UNITED FOR SCASD
2023 SCHOOL BOARD CANDIDATES
Nathan Bish
Nathan Bish is a 1996 graduate of Milton Area School District and a 2000 graduate of Penn State University. After living out of state for 16 years, Nathan and his family returned to State College to raise their family. Nathan is a strong advocate for public education and, more importantly, “the parent/school partnership.” He has been involved in public education, at least indirectly, his entire life. His father is a retired high school principal, mother a retired English teacher and his wife is a Special Education Supervisor. In recent years, he has regularly attended school board and committee meetings as well as participated in one-to- one meetings with members of the current board and administration. Nathan was also the only parent not affiliated with SCASD, Penn State, or another community advocacy group who participated in SCASD’s 2022 comprehensive strategic planning process. It was during that experience that Nathan felt compelled to run for school board, seeing the immediate need to refocus SCASD on its core mission to ensure that every student has his or her educational needs met.
Reach out to Nathan:
Barry Fenchak
Barry Fenchak has been a member of the State College School District for over 40 years. Barry and his wife raised 4 children who have all graduated from SCASD. He is an independent Registered Securities Principal and Investment Advisor. Barry also served as an Instructor in Finance at Penn State for over 20 years, and currently serves on the Board of Trustees of the University. He earned a BS in Chemical Engineering, and an MBA, both from Penn State.
Barry feels strongly that providing a quality education to the youth of our community is the single most critical and impactful task of any society. “The primary role of School Board Director is to ensure that the faculty and staff of our district – those who actually “make it happen” - are equipped with the resources necessary to accomplish this mission. This requires all members of the Board to work diligently to assure that every available resource is utilized in the most efficient and effective manner. As a community, the trust we place with our public schools is sacred. Those individuals we place in positions to direct our schools must always respect that trust.”
John Krajcovic
John Krajcovic was born and raised in Pittsburgh, PA and graduated from Pittsburgh Central Catholic High School in Oakland and then attended the University of Pittsburgh where he obtained a bachelor's degree in Civil Engineering. John worked for the Army Corps of Engineers before working for PennDOT as a Civil Engineer for the next 20 years, 15 of those as a Project Manager. He is a licensed Professional Engineer in the state of Pennsylvania. John, his wife, and their two children have lived in the State College Area School District since 2017. His children attend elementary school in the district. He has coached youth sports for 4 years, including Centre Youth Soccer, State College Little League, and State College Youth Wrestling.
When asked why he wants to run for school board John stated, "I am passionate about joining the State College Area School Board of Directors for the same reason I have given my time as a youth Coach. I believe that Children are the greatest resource we have and providing them a quality education is extremely important. In addition, my experience managing projects in the public realm could have a positive impact on planning or budget issues. As a school board member I will support decisions that lead to a quality education for all students. I will support decisions that are fiscally responsible and I believe that teachers are the greatest teaching resource we have in our school and they should be supported. I also believe in the rights of every student to feel like they belong and are safe."
Reach out to John -
Michelle Young
Michelle Young moved to State College in 2015, where she currently resides with her husband and three sons who attend SCASD middle schools. Michelle retired from the US Navy after 22 years of service and is now a full-time mom. She earned a bachelor’s degree in Political Science and master’s degrees in Systems Technology and Military Sciences. She is passionate about the growth of our youth and their development into well-rounded and independent students prepared to think critically and positively engage in life after high school.
When asked why she wanted to serve on the school board, Michelle said, “My goal to serve on the SCASD Board of Directors is based on my interest in developing and shaping an environment that prepares and motivates our students for life outside of school by instilling in them critical thinking skills, a global perspective, and a respect for core values of honesty, perseverance, gratitude, and compassion. My interest grew from personally mentoring and coaching individuals, to organizing larger professional development programs, to shaping their professional environments for success as I became a more senior officer in the Navy. After retiring, I realized that I could continue to serve a younger community.”
Reach out to Michelle -