The Tyrone Area School District added three new names to its Distinguished Alumni Hall of Fame this fall.

Award winners John W. Pavone and Kelly Crain Wike visited the Tyrone Area School District on September 22, 2023, to receive their awards and speak to students, faculty, and alumni.

Also receiving recognition was Mr. William Neil, who is also a member of the 2023 Distinguished Alumni Class, but could not attend the in-person events.

The Distinguished Alumni Recognition program was established in 2002 by former Tyrone Superintendent William Miller and honors Tyrone Area High School graduates who have made significant contributions within their professional lives and/or in their community.

Inductees are honored with a portrait plaque displayed in the TAHS main corridor, across from the auditorium.

Having been put on hold since 2017 due to a number of factors, 2023 facilitates the first new honorees to be added in six years.

The alumni were welcomed to TAHS early Friday morning with a breakfast in the library.

Superintendent Leslie Estep formally introduced Mr. Pavone and Ms. Wike to some of the district’s staff, including the principals of each school. Brief presentations about the buildings and faculty were given to the alumni before they were escorted to various classrooms during the second, third, and fourth periods to present to current classes.

There was undoubtedly much to learn from both visiting alumni. Each honoree showcased their unique and inspiring personality within their conversations with students.

Kelly “Kel” Crain Wike was the valedictorian of her 1969 class and spent her entire professional career in the areas of education and insurance. Wike was a lifelong member of the Tyrone community, where he has been active in many community organizations, especially the Rotary.

Wike settled quite quickly in front of her designated groups of students.

Wike had a comfortable mixture of formality and inspiration while in the classrooms, likely established by her 13-year teaching career, most of which was at the Tyrone Area High School.

Wike held the students’ interest with photos of her trips to India with the Rotary, where she made a life-saving effort to immunize children against Polio and aided in dam-building for better irrigation in Indian communities.

She provided many details from her travels and discussed her years of hard work within the education, insurance, and Rotary fields. Wike left students with many questions about her encounters, which she was quick and enthusiastic about answering.

Senior Rylee Fleck escorted Wike throughout the duration of the morning. She reflected on the experience by expressing her interest in learning about both graduates.

“It was interesting to escort the alumni and fun to listen to them tell their stories,” Fleck said, “I enjoyed the breakfast getting to talk to both Mr. Pavone and Ms. Wike and learning things about
our school.”

Class of 1957 graduate Mr. John Pavone took a more casual approach to his conversations with students.

Pavone is a storyteller by nature, and his recollections of his time in the Air Force had his audiences hooked from beginning to end. Pavone is an accomplished world traveler and reflected on his many travels across the world with students, emphasizing his journeys through Germany as some of his favorites.

Mr. Pavone was very humble about his accomplishments in meteorology in support of the Air Force and organizations such as the National Hurricane Center, having coordinated winter storm missions that had the potential of saving thousands of lives.

His unit was able to increase the rate of aircraft data flow thirty times over, which is certainly no easy feat. For such a distinguished and high-achieving man, Mr. Pavone’s most notable qualities truly were the kindness and humor that he radiated throughout his time visiting the school.

The final recipient of the Distinguished Alumni Award was Mr. William Neil, organist and harpsichordist of the National Symphony Orchestra.

Neil was not able to attend this year’s honoree visit, but he sent his well wishes to his alma mater.

Neil graduated in 1962, going on to complete his bachelor’s degree in Organ Performance at Penn State University. He has since made himself quite prominent in the musical world, having played in world-famous venues such as the Kennedy Center, the Meyerson Center, and the Kimmel Center.

Neil is an organist on Grammy Award-winning CDs and is highly acclaimed by publications such as the Washington Post. He is one of the nation’s most sought-after organists, his achievements unmistakable to any consumer of his work.

“I was honored to have Mr. Pavone visit the Eagle Eye classroom and share some of his stories with the students. I think this is a great program and I know the students enjoyed here from them as well,” said Eagle Eye adviser Todd Cammarata.

In the coming weeks, the Eagle Eye will publish more in-depth profiles on each of these individuals, including more about their personalities, experiences, and advice for students.