Almanac announces Waldie/Shaeffer finalists
Joe Campion Bethel Park Soccer Virginia Military Institute Army Ranger Challenge Program 4.17 GPA NHS president; SGA, two years Clubs: Concert choir, Forensics, German, Chess, Musical, Ultimate Frisbee
Jared Colbert Bethel Park Football, track, Air National Guard enlistee 3.7 GPA Family, Community, Career Leaders of America V.P. Clubs: Math Team, Ultimate Frisbee, Lions Club, Team Leadership
Dustin Chickis Chartiers Valley Cross country, track, football Virginia Military Institute 4.31 GPA Scholar-Athlete Award NHS, Interact Club president, “Spartan Program” creator
Joseph Farnan Seton-La Salle Swimming, cross country, lacrosse U.S. Naval Academy 4.76 GPA Leaders of Tomorrow Award SGA president Keystone Boys State participant
Adam Heil Upper St. Clair Soccer, track Virginia Tech–Army ROTC 4.2 GPA PIAA champion, 2012 & 2013 Senior class & SGA president Keystone Boys State participant
Joseph Towell Mt. Lebanon Rifle, crew Valley Forge Military Institute 3.9 GPA, NHS Team captain, 3-year letter winner Shot perfect score in all but 2 matches Taught English on Mission Trips Played football and lacrosse
Braedon Wong Upper St. Clair Swimming Cornell—Navy ROTC 4.85 GPA, NHS, FBLA All-America, nine times PIAA medalist, seven times WPIAL medalist, nine times
Sebastian Yocca Peters Township Swimming, tennis U.S Naval Academy 5.29 GPA, NHS Senior Class Executive officer Scholar Athlete Award, 4 years All-America, PIAA medalist
Joe Campion
Dustin Chickis
Jared Colbert
Joe Farnan
Adam Heil
Joseph Towell
Braedon Wong
Sebastian Yocca
It has been nearly 15 years since the Sept. 11, 2001 terrorist attacks on America and while many of this year’s finalists for the prestigious Waldie Shaeffer Scholarship Award were only in preschool, the impact of those events have shaped their decision to defend their country and formed the values to which they adhere today. The eight scholar-athletes, listed below, have committed to a life of service to the nation and they will be recognized at the 26th annual Almanac Premier Performers Banquet set for May 22 at the Crowne Plaza Hotel in Bethel Park. Tickets are $35 per person and can by order by calling 724-941-7725.
Joe Campion
While too young to be scared at age 3, Joe Campion could read the fear on the faces of everybody around him at the daycare center in which he was enrolled when the United States came under attack on Sept. 11, 2001. His mom was about to give birth to his little brother and his dad was at work in Pittsburgh when the city shut down.
So to protect the people he loves, Campion committed to serving his country. He received a full ROTC scholarship to attend Virginia Military Institute where he will pursue the Army Ranger Challenge Program.
“First of all, I hope to make our nation a safer place and to protect our citizens and our families, my family,” he said. “I am also joining the military because, not only do I strongly believe in the United States and its ideals, I want to protect our country at the highest level.
“Truthfully, I think, as a citizen of this great country, everyone should serve, even if it is only a year of civil service. I think there should be a minimal service requirement after high school graduation, where the graduate would give back to our nation for everything that this nation has given to them. That’s just my philosophy.
“I also believe that in giving back to the nation,” Campion continued, “it would greatly impact them and transcend them in their careers to become better people as well.”
According to Bethel Park guidance counselor Michael Bruce, people don’t come any better than Campion.
“Mr. Campion has truly impressed me as an ambitious, highly motivated young man with an eagerness to learn. He is a sincere person who is humane and compassionate in his relationship with his peers and faculty,” Bruce said. “He has a pleasing personality and a great sense of humor. Joe works harmoniously with many different personalities within the school and out of school. He is a person who has proven to adapt to new situations and overcome his fears to accomplish his goals. He impresses me as the all-around student when it comes to someone investing himself completely into academics, school and community.”
Campion indeed invested his talents completely and Bethel Park benefited.
Academically, he participated in one of the most rigorous programs available at the high school, completing 18 AP, honors or accelerated courses. He maintained a 4.17 GPA. He had a composite score of 28 on his ACT with individual scores of 26 in English, 27 in math, 31 in science, 26 in reading. He even scored a 5 on the AP United States history exam.
Athletically, he played soccer four years. He competes in Ultimate Frisbee and in the local Cup Soccer program. He is also a member of the chess club.
Campion is active in the Student Government Association, Forensics and German clubs at school. He is president of the National Honor Society, where he also has served on the public relations and fundraising committees. A four-year member of concert choir, Campion also performs for the school’s prestigious Top 21 musical group. He also belonged to the theater, participating in musicals, for four years as well.
Campion earned the rank of Eagle Scout. Plus, he found the time and money to attend the National Student Leadership Conference in Washington, D.C.
“Whatever this young man chooses to do,” Bruce said, “he excels to the extreme. When he commits to doing something, he gives it more than 100 percent of his attention. Not only has he managed his time well, he has performed his tasks to the best of his ability. He is a role model and a born leader.”
Those qualities will enable Campion to achieve his goals. He believes his participation in sports and school activities have taught him two very important lessons. The first being teamwork and the second maintaining a sound mind and body.
“You can’t do anything without the people around you,” he said. “That is so crucial in the military because when you are with someone in the military, you always have someone watching your back and you are always watching someone else’s back. And, they learn to depend on you because your life is in their hands and theirs is in yours. Without them, you can’t get anything done and without yourself, they can’t get anything done. So by helping to protect each other’s back, that’s really how you live and how you survive in a very tough war zone.
”The other thing is fitness,” Campion continued. “Because you have to be better than the enemy in every way, shape and form. Not only mentally. You have to be better than them physically if you want to beat them.”
Jared Colbert
Jared Colbert lived only one day in a fantasyland. It was Sept. 11, 2001. The Bethel Park senior and his mom were vacationing in Disneyland. The park closed because of the attacks and the Colberts had to rent a car to drive home because airline flights were cancelled for days. “I was glad my mom was there,” Colbert said. “She handled it.”
Today, Colbert has handled terrorism in his own way. He has enlisted in the Air National Guard. After he completes his basic training, he will enroll in college on an Air Force ROTC scholarship. He will spend one weekend a month serving his country, likely working on electrical systems inside jets and refueling planes. He plans a career in mechanics.
“The events of Sept. 11 impacted me,” he said. “I realized I want to protect this great nation and all the citizens in it. I want to stop bad people from terrorizing innocent people and taking their lives.”
Colbert terrorized his foes on the football field. He earned two varsity letters and played on three consecutive playoff teams. Plus, he lettered in indoor and outdoor track, specializing in the hurdle events, particularly the 300-meter intermediate races.
Colbert earns high praise from Jeff Metheny. “Jared was an avid lifter and he seldom missed workouts or practices in four years,” said the BP grid coach. “He was a key player on all of our special teams. Jared was a great teammate. He accepted his role and excelled.”
Off the field and track, Colbert excelled. He owns a 3.7 GPA in the classroom. Plus, he is a member of the math team. He is the vice president of the Family, Community, Career Leaders of America. He volunteers with the Lions Club and helps other organizations with holiday event such as brunches with Santa and the Easter Bunny.
“Jared is an excellent young man and he will excel in the military,” predicted Metheny. “He is a young man with great character and work ethic.”
Indeed, Colbert does not shy away from work. It motivates him. It’s what makes a person successful, he says.
“It takes hard work to achieve your goals,” he said. “That’s one of the lessons I have learned from sports. You are not always going to come out on top but if you keep trying, you will succeed and get to where you want. Even if you fail a couple of times, get back up and keep trying.”
Dustin Chickis
Since ninth grade, Dustin Chickis has dreamed of joining the United States Marine Corps. By dedicating his life to leadership, the Chartiers Valley senior is on a path to earn those stripes. Having received a congressional academy nomination from U.S. Rep. Tim Murphy, R-Upper St. Clair, Chickis will focus on that objective while attending the Virginia Military Institute and also working towards a civil engineering degree.
“I knew the bearing, courage and confidence of a marine resembles something I want to be a part of my life,” Chickis said. “It’s something that has been lacking in society with some people and it’s an important part of leadership as well.”
Leadership is something Chickis espouses. In the classroom, he carries a 4.31 GPA. He won the Scholar Athlete Award and is a member of the National Honor Society. He is the president of the Interact Club, an organization in which he has also served as secretary.
Chickis said the Interact Club developed his skills. “I learned how to take initiative, head up projects and organize events,” he said. “Those experiences shaped me as a leader.”
Athletically, he has participated in football for three years as well as cross country for one season. He is a two-year letter winner in track and field. He serves as team captain.
Chickis also took it upon himself to create and organize an extracurricular activity called “Spartan Program.” This fitness event features athletic challenges and develops team-building skills. Additionally, Chickis is involved in community activities such as vacation Bible school. He volunteers at Crossroads Church with a focus group designed to rebuild and refurbish houses in the local area. He fundraises for breast cancer awareness and the program that purchases protective vests for police dogs. Chickis also volunteers at Country Meadows Nursing Home, the local food pantry and with advocacy programs to develop awareness of consequences of drinking and driving.
“Dustin is a very hard working, determined and focused student athlete that strives to be a team member in all he does,” said CV track coach Lori Poe. “These qualities will serve him well in the military.
“Furthermore, Dustin stands out above and beyond his peers based on his academic achievements, community involvement and his leadership abilities. It has been a pleasure coaching Dustin and watching his development as a student athlete and young man. I am proud to say I have coached him and I know he will serve our country well.”
Chickis is anxious to get started and apply the lessons he has learned through sports to his military efforts. “Sports developed a sense of competitiveness, the edge and drive to do things,” he said. “It’s developed motivation and I take motivation from wherever I can get it. I motivate myself when I know it’s hard to do something. But I also take motivation from the people who I lead because they inspire me to do great things as well. I want to do things in the world and make an impact.”
Militarily, Chickis added that he wanted to stop events such as 9/11 if possible. “It’s extremely important to maintain our freedoms. That’s what makes us special and unique as Americans,” he said. “We are united underneath our freedoms. We become one. We celebrate these freedoms. We should not take them for granted.”
Joseph Farnan
When it came to deciding which college he would attend, Joseph Farnan had a tough choice. The Seton-La Salle senior was accepted at the University of Notre Dame. Plus, he received appointments to two service academies-West Point and the Naval Academy. Farnan picked the Navy.
“It was a fairly tough decision,” admitted Farnan, who is a member of the swim team at Seton. “But, I really wanted the structure of an academy and I liked the idea of leadership through service.”
From family to school to community, Farnan has served and developed his leadership abilities. While he has an older brother, Michael, serving in the Marines, he recognizes just being part of a family of 12-including 10 children-requires organizational and management skills. “It helps with leadership,” he agreed. For example, if he wants to go somewhere or do something, he has to get other family members on board. “And make sure I coordinate my actions with the action of my siblings,” he added.
Competing in sports has also promoted leadership. Farnan is a three-year letter winner in lacrosse and cross country in addition to swimming. “Sports has taught me a lot about leadership and how to be a better leader. Plus, it helped me get into a lot of good schools. Mostly, it taught me how to lead others and help them achieve their goals.”
Through his school activities and his class work, Farnan has developed his guidance skills. Farnan, who owns a 4.76 GPA, is the student council president. He was class president as a sophomore and a junior. He belongs to his church youth group and volunteers with Special Olympics. He also travels to West Virginia to repair houses for the poor. Farnan participated in the Keystone Boys State, which is a summer leadership and citizenship program involving the House of Representatives and city council. Plus, he was the recipient of the Leaders of Tomorrow Award, as presented by U.S. Rep. Tim Murphy, R-Upper St. Clair.
According to SLS guidance counselor Tim Zugates, “Joe’s character is demonstrated by his ability and willingness to lead by example in all that he does, academically and socially. He speaks out to defend his convictions but listens appropriately to others. He has a great sense of humor and unshakeable faith, both of which give him an optimistic outlook on life. He lives with a moral integrity that permeates all aspects of his life and provides him with a sense of purpose, commitment, confidence and faith.”
Adam Heil
Be all you can be. It’s the Army Motto. It’s Adam Heil’s, too. Together, it’s the perfect fit. The Upper St. Clair senior will attend Virginia Tech on an Army ROTC scholarship. He plans to major in criminology. Eventually, he hopes to work for the Drug Enforcement Agency.
“I want to protect those I love and improve things overseas,” Heil said.
“Whenever I read or see about (Sept. 11), I get chills. It definitely anchors me. I feel sad for all the people who died, the families,” he added. “It definitely impacted my motivation to better myself. To make myself the best I could and to go into the military and serve my country and hopefully prevent something like that from ever happening again.”
Regarding the drug problem in the nation, Heil added, “I want to be able to put a stop to that as much as possible. I have seen the harm it does and the devastating things it causes and does to our country. Hopefully, I can have a ripple effect. That drives me to want to put a stop to it.”
For four years, Heil’s impact at Upper St. Clair has had a ripple effect throughout the high school. Though he captained the soccer team the past two seasons, he contributed to the Panthers’ back-to-back PIAA state championship seasons as a sophomore and as a freshman. Voted Almanac Rookie of the Year on the pitch, Heil also competed in track and field, excelling in the long jump and relay races. In club soccer, he was a team captain at the Riverhounds Development Academy. Plus, he was invited to play with the ALS League’s select team in Sweden.
“Sports really developed my skills as a leader. I learned how to put myself out there and do what needs to be done in order to win championships,” Heil said. “Every time you look up at the scoreboard and if we are losing and time is running out, you ask yourself, ‘how bad do you want it?'” Heil continued. “From there, it is all up to you. If you don’t want it bad enough, chances are you don’t go after it. If I do, then I put everything I have into it.”
Heil puts all he has into his classroom and extracurricular activities. He owns a 4.2 GPA, belongs to the National Honor Society and participates in the Westinghouse Science Honors Institute. Additionally, Heil is president of his senior class as well as student council. He has participated in apprenticeships at Carnegie Melon and Point Park universities. Heil is a tutor and peer mentor. He is involved in Natural Helpers, Athletes Taking Action, Teens for Casey’s Clubhouse and USC’s Leadership Academy. He participated in Keystone Boys State 2015, which is a leadership and citizenship program involving the House of Representatives and City Council. Plus, he travels to Appalachia on mission projects for his church youth group.?According to his guidance counselor Jerry Malarkey, Heil is an exceptional young man that has been recognized as a leader since his freshman year. He has been a driving force in the activities in which he participates. He has taken advantage of every opportunity to develop his skills. As a result, he will be a success in his every endeavor.”
Joseph Towell
When he moved from Detroit to Mt. Lebanon, Joseph Towell thought joining a team would be the best way to assimilate with the high school crowd. Since he was always interested in firearms, he tried out for the rifle team. Today, Towell has a new target. He has zeroed in on a career in the Army. After two years attending Valley Forge Military Institute in the early-commissioning program, he will transfer to Virginia Tech or another college while beginning active duty in the National Guard.
“I didn’t take up (rifle) to enhance my skills for the military,” Towell said. “I was just getting accustomed to high school. But what I have learned is that it’s a very good thing I did because it has and will help me in any type of shooting that I do, any firearm that I use.”
Actually, Towell doesn’t need a lot of help. For the Blue Devils, he’s been near perfect. He fired perfect scores in all but two matches this year for a 99.7 average. A three-year letter winner, he represented Lebo in the WPIAL team and individual championships each season. Recently, he started high-power competition and fired at the Pennsylvania State Smallbore Championships. He attended the Pennsylvania Rifle and Pistol Junior Olympic Training Camp and was voted the ‘Individual Most Likely To Become A Coach.’
The team captain possesses that type of leadership, honed through the years. Rifle, Towell says, gave him his first taste of leadership. “From when I was a sophomore and teaching kids who have never fired a rifle before or never have seen a gun before and teaching them how to shoot with the level of accuracy that we expect out of our team. I got a taste of helping people, making people learn what they truly need to do and pay attention to detail,” he said. “As the years progressed, I began to learn more and more about how to interact with people, interact with my coaches, to talk to my superiors and talk to the people below me. So when I got picked as a captain and I got that opportunity to truly lead the team in a way that mattered it shaped how I was, not only in a leadership aspect but an organization aspect, and a get-things-done type of aspect where it’s not just what matters to me but what matters to the team and how do I get my team to the level it needs to be and what do I do to help everybody around me. It shaped my leadership abilities and my usefulness in anything that I do.”
Towell does more than shoot guns at Lebo. He played football and lacrosse his freshman and sophomore years. He belongs to the Three Rivers Rowing Club, competing on the crew team. He embraces the differences between the sports in which he competes.
“Rifle is more a sole sport and knowing about yourself. With crew, I like the togetherness of the team,” he said. “In crew you have to know everyone in front of you, everyone behind you. What they do. How they move. Their speed,” he continued. “You have to follow them to a point of absolute synchronization. That level of teamwork and that level of discipline, I really enjoy being able to be in a boat and I know the person in front of me or I know the person behind me and I can follow their exact movement and pay attention to the detail. Knowing who is behind you and who is in front of you also helps you know about yourself and how to change things. I like the interconnectiveness of the team and the difficulty. I believe rowing, physically is the most difficult sport in the world. The amount of effort that every stroke takes is incredible. To put all that effort into 6-7 minutes for team and lay it all on the line with eight, four guys or one other guy, it truly is an incredible experience to get to the finish line and know that you truly pushed yourself harder than you could ever imagine.”
Outside the athletic arena, Towell pushes himself. He owns a 3.9 GPA in the classroom. He is a student council representative and a member of the Model U.N. He has completed countless hours of community service and has traveled to the Dominican Republic on mission trips.
“He’s just an incredible kid,” said Lebo rifle coach David Williard. “He is the team member that is first to help and instruct shooters. He does whatever is necessary for the team. All without prodding,” Williard added. “He is friendly and outgoing. These qualities distinguish him as a role model and ensure that he will be a success in the future.”
That future, he hopes includes a stint in special forces. Towell plans to become an airborne ranger.
“I think this is where I can have the greatest impact and I can help the most people. That is what really drove me to that decision.”
Sept 11, 2001 also influenced his military choice.
“It has greatly impacted why I want to go into the military because I believe our country is great,” Towell said. “It is worth protecting from people who want to harm it. Sept. 11 is the real proof that there are people out there that want to harm us and there has to be people out there that are willing to defend it, for all of our beliefs that they want to destroy.”
Mistakes do not destroy Towell. They shape his future. He said that, through his participation in sports, he has learned a tremendous life lesson. “You have every ability to change what you don’t like,” he said. “If you have a bad day, it’s up to you how the next day goes.” Towell used rifle for his example.
“Even if you have one missed shot, the rest of the target is all up to you. That one shot does matter and it does affect you. You can let it affect you in two different ways. You can take that one shot and make it better or you can take that one shot and let it destroy you and let the rest of the target be bad. And, I’ve done it both ways,” he admitted.
“This part I’ve learned translates into life and it will help me in the military. If you make one wrong decision, are you going to let it affect all your other decisions? That’s what I believe will help me the greatest. I have truly learned that you have all the power to make choices that will improve how you act as a person.”
Braedon Wong
Braedon Wong is proud to be an American. And, he knows he is free because of the people who gave that right to him. So now, upon his graduation from Upper St. Clair High School, he’s ready to stand up and defend the country. While at Cornell University, he will be enrolled in the Navy ROTC program. He plans to major in mechanical engineering with an aerospace concentration. He hopes to become a pilot and eventually an astronaut. Wong selected Cornell over the Naval Academy.
Every since he was a child, Wong says that he has counted his blessing. His family is actually first-generation Americans. His grandfather and father emigrated from Hong Kong. “Because I continue to be blessed by the opportunities and freedoms that are here, I want to serve my country in order to prolong those freedoms for everybody else and I really want to protect what I love.”
Wong is well aware that folks want to destroy the country. Sept. 11, 2001 and other terrorist attacks bear out that fact. “While I was too young to remember, the (Sept. 11) tragedy hit me in middle school. We studied it and that’s when I could see the impact it had on this country. I felt a connection in me that I wanted to serve our country because of the people who made sacrifices on that day and in ensuing conflicts. They are really the heroes in my mind.”
In the swimming pool, classroom and community, Wong has completed heroic feats.
He is a nine-time All-American, thrice in the scholastic department thanks to his 4.85 GPA. He has garnered seven PIAA and nine WPIAL medals, including gold in the 100-yard butterfly for 2016. His name is affixed to the state and district record-setting medley relays. He also holds the school mark in the 100-yard breaststroke.
While competing for the USC Swim Club, Wong qualified for U.S. nationals in the backstroke and butterfly. Named a USA scholastic swim All-America, Wong is active on the Allegheny Mountain Swimming organization’s athletic committee.
“I cannot imagine who I would be without sports,” said Wong, who will swim at Cornell. “The lessons I learned through swimming-discipline, hard work, integrity-directly parallel the military. All this I accumulated but I also definitely think the sport taught me about leadership-how to lead my own life and how to lead others. Through working with people and swimming with them, I am always surprised by what they can do and what they do, do. That’s a lesson learned that will carry me through life. You can’t generalize about people. It’s not possible. They will always surprise you.”
What Wong accomplishes outside the pool is surprising. In addition to his high academic standing, he is a National Merit Society commended student and a National Honors Society member. His ACT composite score is 34 with individual marks of 32 for English, 34 for math, 36 for reading and 32 for science. He posted scores of 5 in three AP tests and 4 in three others. He qualified for the Pennsylvania economics challenge.
Wong attended the Leadership Academy five years in a row. He participated in FBLA and the STEM Academy. In his spare time, Wong lifeguards, teaches swimming lessons (on a volunteer basis) and serves as an assistant coach of the Valley Brook Country Club swim team. He also developed curriculum and facilitated leadership training at a YMCA summer camp for ages 7-15.
“When I think of words to describe Braedon,” said Jennifer Kirk, USCHS guidance curriculum leader, “leader, authentic, altruistic, citizen, genuine, hard-worker, dedication, confident and humble come to mind. He is a stellar young man, whose work ethic is not to be challenged. He strikes a balance that allows him to achieve great success across a plethora of activities. Braedon’s peers and teachers know that he is special and he will be an agent of change in the world.”
Sebastian Yocca
Just one look. That’s all it took for Sebastian Yocca to fall in love with Annapolis. The Peters Township senior attended a seminar last summer and was hooked on the United States Naval Academy. “I knew right then that I was going to really try with all my might to go there,” he said.
Yocca ships out this summer. He earned his appointment. While majoring in engineering, Yocca plans to become a Surface Warfare Naval Officer.
In the Navy, Yocca should do just fine. After all, he is a swimmer. In fact, he’s an All-American to be exact. Yocca also is a PIAA and a six-time WPIAL medalists. He set several school and club youth records during his career. Plus, he was selected as a USA Swimming representative for the Allegheny Mountain Swimming region.
In addition to being a four-year letter winner in swimming, Yocca has earned the distinction three times for the tennis team. He helped lead this year’s club to the WPIAL team playoffs.
In addition to being a captain of both of his athletic teams, Yocca excelled academically and socially at school. He pulls down a 5.29 GPA and takes 11 advanced placement courses. He has served three years in the National Honor Society and Safe Club. He also is a senior class executive officer and a four-time recipient of the PT Scholar Athlete Award.
Through his activities, Yocca says that he has learned how to focus and persevere. “They have taught me how to just get through the day, get through the tough times, enjoy the good times. And,” he added, “no matter how bad it gets, I can always make it better.”
Tough times are like Sept. 11, 2001. So are the daily occurrences in the world. With Yocca at the helm, however, things are bound to become better.
“The events that are going on right now in foreign countries, a lot of violence, and horrible things happening to innocent people,” he said. “I see that the world needs America’s military. I would be honored to be part of the military to extent America’s hand and help people who are in need.”