Giving Articles

Working together to get the job done and lift up others: That seems to be a reoccurring theme as we reach the conclusion of “Give Thanks, Paw it Forward” week. The final “Makers” profile to be shared as part of this annual thankfulness celebration is that of James C. Fretz, a construction management student from Collegeville.

The fourth profile to be shared this week, during the “Give Thanks, Paw It Forward” celebration, is one of Penn College’s Corporate Tomorrow Makers – Weather Engineers, Inc., a 60-year-old company providing residential and commercial HVAC solutions in northeast Florida. Daniel E. Towers, a 1994 graduate of Penn College’s heating, ventilation & air conditioning technology major, is vice president of operations for the company. Towers enjoys recruiting Penn College students and alumni.

Penn College students aren’t the only ones expressing their appreciation during “Give Thanks, Paw It Forward” week. Alumni are also joining the effort. David W. Stanley, a 1982 radiologic technology graduate of Penn College’s predecessor institution, Williamsport Area Community College, gives thanks for his foundations (family and collegiate) through a radiography scholarship in memory of his “great parents,” William and Evelyn Stanley.

On the second day of "Give Thanks, Paw It Forward," the gratitude campaign highlighting Penn College students' appreciation for the support they've received during their academic journeys, Lauren D. Peck's inspiring story takes flight. A member of the Air National Guard, this aviation maintenance technology student from South Williamsport is eager to discuss the transformative impact of giving.

As part of Penn College's "Give Thanks, Paw It Forward" campaign, an annual expression of deep and widespread appreciation, College Relations is amplifying students’ gratitude for their life-changing collegiate experiences through a pre-Thanksgiving campaign of thankfulness. Joining the effort, Penn College News will share a week’s worth of “Meet the Makers” profiles, starting with Matthew J. Woolcock, of Oil City, a cross-country athlete and welding & fabrication engineering technology junior.

The Penn College community raised more than $1,000 for The Cupboard during Dining Services’ first Race Against Hunger. Held in CC Commons, the fundraiser played off the fun of the upcoming Kentucky Derby.

A $108,000 gift from The Donald B. and Dorothy L. Stabler Foundation, of Harrisburg, has increased the foundation’s endowed scholarship to a balance of $3.9 million, the largest endowed scholarship at Pennsylvania College of Technology. Student recipients who meet selection criteria established by the college receive $5,000 per year – for up to four years – from the Stabler Scholarship Fund, the largest at the college.

Penn College's 2022-23 Impact Report is available online. The report, titled "Worth the Investment," features a video message from President Michael J. Reed and reviews a few of the myriad ways Penn College, through the efforts of employees, students, alumni and supporters, made its mark in the workforce and touched communities near and far.

In this season of Thanksgiving, the Pennsylvania College of Technology community is reminded of those in need – including students whose food insecurity is mitigated by The Cupboard, a food pantry housed in the Bush Campus Center. The pantry’s reach has been bolstered through the generosity of Frank G. Pellegrino, who contributed funds for six stand-alone “mini-cupboards” – each with a refrigerator and shelving for non-perishables – strategically situated across the college’s campuses.

Lancaster-based High Companies has donated $15,000 to Pennsylvania College of Technology to benefit a program enabling high school students to take courses for college credit at no cost to themselves or their families.