Stories Archive

If anyone asked kindergartener Chloe Stanczak what she wanted to be when she grew up, the answer would have been a teacher. From  the time she was five years old, Stanczak knew becoming a teacher was her career goal.  “My dad was a teacher, so it was always a strong passion for me. I just knew that’s what I wanted to do with my life,” said Stanczak.  

Ore Olaore’s journey to becoming a pediatric neurologist began during her freshman year at Pittsburgh CAPA 6-12 high school. Though she was a visual arts major at CAPA, she’d always been interested in the medical field and thoroughly researched possible options. Ore was heavily involved in many STEM-related programs outside of school and was a teaching assistant for STEM and coding classes at Citizen Science Lab.   

Kyanna Williams Pate’s life goals include working as a physician to increase health care access for those who otherwise would not have that benefit. Williams Pate has worked tirelessly to reach this goal with help from The Pittsburgh Foundation’s scholarship program.  

Aqaveon Jackson has dreamed of being in the FBI since he was eight years old. The field sparks his interest because of his strong interest in helping people. “I was in the foster care system, and my foster family took guardianship over me,” said Jackson. “We have binders in foster care describing who we are, what we like and possible future careers, and I remember one of the careers I wanted to go into was the FBI. I have really wanted to do this for a long time.” 

Greensburg, Pennsylvania, is a pretty small town, galactically speaking. That hasn’t stopped Greensburg native Megan O’Brien from dreaming of the cosmos. O’Brien, who graduated with a 4.0 GPA from Greensburg-Salem High School in 2020, says, “I love all things rockets, NASA, that kind of stuff.” After she receives her degree in mechanical engineering from Penn State University, she hopes to work in the aerospace industry on “quality assurance, testing whether things work, destroying things, seeing what needs fixed.”

Since its 2010 inception, True T has transformed its mission and service to LGBTQ+ Pittsburghers. True T began as an organization of celebration and entertainment and now serves as a community hub also providing health and safety resources for LGBTQ+ individuals queer arts and activism.

In 2019, Aeryn Lesesne, graduated from high school as the valedictorian of Pittsburgh Online Academy, a Pittsburgh Public School. Now she’s a secondary English education major at Point Park University. After she finishes college, Lesesne says she hopes to return to a district like Pittsburgh Public — but not as a student. “My aspiration is to make a difference as an educator.”

Chantal Braziel has been awarded more than $17,000 in scholarships from Pittsburgh Foundation funds. Learn about her passion for opera and how the scholarships she has received have helped her pursue a career in classical singing.

Colton Dietz began following his passion for jazz improvisation and music because of the freeform creativity it lent him—the chance to express himself in a genre with a rich history. He picked up the trombone in fifth grade in Norwin School District and attended Norwin High School. He brought his interest in sharing music with others with him to The Pennsylvania State University to study music education.     

A local nonprofit celebrates and reflects on 10 years of fostering economic cooperation to benefit Hill District residents and artists.