Blog

We are so grateful for Tara Monaco, who spent the summer tending to The Neighborhood Academy’s community garden.

As a student in the Master Gardener Program at Phipps Conservatory and Botanical Gardens, Tara’s efforts in beautifying the space benefited both her class and her own gardening skills!

Tara worked with Kristin Rubin’s science students to plant marigolds in class. “The students watched the seeds germinate in peat moss right there in the classroom, and when they were ready, I planted them outside,” said Tara. “I love working in the community, and this project gave me pure joy. My two-year-old grandson joined me a few times to help water the plants!”

Tara is a native Pittsburgher and lives in Edgewood. She spent 15 years with UPMC Health Plan during which time she had the opportunity to explore several areas of philanthropic interest. That led her to a career at Northwestern Mutual which is a significant donor to The Neighborhood Academy. Tara has historically volunteered with charities that focus on food insecurity, and we are grateful that she has found The Neighborhood Academy!

“Volunteering with The Neighborhood Academy is inspirational,” she said. “Schools like The Neighborhood Academy can change the world. There should be one in every community. The students are our future, and that’s what really matters.”

Joy Simpson ’19 is an X-ray Technologist with Express Mobile Diagnostic Services (EMDS). She has a clear picture of what it takes to be successful.

EMDS is a 24/7 traveling imaging service operating in eight states and provides X-ray and ultrasound results to patients in only a matter of minutes. Joy works three 12-hour shifts and travels 800 miles around Western PA each week.

“It’s a lot of travel, and I love it. It’s taught me how to work in all different settings – from people’s houses to nursing homes to jails,” said Joy. “As a mobile service, we do all the setup, calculations, and radiation factoring right on the spot. This experience has made me a better technologist.”

Joy credits her passion for radiology to her outstanding professors at Community College of Allegheny County (CCAC), and she credits one particular TNA teacher for her drive for excellence: Gary Shawley.

“Mr. Shawley proved to me that I was capable of more in the academic setting. Whether calling on me in class to discuss my perspectives, highlighting my writing capabilities, or simply affirming me as a student, his teaching helped cultivate me into who I am today,” said Joy.

Joy’s grandmother has played an important role in her life and continues to be an inspiration for her.

“My grandmother is brilliant, and she’s an inspiration to me as a Black woman. Where I come from, you don’t see many African American women going to college, getting their master’s or doctorates,” said Joy. “My grandmother got her master’s in theology in her 60s, and to see her continuing to excel amazes me.”

Joy and her husband Darren were married in late August and currently reside in Forest Hills. She recently completed her clinical rotation and plans on taking her board exams in the next few months. Joy then has plans to go into Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) or teaching! Whatever she chooses to do, she will know the field of radiology inside and out!

Over the summer, TNA senior Nathaniel completed The UPMC Hillman Cancer Center Academy – an immersive mentored research program for high school students. During this eight-week program, he engaged in cutting edge cancer research working in laboratories directed by dedicated University of Pittsburgh faculty.

The program consists of eight different mini programs and Nathaniel was assigned to women’s cancer research. “The Hillman Academy was an amazing opportunity,” he said. “I was able to study the concept of DNA Methylation – a form of epigenetics that is still very new in the world of science and cancer research.”

Epigenetics does not affect the nucleotide sequence in DNA, but still affects DNA in a different process. Nathaniel said that he hopes they will use his research someday to expand upon DNA Methylation. “It’s inspiring that something I worked on for eight weeks could possibly change the world of medicine,” he said.

Nathaniel aspires to major in neuroscience or biology, studying to become a surgeon. He has a strong list of college options including University of Pennsylvania, Penn State University, Temple University, University of Maryland, Baltimore County, or The University of Pittsburgh.

Nathaniel isn’t just all brains. He has a passion for biking and has been riding with Pittsburgh Youth Leadership (PYL) since the sixth grade. He has completed some epic trips riding to North Carolina, Wyoming, and the Cumberland to Washington D.C. trip. When he started at The Neighborhood Academy, he didn’t know how to ride a bike. He said that Mr. Ron Snyder took the time to teach him.

From that point, he earned his 1,000-mile jacket, and today has completed more than 4,000 miles with the group. Through everything Nathaniel does, his inspiration is his family, and making them proud is his motivation. “It is almost instinctual for me to make my family proud,” he said. “I have great parents, a younger sister, and an older brother with special needs that are my driving force.”

Lisa Ross from McKees Rocks is a mother of two TNA graduates. Having been deeply involved in the TNA community for years, she realized she was learning alongside her children the entire time. In 2015, Lisa didn’t have a degree, a driver’s license, or even a car. She had clear aspirations for her family but lacked direction on how to achieve them. Despite working full-time, she dedicated countless hours to TNA and remained actively engaged in the lives of her children and their school peers.

“At the time, I was part of a TNA parent committee where I would volunteer for different school activities and attend sporting events,” said Lisa. “The information from the programs was fueling me…I was learning with the students how to achieve my own goals.”

Since then, Lisa has obtained a bachelor’s and master’s degree in education. She currently teaches at Propel Schools in Pittsburgh and works as an educator in TNA’s Summer Academy.

“While my kids have graduated, I still want to be a part of TNA’s continued blessings,” said Lisa. “The faculty and staff truly care. At the end of the day, they’re always discussing how they can make things better for the next day, the next week, the next year."

Having watched her own daughter grow and graduate from TNA (now a Robert Morris University student studying finance), Lisa was ecstatic when TNA opened its Middle School for Girls in fall 2023.

Lisa said that when one experiences TNA, it has a positive effect on the entire family. She said she was so excited when TNA opened its Middle School for Boys in 2017. “I watched the students grow into intelligent, artistic, athletic, capable, young men attending the colleges of their choice,” she said. “I cannot wait to see the young ladies graduate in six years.”

Naya Winters, a recent TNA graduate and Stanton Heights resident, will be heading down to the Bayou State this summer to attend Xavier University of Louisiana. At 18 years old, Naya is excited to expand her horizons outside of Pittsburgh to pursue a degree in Pre-Med Biology.  

“I received a generous yearly scholarship from Xavier and qualified to take part in their honors courses. I’m excited to start!” said Naya. “I’ve lived in Pittsburgh my whole life. I want to see new things, meet new people, and see the real world.”
 

After college, Naya has plans to return to the Steel City to attend medical school at the University of Pittsburgh. Her ultimate goal is to one day become an OB/GYN.

“At first, I didn’t know what I wanted to do. I thought about going into acting,  becoming an esthetician, or even starting my own business,” said Naya. In 11th grade, she wrote a paper about the discrimination of the Black community in the medical field and the low representation of Black professionals in the field.

“I learned that Black women have a much higher mortality rate than White women during pregnancy,” she said. “Many people don’t understand the pain that Black women endure and these are the reasons why I want to become a doctor for women.”

Naya is a talented student in and out of the classroom. Although she loves math and anything STEM related, and she is a skilled actress and hair stylist. She also works part-time at Prantl's Bakery in Shadyside, and with 10 older siblings, she is always busy babysitting her nieces and
nephews.

Her favorite memory at TNA involved the college tour at Ohio State University last year. “The van ride was so much fun,” she said. “We played on the basketball courts, went out for some good food, and it was so much fun just being with my friends.”

Naya has a quote tattooed on herself – a reminder to always think positively and the power of manifestation. 

It reads: “It all begins and ends with the mind. What you give power has power over you, if you allow it.”

Congratulations, Naya!
 

Cierra Price-Knight

It’s never a dull moment in TNA Senior Cierra Price-Knight’s world. A Penn Hills native, Cierra’s life revolves around community, competitive sports, and as of late, college acceptances!

“I’ve been accepted to 14 colleges, and my goal is to earn a BS in Nursing,” Cierra said. “While Pennsylvania has a major footprint in healthcare, I want to explore new places. Why not get out and look for more?”

Her top five schools are Morgan State University (MD), University of Akron (OH), Robert Morris University (PA), Delaware State University (DE), and Claflin University (SC). Cierra also plans to possibly major or minor in Criminology and capitalize on her passion for investigating and problem solving. Her schedule outside the realm of academics is jam-packed with volunteerism, sports, and self-expression.

“I’m involved at Trinity Missionary Baptist Church in Lawrenceville as a youth choir director and coordinate our holiday show and our Fourth Sunday youth scripture readings. I also like to dance, sing, and act,” she said. “At TNA I play basketball and compete in track and field. I also play flag football on the side. I always like a good audience.”

Cierra has the record for most blocked shots in a basketball game (13). She played volleyball, currently runs the girls 200-meter sprint, and throws shot put, discus, and javelin in Field. She hopes to continue doing Track and Field in college.

Cierra’s favorite memory at TNA is of her sophomore year pep rally when fellow classmate, Brent Jernigan, Jr. performed and the students stormed the basketball court in celebration. Given her competitive spirit, she always enjoys a good Blue and Orange competition – TNA’s annual school-wide games.

Cierra enjoys her family and has an older brother and younger sister, who is a TNA freshman. She has a love of different cultures and cultural foods, stemming from her Jamaican parents who ran a Caribbean-inspired restaurant in East Liberty. Cierra looks forward to TNA’s upcoming international trip to Italy and Greece in spring 2024 to see the sights and test her taste buds.

“Trying the foods is big for me. I’m looking forward to comparing real Italian and Greek foods with ours here in America,” she said. “We’ll be traveling for almost two weeks, and that will be plenty of time for me to explore the cultures.”

The Reverend Karie Charlton

The Reverend Karie Charlton of Green Tree was the Associate Pastor at Third Presbyterian Church from 2014 to 2023, and her personal vocation has always benefited the students and mission of The Neighborhood Academy.

Third Presbyterian Church was an ‘Over The Bridge’ donor which supports the cost of educating a student for three years. Rev. Charlton always had a special connection with their sponsored student, Anthony Duckett ‘20.

“The church has a community bulletin board, and anytime I saw Anthony featured on social media or had any news about him, I would post it on the board,” said Rev. Charlton. “Anthony was a very bright student, won science awards, and was on the basketball team. I would meet with him at TNA’s graduations at Third Presbyterian Church, and even went to a Pirates game with him.”

“Rev. Tom Johnson’s father was the previous sexton at Third Presbyterian Church. I always heard stories of Tom wearing his football pads and running the stairs of the church for condition training when he was in high school,” said Rev. Charlton. “It was always fun when he visited the building as an adult. He always had a story to tell – the man is a legend.”

Like many, Rev. Charlton’s favorite memory of TNA is walking through the doors of the academic building and being greeted by the students, faculty, and staff.

“Someone at the door is always happy to see you at TNA. When I first walked into the school, I was greeted by name, offered a beverage, and took a tour,” said Rev. Charlton. “The students glow! And it is clear that the building is very special to them.”

After meeting with TNA’s former Director of Counseling Services, Debbie Krochka, and former English Instructor, Jennifer Kane, Rev. Charlton got involved in TNA’s chapel services, teacher orientation, and teaching menstrual health to the female students.

Rev. Charlton has been donating to The Neighborhood Academy through automatic monthly donations since 2017.

“My TNA donation leaves my bank account on the same day my paycheck arrives. For me, giving isn’t a sacrifice, and with automatic donations, I don’t even notice!” said Rev. Charlton. “I live in abundance of what remains after giving.”

Please contact Landis Erwin, Director of Development, at 412-626-6851 x104 or landis.erwin@theneighborhoodacademy.org if you are interested in setting up automatic monthly donations.

Pat Kennedy

Pat is an active member at St. Andrew’s Episcopal Church in Highland Park and finds her purpose by giving back to her community and to The Neighborhood Academy. Born and raised in Pittsburgh, Pat and her late husband lived all over the country and returned to Pittsburgh in 2002. No matter where they lived, they were always active in their faith community.

“My husband worked for Gulf Oil, and we lived north, south, east, west and eventually came back to Pittsburgh,” she said. “I first heard about The Neighborhood Academy when Rev. Tom Johnson spoke at Fox Chapel Episcopal Church. My husband joined a group of gentlemen who helped prepare meals when the school was in Garfield. When we transferred to St. Andrew’s Episcopal Church, that’s when we really began getting involved,” said Pat.

For years, St. Michael’s of the Valley in Ligonier has stuffed and donated backpacks for TNA students as a back-to-school gesture. As the school began to grow larger and larger, the task of stuffing and delivering the backpacks became quite the task, and St. Michael’s reached out to St. Andrew’s for assistance.

“At the time, I was the head of outreach at St. Andrew’s, and we were happy to help,” said Pat. The backpacks are such a wonderful project, and we’ve been involved ever since!”

While at St. Andrew’s, Pat was on the vestry twice and was also the Sr. Warden, and her service to TNA did not stop at the annual backpack donation. Three or four times a year, she and the Outreach Committee re-stock TNA’s family essentials, items not covered by food stamps. She has also invited TNA leadership and alumni to update St. Andrew’s congregation during their ‘Minute for Ministry.’

“It’s important that our congregation gets a ‘Hello, Neighbor’ from some of the groups we support. I want TNA to be more than just a name of a school that they hear,” said Pat. “We make sure St. Andrew’s Outreach Committee take tours of TNA annually to see the beautiful academic building and meet the students,” said Pat.

To give back for all the support, TNA students rake leaves and do some minor landscaping on St. Andrew’s grounds. To keep her mind sharp, Pat takes classes through the Osher Lifelong Learning Institute hosted by the University of Pittsburgh and Carnegie Mellon University.

“After one of my classes, I asked the instructor if he was familiar with The Neighborhood Academy, since he taught at Pittsburgh Public Schools. He said to me, ‘There should be 30 Neighborhood Academies in Pittsburgh’… The work the school does, the students, the whole approach is so different from public schools. It’s beautiful.”