Pitt Student Alyssa Chestney Earns National Recognition from Council for Exceptional Children
Chestney was honored at a national conference in Salt Lake City
Alyssa Chestney, a Pitt student minoring in secondary education, has been named Outstanding Student of the Year by the Council for Exceptional Children, an international organization dedicated to improving educational access and success for students with disabilities and exceptional learning needs.
Chestney was honored at an award luncheon on March 12 during the Council for Exceptional Children’s National Convention and Expo in Salt Lake City, UT.
A Perfect Fit
Chestney’s path to CEC wasn’t a straight line. She is not an education major but when the student chapter at Pitt launched in the spring of 2025, Chestney saw something that bridged both sides of her academic identity, her pre-physician assistant coursework and her secondary education minor.
“It encompassed both a healthcare and service aspect for me, which I absolutely love,” she said.
Her School of Education minor in secondary education, she says, gave her a window into the school-based challenges faced by students with exceptionalities — knowledge she expects to carry directly into her future clinical practice.
As the CEC at Pitt chapter’s fundraising chair, Chestney has spearheaded awareness efforts and established the club on campus. The CEC chapter ran a popcorn sale last year that brought in nearly $1,500 and has held a pop culture and neurodiversity trivia night, local restaurant fundraisers, dual film screenings by neurodiverse filmmakers, and a headshot event outside the Cathedral of Learning that drew students and community members.
JoVonne Tabb, the chapter’s faculty advisor and visiting assistant professor of practice at the School of Education, nominated Chestney for the award. She said Chestney’s persistent fundraising efforts reflect a rare kind of dedication.
“I myself don’t like asking people for money,” Tabb said. “It’s a lot to add to what she’s already doing on campus. But she has just really taken off.”
What makes the fundraising contributions even more impressive, Tabb said, is that the Pitt chapter had no institutional history to draw from.
“There’s no ‘this is what they did before,'” Tabb said. ” Alyssa’s starting relationships all from scratch.”
Growing Fast
The CEC at Pitt chapter has grown to more than 100 members.
Club president Emily Wilmoth attributes much of the growth to the chapter’s decision to open its doors to students of all majors, not just those studying education.
“It is a space that was left untapped,” Wilmoth said.
Chestney is a prime example of the benefits of including students from outside the School of Education.
“Eventually when I am practicing as a physician assistant (PA) in pediatrics, I’m going to have that interaction with kids and know how to better treat them because I can understand their perspective,” she said.
Tabb agrees.
“She’s going to be a PA that knows the educational realm, the things that students with exceptionalities should have. She’s going to be ahead of the game.”
Follow the chapter on Instagram at @CEC_Pitt.
