Matthew, Hallie, and Lindsay Zeleznik attended Falk in the early 90s and recently reconnected with the school to reminisce about everything from favorite teachers and projects to the widespread rumors that Falk started its life as a Pittsburgh mansion. 

Matthew, the oldest of the Zeleznik siblings, started at Falk as a seventh grader in 1990 and graduated in 1992. Today, he is an engineer at Aspinity, a local firm that specializes in analog processing chips. Hallie, a 1994 Falk graduate, started practicing physical therapy in 2001 and now serves as Vice Chair of Clinical Education and Practice Innovation for the Doctor of Physical Therapy Program in the Pitt School of Health and Rehabilitation Sciences. Lindsay, the youngest Zeleznik sibling, graduated from Falk in 1998 and has been a Physician Assistant since 2008. After 15 years of cardiothoracic and vascular surgery, she recently transitioned to orthopedic trauma and has taken on more leadership and patient quality roles.  

Embracing Individuality 

After Falk, the Zelezniks attended Central Catholic and Oakland Catholic for high school. Matthew says it was during this time that he truly began to appreciate Falk’s diverse and accepting atmosphere. 

“I think that [Falk] really embraced individuality when I was there... a lot of kids were kind of unique and quirky, and, you know, the staff and faculty really embrace that and encourage people to be themselves.” Beyond the Falk community, he recalls, “any individuality was, kind of, repressed at the door. It really made me [appreciate] the way Falk truly embraced individuality.” 

Matthew’s sisters echo this sentiment, remembering the kindness Falk showed them during a time of real insecurity and uncertainty. “I really wanted to be accepted when I was that age,” Lindsay says. “I was a good five, six inches taller than my friends, and I doubted myself through elementary school, high school and even college.” 

“It wasn't until I started studying medicine, practicing as a PA, and taking care of patients that I felt really good about myself. I look back at my time at Falk, and what I got in those years was a network of people caring about me. Without that support, it would have been difficult to overcome my insecurities.” 

A Lifelong Bond 

The care and compassion shown by Falk, especially its teachers, is something all three siblings remember fondly. “I feel like every level of your education—every phase in your life—helps to build that confidence,” Hallie reflects, “and very similar to Lindsay, I look back at my time on Falk and how kind and compassionate the instructors were.” 

“If you were having a bad day,” Hallie continues, “they could tell, and they came over and they said, ‘Hey, what's going on? Are you feeling okay today?’ I remember Dr. Cathy O’Farrell doing that for me. I remember Mr. Greg Wittig doing that for me. I remember Mrs. Joanne Ridge doing that when I first started.” 

"The teachers at Falk truly cared about me,” Lindsay adds. “They always took the time to ask how I was doing and were genuinely invested in me as an individual. They frequently chatted with me about my interests and supported my goals. What stands out to me now is that their investment didn't end after I graduated. I've run into my Falk teachers over the years, and every single time, they stop to talk and ask about my life and my brother and sister as well." 

Matthew says the same thing about the Falk community and especially about Mr. Greg Wittig, who has been teaching at Falk since Matthew’s eighth-grade year there. "He lives just a couple neighborhoods over,” Matthew says. “I've run into him a bunch, [and] we still keep touch, just through messaging every once in a while.” 

Fond Scientific Memories 

Hallie, also living in Pittsburgh, says she continues to run into her middle school lab partner, with whom she vividly remembers dissecting a fish in science class. "We were dead set on finding the fish's brain,” she recalls. "I remember the little metal tray and the exact seats we were sitting in. I remember all of it.” 

“Unfortunately, we did not find the brain. Apparently, that's a hard thing to do when you're dissecting a fish. But I think that [experience] probably sparked a lot of my interests for science, and then later, when I was in physical therapy school, we did human anatomy and cadaver dissections, which reminded me of my time at Falk in many ways,” she says. 

For Matthew, the most memorable part of Falk’s science curriculum was the annual trip to McKeever Environmental Learning Center, where students spent a week identifying trees and learning about biology through nature. 

"McKeever was like a retreat with your teachers," Lindsay recalls. "It was a time to really get to know them. I have fond memories of Mrs. Carmela Maccarelli, our Spanish teacher, being so fun and outgoing. Even on an outdoor retreat, she had us laughing when she'd come out at bedtime wearing a flowy satin robe and big fuzzy slippers, playfully telling us to stop chit-chatting and get to sleep. And Mr. Wittig was just so cool. After dedicated time for schoolwork, he would set up by the fire playing acoustic guitar while the students socialized." 

The fact that Falk was emphasizing environmental education over 25 years ago is a testament to their forward thinking, Hallie adds. In 2008, the Environmental Charter School opened in Pittsburgh, and today, sustainability and environmentalism are common topics of conversation. Back then, she says, “It feels like Falk [was] kind of ahead of their time.” 

Performing Arts 

The Zeleznik family also has strong memories of Falk’s music program, including the school orchestra and annual operettas. "The annual operetta was so special," Lindsay shares. "As elementary students, we had the opportunity to watch the performances each year. The middle schoolers seemed to have so much fun participating in the plays, and many of us aspired to be a part of that when we got older. Having performed in three operettas during middle school, I can say it truly was a lot of fun. We worked hard with the support of the teachers and staff and put on impressive shows for our younger peers and families." 

“We had some really good music teachers,” she continues. “Mrs. Ridge helped so much with the choreography. [The operettas] sort of defined the spring time of year there at Falk.” For Matthew, Pirates of Penzance and H.M.S. Pinafore come to mind. For Lindsay, it’s Peter Pan, Bye Bye Birdie, and Grease. “I sang ‘Memory’ from Cats,” Hallie recalls. “I have good and bad memories of that. When I watch the video, it's bad. When I remember it, it was great,” she says with a laugh. 

Outside of the operettas, Hallie played flute for the Falk orchestra and remembers her music teacher, Mr. Brunetti. "He also played the acoustic guitar, and he would play ‘Angel from Montgomery’ by John Prine,” a beloved artist in her husband’s family. “John Prine has a really prominent presence in our life from a musical perspective,” she shares, “and I always think about Mr. Brunetti and us singing ‘Angel from Montgomery.’” 

A Lasting Impression 

“I remember that I was never bored in class or in school,” Hallie says about Falk. “I just remember enjoying learning.” Today, Hallie is still passionate about education and feels grateful for the path she’s had in life. “I've really loved my entire career,” she says. “I do a lot of volunteer work for our national organization, the American Physical Therapy Association, and hold leadership roles in different academies and serve on national boards. I'm really passionate about my career.” 

Lindsay feels similarly grateful for her career in the medical field, which started as a dream way back in middle school. “In my eighth-grade yearbook at Falk, I stated that my goal was to become a physician assistant. It took me a long time to feel confident and proud of my accomplishments,” she adds, “and I believe that the support I received during my time at Falk played a huge role in helping me reach where I am today." 

The family’s ties to Falk and the University of Pittsburgh also extend to Matthew, Hallie, and Lindsay’s father, Anthony Zeleznik. Currently a part-time mentor for the Magee-Womens Research Institute, Dr. Zeleznik spent his career researching ovarian cyclicity and has been a constant force in his children’s lives, particularly since the passing of their mother in 2011.

In April 2025, the Zeleznik family returned to Falk to reconnect with their past and celebrate the community and people who so greatly impacted them. In addition to touring the school and visiting former classrooms and workspaces, they enjoyed catching up with favorite teachers Greg Wittig and Eileen (Corcoran) Coughlin.