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Four Regional Medallion Awards Presented To Marketing & Communications Team

Pennsylvania Highlands Community College would like to congratulate its Marketing & Communications Team on being awarded four (4) NCMPR Medallion Awards this year from the National Council for Marketing and Public Relations (NCMPR).

The team took home awards in the following categories: Postcard (bronze), Video Shorts (bronze), Television/Video Advertisement (silver), and Social Media or Online Marketing Campaign (silver).

Three out of the four awards presented to Penn Highlands focused on the messaging and delivery methods used during the COVID-19 era.

“This was a unique year due to the COVID-19 pandemic,” stated Raymond Weible, Jr., Director of Marketing & Communications. “Our strategies and messaging had to shift on a dime to meet the needs of Penn Highlands Community College and the community. These awards are a testament to our ability to adapt and persevere while showing the strengths and purpose of Penn Highlands as a premier institution.”

The members of Marketing & Communications that participated in these initiatives consist of the following:

Raymond Weible, Jr., Director of Marketing & Communications, has spearheaded a multitude of web, digital media, and overall brand initiatives. He holds a Bachelor of Science in Journalism/Advertising and a Master of Science in Integrated Marketing Communications, both from West Virginia University.

Sean McCool, Creative Services & Marketing Specialist, focuses heavily on photography, graphic/web design, video production, brand integration, and more for the College. He holds a Bachelor of Science in Emerging Technology and Multimedia from Slippery Rock University.

Andrew Podolak, Marketing & Communications Assistant, serves as an integral member of the team, playing a role across all initiatives. His focus includes writing, social media, campaign planning, and more. He holds a Bachelor of Arts in Business from the University of Pittsburgh.

Penn Highlands collaborated with Wade James of Adliv Collective during the production of the video pieces that garnered these awards. Adliv Collective provides professional photography and videography services in Johnstown, PA.

Since 2015, Marketing & Communications has won a total of twenty-two (22) NCMPR Medallion and Paragon Awards, which recognizes excellence in the marketing, design, and public relations field at two-year schools.

About NCMPR
The National Council for Marketing & Public Relations is a professional organization for individuals involved in marketing, communications, public relations and enrollment management at community, junior, and technical colleges. NCMPR provides professional development opportunities, advocates on behalf of the profession and the institutions it serves, and recognizes professional excellence.

NCMPR is the only organization of its kind that exclusively represents marketing and public relations professionals at community and technical colleges. They are one of the fastest-growing affiliates of the American Association of Community Colleges, representing more than 1,550 members from over 650 colleges across the United States, Canada, and other countries.

Pennsylvania Highlands is a part of District 1, which includes schools from Connecticut, Delaware, District of Columbia, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Vermont, the Canadian provinces of New Brunswick, Newfoundland, Nova Scotia, Prince Edward Island and Quebec, and United Kingdom.

Marketing & Communications Team(L to R): Sean McCool, Creative Services & Marketing Specialist; Raymond Weible, Jr., Director of Marketing & Communications; Andrew Podolak, Marketing & Communications Assistant

New Mobile App Now Available For Community

Pennsylvania Highlands Community College is proud to announce the launch of the myPEAK mobile app for students, faculty, and staff. The app is available for free download through both the Apple and Google Play stores, and it will help the college community stay connected and informed on their devices.

“We began exploring the need for a mobile app a few years ago and are really pleased to have partnered with Jenzabar, a higher education digital engagement platform, for this service,” said Matt Hoffman, Chief Information Officer at Penn Highlands Community College. “In this era of COVID-19, when we cannot build and sustain our community in the usual ways, tools like this app can be very useful to help boost engagement and keep everyone connected.”

Hoffman stated that the mobile app (accessible from Apple/iOS and Android devices) will make access to college-related information and people incredibly quick and easy.

The myPEAK mobile app provides quick and convenient access to student services, email, student learning system, and the self-service portal for class registration, grades, bill payments, and more.

Additionally, push notifications allow administrators to communicate important news and announcements (like weather-related closings) to everyone with the app in real time.

“It is a very robust app,” Hoffman continued. “In the coming months, we plan to continually optimize it while encouraging the college community to use it for news, updates, and basic student service portal functions.”

eSports Gaming Team is Coming in January

Pennsylvania Highlands Community College is gearing up to launch its new co-ed athletic program, Black Bear eSports Gaming. Starting in the Spring 2021 (January) semester, student-athletes will begin competing as members of the National Junior College Athletic Association eSports (NJCAAE).

Esports Gaming, or electronic sports, is a form of competitive multiplayer video gaming in which teams compete against each other in single games or tournament events.

Gaming at Penn Highlands will follow the “play anywhere using your own device” model, allowing student-athletes to have unlimited access to top titles like League of Legends, Overwatch, Fortnite, Super Smash Brothers, Rocket League, FIFA 20, and so much more.

Every semester, the eSports Gaming team will be able to compete for collegiate national titles and other countless events.

“The major benefit of eSports is that it will bring together students who have a shared passion in something that they may not have realized before,” stated Sue Brugh, Director of Student Activities and Athletics. “Our student-athlete gamers will have to communicate in new ways as they work out strategies and resolve conflicts on various gaming platforms.”

For additional information, or to join the Black Bear eSports Gaming Team, please contact Student Activities at 814.262.6463 or studentactivities@pennhighlands.edu.

About National Junior College Athletic Association Esports
The National Junior College Athletic Association Esports (NJCAAE), founded in 2019, is the only national esports association exclusively for two-year colleges. The NJCAAETM is committed to increasing access to team dynamics, school representation, and campus life for the benefit of student-athletes and member institutions alike. Esports participants and NJCAAETM members benefit through meaningful, educational, and transformative opportunities which lead to greater retention and completion rates for participants. Already boasting over 60-schools from all regions of the United States after just two semesters of competition, the NJCAAETM continues to make inroads to be the association of choice for all 2-year schools.

Jeff Dick Named Cross Country Head Coach

Jeff Dick, of Mineral Point, has been named the Head Coach of Men’s and Women’s Cross Country at Pennsylvania Highlands Community College.

Mr. Dick will be responsible for the organization and direction of the College’s NJCAA, Division III Men’s and Women’s Cross Country program. For the past six years, Jeff has been the Assistant Cross Country Coach at Central Cambria High School where he specialized in new runner development and training schedules. During his time at Central Cambria, his boys team won six LHAC Titles and six District 6 AA titles. His girls team won five LHAC Titles, five District 6 AA titles, and a state championship in 2018.

“We are thrilled to have Jeff lead our young program,” stated Sue Brugh, Director of Student Activities and Athletics. “We are eager for him to recruit runners who will be able to thrive as a Black Bear and beyond while building our program supporting the mission of the NJCAA.”

Penn Highlands is a chartered National Junior College Athletic Association member college, competing in Region XX, and a part of the Western Pennsylvania Collegiate Conference.

Individual runners from Pennsylvania Highlands have qualified for the NJCAA National Tournament each of the past three years: Maddie Sprankle (Johnstown), Erica Kovalik (Forest Hills), and Landon Ridgeway (Paw Paw, WV).

The American Way

The original column appeared in the Tribune-Democrat , written by Dr. Steve Nunez. Click here to see original sourced column. 

Last weekend, while I was visiting my mother in beautiful southwest Virginia, she showed me a newspaper clipping of my very first newspaper editorial. At the time, I was a graduate student at Virginia Tech, and my editorial was written as a rebuttal to an author who I considered to be close-minded and bigoted. My mother beamed with pride even though that letter was published more than 30 years ago. However, I was a little embarrassed by the brashness of that young fellow with little life experience but seemingly all the answers.

On my drive back to Pennsylvania, I found myself thinking about that letter and this upcoming election – which seems to be even more divisive and combative than normal.

I’m not a poet, nor a philosopher, but I’ve read enough and lived enough to know that our country has had turbulent moments. Examples include, just in the past 100 years or so, the Spanish flu of 1918, World War II, the civil rights movement of the 1950s and 1960s and the 9/11 terrorist attacks. It is estimated that the Spanish flu may have killed more than 600,000 Americans. Armies and air forces of the allied nations, including members of the U.S. armed forces, overcame the aggression of the German and Japanese empires in the 1940s. The civil rights movement of the 1950s and 1960s improved but did not solve racial tensions and inequities in our country. And, the terrorist attacks of 9/11 made us feel truly vulnerable for the first time since the threat of nuclear catastrophe during the Cold War.

What traits of our people bound us together to see the country through the worst of times? We, as Americans, are optimistic almost to a fault. We are creative and inventive. We have the courage to do what is right, fair, and equitable. And we can do the hard work to meet any challenge.

However, the wisdom of that former 22-year-old graduate student at Virginia Tech still echoes in my mind; we must also avoid the trap of bigotry and close-mindedness.

To me, that is a crucial trait that has made America “America” – our ability to listen and respect the viewpoints of others – to not judge the motives and patriotism of those that see the world differently.

Neither Republicans nor Democrats (nor any other political party) have a monopoly on patriotism, and while we may disagree on many issues, ultimately, we are all Americans.

Please, do your patriotic duty and vote for the candidates of your choice on Tuesday or before. And then afterward, remember that we are all Americans who love our country – the “United” States of America.

See you at Penn Highlands.

Written By Dr. Steve Nunez, College’s Fifth President. This monthly series appears in The Tribune-Democrat, and will allow Dr. Nunez to provide his perspective on the value of education and of a community college.