Hempfield man honored with Pittsburgh Technical College Richard S. Caliguiri Award

Matthew Stoltz was determined to finish his bachelor’s degree this year, even if it meant completing assignments from his hospital bed.

Stoltz, who was studying applied business management at Pittsburgh Technical College, was diagnosed with leukemia on May 4, 2020. The diagnosis caused the 31-year-old Hempfield resident to spend most of the past year battling cancer at West Penn Hospital in Pittsburgh’s Bloomfield neighborhood and at AHN Hempfield Neighborhood Hospital, where he completed arsenic treatments.

“I actually was doing my assignments from my hospital room while I was getting arsenic treatments,” Stoltz said. “I didn’t miss any assignments, which I was very proud of and was able to get all my work done on time. The staff at PTC were fantastic in keeping me updated and they were very accommodating. … It was really a difficult time in my life.”

Almost a year after his initial diagnosis, Stoltz said he received the all-clear from doctors and in January completed his degree from the North Fayette Township school. During a virtual graduation ceremony last month, he was honored with the Pittsburgh Technical College Richard S. Caliguiri Award, given to top students in the graduating class.

“It’s a true honor to be recognized by the school with this award because it is something that very few get, and I really, really appreciate the staff and the business department considering me for the award,” Stoltz said. “It’s something I’ve worked hard for to get my bachelor’s after I’d been in the workforce for so long and I was glad I was able to get it taken care of.”

The award was created in 1981 in honor of Caliguiri, who was mayor of Pittsburgh from 1977-88 and a PTC graduate. It recognizes academic and personal achievement as well as perseverance, professionalism and leadership. So far, 927 people have received the award, including 10 from the January and April graduating classes.

“This award allows PTC faculty to distinguish graduating students that have demonstrated success in academics, perseverance, professionalism and leadership during their education at PTC,” Christine Ioli, alumni coordinator, said in a statement. “The honorees can take great pride in knowing they are seen as models of exemplary students.”

Stoltz is a 2008 graduate of the Hempfield Area School District and received his associate’s degree in 2010 from Pittsburgh Technical College. He works as a senior designer at Kennametal in Unity.

Of the experience, Stoltz said, “I look at it as I’m going to get through this, I can’t let it affect what’s going to happen after I’m done with the treatment, so that’s how I kind of went at it and thankfully it all worked out in the way I’d hoped.”