GCC students give back during You’ve Got a Friend Day

Greensburg – Nineteen juniors and seniors from Greensburg Central Catholic Junior-Senior High School spent Oct. 5 assisting with You’ve Got a Friend Day at Twin Lakes Park.

The annual event hosted by the Westmoreland County Bureau of Parks and Recreation provides activities for several hundred special needs children. Hundreds of student volunteers from area schools serve as buddies to the children,
GCC students Gabby Gombos and Michael McCready were paired with a wheelchair-bound student. Afterward, his teacher at Clairview School, Kristen Mulheren, told Principal Kevin Frye that they were “phenomenal.”
accompanying them throughout the day.

“They never once hesitated to take over, and asked questions about what to do in different situations. A few co-workers came up to me to let me know they saw Mike and Gabby playing games with him and helping him participate by lifting his arms. They even pushed him up to the wheelchair bus and wanted to help load him onto the lift. They went above and beyond to make his day great, and he had a blast!”
Service opportunities such as You’ve Got a Friend Day allow students to learn more about themselves as well as others in the community who have different life experiences than their own.

Junior Grace Kindel said the day made her realize “how the little things that we overlook each day can mean the world to those who don’t experience them in the same way we do, even just a short brisk walk for those who can’t walk on their own.”

Carlo Denis, Grade 12

Our Lady of Grace Parish, Greensburg

Parents: Bernard and Lori Denis

Carlo is an exceptional student, athlete and young man of faith.
Carlo is one of top students in his class with a GPA of 4.35; he has been named to the highest honor roll every quarter. He is also an exceptional soccer player and holds the school record for most goals in school history (154). Carlo was named the 2022 Tribune-Review Westmoreland Boys Soccer Player of the Year. He will attend Grove City College next year and play soccer. Despite his many gifts and public adulation, Carlo is a humble and giving person. He is a quiet leader who sets an example for others to follow.
He is a member of the National Honor Society, Science Honor Society, German Honors Society, student council, men’s soccer team, and track and field team.

As a member of the Columbian Squires since his freshman year, Carlo has been committed to service here at school as well as in our local parishes and community. He participates in Mass set-up at school and is an altar server. His spirit of generosity is a most defining testament to his strength of character and portends his future as a leader with purpose and principle.

GCC junior gets jump-start on science career

Greensburg – Last summer, Greensburg Central Catholic Junior-Senior High School junior Franco Alvarez spent eight weeks engaged in cutting-edge cancer research through the UPMC Hillman Cancer Center Academy, a science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) program that helps prepare students for successful careers in science and medicine.
“Few people have the chance to participate in ‘real’ research until after completion of an undergraduate degree, so having this experience while still in high school has opened my sights to where I can go in the future,” Franco said.

His research investigated the effects of the amino acid methionine on osteoblast (bone-forming cells) differentiation. His research involved using a qPCR machine, which measures the amount of gene expression in DNA.

“I love molecular biology, so being able to see what kind of technology is used in the real world was exciting to experience,” he said.
Franco worked in a lab, toured clinical facilities and participated in journal clubs. He said he loved bonding with other high school students from across Pennsylvania.

What really brought them together was their “common fear that we may not be smart enough to understand anything that is happening, but the participating laboratories really do a great job presenting background information and mentoring students until we felt confident,” he said.

GCC science teacher Pam Cullen said the school is proud to claim Franco as one of its own.

“I believe Franco has a very deep passion for learning in general but definitely a vested interest in the sciences. He is motivated, inquisitive, brilliant and extremely hard-working –in essence, all of the qualities needed to be a successful scientist.”
She noted that Franco is competing for scholarships and prizes by presenting his research at the Pennsylvania Junior Academy of Science competition and the Pittsburgh Regional Science and Engineering Fair.