McKeesport's Angel
JUly 12, 2021
Terri Kisan at her McKeesport home.
Photograph by Maria Palmer
I met Terri Kisan after I graduated from McKeesport Area High School in 2011.
Her family has lived in McKeesport for a long time. Her father, Ted Skotnicki, graduated from McKeesport in 1934. She grew up in White Oak, then moved in McKeesport in the mid 80s. She and her three siblings attended McKeesport High School too. She graduated in 1979. She and her husband Dave have seven children. All her kids attended McKeesport High School too. Her youngest child, Brison, graduated on June 2.
Brison was featured on the Today Show last fall. Terri said, “I couldn’t even believe it, it was unbelievable”. She suspected early on that may be involved in some way, so she reached out and early on to the Assistant Superintendent Dr. Tia Wanzo and the school board president Joseph Lopretto. Terri asked, “Our kids need devices, what can we do?”
She suggested the school board get used or refurbished laptops. She felt the students were always getting second hand or used equipment, but it turned out that the school was working on something much bigger and better. “I had no idea that it was going to be big as it was” The McKeesport community helped create this big surprise. She had no idea that NBC was going to do a nice piece about our school district and feature her son. Brison will attend Penn State Greater Allegheny this fall.
When Mrs. Kisan was a young woman, the steel mills were closing and McKeesport’s population had shrunk to 31,000 residents. Now we have just over 19,000. She went to a trade school after graduating to learn how to be a dental assistant. Then she went on to attend CCAC. She was able to get her a job within nine months. Terri worked her way through college at Robert Morris University by working in dental offices as a dental assistant. As soon she graduated, she also got her real estate license.
I believe Terri Kisan is an amazing person. She has always been involved in the community such as PTA, school board and the organizations. I got to know her children, before I got to know her. I got to know her when I was invited to her daughter’s Kayla’s graduation party. I stayed in contact in her and I even remained in contact with her during the pandemic. I felt bad that her two youngest children who were still in school and unable to get their senior photos.
Mrs. Kisan is more than PTA mom. She believes it is important to not just go to college, but to also receive technical training and learn a trade. She bought an apartment building from a dentist and she rehabilitated it for low-income residents. She is always there for friends and her community. She also got her kids involved in helping and volunteering as they grew older. She raised her children with old time values and to appreciate where they come from, even though they are growing up and will soon leave home. She would not be surprised if they returned to the area so they can continue to help.
Mrs Kisan became involved with the Pittsburgh Dream Center for many years. The Dream Center provides food and other services for people in need. They also do Adopt a Block and help people who are homeless and provide education. They also do a mission trip every summer. At first, her kids did not want to participate, but they became more involved once they made friends at the organization. They were happy to be hanging out with their new friends every Saturday.
Mrs. Kisan said that donations are important if we want things to be better. The Dream Center is always looking for donations of supplies such as garbage bags, rakes and other tools things to clean up a big area of land. They always need cash donations. The Dream Center has food pantries at 17 sites around the Mon Valley as well as Pitcairn, Clairton, Monroeville, Turtle Creek, East McKeesport, North Versailles and many more. Mrs. Kisan said “There is a lot of good programs in place here and they can continue to grow. She has no intentions starting anything new at this time. “I’m not going to reinvent the wheel” she said. But she plans to remain a helper.
Mrs. Kisan is now busy supporting her husband Dave who has cancer. He is currently in chemotherapy. I have friends and family who have endured cancer too, so I can understand what she is going through. Although there are many types of cancer. There is still the common experience of treatment which I know is very hard.
I know she will keep volunteering in McKeesport until the time is right for her to move on. I call Mrs. Terri Kisan McKeesport’s Community Angel for what all she has done for this this town for over 33 years.
Thank You, Mrs. Terri Kisan.