Living the Message ... Honoring those who show Respect , Dignity ,
Respect
In the heart of McKeesport Area High School , students are learning the basics of citizenship through a revived JROTC program .
U . S . Air Force Senior Master Sgt . ( retired ) Jason DeFelice , a McKeesport native who left the city in 1991 to join the Air Force , has returned to his alma mater to lead daily classes for the McKeesport Area High School Air Force Junior Reserve Officers Training Corps . After 24 years of active duty , DeFelice knew it was time to retire and begin a new career . He was inspired by his grandfather , a decorated World War II Purple Heart veteran , to share with fellow McKeesport Area students the wealth of knowledge and experience he gained in the Air Force .
JROTC students follow Leadership Education 100 curriculum through topics including military uniforms , ethics , respect , study skills , health and nutrition , avoiding drugs and violence , stress management , and citizenship . DeFelice said he also takes time to address topics students want to pursue , such as job readiness and interview skills .
Since returning to McKeesport , DeFelice has promised to create the best program possible for local students . He wants them to become great citizens and community leaders who know their purpose in life .
“ To earn respect , you have to give respect ,” DeFelice said . “ This program teaches our students how to respect people – how to respect adults , how to respect their peers , and how to respect themselves . I treat every cadet with respect , and that means a lot to them . I address each one of them as Sir and Ma ’ am , and they start to talk to others the same way .” DeFelice said he ’ s already seen a change in his students , and he believes it ’ s maturity .
Every day , he works on boosting students ’ good habits and dissolving their bad ones .
“ They ’ re learning leadership and discipline along with community service and life skills ,” he said . “ Every one of my students is becoming a better citizen , and that ’ s what McKeesport ’ s message is all about .”
cKeesport CITY OF MCKEESPORT NEWS
36 McKeesport Area
Dignity
Sharon Soles is a native McKeesporter who does everything one woman can to make her hometown a better place .
“ I ’ m a downtown McKeesport girl – born and raised ,” she said . “ As a young child , my family lived in the area of Water Street , Tube Works Alley , Strawberry Alley , Vic Street . I went to St . Peters Catholic High School and CCAC when there was a McKeesport campus .”
As a young adult , Soles lived in the heart of McKeesport ’ s bustling downtown – immersing herself in the shopping district ’ s high-class culture and nightlife . She went on to study business in Monroeville and city planning in Pittsburgh . Soles has fond memories of McKeesport ’ s heyday . “ I remember the Palisades as it was back then , and my parents met there ,” Soles said of her beloved John “ Scrappy ” Dobos and Nellie ( Covallo ) Dobos . “ I still love the Palisades , and that ’ s why I ’ m so involved with it .”
Working with GTECH Strategies as a ReClaim McKeesport ambassador in 2015 , Soles designed a butterfly garden to complement the existing landscape of the Palisades grounds and gateway into the Great Allegheny Passage via the Marina at McKees Point .
Soles is the president of the Kiwanis Club of McKeesport / White Oak and a board member of the McKeesport Trail Commission . She is active in the McKeesport Lions Club and on the McKeesport International Village Committee . She is a member of the McKeesport Regional History and Heritage Center ’ s board of directors and works on the Mon River Fleet Women of Achievement committee .
She accepts each of these roles with grace and dignity as she strives to keep McKeesport poised for growth on the grassroots level .
“ Every person can make a difference ,” Soles said . “ McKeesport needs our help , and every one of us should take time to volunteer . We are trying to bring McKeesport back or turn it into something brand new .”
Soles is married to McKeesport Councilman Keith Soles . She has one daughter and four grandchildren .