UPPER BURRELL, Pa. -- Chancellor Kevin Snider conferred degrees to 55 graduates on May 9 at the 56th spring commencement exercises at Penn State New Kensington. Dennis Yablonsky, chief executive officer for the Allegheny Conference on Community Development, delivered the commencement address.
After opening remarks, Snider paid tribute to Myron Hartman, coordinator and instructor of biomedical engineering technology, who died on May. 4. Snider talked about Hartman building a nationally-known BET program, his passion for teaching, and how to make the most of a teachable moment.
“Even as he got bad news in his battle with his disease, he worried about students first and talked frankly about his illness, not to complain, but to teach them and anyone else, including his doctors and nurses, about the technical aspects of a procedure or a piece of equipment,” Snider said.
“We have lost one of our greatest teachers, and he will be missed by all who knew him.”
A moment of silence honored his passing.
Students in Myron’s last BET class privately extolled his virtues, all of them proud to have earned their degrees under his tutelage. After receiving his BET degree, Stephen Molans ask if he could address the audience. His impromptu remarks thanked instructors Ted Lucidi and Jeff D’Amico for stepping in for Hartman this semester and continuing the quality teaching that was the hallmark of Hartman’s career.
Yablonsky prepared the new Penn Staters for life after college. He stressed to the new alumni that Pittsburgh is the hot bed for new jobs and economic development. As the “boomer” generation is retiring, southwestern Pennsylvania residents can stay “home” and enjoy successful careers. He noted that when the Steelers play on the road, there are an extraordinary number of fans in the stands with Steelers gear. He said although national announcers would have you believe it is because Pittsburgh fans travel well, the real reason is because those cities the Steelers visit have many transplanted Pittsburgh residents. They left when the jobs left Pittsburgh in the 70s and 80s, but remained true to the home team. Now that the city has had a renaissance, he encouraged new graduates to make their mark on the world from Pittsburgh, which is rated as one of the Top Five most livable cities in the United States.
Tim Oberlin, president of the Alle-Kiski Society, inducted the new alumni into the Penn State Alumni Association. Hannah Holman-Samuels, president of the Student Government Association, spoke to the graduates, and Barbara Arnold, a member of the campus Advisory Board, sang the National Anthem and the Alma Mater.
The first Penn State New Kensington class in 1960 graduated 28 men who earned associate degrees. Today, the campus offers both bachelor's and associate degrees. Since that inaugural class, more than 11,000 men and women have attended the New Kensington campus and have earned a Penn State degree.
For photos of the graduates and candid shots, visit http://psnk.smugmug.com/
For a list of graduates, visit www.nk.psu.eduPenn State Lives HereNew Kensington’s Class of 2015 embodied the impact that campus students made in the classroom, in research facilities, in communities and around the world. They personified the “Penn State Lives Here” initiative and were “inspired doers” in an environment that values teamwork, success and service.
Getting "real world" experience serving the communityThree graduates -- Eric Bennardo (communications) of Apollo, Regina Cherish, (communications) of Kittanning, and Craig Synan, (administration of justice) of Hampton -- earned their bachelor’s degrees after a hands-on experience in the “real world.” The senior project for their 400-level Public Relations Methods class was to create a public relations/communications campaign for Valley Points Family YMCA in New Kensington.
“The project was designed to get students to understand that special events are a part of the campaign,” said Rosemary Martinelli, adjunct instructor for the class. “A PR event is detailed in nature and takes time and scheduling to make it happen effectively.”
“We developed a campaign that focused on improving the Y's internal and external communications, as well as expanding its social media presence,” said Bennardo, who plans on a career in human resources or management. “The students provided suggestions on how to appeal more to families and college-age students.”
The class was divided into three groups, and each group focused on a specific target audience: students of higher education, families, and internal and external communications. The goal was to boost membership recruitment and retention.
Cherish was the project manager and graphic designer for the communications group. Her team created printed materials, such as brochures and invitations. She says the project was a great learning experience.
“I learned how to manage projects,” said Cherish, who did her internship this semester in the campus Public Relations office. “The experience relied heavily on ‘learning as you go’ and ‘thinking on your feet’ problem solving.”
The students worked with Mike Newell, chief executive officer of Valley Points YMCA, and Cindy Elliott, director of associate advancement, to formulate a plan for the nonprofit organization. The Y offers a wide range of activities, but youth development and social responsibilities were at the forefront of the plan.
“We had a great initial meeting with the class, talked through our goals and answered their questions,” Elliott said. “They also visited us at the YMCA. We provided them with the information we wanted feedback on as to how we can better serve families in the community.”
The students proffered their solutions to YMCA executive board members at a formal presentation on April 29 in the campus Forum Theatre. Along with Newell and Elliott, the YMCA contingent included Howard Baybrook, chair, board of directors; Vickie Kolakowski, director of operations; Crystal Smicik, senior program director of youth development; Danyelle Hooks, early learning readiness supervisor and school age enrichment site director; and Janet Casper, volunteer. Also in the audience were members of the campus community.
“The Valley Points Family YMCA was very receptive to a majority of our recommendations, and the campus faculty, staff and advisory board members thought it was a good presentation as well,” said Bennardo, who earned an award for the highest grade-point average among seniors in the communications program. “My favorite part of the evening was the Q&A session. Every member of the team had something to contribute, and the audience seemed very impressed with our responses.”
The presentation was just one part of the overall project. In addition to working with the YMCA on the campaign, the students were tasked with planning the presentation from start to finish. Planning included reserving a suitable venue, sending out invitations and brochures, preparing a reception, and finding the funding to do it all. Even linens for the tables had to be on the teams’ checklist.
“The project gave the students an opportunity to network within the community,” Martinelli said. “It gave them true ownership of what they did."
(Sarah Steighner, a senior in the Communications program and editor-in-chief of the student newspaper, Nittany Pride, contributed to the story. Her story appeared in the April 25 issue of the publication.)
Graduation is a family affairWhen Bennardo walked across the stage to receive his degree from Chancellor Snider, his sister Amy wasn’t too far behind. Amy received an associate degree in business.
While Penn State boasts generations of related graduates, New Kensington can lay claim to a family of four who earned their degrees at the campus. Eric and Amy joined their parents, Michael and Angela Bennardo, as Penn State alumni from the campus. Michael earned a bachelor’s in nursing in 1999, and Angela received an associate degree in medical laboratory technology in 1979.
Following in their parents' footsteps, Eric and Amy chose a college that delivers a quality education at an affordable price and is located close to home. The Bennardos commuted from their Apollo home, which saved expenses on room and board. The family’s legacy played a role in Eric’s decision to enroll at New Kensington.
“I do believe that, along with the academic and social atmosphere of Penn State, that the family tradition greatly influenced my decision to attend Penn State New Kensington," said Eric, who earned a Blue and White Scholarship as a freshman. “My desire to go to Penn State was so great that it was the only school that I applied to, and I am very happy with the classes I took and the professors and classmates I met."
For the brother and sister, being on campus together was not a hindrance to their sibling relationship, but just the normal progression of their educational process. Since the brother and sister are only a year apart in age, they attended grammar school and high school together at St. Joseph in Natrona Heights.
“I enjoyed going to the same college as my brother because we have gone to school together our whole lives,” Amy said. “Also, it's what I've always comfortably known, having my brother a year ahead of me to be my buddy and my guidance.”Scholarships instrumental in academic successHira Mian, a graduate of the biomedical engineering technology (BET) program, was the featured student speaker at the campus’ fall scholarship reception. The event gives students who receive scholarships and benefactors who establish scholarships a chance to meet face to face. Students attending the reception delivered personal thanks to their donors, who, in turn, saw the personification of their philanthropic endeavors.
A native of Pakistan, Mian came to the United States when she was 5 years old and grew up in Bethlehem, Pa., located in the Lehigh Valley region of the eastern Pennsylvania. She was the beneficiary of the Dr. Karl and Jennifer Salatka Trustee Scholarship.
Her talk, “My Motivation,” outlined the struggles of her father in a new country. The source of her pride, he came to the United States to find work before sending for his family. She said the Salatka scholarship is instrumental in her achieving academic success as it gives her some financial security. She noted that her father never received any help on his way to an engineering career, and that is what drives her determination to succeed as an engineer.
“The sacrifices my dad made for his kids are what motivate me to do well and be successful,” said Mian, who works on campus as a service desk consultant in the Computer Center.
A member of the campus’ Muticultural club, Mian traversed the commonwealth to attend college in Upper Burrell, Pennsylvania, because New Kensington is the only Penn State campus that offers the BET program. In addition, the campus’ BET associate degree program is one of only four nationally to be accredited by the Engineering Technology Accreditation Commission of ABET (formerly called the Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology). The biomedical engineering technology program trains students to operate, maintain, troubleshoot and repair medical equipment. Mian expects to find a job in the field, and continue her education.