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Over two dozen Steel Valley alumni, staff, board members, community organizations, and local businesses helped celebrate the Class of 2025 by awarding them scholarships as part of the district's annual Dr. Lawrence A. Griffin Senior Honor Awards Ceremony at St. John's Cathedral Center in Munhall on Thursday, May 1, 2025.
For the sixth consecutive year, Steel Valley alumnus Mr. Richard Bazzy awarded scholarships to every student who submitted an application to the Richard Bazzy Shults Ford Scholarship Fund. Students are asked to submit an essay as part of the application. Mr. Bazzy, the president and owner of Shults Ford, has said that the essays are always so impressive that he has chosen to generously award a $5,000 scholarship to every student. This year, 19 students received a scholarship from Mr. Bazzy.
In all, 33 students were recognized in some form during the awards ceremony. The annual event is held for Steel Valley seniors who maintain a minimum overall grade point average of 3.25 or who have been selected to receive one of the local scholarship awards. The Class of 2025 was joined by their parents/guardians, school board members, administrators, teachers, and scholarship presenters for the ceremony and dinner.
This year's academic honorees included Justyn Barefoot, Elbachir Benboujema, Logan Brady, Christopher Burgman, Darwin Burns, Atreyu Convard, William Coyne, Abigail Curran, Danille Curry-Jones, Connor Delu, Sydney Dunworth, Abigail Fitzgerald, Madelyn Holby, Kamryn Hutching, Isaih Johnson, Martaz Johnson, Anna Koval, Laura Martinez, Piper Olack, Ryan Packer, Brooklynn Pielin, Ashaunti Purifoy-Wilson, Layla Rager, Alaijah Richardson-Beck, Darrion Rozzo, Ava Ryan, Sophia Sabo, Kylie Salopek, Cayson Simpkins, Tori Stabryla, Elaina Tichon, Mason Watson, and Nate Yuhas.
A photo gallery from the ceremony is available to view here.
Along with remarks from Steel Valley High School principal Mr. John Strom, the evening featured a welcome from senior Kylie Salopek and remarks of appreciation from senior Darwin Burns. Senior Tory Stabryla led those gathered in the Pledge of Allegiance, while Rev. Nicholas M. Mastrangelo offered a blessing before dinner.
Superintendent Mr. Bryan Macuga introduced the guest speaker, Ms. Jonelle Chir. A Steel Valley alumna, Ms. Chir is a physician's assistant with UPMC Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh, where she specializes in pediatric otolaryngology. Ms. Chir will be receiving her doctorate from the University of Pittsburgh this weekend, and she encouraged the students to recognize the unique support system Steel Valley offers. Each of them, she said, has provided their love and support and the students should carry that with them as they embark on the next steps along their journey.
The Steel Valley School District would like to thank the following award sponsors and congratulates all of the recipients listed below.
Annual School Board Graduating Senior Award
Layla Rager
Joseph R. Havrilla Citizenship Award
Abigail Fitzgerald
Valedictorian Award
Darwin Burns
Scholar/Athlete Award
Elbachir Benboujema
Darwin Burns
Danyl Settles Scholarship
Ashaunti Purifoy-Wilson
Darrion Rozzo
Best of the Batch Book Stipend
Piper Olack
Layla Rager
Kylie Salopek
Tori Stabryla
Elaina Tichon
Luke & Tina Getsy Scholarship
Atreyu Convard
Abigail Fitzgerald
SVEA Teacher Scholarship
Abigail Curran
Abigail Fitzgerald
Anna Koval
SWG Funeral Home, Inc. Influential Scholarship Award
Elaina Tichon
Roger "Butch" Pratt Memorial Award
Darrion Rozzo
Kylie Salopek
Betty Hogg Memorial Award
Piper Olack
Joy D. Harris Scholarship
Abigail Fitzgerald
Maria Bajus Heddleston Memorial Scholarship
Abigail Fitzgerald
Tri Boro Credit Union Exemplary Student Award
Abigail Curran
Abigail Fitzgerald
Kylie Salopek
Elaina Tichon
Drew Martin Memorial & Scholarship Fund
Brooklynn Pielin
Charlton Award
Sophia Sabo
Green Funeral Home Essay Award
Darwin Burns
Kamryn Hutching
Steel Valley Rotary Club Award
Piper Olack
Jacquelyn Konop-Buckley Memorial Scholarship
Elaina Tichon
Susan Satriano Memorial Scholarship
Logan Brady
Abigail Fitzgerald
Darrion Rozzo
Carmen Marini Memorial Tuition Scholarship
Abigail Curran
Steel Valley Farmers Market Scholarship
Abigail Curran
Kamryn Hutching
Elaina Tichon
Noah & Lauren Alexandroff Scholarship
Darwin Burns
The Charlotte H. Kampe Performance Scholarship
Ryan Packer
The Steel Valley Women in Leadership Scholarship
Darwin Burns
The Munhall C.A.R.E.S. Community Service Scholarship
Abigail Fitzgerald
Elaina Tichon
Richard Bazzy's Shults Ford Scholarship Fund
Darwin Burns
Atreyu Convard
William Coyne
Abigail Curran
Abigail Fitzgerald
Kamryn Hutching
Anna Koval
Piper Olack
Ryan Packer
Brooklynn Pielin
Layla Rager
Darrion Rozzo
Ava Ryan
Sophia Sabo
Kylie Salopek
Tori Stabryla
Elaina Tichon
Nate Yuhas