California to graduate 83 seniors
Christina Puhnaty, Valedictorian
Benjamin Thomas, Valedictorian
Brian Fisher, Valedictorian
Tiffany Kent, Salutatorian
California Area High School will graduate 83 seniors at its commencement at 7 p.m. May 31 at Trojan Field with the senior PowerPoint beginning at 6 p.m. in the gymnasium.
Brian Carnello Fisher, Christina Puhnaty and Benjamin Veloor Thomas have been named valedictorians. Tiffany Lynn Kent is salutatorian.
Fisher is a son of Kevin Fisher and Debbie Carnello of Coal Center. He is enrolled in the five-year accelerated physician assistant program at Gannon University and will play either basketball or baseball at the university.
He has been awarded the Don Sheppick Scholar Athlete Award, George Novak Scholar Athlete Award, WPIAL Scholar Athlete Scholarship, Centennial Chevrolet Scholar Athlete Award, Rotary Student of the Month and the Washington County Italian-American Scholarship.
A 2013 WPIAL Round Ball Classic Awardee, he was also a member of the 2013 Washington-Greene County All Star Team, 2013 WPIAL All Star Baseball Team, 1000 Point Basketball Club, All Section and all-district basketball junior and senior Year, basketball team MVP junior year and basketball team co-MVP senior year.
He is the senior class vice president and a member of National Honor Society, SADD, Leo Club and Model United Nations.
Puhnaty is a daughter of Jeffrey and Anita Puhnaty of Roscoe. She plans to attend the University of Pittsburgh and major in biology.
She is a Centennial Chevrolet Scholar/Athlete Spotlight Award winner, a Mid Mon Valley Hall of Fame Scholar Athlete Award winner, a Rotary Youth Leadership Award recipient, a Serene Leadership Institute graduate, softball MVP in 2012 and 2013, a George C. Novak Junior Scholar Athlete Award winner, a Washington County Zonta school representative and a Rachel Carson Book Award winner.
She was class president from her freshman to senior years, National Honor Society vice president, Model United Nations delegate, Leo Club member, SADD Club member and a Pennsylvania Junior Academy of Science participant.
Thomas is a son of Thomas Veloor Chacko and Rachel Thomas of California. He plans to attend Allegheny College to major in biology (pre-med), minor in theater and kick for the Allegheny football team.
He was the recipient of many scholarships and awards, including the Jason Conway Memorial Scholarship for band, the Roscoe Lions Club scholarship, the BCR Lions Club scholarship, the Binstown Lowhill Lions Club scholarship, the Allegheny College Trustees scholarship, the Charleroi Academic League scholarship, the President’s Volunteer Service Award, the Centennial Chevrolet Scholar/Athlete Spotlight 2012 award and the U.S. Army Reserve National Scholar/Athlete Award.
He was an all-section soccer player in 2012, a member of the Pennsylvania Music Educators Association District Orchestra in 2010, 2011 and 2012, and a member of the PMEA District Band in 2010 and 2012. He was president of the National Honor Society, Leo Club and SADD Club, a member of student council and the class treasurer.
Kent is a daughter of Ronald Kent of Roscoe and the late Amy Kent. She plans to attend Duquesne University to major in history/pre-law, with the hope of becoming a lawyer.
She was the winner of the Rotory Scholarship, the Niccolai Foundation Scholarship, the Business and Professional Women’s Foundation’s Music Award and won first- and second-place awards in the regional and state Pennsylvania Junior Academy of Science competitions from 2010 to 2012.
She was a member and section leader in the high school marching band and also participated in the concert band. She has taken dance classes since 1998 and was a member of the California softball team in middle school and high school. She participated in the Model UN, Youth and Government, the Blood Drive Team, Drama Club, GirlGov and was a member and former treasurer of the student council. She also was a member of the National Honor Society.