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
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
College-Bound and Beyond
Author Anna Bruno '00 will publish her second novel, "Fine Young People," in late July with Algonquin Books. She will launch the book with a public event on August 2 at Penguin Bookshop, where she’ll appear in conversation with her former SSA English teacher, Buddy Hendershot.
Dawn Teele ’01, a political science professor at Johns Hopkins University, has been named a 2025 Andrew Carnegie Fellow. Teele, who studies gender and politics, will receive a $200,000 grant to explore how differences in political preferences between men and women may be driving polarization in the U.S.
Emory Anderson ’21 has spent the last four years making history. A double major in Neuroscience and Chemistry at the University of St Andrews in Scotland, Emory has also been a standout player on the university’s Women’s Football First Team—helping usher in an unprecedented era of success for the program and for women’s sport at St Andrews.
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.
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.
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.
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.