Newsroom

Healthcare Programs Coming To Blair

Two new healthcare programs, Pre-Health Professions and Pharmacy Technician, are joining the increasing list of program offerings at the Penn Highlands Blair Center. Both programs are currently enrolling with courses beginning this fall.

These programs are becoming available in Blair as a result of the college’s 14,000-plus square foot expansion. The plan for expansion, which includes additional classrooms and labs spanning two floors, is slated for completion in May.

“This expansion is crucial to us being able to offer the programs that our community wants,” stated Julie Patosky, Blair Center Director at Penn Highlands Community College. “With the addition of a science lab, we are now able to offer the courses needed to earn a healthcare credential. This is only the beginning as more and more opportunities will be coming soon after the expansion is complete.”

Pre-Health Professions is an associate degree program that provides students with a strong medical foundation in a variety of areas. This program will give students the education they need to follow any medical career path they choose to take on.

Pharmacy Technician is a certificate program that prepares students to become pharmacy technicians or other roles of supportive personnel in hospital or pharmacy settings. If enrolled full-time, students can earn this certificate in less than one year.

The Blair Center is planning for the expansion to be open in May, with enrollment of these programs currently underway for the fall semester. Click here to apply today.

Annual Seminar To Focus On Human Trafficking

Human trafficking is one of the largest international crime industries and will be the focus of the 6th Annual Criminal Justice Seminar, hosted by Penn Highlands Community College, on Tuesday, April 10th. The seminar will take place in the Richland Campus Auditorium at 101 Community College Way from 1pm to 3pm.

In 2016, the FBI reported that human trafficking was the third largest international crime industry, only behind illegal drugs and arms trafficking. In 2016, the International Labour Organization estimated there were 20.9 million victims of human trafficking for labor and that 1 in 6 runaway children were likely forced into sex trafficking.

Carla Smith, Chairwoman of the Cambria County Human Trafficking Response Team, and Pam Vyhonsky, Operations Coordinator of the Department of Emergency Medicine at Conemaugh Health System, Duke LifePoint Healthcare, will both be presenting on human trafficking. The Cambria County Human Trafficking Response Team is committed to discovering and responding to incidents of human trafficking through victim-centered and collaborative community efforts.

This event is open to the public. Please contact Criminal Justice faculty members Dennis Miller or Dr. Robert Clark with any questions. They can be reached by phone at 814.262.6400; or email them directly at dmiller3@pennh.25comm.com (Dennis Miller) or rclark@pennh.25comm.com (Dr. Robert Clark).

New Four-Day Schedule Option Coming This Fall

Pennsylvania Highlands Community College is providing students with more flexibility this fall with the introduction of new four-day class schedules. Recognizing that students have many obligations that include work, family, and more, the College made it a priority to add this option to its upcoming fall semester.

The courses offered during the semester will remain the same and follow all academic program plans as outlined in the College’s official catalog. Students will be able to develop a schedule that better fits the demands of their life and places an emphasis on completion of a credential. Most programs include a schedule that fits in a two, three, or four-day per week schedule with morning and afternoon options. Evening, weekend, and online options are also available.

“Adding these schedule options was a top priority,” stated Dr. Walter Asonevich, President of Penn Highlands. “Our students come from all walks of life and have many responsibilities. We want to give every student the best possible opportunity to succeed while also giving them the chance to fulfill their obligations outside of the classroom.”

Penn Highlands offers over 35 academic programs in areas such as Business & Communication, Computer Information Sciences, Health Professions, and more. Course registration is now open for both the upcoming summer and fall semesters, click here for details.

College Partners with Goodwill and PA CareerLink for Job-Seeker Preparedness Workshop Series

Pennsylvania Highlands Community College, Goodwill of the Southern Alleghenies, and the Pennsylvania CareerLink are teaming up to provide a free Job-Seeker Preparedness Workshop Series at the Goodwill Career Center to help individuals with resume building and interviewing techniques, both of which are essential tools in the job acquisition process. The three-workshop series will be offered in two different segments: for the general public on March 27, April 12, and April 25, and for individuals with criminal histories on May 7, May 18, and May 24.

The Goodwill Career Center, which serves as a CareerLink Access Point, is located at 540 Central Avenue in the Moxham section of Johnstown. No registration is required for the series. Attendees are asked to bring a copy of their education and work history if applicable and to arrive at least 15 minutes prior to the start of each workshop. Details on the series include:

• Intro to “Career Coach” and Résumé-Building Tips
  Learn more about where your work interests lie as well as the job needs of our region with an easy-to-use online tool. Then you have to build a resume before you can write one. Work with a professional to assess and determine your current skill set and character traits to best impress the employer.

• Writing that Quality Resume
  Apply your newly gained resume-building knowledge to create your own individualized resume with the guidance of a professional.

• Job Interview Dos and Don’ts – Effectively Selling Yourself to an Employer
  Learn how to prepare for the interview with valuable tips and exercises. Become familiar with potential interview questions and techniques. Learn from the common mistakes of others and build your confidence.

Workshop dates and times:

• Offering 1:
  Open to the public
  Tuesday, March 27 – 2:00–3:15pm: Career Coach and Resume Building
  Thursday, April 12 – 2:00–3:15pm: Resume Writing
  Wednesday, April 25 – 2:00–3:15pm: Job Interview Techniques

• Offering 2:
  Focused on helping individuals with criminal histories to learn how to rebuild trusting employer relationships or to enter the workplace for the first time
  Monday, May 7 – 2:00–3:15pm: Career Coach and Resume Building
  Friday, May 18 – 2:00–3:15pm: Resume Writing
  Thursday, May 24 – 2:00–3:15pm: Job Interview Techniques

Additional workshops on various topics are being planned and will be announced. For questions, please contact Jennifer Galiote, Career/Employer Services Professional, at 814.536.3536, ext. 243 or jgaliote@gogoodwill.org, or Larry Brugh, Dean of Career Services and Workforce Development, at 814.262.3850 or lbrugh@pennh.25comm.com.

Athletes Receive Regional Team Honors And Recognition

The NJCAA national office has announced their selection of student-athletes for the 2017-2018 All Region XX Division III Men’s and Women’s Basketball teams, as well as Division III Women’s Cross Country and Volleyball teams. Penn Highlands is proud to have six Black Bears named to these teams.

Tim Biakapia (Germantown, MD), a sophomore forward, was named to the First Team All Region XX Men’s Basketball Team. Tim is the all-time points leader at Penn Highlands with 1,202 career points, and is also second all-time in career rebounds with 667. Tim led Region XX in rebounds per game with 14.3 and in field goal percentage at 67.4%. He also was 2nd in both points per game (24.4) and blocks (63). Tim ranked 2nd in the NJCAA national statistics in defensive rebounds (263), 3rd in total rebounds (385), and 4th in points this season (659). He was named NJCAA National Player of the Week twice in his career.

Antonio Carter (Toledo, OH), a freshman guard, was also named to the First Team All Region XX Men’s Basketball Team. Antonio ranked 2nd in the region in 3 point percentage (38.8%), 5^th in points per game (21.1), and 5th in free throw percentage (79.6%). He ranked 13th in the NJCAA national statistics in 3 pointers made (102) and 24th in points (548).

Bryan Acosta (Orlando, FL), a freshman guard, was named to the Honorable Mention All Region XX Men’s Basketball Team. Bryan led the region in assists (205) and ranked 6th in NJCAA national statistics. He was also ranked 4th in the region in field goal percentage (53.2%).

Maddie Sprankle (Johnstown, PA), a cross country runner and sophomore guard, was named to the First Team All Region XX Women’s Cross Country Team and Honorable Mention All Region XX Women’s Basketball Team. Maddie was the first student-athlete in school history to compete in a national event and finished 27th out of 136 at the NJCAA national cross country meet. She finished 3rd in Region XX. In basketball, she averaged 15.3 points per game, 5.8 rebounds per game, and 3.4 assists. Maddie was also named to the Western Pennsylvania Collegiate Conference Cross Country and Women’s Basketball Teams.

Lacey Krouse (Johnstown, PA), a sophomore libero, was named to the First Team All Region XX Women’s Volleyball Team. Lacey was 6th in the NJCAA national statistics in digs/set and 27th in overall digs. She led Region XX in both categories with 6.77 digs per set and 474 total digs. Lacey was also named to the Western Pennsylvania Collegiate Conference Team.

Lindsey Olshewsky (Johnstown, PA), a sophomore outside hitter, was named to the Honorable Mention All Region XX Women’s Volleyball Team. She was ranked 4th in the region in kills per game (2.41) and 5th in total points (204.5). Lindsey was also named to the Western Pennsylvania Collegiate Conference Team in both her freshman and sophomore seasons.

“I am so proud of all of our student-athletes, especially these six who helped make history for our Athletics program,” said Sue Brugh, Director of Student Activities and Athletics. “We won our first WPCC Basketball Championship, won our first regional game, and had our first national qualifier. No matter where they go or what they do, they will always be the ones to have done it first. They worked hard during both the season and offseason, and are very deserving of this recognition.”

Penn Highlands is a chartered National Junior College Athletic Association member college, competing in Region XX. The Black Bears are a part of the Western Pennsylvania Collegiate Conference. The WPCC was founded in 1972 and currently consists of 10 member institutions.