Thursday, August 28, 2025
photos by Rob Hinkal, social media specialist
Five incoming students and a current nursing student who served as a peer mentor participated in the Pre-Health Plunge Program offered through Pennsylvania College of Technology’s School of Nursing & Health Sciences. The program was designed to address challenges related to required courses for those programs that include one or two pre-term semesters before acceptance into the program. At the close of the two-week residential program, students created posters that focused on tools for success, metacognitive skills, college resources and individual goals. Students included, from left, Macy L. Howard, of Berwick, pre-radiography; Caitlin R. Beveridge, of Horsham, pre-physical therapist assistant; Jamie B. Fetterhoff, of Hegins, pre-bachelor of science in nursing; Faustina T. Haas, of Williamsport, peer mentor; Haley L. Hoffman, of Richfield, pre-bachelor of science in nursing; and Sanaa L. Rivera, of Willow Grove, pre-radiography.
Pennsylvania College of Technology has completed a pilot program designed for students entering a pre-health program for the fall 2025 semester.
Five students and a current nursing student who served as a peer mentor participated in the Pre-Health Plunge Program, funded through a gift from AllOne Charities. The two-week residential program ran from July 31 through Aug. 13 and aimed to help prepare students, at no cost, with foundational human anatomy and physiology content, introduce students to campus support services, and provide students with opportunities to build rapport with a cohort of peer students and area health care partners.
Penn College offers nine programs through its School of Nursing & Health Sciences – seven of which include one or two pre-program semesters before students are fully accepted into the program. Selection criteria include the successful completion of courses such as human anatomy and physiology, English Composition I, and Technical Algebra & Trigonometry or higher.
According to Valerie A. Myers, professor and dean of nursing & health sciences, students facing challenges in these courses – specifically human anatomy and physiology – experience significant barriers to degree completion.
“These early struggles often result in students needing to retake coursework, take a gap year to remediate, and, in some cases, change their educational goals,” Myers said. “This negatively impacts the skilled workforce pipeline by causing interested students to pursue alternative careers, including those for which no post-secondary education is needed.”
To wrap up the program, students were asked to work in small groups to create a poster that reflected strategies they had learned to succeed in college-level coursework, metacognitive skills, relationships and resources that support academic success, and the specific ways in which the summer bridge program supported their individual goals. Posters were presented to faculty and staff with whom students interacted over the course of the two-week period.
At the close of a Pre-Health Plunge Program at Pennsylvania College of Technology, students were asked to work in groups to create a poster that reflected strategies they had learned to succeed in college-level coursework, metacognitive skills, relationships and resources that support academic success, and the specific ways in which the summer bridge program supported their individual goals. (Photo credit: Rob Hinkal, social media specialist)
“Creating the poster allowed students to develop skills such as collaboration and teamwork, understanding different viewpoints, learning from their peers, learning to use new technology to create a poster, critical thinking and public speaking,” Myers said.
“The future success of these students positively impacting our critical health care workforce issues is even more assured because of this pilot program and our valuable partnership with Penn College,” said John W. Cosgrove, CEO of AllOne Foundation & Charities. “AllOne Charities is gratified to know that these resources are making a measurable difference in our region, and we wish the program continued success.”
For more information about Penn College’s School of Nursing & Health Sciences, visit www.pct.edu/NHS, email nhs@pct.edu or call 570-327-4519.
For information about Penn College, a national leader in applied technology education, visit www.pct.edu, email admissions@pct.edu or call toll-free 800-367-9222.
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