Challenge Program awards cash prizes
“Unfollow stress; subscribe to success” was the message for the annual Fall Challenge Program assembly held Oct. 21 at Meyersdale Area High School. Michael Parks, program development manager, and Craig Staresinich, the district’s sponsor, awarded $2,000 in cash prizes to students.
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Since 2003, the Challenge Program Inc. has been contributing to workforce and economic development by connecting business and education to achieve a common objective: the development of a skilled and motivated future workforce. The Challenge Program Inc.’s mission is to build sustainable business/education partnerships while motivating students to develop good habits required to succeed in school and in their future careers. The Challenge Program Inc. carries out its mission through in-school assemblies and ceremonies, workforce development activities, and continuous communication between businesses, educators and students. Through Craig Staresinich, the program has been able to award $2,000 annually for several years to Meyersdale students in five areas of achievement: Attendance, Academic Improvement, Academic Excellence, STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Math) and Community Service.
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Staresinich has committed his retirement to serving others and said he is proud to include Meyersdale school in his work. Following high school, he enrolled in aerospace engineering at the University of Pittsburgh. After his graduation in 1969, he was hired by the Manned Spacecraft Center, which later became known as NASA. During his time at NASA, Staresinich worked in Mission Control. In 1983, Staresinich was hired by TRW (later acquired by Northrop Grumman) to build satellites, some launched aboard the Space Shuttle. He was later named vice president and program manager at Northrop Grumman. His extensive resume includes work on the Chandra X-ray Observatory, built for NASA and launched aboard the Space Shuttle in 1999.
Parks enlisted the assistance of James Kretchman to demonstrate the need for good decision-making and the effects of stress on teens. Parks urged teens to ask for help in handling the everyday concerns and worries they all face each day.
“You all face so much stress and you can’t carry it all on your own," he said. "When you carry too much, it affects your decision-making.”
Parks and Staresinich outlined the foundation of The Challenge Program and the five areas of achievement they reward — Attendance, STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Math), Community Service, Academic Improvement and Academic Excellence.
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Staresinich said each of those areas played an integral role in his success and that of people he has had the pleasure of working with during his career.
“Academic Improvement and Academic Excellence — Education and improving yourself is important all through life. STEM — challenge yourself to take that class, take that new direction. Everything in our lives has some aspect of technology. Attendance — show up and do your best. And, serve others, help others,” he said. “Have a positive attitude. If you see an obstacle, figure out a way to overcome it. It doesn’t matter what happens to you, what matters is what you do about it.”
At the conclusion of the program, seniors were recognized as the recipients of the awards for their efforts during the 2021-2022 school year were: Gavin Topper, Academic Excellence; Alex Kirchner, Academic Improvement; Jaden Miller, Community Service; Laura Boyce, STEM; and Matthew Diehl, Attendance.
Juniors were also honored for their achievements: Croix Miller, Academic Excellence; Blake Marteney, Academic Improvement; Kyley Emerick, Community Service; Marcella Dupre, STEM; and Brady McKenzie, Attendance.
Each student received a certificate in addition to a check for $200 for their work. For more information on the work of this initiative, visit www.tcpinc.org.
This article originally appeared on The Daily American: Meyersdale students awarded cash prizes through Challenge Program
