Connor Coyle ’20 (Seton House)

Connor Coyle is the valedictorian for the Class of 2020! As the school captain, Connor not only took on a leadership role this year, but competed on local television on BrainBusters, participated in a variety of musical opportunities, and kept up a strenuous workload. Connor plans to attend Georgetown University’s Walsh School of Foreign Service for a Bachelor of Science in Foreign Service.

In his words: “Being a student at Trinity has allowed me to take many advanced classes and taught me to make the most of the opportunities that have been presented to me.  It amazes me that such a small school can offer students the ability to truly customize their experiences to achieve their goals in high school, both inside the classroom and out.  Trinity has also allowed me to develop close relationships with my classmates and teachers, which is something that I will miss dearly after graduation.  My experiences with campus ministry and apostolic service at Trinity are two of the factors that led me to choose to attend a Jesuit university.”

Connor’s highlights from his high school experience include: attending Kairos LXXII, representing Trinity at band festivals throughout Pennsylvania, being on the Quiz Bowl team (particularly competing on Brain Busters, participating in tournaments throughout PA, winning 3 consecutive league titles, and attending the 2019 High School National Championships in Atlanta), playing in the pit for the Spring musical (particularly Annie and Beauty and the Beast), and interacting with his classmates every day.

Giana Abbas ’20 (Seton House)

Giana Abbas is the salutatorian for the Class of 2020! She plans to study computer science at Villanova University.

At Trinity, Giana is involved with a number of clubs and activities, including: mock trial, pep club, game club, environmental club, and Community Voices Together (a service program with pairs students with special needs at Cumberland Valley High School, with “buddies” from Trinity High School). Giana also competed on the tennis team, was vice president of the astronomy club, and served the House System as an activity representative and Mentor Group Leader.

In her words: “I’ve had a lot of really good classes and teachers, but the most influential was probably Mr. Olivetti’s junior year morality class because it focused on the meaning behind moral teachings of the Church and how the main idea is to treat people equally. To me, the big message was about compassion, and I’d never had a class that presented this idea in such a strong and relatable way.”

Colin Gabler ’99

Colin Gabler ‘99, an associate professor of marketing at Ohio University, has been awarded a Fulbright Scholarship for a one-semester teaching and research opportunity at the University of Pécs, in Hungary. As a Fulbright Scholar, Colin will teach students, conduct research, engage with the local Hungarian community, and strengthen the bonds between OU and the University of Pécs. This competitive award is selected based on academic and professional achievement, service, and demonstrated leadership. Colin holds a Ph.D. in Marketing from the University of Alabama and an M.A. in Creative Writing from Wilkes University.

Colin and his wife, Kathleen Kelliher Gabler ’03, will travel to Hungary in January of 2021. Colin will teach a course adapted from his OU class on professional sales and relationship management, as well as mentoring doctoral students to help launch their academic careers. He will also research the impact of pricing on consumer decision-making and the ethical implications for businesses. In the community, Colin will speak at engagements throughout Hungary and engage with the entire Fulbright Network.

Kathleen’s background is in environmental and plant biology, as well as community planning and geography, and the faculty in Pécs is helping to find a teaching and/or community outreach position for her. Though the pair don’t speak Hungarian, they are spending the next few months learning what they can and are excited to live in Europe and travel afterward.

As a professor, Colin’s experiences with his teachers have influenced his own teaching style and way of interacting with others, especially Mr. Carr, who Colin describes as having a “tremendous impact on [his] life.” He said, Mr. Carr “made me love mathematics and problem-solving because he took something abstract (like cosigns and tangents) and made it applicable through a story.” Colin shared a vivid memory of Calculus class, which is especially poignant during Teacher Appreciation Week:

“I have one very vivid memory from calculus. I had studied very hard for an exam and because there were a dozen or so formulas to remember, I put them in my TI-83 calculator. I remember going through the exam, doing well, and at one point, Mr. Carr was standing behind me. I looked up at him, we both smiled I think, and I went back to my calculator and the exam. When I handed it in, he asked me to stay after class. All of a sudden I am panicking, but I don’t know why. When everyone left, he said, “Mr. Gabler, do you know why I kept you after class?” to which I said, ‘Honestly no.’ He asked if I cheated on the exam to which I again replied ‘no.’ He asked for my calculator and went to the screen with the formulas. He said we were supposed to have the formulas memorized and I immediately broke into a cold sweat. ‘I truly didn’t know, I am sorry,’ I said. ‘I didn’t try to hide it, I had my calculator right on my desk, even when you walked by, honestly I didn’t know.’ He smiled and nodded and said he understood. ‘I believe you, it was an honest mistake. Here’s what we’re going to do. If I do nothing it will be unfair to the other students who memorized the formulas, but if I give you a zero–which is the policy–it is unfair to you. So which questions did you use the formulas for?’ We went through the exam and he marked with a red X the questions I pointed to and then he graded it on the spot. My grade went from somewhere in the 90s to somewhere in the low 60s (not every question needed a formula and he trusted that in some cases I knew them). He then asked if I thought that was fair, and I said it was. Looking back, I don’t even remember what grade I got that semester, but it really taught me to trust people. As a professor, I give every student the opportunity to evaluate their performance and my assessment of their performance, then I give them a window of time to come to me with questions or concerns. We are all human, and we all make mistakes (me or them). Also, everyone is going through their own thing, and so a little transparency and trust goes a long way.”

Tori Fanucci ’16

Tori Fanucci ’16, a senior at West Virginia University, devoted a significant portion of her college career to running her school’s MountaineerTHON and rebranding the 21-year old organization. She participated in Trinity’s mini-THON each year of high school, at first just attracted to what THON stood for, and growing passionate about its mission over time. Mrs. Lindholm and Mrs. Stager, Trinity’s mini-THON moderators at the time, helped her grow through their support and advice. By her senior year, finding a college that had a THON was a key factor in her college choice. “I knew that I wanted to continue participating in Dance Marathons and working to raise money for children’s charities,” Tori said.

West Virginia University’s MountaineerTHON is an 8-hour event with up to 400 participants. Tori served on the Executive Board every year at WVU, including serving as the Director, Executive President, and President (after the restructuring that Tori helped to lead). Practically, that meant Tori oversaw and assisted all committees, organized team building, and acted as a liaison between MountaineerTHON, Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals, WVU Medicine Children’s, and the University, and did general community outreach.

Besides the time commitment required to run THON each year and balancing demanding biology and Italian courses, Tori worked to rebrand the MountaineerTHON. Despite existing for more than two decades, the program was not a prominent feature of the school. Tori led a rebranding effort beginning at the end of her sophomore year, meant to create a sustainable organization structure. Tori was just recognized by Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals for the Miracle Network Dance Marathon Distinguished Leader Award for these efforts.

In the end, Tori was motivated by the relationships she built with her peers and the Miracle Kids and their families. She said, the Miracle Kids were an “inspiration” to her. “It was amazing being able to celebrate our organization’s accomplishments alongside them. I’ve been able to interact with some of the families outside of just MountaineerTHON events and this has played a huge role in helping me to determine what I want to do after graduation and throughout my life,” she said. After graduating with a Bachelors of Science in Biology and a minor in Italian, Tori plans to take a gap year and start medical school in the Fall of 2021, with the plan of specializing in pediatric surgery.