Commencement exercises were held for the Susquehanna County Career & Technology Center’s practical nursing students on Friday evening, September 8, 2017. This is the seventh graduating class since the practical nurse program’s inception in 2013. Dr. Alice Davis, Executive Director, Mrs. Denise Gieski, Nursing Director and the instructional staff are extremely proud of the hard work and dedication of the 19 graduates.
Pictured (L-R) are: sitting- Jenna Wright (Salutatorian), William Quick (Valedictorian), Megan Leamon, Carolea Faulkner, Sydney Larson, Julia Amorino, Jennifer Long, Courtney Cannon, Alison Dirmeitis Maisonave, Ashley Ehrenberg; standing- Karen Killian, Denise Gieski, Courtney Nystrand, Bobbi Kelder, Mary Kemmerer, Michael Flynn, Christina Neale, Kelly Oliver, Christopher Drake, Mikayla Holinej, Amber Fontine, Misty Slater, Diane Eastman, Dr. Alice M. Davis, Chelsea Lunger.
The following special awards were presented: Florence Nightingale Award to Kristina Neale; Mary Breckinridge Award to Mikayla Holinej; Virginia Henderson Award to Kelly Marie Oliver; Edith Cavell Award to Jenna Wright; Clara Barton Award to Mary Helen Kemmerer; Anna Maxwell Award to Ashley Blair Ehrenberg.
Diplomas were presented to the graduates by Denise Gieski, Nursing Director; Christopher Drake, Nursing Clinical Supervisor and Eric Emmerich SCCTC Board of Education president.
SCCTC Executive Director Dr. Alice M. Davis said, “I would like to commend the exemplary achievements of this graduating class. My hope is that they are both personally and professionally successful.”
On Wednesday, September 13th, a small group of interested students in grades 10-12 traveled to DTE Energy (Bluestone Gathering) for a field trip. Students first received a hands on and thorough tour of a natural gas compression site. Students received safety gear to wear and learned all about the ways gas travels and what a typical day in the industry entails.
Following this site, students then proceeded to tour Lackawanna College School of Petroleum and Natural Gas, where many of DT’s employees received their training and education. Students were able to sit in on a class and then received an overview of the various types of programs that Lackawanna has to offer in the natural gas field.
Susquehanna Community High School students receiving info from DTE Energy Employees at a Natural Gas Compression Site
Finally, students ended back at the DTE Energy headquarters where they received some more in-depth information regarding the natural gas in our specific area. A diverse group of staff members who work in the office presented to the students about the different job positions available within the company as well. Lunch was provided on behalf of DTE Energy.
Students gave very positive feedback about the trip and learned a lot of valuable information about possible careers in the field. “I know that each and every student could not have possibly asked for a better trip and that myself and another fellow student especially enjoyed being able to get up close to the engines at the compressor stations and learn how they are operated”, added senior Christopher Swanson.
A special thank you goes out to Mike Armiak and the rest of the employees at DTE Energy for setting up this field trip and taking time out of their day to meet with our students. Additionally, we thank the Claire Williams O’Neil Foundation who helped fund this trip the past two years. Both support systems have made for some exceptional experiences for our students at Susquehanna Community.
Misericordia University will host the National History Day (NHD) 2018 regional competition and a local history fair on Saturday, March 17. In an effort to help teachers prepare their students for the competition, the university is hosting a free NHD Teacher Information Session on Tuesday, Oct. 24 at 6 p.m. in the Catherine Evans McGowan Room of the Mary Kintz Bevevino Library. Dinner will be served.
The co-directors of the NHD regional competition, Jennifer M. Black, Ph.D., assistant professor of history and government, and Maureen Cech, the library’s archivist, are hosting the preparatory information session. They will introduce new teachers to the NHD process, and provide returning teachers with updates on the theme, competition rules and activities planned for the local history fair. In addition, they will provide teachers with information regarding primary and secondary sources, and offer tips to help guide students on finding digital sources online. The session will include a talkback with a former NHD judge on best practices and how students can research local history.
Middle school and high school students in Luzerne (except Hazleton School District), Lackawanna, Susquehanna, Pike, Wayne, Wyoming, Monroe, and Sullivan counties of Northeastern Pennsylvania are invited to participate in the NHD regional competition. Student registration opens Jan. 3 and runs through Feb. 23.
The theme for 2018 is “Conflict and Compromise in History.” There are 18 categories within the competition. Students can compete at either the junior or senior high level, and as part of a group or as an individual in four categories: performance, documentary, website, and exhibit. Students can also compete as an individual at the junior or senior high level in the historical paper category. Students placing in the top two of each category are eligible to advance to the state competition. Winners from state competitions will compete at the 2018 National History Day Contest at the University of Maryland, College Park, Maryland, on June 10-14.
Reservations for the NHD Teacher Information Session are required. To RSVP, please contact Susan Lazur at (570) 674-6225 or slazur@misericordia.edu. For additional information about NHD, please visit http://libguides.misericordia.edu/nepahistoryday.
