Ball Corp., a leading supplier of metal packaging and aerospace technologies, has established two scholarship funds at Pennsylvania College of Technology.
The Diversity in Manufacturing and the Manufacturing Tomorrow’s Leaders scholarship funds each will provide annual $1,500 scholarship awards to students at Penn College.
Pennsylvania College of Technology has a long-established history of supporting its military and veteran students.
Now, thanks to the generous spirit of employees and students – and another boost from a local Veterans of Foreign Wars post – the Penn College Patriot Scholarship, which assists students who have served or are serving in the military, Reserves or National Guard – has reached endowment.
The scholarship was established in December 2015 by the college’s chapter of the Omega Delta Sigma National Veterans Fraternity with seed funding from the LeRoy O. Buck VFW Post 7863 in DuBoistown. Omega Delta Sigma works with nearly 400 veterans, active military and reserve students on the Penn College campus in helping them transition to college life.
Final totals are still coming in, but preliminary results indicate that Friday’s Student Government Association Silent Auction drew donations of $5,155 – thought to be the highest amount ever raised in the event’s nine-year history. Bidders had their pick of a variety of items, ranging from artistic handiwork to themed baskets to gift cards, with proceeds adding to the Student Leader Legacy Scholarship Fund. “The Student Government Association is thrilled to have exceeded its $5,000 fundraising goal this year,” said Anthony J. Pace, director of student activities. “The success of this year’s auction brings SGA one step closer to being able to provide additional scholarship support.” He said this year’s auction was a true collaboration among SGA, the campus and local communities, showcasing local craftsmanship and talent. “SGA appreciates the support of the campus community and looks forward to continuing to raise funds to support exceptional student leaders here at Penn College,” Pace said.
Photos by Rachel A. Eirmann, student photographer
Leaders in their field, Chefs Robin Rosenberg and John G. Scourlas shared their time, talent and words of wisdom with Pennsylvania College of Technology hospitality students during the Spring 2018 edition of the college’s Visiting Chef Series. The chefs spent three days on campus visiting students in classrooms, working alongside them in the School of Business & Hospitality’s kitchens, and serving the elegant Visiting Chef Dinner. Proceeds from the dinner are used to fund scholarships for students in the college’s four culinary arts, baking and pastry arts and hospitality management majors. In comments to the dinner’s guests, Rosenberg, vice president and chef de cuisine of Levy Restaurants, said he was inspired by the passion he encountered in Penn College students. Rosenberg leads teams to create high-end dining experiences for thousands of guests at sports and entertainment venues and events across the nation, including the Super Bowl and the Grammy Awards. Scourlas, the award-winning senior pastry chef for Levy Restaurants, is part of that team, based at the Georgia World Congress Center, one of the five largest convention centers in the U.S.
Seven Pennsylvania College of Technology students were recently designated by the college’s Construction Management Advisory Committee to receive scholarship awards.
The Student Government Association at Pennsylvania College of Technology will host its annual Silent Auction on Friday, April 27, to benefit the Student Leader Legacy Scholarship Fund.
The auction will be held from 3:30 to 5:30 p.m. on the first floor of Madigan Library. All proceeds from the event – which is open to the public – will go directly toward increasing the endowment of the fund, which awards multiple scholarships annually to students who play leadership roles at the college.
The largest crowd in the event’s 14-year history shared in Monday night’s recognition of the alumni, corporate partners, friends and colleagues whose cumulative giving – reflected on a Donor Wall in the Student & Administrative Services Center – leaves a lasting impression on the college’s campuses and students.
“This year, we are honored to recognize the individuals and corporate partners whose donations and entrustments place them on the wall for the first time, or in a new membership society,” President Davie Jane Gilmour said. “Together, their collective commitments total nearly $6.5 million. To everyone in the room, your contributions to Penn College are at work ensuring that our students benefit from a vibrant, challenging and supportive learning environment while they pursue their ‘degrees that work.'”
A celebration of generosity unfolded Sunday afternoon at Pennsylvania College of Technology’s inaugural Scholarship Luncheon. Held in the Field House, the event hosted scholarship donors, student recipients and their families.
Offering a welcome to the guests, Kyle A. Smith, executive director of the Penn College Foundation, thanked donors for their belief and commitment to Penn College’s mission of serving students. In her opening remarks, President Davie Jane Gilmour said, “Your philanthropic commitment provides motivation needed for students to remain focused on their coursework, complete their educational journey and begin a new journey as tomorrow makers in their communities and chosen fields.”
A chef whose culinary creativity has been evidenced at Super Bowls, the Grammy Awards and the Kentucky Derby is set to lend his knowledge to Pennsylvania College of Technology students as they join him in the next edition of the college’s Visiting Chef Series.
Robin Rosenberg, vice president and chef de cuisine for Levy Restaurants, will spend three days on campus, working with students in the college’s School of Business & Hospitality to create an elegant meal on Friday, April 20. Proceeds from the Visiting Chef Dinner fund scholarships in the college’s baking and pastry arts, culinary arts and hospitality management majors.
Rosenberg will be joined by Chef John G. Scourlas, senior pastry chef for Levy Restaurants, who will also lead and mentor students.
Additional funding from The Donald B. and Dorothy L. Stabler Foundation of Harrisburg will help qualified transfer students enrolling at Pennsylvania College of Technology achieve their educational objectives.
The $460,000 in scholarship funding – allocated by Penn College for the unique needs of transfer students – brings to $1.53 million the total scholarship support the college has received from the philanthropic organization over the past three years.
Transfer students are strongly represented within Penn College’s high-demand, 100-plus academic majors, accounting for nearly 25 percent of those enrolling at the institution, a special mission affiliate of Penn State.
The Coventry Foundation, an organization of passionate Jaguar collectors, has established a scholarship fund for students in Pennsylvania College of Technology’s internationally recognized automotive restoration technology major.
Headquartered in Columbia, South Carolina, the Coventry Foundation aims to perpetuate the heritage of Jaguar automobiles in North America through an archive of printed material, tools and vintage automobiles; annual scholarships to students; and recognition of accredited restoration programs. Its hope is to assure that a pool of qualified technicians is available to properly service and restore vintage Jaguars far into the future.
Financial aid opportunities for students in Pennsylvania College of Technology’s automotive restoration technology and related majors got a substantial boost through a recent scholarship donation from the Susquehanna Valley Corvette Club.
Club members delivered a $10,000 check to the college, representing proceeds from its popular “Corvettes on Main Street” car show held each fall in Muncy.
Awards from the Susquehanna Valley Corvette Club Scholarship Fund are made each fall to a first-year student from the organization’s 10-county membership area who is enrolled full time in automotive technology, automotive service sales and marketing, collision repair technology or automotive restoration technology.
How readily does early exposure to job-shadowing and internships translate into career success for today’s college students? That’s the million-dollar question to be answered by a National Science Foundation grant newly awarded to Pennsylvania College of Technology.
Administered by the foundation’s Division of Undergraduate Education’s Scholarships in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics, the $1 million in multiyear funding aims to increase retention, degree completion and career readiness for students representing six STEM-focused, associate-degree majors in Penn College’s School of Construction & Design Technologies.
The students – to be identified as Built Environment Scholars – will be chosen each year on the basis of financial need as identified by a scholarship selection committee among a pool of academically talented applicants.
The foundation for a global manufacturer is recognizing Pennsylvania College of Technology’s commitment to the skilled workforce with an endowed scholarship at the school.
The Herman O. West Foundation awarded a $100,000 grant to Penn College to establish the scholarship. Named in honor of the founder of West Pharmaceuticals Services Inc., the foundation has supported employees through scholarships and matching gift programs since 1972.
West Pharmaceutical Services is a leading manufacturer of packaging components and delivery systems for injectable drugs and health care products. The company has manufacturing plants throughout the world, including Williamsport and Jersey Shore.
Culinary giants joined forces to mark the 25th anniversary of the Visiting Chef Series at Penn College, an event celebrated in a new video on the college’s YouTube channel. “Louisiana’s culinary ambassador to the world” Chef John Folse, along with his renowned restaurant partner Chef Rick Tramonto, internationally heralded Pastry Chef Donald Wressell and Penn College alum Chef Elaine Gardner worked side-by-side in April with School of Business & Hospitality students to prepare an elegant, five-course fundraising dinner at the college’s Le Jeune Chef Restaurant. “Nothing speaks success more than growth,” Folse says. “So when you see the growth at a facility – the growth of the kitchens; the growth of the student body; the quality of the instructors; the support of the community; tonight, we have another sell-out crowd – what does that say? That says that there’s real wonderful happenings here. … There’s just no doubt about it: There’s something great happening in culinary here at Penn College. I want to be here just to continue to see what’s gonna happen next!”