Eight alumni, teachers and coaches will be inducted into the State College Area Education Foundation’s Maroon & Gray Society this spring.
Since 2018, the Maroon & Gray Society annually recognizes State College Area alumni, outstanding school groups and retired faculty, staff and coaches who have made an extraordinary impact in the school community and beyond.
Inductees will be honored at the annual Maroon & Gray Celebration at 6 p,m. on May 2 at Centre Hills Country Club. They include:
- Allayn Salter Beck ’04, executive director, State College Food Bank
- Gwen Bunnell, kindergarten teacher (retired), Corl Street Elementary
- Linda Domin ’57, kindergarten teacher (retired), Lemont Elementary
- Thomas “Tek” Kleban ’85, coach, State High boys and girls track and field 2008-2020; senior research analyst, Mariner (Presented posthumously)
- Mary Kay Archer Montovino ’73, executive secretary (retired), SCASD; former board member and former president, SCASD Education Foundation
- Ian Hendrickson-Smith ’92, professional musician: Six-time Grammy Award-winning saxophonist for the Tonight Show, The Roots, Amy Winehouse, Al Green, Mark Ronson and more.
- Ralph Way ’52, real estate developer and founder of Foxdale Village Retirement Community
- Alice Gilmore Young ’77, vice president of finance and corporate compliance cfficer, John F. Kennedy Behavioral Health Center (retired)
This year’s celebration will coincide with the 10th anniversary of the founding of the SCASD Education Foundation, which was established in 2015 as a charitable organization to provide financial support for innovative student experiences and learning opportunities.
“The Education Foundation board is excited to meet and recognize this year’s accomplished group of honorees who span more than 50 years of State High’s alumni ranks, and also include several remarkable educators and coaches,” Foundation President Duane Bullock said in a statement. “It is a special year for us as we celebrate 10 years of building partnerships with donors to make an impact on students. The Maroon & Gray Society Celebration is the perfect opportunity for alumni and members of our past and current school community to gather and has become a valued tradition. Our event volunteers and all of us at the Education Foundation look forward to welcoming everyone this year.”
Tickets for the Marron & Gray Celebration will be available soon at scasdfoundation.org.
Proceeds from the 2025 celebration will benefit the Mardi Lowry McDonough ’87 Student Opportunity Fund & Grant Program, which to date has awarded nearly $225,000 to more than 150 proposals submitted by teachers and administrators at every school in the district. Distributed each fall and spring, the grants have supported a wide range of endeavors, such as EMT exam applications, sensory items, STEM equipment a classroom care closet and the high school’s Unified Bocce team.
Grant applications have increased significantly, with more than 100 applications seeking a total of $100,000 in the most recent cycle.
“The board selected the Mardi Lowry McDonough ’87 Student Opportunity Fund this year in response to the significant increase in grant applications submitted by our educators over the past two years,” Bullock said. “Our teachers have so many innovative and worthwhile ideas aimed at giving every student the best possible education experience. Our goal is to partner with donors and sponsors to build up and sustain the strength of this fund to impact more students.”
