Bethel Park student achievements for the week of Oct. 28, 2025

Bethel Park High School sophomores Andrea Solorzano and Leena Miloua are creating a new program to help students explore careers and connect with business, healthcare, marketing and law professionals.

The initiative, BP Career Connect, grew out of an idea the students discussed on a bus ride home from last year’s DECA district competition. With guidance from DECA advisor Mrs. Emily Smoller, they refined the project to prepare it for competition and community implementation.

BP Career Connect allows students to participate in job shadows, field trips and guest speaker sessions to gain real-world experience and discover and occasionally reconsider potential career paths. Students do not need to be members of DECA to participate.

“Having presented at DECA before helped calm our nerves and taught us how to get the word out,” Miloua said. “We want to give students a chance to explore careers in a hands-on way.”

The students are recruiting local professionals to host job shadows or mentor students. Businesses can contact the team at bpcareerconnect@gmail.com or Mrs. Smoller at smoller.emily@bphawks.org.

The career readiness project launched at the start of the 2025–26 school year. Miloua and Solorzano will present it in the Community Awareness category at the February 2026 DECA State Conference in Hershey, where students from across Pennsylvania showcase leadership and entrepreneurship projects. The program also maintains an Instagram account, @bp_career_connect, for students and businesses to follow their progress.

A class project has turned into a community mission for three Bethel Park High School students.

DECA members Nolan Laskovich, Carly Conroy and Carson Foote are hosting Hearts and House Bingo, a fundraiser for the Ronald McDonald House Charities of Pittsburgh and Morgantown, from 6 to 8 p.m. on Nov. 1 in the Independence Middle School cafeteria. Doors open at 5:30 p.m.

The event will include 10 rounds of bingo with more than $1,000 in prizes, plus a door prize drawing for all attendees. Extra bingo cards will be available for $5, along with 50/50 raffle tickets and $2 daubers. Snacks and drinks will be sold. Cash and checks only.

Ronald McDonald House Charities provides housing and support to families of children undergoing medical treatment. The students hope to have a representative at the event.

They haven’t set a fundraising goal — but they’re aiming high.

“We’ve been working on this since May,” Laskovich said. “It’s been a lot of work, but it’ll be worth it. The more people show up, the more families we can help.”

The project will also be presented at the DECA state conference in February. DECA is a student organization that prepares young leaders for marketing, finance, hospitality, and management careers through real-world learning and competition.

Attendees are encouraged to register in advance at https://bit.ly/4h758yI.

“We’re excited to bring people together for a fun night — and make a difference while we’re at it,” Foote said.

Madison Ruane received a master’s degree in nursing at Wilkes University’s summer commencement ceremony.

Benjamin Jarrett was one of 457 Des Moines University Medicine and Health Sciences students from five programs to receive their white coat during the university’s annual White Coat Ceremony held on Sept. 19.

Cory Hardinger has been named to the 2025 spring trimester dean’s list at Palmer College of Chiropractic’s Florida Campus in Port Orange, Fla.