First Annual Commencement 2021
In a virtual ceremony held on May 22 at 2:00 p.m. Northern Pennsylvania Regional College (NPRC) celebrated the achievements of 17 graduates in its Inaugural Commencement Ceremony. NPRC’s students have remained resilient during the challenges of the pandemic.
Saturday’s graduates attended classroom locations in Corry, Oil City, Otto Eldred, St. Marys, Tidioute, Tionesta, Titusville, and Warren. They include: CORRY (Corry Higher Education Council) – Associate of Arts in Liberal Studies and Certificate Degree in General Studies – Marilyn Reed (graduating with honors); Certificate Degree in General Studies – Rachel Chelton, Savannah Cornell, Mandy Lilley, Patricia Miller, and Claudia Stutzman; OIL CITY – Certificate Degree in General Studies – Syed Ali; OTTO ELDRED (Otto Eldred High School) – Associate of Applied Science in Early Childhood Education and Certificate Degree in General Studies – Darian Bruno (graduating with honors); ST. MARYS (CEC of Elk and Cameron Counties) – Associate of Science in Business Administration and Certificate Degree in General Studies – Jacob Meyer (graduating with honors); TIDIOUTE (Tidioute Community Charter School)- Certificate Degree in General Studies – Karen Klos; TIONESTA (West Forest High School) – Associate of Science in Business Administration and Certificate Degree in General Studies – Rose Trivett; TITUSVILLE (Pitt-Titusville) – Certificate Degree in General Studies -Taylor Machen, Kristin Miller-Lore, Michelle Razo, Rene Rogers, and Arlayna Schooley; WARREN (Warren-Forest Hi-Ed) – Associate of Science in Business Administration and Certificate Degree in General Studies – Lorin Johnson
During Saturday’s ceremony, Jacob Meyer, a Spring 2021 graduate from St. Marys, PA, shared his story of finding his path in Business Administration. After hopping from job to job, he ended up at a pizza shop in Erie where he started as a driver, worked his way up to assistant manager, and became manager the day after his promotion to assistant manager. A year later, he moved back to St. Marys with his now wife and looked into college, but money and location were a barrier. He didn’t qualify for loans or grants and was at a loss until he heard about NPRC – local classes, affordable, and has a degree he is looking for. He addressed his fellow graduates expressing, “The only way for NPRC to work is if we, as students, believed in ourselves and never gave up. NPRC helped us every step of the way and now here we are because we believed in ourselves and never gave up.”
Senator Joseph B. Scarnati III, a third-generation businessman and public servant of more than 30 years joined Jacob and NPRC as the honored commencement speaker. Now recently retired, he was elected to represent the 25th Senatorial District in 2000 and served Pennsylvania for 20 years. Senator Scarnati was a catalyst in the development of NPRC as the author and primary sponsor of the legislation that established a regional college in northern Pennsylvania and led to the creation of the Northern Pennsylvania Regional College. Senator Scarnati’s message was one of hope and unity. He closed his remarks by sharing with NPRC graduates, “Life is a journey we go through together, not alone. Use the skills and knowledge that you have gained here at NPRC to be a bridge to unite others in a world that continually creates barriers between us.”
[wecreate_button class=”light-btn colored” href=”https://youtu.be/38hKW2bdPVY”]Commencement 2021[/wecreate_button]