All-State Orchestra, scholarships, dean's list and more for Sewickley-area students

PMEA Virtual All-State Orchestra

Quaker Valley High School junior Rachael Finke was selected as a violinist to the Pennsylvania Music Educators Association Virtual All-State Orchestra. This year, the selection process for PMEA music ensemble festivals was very rigorous as the festivals, and the auditions for selection to festivals took place virtually.

Finke was first chosen for the District Orchestra in December after having to submit a recorded audition. She placed second out of 20 qualifying violins at the district level, which earned her the opportunity to audition directly for All-State. Her audition for All-State earned her a spot in the All-State violin section, placing 20th out of 52 selected students representing the best student violinists across all public and private high schools in Pennsylvania.

Finke completed virtual rehearsals for the orchestra and attended parts of the PMEA Virtual Conference in mid-April, and submitted recordings that will be used to create a virtual orchestra performance.

QVHS Orchestra director Cory Neville sponsored Finke’s candidacy.

“Rachael is an outstanding student and musician of the highest caliber. This year’s festival was extremely competitive — putting together a virtual orchestra from a compilation of individual performances requires each musician to play with a level of precision that is challenging even for experienced professionals,” Neville said. “Only the most advanced student musicians would succeed in rising to the top under this year’s circumstances.”

In addition to this honor, Finke said she looks forward to continuing to share her talents with the Pittsburgh Youth Symphony Orchestra, in which she plays the violin.

Doric Lodge scholarships

Bill Bittinger and Don Kemerer, on behalf of the officers and members of Doric Lodge #630, presented two monetary scholarships to Quaker Valley High School graduating seniors. Recipients were Connor Bukoskey, who will be attending Penn State’s Beaver campus in the fall, and Reagan Diggins, who will be attending Baylor University in the fall.

Scholarships are part of the lodge’s ongoing commitment to help educate the youth in the community and were made possible by raffle sales.

Academic achievements

The following students from the area were recognized for their academic achievement during the spring 2021 semester by being named to the dean’s, president’s or provost’s list at the college or university they attend:

• Clarian University: Percise Colon

• College of William & Mary: Mary Jones, Zachary Skolnekovich

• Connecticut College: Haley Nocito

• James Madison University: Jessica Lamperski

• Lehigh University: Stephen Salamone

• Missouri State University: Tabitha Moul

• University of Alabama: Lena Johnson

Graduates

The following area students recently graduated from college, university, trade school or military training:

• Bucknell University: Ally Demas, Ciara Donohue, Chris Tanabe

• Clarian University: Emily Sudo

• Dickinson College: Julia Freeman

• James Madison University: Natalie Rich, Collin Jackovic