Distinguished Graduates

Commencement is a time when seniors traditionally reflect on what they have accomplished and what the future might hold. The Class of 1980 also asked some questions. What about the graduates who preceded them? Where are they? What have they achieved? How well have they met the challenges they faced following commencement?

The questions led the 1980 Senior Class officers to establish the first annual Distinguished Graduate Award to recognize the professionals and humanitarian achievements of Butler High graduates who made their presence known in their communities and in the world.

The list includes musicians, educators, diplomas, medical doctors, designers, scientists, and business leaders. The name of the recipient is announced annually during commencement exercises, to answer publicly the questions first asked by the Class of 1980 and to make the assembled families and friends of each graduating class aware of how endless the possibilities are.

The search for the recipients begins with American Education Week each November. Nominations are accepted until April 1. A Distinguished Graduate Award Steering Committee directs the project. The committee includes the chairperson and founder of the award, past recipients, the school board president or his/her designee, senior representatives on the Student Advisory Committee to the school board, and the Senior Class officers and faculty advisers.

The steering committee researches the nominees and presents the names of three finalists to the DGA Selection Committee, which votes by secret ballot to choose the Distinguished Graduate. Members of the selection committee include the Senior Class officers and advisers, senior representatives to the board Student Advisory Committee, and a senior representative from each Butler High club and organization.

Nominees remain in contention from year to year unless the person making the nomination withdraws the name. Anyone making a nomination should continue to update a nominee's file by sending additional information to the senior high school.

We have been so priviledged to have three classmates chosen and named Distringuished Graduate from other Senior Classes.  They are:

 

William Purvis - Elected by the Class of 1996
Internationally recognized French horn soloist, recitalist, chamber musician, and conductor. Purvis is a member and principal horn with the Orpheus Chamber Orchestra, the Orchestra of St. Luke's, and the New York Woodwind Quintet.

He has recorded exclusively with all three groups. In Western Pennsylvania, he has been a soloist with the Butler County Symphony and the Westmoreland County Symphony. In, 1994 Purvis performed the Orpheus at Heinz Hall. He has toured several foreign countries and presented masters classes in South America, Europe, and Japan. William Purvis began his study of the French horn as an elementary school student at Butler. At 13, he was playing in the horn section of the Butler Symphony, and was active in school musicals, plays, concert band and concert choir.

After graduating from Butler, Purvis studied horn at Julliard before earning a bachelor of arts degree in philosophy at Haverford College. Purvis is the son of Jean Purvis of Butler and the late Dr. Joseph D. Purvis, Jr.

 

Carl Yankowski - Elected by the Class of 1999
Graduating from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology with a degree in engineering, Carl Yankowski was prepared to be what they call "a lab rat." He went to work for Proctor and Gamble in their labs, but discovered that he liked people and selling ideas and concepts.
Eventually, he took a full time job in the marketing department, shaping a career that allowed contact with both the marketing and technological world. He developed campaigns for Pringles and Duncan Hines mixes. At General Electric, he helped develop the Spacemaker line of products and the accompanying "We Bring Good Things to Light" campaign, also "Is It Live Or Is It Memorex" campaign. He also worked on the three-year Pepsi Challenge campaign - the only time in history that Pepsi's market share was higher than Coke. Though he worked in the marketing departments of six different companies with vastly different products, the approach to the work almost never changed.
He has worked with such great athletes as Michael Jordan, Allen Iverson, and Venus Williams. He joined the Reebok Company in 1998, and is currently the CEO. Carl Yankowski has carved a successful career selling images for some of the world's corporate giants.
Carl has just returned (April, 2016)  from speaking in Mumbai, Inda for the prime minister, and remain with my wife in our 226 year old large farmhouse.
 
 
George "Mike" Kelly - Elected by the Class of 2001
George "Mike" Kelly, owner of the Chevrolet-Cadillac-Hyundai dealership in Butler, has devoted much of his time, energy, and resources to his alma mater and community. A graduate of Butler High School in 1966, he earned a Bachelor of Science degree from the University of Notre Dame, before returning home to take over the family business.
Kelly is on the Board of Directors of both the Chevrolet Dealers Advertising Association of the Pittsburgh area and Cadillac Consultants of Western Pennsylvania. In addition, he has received the Cadillac Crest Club Outstanding Sales Performance Award and the Chevrolet Motor Division Customer Satisfaction Leader Award. He is a past member of the Butler Area School Board. He helped to establish and served as past president of The Golden Tornado Scholastic Foundation. In addition, he serves on the Board of Directors for the Housing Authority of Butler County, Pullman Park, and the Gathering of Butler. 
He has been active in local athletics since his elementary school days and has coached both Butler Midget Football and in the Butler Area Baseball Association. He is also a past president of the Butler Quarterback Club and is a board member of the Butler Area Sports Hall of Fame. Kelly attended St. Paul Elementary School.
Since then he has become a U.S. Congressman (R-PA 3rd District) since 2011.  His district is located in the northwestern corner of the state, stretching from Erie to rural territory near Pittsburgh, which includes Butler.
 
 
Michael Oesterling - Elected by the Class of 2018
Mike Oesterling earned a bachelor's degree in biology at the University of Miami in1970, followed by a master's degree in zoology in 1976 from the University of Florida.
 
After holding several positions with the University of Florida, Oesterling affiliated with the Virginia Institute of Marine Science in 1981.  There, he established the migratory pattern of the blue crab.  He led the development of the soft-shell crab shedding system, adding to the profitability of the industry and became a leading authority in bi-valve aquaculture development.
 
He has served as a consultant to companies and government in the United States, Brazil, Nicaragua, Australia, Ecuador, Chile, Venezuela and Mexico.  
 
Oesterling's work has led to successful sea farming of oysters, clams, scallops and mussels.  He has authored several dozen reports and publications on a variety of aquaculture topics, from procedural and site selection guides to histories of the industry and from research results in seafood cooking instructions.  
 
Oesterling's work has had an impact on everything from domestic commerical seafood farming to aiding the economies of coastal communities in developing countries. 

 
Dr. William DiCuccio- Elected by the Class of 2024

The class of 2024 proudly announces their choice for the 44th annual Butler Senior High School Distinguished Graduate Award, William A. DiCuccio II, M.D., a member of the Butler High School Class of 1966.

William A. DiCuccio II earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Biology at Saint Vincent College. He then went on to Jefferson Medical College in Philadelphia where he earned a Pennsylvania Doctor of Medicine in 1974. DiCuccio completed his medical internship at Methodist Hospital in Philadelphia the following year.

After completing his medical training, DiCuccio returned to Butler and opened a family practice where he served the community as a private practitioner for 30 years. During this time, he served as the first Vice President of Medical Affairs for the Butler Health Systems. He also served the Butler Memorial Hospital as the Chairman Department of Medicine, Medical Staff President, and the Chairman Credentials Committee. DiCuccio held other community leadership positions as the Butler County Community College Vice Chairman and the Community Health Clinic of Butler Board Member.

After retiring from family practice, DiCuccio continued to serve as the Executive Director for Sunnyview Nursing Home for five years. While on vacation in the Dominican Republic, DiCuccio and his wife visited Villa Hermosa. They witnessed third world poverty and noticed there was no septic, no drinking water, and limited electricity. From this experience, in 2005 the Hope project was started by DiCuccio and his wife.

As the Director of the Mission Development Villa Hermosa, My Eternal Refuge, DiCuccio oversaw the building of a school, the installment of a water purification plant, a large church, and a medical clinic. The Hope project continues to make additional improvements to the village by expanding the services at the medical clinic, adding two additional floors to the school, and improving environmental conditions for the villagers.