Alumni Experience Articles

Penn College alumnus Lauryn Stauffer strolled down memory lane and into the Tomorrow Makers podcast studio to share her full-circle moments in education in “Her Perfect Pathway.” Returning for the recent Wildcat Weekend with her Penn College pup Milo in tow, the 2023 robotics & automation graduate and “born teacher” shares how she’s passing the torch and lighting her students’ sparks at Bethlehem Area Vocational-Technical School, the same career and technical school where it all started for her.

“Penn College Pride” could not be dampened despite the drizzly weather that lingered throughout Wildcat Weekend Sept. 27-29. The autumn tradition, welcoming the return of alumni and campus visits by students’ families and friends, continued to roll out its full array of fun events, delivering an action-packed weekend for all Wildcat supporters.

Alumni who, as students, provided oral health care in third-world countries reunited on campus last week to reminisce and to celebrate how the experience continues to shape their outlooks. Since 2008, Rhonda J. Seebold, part-time instructor of dental hygiene, has taught classes that concluded with travel to Nicaragua (2008-2015), and Dominican Republic (2016-2024). With a two-year hiatus during the pandemic, the 15th class traveled to the Dominican this summer.

James P. Thomas considers himself lucky. He found his passion, nurtured it and made it his profession. Today, the beneficiaries of his zest and expertise are countless. The Pennsylvania College of Technology alumnus supports national security by mitigating cyber risks for the U.S. military. The 2020 graduate is an information systems security engineer for the Naval Information Warfare Center Pacific.

Pennsylvania College of Technology students reaped the benefits of their hands-on education and tireless dedication by finishing fourth out of 89 cars in the Baja SAE Williamsport endurance race, the international competition’s premier event. Overall, the team placed 10th out of the 102 teams competing. Those teams consisted of about 1,800 students representing colleges and universities from throughout the United States, Canada and Brazil.

The exhilarating world of off-road racing captivated competitors and fans at Baja SAE Williamsport, hosted by Pennsylvania College of Technology May 16-19. Attracting 102 collegiate engineering teams from across the U.S., Canada and Brazil, the event concluded Sunday afternoon with an awards ceremony following the competition’s signature event, the four-hour endurance race. Penn College's team finished an impressive fourth in the final contest and 10th overall.