College to hold Spring Commencement ceremonies May 10-11

Pennsylvania College of Technology will hold three commencement ceremonies May 10-11 for the more than 725 students who have petitioned to graduate following the Spring 2024 semester.

More than 610 students will march at three ceremonies, all of which are ticketed events to be held at the Community Arts Center. All three ceremonies will be livestreamed.

On Friday, May 10, at 3 p.m., a ceremony will be held for graduating students from the School of Business, Arts & Sciences and the School of Nursing & Health Sciences.

On Saturday May 11, at 10 a.m. and 1:30 p.m., ceremonies will be held for students from the School of Engineering Technologies, the college’s largest academic school. At 10 a.m., a ceremony will be held for the following divisions: Diesel Technology & Natural Resources, Materials Science & Engineering Technologies, and Transportation. The 1:3o p.m. ceremony will feature the divisions of Construction & Architectural Technologies and Industrial & Computer Technologies.

The student speakers for the three ceremonies will be Shelby L. Pyatt, of Frenchtown, New Jersey, May 10; Nikolas J. Harnish, of Newmanstown, May 11, 10 a.m.; and Michael Charles Carpenter, of Wellsboro, May 11, 1:30 p.m.

Pyatt, a Dean’s List student, will receive a Bachelor of Science in nursing. She will also be honored with the Shirley Novosel Memorial Award for excellence in clinical performance, leadership, proficiency, and displaying a caring, compassionate and empathetic attitude. A four-year member of the women’s basketball team, Pyatt is a member of the National College Athlete Honor Society, Chi Alpha Sigma, and she has served on the college’s Student-Athlete Advisory Committee all four years. She was honored with an Exemplar Award by her teammates in 2023.

Pyatt also was inducted into the International Honor Society of Nursing, Sigma Theta Tau. Additionally, she has been involved with numerous community-service efforts while at Penn College, including roadside cleanup projects, writing “thank you” cards for those in the military, and volunteering at the YMCA.

Harnish, a Dean’s List student, will receive a Bachelor of Science in welding & fabrication engineering technology. He earned an Associate of Applied Science in welding technology in 2022. Harnish will receive the President’s Award, presented for leadership and service to the college; the Penn College Welding Faculty Award; and the Dr. Davie Jane Gilmour Award for Leadership and Service to Penn College. He is also a recipient of a Student Leader Legacy Scholarship.

Harnish is a member of the Alpha Chi National Honor Society; the Phi Theta Kappa International Honor Society; the American Welding Society, Penn College Student Chapter; and the Student Government Association. He has been a resident assistant for four years, and he participated in Penn State’s Capital Day in Harrisburg, Penn State’s All-University Day, and President Michael J. Reed’s inauguration ceremony in 2022. He also assisted in the creation of a 200-pound, 9-foot-long welded motorcycle sculpture on the campus mall.

Carpenter, a Dean’s List student, will receive an Associate of Applied Science in mechatronics technology. He will also be honored with the Larry A. Ward Excellence in Mechatronics Award, presented to a graduate of an electromechanical and/or mechatronics major who has demonstrated outstanding ability and achievement in the field.

Carpenter was a recipient of a 2022 Work Ethic Scholarship from the mikeroweWorks Foundation. A resident assistant, Carpenter is a former member of the Student Wildcats of Robotic Design student organization. He will begin tutoring in the electrical department and working as a toolroom attendant in the Fall 2024 semester as he pursues a Bachelor of Science in automation engineering technology: mechatronics.

The college will present four awards to alumni over the three ceremonies.

Distinguished Alumni Awards will be bestowed upon brothers Richard C. Hornberger and Daniel T. Hornberger. Richard Hornberger, of Mechanicsburg, received a Bachelor of Science in computer information technology: data communications and networking concentration in 2004 and an Associate of Applied Science in computer information systems, networking and technical support in 2002. After earning his Penn College degrees, he received a master’s degree in business administration, with a concentration in technology management, from New York Institute of Technology, and a Doctor of Business Administration, with a cybersecurity research focus, from the University of Maryland University College, Delphi. He also earned an Executive Development of Global Expertise from Phoenix Contact Inc. He is employed by Phoenix Contact Inc., Middletown, as senior director, Global Cyber Defense Center.

Daniel Hornberger, of Seven Valleys, received an Associate of Applied Science in nursing in 2008 and an Associate of Applied Science in health arts: practical nursing emphasis in 2006. After earning his Penn College degrees, he earned a Bachelor of Science in nursing and a Master of Science in nursing administration from Chamberlain University, Chicago. He is also a graduate of the Academic Executive Leadership Program at Penn State’s Smeal College of Business. He is employed by Penn State Health Milton S. Hershey Medical Center as operational director, Heart and Vascular Institute.

Kate McCall Stepnick will be presented with an Alumni Humanitarian Award. Stepnick, of Bloomsburg, received a Bachelor of Science in applied human services in 2007. She continued her education with Eastern University, St. Davids, earning a Master of Arts in school counseling-elementary and secondary certification. She is employed by Nicholas Wolff Foundation Inc./Camp Victory, Millville.

Corey Sarver will be presented with an Alumni Mentorship Award. Sarver, of Sykesville, Maryland, received a Bachelor of Science in construction management in 1997. He is senior project executive/market leader at Gilbane Building Co. for its National Center of Excellence for the Sports Market.

Graduates’ degrees will be conferred by Reed, accompanied by state Sen. Gene Yaw, chairman of the college’s Board of Directors.

More information about Spring 2024 Commencement – including links for livestreaming – is available on the Commencement web page. 

Penn College is a national leader in applied technology education and a special mission affiliate of Penn State. For more, email the Admissions Office or call toll-free 800-367-9222.