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Foundation Awards Over $21,000 In Scholarships

The Pennsylvania Highlands Community College Foundation distributed over $21,000 in scholarships during the 2018-2019 academic year to help aid students in our region. The money was spread across 19 scholarships, all maintained and managed by the Penn Highlands Foundation.

The College’s Foundation Scholarship Application is now open for the 2019-2020 academic year.  It closes on Tuesday, May 15th. To be eligible for these scholarships, applicants must be accepted to Penn Highlands, have completed the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA), and have registered for the Fall 2019 semester.

The following is a list of students who received scholarships in 2018-2019.

• American Association of University Women (AAUW), Johnstown Branch Scholarship
  • Angela Santacroce (Conemaugh, PA)

• Dr. Walter and Kim Asonevich Scholarship
  • Jamey Sleesman (Altoona, PA)

• College Employee Supported Scholarship
  • Samantha Burket (Martinsburg, PA)
  • Tyler Landis (Berlin, PA)

• Griffith Family Scholarship
  • Trevor Dixon (Huntingdon, PA)

• Dr. Edward Haluska Scholarship
  • Victoria Smothers (Johnstown, PA)
  • Nicole Wright (Summerhill, PA)

• Daniel and Diane Holtzman Scholarship
  • Monica Breth (Colver, PA)

• Kathy Holtzman Memorial Scholarship
  • • Derek Kisic (Nanty-Glo, PA)

• Huntingdon Hope Scholarship
  • Amanda Hartman (Huntingdon, PA)

• Amanda Jenkins State Farm Scholarship
  • Hanna Booher (Saltillo, PA)

• Johnstown Regional Indian Subcontinent Association (JRISA) Scholarship
  • Morghan Krug (Loretto, PA)

• Joseph and Joan Mangarella Scholarship
  • Marcayes Hutchins (Johnstown, PA)

• Dale W. Miller Scholarship
  • Amanda Hartman (Huntingdon, PA)

• National Association of Insurance and Financial Advisors (NAIFA) Scholarship
  • Jeanne’ Heinrich (Saint Michael, PA)
  • Lindsay Norman (Salix, PA)

• Ursula Pawlowski Memorial Scholarship
  • Nevin McIntosh-Higgins (Twin Rocks, PA)

• Roth Family Scholarship
  • John Battisti (Altoona, PA)
  • Shavet Lamont (Altoona, PA)
  • Kaitlin McKee (Duncansville, PA)
  • Taylor Rickabaugh (Altoona, PA)
  • Lyndzi Vaughn (Duncansville, PA)

• Supporting Success Scholarship
  • Madison Crum (Windber, PA)
  • Cheyenne Hayes (St. Benedict, PA)
  • Jaydrik Hinton (Johnstown, PA)
  • Andrew Mattis (Windber, PA)

• Valenty Scholarship
  • Faith Sodmont (Ebensburg, PA)

• Anna D. Weitz Scholarship
  • Nicole Wright (Summerhill, PA)

• Stan and Helen Westbrook Scholarship
  • Kimberlyn Lape (Mount Union, PA)

Free Public Event Designed To Help People With Finances

Pennsylvania Highlands Community College will be hosting Financial Fitness, a financial literacy fair free to the public, on Wednesday, March 27th. The event will take place from 10am to 1:30pm at the college’s Richland Campus, located at 101 Community College Way in Johnstown.

Financial Fitness will bring seven financial institutions to our Richland Campus to discuss their services and products, and ways they can help individuals find financial stability and success. Those attending include 1ST SUMMIT BANK, AmeriServ Financial, First Commonwealth Bank, First National Bank, Somerset Trust Company, G.A.P. Federal Credit Union, and Intuit.

In addition, there will be presentations offered by some of the financial institutions for educational purposes. These presentations include:

• Do you know your credit score?
  10-10:20am (AmeriServ Financial)

• Where does all my money go? 
  10:30-10:50am (G.A.P. Federal Credit Union)

• How to be a smart borrower. 
  11-11:20am (1ST SUMMIT BANK)

• How to retire early.
  12:30-12:50pm (First National Bank)

• Do you know about the Mint® app? 
  1-1:20pm (Intuit)

Financial Fitness is a free event open to the public. Pennsylvania Highlands Community College encourages anyone who may have financial questions to attend and receive valuable information.

Oliver Lindrose & Tiffaney Smith Named Coca-Cola Academic Team Bronze Scholars

Pennsylvania Highlands Community College would like to congratulate Oliver Lindrose, of Johnstown, and Tiffaney Smith, of Vintondale, for being named 2019 Coca-Cola Academic Team Bronze Scholars. Each student will receive a $1,000 scholarship.

The Coca-Cola Scholars Foundation sponsors the Coca-Cola Academic Team program by recognizing 50 Gold, 50 Silver, and 50 Bronze Scholars with nearly $200,000 in scholarships annually. Each scholar also receives a commemorative medallion.

Oliver Lindrose will be graduating this May with an Associate of Arts in Liberal Arts and Sciences. Around campus, he is active as Vice President of Student Senate, President of the Psychology and X-Files clubs, and Vice President of the Gender Sexuality Alliance. He also serves as a tutor. After graduation, Mr. Lindrose plans to continue his education at California University of Pennsylvania

Tiffaney Smith will be graduating this May with an Associate of Science in Business Administration. Around campus, she is active as Secretary of Phi Theta Kappa, and she participated in women’s basketball. She is also a member of the Ebensburg Activities Club and owns her own spray tanning company. After graduation, Ms. Smith plans to continue her education at Indiana University of Pennsylvania.

Oliver Lindrose, Coca-Cola Academic Team Bronze Scholar

Tiffaney Smith, Coca-Cola Academic Team Bronze Scholar

“The Coca-Cola Scholars Foundation has a long history of providing financial assistance to outstanding students at community colleges,” said Jane Hale Hopkins, President of the Coca-Cola Scholars Foundation. “We are proud to partner with Phi Theta Kappa and make it possible for deserving students to achieve their educational goals.”

Students are nominated for the academic team by their college administrators. Selection is based on academic achievement, leadership, and engagement in college and community service.

“Oliver Lindrose and Tiffaney Smith are outstanding students and leaders,” said Dr. Walter Asonevich, President of Pennsylvania Highlands Community College. “Both serve as role models, and are well deserving of being named Coca-Cola Academic Team Bronze Scholars. The college community is proud to have them represent us.”

Coca-Cola Academic Team members will be recognized in both local and statewide ceremonies and will also be recognized internationally during Phi Theta Kappa’s annual convention, PTK Catalyst, April 4-6 in Orlando, Florida.

“We thank the Coca-Cola Scholars Foundation for recognizing these student leaders and for investing in their futures,” said Dr. Lynn Tincher-Ladner, President and CEO of Phi Theta Kappa. “Scholarships like these are integral to the success of these students in reaching their educational and career goals.”

About Phi Theta Kappa
Phi Theta Kappa is the premier honor society recognizing the academic achievement of community college students and helping them to grow as scholars and leaders. The Society consists of more than 3.5 million members and nearly 1,300 chapters in 10 nations. Learn more at www.ptk.org.

3+1 Agreements With Saint Francis University Yield Student Success & Strengthen Bond

Pennsylvania Highlands Community College has strong ties with local colleges and universities that are second to none. One such partnership that delivers on providing a clear path to student success is the college’s 3+1 articulation agreements with Saint Francis University. These agreements allow Penn Highlands’ students to transfer 98 course credits to a bachelor’s degree program at Saint Francis University. To complete a bachelor’s degree, students must then complete the final 30 credits with Saint Francis University after earning an associate degree.

A unique aspect of our partnership with Saint Francis University is that it contains a consortium agreement. This allows Penn Highlands and Saint Francis to work together to ensure financial aid can be used, for qualifying students, to cover the costs associated with taking classes at both institutions simultaneously.

There are six (6) 3+1 articulation agreements in place between the two institutions, creating seamless transfer options for Penn Highlands’ graduates to complete a bachelor’s degree at Saint Francis University. Agreements include:

• Accounting (A.A.S.) to Organizational Leadership (B.S.)
• Business Administration (A.S.) to Organizational Leadership (B.S.)
• Business Management (A.A.S.) to Organizational Leadership (B.S.)
• IT – Server Administration (A.A.S.) to Computer Systems Management (B.S.)
• Social Work (A.A.) to Behavioral Science (B.S.)
• Psychology (A.A.) to Behavioral Science (B.S.)

These 3+1 agreements have gained momentum in recent years as students are realizing they can keep pursuing a higher degree while already being enrolled in an associate degree program. Students understand this is a cost-effective way to receive a bachelor’s degree. In Fall 2018, four (4) students benefited from these agreements. Five (5) more students participated in Spring 2019. Now, there are over fifty (50) students interested in taking advantage of these agreements.

“When regional colleges work together as Penn Highlands and Saint Francis are doing, we can help students meet their educational goals without excessive student debt to contend with when they graduate,” stated Dr. Walter Asonevich, President of Penn Highlands. “That can make it easier for them to remain here, work here, and contribute to the growth and development of our region.”

Pennsylvania Highlands Community College has six locations that serve the Southern Alleghenies region. Applications are now being accepted for the summer and fall 2019 semesters.

Sophomore Tiffaney Smith Presents At Beacon Conference On Women’s Roles & Fashion

Pennsylvania Highlands Community College would like to congratulate Business Administration student Tiffaney Smith, of Vintondale, on receiving a Certificate of Achievement for her paper at the Beacon Conference. The Beacon Conference accepted Tiffaney’s paper, “The Evolution of Women’s Roles and Fashion,” and she was able to present it during the 2018 Beacon Conference.

The Beacon Conference was established by mostly Honors faculty to recognize, celebrate, and showcase the academic achievements of outstanding students at community colleges in the mid-Atlantic region. It encompasses a wide range of disciplines.

Her paper was prepared under the guidance of Penn Highlands’ professor Dr. Russell Newman. This year only 44 paper submissions were accepted, with three papers being chosen for presentation per category.

Tiffaney’s paper handles the topic of women’s roles and fashion. It takes the reader on a journey through time starting with the Victorian age, all the way up through present day. It walks the reader through different fashion trends and how they correlate with the attitudes and independence of the women in each time period.

Sophomore Tiffaney Smith plans to pursue her goal of owning her own business by transferring and earning her bachelor’s degree in marketing from Indiana University of Pennsylvania after she graduates from Penn Highlands Community College.

“I am grateful for the opportunity I had to participate in the Beacon Conference,” stated Tiffaney Smith. “The experience strengthened my ability to speak publicly and answer intellectual questions. That is something that I will be able to carry with me as I build to one day owning my own business.”

About The Beacon Conference
The Beacon Conference was born in 1993 when Rockland Community College (NY), with a grant from the American Association of Community Colleges and the Kellogg Foundation, and in association with Bergen Community College (NJ), Brookdale Community College (NJ), Catonsville Community College (MD), Dutchess Community College (NY), Harford Community College (MD), Kingsborough Community College (NY), Middlesex Community/Technical College (CT), Nassau Community College (NY) and Westchester Community College (NY), organized two conferences for student scholars at two-year colleges in the mid-Atlantic region. Since then, the conference has been sponsored by a coalition of participating community colleges, which take turns hosting this event each year on the first Friday of June.