The inaugural Seader Leadership Scholarships were awarded at the Pennsylvania Junior Academy of Science Region 8 meeting on Feb. 8 at Pennsylvania Western University California.
PJAS is a statewide organization of junior and senior high school students designed to stimulate and promote interest in science among its members by developing research projects and investigations.
The Seader Leadership Scholarship was established in 2025 by Joshua Seader, Dr. Amanda Seader, Leah Seader and Sarah Seader. All four siblings contribute much of their career success to PJAS. Each Seader sibling achieved six-year perseverance awards, which equates to 24 years of presentations. In addition, several Seaders completed two projects throughout high school and earned PSTS awards, perfect scores, exemplary awards and the D.E. Zappa Penn State Award. They have returned to judge PJAS each year as their work schedules have permitted.
Thirteen candidates were interviewed for two $500 scholarships. Interviews focused on a student’s leadership within their school district and community and their involvement in PJAS. Based on the high quality of candidates interviewed, the Seader family decided to award three $500 scholarships this year. Allison Ewbank, Connor Bradley and Luke Amon were the three scholarship winners.
Allison Ewbank is a senior at Trinity High School. She is currently ranked first in her class, noting a challenging course load with several AP and honors classes. Additionally, she received a Certificate of Merit from the Society of Women Engineers. Ewbank is a lifeguard and competed in tennis and track and field. Ewbank has participated in PJAS for 4 years, earning several first-place regional and state awards as well as a perfect score and an exemplary award in physics. Her overall interests are STEAM-related, with a focus on engineering, physics, music and research. Some of her leadership experiences include serving on the Washington Community Outreach Advisory Board and as a student council representative. She also plays violin and performed with the Washington Symphony Orchestra. Ewbank plans to attend Purdue University to pursue a career in mechanical engineering and eventually receive a master’s in robotics.
Connor Bradley is a senior at Trinity High School, where he excels academically with a challenging course load, including several AP and honors classes. He plans to pursue a career in aerospace engineering thanks to his involvement in PJAS, and he has been accepted to several prominent universities. During his interview, Bradley gave full credit to PJAS for helping him determine his future career path, noting that he completed a previous physics PJAS project on rockets and received a first-place award at the Region 8 competition. Bradley not only has several jobs he completes throughout the year, but he also has an impressive list of community service and school activities. He is an active member of the math league, stats club, investment club and youth group. Most impressively was Bradley’s very high SAT scores, along with his proven leadership as the oldest of his siblings noting he looks after his sisters and brothers while maintaining high academics and a strong involvement in his community.
Luke Amon is a senior at Bethlehem Center High School. He is currently ranked first in his class and serves as the president of the class of 2025. He is currently taking several college courses through Robert Morris University, including physics and chemistry. Amon boasts a wide variety of sports accolades including having the most seasons (18) lettered in Bethlehem-Center history. He balances sports with academics, giving back to his community through volunteering through his high school’s National Honors Society and working as a Little League baseball umpire. In addition, Amon is editor-in-chief of his school’s yearbook, president of the career club and captain of the Beth-Center STEM teams. Amon participated in PJAS for three years and received many first-place awards at the regional and state competitions, including several perfect scores. He plans to attend Washington & Jefferson University to pursue a career in finance.
Congratulations to Allison Ewbank, Connor Bradley and Luke Amon for being the first recipients of the Seader Leadership Scholarship.
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