Category: Student News

Follow Plastics Engineering Technology Students through Denmark & Sweden — Travel Log #1

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No matter how vivid the photos or descriptive the lecture, there’s nothing quite like seeing and experiencing another country in person. And, in today’s increasingly global business climate, it’s vital that students be versed in the culture and business practices of international partners. There is much to be learned from seeing how others do it. That’s why, every year, students in the Plastics Engineering Technology program have the opportunity to travel overseas to visit plastics companies and universities and attend a plastics trade show, too.

Right now, eleven students are at the tail end of a ten-day trip to Sweden and Denmark.

We asked them to send us some updates and photos so we could all learn from their journey.

Day 1- Thursday, October 15th

Today was our departure date. We left Behrend in a bus and headed to the Toronto airport to board the plane to Copenhagen. We were all anxiously awaiting departure!

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Day 2- Friday, October 16th

We arrived in Copenhagen at approximately 10:00 a.m. and made our way to our hostel. After dropping off our things at the hostel, we went our separate ways to explore the city. One group toured the Christianborg Palace and visited Tivoli Gardens-the oldest amusement park in Europe. Other groups climbed local towers to see the city from above. This was our first experience communicating with other cultures and through other languages.

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Day 3- Saturday, October 17th

Our second day in Copenhagen was more eventful, as we taught ourselves how to use the bus and train systems. We were able to travel across the city more efficiently to see more distant attractions. Some of these attractions included the Rosenborg Palace, Kastellet Fort, and also the Little Mermaid statue.

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Day 4- Sunday, October 18th

The last day in Copenhagen we were able to catch a few more attractions, such as the Marble Church and the picturesque town of Nyhavn. In the evening, we boarded a train to Vejen, and we arrived at our hostel late that night.

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Day 5 – Monday, October 19th

On Monday, we woke up and caught the bus to Billund for a tour of the LEGO facility. The manufacturing facility was very innovative and automated, which was very interesting to see. We learned about their history, business model, company values, and processing techniques. We departed LEGO in the early afternoon and headed back to Copenhagen for the night. At this point, we went our separate ways to the hostels that each group of students had booked on their own. It was a great experience maneuvering through the city with our luggage and trying to find our hostel on our own.

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Day 6 – Tuesday, October 20th

Tuesday we visited the Danish Technical University (DTU), just outside of Copenhagen. They had incredible research facilities and free 3D printing for any university student. The university was very project oriented and encouraged all students to go “beyond state of the art.” You could tell from their work that the students were very passionate and had put time and effort into their projects to make creative ideas come to life. Afterwards, the group boarded another train to Goteborg, Sweden, where we found our hostel for the night.

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Day 7 – Wednesday, October 21st

We woke up in Goteborg bright and early to make our way to the Scan Pack Packaging Trade Show. Students spent hours visiting the various booths and displays from packing companies from around the world. Some highlights included a juggling robot; collapsible, reusable, and more environmentally friendly material gaylords; biodegradable packaging; and various forms of filling equipment for assembly lines.

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To be continued….

9-hole disc golf course open at Behrend

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By Heather Cass

Publications & Design Coordinator, Penn State Behrend

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Have you noticed the medieval-looking baskets with chains on metal poles around campus and wondered what they are for?

They’re for your entertainment.

The baskets are targets for a new nine-hole disc golf course that snakes around the perimeter of campus. Disc golf is played much like traditional golf but with flying discs instead of balls and clubs. Players stand near the tee and try to get their disc into the basket in the fewest number of throws.

Student-driven fun

The project was initiated by Kyle Stephan ’14, a former SGA president, who got the ball rolling discs flying, by approaching the Student Activities and Athletics departments to obtain approval, advice, and, eventually, funding to establish a course on campus.

Stephan was joined by Mechanical Engineering majors Trey Neveux and Mark Malecky, and Psychology major Tyler Ferraino, who worked together to design the course, locate equipment, and secure funds.

The students did the majority of the work on the course themselves, with assistance from the Erie Disc Golf Club, the college’s Maintenance and Operations department, and with instruction from Dr. Mike Naber, lecturer in geosciences, on using Geographic Information System (GIS) to layout and measure the course.

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Tyler Ferraino, right, and Trey Neveux.

The course

Though the graphics for the tee markers are still under production, all of the targets/baskets are set and the tee markers (plain white signs) are in place.

The course starts in front of the tennis court/baseball fields near the Jordan road entrance to the college. From there, it snakes around to the old soccer field and then up and around the new track complex before finishing up in the woods across from the track near the bridge to Erie parking lot.

An online map that you can use on your Smartphone while you play can be found here.

Equipment

A basic disc golf set contains three discs—a driver, a mid-range disc, and a putter. Just like in golf, the driver is used for long drives from tee, the mid-range disc is used for shorter distances, and the putter is used when you’re close to the target.

There are at least ten sets of discs available for students to borrow for free at the RUB desk (and Neveux says there are more to come), or you can pick up your own set at a mass retailer or online for less than $30.

How to play/rules

Standing at the tee (currently marked with plain white signs…graphics are in production!), throw your driver disc toward the basket. Players — typically two to four, but more is OK, too — take turns throwing their discs with the one whose disc lands the farthest from the basket going first (like golf).

One point (stroke) is counted each time the disc is thrown and when a penalty is incurred. The goal is to play each hole in the fewest strokes possible. A disc that comes to rest in the basket or chains constitutes a successful completion of that hole.

Most of the holes on Behrend’s course are a par 3, but there are also two par 4s and a par 5. Map here.

The player with the lowest total strokes for the entire course wins.

Learn more about how to play disc golf here.

First-timers take

Neveux and Ferraino spent some time introducing me to the sport on a recent weekday morning.

It was a lot of fun and it wasn’t hard to figure out how to throw the discs to my advantage (most drivers arc left) and when to switch discs to make use of the mid-range and putter discs.

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By the third hole, I had a pretty solid grasp on the sport and enough skill to get the disc in the area I wanted it to be.

Learn more at YouTube, where you can find plenty of videos with tips on disc throwing technique.

Future expansion

Neveux, who serves as president of the Disc Golf club at Behrend, says they are already thinking of expanding.

“We’d like to add another nine holes, so we have an eighteen-hole course,” he said. “We’ve got plenty of space for it on campus.”

And, with the club’s dedication and promotion of the sport, they’re sure to have plenty of players, too.

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Summer in South Africa Inspires Political Science Major

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By Heather Cass

Publications & Design Coordinator, Penn State Behrend

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Lillian Gabreski, a senior Political Science major, spent six weeks of her summer studying abroad at the University of Cape Town in Cape Town, South Africa.

We talked with Gabreski to find out more about what it’s like to study in South Africa and what she learned while she was there.

Why did you go to South Africa?

I studied abroad at the University of Cape Town. The experience was fully funded by a grant from Penn State Behrend to complete my research in international and constitutional law. I’ll be using this research to complete my Schreyer Honors Thesis this spring. I also participated in the Students’ Health and Welfare Centres Organisation (SHAWCO) Education program.

What were your responsibilities while there?

As a student at the University of Cape Town, I studied community development and the impact of development on regional groups and peoples. As a volunteer for the SHAWCO program, I spent 20 hours a week volunteering in the township of Manenberg teaching English and Math to middle schoolers. Manenberg has become infamous for gang-violence that has plagued its residents in recent years.

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What made you choose South Africa? Have you been there before?

This was my first time in South Africa. I have always been interested in the country because of its unique socio-political history. With the guidance and influence of Dr. John Gamble, distinguished professor of political science and international law, I began to devote my time to learning about the practice of international and constitutional law. South Africa has one of the most liberal and lauded constitutions in the world, and the politics of a country re-entering the international arena after centuries of its majority population being excluded from democratic processes (see: apartheid) are both unique and absolutely intriguing. Thus, it seemed a natural area of interest for me to study as a political science major.

What was the most eye-opening thing about South Africa…or your experience there?

We have a tendency as Americans to believe that the way we do things is the best way to do them, whether in politics, business, or even our personal lives. While I’ve always considered myself to be open-minded, I still thought this way about the U.S. when I went to South Africa. Upon my return, I had a laundry list of policies and reforms that the U.S. could learn from South Africa. As a stable and relatively new true democratic state, South Africa is willing to experiment when it comes to the way they do things, which is something I think we have lost along the way here in the United States.

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Lillian (second from left) with Archbishop Desmund Tutu.

How do these types of experiences enhance what you’re learning at Behrend?

It is one thing to study a country or a political system in the classroom here in the U.S. We all have our perceptions and we’re learning in our own environment. It is an entirely different experience to go to another country and to interact with its people, who have completely different preconceptions and ideas, and to learn from what’s around you. It’s really as simple as that.

What was it like in South Africa? Did you enjoy being there?

I have traveled all over Western Europe, but Cape Town is the most beautiful city I have ever visited. The people are incredibly kind, the geography is absolutely beautiful, and the perseverance of the South African nation in general is truly inspiring. While I spent only six weeks in South Africa, it was enough to leave an impression that has caused me to alter my post-graduate plans to include a focus in Sub-Saharan Africa.

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What’s the most valuable lesson you learned during your experience this summer?

The South African people, specifically those who were discriminated against during apartheid, have an incredible tenet for forgiveness. Rather than seek revenge against those who have wronged them, they seek to remedy their ills via forgiveness and open conversation. I think the principle of being graceful and forgiving rather than continuing the ills of the past via pursuing a path of vengeance can be applicable in any situation whether it be personal or political.

Did you learn anything that you’ll apply this semester to your classes/projects here at Behrend?

Not only am I writing my senior thesis on South Africa and its relation to international law, I am also serving as a teaching assistant for Political Science 003H: Introduction to Comparative Politics this semester and teaching a segment on South African government and politics.

What are you career plans? What do you want to do?

Before studying in South Africa, I had intended to apply for law school. While I’m still taking my LSAT, I’m now focusing more on pursuing a Masters or Ph.D. degree in International Affairs or Public Policy. I would love to someday work in international law, in government, or with an non-governmental organization that would allow me to revise policies and practices on a global scale for the greater benefit of mankind.

Are you earning any minors/certificates?

I’m minoring in History and in Women’s Studies

Do you have any advice for incoming students in your major?

Get to know your professors! They have been invaluable to me not only when it comes to recommendation letters and research opportunities, but also in the advice they have given me to help me find the career path that will make me the happiest. Also, definitely study abroad! It will change your life and help you find your passions.

Why did you choose Behrend?

I initially accepted admission to University Park, but my mother (Dr. Tammie Merino, Lecturer in English at Behrend) convinced me to take a tour of Behrend. I fell in love with the campus and truly felt at home here. After my first year, I knew that the incredible professors and classmates I had at Behrend were invaluable, and that I would spend all of my four years here. There is something to be said for a small campus with the resources of a larger University behind it.

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Summer in Sri Lanka: Psychology student serves as medical volunteer

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By Heather Cass
Publications & Design Coordinator, Penn State Behrend

Margaret Dunlap, a sophomore Psychology major, had a remarkable and enlightening summer experience as a medical volunteer at a Sri Lankan hospital.

We talked with her to find out more about what it’s like to live and work in a Third World country and what she learned during her time there.

What was your internship position (title)?

Medical volunteer

What were your responsibilities?

I had a mix of observation and helping. My duties included taking blood sugars, blood pressure, pulse, changing dressings, assisting in surgery, and doing physical exams.

How did you obtain this position?

It really just required filling out the application for Projects Abroad. Anyone can do the internship, but skill level and enthusiasm determines how much you are actually doing and you’re doing patient care or just watching.

How long was the internship?

6 weeks

Was it a paid position?

No. It was a volunteer position with Projects Abroad.

What made you look to Sri Lanka? Have you been there before?

I originally planned to be in India, but problems with the visa office resulted in my advisers rerouting me to Sri Lanka, a tropical island off the coast of India. I knew I wanted to be in an underprivileged area with a vastly different culture, preferably in Asia. I had not been to any part of Asia before, so culture-wise, it was a huge shock.

Why do you think they chose you? Why did you stand out?

One reason I stood out was my enthusiasm to learn. I came in as one of the youngest students and I openly admitted to having little real medical training. The doctors and advisors appreciated my humble attitude and willingness to do whatever needed to be done so I could learn.

As a college sophomore, you were doing an internship in a foreign country. Were you ever surprised to find yourself there?

I definitely was in awe that I was able to have an experience like that. If it wasn’t for my parents, I never would have been able to go. There also were several times when I remember thinking “I’m just a kid, what am I doing practicing medicine in a foreign country? When did I become responsible enough or mature enough to do this?”

How do these types of experiences enhance (or bring to life) the lessons you’re learning at Behrend?

At Behrend,  I learned how to be comfortable around people much different from myself. My freshman year, I lived in Perry Hall, which, at the time, housed primarily international students. I grew up in a small town with very little cultural diversity, and I had never lived in close proximity to people with such vastly different backgrounds. I became close friends with many international students, though it did take me some time to get used to being surrounded by different cultures. This experience certainly prepared me for living in Sri Lanka, where everyone’s culture was different from my own. Even the other students staying with the same host family had different backgrounds. I not only got a taste of Sri Lanka but also Japan, Ireland, England, Canada, Germany, and Australia.

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Margaret Dunlop, left, and a friend ride an Asian elephant while in Sri Lanka this summer

What was it like in Sri Lanka? Did you enjoy living there?

Sri Lanka is a Third World country in Asia. I lived in Colombo, the capital city, which is on the west coast. It was insanely hot, humid, dirty, smelly, and full of insects. But, it was also wonderfully exciting and exotic. All of the things that could have been taken as negatives were actually positives if you looked at them properly. There was no air conditioning, no hot water for bathing, no silverware (you ate your rice with your hands), and no toilet paper. The only Caucasians for miles were the other eleven students living in my house, and only seven of them spoke English as their first language. Living in Sri Lanka certainly was an adjustment. Literally everything is different there, but the differences are also what made the trip so fun!

What’s the most valuable lesson you learned during your experience this summer?

The most valuable lesson I learned is that I am stronger than I think. There were times when I was so scared or miserable that I just wanted to buy a plane ticket home, but I didn’t. I persevered and enjoyed the experience. In the end, I am a better person for it.

Did you learn anything that you’ll apply this semester to your classes/projects here at Behrend?

One of the biggest things I learned is to not second-guess myself. There were times where I was in surgery and panicking that I would make a mistake or I would be doing an initial examination on a patient with other medical students and second-guess myself. Sometimes I would hesitate if a doctor asked me a question just because I didn’t want to say the wrong thing and look stupid. Eventually I realized that I know more than I think and I should learn to be confident in that. And even if I don’t know the answer or I do have a stupid question, who cares? That’s why it’s called learning.

What are you career plans? What do you want to do?

I plan to go to medical school after college to become an orthopedic surgeon with a focus in sports medicine.

Finance major spends summer flying across country to work with clients

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By Heather Cass
Publications & Design Coordinator, Penn State Behrend

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Eric Frei, a senior Finance major, racked up plenty of frequent flier miles this summer working as an intern for FTI Consulting in Pittsburgh. Every week for three months, Frei flew to either Northern Minnesota or Florida to provide on-site consulting services to FTI clients.

We sat down to talk with Frei about his jet-setting summer experience.

Is this the first time you interned for this company?

Yes

How did you obtain the internship?

Faculty members passed my resume onto someone at FTI.

Was it a paid position?

Yes.

Did you fly out every week?

Yes, I either flew to Northern Minnesota or Florida and I stayed for 4 or 5 nights. On the weekends, I flew back to Pittsburgh.

What are the kinds of things you assisted the clients with?

A lot of the work that I did was confidential but I basically assisted companies that were going through the bankruptcy process.

As a college student you were assisting companies going through bankruptcy, that’s pretty impressive. Did you ever think: Wow, I can’t believe I get to do this?

At times, yes. It was a great opportunity to be able to learn more than I ever had about bankruptcy and financial consulting work.

How do these types of experiences enhance (or bring to life) the lessons you’re learning at Behrend?

I was able to apply many of the things I learned in my classes this summer and in previous internships. Now that I’m back at Behrend, I am excited to apply what I learned this summer as well.

Which climate did you like better…Florida or Minnesota? Did you have recreation time…to go see the city, etc.?

To be honest, I did not have much time at all for recreation. Most days we worked from 8 a.m. to 7 p.m. or so and then went out to dinner as a team. I was surprised at how beautiful the summer was in Northern Minnesota.

What’s the most valuable lesson you learned during your experience this summer?

To be confident in what you are doing, triple check everything, and content is nothing if it is not presented in the correct way.

Did you learn anything that you’ll apply this semester to your classes/projects here at Behrend?

Yes, many things. I have set personal goals for my senior year to make myself more a better resource to the company I end up working for after graduation in May.

What are you career plans? What do you want to do?

I am eager to start my career in corporate finance. Currently I am seeking after corporate finance positions; especially those that are a leadership rotation program.

Do you have any advice for incoming students in your major?

Work hard, have fun, and truly absorb what you are being taught in the classroom.

 

 

Love of writing defines O’Neill’s time at Behrend

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Katherine O'Neill

By Steve Orbanek
Marketing Communications Specialist, Penn State Behrend

As a child, Katie O’Neill always had a keen interest in writing and creative expression. This affinity continued when she got to grade school, and it was not long before others started to notice.

“I had a teacher when I was in first grade who told my mom to get me a journal,” O’Neill recalls.

That would seem to have been excellent advice. As O’Neill has grown up, her passion for writing has become a defining characteristic.

“I’ve always been a writer before anything else,” the Lake Winola, Pa., native says.

That passion is what brought her to Penn State Erie, The Behrend College. The college’s BFA in Creative Writing piqued her interest as the only such program in the Penn State system and one of only a few in the country.

“That was definitely the number one draw,” she says.

Through the inventive program, O’Neill, who graduated this past May, says she was able to focus intently on improving her inventive writing skills. She also improved her editing abilities serving on the staff of Lake Effect, an international literary journal published by the School of Humanities and Social Sciences at Penn State Behrend.

Along the way, O’Neill garnered accolades. This past year alone, her non-fiction story, “Achill Strikes Again,” won Behrend’s Farrell Nonfiction Award while her fiction piece “Juneau” was the college’s Smith Fiction Award winner. Her short fiction piece, “Tony and Rebecca” was also named an honorable mention in the Annual Creative Writing Awards, sponsored by Suffolk County Community College in Long Island, New York.

O’Neill says her inspiration comes from “the weirdest things,” but also a more traditional source. Thanks to the college’s Creative Writers Reading Series and professional conferences, O’Neill met and networked with numerous professional authors throughout her college career. With every interaction, she says she would pick up a tip or two that she put to good use.

During her time at Penn State Behrend, O’Neill was involved beyond creative writing activities. She was the captain of the college’s dance team, a member of the Behrend Choir and a writing tutor in the Learning Resource Center.

This past spring, O’Neill’s efforts were recognized with two awards: Behrend’s Eric A. and Josephine S. Walker Award and a university-wide Eclipse Award. The Walker Award recognizes a student whose character, scholarship, leadership and citizenship have been directed into student programs and services. The Eclipse Award recognizes Penn State students for service and volunteerism to their campus and local communities.

This fall, O’Neill will start pursuing her MFA in Creative Writing at Bowling Green State University in Bowling Green, Ohio. She reflects fondly on her time at Penn State Behrend and hopes new students will choose to follow a similar path.

“My advice is to get involved from the start. I’m so glad I got involved right away. It can be overwhelming, but it’s (worth it),” she says. “I’ve made some amazing friends. I’m going to miss everything about this place.”

Move over, Bill Nye. Penn State Behrend has its own ‘Science Guy’

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By Steve Orbanek
Marketing Communications Specialist, Penn State Behrend

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Joel Solomon, a physics major, was the recipient of this year’s T. Reed Ferguson Award. The award recognizes a junior who has demonstrated scholarship, leadership and citizenship through academic and out-of-class involvement and gives promise of further achievement in the senior year.

For some kids, it’s Cartoon Network. For others, it’s Nickelodeon. For Joel Solomon, it was the Science channel?

“Growing up, I just always watched that channel,” says Solomon, who recently completed his junior year at Penn State Erie, The Behrend College. “I was fascinated by what humanity has been able to do over the years, and I knew that I wanted to be a part of that.”

Math and science resonated with Solomon, and that interest led the New Wilmington, Pa., native to Penn State Behrend. As he got older, he knew he wanted to pursue research in college, and he could think of no better destination than Behrend.

“Being able to get a great education at a small campus is great,” says Solomon, a physics major. “I was looking for a research-oriented institution, and Behrend is one of the few schools in the region that offers such opportunities. I know that with a degree from here, I can go anywhere that I choose.”

This past year, Solomon collaborated with Bruce Wittmershaus, associate professor of physics, on a research project titled, “Concentration Dependence of Coated Gold Nanoparticles for Metal Enhanced Fluorescence.” The project was recognized as the Best Poster Presentation this past April at the Sigma Xi Undergraduate Student Research and Creative Accomplishment Conference.

Undergraduate research has been a big part of his time at the college, but Solomon’s interests go beyond the academic realm. For the past three years, he’s been a goalie on the men’s soccer team. This past year, Solomon was inducted into Chi Alpha Sigma, a national society that honors collegiate student-athletes who excel in both the classroom and in athletic competition. The society recognizes student-athletes who received a varsity letter in their sport while maintaining a cumulative GPA of 3.4 or higher throughout their junior and/or senior years. Solomon is also a former AMCC All-Academic selection.

“I feel as if soccer complements my academics. Just being physically active helps me keep up with my coursework,” he says.

Solomon’s accomplishments on the field and in the classroom played a key role in his receiving the 2014-15 T. Reed Ferguson Award last April at the college’s 66th annual Honors and Awards Convocation. The award recognizes a junior who has demonstrated scholarship, leadership and citizenship through academic and out-of-class involvement and gives promise of further achievement in the senior year.

“I was very happy to receive the award, and it was nice to know my work is paying off,” Solomon says. “It just reassured me that I’m on the right path, but I know there’s more that I can do.”

Solomon will get the chance to fulfill that promise of further achievement this fall, continuing his undergraduate research as the recipient of a grant to explore the topic of “Enhancing the Photostability of Fluorophores Using Metal Enhanced Fluorescence.”

For the future, Solomon plans to attend graduate school and possibly work with optics. His ultimate goal, though, has its roots in the programs he watched on Science as a boy.

“My dream job is always going to be something with NASA. I have always been fascinated by all of NASA’s accomplishments,” he says, “so that’s the dream, and that’s what I’ll keep working toward.”

Kunming, China, native comes to Penn State Behrend to ‘claim’ an education

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By Steve Orbanek
Marketing Communications Specialist, Penn State Behrend

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Arthur Wang, a Kunming China, native, is shown holding the Rose Cologne Keystone Citizen Award, a University-wide award that he received this spring.

Yuanheng “Arthur” Wang arrived in the United States for the first time in 2006. His parents felt it was time for him to see the world, so the Kunming, China, native went to live with his uncle in Seattle.

He knew there would be only one way to adapt.

“I really struggled back then because I basically knew nothing about English. I realized then that I had to master this language to survive,” Wang says.

Now a junior at Penn State Erie, The Behrend College, Wang is doing more than surviving — he’s thriving.

He has made the Dean’s List every semester so far, has joined the Lambda Sigma National Honor Society, has served as the regional vice president of the Student Pennsylvania State Education Association and was recently accepted into the University’s Schreyer Honors College. His greatest accomplishment though, might be the work he is doing to help his fellow international students, he says.

Wang serves as a teaching assistant for Penn State Behrend’s English Language Learners program and holds office hours each week, tutoring students in college-level reading, writing, speaking and listening skills. The English language has resonated with him.

“I like English, and I like communication. They just make me excited,” Wang says.

In fact, he’s so enthused about the language that English has become his major. Now he’s using that excitement to assist others.

“I want to help those who are learning English, but in order to do that, I have to master the language myself,” Wang says. “I use English and Chinese interchangeably, which we call ‘code-switching.’ I want to encourage those around me to realize and appreciate the beauty of language.”

Wang’s efforts were recognized this spring when he was honored with two awards: Behrend’s Irvin H. Kochel Award and the University-wide Rose Cologne Keystone Citizen Award. The Kochel Award is presented annually to an outstanding student who demonstrates character, scholarship, leadership and citizenship through efforts that positively influence students and the college community. The Cologne Award recognizes students for service and volunteerism to their campus and local communities.

After graduation, Wang plans to pursue a master’s degree in education or instructional communication and would eventually like to be a professor of language and literacy education. He’s not afraid to challenge stereotypical notions along the way.

“I wish to challenge the stereotype that Asian students or international students are not able to major in English or the humanities. I want to challenge the stereotype that says all international students are going to major in business, engineering or the sciences,” he says.

Guiding him along the way is a principle he picked up from a speech titled “Claiming an Education,” given by poet Adrienne Rich at the 1977 convocation of Douglass College in New Jersey.

“I’m not here to accept or receive an education. I’m here to claim an education. I want to claim all of the resources here available to me,” Wang says. “This term inspires me because it really confirms my dedication and informs my direction.”

He’s hoping other students are willing to follow his footsteps in claiming their education.

“College is all about choice,” he says. “If you want to be happy, if you want to be a success, then you make that choice and do it. Once you make that choice, no one can take it away from you.”

For adult student, degree is ‘one of those lifetime badges you get’

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By Robb Frederick
Public Information Coordinator, Penn State Behrend

Michael Linhart (3) (682x1024)Michael Linhart took his time getting to Erie Insurance Arena, where he received a bachelor’s degree in general arts and sciences. He crossed the stage in May, 24 years after he first enrolled at Penn State Erie, The Behrend College.

“It’s hard to describe how that felt,” Linhart, 42, said. “To be honest, I just tried to soak it all in.”

The Fairview resident first arrived at Penn State Behrend in 1991. The Kochel and Burke centers had not yet been built. Ohio and Almy halls were still woodlots.

Linhart had trouble adjusting to college life. After three semesters, his GPA had flat-lined at 1.5.

“I wasn’t ready for college,” he said. “I didn’t have the focus or the determination to stay with it. I needed to grow up.”

So he left. He worked the cash register at a grocery store and helped manage a Taco Bell. He watched his friends go on to better things.

“All my friends were getting these great 9-to-5 jobs,” he said. “They were getting married, having kids, and I was stuck, still living hand-to-mouth.”

In 1998, after five years away, he came back to campus. He tried to be more active: He joined the Zeta Beta Tau fraternity and the Returning Adult Student Organization. He volunteered as an orientation leader.

“He had a renewed sense of what he needed to do to be successful here,” said Biddy Brooks, director of the Office of Adult Learner Services. “He was committed to putting in the work. So it was hard to see him leave again.”

After two years of study, Linhart was offered an internship at a property management company. He worked as a leasing consultant, matching renters to apartments in a 132-unit complex. When his boss offered him a full-time position – good pay, and a path up the organizational ladder – he accepted, leaving college for a second time.

Before long, however, the work bored him. He joined the U.S. Navy Reserve, training as an aviation supply worker. He completed basic training on Sept. 5, 2001.

Six days later, the nation went to war.

“I ended up in the Persian Gulf, on the USS Theodore Roosevelt, thinking, ‘Yeah, this was a great plan,’” Linhart said.

When his tour ended, he returned to Erie, wanting to be close to family again. He met a woman and had two children. He’d raise them on his own, tending bar and working as a massage therapist.

He married again in 2012. When his new wife, Amy, encouraged him to complete his degree, Linhart once more found himself in Biddy Brooks’ office.

“He just persevered,” Brooks said. “He was so positive and outgoing, and always willing to talk with other adult students. He wanted to help them through situations he’d already had to work through.”

He kept his own doubts to himself. “I was a lot more apprehensive, coming back that third time,” Linhart said. “I was like, ‘What am I doing here?’ But I stayed with it. I saw it as one of those lifetime badges you get: the ‘turn 40 and go back to college’ badge.”

It worked. He earned his final credits and was honored as the college’s top adult learner. The day of his last exam, he lingered on campus.

“This school has given me so much,” he said. “So many friends, so many experiences, so many nuggets of wisdom I can take with me anywhere. I just walked around and took it all in one more time.”

Before the commencement ceremony, he drove to the cemetery where his grandparents are buried. He placed an invitation in a zip-lock bag and tucked it between their headstones. Then he went home and taped a message to the top of his mortarboard: “I MADE IT.”

Creating the Penn State Behrend Performance Band was one of Miranda’s many highlights

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One of Craig Miranda’s favorite moments from this past academic year was creating the Penn State Behrend Performance Band, which performed a series of concerts on campus by the spring semester’s end.

By Steve Orbanek
Marketing Communications Specialist, Penn State Behrend

Editor’s note: Far from Home is an occasional series in which we document a year in the life of international students at Penn State Erie, The Behrend College.

When Craig Miranda arrived at Penn State Erie, The Behrend College, he had one goal.

“Even though I’m just a freshman, I want to start big. I want to make an impact,” the first-year computer science major said at the beginning of the academic year.

Miranda did more than start big. He finished big.

Through the course of the academic year, he excelled in the classroom, joined numerous campus organizations, started his own club, joined the tennis team and even presented a project at the Clinton Global Initiative University’s 2015 meeting, held this past March in Miami.

It’s not how Miranda expected his first year to go when he set foot on campus last August.

“I came here thinking that I would be more secluded. I thought I would just focus on getting my work done to get through, but it turned out to be the opposite,” he says.

Miranda credits the friends he made at Behrend with helping him get involved. Being so far away from home can be challenge, but he’s begun to build a strong support system at the college through the friends he has made.

“Friends are what help me to keep going,” he says. “They give me an escape to get away from whatever I’m feeling, whether it’s homesickness or something else.”

Together with his friends, Miranda created the Penn State Behrend Performance Band student organization as an outlet for anyone who enjoys singing or performing live music. By the end of the semester, the band had 12 members and had performed six concerts.

“We want to reach diverse groups of people, who come from different cultures and might have different tastes in music,” Miranda says of the student organization. “One of the songs we performed this year was an original written by two of our members, and it included both English and Chinese lyrics.”

An emphasis on musical diversity is a reason why Miranda, currently president of the club, has already begun the process of having the Penn State Behrend Performance Band brought under the college’s Multi-Cultural Council (MCC) banner. As the group grows, he envisions it being used even more to promote diversity on campus.

Miranda’s work with the band, coupled with his other accomplishments, made for a busy year, but he says he has no plans to slow down over the summer. Now back home in Kuwait, he reports that he’s already thinking about returning to Behrend in the fall, with plans to do “do something a lot bigger.”

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