IN Norwin Spring 2014 | Page 28

Students “Invent the Future” at Business-EducationCommunity Program or win N OR WI N SC HO OL D IS TRI C T NE WS Six Norwin High School student leaders––Sarah R. Kerr, William R. Kerr, Rebecca C. Peters, Trey G. Quealy, Rebecca M. Rohac, and Joshua D. Sanner––spoke about how they would like to “invent the future” at Norwin School District’s fourthannual Business-Education-Community Program. The event, held Wednesday, December 18, 2013, shone a spotlight on student leadership as well as the proposed Norwin STEM Innovation Center, a new facility that is being planned for the Norwin campus to provide students with project-based learning in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics. Nearly 150 business and community leaders attended. WILLIAM R. KERR, a senior, is the son of Norman and Amy Kerr and serves as senior class president. He urged those in attendance to strive to make a positive impact on those around them. REBECCA M. ROHAC, a junior, is the daughter of Shar Campano and Rick Rohac and serves as vice president of Junior Class. She spoke of the transformative experience of discovering that she was a blossoming cross-country and track runner. TREY G. QUEALY, a junior, is the son of Thomas and Leslie Quealy and serves as vice president of Student Council. He was named a regional representative to the Pennsylvania Association of Student Councils State Board. He encouraged the business and community leaders not to dismiss today’s youthful generation and its ubiquitous electronic devices, and to consider how technology can help reach across the “generational divide.” SARAH R. KERR, a senior, is the daughter of Norman and Amy Kerr. She is a Student Council member and is president of the Science Challenge Squad. She was also named a Commended National Merit Scholar in the 2014 National Merit Scholarship Program. Sarah advised those in attendance not to fear failure or setbacks, noting that Michael Jordan, Walt Disney, and Oprah Winfrey each overcame initial rejections to rise to prominence. REBECCA C. PETERS, a senior, is the daughter of Jeffrey and Patricia Peters, and serves as editor of the Norwin High School newspaper, Knight Krier, and as an anchor of Norwin High School’s K-WIN daily TV broadcasts, where she also serves as a producer. She warned her generation not to let technological advances curb their imagination and curiosity, and to make a strong effort to instill the value of education and it’s correlation to a successful future. JOSHUA D. SANNER, the son of Paula and David Sanner, described his unique, hybrid pathway of education, which represents what could be the future for many High School students. For example, Joshua is a co-op student enrolled in both Norwin High School’s honors track and Central Westmoreland Career and Technology Center in the machine shop program. As a senior, Joshua also works at Hamill Manufacturing Company in the National Tooling and Machining Association’s apprenticeship program, which includes on-the-job, paid training and employment as well as attending classes at Westmoreland County Community College once a week in the evening—an opportunity paid for by Hamill. “Robotics on the Hill” Norwin School District received a $59,000 grant from The Grable Foundation for the School District’s "Robotics on the Hill" program at Hillcrest Intermediate School. The grant provided Lego Mindstorms “EV3” robotics kits for all fifth- and sixth-grade students to use this school year. The robots allow students to create and command robots with touch sensors, color sensors, infrared sensors and more than 550 LEGO elements. Students follow the step-by-step 3-D building instructions to create robots and bring them to life with an icon-based programming interface. A remote << Two Hillcrest Intermediate School students begin work on a Lego Mindstorms robotics project. 26 Norwin