Outcomes
Ready for college and everything after
When you send your child to Shady Side Academy, you’re giving them more than an education—you’re giving them a foundation for life. Parents dream of their children discovering their passions, becoming confident in who they are, and achieving what once seemed impossible. At SSA, we make those dreams our mission. From hands-on learning experiences to innovative coursework, we create opportunities for your child to grow in ways that matter today—and tomorrow.
A Lifelong Community
Once a Bulldog, always a Bulldog. Shady Side students are part of a supportive, global network of alumni who share their expertise, connections, and encouragement. Whether they’re exploring college options, starting a career, or making a difference in their community, our graduates know they’ll never walk alone.
Endless Curiosity
Shady Side students graduate with more than just a diploma—they leave with an innate love of learning, a clear sense of self, and the ability to adapt and thrive in an ever-changing world. They are not just ready for the next step; they are prepared to lead, innovate, and succeed in every area of life.
How Our Alumni Are Shaping the Future
![Virginia Franke Kleist]([{"url":"https://resources.finalsite.net/images/f_auto,q_auto,t_image_size_1/v1724947071/shadyside/kp95uq63q8qcaevfkwxm/Square-VirginiaKleist.jpg","width":256},{"url":"https://resources.finalsite.net/images/f_auto,q_auto,t_image_size_2/v1724947071/shadyside/kp95uq63q8qcaevfkwxm/Square-VirginiaKleist.jpg","width":512},{"url":"https://resources.finalsite.net/images/f_auto,q_auto,t_image_size_3/v1724947071/shadyside/kp95uq63q8qcaevfkwxm/Square-VirginiaKleist.jpg","width":800},{"url":"https://resources.finalsite.net/images/f_auto,q_auto,t_image_size_4/v1724947071/shadyside/kp95uq63q8qcaevfkwxm/Square-VirginiaKleist.jpg","width":1200},{"url":"https://resources.finalsite.net/images/f_auto,q_auto,t_image_size_5/v1724947071/shadyside/kp95uq63q8qcaevfkwxm/Square-VirginiaKleist.jpg","width":1600},{"url":"https://resources.finalsite.net/images/f_auto,q_auto/v1724947071/shadyside/kp95uq63q8qcaevfkwxm/Square-VirginiaKleist.jpg","width":2160}])
![Susan Kim ’92]([{"url":"https://resources.finalsite.net/images/f_auto,q_auto,t_image_size_1/v1724874479/shadyside/qk39opdrj1kfpq4gcjcx/Square-SusanKim.jpg","width":256},{"url":"https://resources.finalsite.net/images/f_auto,q_auto,t_image_size_2/v1724874479/shadyside/qk39opdrj1kfpq4gcjcx/Square-SusanKim.jpg","width":512},{"url":"https://resources.finalsite.net/images/f_auto,q_auto,t_image_size_3/v1724874479/shadyside/qk39opdrj1kfpq4gcjcx/Square-SusanKim.jpg","width":800},{"url":"https://resources.finalsite.net/images/f_auto,q_auto,t_image_size_4/v1724874479/shadyside/qk39opdrj1kfpq4gcjcx/Square-SusanKim.jpg","width":1200},{"url":"https://resources.finalsite.net/images/f_auto,q_auto,t_image_size_5/v1724874479/shadyside/qk39opdrj1kfpq4gcjcx/Square-SusanKim.jpg","width":1600},{"url":"https://resources.finalsite.net/images/f_auto,q_auto/v1724874479/shadyside/qk39opdrj1kfpq4gcjcx/Square-SusanKim.jpg","width":2160}])
![Mark Lhormer]([{"url":"https://resources.finalsite.net/images/f_auto,q_auto,t_image_size_1/v1710774904/shadyside/hfa17hyrnyabqaicxw1x/Square-Profile-MarkL1.jpg","width":256},{"url":"https://resources.finalsite.net/images/f_auto,q_auto,t_image_size_2/v1710774904/shadyside/hfa17hyrnyabqaicxw1x/Square-Profile-MarkL1.jpg","width":512},{"url":"https://resources.finalsite.net/images/f_auto,q_auto,t_image_size_3/v1710774904/shadyside/hfa17hyrnyabqaicxw1x/Square-Profile-MarkL1.jpg","width":800},{"url":"https://resources.finalsite.net/images/f_auto,q_auto,t_image_size_4/v1710774904/shadyside/hfa17hyrnyabqaicxw1x/Square-Profile-MarkL1.jpg","width":1200},{"url":"https://resources.finalsite.net/images/f_auto,q_auto,t_image_size_5/v1710774904/shadyside/hfa17hyrnyabqaicxw1x/Square-Profile-MarkL1.jpg","width":1600},{"url":"https://resources.finalsite.net/images/f_auto,q_auto/v1710774904/shadyside/hfa17hyrnyabqaicxw1x/Square-Profile-MarkL1.jpg","width":2160}])
![Elizabeth Patterson ’93: Going All In by Coming Home]([{"url":"https://resources.finalsite.net/images/f_auto,q_auto,t_image_size_1/v1709755058/shadyside/jq2sstmyski5qwrgc1i2/Square-Profile-ElizabethP.jpg","width":256},{"url":"https://resources.finalsite.net/images/f_auto,q_auto,t_image_size_2/v1709755058/shadyside/jq2sstmyski5qwrgc1i2/Square-Profile-ElizabethP.jpg","width":512},{"url":"https://resources.finalsite.net/images/f_auto,q_auto,t_image_size_3/v1709755058/shadyside/jq2sstmyski5qwrgc1i2/Square-Profile-ElizabethP.jpg","width":800},{"url":"https://resources.finalsite.net/images/f_auto,q_auto,t_image_size_4/v1709755058/shadyside/jq2sstmyski5qwrgc1i2/Square-Profile-ElizabethP.jpg","width":1200},{"url":"https://resources.finalsite.net/images/f_auto,q_auto,t_image_size_5/v1709755058/shadyside/jq2sstmyski5qwrgc1i2/Square-Profile-ElizabethP.jpg","width":1600},{"url":"https://resources.finalsite.net/images/f_auto,q_auto/v1709755058/shadyside/jq2sstmyski5qwrgc1i2/Square-Profile-ElizabethP.jpg","width":2160}])
Charting his course to the Air Force Academy.
Caden Green ’24 started at Shady Side in fifth grade. During his time at SSA, he took advantage of robust course choices at every turn. He visited local communities with his Chinese class. He created electrical circuits and conducted outdoor experiments. He discovered a passion for creative writing. He even took college-level physics and economics. Now, he’s living his dreams at the Air Force Academy.
Shady Side prepares you beyond AP tests. We learn through actual experiences.
Caden GreenClass of 2024
College Counseling
Shady Side graduates attend top universities across the globe. Our dedicated, four-person college counseling team works with students and their families to find the college that best fits their unique interests, goals, and talents. From the Ivy League to specialized programs, SSA students take their next steps with purpose and direction.
Meet Your Guides
Meg Scott P'33,'35
Director of College Counseling
Julie Hertz P'32,'36
Associate Director of College Counseling
Lucas Frankel P'37
Associate Director of College Counseling
Sarah Lamphier P'34
Coordinator
College-Bound and Beyond
![Alumna Melissa VerCammen ’03 Returns to SSA with Washington Latin Honors Choir]([{"url":"https://resources.finalsite.net/images/f_auto,q_auto,t_image_size_1/v1744745695/shadyside/itskjt9pszorop39t7wm/SS_NEVOLA_DC_CHOIR_VISIT_040225-9565.jpg","width":256},{"url":"https://resources.finalsite.net/images/f_auto,q_auto,t_image_size_2/v1744745695/shadyside/itskjt9pszorop39t7wm/SS_NEVOLA_DC_CHOIR_VISIT_040225-9565.jpg","width":512},{"url":"https://resources.finalsite.net/images/f_auto,q_auto,t_image_size_3/v1744745695/shadyside/itskjt9pszorop39t7wm/SS_NEVOLA_DC_CHOIR_VISIT_040225-9565.jpg","width":800},{"url":"https://resources.finalsite.net/images/f_auto,q_auto,t_image_size_4/v1744745695/shadyside/itskjt9pszorop39t7wm/SS_NEVOLA_DC_CHOIR_VISIT_040225-9565.jpg","width":1200},{"url":"https://resources.finalsite.net/images/f_auto,q_auto,t_image_size_5/v1744745695/shadyside/itskjt9pszorop39t7wm/SS_NEVOLA_DC_CHOIR_VISIT_040225-9565.jpg","width":1600},{"url":"https://resources.finalsite.net/images/f_auto,q_auto,t_image_size_6/v1744745695/shadyside/itskjt9pszorop39t7wm/SS_NEVOLA_DC_CHOIR_VISIT_040225-9565.jpg","width":2200}])
On April 2, Shady Side Academy welcomed back to campus alumna Melissa (Nevola) VerCammen ’03, who returned with her Honors Choir from Washington Latin Public Charter School in Washington, D.C., where she serves as choral director. The visit marked a joyful reunion and a meaningful musical exchange between VerCammen’s students and SSA’s Chamber Choir.
![Forging a Path in Real Estate]([{"url":"https://resources.finalsite.net/images/f_auto,q_auto,t_image_size_1/v1742485558/shadyside/rmubtlsidrwh5iow0fjn/8245297_web1_her-JulieRost-030625.jpg","width":256},{"url":"https://resources.finalsite.net/images/f_auto,q_auto,t_image_size_2/v1742485558/shadyside/rmubtlsidrwh5iow0fjn/8245297_web1_her-JulieRost-030625.jpg","width":512},{"url":"https://resources.finalsite.net/images/f_auto,q_auto/v1742485558/shadyside/rmubtlsidrwh5iow0fjn/8245297_web1_her-JulieRost-030625.jpg","width":640}])
Julie Rost '89 has built a thriving real estate career in Pittsburgh, leveraging her deep community ties. A top-selling Realtor, she leads an all-female team at Berkshire Hathaway, The Preferred Realty, specializing in Fox Chapel and the East End.
![Unleashing Horror with John Harrison ’66’s "Residue"]([{"url":"https://resources.finalsite.net/images/f_auto,q_auto,t_image_size_1/v1742314675/shadyside/piqhxpe0csaju0uactft/Residue-Generic.png","width":256},{"url":"https://resources.finalsite.net/images/f_auto,q_auto,t_image_size_2/v1742314675/shadyside/piqhxpe0csaju0uactft/Residue-Generic.png","width":512},{"url":"https://resources.finalsite.net/images/f_auto,q_auto,t_image_size_3/v1742314675/shadyside/piqhxpe0csaju0uactft/Residue-Generic.png","width":800},{"url":"https://resources.finalsite.net/images/f_auto,q_auto/v1742314675/shadyside/piqhxpe0csaju0uactft/Residue-Generic.png","width":1024}])
John Harrison ’66 is back with a chilling new novel, "Residue: Paramentals Rising," a continuation of his Netflix miniseries "Residue" (2015). Released on February 11 by WordFire Press, the supernatural thriller follows Miki Preston as she searches for her missing sister in a devastated city haunted by sinister forces known as Paramentals.
![Jake Rogal '06 Takes Olympic Basketball Behind the Scenes]([{"url":"https://resources.finalsite.net/images/f_auto,q_auto,t_image_size_1/v1742304053/shadyside/adnxwixmgtzh1ssqf8tb/JakeRogal06.jpg","width":256},{"url":"https://resources.finalsite.net/images/f_auto,q_auto,t_image_size_2/v1742304053/shadyside/adnxwixmgtzh1ssqf8tb/JakeRogal06.jpg","width":512},{"url":"https://resources.finalsite.net/images/f_auto,q_auto,t_image_size_3/v1742304053/shadyside/adnxwixmgtzh1ssqf8tb/JakeRogal06.jpg","width":800},{"url":"https://resources.finalsite.net/images/f_auto,q_auto/v1742304053/shadyside/adnxwixmgtzh1ssqf8tb/JakeRogal06.jpg","width":1200}])
Jake Rogal '06 has built a career on capturing untold stories, and his latest project, "Court of Gold," takes viewers inside Olympic basketball like never before. The six-episode Netflix series follows four teams—USA, Canada, Serbia, and France—on their journey to gold at the 2024 Paris Games, featuring stars like Kevin Durant, Steph Curry, and Victor Wembanyama.
![Breaking Through: Bryce Trischler '23 on the Mound]([{"url":"https://resources.finalsite.net/images/f_auto,q_auto,t_image_size_1/v1741187291/shadyside/z7txvqfpj0je2q1lgvqf/BryceTrischler.webp","width":256},{"url":"https://resources.finalsite.net/images/f_auto,q_auto,t_image_size_2/v1741187291/shadyside/z7txvqfpj0je2q1lgvqf/BryceTrischler.webp","width":512},{"url":"https://resources.finalsite.net/images/f_auto,q_auto,t_image_size_3/v1741187291/shadyside/z7txvqfpj0je2q1lgvqf/BryceTrischler.webp","width":800},{"url":"https://resources.finalsite.net/images/f_auto,q_auto,t_image_size_4/v1741187291/shadyside/z7txvqfpj0je2q1lgvqf/BryceTrischler.webp","width":1200},{"url":"https://resources.finalsite.net/images/f_auto,q_auto,t_image_size_5/v1741187291/shadyside/z7txvqfpj0je2q1lgvqf/BryceTrischler.webp","width":1600},{"url":"https://resources.finalsite.net/images/f_auto,q_auto/v1741187291/shadyside/z7txvqfpj0je2q1lgvqf/BryceTrischler.webp","width":1884}])
Shady Side Academy alumnus Bryce Trischler '23 continues to impress on the mound, earning Presidents' Athletic Conference (PAC) Pitcher of the Week honors for his standout performance with Grove City College.
![Celebrating the Release of "The Haunting" by Cate Peebles ’97]([{"url":"https://resources.finalsite.net/images/f_auto,q_auto,t_image_size_1/v1741358314/shadyside/awjxnwhflwx6kpoh3b87/Cate-Peebles-The-Haunting.jpg","width":256},{"url":"https://resources.finalsite.net/images/f_auto,q_auto,t_image_size_2/v1741358314/shadyside/awjxnwhflwx6kpoh3b87/Cate-Peebles-The-Haunting.jpg","width":512},{"url":"https://resources.finalsite.net/images/f_auto,q_auto,t_image_size_3/v1741358314/shadyside/awjxnwhflwx6kpoh3b87/Cate-Peebles-The-Haunting.jpg","width":800},{"url":"https://resources.finalsite.net/images/f_auto,q_auto/v1741358314/shadyside/awjxnwhflwx6kpoh3b87/Cate-Peebles-The-Haunting.jpg","width":828}])
Shady Side Academy alumna Cate Peebles ’97 returned to Pittsburgh on Saturday, Feb. 8, to celebrate the release of her latest poetry collection, The Haunting, published by Tupelo Press. The event, held at Bottom Feeder Books, was especially meaningful as the bookstore is owned by fellow SSA alumnus Mike Seamans ’01. Peebles was joined by poets Diana Khoi Nguyen and Avery Robinson for an evening of readings and literary conversation.
YourInvestmentisTheir Future
We know the stakes of your decision. That’s why we are relentless in delivering an experience that prepares your child to explore, grow, and flourish—not just for the next four years but for a lifetime.
We invite you to see how we move with the world to ensure your child’s future is bright and boundless.