The Stover Scholars went on its final trip of the semester earlier this month—an annual trip to Pittsburgh. For senior scholars, this trip was the last trip they would ever go on as Stover Scholars. This year, Scholars met with Judge Thomas Hardiman of the U.S. Court of Appeals Third Circuit, and talked to Professor John Burgess, author of “Holy Russ,” a book about Russian Orthodox Christianity in the post-Cold War era. They also visited Phipps Conservatory and the Pittsburgh Holocaust Center. Senior Addie Pazzynski, said that the trip was a “full-circle experience” and her favorite as a Stover Scholar.

“It’s not often that you meet with a Holocaust survivor and an expert in orthodox theology and go to a conservatory all in one day, so it was a very unique trip, and different from what Stover normally does,” said Pazzynski. “It was a great way to end my time in the program.”

At the Pittsburgh Holocaust Center, the scholars met a Holocaust survivor named Judah Samet. Melissa Sargent, Assistant to the president of the Stover Scholar Program, said that meeting the survivor was a wonderful opportunity.

“This was an incredible experience for the students to hear the horrifying and graphic stories from a man who spent part of his childhood in a concentration camp,” said Sargent. “It was extremely moving for everyone in the room and an experience that all of the students will carry with them forever.”

Pazzynski said that meeting Samet was her favorite experience on the trip.

“I think that it is really important that, as we meet judges and supreme court justices and lawyers and business people, to also remember the more human side of who we are,” said Pazzynski.

The Stover Scholars also attended a formal dinner at the Duquesne Club, where Chancellor Timothy Thyreen, President Douglas Lee and Interim Duquesne Law School Dean Maureen Lally-Green spoke. The seniors also gave speeches and were awarded plaques for their participation and leadership in the program. Senior Paige Carter said that the dinner this year was hard for her, because it was the last one she would attend.

“It was a celebration, but it was also sad,” said Carter.

She said she will miss the leadership of Dr. Larry Stratton, director of Stover Center for Constitutional and Moral Leadership, the most.

“As Stovers, Dr. Stratton is just trying to make us the best version of ourselves,” said Carter.

There are seven graduating Stover Scholars this year. Stratton said that all have greatly impacted the program in their own ways.

“They have been a great active group of leaders,” said Stratton. “They’ve demonstrated their exemplars of moral leadership with a strong understanding of our constitutional system.”