Student

Jason Wiedl

  • Construction Management

College wasn't his first plan. Jason originally wanted to follow his entrepreneurial instincts and open a landscaping business. But his parents pushed him to explore higher education. After attending another institution and quickly realizing that the traditional classroom environment wasn't for him, Jason jumped at the opportunity to learn hands-on at Penn College.

Jason Wiedl
TAKING THE LEAD

Q&A with Jason

WHAT FACTORS LED TO YOUR DECISION TO TRANSFER?

Growing up, college never really was something that resonated with me. A friend of mine and I did landscape work in town and I always thought of being an entrepreneur rather than going to school. Both of my parents, having acquired four-year degrees themselves, weren’t fond of the idea of me not going to college, so I attended a university for one semester. After that one semester, I realized that the typical classroom setting wasn’t the right fit for me and there had to be a better option out there. And that’s when I stumbled upon Penn College!

WHAT ABOUT PENN COLLEGE APPEALED TO YOU?

While I was in the process of transferring, I was doing a lot of research and weighing my different options. I didn’t know exactly what I was looking for, but I knew I didn’t want the same experience I was currently having. I found Penn College, not having any prior knowledge of the College, through a Google search of “innovative schools” where Penn College was ranked #3 by U.S. News & World Report Regional Colleges North. After scheduling a tour and stepping on campus for the first time, the creativity on campus along with the hands-on learning style really appealed to me.

HOW IS PENN COLLEGE DIFFERENT THAN YOUR PREVIOUS SCHOOL?

The education is better. The culture is better. The food is better. All joking aside, when I say this I do not intend to boast about Penn College or knock on my previous school, but if you transfer to Penn College you know what I mean. We take the typical classroom setting that has been around for decades and spice things up with innovative, top-of-the-line equipment to give students a hands-on, real-world education. Our students are passionate about what they do and that passion shows through competitions where our students are excelling. And with multiple dining units on campus, including a student-run restaurant in Le Jeune Chef, it doesn’t get much better than that.

DID YOU MAKE THE RIGHT DECISION?

Yes, 100% yes. Everything we do involves risk, so we are constantly determining risk vs. reward. I knew that there was a possibility that upon transferring I would be in another environment where I couldn’t see the future reward. Penn College has squashed that possibility with a 96% graduate-placement rate, and a recognized ROI. Everything we do here at Penn College is preparing for the future and always preparing for what’s next.

IF SOMEONE WERE CONSIDERING PENN COLLEGE, WHAT WOULD YOU TELL THEM?

I would tell them go for it. You have every right to be nervous, because it’s your future, but you won’t know until you try. Penn College has so many different possibilities and unique pathways. I would encourage you to explore different areas that you may be interested in but never thought about exploring. Now is the time, so jump on every opportunity given, soak up as much information as possible, and have fun while doing it.

HOW WERE YOU SUPPORTED THROUGHOUT THE TRANSFER PROCESS?

Throughout the transfer process I was assisted by our amazing Admissions team, of which I have the opportunity to be a part of through my Student Ambassador position. While still a full-time student at another university, I scheduled a campus tour where I got to see all that campus has to offer. And I was supported by our student body after arriving on campus; they were there to assist with move in, answer any questions I had, and point me in the right direction.

Guaranteed Momentum

"Penn College has so many different possibilities and unique pathways. I would encourage you to explore different areas that you may be interested in but never thought about exploring. Now is the time, so jump on every opportunity given, soak up as much information as possible, and have fun while doing it."

 

Jason Wiedl

Programs

Construction Management

Take the lead in the boardroom and on the job site, running all types of construction projects from small to large.

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