The Wildcat celebrates the completion of the Donate Life Pennsylvania College Challenge mural on The Rock at Penn College. The activity was part of an initiative that encourages students to become advocates for organ and tissue donation on campus and in their communities.
Pennsylvania College of Technology nursing students and Wellness Committee members recently received first-place recognition in this year’s Donate Life Pennsylvania College Challenge.
The initiative encourages students to become advocates for organ and tissue donation on campus and in their communities. Penn College’s team joined student groups from 11 other colleges and universities across Pennsylvania in organizing events that empower individuals to help save lives.
“I am so proud of the coordinated efforts of the Penn College Wellness Committee and Community Health Nursing students,” said Terri A. Stone, assistant professor of nursing. “It was a very rewarding project impacting not only Penn College but the greater community. A special thanks to Donate Life PA for the opportunity to compete in this year’s challenge. It was truly a team effort encompassing so many departments and students across the college. I can’t thank everyone enough for their support.”
Pennsylvania College of Technology nursing students, faculty member Terri A. Stone (second from left atop the rock) and three furry friends pose around a mural created for the Donate Life challenge. Students and Wellness Committee members earned first-place recognition for this year’s competition. (Photo provided)
The campaign, “Degrees That Work, Donors That Save,” kicked off March 1 – National Donor Day – and over the next two months included a blue-and-green day, a health fair, Donate Life-themed bingo, classroom visits and a pop-up table at the Fitness Factory. Activities concluded in April with treats from the Simply Bowls food truck, games and music. Guest speakers Michael Narvaez, a transplant recipient; Trevor Keaton, who was awaiting a kidney transplant at the time and has since received one; and Heidi Weeder, UPMC Donate Life coordinator, spoke to attendees about the importance of becoming an organ donor.
As a result of the college’s efforts, 219 people registered as organ donors, the most of any school in the 2026 challenge.
Participating schools were evaluated on creativity, outreach, educational impact and donor registration results by a panel of judges who are intimately familiar with the topic, including a mother whose son saved six lives through organ donation.
The Wellness Committee plans to meet in the fall to discuss the use of $4,000 in prize money, with plans to support students and the Penn College community.
The College Challenge is sponsored by Donate Life Pennsylvania, a collaborative initiative of Gift of Life Donor Program, the Center for Organ Recovery & Education and the Pennsylvania Departments of Health, Transportation and Education.
To learn more about Penn College’s nursing and health sciences majors, call 570-327-4519 or email nhs@pct.edu.
For information about Penn College, a national leader in applied technology education, email Admissions or call toll-free 800-367-9222.
Nursing students add their handprints to The Rock.
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