Week of Aug. 27
The Girl Scouts of Western Pennsylvania awarded Alexandra J. Peck the Girl Scout Gold Award, Activities and Basics for Kids. Her project focused on teaching and demonstrating gymnastics to young girls ages 4-5 and healthy eating and nutrition with activities and games.
Alexandra has been a Girl Scout for 11 years in Upper St. Clair and is a Girl Scout Cadette in Troop 51018. She was supported in her Gold Award project by her Girl Scout Mentor Elizabeth Schendal, Advisor Michelle Dawson and Academy of Dance by Lori.
The Gold Award represents the highest achievement in Girl Scouting, recognizing girls in grades 9-12 who demonstrate extraordinary leadership though sustainable and measurable Take Action projects.
Alexandra will graduate in 2016 from Upper St. Clair High School and plans to attend a four-year university.
Mary Beth Johnson, professor of Court Reporting at the Community College of Allegheny County, has been named 2014 Educator of the Year by the National Court Reporters Association.
Johnson, who joined CCAC in September 1993, was instrumental in establishing and funding a $10,000 scholarship for court reporting students at CCAC and has successfully achieved 100 percent student membership in both NCRA and the Pennsylvania Court Reporters Association. She is currently working to enhance CCAC’s program by developing both a real-time retraining course for those working in the field and by developing a Spanish captioning component. CCAC’s Court Reporting program is one of 55 programs across the nation approved by the National Court Reporter’s Association and one of only two approved in Pennsylvania.
In addition to her work with her students in the wider community, Johnson is a member of the CCAC Educational Foundation Board of Directors. In recognition of her considerable achievements, she received the CCAC Educational Foundation’s 2009 Legend Award for Outstanding Faculty/Staff/Administrator.
A resident of Mt. Lebanon, Johnson holds a bachelor’s degree in American studies from Dickinson College and a master’s degree in education from Duquesne University. She is also a Certified Reporting Instructor.
Chloe Kondrich of Upper St. Clair will appear in the bright lights of Broadway Sept. 20 as part of the National Down Syndrome Society’s (NDSS) annual Times Square Video presentation. The featured photographs highlight children, teens and adults with Down syndrome working, playing and learning alongside friends and family. The collective images promote the value, acceptance and inclusion of people with Down syndrome, which is the NDSS mission.
The photo of Chloe, who has Down syndrome, was selected from over 2,000 entries in the NDSS worldwide call for photos. Over 220 photographs will appear in the video, which will be shown in the heart of Times Square.
The Times Square Video presentation kicks off Down Syndrome Awareness Month in October. The video presentation will be followed by the 20th Annual Flagship Buddy Walk in New York City. This year, Buddy Walk events will be held in more than 250 cities across the country, as well as select international locations, in and around October. For information about the NDSS National Buddy Walk Program, visit www.buddywalk.org or call 800-221-4602.