
Medicine with honors. She hopes to
establish a veterinary practice near
Pittsburgh after graduation.
2011
Sandy Cahalan graduated summa cum
laude from the University of Pittsburgh
in April 2015. She currently resides in
College Park, MD, where she works as
a campus missionary at the University
of Maryland on behalf of University
Christian Outreach.
Luke Collier finished his first year in
the Master’s in Psychology program at
Chatham University with honors in May
2016. He also works in the admissions
department at Chatham.
Grace Jancart was named to the Dean’s
List for the fall 2015 semester at Penn
State Erie, The Behrend College.
2012
Jason Hitt was named to the Dean’s List
for the fall 2015 semester at Penn State
Erie, The Behrend College.
Luke Iyengar graduated summa cum
laude from Franciscan University of
Steubenville with a degree in theology.
Vincent Smith graduated from Point
Park College in April 2016. From June
2016 to January 2017, he will be
performing in two shows on the Royal
Caribbean Cruise Lines’ Liberty of the
Seas.
2013
Matthew Haupt
received his “white
coat” in his first year
of pharmacy school
at the University of
Pittsburgh.
Alyssa Pollo, Rachel Rattay, and
Stephanie Ruggiero were named to the
Dean’s List for the fall 2015 semester at
Penn State Erie, The Behrend College.
Rachel Rattay will be working this
summer as a software development
engineer intern at Microsoft.
2014
Angela Kilburg has
won first place in the
Society of Publication
Design’s National
Student Design
Competition. She is
also the Recipient of
the National Mitch
Shostak Award for
outstanding Publication Design. In the
field of Graphic Design this is one of the
most prestigious honors a college
student can be awarded, and it is an
unusual success to win as a sophomore.
Angela was recently offered a summer
internship at Bloomberg Businessweek
in New York City.
The Saint Francis men’s volleyball team
had four of the 16 student-athletes on
the Eastern Intercollegiate Volleyball
Association 2016 All-Academic team.
Shaughn McDonald carried a 3.943
GPA through 61 sets. He had the second
highest GPA on the All-Academic Team.
2015
Anthony Hugney is
currently enrolled in
the U.S. Navy’s
Nuclear Power
School in Charleston,
SC. He is studying to
be a nuclear
electrical mechanic
and hopes to be
stationed on a Navy submarine.
Heidi Langhorst was named to the
Dean’s List for the fall 2015 semester at
Penn State Erie, The Behrend College.
22 • www.olsh.org
Be Known | Be Transformed | Be Inspired • 23

Terry Kovach
December 13, 2015
Father of Alexander ‘12 and
Daniel ’09 Kovach
Catherine Motkowski
June 18, 2015
Mother of
Mercedes (Motkowski) Rogers ‘59
Guilia Fratangeli
January 1, 2016
Mother of Maria Fratangeli ‘86
Henry Fanelli
December 11, 2015
Father of Dr. Neal Fanelli ‘77
Joan Ruszala
January 3, 2016
Sister of Maryann (Ruszala) Wood ‘68
In Memorium
Marianne (Asklar) Fiedler
January 10, 2016
Mother of Beth (Fiedler) Steele ’91,
Kristina (Fiedler) Reyer ’95, and
Michael ’96 and Robert ‘00 Fiedler
Timothy Rogers
February 8, 2016
Son of
Merecedes (Motkowski) Rogers ‘59
George F. Sarver, Jr.
January 9, 2016
Father of Vicki Sarver ‘75
Sr. Mary Eligia Dworakowski ‘38
January 18, 2016
Eileen Paul ‘63
February 4, 2016
SPOTLIGHT: MEGAN JONES continued from page 9
neither is a sign of weakness. I admire
people like my friend US Marine Sgt.
Kevin Hoffman, who was hit by an IED
in Afghanistan, and others like him, who
find themselves in dark places and work
hard to return to the light. I’m the kind
of person who is uncomfortable being
called an inspiration, much like those
I admire, because we are all just doing
what we have to do to keep moving
forward.”
Megan has not
lost sight of
joy. She finds it
in her golden
doodle, Rosie,
who seems to
think the space
where Megan’s
leg used to be was made just for her
and who helps Megan through rough
episodes of PTSD and septic headaches.
A true Pittsburgher, she enjoys cheering
on her Steelers and Penguins, even
taunting her Baltimore doctors and
nurses by wearing her black and gold
to the hospital and appointments. But
most importantly, Megan finds joy in
her family, a term which, to her, goes
beyond blood relations. She draws
strength in those people who have stood
by her through the worst times, not
judged her as she struggled with difficult
decisions, and just asked, “What do you
need?”
Despite, and partly because of, the many
challenges she has faced, Megan has
an uncanny ability to find the humor
in humanity. She considers herself a
“realistic optimist”, never giving up but
also never sugar-coating reality. Instead
of hiding her pain, and the anger that
often accompanies it, she shares her
experiences with blunt honesty, with the
hope that others who suffer will know
that they are not alone.
Megan continues to struggle with her
health. Her doctors have told her
there is little they can do at this point.
The medications her body can tolerate
are limited and her immune system
can’t fight the infections. She has been
septic twice since August. “My status
is terminal,” she explains. “I won’t keep
beating the odds and at this point it
comes down to quality vs. quantity. I’m
declining any more surgery and likely
any more antibiotics because neither
will save me and I want to live during
Karen Price
February 5, 2016
Mother of
Melissa Price-Colteryahn ’85 and Karen
Price-Harmon ’86. Grandmother of
Alexandria Colteryahn ’10 and
Kacie Colteryahn ’12.
Sr. M. Leona Bzura ‘45
February 3, 2016
Daniel E. Mangine
March 26, 2016
Father of Daniel Mangine ’87 and
Juliet (Mangine) Cameron ‘90
Edward J. Fijewski, Jr. ‘78
April 18, 2016
Richard A. Baldesberger
May 1, 2016
Father of Jennifer ’91 and
Emily ’98 Baldesberger
whatever time I have, not be sick as a
dog, unable to travel and have fun and
make memories for family and friends.
Thirteen years and 50+ surgeries has
taught me the value of every good
moment and truly living while you can.”
Megan has seen darkness and suffering,
and every day she looks to give those
experiences purpose. She says, “People
say I am an old soul and wise beyond my
years. Maybe I am maybe I’m not but I
have a different perspective of life and of
the world due to what I’ve gone through
and it gives me the ability to help others.
I understand the struggles of others in
ways many do not.”
Every day continues to be a battle for
Meg, and every day, she finds some new
way to live and to laugh. When asked
what legacy she would like to leave, she
said, “I want
people to say
about me: she
didn’t give a
darn and she
never gave
up.” •
OLSH ALUMNI
Making a Difference since 1932
CLASS AGENTS
Class Agents help the Alumni Office gather
updated contact information and news about
their classmates. If you would like to be a
Class Agent, please contact Deena Swank at
dswank@olsh.org. Please contact your Class
Agent with updates or reunion plans that can
be shared with OLSH.
1968 Sr. M. Francine Horos
smfhoros@olsh.org
1972 Claudia (Bonchak) Lewis
troop150@yahoo.com
1978 Christine (Plucinski) Glatz
cglatz@olsh.org
1982 Joseph Farley
joseph.farley@dcsg.com
1985 Karen Nolder
vargo008@icloud.com
1986 Beth Ann Roland-Studeny
bethrolstu@gmail.com
1988 Raquel (Roney) Sanders
chevychick612@yahoo.com
1992 Jill Ammon
jillammon@gmail.com
1996 Michael Cerchiaro
cerchiarogd@gmail.com
2000 Brendan Gallagher
brendan.patrick.gallagher@gmail.com
2001 Christopher Wilfert
cwilfert@wm.com
2002 Jordan Hinds
jordanhinds@hotmail.com
2004 Robert Skvarca
robert_skvarca@yahoo.com
2007 Mallory (Praskovich) Hurley
mhurley@olsh.org
FOR ALL THE LATEST UPDATES
Be sure to check the Alumni tab at
www.olsh.org
and follow us on Facebook at
www.facebook.com/OLSHAlumni
ALUMNI COUNCIL COMMITTEES
Now is the time to get involved! Consider joining a planning committee for
one of the following areas/events: Homecoming, Alumni Mass and Breakfast,
Alumni Networking, Distinguished Alumni Awards, Rally for McNally Endowed
Scholarship 5K, Family Christmas Party, May Crowning. If you have any
interest in these groups, please contact Deena (Newsom) Swank at
dswank@olsh.org.
McNALLY ENDOWED SCHOLARSHIP FUND
The Rally for McNally Endowed Scholarship 5K was held on Saturday, June 18.
The event brought together alumni that spanned 4 decades, alumni parents,
current students and parents, faculty and staff, and friends of OLSH in support
of the first OLSH scholarship in honor of a male alumnus.
Michael McNally ‘07 has courageously faced
extraordinary challenges resulting from an accident in
2010. He and his family traveled from Texas to attend the
5K event and will be involved in the creation of criteria for
the scholarship and recipient selection. The scholarship
will be endowed to ensure its sustainability and will begin one year after the
fund has reached $25,000.
To make a donation to the McNally Endowed Scholarship Fund, go to www.
olsh.org/giving or contact Jenna (Zyroll) Sheetz ’07 at jsheetz@olsh.org.
PART OF THE HEART CIRCLE
Special Thanks to the 2016 OLSH Rally for McNally Endowed Scholarship
5K Committee: Jordan Hinds ‘02 - Event Chair, Nicholas Michalenko ‘07, &
Chrissy Wolbert ‘07
BECOME PART OF THE HEART
This summer, the OLSH Advancement Office will be launching a new monthly
giving initiative. We are asking alumni to become members of the Part of
the Heart Circle by committing to a monthly gift to The OLSH Fund. This
program will allow donors to give a gift in small increments, making significant
participation in The OLSH Fund accessible to all alumni. Gifts to the Part
of the Heart Circle help to ensure the
sustainability of The OLSH Fund and in turn,
the OLSH student experience. Look for more
information on how to become Part of the
Heart this summer!
SAVE THE DATE!
HOMECOMING '16!
September 23-25
24 • www.olsh.org

Our Lady of the Sacred Heart High School
1504 Woodcrest Avenue
Coraopolis, PA 15108-3054
Non-Profit Org.
U.S. Postage
PAID
Pittsburgh, PA
Permit No.
1983
Upcoming Events
JULY 2016
25-29 Getting Ready for High School Program at OLSH for Class of 2020
25 – August 1 World Youth Day 2016: Krakow, Poland
30 – August 2 OLSH Theatre performs at the Festival Fringe in Edinburgh, Scotland
AUGUST 2016
11, 12, 15, & 16 OLSH Band Camp
20 Freshman Foundations Day, Matriculation Mass, and Welcome Picnic
22 First Day of School for Upperclassmen
23 First Day of School for Freshmen
24 All Students Report
For more information on these, or other upcoming events, visit www.olsh.org.
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