Alum answers call for students impacted by pandemic
Published 05.16.2020
With students and parents alike experiencing the financial fallout of the devastating pandemic, a college alumnus - whose Williamsport Area Community College forestry degree was a crucial initial step toward a successful career in civil engineering - is leading by philanthropic example. John Urick, a 1974 graduate of Penn College's immediate successor institution, recently routed his stimulus deposit to an Emergency Scholarship Fund administered by the college's Institutional Advancement Office. Urick has a history of donating to his alma mater, from which a son, granddaughter and three cousins also have graduated. "I feel obligated to help current students in their pursuit of useful life skills," we writes in a recently published blog entry. "Giving now, though, at this moment, is critical. Due to the COVID-19 crisis, large numbers of students are in jeopardy of not finishing their education because of financial stress caused by losing critical part-time jobs, compounded by some parents their losing jobs. The thought of students’ education being disrupted and their lives changed forever is unbearable to me." Those inspired to join him in empowering students are encouraged to consider a gift to the emergency fund.