2023 Hall of Fame Inductees
The 2023 Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony was held on Friday, October 27, 2023. This year's inductees included:
A 2012 graduate of Wissahickon, Joe Farrell has achieved remarkable success in his soccer career. As a college player at LaSalle University, he garnered numerous honors, including being named to the National Soccer Coaches Association of America’s All-Region Third Team - three times and the Soccer 6 All-Star team three times. He scored 16 goals, had 16 assists, and played in all 76 games during his four-year tenure at LaSalle University. Mr. Farrell then embarked on an eight-year professional career in the USL Championship league, playing for the Rochester Rhinos and Phoenix Rising. He was a finalist for the United Soccer League Championship Rookie of the Year award in his debut season and played a vital role in Phoenix Rising's Western Conference championships in 2018 and 2020.
Aside from his achievements on the field, Mr. Farrell is known for his leadership and community service. He has served as a captain and motivator for his teams, organizing and inspiring his teammates. Mr. Farrell actively participates in community outreach programs, engaging with children, supporting animal shelters, and advocating for mental health and childhood cancer awareness. He also makes annual visits to a Wissahickon 5th grade classroom, leaving a lasting impact on students.
Mr. Farrell’s notable achievements and character make him an ideal alumni role model for Wissahickon students.
After completing his Master of Arts in English from George Mason University, Henry “Hank” Jones headed to Los Angeles to pursue his passion in scriptwriting. To get started, he worked on any indie project he could find until he was recommended for an assistant position on BET’s The Game. Over the next few years, Mr. Jones hustled as an assistant on ABC’s `blackish, BET’s The New Edition Story, and Dear White People on Netflix. Mr. Jones went on to write eight episodes of the Netflix animated show Motown Magic, and two episodes of Family Reunion. He has since worked on shows airing on CBS, Freeform, Apple TV, Peacock and is currently a Supervising Producer on ABC’s Will Trent as he develops shows he sold to Amazon and FX.
Mr. Jones is the co-creator of the Black Male Writers Meetup in Los Angeles - an event to bring Black male writers together to discuss industry practices, and seek guidance from veteran writers. He also served as a counselor for Awaken Arts where he taught creative writing to teens at an alternative-learning bootcamp that allowed them to earn their GEDs.
Chisa (Stimpson) Merriweather '98
After graduating from West Chester University, Chisa (Stimpson) Merriweather, began her career as a graphic designer, including at international law firms, Dechert LLP and Ballard Spahr.
In 2014, Mrs. Merriweather resigned her position after Chase, one of her four sons, was stricken with a strand of the flu that sent him into septic shock and ultimately led to the amputation of both feet and hands. Navigating their new normal encouraged Mrs. Merriweather and her husband, to establish the non-profit organization, Chase UR Dream, to support and motivate families of children coping with limb loss. Soon after, Mrs. Merriweather co-authored 2 books, "The Blueprint of a Little Superhero" and "ChaseMan: How My Brother Became a Real Superhero." Her involvement in the adaptive sports community led to invitations to join the Executive Board of the Navigators Adaptive Sports Club and as a co-board member for the Challenged Athletes Foundation.
in 2019, she rejoined the workforce as a Sr. Graphic Designer and Communications manager at the AJ Drexel Autism Institute – a position that aligns with having a child with a disability and her mission to provide information to the disabled community.
Billie LaRaé Owens, an alumna of Syracuse University's Newhouse School of Public Communications, earned the title of Miss Pennsylvania USA in 2022, impressing the judges with her exceptional performance at the state finale. Being crowned Miss Pennsylvania USA granted Miss Owens a powerful platform to advocate for causes close to her heart, such as mentorship. As the first Black Miss Pennsylvania USA in over a decade, she used her reign to promote diversity, inclusion and representation, inspiring children of all races, genders, and backgrounds to believe in their potential for greatness. A former Shady Grove elementary student, Miss Owens enjoys being a guest reader at our elementary schools during Read Across America Week and a career day speaker at WMS.
Alongside her success in pageantry, Miss Owens is actively involved in female empowerment initiatives, notably the HoopHers Girls' Empowerment Program which uses basketball as a platform to equip young women with essential life skills both on and off the court. Since 2021, she has also served as the Girls & Women Empowerment Ambassador at Philadelphia Youth Basketball.
Miss Owens accomplishments serve as a motivating force for the Wissahickon community, encouraging us all to pursue personal growth, overcome obstacles, and stay determined in achieving our dreams.
Carmina Taylor is a passionate advocate and community leader who has dedicated her personal and professional life to supporting and empowering others. As a Wissahickon Alumnus, Carmina served her Class of ’89 classmates by leading the effort to name the high school Audion after their Principal Henry Van De Water as a class gift for their 20th Anniversary. For the 25th Anniversary, she had the local municipalities designate a Class of ’89 Day and, for the 30th anniversary, contributed to the completion of a memorial copper sculpture for a classmate, which is now featured in the WHS art room courtyard.
As a consultant for the past four years, Ms. Taylor has led the Montgomery County Cultural Proficiency, Race & Equity Student Ambassadors program in eight school districts. She has made a significant impact on various communities across the Commonwealth, focused on educational equity.
Embracing community focused leadership, Ms. Taylor became an Organizational Development Practitioner, earning a second graduate degree at Temple University. She is currently the Director of Campus and Community Engagement at Thomas Jefferson University, where she compliments the rigorous student academic experience by initiating community outreach initiatives, service learning projects and civic engagement activities.
In September 2022, Ms. Taylor was honored at President Biden’s United We Stand Summit Against “Hate” as a National Uniter for her relentless community outreach across Pennsylvania to combat hate and misunderstanding. In February 2023, she become the first Vice President of Strategic Projects for the International Organization Development Association, a global network of professionals fostering healthy and effective change within organizations and communities. In April, Ms. Taylor was nominated and then selected as a Bezos Family Foundation Educator Scholar, an award that afforded her the opportunity to actively participate in the Aspen Institute Big Ideas Festival.
Ms. Taylor is the founder of the “We Can’t Wait” PA Statewide Coalition, named after Martin Luther King’s first book, where he stated that justice needed to be demanded not asked. She is also the founder of The Movement for Black and Brown Lives of Montgomery County, a group that focuses on health disparities, educational equity policies and juvenile justice.
Ms. Taylor is a proud Citizen University Civic Saturday Fellow and Citizen Redefined Mentor, where she seeks to inspire all Americans in active citizenship for the greater good of the community.