Alumni Career Features – Rebecca Mazurik-Charles '03 & Andrew Constable '02

Rebecca Mazurik-Charles

• B.S., Applied Human Services, 2003
• Berwick Area School District
• rmazurikcharles@yahoo.com

Why Penn College? Please explain how you decided to major in Applied Human Services.

I knew I wanted a degree that would help my family but wasn't sure which area would be best. I made an appointment with Career Services who helped me narrow my decision and found the perfect fit in the applied human services program. I also found Penn College to be the perfect fit for a single parent. I was able to use the on-campus Children's Learning Center which allowed me to go to classes and work as a work-study without worrying about my children.

Please explain your current responsibilities with Berwick Area School District.

I diagnose educational exceptionalities (giftedness, learning disabilities, mental retardation, emotional disturbances, autism, multiple disabilities, etc). I am a consultant for teachers, parents, and administration to assist them with difficult situations and/or students, to understand and implement the least restrictive environment for all students, and understand and implement special education law. I am also the districts internal coach for the Competent Learner Model, a tool to use with naive learners in our Middle School Autistic Support Classroom, Elementary Autistic Support Classroom and Elementary Life Skills Classroom.

I am a member of the Association of School Psychologist of Pennsylvania, National Association of School Psychologists, and have recently had my article published in the June 2010 Journal of Instructional Psychology: Using Paraprofessionals to Teach Social Skills to Children with Autism Spectrum Disorders in the General Education Classroom.

What is the most enjoyable aspect of your job?

Working with a variety of students and finding the ways we, as a school, can help them reach their potential. Many students believe they are stupid when it is only a matter of how they learn, not that they can't learn. It is wonderful to be stopped in the hall by students and hear how well they are doing now.

What is the most challenging aspect of your job?

It is never easy to be the first person to tell a parent "your child is diagnosed with…" You need to have an understanding of what it is like to be on the other side of that table, be the parent learning that your dreams for your child have been altered and understand how to help them see that the dream isn't gone, just the road there is different than they expected.

Do you see your field changing in the next three to five years?

Yes, we are moving more and more to interventions before requiring a formal assessment. This will allow for all students to gain adaptations for any area they struggle in without needing to be labeled. There will still be students that need a diagnosis so that they can receive more intensive supports but these are going to be addressed more within the regular classroom rather than removing these students to another more restrictive environment.

This means more training for teachers to learn how to give the needed adaptations to students as they see them struggle and to try interventions prior to referring for an assessment. It also means more training in co-teaching with special education teachers within the regular education classroom, training on tools to use in the classroom with students with special needs, and ongoing research into new tools available to help students. I am also receiving more education in the area of Autism Spectrum Disorders through a Graduate Certificate from Drexel University.

How did Penn College prepare you for you current position?

Penn College's Applied Human Services degree gets you in the field the very first semester which allows you to see what you can be doing with your degree, areas you can work, and if this is really what you want to be doing. Every Human Service course has some component of real-life application in the field so that it isn't just the book work but a real understanding of how it will apply to your positions when you graduate. The amount of experience I received prior to my graduation enabled me to show perspective employers not only do I understand the materials taught to me but I also know how to apply them.

Describe your transition from college to the workplace.

It was amazingly smooth. I was hired by the same company I interned with and was offered the position before I graduated.

What should students do to prepare themselves for your industry?

Do as much time in the field as soon as possible. You don't want to spend four years earning a degree and then find out you really hate the field you chose. You also want to refine your communication skills so you can comfortably discuss any issues or topics with your supervisor. The ability to communicate well, the ability to multi-task and organize your schedule, and the ability to be a self-motivator are all key in my field.

Where do you see yourself in the future?

Working as a school psychologist at Berwick Area School District. Continuing my education and possibly working with non-profit organizations as a clinical psychologist.

Andrew Constable

• B.S., Plastics and Polymer Engineering Technology, 2002
• Honeywell International, Inc.
• constable.andrew@yahoo.com

Why Penn College? Please explain how you decided to major in Plastics and Polymer Engineering Technology.

I choose to attend Penn College because there were only a handful of colleges in Pennsylvania that offered a degree in the plastics field. The area in which I grew up, Northwestern PA, was heavily involved in the powdered metal industry. From discussions with friends and family that work in that field, I wanted to find a career that would offer me a versatile career path so I choose to major in plastic technology. I continued my education after graduating from Penn College in the spring of 2002. My chemistry professor inspired me to pursue a graduate degree in the plastics and polymer field. I realized after taking her organic chemistry courses that the synthesis of polymers was what I was most interested in. I attended Lock Haven University of Pennsylvania for one full year, on a part time bases to obtain higher level chemistry and calculus classes needed for acceptance into a graduate program. I was accepted into graduate school at the University of Akron (in Ohio) and obtained a PhD in Polymer Science. I graduated in the fall of 2008.

Please explain your current responsibilities with Honeywell International, Inc.

I started working for Honeywell International the fall of 2008. I choose to work for Honeywell in my current position because it offered me the ability to apply the knowledge that I learned from Penn College as well as from graduate school. I not only synthesize my polymer in the lab, but then, I form that material into a product for testing using various processing techniques. In my current position, I lead technology based projects. These projects can be broken-down into two categories: new product development and process optimization/improvement. As the technology lead, I devise, execute and report laboratory results to the project team which may include plant engineers, marketing staff, and technology personnel. I am also responsible for driving projects forward and presenting periodic updates to the business leaders.

What is the most enjoyable aspect of your job?

The most enjoyable aspect about my job is constantly doing new tasks everyday.

What is the most challenging aspect of your job?

The most challenging aspect of my role is working with such a diverse group of individuals. In order to move projects forward it takes a great deal of team-work to bring the different business groups together (technology, marketing, engineering, finance, procurement, and Health and Safety).

How did Penn College prepare you for your current position?

The greatest strength of my Penn College education was the one-on-one relationships that were built with the professors. I may have not chosen to pursue a graduate degree without their commitment to the students. The hands-on training that I received in regards to the machine operation as well as material testing afforded me groundwork to build my career from.

If you could "redo" your college experience, would you change anything?

I do not believe that I would "redo" my college experience. It may not have been the most direct path to achieve my goals but I would have never gain valuable experience any other way.

What advice do you have for students interested in your career field?

First, ensure that this career is for you. If studying about it and working in it does not excite you or challenges you, maybe this career is not for you. For those who are interested in the plastics and polymer field, obtain as much hand-on training through class room labs and internships as these experiences pave the way for a smoother transition to industry.

When preparing for industry, students should come with an open mind. The plastics and chemical industries are very dynamic places; nothing stays the same for very long. Project priorities are realigned to meet business goals and people come and go so being able to adapt to the changing work environment is important.

Employers are looking for candidates that are knowledgeable about their field and able to make decisive decisions. They require you to work in cross-functional teams so you must be able to collaborate with the sales, marketing, engineering and finance departments. You must also have critical thinking skills. Being able to find solutions and problem solve in an organized way is important in this industry.