RACC Fall 2012 Communiqué

communiquéA n u p d At e f o r fA m i ly & f r i e n d s o f r e A d i n g A r e A c o m m u n i t y c o l l e g e F A L L 2 0 1 2

Ballroom with a TwistcelebrAtion of educAtion gAlAHonoring mary Ann chelius smith

2 FALL 2012 communiqué

Recently RACC was able to make the case about our

special value in two very different public settings. At an

August 21st hearing of the Pennsylvania House Policy

Committee co-chaired by Representatives David Maloney

and David Reed on “Assessing the Challenges Facing

Pennsylvania Job Creators,” I was asked to comment on

workforce issues and the role that our College can play

in ensuring that our region has a supply of appropriately

educated workers. That same day I was an education

panelist on the television forum “Poverty to Prosperity”

organized by WFMZ and the Reading Eagle and recorded

in our Miller Center for the Arts. In both venues,

legislators, and especially our public citizens, repeatedly

hailed RACC as an invaluable resource offering solid

solutions to problems so many in our community face––

the need for more education.

It is heartening in these challenging times to hear from

so many in our community that our College is trusted to

offer practical pathways for educational attainment––for

those who want to acquire job skills, perhaps for the first

time, for others who need to keep pace with employer

upgrades by enhancing their level of competency, as

well as for learners who view RACC as the first step on

their personal ladder to a professional career. We offer a

range of opportunities, from preparation in basic reading

and language skills, to an honors program that combines

rigorous academic requirements with opportunities to

work closely with talented faculty on special projects, to

highly sophisticated training in advanced manufacturing.

RACC’s focus is squarely on learning and student success.

In this issue of Communiqué you will learn more about

how this focus on success has paid off for our students

and has also led us to develop new credit and non-credit

offerings in non-clinical healthcare fields including a new

associate degree program Electronic Health Records/

Health Information Technology. These new offerings were

designed with employer input and will help meet the

growing need for skilled workers in these areas.

At RACC we are committed to keeping our programs

in tune with community needs for on-target job training

and as a cost-effective way to gain a solid and well-

accepted foundation for more advanced education at

other institutions. This is an exciting time at our College,

as the community’s need for a strong RACC has never

been greater. I look forward to providing more updates as

RACC continues to demonstrate every day we are, indeed,

The Community’s College.

Dear friends of RACC,

communiqué FALL 2012 3

In this Issue 4 Planting the Seed

5 You’re Welcome

6 New RACC Degree Trains Students for Growing Healthcare Field

8 New Look at Learning Language

10 Military Leads to Second Chance at College

12 Explore the Arts! 2012–2013 at the Miller Center

14 Café Gets Modern Makeover

15 Going small… to make it big!

16 The Foundation for Reading Area Community College Celebration of Education Gala

on our cover Ballroom with a Twist featured at this years Celebration of Education Gala

communiquéreading Area community college 10 South 2nd Street P.O. Box 1706Reading, PA 19603www.racc.edu

president Dr. Anna D. Weitz editor Melissa Kushner contributors Alison M. Wenger, Caehlin Belldesign Liz Berdow photography Secoges Photographics, Alison Wenger

Reading Area Community College is an equal opportunity institution.

www.facebook.com/ReadingArea CommunityCollege

www.facebook.com/RACCalumni

RACC_edu

14

10 15

4


When Gus Daniels arrived in Reading in the 1970s, he was

a military veteran and worked as a cement mason. One

day as he was walking down Penn Street, a gentleman

stopped him to ask if he had thought about going to

college and taking advantage of his GI benefits.

Admittedly Gus said he didn’t do much reading in those

days, other than the sports page, but he decided to give

RACC a try. All of these years later, he is glad that he did.

“I give credit to RACC for helping me get started,”

said Gus, who especially is thankful to his Composition

teacher, Ms. Pamela Miller. “We had to read and write and

that made me buckle down. But once I started reading, I

could comprehend and that really whet my appetite.

“I started going to the library and my children saw me

reading. It planted the seed of education in our family and

I just kept watering it,” he said.

It’s obvious when speaking with Gus how proud he

is of his family’s achievements, especially given his own

background. He dropped out of school growing up and

went to work for Campbell’s Soup in Camden before he

was offered the opportunity to train as a mason.

His masonry work led to traveling, and with a

background in Spanish, he was given the chance to

travel to Puerto Rico for work. There he met his wife and

together had four children––two boys and two girls.

He became a single father when his youngest daughter

Amy was 10 and worked several jobs to pay her tuition

at the Reading Seventh-Day Adventist Junior Academy to

ensure she had access to a quality education. He sees the

potential that all children possess and said, “Parents are

our first teachers and need to set the example because

with education, all things are possible.”

Gus said he encouraged his children to be individuals

and stand out from the crowd in school. He heavily

stressed to his daughters the importance of respecting

themselves in how they acted and dressed.

Both of his sons, William and Francisco, graduated from

medical school. Francisco works in the emergency room

at Hagerstown Hospital now, while William is taking time

off to raise his daughter while his wife Carmen starts her

career in dentistry.

His oldest daughter Maria graduated from Temple

University as a Communications major and spent time

working at WEEU as a Traffax reporter. Then, she and

her husband Harry, moved to Texas and started their own

technology company, Heuristic Automation in Layout, LLC.

Maria is currently the vice-president.

Finally, the youngest Amy, graduated from Albright with

a degree in finance. After being downsized during the

recession, she returned to Philadelphia to pursue a new

career in health care.

Gus talks about his children with pride, sharing

their academic accomplishments, as well as the

five grandchildren they have given him. “My little

granddaughter Sophia, I could tell she was gifted. I

enrolled her in that My Baby Can Read program and she

was reading at 3 years old,” he said. “She’s studying Level

I Mandarin Chinese.”

Even now, Gus continues to learn, watching educational

programs on PBS and frequently visiting the library. He

also attends Berks Encore in Reading and Wernersville

where he shows some of his PBS favorite films and

participates in activities like yoga and bingo.

“I wish I could inspire these folks that are dropping out

of school and collecting unemployment,” he said. “Anyone

can go to college. You just have to work at it and study

hard.

“You plant a seed and then that seed grows as long as

you keep watering it.”

Planting the Seed

“I WISH I COuLD INSPIRE THESE FOLKS THAT ARE DROPPING OuT OF SCHOOL AND COLLECTING uNEMPLOYMENT…ANYONE CAN GO

TO COLLEGE. YOu juST HAvE TO WORK AT IT AND STuDY HARD.”


New students visiting RACC this

summer received a “welcome”

surprise when they entered Berks Hall.

On july 2, RACC opened its official

Welcome Center in the building’s

lobby as a first stop for all prospective

students.

Calley Stevens Taylor, Director of

Enrollment Services, said the idea

of the Welcome Center came about

in january of this year as the result

of an academic advising group that

believed that advising goes beyond

helping students select courses.

“Advising starts with that first

contact you have with a student,”

she said, “helping them decide what

they want for an education and

whether what we have as a college

is appropriate in helping them meet

their goals.”

At the Welcome Center, students

can receive help with online

applications, schedule placement

tests and receive information on

the financial aid process. The center

is a collaborative effort aimed to

serve all students of RACC, whether

they are looking for an associate

degree program, career training or

community education courses.

“Our goal was that we would have

comprehensive information about

all the educational opportunities at

RACC. Prospective students can all

start in one place no matter which

program they want,” said Stevens

Taylor.

The center is staffed by

representatives from Enrollment

Services, Financial Aid and Workforce

Development. Fall hours for the

center are Monday, Thursday and

Friday from 8 AM to 5PM with

extended hours on Tuesday and

Wednesday from 8 AM to 7:30 PM.

You’re Welcome!

“Advising starts with that first contact you have with a student…helping them decide what they want for an education and whether what we have as a college is appropriate in helping them meet their goals.”


More than 9,100 people trained in Medical Records and Health

Information Technology will be needed by 2016, according to the

PA Department of Labor and Industry.

That fact is one of the drivers of the new Electronic Health

Records and Health Care Information Technology associate degree

program introduced by Reading Area Community College this fall.

Highlights of the program include:

• Receiving training on both the relevant hardware and

software relating to electronic medical records.

• Opportunities to earn industry-approved Comp TIA A+ and

Healthcare IT certifications built into the program.

• Real-world work experience as part of the 135-hour

practicum.

A unique aspect of this program is that students who are taking

a credit course and wish to sit for the three IT certifications offered

through our Schmidt Training and Technology Center can receive

financial aid toward that extra cost. The certifications are: CompTIA

A+, Cisco Certified Entry Network Technician 1, and CompTIA

Healthcare IT Technician.

Additionally, students who have already received their IT

certifications and wish to pursue this new degree can apply those

transfer credits into the program.

Two other major factors driving the growth in this field are new

medical privacy regulations and government mandates that all

medical records should be captured electronically. In addition,

this electronic information must be secured by people who have

extensive training on dealing with sensitive personal information.

Those facts have led the State to expect that employment in

Medical Records and Health Information Technology will grow by

16% in Pennsylvania by 2016. Some of those jobs may be right

here in Greater Reading. Local employers, the Reading Hospital and

Medical Center and St. joseph Medical Center, are working closely

with RACC on this new program.

“Many programs do not bridge that gap between the IT and

clinical sides,” said Adam Worrell, Information Technology Services

Site Director at St. joseph. “Having both the technology skills as well

as the medical background is paramount for understanding and

building EMR workflows that meet the needs of the clinical staff.

“The RACC leadership was open-minded and had clearly done

their homework; educating themselves and realizing the potential

benefits a program like this would produce not only for their

students but for the community as a whole,” he added.

The local hospitals estimate their patient records will be totally

electronic within the next two to three year—just in time for the

first graduating students!

Worrell said there are numerous benefits to a career in Electronic

Health Records, “While at a high level you’re working with

technology hardware and software like others within the field,

you’re implementing a solution that can allow clinicians to share

valuable information, prevent potential safety problems, and overall

improve the patient experience.”

For more information about this new program, please visit

http://www.racc.edu/Academics/programs/ehr_car.aspx.

New RACC Degree Trains Students for Growing Healthcare Field

A few months ago, janet Gilchrist-

Rush was living in South Carolina and

attending college with the intention

of starting a new career in Early Child-

hood Education after taking an early

retirement package from the federal

government.

She now lives here in Berks County

and is the first student enrolled in

RACC’s new Electronic Health Records

and Information Technology associate

degree program.

Gilchrist-Rush, 48, moved to the

area to be closer to her 8-year-old

granddaughter and said she settled

on coming to RACC after attending

an Open House. “I really enjoyed the

tour of campus and everyone— from

the financial aid office to my career

coaches—is so kind and friendly and

informative. I felt that this is where I

was supposed to be,” she said.

By chance, her advisor was Linda

Bell, Assistant Dean of the Business

Division, whom she says genuinely

cares about the overall well-being and

academic experience of a student.

Gilchrist-Rush said she met with Bell

and shared her background which

also had included more than 10 years

working in medical administration

relating to dialysis.

“When she told me about the new

program, I just lit up,” Gilchrist-Rush

said. “She said not only would I be

getting my degree, but also the IT

certifications and that got me even

more excited. All of my previous work

experience was administrative,

electronic and tied to a computer.”

Gilchrist-Rush said her sister and

niece also work in information technol-

ogy, so the computer bug tends to run

through the women in her family.

Gilchrist-Rush is taking classes full-

time and thanks to transfer credits is

on pace to earn her degree in May of

2014. She knows that having her de-

gree will serve her well in a new career

and said, “Once I left the government,

it was a priority of mine to go back to

school and get my degree. The gov-

ernment workforce is getting younger

and more educated, so if I want to get

back into it, I’m going to need that

degree with my work experience.”

“Having both the technology skills as well as the medical background is paramount for understanding and building EMR workflows that meet the needs of the clinical staff.”


After several years studying and teaching at Purdue

University, with the second largest U.S. international

student population, Dr. Elena Lawrick brings her passion,

knowledge and skills to Reading where she hopes to

revamp RACC’s English as a Second Language (ESL) Credit

Program.

“Having a robust ESL Program is instrumental in the

College’s success,” Dr. Lawrick said. “The program needs

to function both as a gateway for prospective students

whose proficiency in English is insufficient for college-

level courses and as the core of RACC’s support system for

matriculated multilingual students.”

“There is no doubt that achieving this goal is a

significant professional challenge,” she added. “But, I look

forward to implementing my vision of the program, with

confidence that my education, research and experiences in

teaching English have prepared me well for the task.”

Dr. Lawrick, who received her diploma (the Soviet

equivalent of B.A. and M.A. degrees) from Far Eastern

State University in Russia, explained that her school

teacher’s exceptional enthusiasm for English inspired

her to pursue a degree in English Linguistics, Translation

Studies and Teaching English as a Foreign Language. In

the Soviet Union, English was rarely spoken or written.

Therefore, the coursework for English majors heavily

focused on linguistics and English literature.

Dr. Lawrick’s ability to use “real” English was put to

the test after graduation when the fall of the Soviet Union

opened the floodgates to international business ventures

in post-Soviet Russia. For several years she worked in the

business sector as a marketing specialist, administrator and

liaison between Russian businesses and their international

New Look at Learning Language

“THE PROGRAM NEEDS TO FuNCTION BOTH AS A GATEWAY FOR PROSPECTIvE STuDENTS WHOSE PROFICIENCY IN ENGLISH

IS INSuFFICIENT FOR COLLEGE-LEvEL COuRSES AND AS THE CORE OF RACC’S SuPPORT SYSTEM FOR MATRICuLATED MuLTILINGuAL

STuDENTS.”


The Center for Multilingual StudentsThe Center for Multilingual Students opened this fall and is designed to provide a sense of community and support for RACC’s multi-

lingual students. The Center offers a student-friendly study area with computer stations that include English learning software, as well

as textbooks and dictionaries. Writing tutoring is also available so students can receive assistance from a writing professional trained

in helping multilingual writers. The final component of the Center is a conversation group that meets weekly as a way for students to

practice their English speaking. The Center is located in the Yocum Library, Room 119.

partners. Later, she joined the English Department faculty

at her university, where she specialized in ESL teacher

training.

Before permanently coming to the U.S. in 2005, Dr.

Lawrick returned to the business sector for two years––

this time teaching English to Russian staff of Alcoa, L’Oreal

and RusAl.

Dr. Lawrick first arrived in the United States in 2003

as a visiting scholar on a grant from the U.S. Department

of State. She spent a semester at Purdue University

conducting her research project “A Comparative Analysis

of Russian and American Cultures of Learning and

Teaching Foreign Languages.”

In addition to her research, Dr. Lawrick participated in

the graduate seminars on Second Language Writing and

Communicative English Language Teaching. “These new

areas of linguistics were a perfect match with my own

vision of teaching of English as being learner-centered and

driven by student needs. Most importantly, these seminars

introduced me to the concept of research-informed

teaching practices, thus changing my philosophy of

teaching once and for all,” she said.

After a brief return to Russia, Dr. Lawrick applied to

Purdue’s graduate program in Second Language Studies/

ESL to pursue a Ph.D. in Teaching ESL. “From day one,

I fell in love with Purdue. It is such an amazing school,”

she said. “The Second Language Studies/ESL Graduate

Program is one of the most robust in the country. The

faculty members are world-renowned experts in the

areas such as World Englishes, Second Language Writing,

Second Language Acquisition, and Language Assessment.

Although the admission process is very competitive, I was

fortunate to get accepted, mostly because the faculty knew

my potential from my previous stay as a visiting scholar.”

While working on her doctoral degree, Dr. Lawrick

focused on bridging two fields of applied linguistics—

World Englishes and Second Language Writing. She said

it is important for writing teachers to be aware of how

English is used around the world.

“Because of its global spread, English is spoken and

written with many accents,” she explained. “Knowing how

American English differs from, for example, Nigerian or

Indian English helps a great deal in teaching ESL students

in U.S. college composition classes.”

During her time at Purdue, Dr. Lawrick was fortunate

to have diverse experiences in teaching composition. She

started in ICAP (the Introductory Composition Program at

Purdue), learning the ropes of teaching first-year writing

to native English speaking students. Later, she switched to

teaching composition in the ESL Writing Program, working

with international undergraduate and graduate students.

As a graduate instructor and later a post-doc lecturer, she

taught a 600-level course “Written Communication for

International Graduate Students.”

In addition to teaching in Purdue’s Writing Programs,

Dr. Lawrick taught first-year writing at Ivy Tech

Community College, the fastest growing two-year

institution in the Midwest. “Ivy Tech taught me to

better understand community college students and,

most importantly, to appreciate their hard work and

determination,” she said.

Dr. Lawrick added that over the course of her

first weeks on the job, she had met many amazing

professionals here at RACC. “RACC certainly has a great

potential,” she said. “I’m honored to join a team of

knowledgeable, driven, and, most importantly, caring

professionals in RACC’s journey to its stellar future.”


When a strange name showed up

on his AOL Instant Messenger years

ago, Nick Marriott never would have

thought it would lead to Pennsylvania

and RACC. But a long winding road

brought him the love of his life and a

hope for a new career.

Marriott, starting his second year at

RACC, met his wife, Katie, online years

ago as a teenager. He lived in Florida

and she lived in Pennsylvania, but

they became friends and electronic

pen pals. They just celebrated their

second wedding anniversary and Nick

is celebrating his second chance at

college – both thanks to the military.

Marriott, 27, grew up in Florida,

was raised by a single mom and

admits he spent more time partying

than worrying about what he was

going to do after high school. He

tried a large four-year university and

a local community college before

deciding to explore his options with

the military.

“I had good friends who went

into the military right after high

school and I called them to get their

thoughts on which branch they

recommended,” he said. “I took it as a

sign when every one of them said the

Air Force.”

After basic training in San

Antonio, Texas, Marriott had dreams

of traveling the world and being

placed at exotic locations. Instead, his

first assignment was for Cheyenne,

Wyoming. He made the best of it and

even flew back to visit friends on the

East Coast, including a New Year’s

Eve trip to Times Square… where he

arranged to meet Katie in person for

the first time.

“As soon as I saw her, I walked

up to her and kissed her and didn’t

even say anything,” he said. “We were

inseparable for the week, and then

for the next six months, we took turns

flying out to see one another.”

It was then that Marriott got

his dream wish – orders to report

to Kleine Brogel Air Force Base in

Belgium. After a year and a half of

waiting, he was going to get his wish.

Then he offered Katie the opportunity

to come along with him.

“I told her I would float the bill and

she could come with me and travel,”

he said. “We didn’t realize how hard it

would be to get her visa, but we did

get a long-term visa eventually. After

we were there for two years, I knew

that was it.”

The pair spent the next four years

enjoying weekend trips to Paris,

London, Italy and other destinations.

“You could be almost anywhere in

about 2–3 hours by taking the high-

speed train or commercial airlines,”

he said. “I went to Barcelona with two

friends for about $80 round trip.”

In between all the traveling,

Marriott was working long hours

and quickly moving up the ranks at

Kleine Brogel, which is a NATO base.

He was in charge of seven programs,

including some related to anti-

terrorism and counterintelligence. He

also was assigned to the Plans and

Program group that authored lengthy

procedures on base operations and

inspections.

Because of the programs he

was involved in, Marriott had

opportunities to participate in

special training programs, including

a conference at Eidelweiss Lodge

in Germany. He was also well-

respected by his supervisors, earning

his squadron’s Airman of the Year

award, as well as the National

Defense Service Medal, Global War

on Terrorism Service Medal and other

honors.

One of the best things about the

military for Marriott was the exposure

to other cultures and learning about

respect. “Service before self is one of

the core values, and I find that is still

with me,” he said. “My friends who see

me now say it was the best decision I

could have made.”

Once his six years of active duty

were up, he opted to return to Berks

County so Katie could be close to her

family. He said the pair spends every

Sunday night having family dinners.

When it was time to use his

veteran’s benefits to return to school,

Marriott opted to start gradually

at RACC. “My mom gave me great

advice not to overwhelm myself. I just

wanted to get acclimated to the area,

to civilian life and to school,” he said.

“Being in a class with 30 to 40 kids is a

lot better than 200 or 300.

“The post-9/11 GI Bill will give

you up to 36 months of school plus

a housing allowance for full-time

students. They’ve also expanded it to

include technical training and other

certifications,” he said.

Marriott will graduate from RACC

in May with a Liberal Arts degree and

is transferring to Penn State Berks

where he will major in Information

Technology. He recently applied to

the vets to Feds program, hoping to

land a government internship where

he can combine his military and IT

background. He would eventually like

to have a career in one of the federal

government programs.

Military Leads to Second Chance at College

“I had good friends who went into the military right after high school and I called them to get their thoughts on which branch they recommended… I took it as a sign when every one of them said the Air Force.”


The Miller Center’s 2012–2013 season is an exploration of

cultures and experiences taking us around the world and

back again. It is, perhaps our most multicultural season

to-date with performances and films that reach as far away

as Fiji and Ireland and then return to settle in our own

backyard. Included in this excursion is Tomaseen Foley’s

A Celtic Christmas, Motet—a juggling and movement

experience from Great Britain and Finland, Tanzanian

Safari—a film by Bob DeLoss, Terrance Simien’s Creole for

Kidz and Jules Verne’s Around the World in 80 Days by

Philadelphia’s Walnut Street Theatre, to name a few.

Nearly every performance this season includes an

audience enrichment activity to make your trip with us

more meaningful and exciting. This includes simple post-

performance meet-and-greets and talk-backs with the

artists, as well as juggling and craft workshops.

Collaborations and partnerships play a strong role in

the Miller Center’s programming for 2012–2013, including

featured performances by the Yocum Institute for Arts

Education’s Primary Players in the children’s favorite How

I Became a Pirate, also being staged as part of the Greater

Reading Literary Festival, and the Reading Community

Players in the African-American drama Hats. At the

conclusion of the season in April, is a performance of the

contemporary string quartet ETHEL joined by Native

American Flutist Robert Maribal. ETHEL and Maribal will

be joined on stage by a local choral group and will make

an appearance at the Reading Public Museum for a special

residency program for area school children in conjunction

with the Museum’s newly renovated Native American

exhibit.

Dance continues to take center stage and we are

pleased to include three dance companies on our 2012–

2013 roster. Brian Sanders’ JUNK Dance Company opens

the season on Saturday, September 29 with Patio Plastico

Plus, a show that blends traditional dance theater with

exciting physicality. Splashy ballroom dancing is the focus

during Ballroom with a Twist, a show choreographed

and directed by Dancing with the Stars’ Louis Van Amstel.

Musical selections were chosen by two American Idol

finalists and infused with the latest hip-hop styles. Finally,

the Lula Washington Dance Theatre travels to the Miller

Center stage from Los Angeles with exemplary works that

examine the past and present and teem with political and

social commentary.

For more information about the Miller Center and its

programs, please call 610.607.6205 or visit www.racc.edu/

MillerCenter or like our Facebook page for updates.

Explore the Arts! 2012–2013 at the Miller Center

The Miller Center’s 2012–2013 season is an exploration of cultures and experiences taking us around the world and back again.

At left: Collage of featured Miller Center performances.this page: Around the World in 80 DaysWalnut Street Theatre; vietnam, Cambodia & Cruising the MekongClint Denn


The Berks Hall Café underwent

a makeover this summer and

reopened for the first week of

classes as the Avanti Market.

The new Avanti Market is

self-service and offers students,

faculty and staff the convenience

of easy card payments either by

credit/debit card, or by loading

points on to a RACC ID.

The Avanti Market menu

includes breakfast items, as

well as healthy choices like

deli sandwiches and salads,

along with daily and weekly

specials. Additionally, there will

be snacks and sweet treats for

anyone who needs a quick pick-

me-up before class. Gluten-free

products will also be available.

Students and staff will be able to

make suggestions for items they

would like to see featured in the

Market.

Along with the new food

offerings, the Avanti Market also

has a new environmentally-

friendly look.

“We restored the existing

floors and cabinets,” said Jeff

West, Jr., Vice President of

Canteen Berks/West Dairy. “We

also upgraded all of our coolers

to energy star-rated equipment

with LED lighting. The vending

banks in the cafeteria will also

have a new look, with a sleek

uniformed appearance and

energy star-rated equipment.”

While it is a major change for

the Café, West, Jr. hopes it will

be a positive one.

“Our feeling is that we will be

able to offer many more items

and enhance the consumer

experience,” he said. “We hope

that the new technology and

grab ‘n go style will attract

people not only for breakfast

or lunch, but a quick snack

between classes.

“The most important thing for

everyone to remember is that this

is their market, and we will do

whatever it takes to make their

experience an enjoyable one.”

Café Gets Modern Makeover

“We hope that the new technology and grab ‘n go style will attract people not only for breakfast or lunch, but a quick snack between classes.”

From his office across from Penn State university’s nanoscience lab,

it’s hard for Zac Gray to believe that he once thought college wasn’t

for him.

Eight years after dropping out of his first attempt at college,

Gray is now the lab coordinator for the capstone program, which

is the final semester of RACC’s nanoscience degree. The capstone

program takes place at Penn State’s main campus.

He recalled his initial effort at college after graduating from

Garden Spot High School. “I was studying computer science, but I

just wasn’t into it. I thought I wasn’t meant for college,” he said.

After considering joining the military, Gray ended up with a job

at Wal-Mart. It was then that he decided maybe he should give

college a second try. This time, he didn’t have to look far, figuring

that RACC was his most economical option that would allow him to

save the money from his job to pay his tuition.

“I took general credits my first semester just to put my foot in the

water and see if I could handle it,” he said. “The classes I took were

really beneficial and I wanted to stick with it.”

Gray’s degree from RACC is in nanoscience, a booming field as

more companies produce products using nanotechnology. He

admits that the program sort of found him.

“I was sitting at RACC and I saw a booklet about nanoscience,”

he said. “It had some of the curriculum in it and it talked about the

capstone semester at Penn State’s main campus but at RACC tuition

costs. My goal was to get to a bigger campus, so I thought it was a

great opportunity.”

Kathy Evans, who coordinates RACC’s nanoscience program, said

she had Gray as a student in biology and knew he had potential.

“His attention to detail and desire to be absolutely correct was

evident even then. Gray asked serious, well formulated questions

and kept me on my toes,” she said.

Now, five years after graduating from RACC, he is still in State

College, having recently accepted his position as lab coordinator

with the capstone program in january. His role is to oversee all

the teaching assistants and ensure that their nanotechnology lab

activities run smoothly and cohesively.

In fact, Gray just hosted his former professor and a current RACC

student for a tour of the Penn State lab. “I can’t tell you how proud I

am of Gray,” Evans said. “What was so great about the tour was that

Gray was proud of his accomplishments and wanted me to see how

fantastic a scientist he is now. Gray is a RACC miracle.”

Part of his new job also includes recruiting new students, and he

hopes to soon return to RACC and convince students like himself to

give the program a try.

“The job outlook in this field is fantastic,” said Gray. “If they go

through this program they can find work, with reasonable pay,

almost guaranteed. In fact, the number of products incorporating

nanotechnology is expected to increase two orders of magnitude

over the next 20 years, meaning it will require 2 million workers with

nanotechnology-related skills by 2020.”

He also touted the benefits of the capstone semester at Penn

State, including résumé building, job assistance and hands-on

learning. “They design the capstone semester to help you get a job.

They will help you put together a resume, and then there is a career

day where you have a chance at an on-the-spot interview with

a variety of companies who have already hired graduates of the

capstone semester.”

“Plus, the experience you get with the tools and equipment

usually only graduate or PhD students have access to. So, it’s

graduate student experience at a community college level,” he

added.

Gray credits his new job to the time he spent as a teaching

assistant while he was working toward his Bachelor’s degree in

Materials Science at Penn State. He again put himself through

school, on a part-time schedule, while working a 9-5 job at a local

company who hired him right out of the capstone program.

“I really give credit to RACC because if that first semester was not

a good experience, I wouldn’t have come back for a second, which

eventually led to my degree.,” he said.

For more information on RACC’s nanoscience program and

the capstone semester, visit http://www.racc.edu/Academics/

programs/nano_car.aspx.


Going small…to make it big!

“…THE ExPERIENCE YOu GET WITH THE TOOLS AND EquIPMENT uSuALLY ONLY GRADuATE OR PHD STuDENTS HAvE ACCESS TO. SO,

IT’S GRADuATE STuDENT ExPERIENCE AT A COMMuNITY COLLEGE LEvEL…”

10 South 2nd StreetP.O. Box 1706

Reading, PA 19603www.racc.edu

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F O R C O M M E N T S , F E E D B A C K O R S T O R Y I D E A S , P L E A S E E M A I L M K u S H N E R @ R A C C . E D u O R C A L L 6 1 0 . 6 0 7 . 6 2 1 2 .

Ballroom with a TwistSaturday, October 20, 2012, 7:30 p.m. At the Miller Center for the Arts

Ballroom with a Twist is a critically acclaimed international dance production conceived and choreographed by ABC-TVs Dancing With the Stars, Emmy-nominated Louis van Amstel. This ground-breaking show, starring finalists from

TVs So You Think You Can Dance and American Idol, pushes the boundaries of ballroom dance, infusing it with the energy and intensity of the latest contemporary and hip-hop styles.

The dancers will join us at the champagne reception in the Schmidt Training & Technology Center that follows the performance. There will be an open bar, a dessert extravaganza, a live auction, AND dancing…with the stars!

$150/person discounted pricing available for groups of 8.

www.racc.edu/millercenter 610-607-6239 [email protected]

Join us in celebrating our honoree this year, Mary Ann Chelius Smith. Proceeds benefit students enrolled at RACC.

The Foundation for Reading Area Community College Celebration of Education Gala

RACC Fall 2012 Communiqué

Documents

Transcript of RACC Fall 2012 Communiqué