Eleven High School Seniors Graduate from The Pennsylvania School for the Deaf (PSD) Friday, June 9, 10:30 am

From: PR Newswire (press release), NY - Jun 6, 2006

Philadelphia Banker to Be Honored with Award

PHILADELPHIA, June 6 /PRNewswire/ -- Eleven deaf or hard of hearing high school students will graduate from The Pennsylvania School for the Deaf (PSD) on Friday, June 9, 2006, 10:30 - 11:30 am. Ceremonies will take place in Assembly Hall at Germantown Friends School, Greene Street and School House Lane. PSD re-established its high school program in 2001, and this will be the second class to graduate since then.

John R. Urofsky, a retired Senior Vice President of PNC Advisors at PNC Bank in Philadelphia, will receive the Nevil Award of Merit. This award is granted annually to a person, hearing or deaf, who has made a significant contribution to improving the lives of deaf and hard of hearing people. A US Navy officer who served in Vietnam and active in numerous Philadelphia civic, arts and cultural organizations, Mr. Urofsky has been a Board member at PSD since 1988 and Chairman and CEO for the past four years. Under his leadership the school completed its largest capital campaign ever and has increased student enrollment to 210 deaf or hard of hearing children in preschool through high school classes. Mr. Urofsky's own parents were deaf and attended PSD in the 1920s. He will address the graduates as well as present a new award to a deserving graduate, the Urofsky Family Memorial Award.

All 11 graduates are from the city of Philadelphia and most plan to attend college, junior college, or other post-secondary vocational programs. They are as follows: Corey McDaniel (National Technical Institute for the Deaf in Rochester, NY); Sharee Smith (Gallaudet University in Washington, D.C.); Jessenia Cruz and Darlene Evans (Hiram G. Andrews Vocational Program in Johnstown, Pa.); Joalisa DeJesus, Christopher Turner, and David Williams (Philadelphia Community College); Fred Turner, Jr. (Gallaudet University or Philadelphia Community College); Raquel Ragland (Camden County Community College); and Kurt Swanson (Transition to Work Program at PSD). Maleita Robinson will work immediately after graduation from PSD.

Two graduates will make speeches in sign language at the beginning of the program and a sign-song presentation performed by all the graduates will conclude the program.

For more information about PSD's Graduation on June 9th, please contact Ruth Cella, 215-754-4778 (voice/tty).

SOURCE Pennsylvania School for the Deaf

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