Alumni News

Exeter Inducts 3 into Academic Hall of Fame and 84 into National Honor Society

by

four people stand with plaques in high school auditorium

The inductees of the 2024 Academic Hall of Fame are (left to right): Lauren Unger Fisher '00 (award accepted on her behalf by her parents); Daniel Hemberger '03, and Nicholas Corbo.

The Exeter Township School District celebrated the achievements of students as 84 juniors and seniors were inducted into the Claude W. Dundore chapter of the National Honor Society and three notable alumni, educators or community members were inducted into the Exeter Alumni Association’s Academic Hall of Fame on Saturday, November 22, 2024 at 2PM in the Exeter Township Senior High’s auditorium. Inducted into the Academic Hall of Fame were Daniel A. Hemberger, Nicholas J. Corbo and Lauren C. Unger Fisher. Inductees are chosen for their contributions to society and their impact and credit they've brought to the Exeter Township School District through their achievements, volunteerism and/or work.

Hemberger graduated from Exeter Township Senior School in 2003, subsequently earning a B.A. in physics from Oberlin College and a Ph.D. in astronomy from Cornell University. While attending Exeter, Hemberger discovered his lifelong passion for physics as a senior. In his research, Hemberger studied Einstein's theory of general relativity, black holes and pulsars. While a postdoctoral scholar at California Institute of Technology, his supercomputer simulations of black hole collisions aided the first detection of gravitational waves by the Laser Interferometer Gravitational-Wave Observatory (LIGO) in 2015. Hemberger is currently employed as technologist by NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, where he has worked since 2018.

Corbo professionally worked in education for 40 years, last serving as the superintendent of the Exeter Township School District. He began his career as a chemistry teacher in York County, where he held various administrative positions, including superintendent of the South Eastern School District, until he moved to Exeter’s superintendency in 1998. While at Exeter, Corbo oversaw the expansion of the high school and the construction of Reiffton School. Near his retirement in 2007, Corbo helped establish the Exeter Community Education Foundation (ECEF) to help support students, teachers and educational initiatives that the district’s budget is unable to fund. He serves as an emeritus trustee as he continues to support the Foundation.

Unger Fisher graduated from Exeter Township Senior High School in 2000 and went on to graduate with honors from the University of Pittsburgh with a B.A. in Political Science and Government. Following her graduation from Pitt, she worked as an NBC Page for the “Nightly News with Brian Williams” and as an award-winning reporter/anchor in televised news in Michigan, Louisiana, New Jersey and Germany. Since 2011, she has worked in executive communications for the international humanitarian organization World Vision USA to raise the public's attention to the plight of children in crises around the world.

The Academic Hall of Fame began in 2005 as a project of the Exeter Community Education Foundation and typically selects four to six inductees each year. This year's class brings the number of honorees to 81, who are presented with a plaque that is displayed in the Senior High's main office.

During the second part of the ceremony, the current members of the National Honor Society presented and inducted 84 new members from the Class of 2025 and 2026 into its chapter through its candle-lighting ceremony that represents the Society's four pillars: character, leadership, scholarship and service. To be considered for membership, students must be sophomores or juniors with a weighted cumulative GPA of at least 92.000, involvement in at least one school activity or club and completion of at least five community service hours. This year’s inductees are:

  • Samantha Baer
  • Ryan Claudfelter
  • Rian Coulter
  • Meredith Fylypowycz
  • Abigail Hasselbach
  • Marli Herner
  • Madelyn Holbrook
  • Dylan Holland
  • Gabriana Holmes
  • Neema Kamau
  • Riley Mazur
  • Ridleigh Moyer
  • Katelyn Nichols
  • Engel Perez
  • Katelyn Rears
  • Amelia Sahaida
  • Chloe Scherer
  • Olivia Schofield
  • Benjamin Seeberger
  • Corina Shevick
  • Sean Smith
  • Sophie Sowers
  • Luke Zawilla
  • Sheylin Aparicio Sanchez
  • Meredith Batz
  • Harrison Brumbaugh
  • Adreanna Butcher
  • Victoria Caccese
  • Chase Choudhry
  • Ryleigh Clouser
  • Olivia Conley
  • Adam Cooke
  • Aidan Dauble
  • Chase Detweiler
  • Alena Dinnini
  • Liana Dinnini
  • Rachel Donnachie
  • Kendall Druzba
  • Brenton Feathers
  • Chayse Flood
  • Nathan Gehris
  • Molly Giering
  • Audrey Gierlich
  • Morgan Gilbert
  • Avery Grider
  • Faith Hartman
  • Evan Harvey
  • Angelina Hernandez
  • Madyson Hirneisen
  • Ryland Hollinger
  • Jada Hood
  • Josephine Hunter
  • Morgan Juck
  • Kayla Karasek
  • Samantha Kerber
  • Lillie Keperling
  • Payton Klein
  • Nathan Kleinfelter
  • Ella Lynch
  • Ella Mackey
  • Hannah Martin
  • Myah Marturano
  • Maira McCartin
  • Zachary McCormick
  • Mackenzie Mentzer
  • Haley Meyers
  • Marissa Millar
  • Juliana Nerney
  • Chase Noel
  • Tithi Patel
  • Joven Patton
  • Payton Raifsnider
  • Shaun Rathman
  • Katelyn Reynolds
  • Aubrey Ridge
  • Madelyn Rismiller
  • Evan Smith
  • Abigail Starnes
  • Monica Stratton
  • Augustus Stuhlman
  • Dylan Taffel
  • Ethan Tibetts
  • Jayden Weidner
  • Daniel Wright

Congratulations to all!

Exeter Alums Return to Share Grandparents’ Stories as Holocaust Survivors

by

grown grandchildren stand around grandmother in wheelchair

From left to right: Aaron Wernick, Brian Wernick, Stacy Seltzer and Michele Leisawitz stand with their grandmother, Esther Bratt.

Six weeks ago, Sidney Bratt died at the age of 96. But his legacy lived on today in Exeter Township Senior High School where his grandchildren, Aaron Wernick, Brian Wernick, Michele Leisawitz and Stacy Seltzer, recounted the horrors that Sidney and his wife, Esther, went through as Jewish children growing up in Germany and Poland during the Holocaust. “It’s a miracle I’m standing here to tell you this story,” said Brian to the assembled group of 10th graders, most of whom are–or soon will be–learning about the Holocaust in English or Social Studies. “My grandmother only had a 1.5% chance of living past the age of 15–which is right around your age, I believe,” he said as he looked at the crowd of teenagers with his 94-year-old grandmother sitting in a wheelchair among them. “When you hear what she’s been through, it is incomprehensible that she survived,” he said.

The four grandchildren of Sidney and Esther Bratt recounted the separate stories of their grandparents’ childhoods as they navigated the terror of living as Jewish children in Nazi Germany. Both endured ostracism by childhood friends and neighbors as their freedom and dignity were stripped away and replaced by fear as they lived under Hitler. As anti-Semitism grew, people they knew and were once friendly with began to spit and throw rocks at them as nearby homes and synagogues where they worshipped were burned by Nazis. Their family members, friends and neighbors disappeared or were openly murdered. Aaron paused in the middle of recounting the terror his grandparents endured as children and said his grandfather asked, “How could one man spew so much hatred? These activities were not only condoned by Hitler… they were legalized.”

Sidney and Esther’s grandchildren–two of whom are Exeter alums (Brian graduated in ‘05 and Aaron graduated in ‘01)--now speak to school groups and other organizations as part of 3G Philly, which stands for “third generation.” Their mission as grandchildren of Holocaust survivors is to make sure that their grandparents’ stories–as horribly vivid and tragic as they are–live on as that generation passes away.

“Many years ago, we used to have Holocaust survivors visit and speak about their experiences, but, unfortunately, many of those survivors are no longer with us,” said Mrs. Heather Mills, an English teacher at the Senior High who helped organize the visit. Emphasizing how important storytelling is as a means of sharing and preserving history, Mrs. Mills said that stories like Sidney and Esther's can also provide a different perspective than what students learn in traditional media, such as books or movies. "The stories (the students heard today) specifically were about life in the ghettos and the kindertransport, which are topics sometimes overshadowed by those traditionally told about concentration and death camps."

In addition to offering new perspectives and educating students about what it was like for their grandparents to grow up as children of the Holocaust, Brian, Aaron, Michele and Stacy hope that their stories will help keep their legacy of their grandmother and late grandfather alive. But, more importantly, they hope to help prevent another atrocity like the Holocaust from ever happening again.

Exeter Inducts Four Into Academic Hall of Fame and 60 Into NHS

by

IE8A9854

NHS Officers: Gavin Marr, Hayden Adams, Brody Oswald, and Rebecca Cherry

1R2A9857

Mr. Matthew Goldstan inducted Dr. Timothy Wright into the Academic Hall of Fame

1R2A9874

Lt. Col. Brian Roberts' mother speaks on his behalf following his induction into the 2023 Academic Hall of Fame

1R2A9883

2023 Academic Hall of Fame honoree, Lucy Lutz

1R2A9894

2023 Academic Hall of Fame honoree, Julia Huckleberry

The Exeter Township School District celebrated the achievements of students as 59 juniors and seniors were inducted into the Claude W. Dundore chapter of the National Honor Society and four notable alumni, educators or community members were inducted into the Exeter Alumni Association’s Academic Hall of Fame on Saturday, November 11, 2023. Those inducted into the Academic Hall of Fame were Timothy Wright, Ph.D., an internationally-recognized biomechanical scientist; Brian Roberts, an infantry lieutenant colonel in the Army; Lucy Lutz, a retired science teacher from the Exeter Township School District; and Julia Huckleberry, one of the founders of the district’s Alumni Association. Inductees are chosen for their contributions to society and their impact and credit they've brought to the Exeter Township School District through their achievements, volunteerism and/or work.

During his career, Dr. Wright has developed biomechanical implant systems for knee, hip and elbow replacement that have gone on to commercial distribution to patients worldwide. He’s written more than 300 peer-reviewed articles and has lectured around the world at hospitals and medical schools. He has appointments in New York at Cornell University, and the Hospital for Special Surgery, where he currently serves in the Department of Biomechanics working with surgeons and other engineers to research and develop systems to improve care for patients with orthopedic conditions. He’s developed numerous patents and awards for outstanding research and significant lifetime contributions in orthopedics. He is a 1967 graduate of Exeter; a graduate of Lehigh University, where he received his undergraduate degree; and Stanford University, where he received his graduate degrees. Dr. Wright was unable to attend the awards ceremony; however, he thanked the committee for his recognition and selection through prepared remarks. “This is a wonderful honor. I”ve been fortunate to have an ongoing career of 47 years working at the intersection of engineering and medicine. Looking back at my time at Exeter High, the highlight was teachers like the late Harry Shank, who instilled in me a thirst for knowledge and the leadership and teamwork skills that I learned playing sports and serving on the Key Club.”

Lt. Col. Brian Roberts was commissioned as an infantry officer in 2006 from the United States Military Academy at West Point. As a system evaluator in the Army, he leads military and civilian teams to develop and modernize future combat systems. He holds a Masters of Arts in Defense and Strategy from the U.S. Naval War College and is a 2002 graduate of Exeter Township Senior High School.

Lucy Lutz worked as an Exeter science teacher in the Junior High and Senior High for more than 36 years, retiring in 2007 and continuing to substitute regularly until 2014. She began her teaching career at Albright College in the biology department as an undergraduate. Following her graduation from Albright in 1968, she studied at the University of Massachusetts Amherst, where she earned a master’s degree in Zoology, focusing on research of the physiology, life history and paleontology of bats. Despite her academic achievements and years of experience, Mrs. Lutz joked during her acceptance that “I will be remembered as the one who you called to fix the copy machine.”

Julia Huckleberry graduated from Exeter in 1966 and has spent most of her time since then serving the district either professionally as an administrative assistant or as a volunteer. In 2009, she was an instrumental figure in the creation of the Exeter Eagles Alumni Association, which is primarily responsible for the development, selection and distribution of scholarships to graduates. Since its inception, the scholarship committee of the association distributes approximately $30,000 through 30 different scholarships from alumni or friends of alumni. During his induction of her, Mr. John Fidler, an Exeter Academic Hall of Fame committee member, recalled the story of how a family called the association in the hopes of creating a scholarship in the name of Exeter’s football coach, Leonard Meckalavage. After a few moments of confusion, Mrs. Huckleberry realized that the family had meant to call the alumni association of Exeter High School in New Hampshire. Still, she proceeded to tell the family about the virtues of Exeter Township’s football program and coaches. The family was so impressed that they decided to award the scholarship to Exeter Township, where it is still given to a deserving student every year.

The Academic Hall of Fame began in 2005 as a project of the Exeter Community Education Foundation and typically selects four to six inductees each year. This year's class brings the number of honorees to 78, who are presented with a plaque, as well as their names added to a display in the Senior High's main office.

During the second part of the ceremony, the current members of the National Honor Society presented and inducted 59 new members from the Class of 2024 and 2025 into its chapter through its candle-lighting ceremony that represents the Society's four pillars: character, leadership, scholarship and service. To be considered for membership, students must be sophomores or juniors with a weighted cumulative GPA of at least 92.000, involvement in at least one school activity or club and completion of at least five community service hours. This year’s inductees are:

  1. Harper Adams
  2. Ryanne Ahmad
  3. Perla Alvarado-Rueda
  4. Griffin Beidler
  5. Hannah Benderoth
  6. Richter Bogust
  7. Sasha Bolonski
  8. Cheyenne Boyles
  9. Joshua Brown
  10. Ian Carr
  11. Gabrielle Casalenuovo
  12. Tyler Casiano-Rodriguez
  13. Kate Dewald
  14. Natalia Figueroa
  15. Gillian Foster
  16. Jysadee Giddens
  17. Madison Grider
  18. Taylor Hill
  19. Katharine Hoover
  20. Amy Ipsen
  21. Gianna Johnson
  22. Caitlin Jones
  23. Tyler Jones
  24. Cayden Juck
  25. Alison Keim
  26. Thaddeus Kidwell
  27. Lyndsey Kline
  28. Margaret Kopanski
  29. Abby Kravetz
  30. Rebecca Lee
  31. Dorothy Liu
  32. Molly Lubenow
  33. Addison Matthews
  34. Mary McGowan
  35. Addison McKittrick
  36. Kara Miller
  37. Morgan Miller
  38. Lucas Newell
  39. Trang Nguyen
  40. Stephania Nicoloudakis
  41. Alexis Nonnemacher
  42. Ethan Papich
  43. Margaret Prock
  44. Abigail Rathman
  45. Haley Readinger
  46. Ansel Reinbold
  47. Aaron Scardecchio
  48. Kayla Schafer
  49. Lydia Smith
  50. Alexa Speary
  51. Kira Spencer
  52. Alivia Spitz
  53. Connor Stoltzfus
  54. Finn Strauss
  55. Rachelle Toaldo
  56. Annabella Venezia
  57. Logan Wegman
  58. Ashton Wilson
  59. Jordan Wolfe

Exeter Inducts Three Into Athletic Hall of Fame

by

athletic hall of fame

Left to right: Michael Troutman, Kyle Yocum and Michal Menet

The Exeter Township School District will induct three athletes into their 2022 Athletic Hall of Fame tonight in a ceremony to be held in the Exeter Township Senior High’s cafeteria, followed by a presentation of the athletes in Don Thomas Stadium during halftime of the Exeter vs. West York football game. The athletes who will be inducted are: Michal Menet, a 2016 graduate; Michael Troutman, a 2002 graduate; and Kyle Yocum, a 2013 graduate. 

Menet was a four-year starter and letterman and captain of the team in 2014 and 2015. He was named to the All-Academic Team all four years. He was named Berks County All-League in 2013, 2014, and 2015. He was the Berks County Offense and Defensive Lineman of the Year in both 2014 and 2015 and was named Berks County Most Valuable Player in 2015. In 2013, 2014 and 2015, he was All State First Team Defense, Second Team Offense. He was named an Under Armour All American in 2016. He also played basketball, and was a three-year letterman. In 2013 and 2014, he was All-Conference Basketball. He went on to Penn State University where he was a three-year starter, two-time Team Captain and received All Big Ten honors in 2019 and 2020. In 2019 and 2020 he was the Dick Maginnis award winner for PSU Outstanding Offensive Lineman and was named to the Rimington Trophy Watch List for Outstanding Center. He was invited to the 2021 Senior Bowl. In 2021, he was drafted by the Arizona Cardinals in the 7th round with the 247th pick. He signed with the Green Bay Packers in December 2021 and is currently a free agent.

Troutman excelled in both football and wrestling. In his senior year, he had 1,026 rushing yards and 15 touchdowns. At the time, he held a single game rushing record of 224 yards and five touchdowns against Twin Valley. He had over 2,000 career all purpose yards and 25 total touchdowns. He was named to the All Berks 1C 1st Team as a running back in 2001. On the mat, he had a career 50 pins, with a 94-30 record. He was the 2002 Sectional Champion. He was selected in both 2000 and 2001 to the All Berks Section 1 1st Team. He went on to wrestle at Ursinus, where he had a 136-19 record and 61 career pins. He was a four-time Centennial Conference Champion, being only one of six to do it and a four-time NCAA Qualifier. He was a two-time NCAA All American, finishing 8th place in the country in 2005 and 5th place in the country in 2006. In 2006, he was named an NCAA Academic All American.

Yocum played football, baseball, basketball, and competed in track and field. He was the first freshman to start at quarterback in school history and earned the title of Exeter’s all-time leading passer with 43 starts, 3,815 yards, and 38 touchdowns in his career. He ranks in the top 20 all-time in Berks County in passing. He also rushed for 1,955 yards and 27 touchdowns for his career. He earned the Outstanding Junior Award in 2011, All-League honors in 2012 and was a four-time academic selection. He led his team to two District playoff appearances. He went on to play at Delaware as a fullback where he was selected as a Captain for the 2017 season. He played in 40 career games, recording three catches for 22 yards, four kick-off returns for 60 yards and five tackles.

Exeter Alum & Award-Winning Author Holds Workshop at Exeter

by

“You can make a living in the arts. I make my own hours and make my own rules and I’m here to tell you that you can make a living making art.” 

Exeter alum Amy Sarig King ‘88, known professionally as A.S. King, author of more than a dozen young adult books, such as “Switch,” “Dig,” and “Still Life With a Tornado;” recipient of many literary awards, including the Michael L. Printz Award and the Los Angeles Times Book Prize; and champion for teenagers everywhere, returned to her former high school on Thursday and her former junior high on Friday to inspire a new generation of Eagles to make characters, to make stories, to make art–and to push through some of the most difficult–yet foundational–years of their lives. “Teenagers are going through a lot. I survived (those years) because this is where I learned to write.” 

Describing herself as a student who was “weird, with an arty brain,” King pointed out the exact assignment that perhaps was the genesis for her entire career. In 9th grade, she was assigned to write about an inanimate object; she chose a can of succotash. Her teacher, Patti Vroman, was enthusiastic about King’s results and, “made me feel like I had done something right.” From there, she says, she started to find her voice and develop her confidence as a writer. 

During two days filled with presentations, workshops and discussions, it doesn’t take long to discover that King writes for teens because she deeply appreciates these formative years and the complicated journey they go through as they discover themselves. She also says that it was her own journey here in Exeter that deeply affects and influences her writing–with some of those events finding retold homes in her books. Today, she says that both her writing and teaching work is meant to lift up the generation who she describes as not being appreciated by the general public. “They’re hurtful toward them,” she says, her voice softening. “I want to give them a place to express their feelings and give them an outlet… I want to be able to help teenagers understand that what they have to say and what they feel is actually important. I don’t think they’re given that message enough.” 

When she’s not writing novels, speeches or teaching, King holds writing workshops and lectures all over the world for little kids to big kids to Ph.D. students–and everyone in between–as Exeter students were so lucky to have found out when she delivered two full days of presentations, workshops and discussions with students at both the Junior and Senior High this week. Exeter librarians Nancy Gajewski and Kate Sowers organized the event and invited King because of her ties to Exeter–and because “I love her novels,” said Junior High Librarian, Kate Sowers. Nancy Gajewski echoed the same sentiment, and added, "Her life experiences are also amazing and her honesty with the kids was refreshing." 

Interestingly, King’s writing workshop for dozens of 9th through 12th graders on Thursday afternoon mirrored her assignment back in Exeter during the 80s as she began the workshop asking students to develop a character by writing from the point of view of a relatable inanimate object. 

“Trust me,” she said, as if she knew the success of the assignment.

Exeter Grad Shares his Tales from the Red Carpet

by

IMG_1949

"This is a full circle moment," said Mitchell Rissmiller, a producer for TODAY.com, the digital and streaming platform of the "Today Show," as he motioned to his former ETSH English teacher, Mrs. Lisa McCoy. "I took this class, and I simply wouldn't be the writer I am today without her."

Rissmiller, a 2015 grad, returned to Exeter today to inspire juniors and seniors (and field a couple of fun questions about celebrities) in Mrs. McCoy's Publications & Media class as they listened to his journey from Exeter, to college, and then to the red carpets of Hollywood as a Production Assistant for the "TODAY Show" and later as an Associate Producer for the "Drew Barrymore Show" before recently returning to NBC to produce segments for TODAY.com. Students soaked up his stories of the behind-the-scenes work that he coordinates to research celebrities and prep on-air talent and acquire the b-roll footage and graphics to accompany interviews. "Three months of work can go into a three-minute segment," he said, as he showed students a YouTube clip of a kitchen makeover he was in charge of producing on "The Drew Barrymore Show."

Although his discussion was mostly lighthearted, Rissmiller kept returning to the more serious theme of perseverance. Rejected twice by the "TODAY Show" for an internship, he finally landed with the network on his third attempt. "Rejection is going to come--and it sucks--but I use it for motivation. When you get rejected, you have to ask for feedback. Between that and a lot of hustle, it's how I got to where I am."