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Board of Trustees Adds Two New Members

The Pennsylvania Highlands Community College Board of Trustees has added two new members in Lladel Lichty and Jennifer Mitchell, with their terms having begun in August.

Lichty, who is the Somerset County Director of the Community Foundation for the Alleghenies, will serve as the board representative for Somerset County. Mitchell, who is the Superintendent of Huntingdon Area School District, will represent Huntingdon County.

“I am excited to welcome Ms. Lichty and Ms. Mitchell to the Board of Trustees,” stated Steve Nunez, Penn Highlands President. “Their talents, experiences, and understanding of Somerset and Huntingdon Counties will greatly benefit me as President, the College, and the Board.”

Lichty and Mitchell will replace Tyson Cook and James Foster, respectively. Cook served on the board for four years, while Foster was a member for nearly 11 years. Lichty and Mitchell will both serve three-year terms that close in August 2026.

Lichty is currently a member of six different volunteer boards, including the Pennsylvania Highlands Community College Somerset Advisory Committee, a spot she has held for two years.

In total, Lichty has served on nine volunteer boards, while also holding more than 25 years of experience as a director of organizations such as the American Cancer Society and United Way of the Laurel Highlands.

“I am very pleased and honored to serve on the Board of Trustees at Penn Highlands,” Lichty stated. “While serving on the Somerset Advisory Committee the past few years, I quickly realized the value of this quality institution in Somerset County and well beyond. Having first class, affordable, and beautifully appointed locations and facilities, while allowing our students to continue their education among family and friends, is all the more reason to support and grow Penn Highlands. I look forward to that opportunity while working alongside the Trustees and staff.”

Mitchell has served as the superintendent of Huntingdon Area School District for nearly two years. She began her career in education as a kindergarten teacher in 1999 and has steadily advanced in rank since.

Mitchell holds a bachelor’s degree from Juniata College, master’s degrees from Kaplan University and Edinboro University, and also received her Superintendent Letter of Eligibility from Edinboro University in 2016. She plans to earn her doctorate in educational leadership beginning this fall.

“I am honored to become a member of the Pennsylvania Highlands Community College Board of Trustees from the Huntingdon County region,” Mitchell stated. “I, myself, have been a life-long learner seeking opportunities to grow personally and professionally. I fully support the mission and vision of Pennsylvania Highlands Community College, which is to provide opportunities to pursue life-long learning, to act as a catalyst for regional renewal, and position graduates to be exceptional members of the community and workforce.”

Lladel Lichty

Jennifer Mitchell

Over 1,200 Local Employees Trained By Penn Highlands Last Year

Pennsylvania Highlands Community College reached its highest total ever for managing Workforce and Economic Development Network of Pennsylvania (WEDnetPA) funding, reaching $569,220 in grants available for the training of employees across Pennsylvania in 2022-23.

Penn Highlands, which is one of 22 educational institutions that are considered partners of WEDnetPA, received $457,420 in grant funds and an additional $111,800 from the Governor’s Action Team (GAT) Fund to cover the Laurel Highlands and Southern Alleghenies regions of Pennsylvania.

Funds supplied by the GAT were used to train employees at DelGrosso Foods in Tipton, PA.

This past year, Penn Highlands helped train 1,214 total employees from 35 companies, which was an increase in funds of over 78 percent and a jump of more than 300 employees since 2021. Cambria County was assisted the most by the funding, with 517 employees trained, a rate of 48 percent. Blair County was second with 470 (34 percent), while Somerset County had 56 (8 percent).

“The Workforce and Economic Development Network of Pennsylvania funding is vital to our region to ensure that businesses have access to a highly skilled labor force and that residents have the education and training they need,” stated Julie Davis, Penn Highlands Director of Workforce Education. “Not only are we working to provide funding to help defray the cost of training, but we are also training employees throughout the region to improve their skill sets.”

WEDnetPA is an alliance of educational providers across Pennsylvania that act as the delivery mechanism for the Commonwealth’s WEDnetPA program. It was created to make companies across the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania more competitive locally, nationally, and internationally by updating and improving the skills of their employees to meet specific company needs.

WEDnetPA brings training funds to qualified companies across the Commonwealth through a network of community colleges, state system universities, and other educational institutions.

Golf & Cross Country Teams Release 2023 Season Schedules

Black Bears Athletics at Pennsylvania Highlands Community College has released its Golf and Cross Country schedules for the upcoming 2023 season, rounding out the remainder of the college’s fall sports.

The Black Bears golf team is set to compete in six Western Pennsylvania Collegiate Conference (WPCC) matches, as well as the two-day WPCC Tournament to determine the individual and team conference champions.

All six matches will be against WPCC opponents Butler County Community College, Community College of Allegheny County, and Westmoreland County Community College. The schedule is as follows:

The Black Bears’ match on September 22 at Somerset Country Club is considered the team’s lone home contest of the season.

Cross Country will compete in five invitational races beginning this Friday, September 1, at 5:15 p.m. at Westmoreland County Community College. The full race schedule includes:

Athletes from both teams will have the opportunity to earn automatic bids to the national events for their respective sports.

Volleyball Team Releases 2023 Schedule

The Pennsylvania Highlands Women’s Volleyball team has released its 2023 season schedule, consisting of 12 total matches spanning September and October.

Penn Highlands will play seven of the 12 contests at home, as the Black Bears will host Butler County Community College to open the season on Friday, September 8 at 6 PM. All home games are played in the Richland Campus gymnasium (East Hills Recreation). The full home game schedule is as follows:

All home matches are scheduled to begin at 6 PM except for October 10, which is set for a 7 PM start.

“This year, the team is motivated to try their best through wins and losses,” stated Kylee Doyle, Pennsylvania Highlands Head Volleyball Coach. “Not just in games, but in their own efforts as well. These girls bring a positive energy to the table, and I am looking forward to getting to know them and watching them improve throughout the season.”

Following the completion of the regular season, the Black Bears will compete in the Western Pennsylvania Collegiate Conference/Region 20 Tournament on Saturday, October 21.

The winner will be crowned both conference and regional champion and will advance to play the Region 10 champion in the District Championship on October 28. The district champion will then advance to the NJCAA National Tournament at the Alliant Energy PowerHouse in Cedar Rapids, Iowa.

Penn Highlands will be returning two starters from last season’s team in Taylor Rapsky and Olivia Weyandt. Rapsky, a middle hitter, recorded 86 kills and 123 digs in 12 matches while leading the team with a .204 hitting percentage. Weyandt compiled 116 assists and 104 digs as a setter.

Doyle, a 2017 graduate of Penn Highlands and former Black Bear volleyball player, is entering her second season as head coach.

21st Annual Cambria College Fair Coming To Richland Campus

The 21st annual Cambria County College Fair will be held Tuesday, September 19, from 8:30 AM to 11:30 AM inside the main gym of Pennsylvania Highlands Community College’s Richland Campus.

This event, which is sponsored and hosted by Pennsylvania Highlands, is open to anyone, including students, parents, and the public, who are looking to further their education or trade.

“This is a great opportunity for local high school juniors and seniors, plus anyone looking to find a new school or career, to come and see what is available,” stated Hannah Ross, Admissions Specialist at Pennsylvania Highlands. “There will be a lot of vendors to talk to, with a widespread variety of representatives coming from outside the state as well. There will be many chances to gain knowledge from different perspectives at this event.”

More than 50 representatives will likely be appearing at the fair, including four-year universities, technical schools, business colleges, cosmetology schools and universities, branches of the military, local businesses, and more, giving everyone who attends an opportunity to find and discover the many educational and career opportunities that are right in their own backyard.

The representatives, which hail from Rhode Island, Vermont, West Virginia, and Maryland along with Pennsylvania, will be on-hand to meet with and assist guests regarding their educational and career needs.

The College Fair’s mission is to promote higher education and future opportunities to not only high school students and their families, but to the public as well. We invite the community to stop by the Cambria County College Fair and learn about all the educational opportunities our region offers.