Penn College News

Breaking barriers

Tuesday, March 1, 2022

The reporter interviews Birotte. Keating talks with Harner in the automation lab.Capturing footage of Ken J. Kinley, assistant professor of electronics and computer engineering technology, instructing Figuereo on a KUKA robotParracho takes her turn in front of the camera.Three women majoring in automation and robotics at Penn College attracted the attention Tuesday of WNEP-TV’s Chris Keating, who visited campus to share their story with viewers. Keating prepared a segment that aired during evening newscasts and featured first-year students Ava A. Birotte, Kayla M. Figuereo and Angelica J. Parrocho, as well as Joseph M. Harner, instructor of electronics/automation and robotics. Parrocho and her classmates have a message for girls who may be dissuaded from entering such a male-dominated field: "If you like it," she told Keating. "I just say, 'Go for it!'"