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.
Erin Horack, a first-year biotechnology major at Penn State Berks, recently won two first place awards for her research studying the spotted lanternfly. She was named a 2021 Regeneron Science Talent Search Scholar and she also took first place honors at the National FFA Agriscience competition for her research.
Penn State Berks graduates from the classes of 2020 and 2021 will be recognized during the college’s fall 2021 commencement ceremony, to be held 7:30 p.m. Wednesday, Dec. 15, at the Santander Arena. Graduates from the class of 2021 will receive their baccalaureate and associate degrees while graduates from the Class of 2020 will be honored for their achievement. In total, 287 students will be recognized.
The annual Penn State Berks pop-up, fine-dining restaurant event is currently taking reservations for its annual dinner, 5–9 p.m. on Friday, Nov. 5, in the first floor lobby of the Gaige Technology and Business Innovation Building.
In celebration of LGBTQ+ Month and National Coming Out Day, Penn State Berks held a student art competition. Students were invited to submit their original artwork inspired by an LGBTQ+ cultural or historical figure.
Penn State alumnus Cody Yackanicz, 2017, is a member of an exclusive club: He is one of only about 2,600 people to complete thru-hiking the entire Pacific Crest Trail, according to the Pacific Crest Trail Association.
James “Jimmy” Murray is living his dream: He is currently completing an internship at the ‘Happiest Place on Earth’: Walt Disney World in Orlando, Florida.
Nicole Heker explains that it was a ‘journey of unlearning’ that originally took her from Penn State Berks to Thailand. From there she moved on to Indonesia, to India, and back to Thailand — where she began 15-month solo bicycle excursion that ended in Portugal, passing through several other countries. "Within your family and within society, there are whispers about who you are. You only become aware of them when you step outside your comfort zone.”
Students in the Bellisario College of Communications produced a video for the Penn State Office of Strategic Communications as part of a course that combines the fundamentals of video production with the opportunity to conceptualize, pitch and create video content for a real-world client.
