listing/roster of Charleroi, Pennsylvania High School Graduates/Alumni


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    THE 70's
      John Woodward, '77
      Andrea Todora, '74
      James R. Moon, '73
      David Mudrick & Cindy Colvin, '74
      George Braunegg, '75
      Bob Burns, '76
      Bill Woytovich, '73
      Michael 'Reed' Popovich, '74
      Karen A. Theys, '74
      Keith Spear, '74
      Vicki DuJordan, '71
      Leslie Kibler, '77
      Valerie Marraccini, '76 & Dennis J. Stitch, '78
      Janey Potts, '75
      Joseph R. Scaccia, '75
      Cheryl Deep, '74
      Mark Mascara, '74
      Jeff Kossol, '71
      Philip J. Kellman, '72
      Sheri Monack, '75

Twist of fate set CIA career in motion... By Jeff Pikulsky, VALLEY INDEPENDENT, January 22, 2005
Karen A. Abraham might work for the Central Intelligence Agency, but she says it's no secret that the Mon Valley played a major role in preparing her for a high profile career.
In her 29th year with the CIA in Washington, D.C., the 48-year-old Charleroi native was promoted in July to serve with the Senior Intelligence Service, a high-tier position in her line of work.

The honor resulted from much dedication and hard work on Abraham's part, but it was a twist of fate that set her career rolling.

Having an interest in traveling, Abraham decided to move from the Mon Valley to Fairfax, Va., and attend airline school.

But as she neared graduation in the early 1970s, the prospect of landing a job in that field became grim.

"That was during the energy crisis, so none of the airlines were hiring," she said.

Abraham said she encountered a CIA recruiter at the school one day and decided to take a chance.

From that day, her career in resource management with the agency was all uphill.

But the crawl up the ladder was a slowly developing one for Abraham.

After years of many different responsibilities, she was granted admission into the John F. Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University.

Graduating from the special school was a personal milestone for Abraham, who said she has never attended college.

The accomplishment allowed her to reach a new professional plateau.

"I had to compete to go to that school to be promoted into this service," she said. "This service is like the executive branch of the government for the agency. Only three percent make it to this level."

Abraham said she has satisfied her passion for traveling through her job and has met with many interesting people.

"I've had the opportunity to not only travel," she said. "I've had the opportunity to meet with people from many different backgrounds and cultures from many parts of the world."

Abraham said she has just about everything she wants.

She met Michael Abraham, her husband of 22 years, at the CIA.

He was an employee there and happened to be from Butler. The two have two children, Michael, 19, and Matthew, 15.

The family makes occasional trips to the Mon Valley to visit relatives.

Abraham said she prefers the Mon Valley's small-town feel much more than the hectic bustle of life near Washington, D.C.

She said her busy beltway commute to work is a definite "downside" to her job.

The trip is only 14 miles, but it takes more than an hour for Abraham to get to the office, thanks to traffic.

"It has its pluses. Everything is here and you're not far from the ocean," she said of the area. "But it is a different kind of environment. It's very fast- paced and everything is huge."

Speaking about her career, Abraham said she learned the value of determination, commitment and a strong work ethic as a Mon Valley youth.

"I think it was my upbringing that encouraged me to always be the best, no matter what I was doing," she said.

Abraham and her husband plan to one day move back to the Mon Valley.

"My husband and I plan to retire back there," she said. "We still don't consider this home."

Jeff Pikulsky can be reached at jpikulsky@tribweb.com.