A cultural interchange between Pennsylvania College of Technology and visitors from North West Regional College in Northern Ireland – a two-week whirlwind that was five years in the making – came to a close with memories indelibly shared and lives irrevocably altered.
Ten students and two chaperones flew into Philadelphia International Airport on March 14 before transport to Williamsport for an immersive variety of activities. The group experienced a number of academic areas at Penn College – human services, dental hygiene, nursing, radiography, paramedic, history, etc. – engaged in discussions about apprenticeship and study-abroad programs, and took in regional attractions that included shopping and the World of Little League Museum.
“This has been genuinely out of this world,” said NWRC’s Stephanie McGuinness, curriculum manager and a lecturer in health and social care. “We have been absolutely blessed by the inspiration you've given us and the kindness you've shown us. The opportunities you granted these students changed their lives, and we are going home as very different people.”
The 12-member contingent of students and chaperones from North West Regional College in Northern Ireland celebrates the welcome received during their March visit to Pennsylvania College of Technology.
“These students” proved to be an enthusiastic and personable bunch, ages 18 to 22 and evenly split between health studies and social care majors. They are Alisha Catterson, Kayleigh Clifford, Kayla Mulvaney, Jace Bailey, Zack Ford, Blaithin Skeet, Emma Gallagher-Cooke, Natalie Eckeberg-Timoney, Nicole O’Neill and Emily McGuinness.
“Thank you for having us, for driving us and for listening to our bad jokes,” said Bláthnaid Leonard, a lecturer in health and social care, who accompanied Stephanie McGuinness and the students. “Without your help, we would never have had the opportunity to visit ‘small-town America,’ and we're grateful that you put up with our daily madcappery.”
Penn College President Michael J. Reed, grateful for the partnership and looking forward to cultivating the relationship with NWRC, said, “This experience has been equally beneficial for our students, faculty, staff and community members who engaged with our guests.”
“Our visitors’ outlook and personal stories of perseverance and service were truly inspiring,” he added. “Their gratitude, witty humor and the lessons we learned from them made all efforts more than worthwhile.”
The trip had been in the works since Bronagh Fikri, NWRC’s European and international projects officer, made an apprenticeship-related visit to Penn College in 2018 in conjunction with the Pennsylvania Department of Community & Economic Development.
The back-to-back-to-back complications of Brexit, COVID-19 and the war in Ukraine stymied progress until – in just three weeks – arrangements were made for what is hoped will be a recurring program.
Shannon M. Munro, vice president for workforce development and one of the key people on hand during that 2018 introduction, was equally instrumental in making sure the March entourage had the best possible experience.
She worked with her college co-workers and off-campus contacts to craft a purposeful and pleasurable itinerary, and led off the tour-ending discussion in the Davie Jane Gilmour Center.
A warm embrace between Shannon M. Munro, vice president for workforce development, and Emily McGuinness cements a blessed bond.
“To the students – Alisha, Kayleigh, Kayla, Jace, Zack, Blaithin, Emma, Natalie, Nicole and Emily – I hope you have enjoyed your time here and have learned from us as we learned from you,” Munro told the inaugural group. “We expect that you have set the path for more exchanges in the future for our students and for yours. This has been a powerful and eye-opening experience for us at Penn College and all those who have interacted with you.”
She said the guests also saw firsthand how eager Greater Williamsport residents are to share their connections to Ireland: from the people who considered them celebrities due to the “Derry Girls” series on Netflix; to their chance encounter with a 94-year-Irishwoman who was convalescing at UPMC Williamsport and appreciated a taste of home; to their interactions with students, staff and faculty; and to the warm welcome they received wherever they traveled on their many road trips.
“While we often learn of the many differences when we interact with people from other countries, we also learn how similar we are, and that we all share the same desire to learn and to connect and that we have countless more things in common than those that set us apart,” Munro said.
Her remarks, introducing the NWRC students’ valedictory appearance before a campus audience, were a perfect segue to the visitors’ review of United States and United Kingdom culture. As each of the students stepped to the lectern, the musicality of their lilt-kissed words leaving listeners spellbound, there emerged a celebration of the “lovely and encouraging people” they encountered throughout their stay.
With little prompting from the PowerPoint slides they’d collaboratively prepared, the students held forth with their keen observations, peppered with frequent utterances of “amazing” and “fantastic” that were anything but hyperbolic.
Their assessment covered a lot of ground in a brisk hour: comparing the two nations in the areas of mental health, food and obesity rates, socioeconomic background, athletics, clothing, social interaction, the use and misuse of alcohol and other drugs, crime and punishment, employment opportunities, and the educational system.
With nursing instructor Ann E. Morrison, Natalie Eckeberg-Timoney listens to the heart and lung sounds within SimMan’s chest.
The guests were particularly impressed by the resources available to Penn College students – the prevalence of industry-supported equipment in instructional labs, the various job-prep assistance provided by the Center for Career Design, a campus police force and crisis intervention services, and the variety of campus dining options.
Among their favorite memories were hot chocolate and S’mores at the home of assistant nursing professor Tushanna M. Habalar and her family, following a woodland hike with President Reed; team-building exercises on the Fish Real Estate Leadership Challenge Course; visits to UPMC, Penn State, and to the college’s Lumley Aviation and Schneebeli Earth Science centers; hands-on learning in School of Nursing & Health Sciences labs; and an introduction to lacrosse and baseball, rarities in the Irish sports world.
The students also gave an appreciative shoutout to John F. Chappo, assistant professor of history/history of technology, and Craig A. Miller, associate professor of history/political science, who invited them into a number of world and American history courses.
“There was a level of engagement in the classroom, inquisitiveness and a maturity that was beyond their years," said Chappo, a strong advocate of experiential education. “They were not afraid to have frank discussions, and they modeled civil discourse very well.”
The faculty member also joined his colleagues for a discussion of further opportunities through the Global Experiences program – most pointedly in the area of collaborative project-based service learning – and spoke during a traditional Irish breakfast in Le Jeune Chef Restaurant about Ireland's contributions to this country.
“Your story is very much the story of America,” he told the NWRC students, noting that such iconic trailblazers as Henry Ford, Walt Disney and Neil Armstrong were of Irish descent. “A pioneering spirit is very much in your DNA.”
The NWRC visitors were amazed at many a campus feature, including this ice cream dispenser. Here, Nicole O’Neill gets set for a sweet treat.
The college’s chief government and international relations officer, another integral facilitator of the North West Regional College visit, said its success provides momentum for ongoing – and far-reaching – alliances.
“The college is eager to expand our partnerships with institutions in the U.K. and Ireland, hoping to build on our already strong relationships at both NWRC and Queen’s University Belfast, and we are all grateful for the U.K. government’s ‘Turing Scheme’ support for this first large-scale exchange,” Patrick Marty said. “Partnerships like these are vital to our mission to prepare workforce leaders for the global marketplace.”
Munro’s closing gratitude to the two NWRC coordinators put a fitting ellipsis to the proceedings, as souvenirs turn to substantive consideration of that further cooperation.
“We became quick friends,” she told Leonard and McGuinness, who just as quickly issued a reciprocal invitation to visit their college. “Your willingness to go with the flow as we built this schedule has allowed us to create an organic experience based on the interests of all the students. We met our goal with this exchange; we hope you did, as well.”
For information about Workforce Development at Penn College, email or call 570-327-4775. Information about Global Experiences can be obtained by emailing or by calling 570-320-8008.
To learn more about the college, a national leader in applied technology education, email the Admissions Office or call toll-free 800-367-9222.
– Photos by Cindy Davis Meixel, writer/photo editor;
Jennifer A. Cline, writer/magazine editor;
Shannon M. Munro, vice president for workforce development;
Kimberly R. Cassel, college relations director;
Tom Wilson, writer/editor-PCToday;
Frank T. Kocsis, III, student photographer
Kyle A. Smith, senior executive director of college relations;
and Shawn A. Kiser, director of dental hygiene
Awaiting information on apprenticeships in the Center for Business & Workforce Development on their first day on campus are (from left) Emma Gallagher-Cooke, Kayleigh Clifford, Jace Bailey and Zack Ford.
Back to where it all began five years ago: a discussion on apprenticeships! Engaging in the conversation are Munro (second from left in black-and-white-striped sweater) and Workforce Development’s Beth M. Bittenbender (third from left), executive director, operations/special projects ...
... Jason P. Zielewicz (speaking), executive director, health sciences and emergency services; Sara R. Hillis Ousby, business development manager; and Ross A. Berger, MIDAS grant manager.
During the group’s informal welcome in the Breuder Advanced Technology & Health Sciences Center, the visitors and hosts get a glimpse of “home” in Northern Ireland via modern connectivity. Munro is seated at front left; Rob Cooley, associate professor of anthropology/environmental science, is at the computer; and Val A. Myers, dean of nursing and health sciences, is standing at right.
Taking the welcome even closer is Gallagher-Cooke, who navigates to her home street thanks to Google Maps.
Comically pointing a rubber chicken (used as a talking piece as the visitors shared their backgrounds) is NWRC’s Stephanie McGuinness. Bláthnaid Leonard (left) and Veronica Speer (back right), a Penn College dental hygiene student from West Falls, N.Y., listen in.
During her turn, Clifford exhibits a hearty laugh.
Their favorite place to eat on campus? Hands-down: Capitol Eatery in Dauphin Hall!
At the Lumley Aviation Center with Brett A. Reasner (left), associate professor of aviation. Sue K. Manzitti, supervisor of workforce development support services, is next to Reasner; Becky A. Freezer, MIDAS and operations coordinator for workforce development, is second from right.
On the Challenge Course, Penn College students (and Cooley at rear center) join the circle of support for the visiting entourage.
Balancing cooperation and laughter
Ford and Gallagher-Cooke enjoy a crisp, sunny spring day in Pennsylvania.
NWRC students and faculty are invited to join an Introduction to Human Services & Restorative Justice class to hear local attorney Nicole Spring (background center) speak.
Leonard and Stephanie McGuinness clearly enjoy the engagement.
McGuinness makes a point as Spring listens.
Alisha Catterson (left) observes real student-patient interaction in the Dental Hygiene Clinic with Penn College student Teagan A. Willey (center). Willey, of Towanda, is in her final semester of the dental hygiene associate degree. The patient is Alexa M. Tupper, an undecided student from Montoursville.
Future nursing student Kayla Mulvaney uses her phone’s flashlight to test the dilation of SimMan’s pupils in the college’s nursing facilities.
Eckeberg-Timoney (in green) and Mulvaney (in purple), who plan to study nursing in their next education step, join their Penn College hosts in the Foundations of Nursing class. With their local counterparts, they practiced inserting catheters in manikins.
Eckeberg-Timoney captures a moment in a nursing simulation lab.
Ford observes in the Dental Hygiene Clinic, where Penn College student Cameryn Sock (left) watches as Tammy S. Clossen, assistant professor of dental hygiene, checks her work.
Clifford, Leonard and Gallagher-Cooke adorn a 1949 pickup truck that, while battered, never gets old as a photo backdrop.
Bringing a welcome piece of home to someone who might just have needed it most: a nonagenarian from Ireland recovering at UPMC Williamsport
Accommodations in the Center for Career Design prove most conducive to a sitdown with the president.
Mentored by Chris S. Macdonald (in plaid), corporate relations officer, the students experiment with welding simulators – just one of the hands-on revelations during their stay.
O'Neill (with Ford) literally tries her hand at the Global Connections Touch Table, among the many attractions at the World of Little League Museum in South Williamsport.
Blaithin Skeet goes airborne at the museum's jumping wall, leaping to snag a ball as it threatens to clear the outfield fence.
Emily McGuinness learns about Little League's addition of young women to the lineup.
Leonard (left) and Stephanie McGuinness savor their postgame "press conference."
The group ventures into Howard J. Lamade Stadium, where a "welcome" message accompanies their trip to the real-life field of dreams.
Director Adam Thompson enlightens visitors in the newly reopened museum.
During “Coffee with Carla” in Le Jeune Chef Restaurant, North West Regional College’s contingent meets with Carla McCabe (in blue top with black blazer), president and CEO of WVIA Public Media, the PBS and NPR affiliate for Northeastern and Central Pennsylvania.
McCabe is originally from Belfast, Northern Ireland, and is a graduate of Ulster University, where some of the group plan to attend. McCabe offered real-world perspective on the move from Northern Ireland to the U.S., which several are considering.
Adding their numbers to a Keystone State statistic, the group surrounds Penn State's Nittany Lion shrine – the second-most photographed landmark in Pennsylvania.
Bundled against an in-like-a-lion March chill, visitors join President Reed for a hike on the Williamsport Municipal Water Authority trails ...
... a tourbook example of the area's natural beauty. (Also in the group were Reed's daughter, Cali, and her friend Emma.)
The Bluebird Trail passes by the Remington Ruins, remnants of a once-glorious 20-room mansion.
After their hike, the group was warmly welcomed by the Habalars: Tushanna (a Penn College nursing faculty member), husband Michael (in red hat) and son Lee (in hammmock).
Wayne R. Sheppard, assistant professor of construction management, talks about the service-learning aspect of the college's Global Experiences program. He and a group of students are traveling in June to the Dominican Republic, where (among other projects) they will install life-changing water filters.
Catterson enjoys the brainstorming.
Naim N. Jabbour (center), assistant professor of architecture, previews his interdisciplinary Spring 2023 trip to London, Paris, Florence and Rome.
John F. Chappo, assistant professor of history/history of technology, thoughtfully listens.
Stephanie McGuinness adds greatly to the discussion of study-abroad opportunities, from financial considerations to the incorporation of collaborative service projects.
Gallagher-Cooke and Ford clearly savor the conversation.
A tableful of goodwill offers definitive photographic proof of the trip's genial aura. Joining the abundance of smiles (from left) are Skeet and Bailey; Rhonda J. Seebold, part-time dental hygiene faculty member; and Christine B. Kavanagh, assistant professor of nursing. Seebold and Kavanagh are study-abroad veterans, purposefully taking their students to such destinations as Nicaragua, the Dominican Republic and Guatemala.
Munro explains some baseball basics ...
... as the guests watch the Penn College Wildcats in action at Historic Bowman Field.
And what stadium visit would be complete without Rhashan West-Bey, the Williamsport Crosscutters' Director of Smiles?
The NWRC group (with Munro at left and Zielewicz at right) oblige a photographer outside the nation's second-oldest minor-league ballpark.
There's always room on the itinerary for a shopping day!
Gallagher-Cooke talks with Patrick Marty, Penn College’s chief government affairs and international relations officer.
Chappo shows Bailey a photo of the memorial to the Irish Brigade at Gettysburg National Military Park, explaining the significance of the battle at Gettysburg in the U.S. Civil War.
Ford, a future veterinarian, joins in a conversation about driver’s licensing – and farm tractors.
Reed is in the center of the Field House action, which offered a game-filled respite through hoops, Jenga and cornhole. Standing at rear are Jeremy R. Bottorf, coordinator of campus recreation, and Kaylena L. Harrell, a campus recreation student assistant enrolled in graphic design.
Munro (at podium) delivers parting words and blessings to the visitors prior to the students' final presentations.
The opening slide offers a “fàilte,” meaning “welcome” as the NWRC students compare U.S. and U.K. cultures.
Skeet delivers an intriguing view of mental health issues. (Catterson stands ready for her turn at the microphone.)
Bailey, Clifford and Leonard express appreciation for their hosts ...
... Clifford warmly acknowledges Munro (who was declared an honorary "Derry Girl" for her hospitality) ...
... and Bailey presents a gift to Manzitti, who provided key logistical support.
The presentations ended with a “battle of the crisps," as the visitors asked for Penn College’s assistance in a long-standing debate of which potato chip is best (one crafted in Northern Ireland or those from “the South” aka the Republic of Ireland). Here, a Penn College student does her research during the “blind tasting.”
Also stepping up to the plate are Allen R. Smith, clinical director of radiography, and Tanae A. Traister, assistant dean of nursing and health sciences. The winner? The vote essentially ended in a tie, so the debate rages on!
Bailey hugs Habalar, at whose home the group enjoyed S’mores and cocoa.
During their final day on campus, the Northern Ireland dozen captures a keepsake above the mosaic in the ATHS.
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