UPPER ALLEN WOMAN'S CLUB GFWC
AWARDS
Adult Woman's Scholarship
Katherine Noss is the 1st recipient of the Upper Allen Woman's Club Foundation Adult Woman's Scholarship. Katie is a graduate of the Mechanicsburg Area High School. She received a B.S. in Nursing from Bloomsburg University and a School Nursing Certification from Millersville University. She has now returned to the School of Graduate Studies at Commonwealth University to seek a dual Master of Science in Nursing Administrations and MBA.
Katie has been a School Nurse for the Mechanicsburg Area School District and presently works for the Pennsylvania Association of Community Health Centers. During the pandemic Katie volunteered as a member of the South-Central PA Medical Reserve Corps assisting with community vaccination programs.
On February 17th, Kathrine Noss was presented with the Adult Woman's Scholarship by Upper Allen Woman's Club Foundation President, Beth O'Marr.
Mechanicsburg Area School District
Award Recipients
Each year the Upper Allen Woman's Club Foundation offers multiple $2,500 scholarships to Mechanicsburg High School seniors. Working with the Mechanicsburg Senior High guidance counselors, a committee of club members selects the recipients. The Upper Allen Woman’s Club GFWC also gives eleven $150 awards (one for each subject area). Department teachers select the recipient. The scholarship/awards are then presented at the May awards evening.
Upper Allen Woman's Club GFWC and the Upper Allen Woman’s Club Foundation jointly present the Mechanicsburg Middle School Award to a female eighth grade student at the end of the first, second, and third marking periods. The recipient of this award is selected by members of the middle school staff on the basis of her academic achievement, improvement, and participation in extracurricular activities. She receives a gift certificate to Barnes and Noble from the club and a plaque from the foundation. The winner and her parents are invited to attend the general meeting immediately following the end of the marking period.
2024 SUBJECT AWARDS
The Upper Allen Woman's Club GFWC and the Upper Allen Woman's Club Foundation presented eleven subject awards and two scholarships at the annual Senior Awards Night in May.
$150 was presented to each of the subject award winners from the Upper Allen Woman’s Club GFWC.
Upper Allen Woman's Club honored the following students with Subject Awards:
Health, Safety & Physical Education – Benjamin Wenger
Business & Information Technology – Sybella DeMaio
Tech Education – Taylor Murlatt
Family and Consumer Sciences – Andrew Stauffer
Science – Courtney Foose
English – Sophia Goss
Mathematics - Talitha Bunch
Social Studies – Ben Rhodes
Art – Kyla Mitchell
Music – McKenna Rahn
World Languages – Nathan Seibert​​
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2024 SCHOLARSHIP AWARDS
Upper Allen Woman’s Club Foundation 2024 Scholarship Recipients:
Emily Hammaker
Madeline Hoover
Checks in the amount of $2,500 each will be mailed to their respective colleges on behalf of Emily and Madeline.
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CONGRATULATIONS!
MIDDLE SCHOOL STUDENT OF THE QUARTER
The Upper Allen Woman's Club GFWC presents the Mechanicsburg Middle School Award quarterly to a female student who consistently strives for academic improvement, achievement, and participation in extracurricular activities.
2025 GFWC Pennsylvania Arts Award to Mechanicsburg Area High School Student
At the South Central District Arts Meeting on Saturday, March 8th, a Mechanicsburg Area School District senior student, Bridget Sullivan, was presented a $250 award by GFWC PA. This award was made by the state for each of the six GFWC districts. Congratulations to the student from Upper Allen Woman's Club GFWC.
Photo: Bridget Sullivan receives her award from Emily Schwartz.
President's Project
President’s Project for the Upper Allen Woman’s Club 2024-2026 – Honoring Female First Responders in Upper Allen Township –
CIARA SHAY
UAWC President Jacquie Hower and Ciara Shay, Paramedic with Penn State Health Life Lion, LLC
EMS has historically been a male dominated field, but there is a recent shift, and more women are joining this important career path. As members of the UAWC, we are excited to not only honor some of these amazing women who are serving right here in our community, but to share their stories as well.
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At Monday’s November General Meeting, Upper Allen Woman's Club GFWC honored our Female First Responders in Upper Allen Township. Ciara Shay was recognized as our first recipient by UAWC President Jacquie Hower. Ciara was given a gift bag including adult coloring book and colored pencils from Zimmerman's Automotive, The Cracked Pot Coffee Shop gift card, gift certificate from hair salon Roots, and a spa kit.
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Parents often wonder if their words and lives are making a difference in their children, but for Ciara, it was the places her parents went to work and serve every day, and the stories around the dinner table, that brought her to where she is today. Both of her parents started in fire/EMS when they were 16, and both still work in the medical field. Ciara credits their nurture and guidance as pivotal while growing up, throughout her schooling, and during all the rough days. They even encouraged her through several career changes until she landed right back where she had started as a junior member of her local EMS company in Juniata at age 14. While her initial plan to be a special forces helicopter pilot in the Army did not work out due to a medical problem, and medical school didn’t feel like the perfect fit, coming back to pursue her paramedic certification and landing a job here in Upper Allen Township feels just right. She has been here since May 2019 and works for Penn State Health Life Lion, LLC.
Ciara credits God for setting her on the perfect path that is so much greater than any path she could have set for herself. She thanks her parents for their continued support and guidance, and her husband for being there through long workdays, and emotionally supporting her on the draining days. She encourages young women who want to pursue this route to find great mentors who can give you the best training and advice. For her, this was her capstone preceptor during paramedic school, Ben Specht. He not only stood with her as a new and maybe fairly cocky paramedic but continues to be a solid sounding board when she needs honest advice.
The biggest joys in her career have been knowing that she often gets to play a small part in making a difference in someone’s life. Sometimes that means treating a person who is critically ill and keeping them alive long enough to get them to the hospital, or just holding someone’s hand who is having a really bad day. Getting to hug someone that you saved gives her a joy that can’t be adequately expressed. She has been able to meet two cardiac arrest survivors that she helped care for, and the one baby that she has helped deliver in her career thus far. These experiences are why she does what she does, and what keeps her going each and every day.
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UAWC honors Ciara and thanks her for her service to our community.
January 20, 2025
AMBER KAMINSKI
UAWC President Jacquie Hower and Amber Kaminski of the Upper Allen Township Fire Department
Amber Kaminski, firefighter and membership secretary for Upper Allen Township Fire Department, remembers chasing firetrucks on her bicycle when she was younger. She never imagined that one day she would be on the firetruck watching other little children chase after her!
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Amber decided to become a firefighter as a way to get herself through a difficult time in her life, but it grew into so much more than that. She loves giving back to her community! Helping people and serving in this way makes her heart happy. Even on difficult days, it gives her joy to be in this needed role.
Amber has experienced much personal growth as a firefighter. She loves to see other young ladies become firefighters and advises them not to be afraid. She encourages them push past their limits, and see the amazing things they can accomplish!
Amber is thankful for her husband’s encouragement in her firefighter journey. She has been inspired by his unwavering dedication to emergency services and has learned a lot just by watching him. He encourages her to push herself farther than she thinks she can go.
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The Upper Allen Woman’s Club congratulates Firefighter Amber Kaminski and thanks her for her service.
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January 20, 2025
AMANDA KNAUB
Officer Amanda Knaub of the Upper Allen Township Police Department
Today, we are honor Amanda Knaub who is a patrol officer for the Upper Allen Township Police Department. Law enforcement has historically been a male dominated field, but there is a recent shift, and more women are joining this important career path. As members of the UAWC, we are excited to not only honor some of these amazing women who are serving right here in our community, but to share their stories as well.
If you had asked high school Amanda what she would be doing after high school, a patrol officer would have been the farthest thing from her mind. Amanda was a multi-sport athlete and many of her fellow athletes were headed into the medical field to become physical therapists. By the time she got to college, however, she concluded that this was not the right path for her. After some self-reflection, she decided that the most meaningful and fulfilling job that she could pursue was one that was in the criminal justice or law enforcement field.
Amanda has always looked up to, and respected, the men and women who choose to protect and serve their communities. She loves that now she can impact others on a daily basis and serve those who don’t have the resources or abilities to help themselves. Her biggest joy, however, is being a role model for young women. Outside of being a female in a male-dominated field, she coaches soccer at a local high school and soccer club. She encourages her players to never underestimate themselves.
Amanda’s mom has been her biggest supporter and role model for her. She never doubted Amanda’s abilities and has supported her through the good times and the bad. Amanda knows she is making her family and friends proud.
The Upper Allen Woman’s Club congratulates Officer Amanda Knaub and thanks her for her service.
February 17, 2025
OLIVIA BERRA
UAWC Foundation President Beth O'Marr with Olivia Berra (on left),
of the Upper Allen Township EMS Department
EMS has historically been a male dominated field, but there is a recent shift and more women are joining this important career path. As members of the UAWC, we are excited to not only honor some of these amazing women who are serving right here in our community, but to share their stories as well. Today we want to honor Olivia Berra.
The field of emergency medical services, while life-giving for Olivia, is not a career choice, but a stepping stone to her future career. Olivia’s plan has been to gain useful medical experience before eventually entering pharmacy school. While she does plan to attend pharmacy school in the fall, she has found EMS so much more enjoyable than she ever expected, and she plans to continue serving her community in some capacity no matter where she lives in the future.
Her greatest joy is accomplishing great patient care with fantastic friends by her side. She knows the importance of being surrounded by supportive coworkers, to encourage each other on the toughest days when the life sustaining treatments that can be offered are just not enough to guarantee that every patient is going to be okay. Her family has also been a great support, despite the fact that none of her relatives has experience in this area.
Olivia encourages other young women to pursue this life path. She believes this career lets you grow mentally, physically, and emotionally very quickly. She says that the lessons you learn while helping people on their worst days are invaluable in offering a new perspective on how valuable life is.
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