Saint Francis University names orientation directors

LORETTO — Saint Francis University has announced the eight students selected to serve as 2023 orientation directors.

These students will lead a team of 40 student volunteer orientation counselors to provide a first-class onboarding experience when the Class of 2027 joins the Flash Fam in August.

At no compensation, these volunteers sacrifice the final weeks of summer to ensure that first-year students have an exceptional transition into University life.

The 2023 orientation directors include:

Senior director: Madison Soellner.

Associate directors: Adyson Miller, Madelyn Marzina and Sarah Evans.

Assistant directors: Daniel O’Hara, Ellen Kennedy, Alyson Zell, Cierra Denny, Madison Soellner of Tyrone, Sarah Evans of Revloc and Ellen Kennedy of East Freedom.

Police academy receives uniform donation from LCT Energy

JOHNSTOWN — Cadets of the Pennsylvania Highlands Community College Police Academy were supplied with dress uniforms courtesy of a donation from LCT Energy.

The uniforms consist of a black windbreaker jacket with the Police Academy logo, a white dress shirt with the cadet’s name and a green tie.

LCT Energy, a corporation with multiple mining facilities in the area, was able to provide the uniforms through a local community partnership.

After completing the one-year program that runs evenings and weekends, 11 cadets will graduate in a September ceremony.

To finish the program, cadets will have to complete 919 total hours of training to be able to take the mandatory state test. Upon passing, cadets will be eligible to work at any of the 1,207 police departments across Pennsylvania.

Of the 11 graduating cadets, nine have already earned conditional employment offers or are set to be employed at a department upon graduation.

The Police Academy was transferred to the college in late 2021, Prior, it was housed within the Greater Johnstown Career and Technology Center, where it stood for 40 years. The inaugural cadet class began training in September 2022. A second class of cadets is set to begin training in September 2023.

Legacy gift from Class of 1973 to support renovation at Juniata

HUNTINGDON — Members of Juniata College’s Class of 1973 presented their 50th Class Reunion legacy gift during the All Class Dinner at Alumni Weekend.

The Class of 1973 raised $3,576,319.73, which will support many areas across the college both now and in the future. A portion of their overall gift will be directed to support extensive renovations to Rosenberger Auditorium within the Halbritter Center for the Performing Arts, specifically for the replacement of the auditorium seats.

Class of 1973’s Legacy Gift committee co-chairs Tom Wynn and Mary White, and committee members Rick Fornadel, Fred Mason and Linda (Wachsmuth) McKonly rallied their classmates to support the cause. Fundraising continued until just a few hours before the big reveal.

The centrality of Rosenberger Auditorium to the campus experience is a commonality the members of the Class of 1973 have with current students and all who have attended Juniata in the years between.

Convocation, awards assemblies, performances and special events all bring community members together in a single space. Many of those marking their 50th year since graduating fondly remember completing the film history section of Great Epochs of World Cultures and celebrating All Class Night while sitting in the same seats still used today.

A total of 75 members of the Class of 1973 were on hand to celebrate the presentation of their class gift.

Planning for a class’s 50th reunion begins five years before the 50th reunion, and part of that planning is leaving a lasting legacy in the form of a significant gift to Juniata College.

Outside of the class projects, alumni celebrating their 50th reunion often support areas at Juniata that were most meaningful to them, including the Juniata Scholarship Fund, summer student research initiatives, specific academic programs, facility enhancements across campus, Juniata Athletics and much more.

Omicron Delta Kappa honor society celebrates new members

LEXINGTON, Va. — Omicron Delta Kappa, the National Leadership Honor Society, welcomed 486 new initiates from 24 universities during May 2023.

Students initiated into the society must be sophomores, juniors, seniors or graduate/professional students in the top 35% of their class, demonstrate leadership experience in at least one of the five pillars and embrace the ODK ideals. Fewer than 5% of students on a campus are invited to join each year.

They include: Shana Hollenbach of DuBois, Arizona State University; and Nhu Nguyen of Huntingdon, Alexandra Carrol of Williamsburg, Jacob Christophel of Three Springs, Lauren Stricek of Tyrone and Noah Stroup of Altoona, all of Juniata College, Huntingdon.

Student joins Phi Kappa Phi

BATON ROUGE, La. — Brittany Vecero of Port Matilda was recently initiated into The Honor Society of Phi Kappa Phi, the nation’s oldest and most selective all-discipline collegiate honor society.

Vecero was initiated at Clarion University of Pennsylvania.