A 1971 graduate of PRHS, Pat Santanello holds a B.A. in broadcasting, a B.S. Ed in theatre, communications, and English education, and an M.A. in theatre education/hearing disabilities from The Ohio State University. She has been a member of the Ohio Educational Theatre Association’s Board for nineteen years and is a former Educational Theatre Association Governing Board member and an Educational Theatre Association Leadership Coach. She has served on the Board of Directors for The Contemporary American Theatre Company and is currently on the Board of Directors for Short North Stage, a professional musical theatre company in Columbus.

Pat was honored to receive the Ashland Teacher Achievement Award in 1995, the Iota Lambda Sigma Distinguished Service award in 2003, and is a 2003 Fulbright Memorial Scholar. She is four-time honoree in Who’s Who Among America’s Teachers. From 2007 to 2009, Ms. Santenello was one of twelve Ohio theatre educators who participated in EdTA's action research project, Critical Links. She also received the 2012 Dublin City Schools Golden Shamrock Award for outstanding service.

(See the following website for verification: http://schooltheatre.org/patricia-santanello

Ms. Santanello is in her seventeenth year as director of theatre and troupe director of Thespian Troupe 5440 at Dublin Scioto High School in Dublin, Ohio where she resides with her wonderful husband, Dr. Theo Shannon. They have a blended family of six children and three granddaughters.