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Four Williamsport Area High School (WAHS) alumni have been chosen to receive the 2026 Distinguished Alumni awards by the district's education foundation. They will be honored at the foundation's fourth annual Cherry and White Appreciation Night later this month.
The Distinguished Alumni awards honor WAHS graduates who have made outstanding contributions in their professional fields, achieved notable success or demonstrated exceptional service to their communities, according to a news release from the foundation.
Dr. Robert J. Marsh, Jr. will receive the Distinguished Alumni Achievement Award given to an alumnus who has modeled and employed a focus on achievement within his/her profession. This may include but is not limited to improving a field of work as well as inspiring others to improve by being a role model for continuous learning.
Marsh is a dedicated public servant and leader with more than 25 years of experience in psychology, corrections, and public administration.
A 1989 WAHS graduate, Marsh earned a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology from Mansfield University and a Master of Arts in Community-Clinical Psychology in 1997. In 2005, Marsh earned a Doctor of Psychology in Clinical Psychology from Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine.
He began a career in public service in 1999 as a Psychological Services Associate at SCI Camp Hill, where his responsibilities expanded to include Psychological Services Specialist, Unit Manager, and Corrections Classification Program Manager. From 2004 to 2008, Marsh also served on the Central Region Hostage Negotiation Team.
In 2008, Marsh was appointed Deputy Superintendent of Centralized Services at SCI Rockview. From 2012 to 2018, he served as Licensed Psychologist Director for the Pennsylvania Department of Corrections and briefly served as Acting Interim Warden at Blair County Prison. In March 2018, he was appointed Superintendent of SCI Benner Township.
Since February 2021, Marsh has served as Central Region Deputy Secretary, continuing a distinguished career dedicated to public service, leadership, and the Pennsylvania Department of Corrections.
Shannon Synoracki has been chosen to receive the Distinguished Alumni Humanitarian Award which is given to an alumnus who has provided extraordinary service for the benefit of others. This may include but is not limited to work focused on schools, community development, and/or creating a sustainable future.
Williamsport native Synoracki is a 2009 WAHS graduate. She earned her undergraduate degree in Physician Assistant Studies from Pennsylvania College of Technology and a Master of Health Science degree from Nova Southeastern University in 2014. She began her career as a physician assistant in plastic surgery and dermatology, where she developed her expertise and passion for aesthetic medicine.
In 2021, Synoracki founded Prejuvenation Aesthetics, a boutique medical aesthetics practice in Leesburg, Virginia. As its owner and clinical leader, she has transformed her medical experience and entrepreneurial vision into a growing practice recognized for clinical excellence, integrity, and its commitment to exceptional patient care.
She has also made community service an integral part of her business. Through Prejuvenation Aesthetics, she supports The Courage Closet, a local nonprofit providing resources to women and children facing crisis situations, including those escaping domestic violence. She also organizes annual Toys for Tots collections, sponsors many local PTAs, and is an avid supporter of many of the local youth sports foundations. Her community involvement reflects her commitment to supporting children and families throughout the Northern Virginia community.
Synoracki's professional leadership and community contributions earned her recognition as a 2024 Loudoun 40 Under 40 honoree, a 2024 Best of Loudoun finalist for Medical Spa and Aesthetic Injector, and one of Northern Virginia Magazine's Women Making a Mark in 2026.
She lives in Northern Virginia with her husband, Logan, a 2009 WAHS graduate, their three children, and three golden retrievers.
Spencer Sweeting has been chosen to receive the Distinguished Alumni Service Award which is given to an alumnus who has provided outstanding service to his/her profession, community, and/or Williamsport Area School District. This may include but is not limited to work focused on improving a career area and/or leadership within community organizations, according to information from the foundation.
He graduated from Williamsport Area High School in 2001. He holds degrees from Penn State University and Liberty Theological Seminary. He is a consecrated and ordained minister of the Christian & Missionary Alliance denomination.
Sweeting's work as a minister began in 2005 at First Church in Williamsport, where he led youth programs that served hundreds of students and their families throughout the region. In 2012, he helped launch City Alliance Church, a congregation that has been deeply invested in seeking the common good of Williamsport. He later relocated to Colorado Springs, where he was pastor to New Spring Church from 2020-2025.
Since 2025, he has served as Executive Pastor at Allegheny Center Alliance Church, a historic and diverse congregation in the heart of Pittsburgh's North Side.
During his years as a pastor in Williamsport, Sweeting was active in community development and service. He volunteered for several years as a football coach with Curtin Middle School and served on the inaugural Board of Directors for Firetree Place.
In 2013, he was elected to the Williamsport Area School District Board of Directors and served for six years. During this time, he was a member of the WASD Education Foundation, represented the school district on the Lycoming County Planning Commission's Comprehensive Plan, and was an active member of the Stevens Primary School PTO.
He and his wife, Beth, shared a vision to build an inclusive playground in the city, which became a reality in 2021 when the Kiwanis Club of Williamsport, Rotary Club of Williamsport, WASD Education Foundation, and county commissioners partnered together to build the Kids United Community Playground at Cochran Primary School.
Sweeting continued his aunt Mamie Sweeting Diggs' work of teaching the history of the Underground Railroad in Lycoming County. Because of his family's roots, he has led his church in community engagement that promotes mercy, justice, and reconciliation.
In 2016, the Williamsport Sun-Gazette named him, with two fellow pastors, its Person of the Year for their unified efforts to address racial tensions in the community. In 2018, the Lycoming County Brotherhood Alliance honored him with the William J. Pickelner Brotherhood Citation for community service.
Sweeting and his wife reside in Pittsburgh, with their three daughters: Lucy, Josephine, and Emmaline.
Alisha Chen has been chosen to receive this year's Outstanding Young Alumnus Award which is given to an alumnus who has graduated 20 years ago or less.
This award recognizes outstanding service and accomplishments of an exceptional alumnus of WAHS. Areas of service may include but are not limited to professional, personal, and civic.
Chen is a Williamsport Area High School Graduate of 2017 and a public health and policy professional committed to advancing health equity, racial justice, and opportunity for historically underserved communities. A graduate of Johns Hopkins University with a degree in Public Health and Economics, Chen has built a career at the intersection of health, government, and community engagement.
She served as a Legislative Affairs & Engagement Coordinator in the Office of the Vice President and as a 2023-2024 APAICS Congressional Fellow. In these roles, she worked at the intersection of the legislative and executive branches and engaged with communities and leaders across the country. Previously, as a Consultant in Deloitte's Government & Public Services practice, she supported federal health agencies and state Medicaid work focused on advancing health equity and improving health systems, earning Deloitte's Federal Health Vital Voices Award for exceptional client service.
Most recently, Chen served as Partnerships Operations Manager at The Asian American Foundation, where she focused on strengthening partnerships and building community-centered initiatives supporting the AANHPI community. As an incoming Master of Public Health student at Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Chen continues to deepen her commitment to addressing the social determinants of health and building more equitable systems. Her journey reflects a commitment to using leadership, policy, and community partnership to create meaningful and lasting impact, embodying the spirit of the Outstanding Young Alumnus Award.
This year's honorees bring the total number of Distinguished Alumni recognized since the program was launched in 2012 to 33. For a full listing of previous inductees or for more information on the program, visit www.wasdeducationfoundation.org.
WASDEF, a nonprofit affiliate of the Williamsport Area School District, facilitates charitable giving and permanent legacies in educational innovation, arts, athletics and scholarships. For more information, visit the foundation's website.