As an administrative support assistant in the chancellor’s office since 2004, Billie Jo Yuhaniak has played a key role at Penn State Fayette, The Eberly Campus. In more than a decade, she has worked behind the scenes to smooth the way for hundreds of students as they pursued a college degree.
But Yuhaniak has had another role at Penn State Fayette: She's been a student, and her years of hard work came to fruition the morning of May 9 as she ascended the stage to accept her diploma for a bachelor’s degree in English, with a minor in business.
“A college degree was something I had always envisioned for myself, even when working toward one seemed unpractical and the accomplishment so far away,” said Yuhaniak, who saw daily examples of the benefits of a higher education. “After working for a year or so for the University, though, I realized just how important a college degree can be to a person's enrichment and intellectual and professional development.”
Still hesitant about enrolling, Yuhaniak sought advice from then Chancellor Greg Gray and administrative support assistant Joyce Barnhart. She said both strongly supported the decision to further her education.
With their support and that of her family, Yuhaniak enrolled in classes in 2006, taking 15 credits a year and becoming a member of the Fayette campus student body. (More than a quarter of Fayette students are working adults.) After years of being a full-time worker and a part-time student, she earned an associate degree in letters, arts and sciences from Penn State in 2010.
Once earning her associate’s degree, however, Yuhaniak did not rest on her laurels. She immediately began working on a bachelor of arts degree in English.
“Effective communication, a critical component in the chancellor's office, combined with my love of reading, made the bachelor of arts in English the most logical and fulfilling choice," she said. "It combined my personal interests with the professional skills I knew would help me to advance my career.”
Yuhaniak also found other benefits to studying for a bachelor’s degree. “The opportunity to improve my critical-thinking and time-management-skills will also serve me well in my role within the University,” said Yuhaniak, who has supported four permanent and three interim chancellors at Penn State Fayette.
Current Chancellor Charles Patrick, who has worked with Yuhaniak for about a year since arriving at Penn State Fayette, commented: “Billie Jo manages the chancellor’s office effectively and with a high level of professionalism in the face of constant stress and commotion. To do all this while successfully taking classes and completing her bachelor’s degree is a tremendous accomplishment. We are very proud of Billie Jo and all she does for Penn State Fayette.”
Yuhaniak, whose entire career at the Fayette campus has been in the chancellor’s office, reluctantly admitted her job has been “chaotic” at times and it was “extremely stressful” juggling work, school and home obligations.
But she feels the result is worth all the effort. “I love my job, and I am truly blessed to be an alum of and to work for The Pennsylvania State University at Penn State Fayette, The Eberly Campus,” she said.
Love for work and school aside, perhaps Yuhaniak’s greatest satisfaction in earning her baccalaureate degree comes from a third, much stronger type of love. “I am the first person in my immediate family to graduate from college, so it is very special to me,” she said with pride.