WHAT’S NEWS IN FOX CHAPEL AREA
AAUW RECOGNIZES
FUTURE LEADERS
IN STEM FIELDS
Fifty-one young women from the 10th and
11th grades at Fox Chapel Area High School
were honored on March 8 at Fox Chapel
Presbyterian Church for their academic
accomplishments in STEM fields (science,
technology, engineering and mathematics) at
the fourth biennial STEM Careers
Achievement Night sponsored by the Fox
Chapel Area Affiliate of the American
Association of University Women (AAUW).
Keynote speaker for the evening was
Megan Cicconi, Director of Instructional
and Innovative Leadership for the Fox
Chapel Area School District. She talked to
parents who attended the event about how
to build a strong educational foundation for
their daughters who were excelling in the
STEM fields. And she urged teachers and
administrators to help prepare these gifted
young women for professional development
in STEM fields.
Receiving certificates of achievement as
well as congratulations were (pictured): Anna
Aupke, Abigail Baldauf, Kieran Bartels, Emilia
Bianchini, Aubrey Brown, Nicole Garcia-
Tunon, Mayzie Gouza, Claudia Guerrieri,
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Annie Hirsch, Kiran Hughes, Mia Hursh,
Elizabeth Kaslewicz, Sarah Khanzada, Shania
Khatri, Katie Livingston, Madeline Macek,
Julie Mallinger, Kaitlyn Nichols, Helen
Paulini, Sofia Porter Bacon, Emily Rosen,
Bridget Shelestak, Claudia Simon, Annika
Urban, Bridget Wang, Margaret Woodwell
and Tanvi Yende.
Also honored (not pictured) were: Emily
Ben, Chynnah Bennett, Emilia Cano-
Czagany, Anjali Chauhan, Sally Dean, Theresa
Heidenreich, Alexis Holben, Courtney
Kennedy, Julia Kisslinger, Margaret Lazzara,
Elizabeth Mountz, Jessica Paper, Oliva
Pistella, Rebekah Polcyn, Mia Schmidtetter,
Kathryn Schwartzman, Sarah Seay, Sarena
Smith, Elizabeth Uber, Gina Wang, Sofia
Wedner, Ziya Xu, Kacie Zakin and Georgina
Zimmerman.
As parents and guests enjoyed Cicconi’s
remarks, honorees participated in lively
career discussions with five distinguished
STEM field panelists: Katie Flynn, Engineer
and Energy Manager for Giant Eagle, Inc.;
Dr. Alicia Hahn, Associate Veterinarian at
the Pittsburgh Zoo and PPG Aquarium;
Stephanie Kaiser, Oncology Nurse
Practitioner at UPMC’s Hillman Cancer
Center; Cynthia St. Hilaire, PhD, Associate
Professor, University of Pittsburgh School
of Medicine; and Jessica Trybus, CEO,
Simcoach Games and Adjunct Professor at
Carnegie Mellon University. The interaction
with good role models in technical and
non-traditional fields is intended to offer
encouragement to young women about to
make important career choices.
Family, friends, teachers and members of
the AAUW joined the girls and guest speakers
for a dessert reception following the program.
Students were nominated for recognition
by their teachers, who
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