News

Michelle Duggan finished a three-year term with the Wildcat Foundation in July, wrapping up nine total years of service from the Duggan family.

A resident of Mechanicsburg since 1975, Duggan is a 1988 graduate of the Mechanicsburg Area School District (MASD). She is a 1991 graduate of James Madison University, earning a Bachelor of Arts in Communications/Public Relations with minors in Vocal Music and French, as well as a 1995 graduate of the Dickinson School of Law.

Duggan practiced labor and education law for 20 years as a Staff Attorney for the Pennsylvania State Education Association (PSEA), a professional association and labor organization for school employees. She currently sits as a Commissioner for the Pennsylvania Professional Standards and Practices Commission (PSPC), a commission rendering adjudications in teacher licensure cases.

Michelle is married to John F. Duggan (a former member and president of the Wildcat Foundation Board of Directors). They have three daughters, Mallory (a 2018 MASD graduate); Marissa (a 2021 MASD graduate); and Marabeth, an 11th-grader at Mechanicsburg High School.

How would you describe the Foundation’s impact on the MASD community?

For over 25 years, the Foundation has provided vital support to MASD students through the tens of thousands of grant dollars provided each year for educational, cultural, wellness, and athletic endeavors, as well as the thousands of dollars granted through the Foundation’s college scholarship program.

None of the Foundation’s efforts could be attained without the tremendous school-community partnership between the Mechanicsburg Area School District and the greater Mechanicsburg community, however. The Wildcat Foundation has been a crucial catalyst to promoting and facilitating this school-community alliance. Indeed, Foundation projects have fostered both community fellowship and community investment in educational programs for Mechanicsburg students.

This fellowship is evidenced through community attendance at sporting events and Mechanicsburg Commencement Exercises at the John H. Frederick Field and Rich Lichtel Field House, environmental education and experiences at the Trails and Trees Environmental Center, and community appreciation of educational, cultural, wellness, and athletic events supported by Foundation grants.

Additionally, Foundation fundraisers, including its Annual Appeal, Wildcat Night, and Golf Tournament, have offered opportunities for
community investment in Foundation-funded District initiatives that directly benefit Mechanicsburg students. The overwhelmingly generous response by Mechanicsburg residents and businesses to Foundation fundraising is a testament to the strong school-community bond that exists in the Mechanicsburg community. As such, by fostering both community fellowship and investment in the Mechanicsburg Area School District’s efforts, the Wildcat Foundation has secured a school-community cooperation that has greatly enhanced the educational experience of Mechanicsburg students.

How did serving on the Foundation board impact you personally?

It has been my deep honor to serve as a Foundation Board member. I feel so fortunate that my children have been students of the Mechanicsburg Area School District. Serving as a Board member has, thus, allowed me to serve the district that has provided such a fantastic educational experience for my three daughters. Additionally, being a Foundation board member has offered me the opportunity to witness the selfless, generous efforts of my fellow board members who – like Mechanicsburg administrators, teachers, and staff – are entirely devoted to assisting Mechanicsburg students. Their example has been an inspiration to me, and I am humbled to
have been able to serve with them.

What are some some highlights from your board service?

Being a participant in the Foundation’s grant and scholarship committees was especially meaningful for me, as the grant and scholarship efforts are the heart of the Foundation’s mission.

Reading the variety of creative grant proposals from district faculty and staff about new student programs highlighted what we all know, namely, that the Mechanicsburg faculty and staff are devoted to increasing the educational experiences for their students. Reviewing student scholarship applications, I was so impressed with our talented Mechanicsburg students and the diligent efforts that they placed on their studies and activities, as well as the invaluable guidance that they received from Mechanicsburg faculty and staff who assisted them as they progressed through their high school journey.

There have been so many individuals and efforts responsible for allowing these grants and scholarships to be awarded throughout the Foundation’s existence. I was humbled to play a small part in the grant and scholarship committees, and I am greatly appreciative of the honor that I had to serve with Foundation Board, whose members are steadfastly committed to enriching the education for all Mechanicsburg students. I cherish my memories of service for the Wildcat Foundation.