2024-2025 FOX CHAPEL AREA SCHOOL DISTRICT STATE OF THE SCHOOLS
• Dorseyville Middle School eighthgrader Rishabh Krishnamurthy was named one of the Top 300 Junior Innovators in the 2025 Thermo Fisher Scientific Junior Innovators Challenge( Thermo Fisher JIC) for the third consecutive year. Thermo Fisher JIC is the nation’ s premier science, technology, engineering, and math( STEM) competition for middle school students. The Top 300 Junior Innovators( including six from Pennsylvania) were selected from nearly 2,000 entrants from 48 states, American Samoa, Guam, Northern Mariana Islands, and Puerto Rico. Rishabh was chosen based on his project“ Robots: Filling the Human Void,” for which he was awarded a first place at the Pittsburgh Regional Science and Engineering Fair in April 2025.
• High school junior Mariana Ramirez was named one of two winners of the 2025 Luminari Award. As a Luminari Award Scholar, Mariana received a scholarship to attend Luminari’ s“ I Want to be an Ambassador!” camp in June in Pittsburgh and Washington, D. C. The camp welcomed 20 students, two from the Pittsburgh area, and participants engaged with diplomats, visited embassies, and tackled real-world challenges.
Luminari Award Scholars are selected based on an annual essay competition. Mariana’ s essay reflected on navigating cultural differences with empathy and understanding. As a Colombian immigrant, she described her journey to challenge stereotypes and inspire others to pursue their dreams.
• Fox Chapel Area High School was named to the Advanced Placement( AP) School Honor Roll, earning a Silver distinction. The AP School Honor Roll, selected by the College Board, recognizes schools whose AP programs are delivering results for students while broadening access. Schools can earn this recognition annually by reflecting a commitment to increasing college-going culture, providing opportunities for students to earn college credit, and maximizing college readiness.
• A group of high school and middle school students raised the most money in Pennsylvania in the 2025 Cool Schools Polar Plunge in February. The Fox Chapel Area team raised $ 44,807 to support the schools’ Special Olympics Unified Sports teams and others across Pennsylvania. The teams promote inclusion through competitive experiences. This is the third consecutive year that the Fox Chapel Area team raised the most money in Pennsylvania. During the past three years, the Fox Chapel Area Polar Plunge team has raised $ 122,007.
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