Alumni Experiences Shared at Student Leadership Conference

Pennsylvania College of Technology's Student Government Association recently hosted its fifth annual Student Leadership Conference, promoting student involvement and leadership to more than 100 on-campus participants.

The theme for this year's program, held Nov. 10 in Penn College's Bush Campus Center, was "'my'dentity" a play on the word "identity." Through various keynote addresses and breakout sessions with faculty, staff and returning alumni, SGA offered 120 students a variety of opportunities to develop their leadership skills and enhance their understanding of who they are and what they want in life.

During the morning session, James Asbury (2002, business management) discussed the importance of getting involved on campus and taking advantage of the opportunities presented.

While at Penn College, Asbury's belief in campus involvement allowed him to participate in Phi Beta Lambda, a professional honor society associated with the Future Business Leaders of America, and to found a chapter of Students in Free Enterprise.

Asbury uses his college leadership and educational experiences to run his own business, Mountaineer Stone, in Tioga County. He earlier returned to campus to construct a "Tribute to Knowledge," a mortar-less stone structure near the entrance to the college's Schneebeli Earth Science Center south of Williamsport.

Matthew J. Strine, a 2004 graduate in electrical power generation technology, offered the afternoon keynote address.

Through his employment with Raytheon Polar Services Co., Strine spent nearly six months on "the ice" in Antarctica as a powerplant mechanic. He discussed with students the importance of developing leadership skills and being open to opportunities that enable discovery of new interests.

Other alumni presenters were Carl J. Bower (who holds a bachelor's degree and two associate degrees from Penn College); Daniel R. Little (who holds two bachelor's degrees and two associate degrees); Angela S. Lutz (1993, dental hygiene); Becky J. Shaner (2003, business administration); and Elizabeth A. Webster (2003, plastics and polymer engineering technology).

Three of them now are employed by the college: Bower is a member of the horticulture faculty in the School of Natural Resources Management, Shaner is an alumni relations assistant, and Webster is a coordinator for the Plastics Manufacturing Center.

All alumni participated in a networking lunch and panel discussion, sharing their experiences with students and encouraging them to follow their dreams whatever they may be and wherever they may lead.

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