About Us

Speaker Series

With a reputation for excellence and educating tomorrow’s leaders, we strive to broaden our scope and explore a variety of highly relevant and fascinating topics as we introduce our students, families, and community to others who are leaders in their respective fields. Sewickley Academy is pleased to welcome the following guests to campus during our 2023-2024 Speaker Series:

Chad Brockway - Tuesday, December 5, 2023
 Chad Brockway, President of Intelligence Operations with Edgeworth Security, will be visiting Sewickley Academy on December 5, 2023, for an adult workshop on Social Media and Emerging Technology Safety. 
 
Chad’s discussion will include best practices regarding students’ use of technology and social media. He will examine risks associated with social media such as dependency, false personas, bullying, identity theft, perceived anonymity, and unintentional outcomes. He will also touch on data brokers, cyber predators, viruses, metadata, and cyber-stalking. The adult workshop will include guidance on creating an open and honest environment for discussing these topics in your home.
 
Prior to joining the Edgeworth Security team, Chad spent three years working in Counterintelligence for the Department of Defense and eight years with the FBI’s Cyber Division, as well as five years in the US Marine Corps serving as a Military Police Officer assigned to the Marine One Helicopter Squadron and the White House Liaison Office. He is considered an expert in emerging technologies and has received numerous awards, including the FBI Director's Award and the Presidential Service Badge. 
  • When: All members of the SA community and the general public are invited to this session on Tuesday, December 5, 2023, at 6:30 p.m. 
  • Where: Gregg Theater
  • Tickets: There is no cost to attend. Seating will be first-come, first-serve and reservations are recommended. Please RSVP here.
  • A next-day session will be held for all SA students in the Middle and Senior Schools.

Marke Freeman - Tuesday, January 23, 2024
As a speaker, coach, director, and teacher, Marke Freeman works with students and athletes, instilling within them not only the mental foundations of success and the motivation to achieve, but also the actionable strategies that will empower them to grow, improve, and thrive. Marke is an acclaimed keynote speaker who provides principles, strategies, and fundamentals that help people and organizations create the results they seek. She will be speaking to Middle and Senior School students about leadership and skill development, and how to welcome challenges as opportunities and become “captains of their ships.” Parents, faculty, and staff are welcome to attend.
Thank you to the Home and School Association for sponsoring this speaker!
 

Pittsburgh CLO Gallery of Heroes - Friday, March 15, 2024
A cast from Pittsburgh’s CLO Gallery of Heroes will bring a performance of “The Incredibly Innovative Innovators of Pittsburgh” to campus for the enjoyment and education of our students and community. Take a journey in a time machine as we explore Pittsburghers’ brilliant contributions to the past, present, and future. From the launch of the environmental movement with Rachel Carson and Jonas Salk’s development of the Polio vaccine to professional football‘s first game in America and the inventions of the Big Mac and banana split, members of the audience become part of the action meeting legends like playwright August Wilson and heart transplant pioneer Dr. Thomas Starzl in this lively and informative 45-minute musical that concludes with a glimpse into the infinite possibilities and genius that lives in each of us. Funded by the Pittsburgh Penguins Foundation, Massey Charitable Trust, and other organizations, Pittsburgh CLO’s Gallery of Heroes program travels to area schools to educate and enlighten students about the lives and accomplishments of significant historical figures through mini-musicals. Parents, faculty, and staff are welcome to attend.


Eisenhower Institute Speakers - Wednesday, April 24, 2024
The Eisenhower Series College Program is a United States Army War College outreach program that exposes intellectually curious audiences, who have little direct knowledge of the military, to men and women who have spent many years in the national security enterprise. Each year, different, small teams of panelists visit various universities, schools, and their communities across the nation. The Army War College student body includes senior military officers of the Army, Navy, Marines, Air Force, and Coast Guard, as well as foreign officers, and senior civilian managers of federal agencies such as the Department of Defense and Department of the Army.

This year, Sewickley Academy welcomes Colonel Seanna M. Jardin, US Army, Personnel (AG); Lt Colonel Jon Shea, US Space Force, Acquisition; and Lt Colonel Wade Smith, US Air Force Reserve, Aircraft Maintenance Officer. As China rises in power, it appears to be challenging the international norms that the United States helped establish at the end of World War 2, raising tensions between the two nations. Join senior officers as they share their thoughts about various security challenges in the Indo-Pacific and space and a couple of fundamental advantages the US still has.

For more than 50 years, The Eisenhower Institute Speakers has consisted of a joint cohort of military officers and national security professionals who travel the nation to introduce War College students to audiences that may have little direct knowledge of the military. Their goal is to have reasoned and thoughtful discussions with the society they serve and protect. The hallmark of the Eisenhower Series is the candid exchange between the experienced military officers and the members of the audience.
  • When: All members of the SA community and the general public are invited to this session on Wednesday, April 24, 2024, at 6:00 p.m. 
  • Where: Gregg Theater
  • Tickets: There is no cost to attend. Seating will be first-come, first-serve and reservations are recommended. RSVP here.

TEDxYouth - Saturday, May 11, 2024
Last spring, Sewickley Academy hosted its first TEDxYouth event. What started as a vision in the mind of junior Anjali Shah became a reality on May 13, 2023, and included several prominent speakers from various industries across the Pittsburgh region. The theme, “What is success?” was intentionally broad to allow speakers to think about their lives, education, and careers along with the ups and downs that led to their accomplished achievements.

Speakers included Ms. Leslie Bonci of Active Eating Advice, Dr. Bryan Donohue who is the cardiovascular consultant to the WWE, Mrs. Karen Hanlon with Highmark Health, Mrs. Pallavi (Golla '02) Patil of Lark Adventurewear, Mr. D. Raja with CEI, Mr. Mike Ressler of Diamond Kinetics, and President of the Pittsburgh Pirates, Mr. Travis Williams.

Anjali and the TEDxYouth Club are hard at work preparing for our Spring 2024 session, titled “The Fundamental Importance of Resilience.” More details to come on this event.

Questions about the Speaker Series? Contact Jess Revtai at jrevtai@sewickley.org.