*Written By Reece Jones

The 2017 graduating class will be on its way into the real world in a very short amount of time. Most current seniors have set the bar high with lofty goals, but not all will reach them. Here are some alumni who have proven that no goal is impossible to reach.

Nelson Hill (1977)

                Nelson Hill is a Grammy Award winning graduate of Bangor Area High School class of 1977. Hill is most known for his ability to play the saxophone, flute, and clarinet. Throughout his career, Hill has played with several music icons such as The Temptations, Frankie Valli, Gloria Estefan, and Tony Bennett. Hill eventually created his own music group called The Nelson Hill Quartet and won a Grammy for his album Hot.

William Spangenberg Ph.D. (1964)

                Dr. William Spangenberg has thirty years of experience in fluid dynamics, radiation hydrodynamics, and radiation transport. His engineering and software practices have been used by the IV&V NASA space missions for the James Webb Space Telescope and the Hubble Robotic Servicing Software. Spangenberg has published over 100 papers and articles about space technology over his thirty years of work. His work has earned him a spot in the American Astronomy Society, and since 1972 has held top secret clearance for projects concerning national interests.

Gina Viglione Penn (1950)

                Gina Penn got her first taste of New York City’s big stage when she sang in a concert at Town Hall when she was only 15 years old. Penn is most known for her major roles in Broadway Plays such as Once Upon a Mattress and The Alvin Theater. She has also performed in other well-known plays such as the Sound of Music, 13 Daughters, and Camelot. Penn has appeared in over thirty TV commercials over her illustrious career.

David Blau (1964)

                David Blau, the man who designed the original Slater mascot, is most known for his planning and designing for the private sector and also the government. Blau is the senior vice president for IDAW Inc. where he has been responsible for most of their design and visual projects. His firm designed the Australian Olympic Village with him as the lead architect.