Penn College News

Alpha Chi ceremony applauds two years' worth of inductees

Saturday, April 24, 2021

Thirty-three Pennsylvania College of Technology students were welcomed Saturday afternoon into the Pennsylvania Xi Chapter of Alpha Chi, a national honor society for those seeking bachelor's degrees, during an in-person event that also celebrated an equal number of 2020 inductees who were deprived of official recognition a year ago due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Membership is open to baccalaureate students from all academic disciplines and is limited to the top 10 percent of an institution’s junior and senior classes. Acceptance by Alpha Chi recognizes previous accomplishments and provides an opportunity for continued growth and service. As a phrase from the society’s constitution suggests, the organization seeks to find ways to assist students in “making scholarship effective for good.”



President Davie Jane Gilmour (whose personal hand-sanitzer dispenser allowed her to acknowledge each of the students as they crossed the stage) pins Courtney M. Case while Jack C. Dincher affirms his membership. Keeping the procession running smoothly were co-advisers Tammy A. Miller (left), who held the inductees' candles while they greeted the president, and Marc E. Bridgens, behind the bound Alpha Chi constitution signed by each new member.President Davie Jane Gilmour was among those delivering remarks at the ceremony, held under strict safety practices in the Klump Academic Center Auditorium.

The president, who welcomed prospective students to campus in the morning as part of Spring Visit Day, said the afternoon ceremony – honoring students who distinguish themselves in the classroom and in service to the institution – combined with that earlier event to underscore "why we work at Penn College."

"I have enjoyed hearing about the jobs you've secured and the future that you're planning," she told the inductees. "This is clearly a group of students who have dedicated themselves to more than just finishing their studies."

Others taking part included chapter officers Constance J. Plankenhorn (president), Gloria F. Boronow (vice president) and Jacob A. Bamonte (social media manager); Joanna K. Flynn, dean of curriculum and instruction; the chapter's faculty co-sponsors – Tammy A. Miller, instructor of biology, and Marc E. Bridgens, associate professor of HVAC technology – and Mary Ann Hollenbach, assistant to the president's office.

The college’s latest inductees to the Pennsylvania Xi Chapter, 15 of whom attended the proceedings, are:

Chapter President Constance J. Plankenhorn explains the significance of membership and details Alpha Chi's ongoing involvement in spite of obvious challenges. Seated at right is Joanna K. Flynn, dean of instruction and curriculum, who welcomed attendees and outlined the campus's ongoing COVID guidelines. Adrienne M. Ayers, Mansfield, nursing; Kyle Benton, Potomac, Maryland, industrial design; Connor J. Burke, St. Clair, nursing; Zackary R. Burkhart, Milton, building science and sustainable design: architectural technology concentration; Courtney M. Case, Troy, physician assistant studies; Jack C. Dincher, South Williamsport, applied management; Brynn M. Dunkleberger, Williamsport, pre-physician assistant studies; Caleigh Guenot, Karthaus, nursing; Chelsey J. Horner, Trout Run, nursing.

Pete H. Kane, Annandale, New Jersey, manufacturing engineering technology; Tanner J. Layne, Chesapeake, Virginia, information assurance and cyber security; Shelby L. Martin, Clear Spring, Md., pre-dental hygiene-B.S.; Byron S. Matthews, Canton, business administration: marketing concentration; Regan E. Miller, Wyalusing, pre-nursing-B.S.; Vi N. Nguyen, Lancaster, dental hygiene; Kathryn A. Plankenhorn, Montoursville, physician assistant studies; Sara L. Plankenhorn, Williamsport, applied management.

Tanner J. Layne lights his candle and prepares to recite, “I pledge myself to uphold the purposes of Alpha Chi, striving to make its ideals my ideals in scholarship and in service.”Students – including Regan E. Miller, a nursing major from Wyalusing, proudly sporting flowers, her induction certificate and a membership pin – enjoyed posing outside the ACC for family photos. (Inductees were asked by chapter officer Jacob A. Bamonte to wear their pins on campus for the next week, "not for self-glorification, but to aid in making the aims and ideals of Alpha Chi better known in this center of education.")Maan I. Saba, Allentown, dental hygiene; John J. Shadle, Williamsport, business administration: marketing concentration; Daniel P. Shaw, Jamison, residential construction technology and management; Phillip J. Silvagni, Williamsport, pre-physician assistant studies; Dhruv Singh, Dayton, New Jersey, automotive technology management; Cameron B. Snyder, Mifflinburg, automation engineering technology: robotics & automation; Destin L. Snyder, Lykens, electronics and computer engineering technology; Adam M. Solecki, Birdsboro, information assurance and cyber security.

Returning to their seats, many of which were "out of play" to maintain appropriate distance, the inductees bask in the candlelit glow of achievement.Jordan Specht, Frederick, Maryland, nursing; Dustin M. Taylor, Shinglehouse, physician assistant studies; Justin J. Thomma, Bethlehem, industrial design; Dang H. Tran, Shamokin Dam, software development & information management; Mark S. Wagner, Indiana, residential construction technology and management; Alexis M. Witherite, Spring Mills, applied management; Latricia R. Yocum, Watsontown, physician assistant studies; and Alexis N. Youse, Pottstown, applied management.

The 2020 Alpha Chi class was also invited to participate, as its induction ceremony was canceled last spring. Seven of those students attended Saturday's event:

Christopher M. Ansbach, Ashland, game and simulation programming; Gloria F. Boronow, Denver, Pa., applied management; Zachary A. Crise, Mount Holly Springs, game and simulation programming; Caroline N. Green, Picture Rocks, nursing; Tabitha G. Litschi, Myerstown, nursing; Chaela K. Swink, Muncy, physician assistant studies; and Jennifer N. Troutman, Altoona, dental hygiene.