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Christmas Was Magical

The original column appeared in the Tribune-Democrat, written by Dr. Steve Nunez. Click here to see original sourced column.

When I was a child growing up in southwest Virginia, I had access to very few external sources of entertainment.

Of course, there was no internet. We did watch TV, but the clarity of the two TV channels we did get was unpredictable and was based on the fine-tuning of the large antenna we had bolted to our deck and the direction of the wind on any given day.

Even VCRs were a thing of the future and my brother and I used a cassette player/recorder to capture the audio of our favorite TV shows, such as “Hogan’s Heroes.” What we watched on TV was equally dictated by what we could receive via antenna and whatever my dad wanted to watch – often something sports-related.

Radio was something we listened to regularly – mostly to the latest rock-n-roll hits, but also any college basketball games we could find.

Therefore, by default, my two siblings and I had to find other ways to entertain ourselves. We all became voracious readers.

I found myself reading a lot about U.S. history, most often focused on World War II or the Civil War. Eventually, I discovered J.R.R. Tolkien, and his books opened a universe where I could escape the confines of southwest Virginia and mingle with not only other humans, but elves, dwarves, and orcs.

My family also played a lot of games – most often various card games, but also a litany of board games. Monopoly was a family favorite.

At some point, my interests in science fiction/fantasy books coincided with my adoration for board games.

Friends introduced me to the world of Dungeons and Dragons (D&D to those in “the know”) – a role-playing game that required a hefty amount of imagination and peanut butter sandwiches and cups of Kool-Aid to provide the necessary fuel to persevere through dark dungeons, fight vicious dragons and laugh long and hard with friends (Can’t picture it? Watch “Stranger Things”).

Mom never complained (openly) about the hoard of kids (or wizards, fighters, and clerics) that would descend on the household on many Saturdays; she almost seemed to enjoy it.

When I was a child, Christmas was magical. I still remember opening presents – my mom, dad, sister, brother, and myself all surrounding the tree on Christmas morning.

Dad would hand out one present at a time to each person and we all had to take turns opening them.

It was grueling to watch everyone else open their presents while my eyes were firmly fixed on my next present tucked away in the corner of the room. “Come on, Dad – just give it to me already!”

As an adult, I appreciated Christmas, but the experience was different. I lived through my kids – their anxiousness and anticipation for Christmas Day and the annual visit from Santa. and I learned to appreciate giving gifts to others – how fun and satisfying it was (is) when you pick just the right present for your loved one.

But I will always remember the magic of going to bed as a child on Christmas Eve, barely able to sleep, and waking up the next day to a family room full of presents.

And I still smile broadly with the memories of opening five Christmas presents delivered by Santa – five D&D books – that provided me (and my friends) with years of entertainment exploring dungeons, fighting goblins, finding gold, and building lasting memories – all within the comfort of my home.

I hope you can play a game or two over the holidays with your family.

See you at Penn Highlands.

Written By Dr. Steve Nunez, College’s Fifth President. This monthly series appears in The Tribune-Democrat, and will allow Dr. Nunez to provide his perspective on the value of education and of a community college.

First National Bank Donates $2,000+ Through EITC Program

Dr. Steve Nunez, College President, and Kathy Morrell, Executive Director of Institutional Advancement, recently accepted a donation from First National Bank. The donation was presented by Greg Winger, Senior Vice President/Regional Commercial Banking Manager at First National Bank. The $2,250 Educational Improvement Tax Credit Program donation was given to the College Foundation to help support the College’s Accelerated College Education (ACE) Program.

In 2014, the National Alliance of Concurrent Enrollment Partnerships (NACEP) granted Pennsylvania Highlands Community College national accreditation for its Accelerated College Education (ACE) concurrent enrollment program. Penn Highlands is one of only two colleges in the state that has earned this accreditation, which ensures that the courses offered in high schools are equivalent to courses offered on the sponsoring college’s campus or facilities.

Because of donations through the EITC Program, ACE students are charged a reduced tuition rate. During the 2020-21 academic year, the cost per credit for this program was $63, allowing over 1,300 students to enroll in ACE courses at 47 different school districts across 11 Pennsylvania counties.

(Left To Right) Kathy Morrell, Executive Director of Institutional Advancement at Penn Highlands Community College; Dr. Steve Nunez, President at Penn Highlands Community College; Gregory Winger, Senior Vice President/Regional Commercial Banking Manager at First National Bank. Check was delivered to the College’s Foundation for the EITC program and was presented at the Pennsylvania Highlands Community College Richland Campus.

Marketing & Communications Recognized Regionally With Medallion Awards

Pennsylvania Highlands Community College would like to congratulate its Marketing & Communications Team on being awarded four (4) NCMPR Medallion Awards this year from the National Council for Marketing and Public Relations (NCMPR). These awards were presented recently at NCMPR District 1’s annual conference in Long Branch, New Jersey.

The team took home awards in the following categories: Electronic Viewbook (silver), Video – Long Form (silver), Website (bronze), and Novelty (bronze).

“Winning 26 awards in a six year period is a testament to how hard our Marketing & Communications team works,” stated Kathleen Morrell, Executive Director of Institutional Advancement. “Taking big picture ideas and implementing them into award-winning designs takes collaboration, creativity, and hard work. I’m extremely proud of this team; I look forward to them earning more awards in the future!”

The members of Marketing & Communications that participated in these initiatives consist of the following:

Raymond Weible, Jr., Director of Marketing & Communications, has spearheaded a multitude of web, digital media, and overall brand initiatives. He holds a Bachelor of Science in Journalism/Advertising and a Master of Science in Integrated Marketing Communications, both from West Virginia University.

Andrew Podolak, Strategic Communications Coordinator, serves as an integral member of the team, playing a role across all initiatives. His focus includes writing, social media, campaign planning, analytics, and more. He holds a Bachelor of Arts in Business from the University of Pittsburgh.

Troy Bugosh, Visual Communication & Marketing Manager, focuses heavily on photography, graphic design, video production, brand integration, and more for the College. He holds a Bachelor of Arts in Humanities from Edinboro University of Pennsylvania.

Penn Highlands collaborated with Wade James of Adliv Collective during the production of the video piece that garnered an award. The long form video was a testimonial piece from a former graduate. Adliv Collective provides professional photography and videography services in Johnstown, PA.

Since 2015, the Marketing & Communications team at Penn Highlands Community College has won a total of twenty-six (26) NCMPR Medallion and Paragon Awards, which recognizes excellence in the marketing, design, and public relations field at two-year schools.

Marketing & Communications Team. Left to right: Andrew Podolak, Raymond Weible, Jr., and Troy Bugosh.

About NCMPR

The National Council for Marketing & Public Relations is a professional organization for individuals involved in marketing, communications, public relations and enrollment management at community, junior, and technical colleges. NCMPR provides professional development opportunities, advocates on behalf of the profession and the institutions it serves, and recognizes professional excellence.

NCMPR is the only organization of its kind that exclusively represents marketing and public relations professionals at community and technical colleges. They are one of the fastest-growing affiliates of the American Association of Community Colleges, representing more than 1,550 members from over 650 colleges across the United States, Canada, and other countries.

Pennsylvania Highlands is a part of District 1, which includes schools from Connecticut, Delaware, District of Columbia, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Vermont, the Canadian provinces of New Brunswick, Newfoundland, Nova Scotia, Prince Edward Island and Quebec, and United Kingdom.

Four Board Members Appointed To College Foundation Board of Directors

The Pennsylvania Highlands Community College Foundation is pleased to announce the appointment of four new members to its Board: Mr. Mike Lynch, Mr. Bill Sipko, Mr. Doug Puchko, and Ms. Nancy D’Aniello.

“We are beyond excited with our new talent on the Foundation Board,” stated Kathleen Morrell, Executive Director of Institutional Advancement. “Our Board is comprised of amazing community members and we look forward to using their expertise and community ties to propel the Foundation to new heights in 2022.”

Mr. Mike Lynch, of AmeriServ, joined the Foundation Board in May of 2021 as a replacement for Mr. Jeff Stopko. Mr. Lynch is the EVP and the Chief Financial Officer of AmeriServ Financial, Inc. in Johnstown, PA. Mr. Lynch has a master’s degree in Business from Indiana University of Pennsylvania and a bachelor’s degree from the University of Pittsburgh at Johnstown. Mike serves on the Finance Committee of the Foundation Board.

Mr. Doug Puchko, of Puchko Financial, was appointed in July of 2021. Mr. Puchko is the President of Puchko Financial Group in downtown Johnstown. Puchko Financial is a full-service investment group that implements the Circle of Wealth client communication process with its clients. Mr. Puchko is a certified master mentor with the COW system. Doug joins the Development Committee of the Foundation Board.

Mr. Bill Sipko, of BCL Manufacturing, was appointed in September of 2021. Mr. Sipko is the President/CEO of BCL Manufacturing in Windber, PA. BCL is a high-tech metal fabricating company with over 50 employees and is equipped with state-of-the-art CNC laser, forming, punching, machining, and welding equipment. Bill resides on the Development Committee of the Foundation Board.

Ms. Nancy D’Aniello, of CTC Industries, was the second member appointed in September of 2021. Ms. D’Aniello is the Director of Education and Training Solutions at CTC in Johnstown, PA. Nancy has worked at CTC for 24 years in various positions and holds a degree in Biology from the University of Pittsburgh. She has been published in over 13 publications in her career. Nancy resides on the Governance Committee of the Foundation Board.

These board members were appointed as part of the Foundation’s strategic plan: adding new board members that offer diversity in their business backgrounds and county of residence. Having the proper representation of Board members that reflect our regional footprint is extremely important to the future growth of the Foundation.

In addition to the announcement of the four new board members, new officers were also elected:

• Mr. David Mordan, President
• Mr. Jeff Wood, Vice President
• Mr. Ed Porada, Secretary
• Ms. Bobbi Ream, Treasurer

Doug Puchko

Nancy D’Aniello

Soaring Through Life

The original column appeared in the Tribune-Democrat, written by Dr. Steve Nunez. Click here to see original sourced column.

One of the unique aspects of my job is my reporting structure. I report to a Board of Trustees.

Twelve of these trustees are appointed by the Cambria County Commissioners. Three additional trustees are appointed by the Board itself – one from Somerset County, Blair County, and Huntingdon County. The last is a Student Trustee who is voted onto the Board by the student body of Penn Highlands Community College.

Yes, you heard me right – I have 16 bosses, and one of them is a student.

I, of course, was not surprised that a Board of Trustees would supervise me and provide oversight to college operations when I took this job almost two years ago. I have been in higher education for 25-plus years.

I have presented many times to other boards as a faculty member or as a senior administrator. But in this job, the trustees are my direct supervisors, and so, it is different.

Initially, it was a little intimidating, trying to understand the motivations and expectations of so many different people. I made it a goal of mine to meet with every single trustee individually as soon as I could; a goal I accomplished within a few months of my initial hire.

Those meetings and my regular interactions with them during the past two years as president have convinced me to embrace the perspectives, experiences, and knowledge of the trustees – to be open-minded and to listen.

Having those 16 diverse perspectives, sometimes contradictory to my own, became comforting when I recognized that they all want the college to be successful – and hence, they want me to be successful. Having served on a few boards myself (all not-for-profit), I hope that those CEOs always felt that I supported them and the mission of the organization.

At Penn Highlands, trustees serve six-year terms – a very long commitment to any organization. But the long terms provide stability by reducing constant turnover. Recently, trustee Dr. Kathleen O’Rourke indicated that she would be leaving the board after serving two full terms (that’s 12 years to you and me).

O’Rourke spent her entire career dedicated to educating youth. In her words, “I always wanted to work with kids.”

Having earned a college degree in elementary education from Lock Haven, she taught fourth grade for several years. She then turned her attention and talents to being a school counselor after earning a master’s degree in counseling; she eventually earned a doctorate in counseling and administration. She retired, after 38 years in education, as the head of counseling in the Altoona Area School District.

In 2009, she helped start SOAR (Study, Overcome, Achieve Rewards) – a mentorship-based after-school educational program that helps youth attain college degrees – youth who have great potential but are struggling to find their way. The program helps them focus on their education and career goals so that they can be prepared to attend college (and for some, find a path out of poverty).

If the young people stick with the program, they can eventually earn $7,500 toward that degree. But their true reward is that they have built a life-long relationship with an adult mentor and friend, one that supports and cares for them.

I’ve been in the business of education for my entire professional life. And yet, when I hear stories like O’Rourke’s, I can’t help but feel gratitude.

Gratitude for her commitment to our youth. Gratitude for her clear focus to make a difference in individual kids – every kid matters. Gratitude that even after retirement she found the energy and drive to continue with educational programs that make a difference in our communities and to be a trustee on her local community college’s board.

Thank you, Dr. O’Rourke, for everything you have done for our communities and for your support of Pennsylvania Highlands Community College and its president. I will miss your insight and support.

See you at Penn Highlands.

Written By Dr. Steve Nunez, College’s Fifth President. This monthly series appears in The Tribune-Democrat, and will allow Dr. Nunez to provide his perspective on the value of education and of a community college.