Bethel Park High School students Cami Fisher and Nora Welch are turning tragedy into action through a DECA Community Awareness Project aimed at promoting water safety, honoring the memory of a late teacher, and supporting the Big Heart Scholarship.
The project began last spring in collaboration with fellow DECA members Laura Casaldi and Samira Gorman. Over the past year, the group — known as the Big Heart Team — has focused on three primary goals: keeping the memory of the late Jon Gentile alive, raising awareness of the dangers of low head dams, and raising funds to sustain the Big Heart Scholarship.
Gentile, a former Bethel Park High School teacher, died in a kayaking accident in 2022 caused by a low head dam — a river structure that creates hidden, recirculating currents and can be extremely dangerous. The students have worked to educate their peers about water safety and advocate for increased signage at low head dams through PA House Bill 961, a water safety bill being sponsored by State Rep. Natalie Mihalek, R-Pittsburgh, which has worked its way through the legislative process and appears to have widespread and bipartisan support.
The team’s initiatives included visiting high school kayaking classes and Intro to Marketing classes, traveling to George Washington Elementary School to engage younger students with interactive safety lessons, and hosting a LEAD session with Claudia Huber ‘20, a legislative aide, Bethel Park alumna, and Gentile’s niece. They also encouraged the community to contact district representatives in support of House Bill 961 and related resolutions.
To raise funds for the Big Heart Scholarship, Fisher and Welch organized raffle baskets, promoted donations through flyers, and directed proceeds from select items in the school store, The Bean, to the scholarship. They also shared information at college fairs and promoted the scholarship through the district’s Instagram page.
“I can’t think of a better way to make a difference and to keep Mr. Gentile’s legacy alive than promoting water safety and supporting the scholarship made in his honor,” Fisher said.
Fisher and Welch will present their project at the state DECA conference in February, where students from across Pennsylvania showcase business and community initiatives that demonstrate leadership, innovation, and real-world skills in marketing, finance, hospitality, and management.
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