Montour High School Alumni at Carnegie Mellon University: Shaping Education and Innovation
Montour High School, located just outside of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, has a strong connection to Carnegie Mellon University (CMU), a world-renowned institution known for its excellence in computer science, engineering, and the arts. This article explores the impact of Montour High School alumni who have attended CMU, focusing on their contributions to education, innovation, and the broader Pittsburgh community.
The Montour-Carnegie Mellon Pipeline: Fostering Future Leaders
The proximity of Montour High School to Carnegie Mellon University creates a natural pipeline for students interested in pursuing higher education in STEM fields. Montour High School's commitment to innovation and its partnership with CMU provide students with unique opportunities to engage in cutting-edge research and prepare for future careers.
Montour School District: A Hub of Innovation
Montour School District has demonstrated a commitment to fostering innovation in education. The district's four-day senior leadership retreat at Inventionland, led by newly appointed superintendent Dr. Michael Ghilani, aimed to "unbox" the thinking of the administrative team and develop a clear vision and common organizational values. The retreat took place at several locations throughout the Pittsburgh region, including the Energy Innovation Center and Inventionland, whose mission is “to INSPIRE THE CREATOR WITHIN - a perfect alignment with everything the Montour School District is doing,” explained Nathan Field, Executive Director at Inventionland.
Montour's team also spent a day at LUMA Institute utilizing the LUMA System of Innovation, featured in the Harvard Business Review. Participants used LUMA’s system to develop a fresh set of Core Values based on a survey of Montour staff members. Bill Lucas, Co-Founder of LUMA, expressed enthusiasm: “It calls for more people to be more innovative, more often. That’s why it is so heartening to see Montour’s leadership team engaging everyone from board members to bus drivers." The principles of hard work, resilience, persistence, and personal responsibility lead to a life of limitless personal growth and expanding intelligence. The district believes in a learning culture founded on the principles of reflection, engagement, empowerment, and personal responsibility.
Partnership with Carnegie Mellon University
Montour School District announced a partnership with Carnegie Mellon University, including a permanent LearnLab space. Researchers from Carnegie will work side-by-side with school staff members to connect theories of learning with identified best practices that will maximize classroom instruction. An example of a joint research study between Montour and Carnegie Mellon University involves Stoichiometry virtual lab software. A learning network portal was also recently created using Schoology, named the Montour Learning Network.
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According to Eric Valcheff, Schoology Vice President, “At Schoology our aim is to transform what’s possible in education, we’re thrilled to be the LMS for such an important initiative.” The network’s vision is modeled after Pittsburgh’s Remake Learning initiative and will serve as a resource to shape the future of teaching and learning based upon Montour’s newly written Core Values. Schoology was chosen as the PD portal because of its flexibility and the personalization needed to meet teachers where they are in their personal learning pathway. Adult Learning Badges in the system will be utilized to showcase teachers’ areas of strength so teachers can connect to experts within their own school system.
Fostering Essential Skills for the Future
Chet Pipkin, CEO of Belkin International, participated in an Education to Employment panel discussion at the Schools That Can National Forum at Loyola Marymount University. Pipkin listed the top 3 skills students need for the workforce: the ability to be Nimble, Creative, and Problem-Solvers. Montour took these words to heart and believe that everyone in the Montour School community should embrace a Growth Mindset to be Nimble, Creative, and Problem-Solvers.
Montour has developed new approaches to learning by installing a Virtual Immersion Lab (VIL). The district purchased technology through a STEAM grant from the Allegheny Intermediate Unit’s Center for Creativity, supported by the Grable Foundation, Chevron, and Benedum Foundations. The Virtual Immersion Lab includes displays made by zSpace, an immersive, virtual reality technology that allows students to learn STEM subjects using 3D, virtual-holographic images that they can move and manipulate.
Montour also piloted Project Playground, an app designed to assess and accelerate students’ collaboration skills in elementary classrooms. Project Playground was designed by local Pittsburgh-based educators and the winner of Pittsburgh Startup Weekend Education. It uses student and teacher feedback to give teachers new insight into their students’ collaboration skills while helping teachers enhance Project-Based Learning in their classrooms.
Notable Alumni: Bridging Montour and Carnegie Mellon
Several Montour High School alumni have gone on to make significant contributions in various fields after attending Carnegie Mellon University. One example is Mr. J, who grew up in Pittsburgh and attended Montour High School. In addition to playing soccer and being a member of the math team, Mr. J was also a peer tutor. He attended Carnegie Mellon University in Pittsburgh, majoring in computer science. Carnegie Mellon is also where Randy Pausch taught computer science. Pausch, is known for his inspiring “Last Lecture,” delivered not long before he died of pancreatic cancer at age 47 in 2008.
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Mr. J teaches Algebra II & Trigonometry at Abington High School and Grade 7 math at the Frolio Middle School, as well as computer science. He became interested in computers at an early age. “I started using my family’s PC when I was about 5-years-old, and was amazed by everything it could do. Ever since then, I’ve been fascinated by computers and have always enjoyed exploring how they work,” said Mr. J.
Contributions to the Arts and Entertainment
Pittsburgh has produced a wealth of talent in the arts and entertainment industries. Alumni from the region, including those with connections to Carnegie Mellon University, have achieved success on national and international stages.
Justin Andrew Honard, for example, grew up in Erie, Pennsylvania, before moving to Pittsburgh to study theater at the University of Pittsburgh. He dabbled in various jobs and projects in the Steel City before moving to Los Angeles to pursue acting, where he conceived the concept and personality of her drag persona, Alaska. Alaska went on to compete in the fifth season of RuPaul's Drag Race and came out as the runner-up.
Contributions to Music
Many musicians with ties to Pittsburgh and Carnegie Mellon have made significant contributions to the music industry. Some notable examples include:
- Art Blakey: Drummer and leader of the Jazz Messengers, a hard bop ensemble of the 1940s.
- Billy Eckstine: Known for his smooth baritone and distinctive vibrato, broke down barriers throughout the 1940s.
- Christina Aguilera: Singer who began her career singing "The Star-Spangled Banner" before Pittsburgh Penguins hockey, Pittsburgh Steelers football, and Pittsburgh Pirates baseball games.
- Erroll Garner: Musician and composer best known for "Misty."
- Dan Smyers: Half of the country music duo Dan + Shay, attended Carnegie Mellon University.
- Daya: Singer and songwriter who released her debut extended play (EP), Daya, on Sept. 4, 2015.
- Donnie Iris: Rock musician known for his work with the Jaggerz and Wild Cherry.
- George Benson: Singer who has achieved success both as a jazz musician and a pop vocalist.
- Henry Mancini: Studied at Carnegie Tech (now Carnegie Mellon University) and Juilliard in New York City.
- Jackie Evancho: Pine-Richland graduate who gained wide recognition at an early age, singing primarily classical crossover covers.
- Loren Allred: Daughter of Brady R. Allred, former director of the Pittsburgh Bach Choir, and Carol Ann Allred, classical soprano and voice teacher.
- Lou Christie: His shrieking falsetto was among the most distinctive voices in all of pop music.
- Mac Miller: Began rap career in Pittsburgh's hip hop scene in 2007.
- Mary Lou Williams: Played piano professionally from a very early age.
- Perry Como: Landed a spot in the Freddie Carlone Orchestra and in 1937, joined the Ted Weems orchestra.
- Ray Brown: Jazz bassist who collaborated with Dizzy Gillespie, Ella Fitzgerald, and Duke Ellington.
- Renée Fleming: Studied at the Juilliard School and holds degrees from the State University of New York at Potsdam and the Eastman School of Music.
- Stanley Turrentine: Played tenor sax, mixing jazz with blues, rock, rhythm and blues and pop.
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