Penn College News

Transition Conference presents pathways

Wednesday, October 30, 2024

Photos by Alexandra Butler, photographer/photo editor, unless otherwise noted

The Transition Conference's keynote speaker Kerry Magro shares his inspiring vision with attendees gathered in Penn College's Klump Academic Center Auditorium.

Envisioning their lives after high school, special education students in grades 10-12 attended the annual Transition Conference, hosted recently by Pennsylvania College of Technology and BLaST Intermediate Unit 17. 

“The transition conference was an exciting opportunity for students with disabilities who are exploring services, resources, and opportunities for their transition after high school,” said Dawn M. Dickey, director of disability and access resources at Penn College. “The conference had 31 different breakout sessions to choose from and 26 vendors in which participants were able to engage with community organizations.”

The Transition Conference presented sessions in three potential pathways for students: postsecondary education and training, employment, and community engagement. 

The conference’s keynote speaker was Kerry Magro, an award-winning autistic professional speaker, best-selling author and autism consultant to the HBO series “Mrs. Fletcher” and the latest season of Netflix’s Emmy-award winning series, “Love on the Spectrum U.S.” 

The event attracted more than 340 registrants from 19 area school districts in Bradford, Clinton, Lycoming, Sullivan and Tioga counties. Also attending the event were students’ parents and guardians, as well as other interested individuals.

“With October being National Disability Employment Awareness Month, BLaST IU 17 is honored to continue the collaboration with the Pennsylvania College of Technology to bring our annual Transition Conference to students with special needs in the region,” said Jeffrey D. Pelly, educational consultant at BLaST IU 17. “Ensuring all students go on to lead fruitful lives after graduating from high school is essential. Many of our youth will be entering the workforce and this event allows them to broaden their knowledge of the opportunities available in the community that will lead to competitive integrated employment.”

Sponsors for the Transition Conference were PPL; Steinbacher, Goodall & Yurchak; and The Kline Family.

During his visit to Williamsport, Magro also addressed the community at a “Lunch & Learn,” held at the James V. Brown Library. The speaker shared his journey, challenges and successes. The event offered a range of information on advocacy and support and provided opportunities for connection among audience participants, including members of the local and Penn College communities.

More information on Penn College's Office of Disability & Access Resources and BLaST IU 17 can be attained on their websites. 

The event attracted more than 340 registrants from 19 area school districts in Bradford, Clinton, Lycoming, Sullivan and Tioga counties. Also attending were students’ parents and guardians, as well as other interested individuals.
Among the Community Engagement sessions at the conference was "Becoming a Superstar," featuring Drums Alive certified instructors Amber (far left) and Diana Logan (a daughter-mother duo).
Amy Cline (seated at right), assistive technology coordinator with Roads to Freedom Center for Independent Living, was one of the many vendors sharing community resources with conference attendees. Among the programs Cline coordinates is TechOWL (Technology for Our Whole Lives), a service that allows individuals to try out assistive technology devices in order to see if the device may help them if they go onto further education or employment after graduation.
At the podium, Katie L. Mackey, assistant director of disability and access resources, facilitates a panel discussion on pathways with (from left at table) Magro; Arrington Brown, a sophomore in network administration & engineering technology at Penn College; Mike Wrench, owner of Upbeat Outreach (and keynote speaker at the 2022 Transition Conference); and Amber Logan.
The large gathering shows the high level of interest in the topics and resources.
Magro is CEO and president of KFM Making a Difference, a nonprofit organization that hosts inclusion events and has provided more than 150 scholarships for autistic college students. He is the author of five books, including his latest, “Supporting Your Autism Journey,” released earlier this year on World Autism Awareness Day.
Joining Jonah Howe (on left), regional affairs director with PPL, are students from the BLaST IU 17’s BRIDGE program who are partnering with Lycoming College. (BRIDGE stands for Build Relationships & Independence, Develop, Grow, Employ.) PPL was Presenting Sponsor of the Transition Conference. (Photo courtesy of Elizabeth A. Biddle, senior corporate relations director, Penn College.)
Representatives of the state Office of Vocational Rehabilitation chat with conference guests. Seated from right are Zinah Husam and Amy Kelch.
The day before the Transition Conference, Magro addressed a "Lunch & Learn" crowd gathered at the James V. Brown Library's Lowry Room in downtown Williamsport. (Library photos courtesy of Sumer A. Beatty, associate director of marketing communications at Penn College.)
Helping to facilitate the community discussion was Penn College's Nate Woods Jr. (standing in the background at center), special assistant to the president for inclusion transformation.

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