Nine graduates of architectural technology and/or building science and sustainable design returned to campus Monday to inspire students by sharing their respective pathways from college to career. The full-day program in Penn's Inn, arranged by the academic department and the Alumni Relations Office as the first in a hoped-for series of such events, provided students in the School of Construction & Design Technologies with an inspiring glimpse at the successful projects and practices of those who once wore their shoes. On the agenda were individual presentations, panel discussions and a networking lunch. Sharing their expertise and experiences were David I. Balzer, '01, a project manager and recently licensed architect with the Williamsport-based Larson Design Group; Richard W. Bird II, ’90, corporate director of engineering, Muncy Homes, Muncy; Zachary K. Engle, ’11 project designer/Building Information Modeling manager, CORE Design Group, Hanover and York; Peter J. Lutz, ’75, architect/president/founder, CORE Design Group; Earl L. Mowrey, ’73, owner/designer/builder, Mowrey Contractor, Montoursville; Andrei K. Murr, ’14, LEED Green Associate/estimator, Construction Specialties Inc., Muncy; Allan R. Shimmel, ’12, LEED GA/senior computer-aided design technician/project manager, Fernsler Hutchinson Architecture, State College; Danielle F. Tabolinsky, ’14 LEED GA/project estimator, Koroseal Interior Products, Montoursville; and Anthony H. Visco Jr., ’67, architect, Anthony H. Visco Jr. Architects, Williamsport. "This school gave me the head start, the ability to do anything," Balzer said, name-checking the former and current faculty who exposed him to CAD, construction knowledge, ethics and model-building, among other skills. "I hire mostly Penn College graduates," he added. "I prefer them because I know what they can do."