Shenandoah presents Leadership Awards

WINCHESTER, Va. — Madison Cavalet of Lilly was among the winners of the Shenandoah University Student Government Association’s 2024 Leadership Awards.

Thirteen awards were given out in three categories: individual, organization and student employment.

Cavalet received the Collaboration Award. This award is given to a student employee who has excelled in working effectively with other students and/or departments within their student employment position.

Webinar to focus on ‘Easing FAFSA Anxiety’

JOHNSTOWN — Pennsylvania Highlands Community College will host a free live webinar titled “Easing FAFSA Anxiety” from noon to 12:30 p.m. Thursday, May 16.

The webinar will consist of topics including exploring college affordability, dispelling common FAFSA myths, and lowering stress surrounding one of the most significant decisions many families will face when sending their children to college.

Those who wish to attend the webinar can join via Zoom at https://pennh.cc/3ya9DWw. They may also visit the college’s events feed on the main website for a link and details.

For additional questions, contact Matthew Bodenschatz at 814-262-6456 or email mbodenschatz

@pennhighlands.edu.

LVC announces department awards

ANNVILLE — Lebanon Valley College presented students with academic awards as part of the college’s Inquiry celebration.

Local students include:

n Darrian Berkheimer of Altoona, a graduate of Altoona Area Senior High School. He is pursuing a bachelor of science in exercise science at The Valley and won the Merle L. Wise ’53 Memorial Fund Award.

n Jayven Ritchey of Saxton, a graduate of Tussey Mountain Junior-Senior High School. He is pursuing a bachelor of science in business administration at The Valley and won the Dean Rosemary Yuhas Award.

Penn Highlands students receive honors

JOHNSTOWN — The Pennsylvania Commission for Community Colleges recently honored the 30th annual All-Pennsylvania Academic Team, consisting of select students representing 15 community colleges from across the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania.

This honor recognizes high-achieving college students who demonstrate academic excellence and intellectual rigor combined with leadership and service that extends their education beyond the classroom to benefit society. The students are selected for the All-Pennsylvania Academic Team based on a nomination and application process.

The 2024 scholars include Transfer Pathway students and Workforce Pathway students, with six of those honored hailing from Pennsylvania Highlands.

The following students were among those selected and are members of the All-Pennsylvania Academic Transfer Pathway Team: Madison Bender of Ashville, Seth Dillon of Coalport and Tessa Snavely of East Freedom.

Phi Kappa Phi inducts new members

BATON ROUGE, La. — The following people recently were initiated into The Honor Society of Phi Kappa Phi, the nation’s oldest and most selective collegiate honor society for all academic disciplines.

They are all students at Penn State University.

Joshua Terza of Altoona, David Trumpbour of Duncansville , Angela Brockman of Hollidaysburg, Cassidie Best of Hollidaysburg, Pamela Penatzer of Summerhill and Joshua D’Ottavio of Altoona.

They are among approximately 25,000 students, faculty, professional staff and alumni to be initiated into Phi Kappa Phi each year.

Membership is by invitation only and requires nomination and approval by a chapter.

Only the top 10 percent of seniors and 7.5 percent of juniors are eligible for membership.

Graduate students in the top 10 percent of the number of candidates for graduate degrees may also qualify, as do faculty, professional staff and alumni who have achieved scholarly distinction.

Alvernia honors student for leadership

READING — Cassidy Miksich of Tyrone was honored at Alvernia University’s 2023-24 Student Government Association Awards and Induction ceremony for a leadership as the newly inducted Sophomore Senator.

Everett native featured in senior dance concert

SLIPPERY ROCK — As graduation is approaching at Slippery Rock University, 20 graduating Bachelor of Fine Arts dance majors presented their final dance showcase titled “Through It All: A BFA Dance Concert” with three unique shows, April 27-28 at the Stoner West Dance Studio Theater.

The showcase served as a culmination of research, dedication and learning for the students, expressed in one final showcase with each performance concluding with a senior dance choreographed by Pittsburgh-based choreographer and artist James Washington Manning.

The 20 seniors presented various dance types, such as modern, contemporary, jazz and improvisation. While each showcase featured different senior performances, the themes among all will include humanity and culture, relationships, social constructs and other multidisciplinary outlets.

Tori Steel, a senior dance major from Everett, was a choreographer at the April 28 event.

Food pantry opens at Penn Highlands

JOHNSTOWN — Pennsylvania Highlands Community College has established a food pantry at its Richland Campus designed to offer students the resources they need to prepare meals at home.

The pantry, known as the Bear Necessities Food Hub, is housed in a renovated space that consists of shelving, a refrigerator and a freezer to provide a variety of food options to Penn Highlands students.

The project was funded with assistance from the Hunger-Free Campus Grant, which Penn Highlands received after being designated as a PA Governor’s Hunger-Free Campus in January.

The Bear Necessities Food Hub will be open from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Monday through Thursday in a space across the hall from Student Activities and Athletics, next to Financial Aid.

A committee will manage donations for the pantry and oversee the procurement of the initial food stock. Information Technology at Penn Highlands is creating an inventory system designed to monitor both the flow of visitors and the distribution of food items within the pantry.

The committee plans to use student and staff volunteers to assist in pantry operations. The college is also working with Food for Families, a branch of the Pittsburgh Food Bank, to acquire additional inventory.

The college also has the Black Bear Food Share Program, which provides students with grab-and-go meals.

Those interested in volunteering to assist in food pantry operations can contact Carole VanMeter or Matt Hoffman at foodpantry@pennhighlands.edu.

Student honored

by Pitt-Bradford

BRADFORD — Olivia Reese, a senior nursing student from Flinton, was one of 50 students honored by the University of Pittsburgh at Bradford at its annual Honors Convocation held April 12. Reese received the ASN Nursing Award for Academic Excellence.

LVC student attends

FBLA State Conference

ANNVILLE — Shelly Bliss of Huntingdon is one of six Lebanon Valley College students who attended the Future Business Leaders of America State Leadership Conference in Harrisburg on April 15.

Bliss earned first-place honors in impromptu speaking.

Bliss, a graduate of Mount Union High School, is pursuing a bachelor of science in exercise science at LVC.

Student presents at research, scholarship fair

BRADFORD — Kaylee McCracken, an environmental science and environmental studies major from DuBois, presented “The symphony of knowledge: A new paradigm for scientific exploration and environmental harmony” during the University of Pittsburgh at Bradford’s annual Undergraduate Research and Scholarship Fair on April 13.

The fair is an annual opportunity for Pitt-Bradford students to present the results of their research in a public setting.