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Cambria County College Fair Happening In September

The 17th Annual Cambria County College Fair, sponsored by Pennsylvania Highlands Community College, will be held on Tuesday, September 10th, at the Frank J. Pasquerilla Conference Center. This year’s College Fair will take place from 8:30am to 11am, with students attending from across the region.

The mission of the College Fair is to promote higher education and future opportunities to not only high school students and their families, but to the public as well. The Cambria County College Fair helps local community members find and discover the many educational and career opportunities that are right in their back yard.

Numerous high schools are taking part, including Blacklick Valley, Conemaugh Township, Conemaugh Valley, Ferndale, Forest Hills, Johnstown, Portage, Richland, Westmont, Windber, and more.

Colleges and universities from all over the state of Pennsylvania will be on-hand to meet with and assist guests regarding their educational and career needs. With so many institutions attending, there is something for everyone: technical schools, business colleges, cosmetology schools and universities, branches of the military, banks, local businesses, and more.

The Cambria County College Fair is here to inform our community of educational opportunities; please take part or stop by. The College Fair is happening on Tuesday, September 10th. Be a part of something special and help us promote this community event to make it a great success.

For more details, contact Penn Highlands Community College at 1.888.385.PEAK or by emailing Daun Boyle, Assistant to the Vice President of Student Services, at dboyle@pennh.25comm.com. Penn Highlands Community College is always available online at pennh.25comm.com.

Nine High School Graduates Earn Full-Tuition Scholarship

Pennsylvania Highlands Community College would like to congratulate the outstanding work of the area high school students that were awarded the College’s Board of Trustees Academic Scholarship. This scholarship is awarded to high school seniors in the region that demonstrate excellence in academics and extracurricular activities. Eligible students must achieve a cumulative grade point average of 3.5 in their high school career, participate in various activities, and demonstrate leadership throughout their community.

Scholarship recipients receive a full-tuition scholarship to attend Pennsylvania Highlands Community College to complete an associate degree. Pennsylvania Highlands would like to honor those who will receive the 2019 Board Academic Scholarship:

• Nicolas Bradley of Hastings, PA (Cambria Heights High School)
• Brooke Elliott of Windber, PA (Windber Area High School)
• Lily Grace of Stoystown, PA (North Star High School)
• Maddelyn Hoover of Patton, PA (Cambria Heights High School)
• Isabella Nagy of Portage, PA (Portage Area High School)
• Kaitlyn Saucedo of Windber, PA (Forest Hills Senior High School)
• Garrett Smith of Vintondale, PA (Blacklick Valley High School)
• Cody Sral of Ebensburg, PA (Central Cambria High School)
• Erika Wilkie of Hollidaysburg, PA (Hollidaysburg Area Senior High School)

Chris Farrell Named Blair Center Director

Pennsylvania Highlands Community College is excited to announce the hiring of Chris Farrell to lead the College’s Blair Center as its new Director.

Chris Farrell, Blair Center Director

Chris Farrell joins Pennsylvania Highlands Community College after serving as the Senior Director of Admissions and Enrollment at The Art Institute of Virginia Beach for the past six years. Overall, he successfully led teams at nine different colleges over the course of 14 years.

During his tenure at The Art Institute of Virginia Beach, he helped to build positive relations between The Art Institute and its immediate and surrounding communities by delivering meaningful programs, offering creative events open to the community, partnering with local businesses and government agencies, and developing a culture focused on student success.

Mr. Farrell has earned an MBA in Business Administration from Argosy University, as well as a BSBA in Management, Accounting, Finance, and International Business from Ashland University. Additionally, he was selected to speak at The World Expo in Aichi, Japan in 2005 regarding “Harmonious Coexistence” between different cultures, industries, and how we fit with our planet to move forward collectively in a positive way.

Chris Farrell is eager to start leading the College’s Blair Center, which recently underwent a modern expansion that includes an additional five classrooms, one science lab, one computer lab, a student services area, and several comfortable areas for lounging or individual study.

“I really look forward to being a part of this college and community. This is an exciting adventure full of opportunity, and being at a college with extremely competitive and affordable programs in an area as beautiful as Blair County makes it even better,” stated Chris Farrell, Blair Center Director. “I’m very happy to be part of such a positive culture. If you don’t know us yet, I encourage you to come see for yourself.”

Pennsylvania Highlands has six locations throughout the Southern Alleghenies region that serve residents of western Pennsylvania.

1ST SUMMIT BANK Donates To EITC Program

Dr. Walter Asonevich, President of Pennsylvania Highlands Community College, recently accepted a donation from John Kubinsky, Senior Vice President and Loan Group Head for 1^ST SUMMIT BANK. The $2,500 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 2018-19 academic year, the cost per credit for this program was $58, which allows over 1,400 students to enroll in ACE courses at 52 different school districts across 10 Pennsylvania counties.

John Kubinsky (left) of 1ST SUMMIT BANK and Dr. Walter Asonevich (right) pose with check delivered to the College’s Foundation for the EITC program.

New Sustainable Agriculture Program Will Support The Region

Beginning this August, Pennsylvania Highlands Community College is excited for the start of its new certificate in Sustainable Hydroponic Agriculture and Rural Entrepreneurship (SHARE). This quick certificate program can be completed in less than a year and is designed to bolster our region and its residents.

The SHARE program covers both traditional agribusiness and the emerging field of controlled environment agriculture. In partnership with Sandyvale Memorial Gardens and Conservancy, students will have gained experience through both theory and practical hands-on application in a greenhouse using actual hydroponic equipment. The College will use Sandyvale’s facility for both hydroponic and traditional greenhouse plant growth training.

“This partnership will provide Sandyvale with a more hands-on presence in the greenhouse to facilitate operations and make necessary improvements as needed, helping fulfill our mission of offering yet another educational programming initiative to the community,” stated Ron Kabo, Sandyvale Director of Greenhouse Operations.

Diana Kabo added, “The Sandyvale partnership with Penn Highlands will provide a diverse and unique hands-on training opportunity in a real working greenhouse that will complement the classroom studies of the students and help them learn through real-life scenarios how to deal with issues related to alternative agriculture production.”

The SHARE certificate consists of 10 classes (22 credits). Upon completion, graduates are ready for employment in various aspects of agribusiness industries.

“Students who train in this program will be experienced, confident, problem-solving individuals positioned for forward-thinking careers in alternative agricultural programs that will fulfill a predicted future need in feeding populations all over the world without having to deal with the impact of weather, insects, and soil conditions,” stated Bill Horner, Sandyvale President. “They will be trained to produce food in a controlled environment, at a much faster pace, year-round and be able to predict harvest yields more precisely. Also, hopefully, this exposure at Sandyvale will stimulate student interest in supporting their communities, establishing a life-long habit of engagement wherever they reside.”

Carissa Itle-Westrick of Vale Wood Farms added, “Students that complete the SHARE program will have skills and knowledge that make them attractive candidates for employment within rural and agricultural businesses. Applicants that come to us having completed this training will have earned a spot at the top of our hiring list.”

Applicants are still being accepted for the College’s SHARE certificate program. Classes are set to start on the first day of the fall semester, Monday, August 26th.

Pennsylvania Highlands has six locations throughout the Southern Alleghenies region that serve residents of western Pennsylvania.