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INSPIRING SUCCESS OUR FIGHTING HIGHLANDER ALUMNI aldwin-Whitehall BALDWIN-WHITEHALL SCHOOL DISTRICT NEWS
MED STUDENT AND WILDERNESS EMT DAVID BARTON has been following a path to pursue medicine for nearly a decade . Throughout the process , he ' s made a point to use his skills to help others . At BHS , Barton excelled at Chemistry and Biology . In addition to academic preparation , he decided to get some real-world experience . " I took an EMT course at CCAC in the evenings during my senior year . I fell in love with a career in emergency medicine ! I love the fast pace of working in the emergency room and the opportunity to treat anybody with any condition that walks through the door . At times it provides a satisfying intellectual puzzle , but the best part is when you can provide some comfort to someone who comes in sick or injured and is having a terrible day .” Barton also applies his medical knowledge through volunteering in Wilderness Medicine . " I volunteer as a wilderness search and rescue technician with the Allegheny Mountain Rescue Group based in the Pittsburgh area . Our group helps police and fire agencies search for lost persons and rescue sick or injured individuals ."
NASA PLANETARY SCIENTIST ALBERTO CANGAHUALA was once a wideeyed boy , watching the launch of the Voyager spacecraft . Cangahuala made his dream of rocket science a reality , earning advanced degrees from MIT in Astronautics and Planetary Science . He was a final candidate in the astronaut program in 2000 and currently works on the Europa Clipper Project at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory , a NASA center near Pasadena . Dr . Cangahuala explains , " Europa Clipper is a mission of exploration focused on investigating the Jovian moon Europa . Europa is a compelling destination because it offers one of the most promising extraterrestrial , habitable environments . Europa Clipper will investigate whether this icy moon could harbor conditions suitable for life ."
CHAMPION OF SPECIAL EDUCATION AMY DELUCA is an education advocate who works for the success of the schools she once attended . DeLuca taught at Paynter Elementary for seven years early in her career . She now works for the Pennsylvania Department of Education as the Division Chief of Western Pennsylvania for the Bureau of Special Education . She explains , " I supervise the special education advisers assigned to the Intermediate Units and local districts in the western part of the state . I lead the state on several initiatives including the special education plans , restraints , homeless / migrant education , as well as Project RENEW and 1306 regulations and children in institutions ." Ensuring a high caliber of education is a deep passion of hers . " I absolutely love my job . I enjoy working with superintendents and special
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education directors to ensure the best education for our students in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania .
ACTOR AND ARTISTIC DIRECTOR JUSTIN FORTUNATO began dreaming of the stage while under the roof of Whitehall Elementary , where he performed in fifth grade . He is now an accomplished actor and director . Fortunato serves as the Artistic Producing Director of Lincoln Park Performing Arts Center in Midland , Pennsylvania . He has also acted and directed extensively . " I have been very lucky to be involved with some very satisfying productions with some wonderful and talented artists . Some of my favorite acting roles have been George in All My Sons , directed by Arthur Miller ' s son Bob Miller , Tom in The Glass Menagerie , and Fred in A Musical Christmas Carol . Some of my favorite directing credits include Into the Woods at the Arsht Center in Miami with Tituss Burgess as the witch , and the regional premieres of Next to Normal and In the Heights with the company I cofounded , Carrnivale Theatrics ." Closer to home , he recently acted in A Musical Christmas Carol at PCLO , and Prime Stage ’ s production of 1984 .
DYNAMIC SOFTWARE ENGINEER DONALD HUANG is applying the science foundation he established while in the District to the burgeoning industry of software development . Huang works as a software engineer at a small software startup called Sigma Computing . Sigma has a dozen employees and works on a visual interface for working with databases . Huang enjoys the collaborative nature of software development , observing , " when I ' m in the office , usually I ' m either writing code , reading and / or reviewing other people ' s code , or talking to coworkers to plan future work . I have very smart coworkers , so I learn a lot from them every day ." The science teachers at BHS helped Huang refine critical thinking skills that he still uses to this day . “ The experiences I remember the most were in Mr . Spahr and Mr . Vandermer ' s physics and chemistry classes , which contributed to a deep appreciation of science , which is essential to making an informed decision about pretty much anything ."
EDUCATIONAL TECHNOLOGY INNOVATOR JANEEN PERETIN works on the front line of education and technology to give students a firm foundation for the world ahead . Dr . Peretin works as the Director of the Information and Instructional Technology Department in the District .
She explains , " I oversee all things related to technology