QCHS Alumni Spotlight: The 2023 Honorees

BY RAY FOX '66

I hope Upper Bucks Free Press readers have been enjoying the QCHS Alumni Spotlight articles. This month the article will be taking a different approach and will be a review of the recent Alumni Association Annual Meeting held on June 3, 2023. In addition to the annual meeting there were three other significant events that day. We presented nine graduating seniors with the Alumni Scholarship in the amount of $1,500 each. We also gave our annual honorary diploma to Nancy Tirjan, and High School Assistant Principal Jason Magditch held the induction ceremony for the 2023 Wall of Fame inductees. Biographies of the nine scholarship winners, the honorary diploma winner, and the Wall of Fame inductees are included in this month’s Alumni Spotlight.

Scholarship Winners

The scholarship process is one of the most important activities for the Alumni Association. Our annual Designer Bag Bingo in March plus donations from alumni are used to fund these scholarships. Alumni President Melea Rupert, Alumni Treasurer Lori Kertesz, and Alumni Board Member Larry Benner presented the scholarships to the recipients. They are the students who are pictured with this spotlight article. Their biographies are as follows:

Evelyn Adebayo – On the scholarship application, students are asked the following question: What does the Quakertown Community and/or Quakertown Schools mean to you and how have they helped shape your life and goals? Evelyn wrote: “Although I became a part of the Quakertown Community my junior year, Quakertown has broadened my experiences, which will last for a lifetime. Coming from a small public school in Philadelphia, there were often days when school did not feel like a community. We did not have the luxury of having Chromebooks to take home or even an environment that allowed me to feel safe while learning. Here at Quakertown High School, although I encountered obstacles, I never felt “unsafe.”

Evelyn joined the Best Buddies club where students engage in fun activities with students who have special needs. Evelyn wrote, “this group showed me that we truly can all come together regardless of our differences.”

Evelyn was also a member of the Social Justice Alliance. This club promotes equality and searches for ways to stop injustice in the community. Evelyn wrote, “Overall Quakertown has shaped me into the woman I have become today, and I will take these experiences I have been able to endure into my life post-graduation. Quakertown has completely changed my perspective of the world as I have received opportunities to meet so many amazing people from various cultures and backgrounds.”

Evelyn’s family consists of her mother and 3 sisters, 2 older and 1 younger. The rest of their family reside in Nigeria. Evelyn has committed to attending Temple University to major in Nursing with the goal of becoming a pediatric nurse.

Jack Diliberto – Jack plans to attend the University of Delaware where he has decided to start with an undeclared major, with an interest in Mechanical Engineering, Sports Medicine, and Sports Videography/Photography and editing. When asked what the Quakertown Community and schools mean to him, Jack responded: “The Quakertown Community for me means home. It has given me lifelong friendships and memories that will last a lifetime. From playing various sports in front of my friends to volunteering in the community, Quakertown has al- lowed me to grow and mature into the person I am today.” The activities that made the biggest impact on Jack are National Honor Society which allowed him the opportunities to volunteer with both the Richland Elementary Parent Teacher Organization and with the “Learn to play Hockey” program at Steel Ice. Best Buddies also had a big impact as it allowed Jack to help the students feel more inclusive within our high school. Jack was the Captain of the Quakertown Ice Hockey Team as well as the Lacrosse Team. He has also played Ice Hockey for the Lehigh Valley Youth Phantoms and the Genesis Hockey Club. Jack’s family consists of his mother and father and his 2 brothers, one older and one younger.

Sydney Fronheiser – When asked how the Quakertown Community and schools have helped to shape her life and goals, Sydney’s response was: “Quakertown has helped me chase my passions and helped me better the community. Last year, a couple of my peers and I began proposing the idea of building a greenhouse for the school. Although there seemed like an unending number of steps to get this project approved, we experienced nothing but encouragement from our teachers and administration. Just recently we saw our year of work come to fruition with the building of a greenhouse. With the support of the school board and the Quakertown Community Education Foundation grants, we will take our original dream further and transform the barren courtyard into a prospering and sustainable garden. This dream could never have happened without the support of the school and our surrounding community.”

Besides co-founding the Garden Club, Sydney says volunteering at Logan’s Heroes Animal Rescue and being a member of the Field Hockey Team had the biggest impact on her. I began volunteering at Logan’s Heroes during the pandemic. Not only was this an opportunity to escape my house during the lockdown, but I also gained knowledge and patience from these animals that had been horribly abused before they came to us. Being on the Field Hockey Team not only gave me lifelong friendships, but also taught me important lessons on teamwork and persistence. Sydney’s family consists of her mother and father and her younger sister who is 15. Sydney has committed to attend Marist College on the Hudson River in Poughkeepsie NY where she will major in Computer Science and minor (or double major) in Environmental Science.

Margaret Gowin - In her application, Margaret's friend Joshua states, "Often what makes the difference in a school is a smile. Just by being charismatic and outgoing, Margaret has had a lasting impact on dozens of students. ... her smile is often the difference that makes a room a more pleasant place to be. I think her charm and personality will take her to great places."

Margaret has been accepted into West Chester University's Honors College where she plans to study history in hopes of becoming a middle / high school teacher. She wants to thank her eighth-grade social studies teacher, Mr. Goerlitz, who inspired her and nurtured her love for history. During her field study she was able to be guided and encouraged by Ms. Marriott. Margaret states, "The field-study program gave me the opportunity to get a prerun of teaching to see if I enjoyed it. It allowed me to interact with students and to learn different skills and techniques of teaching. Before, I was uncertain if I really wanted to go into the field of teaching, but after my field study with Ms. Marriott, I was certain teaching is what I wanted to do."

To say that Margaret is busy is an understatement. In addition to a stellar academic record that includes many honors and AP classes, Margaret holds down a part time job, has volunteered with the Knights of Columbus and Scout Troop 55. In school she was elected treasurer of the Mock Trials Club and was the driving force behind the founding of the high school's Dungeons and Dragons Adventure Club where she is serving as its first President. Margaret states that the work involved in forming the club taught her valuable lessons in leadership.

In closing I will return to Margaret's friend Josuha who states, " Margaret has a go-getem attitude... I think her infectious charm and personality will take her far."

Julia Henry - Julia's world must be a world of an alternate time in an alternate universe. A place where days are longer than our days, where time slows down, where seemingly superhuman tasks become the norm. How else can you explain the amount and level of accomplishments that Julia has achieved in just the past two years?

Academically Julia has earned a 4.0+ grade point average that included over 10 Advanced Placement and Honors courses, and will be graduating in the top 10% of her class.

Julia has received the following awards: The AP Scholar with Honors Award, Union League of Philadelphia Good Citizenship Award, QCHS Student of the Month Award, Girl Scout Gold Award as well as the Silver Touch Award, elected to National Honor Society, One of six QCHS students to win the Q-Rock Award, Pennsylvania Certificate of Merit by scoring among the top SAT / ACT score in Pennsylvania, and Future Business Leaders Award 3rd Place for Journalism.

During High School she has participated in several activities outside of school including the following: Congressman Fitzpatrick's Congressional Student Ambassador Task Force, Pennsylvania Free Enterprise WeekBusiness and Leadership Training Program, Rotary Leadership Development Camp, HOBY Leadership Conference, Career Pathways Field Study with a focus on Sports Journalism where she has worked with the Philadelphia Inquire sports columnist / mentor.

In the High School, she has participated in the following: Editor of Paw Prints, the official newspaper of QCHS, played basketball and softball, elected to, and serves on Student Council.

She is the High School liaison between Richland Elementary School and high school student volunteers, was an Outdoor School Counselor, Marching Band and plays French Horn in the Wind Symphony where she occupies the Honors Chair.

Beyond the school day Julia volunteers at the Care and Share Thrift Store, she is a coaching assistant with local CYO Basketball team and helps with Delaware Valley Universities' Feed My Starving Children Program.

In her spare time Julia holds a part-time job as a clerk at the Stacks Bookstore in The Quakertown Farmer's Market.

After this remarkable High School Career Julia will be attending Penn State University's Schreyer’s Honors College where she plans to study Journalism, with a focus on Sport Journalism and Broadcasting.

Finally, she mentions that she will miss Friday Night Football games the most. Playing in the Marching Band, she marveled at the en- team. It was a community and she will miss being a part of that.

Elana Kara - Elana states "The Quakertown Community means home to me, not only in the context of it being the location where I live, but also because it is comforting to me. I know that the teachers and administrators within my school have our best interest in mind. In addition, the greater Quakertown Community has helped shape me to be the person I am today because it encourages me to be the best version of myself.

Elana is always up to a challenge... whether it be in a leadership position at school or in the choosing of a university far from the comfort of her friends and family here in Quakertown. After graduation. Elana will attend The University of Tennessee / Knoxville to study business / finance with a focus on accounting. She chose Knoxville because she found the campus to be "a hidden gem" She especially likes the "vibrant atmosphere, its tight-knit community and its intense athletic spirit." The fact that she will be far from home is to her a challenge and an opportunity to learn from living in a new environment.

During her four years at Quakertown Elana has been involved in many school and town activities, including Key Club, Mini Thon, Best Buddies, the National Honor Society, Prom Committee among others. Elana states that these clubs "had the biggest impact on me because they provided me with countless opportunities to get involved and give back to the Quakertown Community."

Maybe this is why she chose to become a Tennessee Volunteer.

Finally, Elana wants to thank all the people that made her life so special. She did not have a traditional childhood but wants to let her mother know that she thinks of her as a role model and that she has a tremendous amount of respect and appreciation for all that she has done for her. In addition, she wants to thank her grandparents for all the love and support they have provided for her.

Jacob Lewis – Jacob has lived in and been part of the Quakertown School District his entire life. In his application for the scholarship, he wrote, “QCSD has played a massive role in shaping who I am today – having taught me nearly everything I know…or has given me the skills required to learn them…and to succeed in the real world.” He plans to attend Penn State Lehigh Valley Campus to study mechanical engineering. His dream job is to work alongside other engineers and scientists assembling the technology and machines that will propel humanity into the Space Exploration Age. As an Upper Bucks County Area Vocational Technical Student, his study in Mechatronics and Robotics has consistently made him more interested in Engineering and has given him hands-on experience.

In his Junior and Senior years at QHS, he participated in the National Robotic League Battlebots, which is an international competition. This gave him real experience with the engineering design process to build the most efficient robot for the application.

In addition to his parents, Jacob has two older brothers, Alexander and Zachary, Jacob believes in doing random acts of kindness every day. His tech school teacher writes, “Jacob has demonstrated the dedication and self-discipline to conquer the rigor of such a technical curriculum. He repeatedly demonstrates the self-motivation, dedication, and organizational to study Finance. It is his hope to become a financial advisor or a financial analyst. Lucas writes, “Quakertown means a lot of things, it is my home. It is where I grew up. It is where I made my first friends. It is where I work and go to school.” Through the School’s QROCK program, Lucas has developed important qualities such as resilience, ownership, community, and kindness. Lucas believes that, of all the things he has done in High School. Best Buddies has definitely had the biggest impact on him…allowing special needs students to create friendships through monthly meetings. As a peer buddy, he has a one-on-one relationship with a student. Seeing the smiles on the buddies faces makes him feel very good inside. “These special students are no different than anyone else and they deserve to have the same opportunities.”

Lucas’s family includes his mother, father, and an older sister. A peer had this to say about him,

“Since getting to know Lucas as a sophomore, he has become my best friend and biggest supporter, as I have become for him. He is an unbelievably kind person who would do anything to help those he loves.”

Emily Wehr – After graduation, Emily plans on attending Bucks County Community College to achieve an associate degree in criminal justice. She then plans to continue her studies to include a bachelor’s degree from a four-year college. Her ultimate plans are to enforce her degrees in the field of law to become a detective and work her way forward. Having moved to Quakertown from Yardley when she was 12, she found she was warmly welcomed by many people throughout the community. Emily states, “I found I was increasingly more involved and happier in my life here in Quakertown.”

Emily has been involved in numerous activities both in and out of school. She participated as a volunteer for the Quakertown Borough as a freshman. It was her design that won the Borough’s drawing contest for the new Memorial Park Playground. She also represented QHS in HOBY, the PA leadership program and was then chosen to represent Pennsylvania at the HOBY WLC (World Leadership Congress).

In addition to her mother, Emily is the eldest sibling in her family with two younger sisters.

Emily feels that the community has helped her gain who she is as a person. This is especially true of the people she met in High School. “They are some of the sweetest people in my life,” she says. Although she has been through a few hardships throughout the years, she says, “I make the best out of every situation and I am so very grateful for everything in life.”

In closing, a peer wrote this about Emily, “I have known Emily for about six years and have been so lucky to see her grow into the smart and ambitious girl she is now.

After joining the tennis team during her sophomore year, the different cliques and friend groups merged. She brought unity, fun and positivity to the team. By her senior year, she became captain of the team.

Emily hopes to work as an FBI Agent.

Honorary Diploma Recipient

The Honorary Diploma was presented by Alumni Association president Melea Ruppert. Nancy Tirjan is a highly qualified recipient of this diploma. The criterion for this diploma is someone in the community who is not a Quakertown High School Graduated but who has contributed significantly to either the School District or the Community. Nancy’s biography is as follows: to the position of Bank Manager. She stayed home for 12 years when her daughters were growing up but did part-time bookkeeping for a local company and retail work for BonTon during those years.

Nancy retired from a 25-year career as a Kitchen/Bath Designer, for Shelly Lumber Co followed by Wehrung’s Lumber & Home Center. Nancy’s husband Fred graduated from QCHS, Class of ’67 and his siblings are QCHS alums too. Continuing that family tradition, Nancy and Fred’s two daughters also graduated from QCHS, Kathryn in ’01 and Elizabeth in ’03. The most joyful blessings in their lives are their 3 very young granddaughters, Elenore who is 3 years old, Alexis who is 17 months old and Vivian who is only 2 months old.

Nancy served on the Quakertown School Board for 20 years during which time she served as Vice President and President. When her daughters attended Quakertown Elementary, she served as a member and as President on QE’s teacher/parent organization once known as TPO but Nancy helped promote the change of the name to PIE (Partners in Education) which is still an active organization under that same name. Nancy was also a Girl Scout Leader and Cookie Mom. At Quakertown United Methodist Church Nancy is currently serving as the Board of Trustees Chair. She also volunteers with the church’s annual Chicken BBQ fundraiser and has served on the Staff/Parish Relations Committee.

One of the questions on our nomination form is “How has the candidate helped others?”

When I asked Nancy this question, she responded by saying “I have been helped by others much more than I have helped them.” I live by JFK’s famous speech motto: “Ask not what your country can do for you; ask what you can do for your country.”

Nancy certainly exemplifies that motto in all she does for her family, for her community, and for her church.

Wall Of Fame Honorees

The Wall of Fame inductees for 2023 include Jennifer Donley (Class of 1998), Josephine Sorbello (Class of 1946), and John Weaver (Class of 1982). Any QCHS Alumnus may nominate candidates for the Wall of Fame. Information and application for the nomination is found on the QCSD Web Site. After nomination, there is a five-person committee who reviews the nomination forms and biographies of the candidates. The Committee is chaired by the Sr. High School Principal. This year’s inductee biographies follow. Their photos are as they appeared in their Senior Yearbooks.

Josephine Sorbello – Josephine’s stage name is Jan Shephard and she is better known by that name. She was both a television and movie actress and moved to Hollywood in the 1940’s. Television shows where she was an actress included Gunsmoke, Bonanza, Perry Mason, and the Lone Ranger. Movies where she was an actress included King Creole and Paradise, Hawaiian Style. Josephine still lives in California. Accepting on her behalf was David Fosbenner, who nominated her and whose mother graduated from High School with Ms. Sorbello.

Pittsburg in Comparative Education. He is a member of the International Human Education in the Third Millennium Group. He worked as a college professor at several different colleges and universities. Currently, John is a professor at Georgia Southern University. He has published four books and has been a significant contributor to many research articles and other publications.

In his acceptance speech, he gave sincere thanks to the Quakertown School District for the education he received and specifically mentioned Charles Vaccaro and Dennis Walters for helping him develop his writing skills. He also mentioned Douglas Peiffer for instilling an interest in studying history. He emphasized the importance of education.

Next month, the articles will return to the more traditional format of focusing on one specific graduate per article.

Abington High School in 1970; she earned a 2-year associate degree from Wesley College and then a bachelor’s degree from Temple University, both in Business Administration. Nancy’s first professional job was with Philadelphia National Bank where she rose

– Jennifer was first in her graduating class at Penn State University and was a Fulbright Scholarship winner. She also graduated from the University of Arizona with a PhD in Astronomy and Astrophysics. She spent ten months in Australia at Australia National Telescope. From December, 2012 to April, 2013, she was a Hubble Fellow at Los Alamos National Laboratory. Today, she is a scientist at Los Alomos National Laboratory. Accepting on Jennifer’s behalf was her mother.

John Weaver – After High School, John enlisted in the U.S. Marine Corps. He graduated from Alderson-Broad College with a bachelor’s degree in European History and Political Science, He completed his master’s degree at Villanova University in German and Italian History. In 1994, he received his Doctoral Degree from the University of

The Quakertown Community Alumni Association encourages alumni to participate in the Association activities. Its mission includes fundraising to provide scholarship opportunities each year for graduating seniors. Please check out our Facebook Page “Quakertown High School Alumni Association” and the Alumni page of the QCSD.org website for more information. We are a 501C3 organization and always welcome any contributions toward our scholarship endeavors. If you are interested in donating, please email Qchsalumniboard@gmail.com and you will receive instructions on how to do so. Comments and ideas for future articles can be sent to Ray Fox at rdefox@msn.com.

The Alumni board is a group of dedicated people who strive to support the students and alumni as much as we can. You could say that we “bleed blue” but more importantly, that we embody this Quakertown motto: “Enter to Learn; Leave to Serve”.

QCHS Class of 1958 Celebrates 65th Class Reunion

New Vitae Wellness and Recovery Celebrates 40th Anniversary

New Vitae Wellness and Recovery, a holistic support-based facility focused on helping individuals with behavioral health challenges achieve their goals, is pleased to announce their 40th anniversary.

Incorporated in 1983 as Tri County Respite, New Vitae provides a wide range of treatments that promote personal wellness including individual and group therapy, peer support services, medication management, and Deep Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (dTMS). Specialty areas include brain injury, behavioral health, and addiction, with a focus on holistic care for residents and those who support them.

New Vitae was established by Anne Mills and her son Adam Devlin to serve the needs of populations that had been traditionally underserved by behavioral health care, including young adults, veterans, and individuals with traumatic brain injuries. Prior to that, Mills and her family had provided respite services to veterans in their home.

“As a social worker, my mother’s mission was always to serve those who needed compassion and care in their most challenging times,” Devlin said. “She believed in focusing on the wellness within each resident to help them with their recovery. Early on, we knew we had a unique niche.”

Over the years New Vitae has grown to fit the changing needs of its residents, offering a wide range of residential and outpatient programs. Today, with close to 300 staff members, New Vitae continues to provide ethical, holistic, strength-based care to its residents, helping support their right to meaningful and fulfilling lives within their communities.

“When my mother and I officially incorporated our family business we could not have imagined that it would ever grow into the New Vitae of today,” Devlin added. “We have a legacy here we can all be proud of continuing. I thank all of our employees for everything they do each day for both our residents and for each other.”

As part of a series of yearlong anniversary events, New Vitae commemorated this milestone with a celebration at Lake Nockamixon State Park on June 25th. This special gathering included food, live music, and games. A formal anniversary gala is scheduled for June 2024.

'Sounds of Summer' Concert Series Kicks Off in Quakertown

Quakertown’s Sounds of Summer concert series at the Univest Performance Center got off to a soggy start this season. Rock legends Blue Öyster Cult opened the outdoor concert series to a wet but very enthusiastic crowd of approximately 1200 people on June 26. The band delighted the crowd with

Opening for BÖC was The Sedonas.

The series continues with country star Chris Lane on July 7 and alt-rock band Switchfoot on July 8. More information on the Sounds of Summer series can be found at quakertown. org/concerts. The Upper Bucks Free Press is once again a proud sponsor of the Sounds of Summer Concert series.