Penn College Students Add $4,000 to Scholarship Fund

Published 06.11.2014

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Two student groups at Pennsylvania College of Technology recently donated more than $4,000 to a scholarship fund that will help future students.

The Penn College chapter of Enactus, formerly known as Students in Free Enterprise, donated $2,282 to the Small Business/Entrepreneurship Scholarship, while students in a Business Planning and Operations class donated $1,779 to the fund.



From left: Enactus adviser Dennis R. Williams, recently retired as associate professor of business administration/management; Enactus President Benjamin S. Welch, an information technology: information assurance and security concentration student from State College; and Robb Dietrich, executive director of the Penn College Foundation.Enactus is committed to using entrepreneurial action to transform lives and shape a better, more sustainable world. Since it was established at Penn College in 2003, it has been active with college events, fundraisers and community-service projects. It made the donation from its general fund.

The Business Planning and Operations class raised money for the scholarship fund through selling local discount cards. Tasked with developing a company and retail product, the students devised Billtown Bargains and set to work writing a business plan, recruiting local restaurants and retailers, securing a vendor to produce the card, and marketing and selling the product.

From left: Dietrich; Chelsea A. Zakeosian, a business administration: management concentration student from Lenhartsville; and Mark A. Ciavarella, assistant professor of business administration/management.“It’s always exciting when current students take the initiative to help future students by raising funds for scholarships,” said Robb Dietrich, executive director of the Penn College Foundation. “I’m extremely grateful to the students for their hard work and generosity; and also to the faculty – Dr. Mark Ciavarella and Dr. Dennis Williams – for their leadership in teaching their students the importance of giving back to the community.”

The two donations bring the Small Business/Entrepreneurship Scholarship fund to just over $12,000. When the fund reaches $25,000, it will be endowed, making it a permanent source for scholarship funds.

The Small Business/Entrepreneurship Scholarship is awarded each fall to a student who is pursuing a minor in small business, has earned 30 or more credits toward a bachelor’s degree and has a cumulative GPA of 3.0 or higher.

To learn more about business majors at Penn College, call 570-327-4505.

For more about the college, which is celebrating its Centennial throughout 2014, email the Admissions Office or call toll-free 800-367-9222.