News

For Joshua Riojas, RACC was just the beginning of his successful journey. “My professional work experience and education all started at RACC, and the school deserves a tremendous amount of credit in how I have progressed through life professionally.”

Joshua graduated from Conrad Weiser with no immediate plans for a career. He knew a four-year college didn’t suit him, so he chose RACC for his education. “I wanted to keep costs down and since I didn’t take my SATs seriously, I considered community college as my best option.”

While at RACC, Joshua received a Foundation Scholarship which encouraged him to earn more than one degree. Joshua graduated from RACC with two Associate Degrees in Web Site Development and Computer Technology. 

One of Joshua’s instructors, Marty Kelly, who is also RACC’s webmaster, gave him an opportunity to work as a work-study in the web department. “Over the years of employment at RACC, Marty was a wonderful supervisor who made every effort to see me thrive academically and professionally. People like Marty are the reason why a student should go to RACC.” Marty not only encouraged and supported Joshua while he was at RACC, but they stayed in touch after graduation and continue to be close friends.

Joshua directly credits RACC for providing him with a pathway not only for transferring to a four-year college but also for gaining employment opportunities. “My education at RACC enabled me to acquire part-time work at the college. Plus, it was instrumental in obtaining an IT Internship at Morgan Corporation, which continued a trickle effect as I transferred to PSU.” Joshua was able to leverage his work experience at RACC to get a web internship in the Marketing and Communications Research Department at Penn State. Joshua ultimately graduated from Penn State with Bachelor’s and Master’s Degrees in Computer Science.

Joshua currently works at Cerner Corporation as a System Engineer and as an adjunct lecturer at Penn State, Harrisburg campus. Joshua’s immediate plans moving forward are to continue to explore fields within Computer Science, further his education with various IT/System Administrator certificates and focus on improving his lectures for his college classes. 

Joshua feels that RACC was a turning point for him and continues to highly recommend RACC as a starting point for anyone looking to further their education. “RACC provides many dual admission opportunities that facilitate easy transfer of credits; and the classes, instructors and work-study programs help you calculate a trajectory for your career.”

Congratulations to 2022 RACC graduate Leisha Gonzalez!

Leisha is the mother of a five-year-old and was a proud work study of the RACC campus. Her parents left formal schooling in middle school, prompting Leisha to be vigilant in pursuing a higher education. At RACC, she found a family, found talented, committed faculty and staff who encouraged her in her studies and also in her personal life. She majored in secondary education as a result of her experiences during the height of the COVID19 pandemic-when she fell in love with tutoring her younger siblings while in quarantine.

“My journey at RACC has been amazing with meeting so many wonderful people and being able to experience so many different things on and off campus. My career goal is to eventually work in the Reading School District as a teacher assistant. I hope to teach students hearts and minds as both a confidant and as an educator,” says Leisha of her career goals after RACC.

Congratulations to Jamal Dancy. The first graduate spotlight of our RACC 2022 graduate success series!

Jamal Dancy is a criminal justice major and a first-generation college student. As a freshman at RACC, Jamal quickly became a well-known face around campus. As a Student Ambassador, vice-president of the Student Government Association, and treasurer of the Phi Theta Kappa Honor Society, he immersed himself in student activities, while still developing leadership qualities through RACC’s National Society of Leadership and Success.

This fall, Jamal will be attending Alvernia University on a full scholarship to complete his bachelor’s degree. Upon graduating, he plans to work as a juvenile probation officer with inner city youth to guide them toward a better path in life. Ultimately, he wishes to further advance his education in law school-becoming a judge in juvenile court.

Stephen Kohler graduated from Governor Mifflin High School and enrolled in RACC’s Respiratory Care program. “The Respiratory Care Program itself attracted me to RACC, but it was also the financial benefit. I was able to graduate and not be in debt.”

Stephen graduated from the Respiratory Care Program and continued his education at Alvernia University where he received a bachelor’s degree in Computer System’s Management and an Executive Medical Master’s Degree in Business Administration. Stephen credits his experience and education at RACC for preparing him to care for his patients from the emergency room to the neonatal intensive care unit. “RACC is beneficial because students get to attend clinical experiences at a variety of hospitals and settings to gain a perspective from a multitude of institutions and varied care providers in the field, which makes for a synergistic real world learning experience.”

Stephen has worked at Tower Health Reading Hospital as a respiratory therapist since the day he graduated from RACC and currently holds a supervisory position as a critical care clinical specialist. He feels RACC’s rigorous program creates graduates who are ready to tackle their career. “You do not walk out of the doors on graduation day looking to the sky saying, ‘now what,’ you know, and are prepared for exactly what you were trained to do. You can find employment for exactly what your field of study was, and you have a chance to help people in their time of need.”

As Stephen looks back at his time at RACC, he has wonderful memories and valuable learning experiences. “RACC is a wonderful institution filled with an abundance of caring individuals who are dedicated and full of life experiences. The student body is comprised of a multitude of backgrounds and diverse age differences, which creates perspectives that are paramount in having the absolute best learning environment possible. Learning from those who have lived through changes and experiences can be very rewarding and eye opening. One should never shy away from where they have come; it will only make the future stronger if you never forget the past.”

Originally from Greenville, North Carolina, Pamela Tuck, has been writing poems and stories since she was a child. Pamela credits her writing to her upbringing surrounded by southern storytellers. In fact, her family inspires many of her stories. Pamela, mother of 11 children, was drawn to RACC for its conveniently, accessible remote courses. “The creative writing program is offered primarily online, which worked best with my schedule and lifestyle and the staff are very welcoming and supportive.”

Pamela graduated RACC with an Associate of Arts in Creative Writing. The creative writing program helped Pamela hone her craft as a writer in the areas of fiction and nonfiction. “I currently write leveled reading books for school students, which requires research and outlining. My experience with RACC further developed those skills for me and allowed me to apply those skills in my current position.”

Pamela is an award-winning author for the many children’s books she has written. Some of those awards include, the 2007 Lee and & Low Books New Voices Award for her book As Fast As Words Could Fly and the 2019 Mom’s Choice Award Gold for her book Mother of Many. Reflecting on her time at RACC, Pamela acknowledges the vigorous writing exercises and techniques she learned in the creative writing program that she applies to the various types of writing she produces. “The creative writing program also gave me a foundation of fundamentals that I am able to conceptualize and build upon as I grow as a writer.”

In fact, Pamela credits her professor, Joey Flamm-Costello, for helping her bring out the best in her writing. “Joey believed in me and her genuine interest in my success empowered me to follow my dreams. Joey offered such deep analysis of the literature we read and wrote.”

Moving forward, Pamela will continue to work her dream job as a fulltime writer and utilize the skills she learned at RACC to advance her career. “The challenging and engaging courses prepare students with the skills they need to succeed in their profession.”