News about Students

Physician assistant students complete clinical rotations in Peru

Pennsylvania College of Technology physician assistant students, from left, Valerie L. Kubalak, of Spring Mills; Bailey T. Bachman, of Lewistown; and Megan N. Heckman, of Spring Mills, gained experience in hospitals, language courses and public health fairs during a monthlong clinical rotation in Trujillo, Peru.

Three students in Pennsylvania College of Technology’s physician assistant major returned recently from monthlong clinical rotations in the coastal city of Trujillo, Peru, where they were immersed in medical Spanish and worked in a variety of health care settings.

Bailey T. Bachman, of Lewistown; Megan N. Heckman, of Spring Mills; and Valerie L. Kubalak, also of Spring Mills, were the first Penn College physician assistant students to complete clinical rotations outside of the United States.

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Near-grads check their list … and mark it ‘Done!’

An acknowledged leader among his classmates and fellow veterans alike, Efrem K. Foster, an applied management major from Williamsport, finds another familiar face.

Karen E. Wright, graduation assistant in the Registrar's Office, distributes tickets to December's commencement ceremony.

Taking near-final steps toward a date with their diplomas are Rachel J. Cressman (left), a nursing major from West Milton, and Amanda N. Suda, of Harrisburg, graduating in landscape/horticulture technology: plant production emphasis.

Colorfully inviting mounds of Penn College logo wear await purchase ...

... including headgear personalized for specific academic majors.

The College Store overflowed with soon-to-be alumni on Tuesday afternoon as it hosted a Grad Finale for students who will cross the Community Arts Center stage on Dec. 22. Commencement tickets, information about student loans and veterans benefits, caps and gowns, and career advice for the postgraduate world were handily available in one Bush Campus Center locale.
Photos by J.J. Boettcher, student photographer

Penn College on losing side of extramural ‘slugfest’

Penn College goes "on the road" for a crosstown tussle

Penn College traveled to Lycoming College on Monday night for a friendly extramural flag football game. The game ended up being an offensive slugfest with the home team scoring on a deep touchdown pass on the second play of the game. Penn College immediately answered with a long TD pass of its own, but a failed extra point helped Lycoming keep an 8-6 lead. Unfortunately for the challengers, it was a lead Lycoming would never relinquish. The teams traded scores on the next two possessions to make it 24-14 … then Lycoming intercepted a Penn College pass and scored on the next series to increase its lead to 32-14.  Knowing they would receive the ball to start the second half, the visiting team was determined to get on the scoreboard once more before halftime … and on a deflection from a Lycoming player, it did just that. The point-after attempt was good and Penn College was back in the game, cutting the Lycoming lead to 32-23 at halftime. Riding the momentum, Penn College started the second half with a quick touchdown to trim the deficit even further, to 32-29, but another failed extra point spelled doom.  Lycoming scored on two straight possessions and built a 46-29 lead.  Penn College scored late and Lycoming added one more score to win the game, 52-41.  On the Penn College roster were Maxwell Bair, Brandon Barnyak, Jed Blankenhorn, Joe DiBucci, Trevor Dolin, Noah Herring, Cole Hofmann, Eric Leota, Joseph Manculich, Aaron Palmer, Ryan Russell, Ethan Smeigh, Braden Smith and Hunter Thomas.
Photo and game summary by Jeremy R. Bottorf,
coordinator of athletics for club sports, intramurals and camps

Students bring societal crisis down to personal level

Applied human services majors LaTricia M. Scutching (left), of Plymouth Meeting, and Estee E. McLaughlin, of Muncy, stand before a treeful of encouraging and motivational messages.

Seth Fredericks, a certified recovery specialist with the West Branch Drug & Alcohol Abuse Commission, shares his personal journey and his professional experience.

Student organizers, in T-shirts of advocacy and outreach, command the floor.

Morgan L. Keller, of Shermans Dale, invited mother Stacy to the event that her class so diligently planned.

Among the presenters is Lycoming County President Judge Nancy L. Butts, who, with her colleagues on the bench, effects a coordinated court response.

Human services students at Penn College collaborated on a successful opioid awareness event Saturday night in Penn’s Inn, invoking positivity and compassion in helping the community understand dependency’s insidious impact. PCT HOPE, organized by the Service Learning in Sociology class in cooperation with the West Branch Drug & Alcohol Abuse Commission, aimed to “Help Open People’s Eyes” through accessibility and lack of judgment. “I feel we succeeded at spreading awareness, hope and empathy in a unique way that I don’t think has been attempted here in Williamsport before,” applied human services major Jernae A. Drummond said. DJ Choices (Bryon Carey, a board-certified recovery specialist) donated his time to the effort; Lycoming College alumna Kaitlin Lunger screened “No Limits, No Boundaries,” her documentary about three local individuals – a recovering addict, an addict’s daughter and a Williamsport Bureau of Police officer – dealing with opioid abuse; and the class presented an interactive exhibit that put a human face on addiction and its scope. “I thought the students did a fantastic job,” said D. Robert Cooley, associate professor of anthropology/environmental science. “The event was polished, flowed well, and did a great job of engaging visitors with resources, information and personal stories on the part of the presenters.”
Photos by Rachel A. Eirmann, student photographer

Community Challenge raises $17,000-plus for Salvation Army

Some of the 45 Penn College participants (whether running, walking or volunteering) gather for a pre-event photo.

And … they’re off!

Penn College-crafted ceramic trophies and ornaments await the winners.

On what Reed described as a "cool, muddy, beautiful November day," participants traverse the scenic locale.

Penn College Police Officer Justin M. Hakes takes on the 10K.

For the second year in a row, Penn College won the Community Cup at Saturday’s Community Challenge. Better news: the event raised over $17,000 to benefit the Salvation Army of Williamsport. One hundred percent of the proceeds from the Community Challenge goes directly to the local Salvation Army’s efforts to aid approximately 400 families a month in Lycoming County. Held on the Williamsport Water Authority’s watershed outside DuBoistown, the Community Challenge featured 5K, 10K and half-marathon trail races, with 265 competitors finishing. Penn College’s 45-member team of runners, walkers and volunteers – including students, employees and family members – was enough people power to secure the Community Cup, a traveling trophy presented to the organization with the greatest participation. “It was an exhausting and wonderful weekend,” said Michael J. Reed, an active event organizer who also serves as dean of the college’s School of Sciences, Humanities & Visual Communications and vice chairman and chair of PR/special events for the Salvation Army of Williamsport’s Board of Directors. Also at the Community Challenge, a Salvation Army truck was on site to collect gently used winter coats, hats and gloves. For the second year, Penn College ceramics instructors David A. and Deborah L. Stabley crafted Community Challenge race awards in the form of ceramic trophies and holiday ornaments.
Photos by Rachel A. Eirmann, student photographer

This week’s makerspace topic: the serger

SergerLearn how to use a serger in this week’s training at The Dr. Welch Workshop: A Makerspace at Penn College, scheduled from 5-6 p.m. Thursday in Room 104 of the Carl Building Technologies Center. A serger is a sewing machine that uses several threads at one time to sew a seam, while simultaneously trimming and finishing the raw edges. No reservations are required for the open makerspace sessions, which run through Nov. 15.

Celebrating uncommon allegiance

Stars, stripes and a patriotic serving line

Giveaways – everyday reminders of selfless service – are offered by college veterans organizations.

Empty tables across campus, courtesy of the college's Veterans Affairs Office, pay silent tribute to fallen heroes.

Students pay tribute through their patronage of Bush Campus Center dining unit.

A Veterans Celebration, sponsored by Dining Services in CC Commons, offered “all-American fare” to the Penn College community on Thursday. The event, one of several on campus in conjunction with Veterans Day, gave students pause to honor the military service of their classmates.
Photos by J.J. Boettcher, student photographer 

Job-ready students, alumni draw employers to campus

Three companies hoping to match open positions with the real-world skills of Penn College students and alumni will hold information sessions this week.

For more information, including applicable positions and academic majors, check out Career Services’ flyer: Employers on campus

Penn College student ‘constructs’ his future at K’NEX

Thomas Proske

Some people spend a lifetime searching for that elusive “dream job.” Thomas Proske spent a summer experiencing his, thanks to an internship at a prominent toy maker.

The Pennsylvania College of Technology industrial design student worked on the design team at K’NEX in Hatfield. A division of Basic Fun, K’NEX is the maker of iconic construction toys pieced together by colorful, interlocking plastic components.

“It was pretty much, ‘Here, go make stuff,’” said Proske, a sophomore from Laceyville. “I didn’t know that they were going to sit me down and have me build all day. It was such an awesome job.”

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A grateful campus salutes its veterans

Penn College's military family honored for Veterans Day

On this Veterans Day weekend, PCToday honors the Penn College students, faculty and staff who have served (or continue to serve) the United States.

Members of the campus community are encouraged to join in gratitude for the service of these classmates and co-workers, who are among those we recognize through this voluntary roster.

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Penn College student updates iconic Maya calendar converter

For his senior project at Pennsylvania College of Technology, Ethan M. Yoder, a software development and information management student from Denver, Lancaster County, is updating an iconic Maya calendar converter program.

Archaeologists traversing the ruins and rainforests of Mexico and Central America to unearth clues about the Maya culture have an ally more than 3,000 miles away at Pennsylvania College of Technology.

And he doesn’t even own a shovel.

From the comfort of a campus computer lab, Ethan M. Yoder digs deeply into his expertise to modernize a valuable tool that helps researchers assign historical context to discoveries. The software development and information management student is updating the iconic “bars and dots” Maya calendar converter for his senior project.

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A lion’s share of knowledge

Tape measure at the ready, Andrew R. Hurd, a building construction technology student from Spring Mills, assesses a visitor's block-laying performance.

Luse shares pointers with Julia R. Straub, a Penn State student well-acquainted with construction through her family's experience in the field. "I've been playing with plumbing since I was 8," she said, "but they never let me do the dirty work." Until now, that is!

Highly visible in neon T-shirts, building construction technology majors Ian R. Myers (left), of Morrisdale, and James G. Vile Jr., of Sheffield, supervise several courses of brickwork.

Keith C. Long, of Pitman, leads Penn State students through a longstanding crowd-pleaser: archway construction. Long is enrolled in building construction technology: masonry emphasis.

More than 30 landscape architecture students of David Goldberg and Marc Miller, assistant professors in Penn State’s Stuckeman School, visited the Construction Masonry Building on Thursday. The day’s guests received hands-on instruction in a variety of technique and materials, circulating among work stations and mentored by adept Penn College construction students. Instructors Robert P. Gresko and Glenn R. Luse rotated along with them, sharing encouragement and expertise, and industry supporters aided the cause – including Spec Mix, which is also supplying mortar for the nearby expansion of welding labs. Architecture majors from University Park visit the college’s School of Construction & Design Technologies twice a year, getting practical exposure to the craft involved in bringing their visionary plans into focus.

Penn College celebrates work of radiologic technologists

Qiang Cao (right), instructor of radiography at Pennsylvania College of Technology, leads students in capturing images in the college’s digitally equipped radiography lab. The college’s radiography program is celebrating National Radiologic Technology Week.

Pennsylvania College of Technology’s radiography program celebrates the work of radiologic technologists during National Radiologic Technology Week, Nov. 4-10.

Providing patients with safe medical imaging examinations and radiation therapy treatments is the prime goal for the nation’s radiologic technologists.

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THON Fall Festival fills courtyard with focused fun

'tis the season for painting pumpkins

Giant Jenga requires dexterity and a keen eye to dislodge just the right block ...

... which isn't always "the right block!"

Free candy: A sweet incentive for a serious cause

Community Peer Educator Alexis J. Medero lofts a beanbag toward its target.

An early November day in the Rose Street Commons courtyard provided a fitting locale for a recent Fall Festival with Penn College Benefiting THON, a student organization linked to the annual February dance marathon at Penn State. Designed to raise awareness and funds for the fight against pediatric cancer, the event included three hours’ worth of games, crafts and treats.
Photos by Rachel A. Eirmann, student photographer

Chevron Phillips employees share life lessons, SPE’s value

A keenly attentive plastics audience absorbs an industry perspective.

Two Oklahoma-based employees of Chevron Phillips Chemical Company LP – Jon D. Ratzlaff, technical services manager, and Tom Giovannetti, technical service engineer – recently visited main campus, sharing on-the-job pointers with Penn College plastics students.

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Penn College is a special mission affiliate of Penn State