Newsroom

Archive: Jun 2023

• Return of the Chef Auction: Local Foundations Partner To Help Students Financially

  Posted June 22, 2023 at 11:40 am

  The Pennsylvania Highlands Community College Foundation and the 1889 Foundation are partnering to make a difference for local students by bringing back the Chef Auction fundraising event. The 2023 Chef Auction will be held at 5 PM on Wednesday, October 11, 2023, at the Frank J. Pasquerilla Conference Center in downtown Johnstown.

  The Chef Auction was originally developed over 10 years ago to help the community through the work of the 1889 Foundation. This year, the two foundations are coming together to re-ignite the popular event for a worthy cause.

  “When we were approached for this partnership, we couldn’t say ‘yes’ fast enough,” stated Jeff Wood, Pennsylvania Highlands Community College Foundation Board President. “The College is growing, and part of the Foundation’s mission is to help students through scholarship dollars. Every penny is going toward scholarships. This event is going to change lives.”

  The Pennsylvania Highlands Community College Foundation manages funds for several scholarships totaling over $30,000 annually to students. These scholarships are funded by local businesses, area philanthropists, Pennsylvania Highlands staff and faculty, and Foundation fundraisers. In addition, the College sponsors nearly $80,000 in scholarships to high school seniors in the region who demonstrate outstanding excellence in academics and extracurricular activities.

  In late 2022, the Greater Johnstown School District signed an agreement with Penn Highlands Community College that allows its Culinary Arts students to leverage their high school studies with the collegiate environment through dual enrollment. This allows these students to further their education more quickly by earning college credits toward an associate or bachelor’s degree.

  The Chef Auction hopes to include Greater Johnstown culinary students in the evening to showcase their talents. The students’ training and experience will be partly due to the Penn Highlands Center for Culinary Excellence, which will be opening soon in the heart of downtown Johnstown.

  “This partnership is very exciting for the 1889 Foundation. Two of our funding priorities are wellness and education,” stated Susan Mann, President of the 1889 Foundation. “Pennsylvania Highlands Community College offers much needed scholarship money to students and the academic offerings of the College assist the regional workforce. This partnership makes sense and will have great community impact.”

  The Chef Auction is already securing restaurants and chefs for the evening. Sunnehanna Country Club, Balance Restaurant, and Nemacolin Woodlands Resort have all made commitments to be involved. Interested restaurants should reach out to the Penn Highlands Foundation to inquire about vendor options for the evening at foundation@pennhighlands.edu or 814.262.6448.

  More details about the Chef Auction are to come, including sponsorship packages and individual tickets, by visiting the Chef Auction page on the College Foundation’s webpage at www.pennhighlands.edu/chefauction/.

  To help a local student today by providing scholarship funding, visit www.pennhighlands.edu/donate/ or call the Foundation at 814.262.6448.

  ---

  About the 1889 Foundation
  1889 Foundation’s mission is to support innovative programs and initiatives that improve and transform the overall health and wellness of our region. Through collaborations and partnerships, with a focus on population health, the Foundation is dedicated to making meaningful change in the areas that are negatively impacting the health and well-being of our local communities. For more about the 1889 Foundation, visit www.1889foundation.org.

   About the Pennsylvania Highlands Community College Foundation (www.pennhighlands.edu/foundation/)
  The Pennsylvania Highlands Community College Foundation is an innovative non-profit organization dedicated to supporting the efforts of the College with financial resources and scholarships through seeking and securing funds. The College Foundation offers over 10 diverse scholarships to students pursuing an education at Penn Highlands Community College. To donate to the College Foundation, visit www.pennhighlands.edu/donate/.

  

• Police Academy Cadets Receive Uniform Donation From LCT Energy

  Posted June 15, 2023 at 9:52 am

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

  These 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.

  “As a result of the generosity of LCT Energy, our cadets were outfitted with a dress uniform,” stated Dennis Miller, Pennsylvania Highlands Police Academy Director. “The dress uniform is important as it reminds cadets to take pride in their training and chosen profession. The police uniform helps identify law enforcement officers in the communities they serve and represents professionalism, fairness, and a commitment toward public service.”

  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.

  

  Cadets standing in donated uniforms (front row L to R): Chloe Shaulis, Rodney Hall, Chris Logsdon, Corey Jones, Austin Thomas, Scott Berardinelli, Ian Crouch, Angel Raehl, (back row L to R): Tyler Collins, Gavin Pacewicz, Keith Eger

  

• Nine Graduates Complete 3+1 Degree Programs At Saint Francis University

  Posted June 13, 2023 at 9:16 am

  Nine Pennsylvania Highlands Community College graduates recently completed their bachelor’s degree studies from Saint Francis University by utilizing a 3+1 articulation partnership between the two institutions.

  These 3+1 (or 3 years + 1 year) articulation agreements enable students to transfer their associate degrees plus an additional 30+ credits, all earned at Pennsylvania Highlands, toward the requirements of a bachelor’s degree. This leaves students with approximately only one year to complete a bachelor’s degree at Saint Francis University, saving students financially.

  The graduates, who hail from the Laurel Highlands and surrounding areas, include:

  • Garrett Burns (Altoona), B.S. Accounting
  • Nicholas Bechtel (Martinsburg), B.S. Organizational Leadership
  • Megan Cunningham (Johnstown), B.S. Behavioral Science
  • Taylor Doughty (Cresson), B.S. Behavioral Science
  • Matthew Dugan (Johnstown), B.S. Organizational Leadership
  • Donald Hoffman (Newry), B.S. Behavioral Science
  • Reagan Lightner (Alexandria), B.S. Behavioral Science
  • David Morley (Mineral Point), B.S. Organizational Leadership
  • Cody Sral (Ebensburg), B.S. Organizational Leadership

  “These successes show how vital these types of educational partnerships are for our students and for our region,” stated Dr. Steve Nunez, President of Pennsylvania Highlands Community College. “Stories like these support the fact that Pennsylvania Highlands graduates are well-prepared for academically rigorous institutions like Saint Francis University; we are proud of our graduates and look forward to hearing more about their future accomplishments.”

  Pennsylvania Highlands Community College partners with other higher educational institutions for the betterment of our students and our region, having over 200 articulation agreements with 20+ institutions.

  Visit Transfer Central