Meet the Faces of PA Cyber Polytechnic
Jennie Harris
April 5, 2024
As we prepare for the second annual Poly Awards this month, let’s check in with those who have shaped PA Cyber Polytechnic into what it is today, including award recipients from last year. These key students and educational partners share a passion for all things STEM.
Meet the Faces of PA Cyber Polytechnic
Everette Wilson
Current student in Ellwood City
2023 Poly Award Recipient - Elementary School Student of the Year
What led you to enroll at PA Cyber?
I started with PA Cyber in the fall of 2020 due to COVID. Now, I love to attend school from home. The field trips and events (online and in-person) are the best part.
What’s your favorite subject and why?
Science, because I get to explore, experiment, and learn how and why things work.
Which of PA Cyber’s STEM activities and events do you enjoy?
I attend all polytechnic classes online and in person. I even did a special class with Mr. Tom that was for grades 6-12.
What do you like to do outside of school?
I love to ride my bike, invent/create Legos with robotic components, code microbits, play outside (currently working on the 1000-hour challenge), and create art (drawing, painting, and making jewelry).
What are your goals for after graduation?
I want to be an engineer. I’ve already built a robotic fan and a wrecking ball out of Legos. I love to learn.
Supervisor of STEM Education Tom Brambley presents Everette Wilson with the 2023 Poly Award for Elementary Student of the Year.
William Duvall
Current student in Greensburg
2023 Poly Award Recipient - High School Student of the Year
What led you to enroll at PA Cyber?
I have been in PA Cyber since kindergarten. My parents felt that going to a brick-and-mortar school would be a bad influence on me, and furthermore, my mom had friends who recommended PA Cyber.
What’s your favorite subject and why?
My favorite subject is English because I really enjoy reading, especially when it comes to Shakespeare.
Which of PA Cyber’s STEM activities and events do you enjoy?
I am a member of the Governor's STEM Competition team that PA Cyber put together, and that has been a lot of fun. Not only did I meet new people, but I also got the chance to go to Harrisburg with my friends for the second round of the competition. Furthermore, I attend Mobile Lab activities as well as the STEM clubs.
What do you like to do outside of school?
I enjoy playing the piano, as well as competing with it. I also enjoy teaching taekwondo and spending time with my friends.
What are your goals for after graduation?
I plan on going to college for something within the world of STEM. I am not entirely sure what my major will be, but I am leaning towards a form of engineering.
William (far right) and PA Cyber teammates earned the People’s Choice Award at the 2023 Governor’s STEM Competition State Finals.
Karissa Hawk
PA Cyber alum in Melbourne, Florida
What have you been doing since graduating from PA Cyber in 2023?
I am in college to earn a bachelor’s in aerospace engineering. I am very interested in rockets. I have helped design and build some rockets and received my L1 certification in launching rockets. I am a part of the AIAA club [American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics] at Florida Tech and will attend the conference this year to present research on AI.
How did PA Cyber prepare you for this path?
PA Cyber has many great teachers and staff who helped me believe my goals were possible. I would not be where I am today if it weren't for them. I was in many clubs at PA Cyber, which made me realize what I was interested in. PA Cyber offers various classes and clubs that help students find their passion.
What advice would you give to current PA Cyber students?
Get involved in as many things as possible and find out what you’re interested in. It's very easy to get in a slump while doing cyber school, but PA Cyber does a good job of having fun clubs and many events. If you can’t find a club that interests you, there is most likely someone who can help you get started and make the club. Many staff at PA Cyber will help you, and they want you to succeed.
Karissa is shown with her rocket that she successfully launched, leading to her earning the Level 1 certification. She will attend a competition in California in May with Florida Tech’s AIAA Club.
Elia Mikhail
PA Cyber alum in Princeton, New Jersey
What have you been doing since graduating from PA Cyber in 2022?
I am a sophomore at Princeton University working toward a major in Electrical & Computer Engineering, with a focus on Quantum Information & Applied Physics. I also hope to attain three minors in Finance, History, and Computer Science. My career plans are to enter the finance sector and (hopefully) have a positive impact on the world's economic drivers—its companies and industries.
How did PA Cyber prepare you for this path?
STEM is by nature a field that requires delineated understanding and resolve to our world's natural phenomena and their manipulations. With that, I have found that STEM alone can often limit one's thinking to the concrete and weaken skills in the abstract—particularly those that revolve around integrated solutions. PA Cyber's curriculum provided me a valuable fortification against such limitations by encouraging and even standardizing a deep educational experience in the arts and humanities, which, when bolstered with technically rigorous courses, can make for a formidable candidate in any field. And, of course, the multitude of clubs offered by PA Cyber were of great benefit.
Do you have any advice for PA Cyber students who want to get into their ideal college?
Take hard classes and join extracurriculars that you truly have a passion for! As an aside, do not fret over how competitive a certain college is—you always have a shot!
Elia is working toward a major in Electrical & Computer Engineering with a focus on Quantum Information & Applied Physics at Princeton University.
Beth Peters
2023 Poly Award Recipient - Partner of the Year, Higher Education
University of Pittsburgh
Tell us about your role at the University of Pittsburgh.
I am the Co-Director of First-Year Recruitment and Women’s Programs at the Swanson School of Engineering at the University of Pittsburgh. I oversee outreach for our school as well.
How do you support PA Cyber Polytechnic programming?
Our recruitment team has organized multiple virtual events for PA Cyber students to introduce them to the field of engineering; the key traits and skills needed to be an engineer (learning by doing, having a collaborative mindset); and then what the first-year experience is like at The Swanson School. We also took part in the Engineering Exploration Experience summer camp for two years. We brought faculty and students from the Bioengineering department to talk about what Bioengineering is, the areas of specialization, and what Bioengineers do.
How can STEM education shape the future?
Introducing STEM fields to young students and their families can open doors to possibilities that did not previously exist. The need for people to go into STEM fields can only foster innovation, products, and technology. These fields cultivate the next generation of problem solvers and critical thinkers who are essential to economic growth in the US.
Beth Peters partners with PA Cyber Polytechnic to give PA Cyber students insight into the field of engineering and the first-year experience at the University of Pittsburgh’s Swanson School.
Dr. Prahlad Murthy
2023 Poly Award Recipient - Partner of the Year, Higher Education
Wilkes University
Tell us about your role at the University of Pittsburgh.
I am a professor of Civil and Environmental Engineering at Wilkes University where I have been teaching for over three decades. I have served as a department chairperson, associate dean, and interim dean of the College of Science and Engineering for a combined 15 years. I teach courses in water and wastewater treatment, air pollution control, construction management, and engineering ethics.
How do you support PA Cyber Polytechnic programming?
I have been involved with PA Cyber since 2018 when I assembled a team of engineering faculty at Wilkes University and offered a two-week Engineering Camp for PA Cyber students. Since then, I have spearheaded efforts to offer such experiences for PA Cyber students every year, including virtual camps during the recent pandemic. In 2022, we extended the engineering camps to natural sciences, too. Many PA Cyber students have benefited over the years through their participation in these activities and have enjoyed interacting with college students. Hopefully, these experiences have generated curiosity in students about how things work, and they continue to ask questions such as “Why?” and “Why not?”
How can STEM education shape the future?
It is common to say, “Engineering is a nation-building profession.” STEM education is gaining popularity in the United States, and there is a need for our nation to produce more scientists, mathematicians, and engineers—especially from many underrepresented segments of our communities—to help create innovative and sustainable solutions to current and potential future problems. STEM education promotes creativity, problem-solving, and collaboration skills.
Dr. Prahlad Murthy and other Wilkes University faculty bring engineering activities to PA Cyber students with the goal of fostering creativity and problem solving in youth.