Penn State Berks is celebrating its history while preparing students for the future through National Engineers Week events and activities, to be held Feb. 21 to 26. Penn State Berks’ roots in engineering date back to 1927, and Penn State has offered engineering degrees for more than 125 years.
Jannah Martin sees conlangs, and her own constructed language in particular, as a means of bringing cultures together and closing that gap of otherness. Martin, a senior communication arts and sciences major at Penn State Berks, is completing a Schreyer Honors College thesis by constructing a language intended to serve as a bridge language.
Growing up in West Philadelphia, Rodney Babb is no stranger to gun violence. He is dedicating his life to making a difference in his community in his role as a violence intervention program coordinator at Penn Presbyterian Medical Center, located in West Philadelphia.
Samantha Hagenbush, a Penn State Berks sophomore, wants teens to know that “It’s ok not to be ok.” As an ambassador for Robbie’s Hope, a nonprofit organization that aims to broaden and deepen awareness of teen anxiety, depression and suicide, she helps to spread the word about mental health resources.
Francian Cooke’s interest in nursing began when she was growing up in Jamaica and caring for her terminally ill father. On Friday, Dec. 17, her dream was realized when Cooke graduated from the practical nursing program at Penn State Berks.
When Genesis Muñoz Arias was a student at Reading High School, she was introduced to Penn State Berks through the Upward Bound program, which provides support to participants in preparation for college. Now that she is graduating from Penn State Berks, she is putting her degree to work to help Reading residents.
Brooke Chiappetta was born into a Penn State family, so when she was applying to colleges, Penn State was at the top of her list. On Dec. 15, she will join the ‘lion’s pride’ when she walks across the stage as student marshal –– graduating magna cum laude –– to receive her diploma from Penn State Berks.
Many returning adult learners credit their children as their motivation, and Bianca Marie Ruiz is no exception. A first-generation college student, mother of three, and now a graduate of the occupational therapy program at Penn State Berks, Ruiz and her fellow graduates will celebrate their achievements during the fall commencement ceremony on Dec.15 at the Santander Arena.
It’s not unusual for graduates to experience a career change in their lifetimes, but it’s not so common to hear about a career “refocusing.” Britton Reider’s return to Penn State to pursue a bachelor’s degree in electro-mechanical engineering technology at the Berks campus helped to push his career to the next level.
For the final installment of the 2021 "Global Oscars Comes to Berks" series, Penn State Berks will present the film "Another Round" at 6:15 p.m. on Tuesday, Dec. 7, in room 5 of the Luerssen Building. The presentation is free and open to the public.