Susan Savini, Advanced Placement English teacher at Seneca Valley High School, was selected as this year's recipient of the Dickinson College Student Music Society's Annual Resounding Influences Award, which honors precollegiate mentors of Dickinson students.

Savini was nominated for the award by former student Caitlyn Walters, a 2001 graduate of Seneca Valley High School.

After meeting with the Dickinson students during the day, Savini was honored at a ceremony and reception the evening of January 31. Wayne Whigham, former principal of Seneca Valley High School, Cindy Kerr, PTA cluster co-coordinator and parent of a current student of Savini's, and Caitlyn Walters all spoke of the influence she has had on Seneca's students. Savini presented a talk about learning to communicate with clarity and conviction titled, "Audience Surfing: What Happens When Students Learn to Ride the Waves."