Fox Chapel Rotary honors 10 Shady Side grads for service, academics

Ten Shady Side Academy students were honored by the Rotary Club of Fox Chapel Area for embodying ideals of good citizenship and service to others, as well as for academics.

Rotary members honored the graduating seniors during an end-of-school luncheon at the Indiana Township municipal building.

Students were chosen by academic departments at the school.

Rotarian Bill McConnel, chair of the club’s youth committee, presented the awards. Students received a certificate and a financial award, and had the opportunity to share their plans with the audience.

Honorees include:

- Thea Conomikes, nominated by the World Languages Department, will attend the University of Richmond.

- Wesley Dillon, nominated by the English Department, will attend Tulane University beginning with studies in Rome.

- Zach Kamenov, nominated by the Performing Arts/Theater Department, will attend Occidental College.

- Meredith Kelly, nominated by the History Department, will attend the University of Pittsburgh.

- Krishna Lakkimsetty, nominated by the Music Department. She is planning a gap year.

- Michael McCoy, nominated by the Math Department, will attend the University of Florida.

- Zoey Miller, nominated by the Visual Arts Department, will attend the University of Pittsburgh.

- Garrett Recker, nominated by the Computer Science Department, will attend Rochester Institute of Technology.

- Walter Scheri, nominated by the Science Department, will attend Hamilton College.

- Smrithi Shyam earned special recognition by winning the Rotary Club’s Service Above Self scholarship. She had used her Parkin Fellowship from Shady Side Academy to work with SisterFriend, a nonprofit that provides poorly housed and underprivileged women with hygiene products. In 2022, Shyam traveled to Tanzania with Her Best Foot Forward to educate young girls about hygiene and health. She will be attending UCLA.