PITTSBURGH — Emily Grecco, a senior dual degree secondary social studies education and history major at Duquesne University, is the university's first Honors Fellow in Education.

She is a 2013 graduate of Butler High School.

Professors approved her for the program. Previously, it only included health and natural science majors and their independent research. Grecco proved that an arts and humanities major could receive this title as well.

Her project used resources from the musical “Hamilton” to research ways to present historical and educational information to students in a more narrative, factual way.

Grecco's research and status as an honors fellow allowed her to represent Duquesne at the Undergraduate Research Day at the Capitol in Harrisburg and to be a candidate for fellowship opportunities at Georgetown University and the University of Pennsylvania.

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CRANBERRY TWP — Sydney Brower, a fourth-grade student at Rowan Elementary, along with outstanding elementary school students from across the nation, will participate in the National Youth Leadership Forum: Pathways to STEM in July.

At the event, she will explore life as an engineer, a doctor or a detective through hands-on interactive learning, simulations and role playing and learn how to innovate and think creatively.

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JACKSON TWP —- Seneca Valley High School students in video production classes brought home four awards from the Robert Morris University Digital Media Arts Consortium (DMAC) student video contest.

Senior Alex Carter won Best in Category in the Digital Cinema group for his film “Waiting.”

Senior Krist Munoz-Malave won in the Video as Art category for “Noisome.”

Senior Colin Tierney won for his animated film “Scale” in the Special Effects category.

The SVTV production crew won in the Live Event category for a portion of the football senior night broadcast. Colin Tierney, Jack Reynolds, Alex Restauri and Ray Hazenstab led a team of at least a dozen students responsible for productions of football games.

More than 500 students from Western Pennsylvania participated in the contest.

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UNIVERSITY HEIGHTS, Ohio — John Carroll University students Rachel Schratz of Butler, Brianna Chlosta of Mars and Mary Flynn of Valencia recently participated in service learning immersion experiences with ministries and community organizations to raise awareness about social justice issues.

Students in the program were assigned to one of three locations.

Schratz learned from a community of migrant farmers in Immokalee, Fla.

Chlosta volunteered in outreach ministry focused on refugees in Louisville, Ky.

Flynn participated in work projects with the Oglala Lakota Indian communities at the reservation in Pine Ridge, S.D.

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CLARION — Patrick Anna was inducted into Beta Gamma Sigma, the international honor society for academic achievement in the study of business, at Clarion University.

He is the son of Jeff and Pam Anna of Slippery Rock.

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ANNVILLE. — Lebanon Valley College honored Ian Brown of Grove City and Lauren Decker of Grove City as recipients of the Who's Who Among Students in American Universities and Colleges award.

Brown is a graduate of Grove City High School and studying for bachelor's degrees in health science and music.

Decker also is a graduate of Grove City High School. She is studying for a bachelor's degree in health science.

The award recognizes leadership, volunteerism and other campus activities.

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Huntingdon — Savannah Parson, a junior at Juniata College, was selected for the 2017 Mike Yarrow Peace Fellowship in Seattle, Wash.

Parson, who is studying social organization and change, is the daughter of Larry Parson and Jennifer Parson of Slippery Rock. She is a 2014 graduate of Slippery Rock High School.

During the 10-day program, Parson will participate in nonviolence and social justice training.

The program includes a grant to implement a project. Parson plans to use the grant to find a creative solution to the limited street lighting surrounding the Juniata College campus.

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MARIETTA, Ohio — Kaitlin Sarago of Mars was recognized at the annual Spring Honors Convocation at Marietta College.

Sarago, who is majoring in English, received the The Beatrice Kremer Memorial Scholarship.

She is a graduate of Mathews High School.

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JACKSON TWP — The Seneca Valley Marching Band recently became grand champions for the third time at the 62nd annual Pegasus Parade at the Kentucky Derby Festival.

Seneca Valley won the grand prize in the Basil Caummisar Battle of the Bands competition.

About 100,000 fans watched the parade, which featured more than 100 units, including 11 marching bands.

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MARS — Mars Middle School students participated in the 2017 Youngstown State University English Festival.

Seventh-grader Lauren Miko earned first place; seventh-grader Ava Black took fourth place; and seventh-grader Isabella Pelligrino received an honorable mention in the Writing Games event.

Seventh-grader Ava Black and eighth-grader Cassidy Kinney took second and third place, respectively, in the Limerick Contest.

Eighth-grader Isabelle Spoores earned second place, and the team of eighth-graders Nicole Kumpfmiller, Cara McGuinness and Garrett Spirnock received third place in the “Not-So-Trivial” Pursuit Contest.

Eighth-grader Elizabeth Long placed sixth and the team of eighth-graders Riya Cherlakola, Theodore Ruffner and Kathryn Schlegel and seventh-grader Isabella Pellegrino received an honorable mention in the Impromptu Essay Writing event.

The annual festival is for grades seven to 12 and includes students from schools in Butler, Mercer and Lawrence counties as well as several Ohio counties. It promotes and cultivates reading and writing.

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MARS — In April, Mars Primary Center collected 10,282 diapers as part of the school's “Stuff the Bus” Diaper Drive to benefit The Lighthouse Foundation food bank in Middlesex Township.

As part of the annual event, the school accepted donations of diapers that were “stuffed” into a school bus and delivered to The Lighthouse Foundation. They will be distributed to families in need.

The fundraiser was held in conjunction with the “National Week of the Young Child.”