Written by Jeff McGaw/ReadingEagle

Reading, PA — Six web professionals sitting in judgement, five teams of creative up-and-coming web designers, and a prize to the team that best figures out how to transform a relatively ugly duckling website into a beautiful high-tech swan.

Reading Area Community College's web application development program hosted a presentation and awards event Sunday at the Miller Center for the Arts for its first web design challenge.

It was a "Project Runway"-like competition, but rather than asking designers to create wearable fashion from grocery store food, the contest challenged them to use their computer coding skills to redesign the website for the Berks County Community Foundation's Jump Start Incubator program.

That seven-year-old program helps entrepreneurs get started in business.

In the end, the Blue Bats, a team of four students from the Berks Career & Technology Center, earned top honors.

Four teams from Reading Muhlenberg Career & Technology Center also competed in the event, which drew dozens of parents, school faculty members and others.

"It was very close," said Jason Brudereck, director of marketing and communications for the community foundation and one of six judges. "There was a lot of debate among the judges."

Jump Start has helped 50 companies launch. Of those, 31 are minority or woman-owned, and the 42 that are still in business employed 121 people and combined for $2 million in revenues in 2017.

That success came despite a website described by some of the students as "bland," "basic," "boring" and "static."

"We had to take away the key points of the old website," said Sean Bachman, who along with Rebecca Davis, David Rohweder and Analee Weichert formed the winning Blue Bats team. "Then we had to kick it up a notch."

After working for several months, teams presented their work to the judges, a key part of the experience, said Brian Savage, RACC's website application development program coordinator.

"Anybody can go make a pretty website," Savage said, "but what makes a great web application developer is someone who can solve business problems in a pretty way, in a friendly way, with a user interface that will allow companies to go forward and gain in efficiencies."

"It's a whole other thing when you have to stand up and show the people who are going to possibly buy what you did," said Adrianna Rivera, a competitor from Reading Muhlenberg. "If you're confident in your work, you have to show that confidence on stage as well."

"I wasn't really worried about the technical aspect of it," said Isaac Freeman, a software engineer at JPMorgan Chase & Co., and one of the judges. "It was more like. 'What was their presentation like? What is the client looking to accomplish through this medium? Did the contestants execute it?' That's pretty much what we judged on.

"Yeah, a pretty website is nice. But functionality is key at the end of the day."

Jackson, Mississippi — Phi Theta Kappa Honor Society (PTK) will recognize 25 college presidents with the Paragon Award for New Presidents during PTK Catalyst 2019, the Society’s annual convention, April 4-6 in Orlando, Florida. Reading Area Community College President Susan D. Looney, J.D, Ed.D., who began her presidency in July 2018, will be honored among those receiving this prestigious award.

The Paragon Awards are given to new college presidents who have shown strong support of student success by recognizing academic achievement, leadership, and service among high-achieving students at their college. Recipients were nominated for the award by the students on their campus. PTK students have a 91 percent student success rate, and research has shown that strong presidential leadership and support of PTK increases member success and the depth of their college experience. 

The Paragon Award for New Presidents marks a special accomplishment for Dr. Looney. “I am completely humbled to be honored by PTK, an organization that has meant so much to me over the course of my community college career,” says Dr. Looney. She has received a Paragon Award when a PTK student and again when she was a PTK advisor.  
Dr. Looney joined RACC in 2014 as dean of instruction and was appointed to senior vice president of academic affairs/provost in 2015.  

The Phi Theta Kappa Honor Society recognizes academic achievement of community college students and provides opportunities for them to grow as scholars and leaders. For more information about Phi Theta Kappa at Reading Area Community College, please call 610.372.4721.

This story was originally released on Jan. 30 by 69 News and published by WFMZ.com.

Reading Area Community College senior Kaiya Kizuka stands ready to represent the United States on the world stage of snowboarding.

Kaiya has been invited to compete at the 2019 FIS World Snowboard Championships in Utah as a member of the U.S. Snowboard Team. The Lower Heidelberg Township, Berks County woman will be competing in both the parallel slalom and parallel giant slalom events on February 4th and 5th.

The event is the highest level of snowboarding competition during a non-Olympic year, and many of the competitors are current World Cup and Olympic athletes.

Kaiya started to snowboard at the age of four and began racing regionally eight years later in 2011. She now trains with the Ski Roundtop Race Club, racing in the open class level at national and international FIS events.

For the last two years, Kaiya has been a member of the U.S. Junior World Snowboard Championship (JWSC) team, competing in the Czech Republic and New Zealand.

"Kaiya has persistently climbed the ladder of Alpine Snowboard Racing in the United States. Her invitation to World Championships is a result of dedication, sacrifice, and hard work," said Neil Sunday, who will be one of the coaches with Kaiya on the race course during the event. "It was only a matter of time before this opportunity presented itself; it shows that with hard work, sacrifice and dedication to your sport, you can achieve great things."

After the World Snowboard Championships, Kaiya said she hopes to travel with the JWSC team one more time to Rogla, Slovenia, in her last year of eligibility for the JWSC.

"Kaiya is a talented athlete with a lot of potential. Over the past years, I have had the pleasure of competing with her, mentoring her, and coaching her in and out of the gym," said Robby Burns, Kaiya's Project Gold and strength coach. "I am excited to watch her grow, as an individual and an athlete into a career that is only just beginning."

Kaiya, a 2017 graduate of Wilson High School, is in her final semester of the engineering program at RACC. She will graduate in May with an associate's degree.

Reading, PA, December 11, 2018 – Reading Area Community College (RACC) has been awarded $75,000 as part of a grant from the BB&T Economic Growth Fund through the Berks County Community Foundation. The grant will be used to support the RACC President’s Initiative Fund. Specifically, the grant will help fund the expansion of the Peer Mentorship Program for five semesters from spring 2019 through May 2021, and will double the opportunities for mentorship for each semester. 

The RACC Peer Mentorship Program serves to promote academic success, and increase the student graduation rates. First-year RACC students are paired with outstanding upper-class students who act as mentors throughout the academic year. “This grant from the BB&T Economic Growth Fund will help us expand the Peer Mentor Program to assist first-year students in their academic success. We know that students who participate in a quality mentor program are more prepared academically for challenges they face during their first year of college,“ says RACC President Susan D. Looney. “The funding will also be used for scholarships which will allow these funds to support RACC’s mission of offering access, opportunity, excellence and hope for all students.”

“We are excited to have this opportunity to support RACC’s President’s Initiative Fund, and look forward to seeing the positive impact it will have on Reading Area Community College students and their academic success,” says David Roland, BB&T market president, Berks County/Northern Montgomery County. The BB&T Economic Growth Fund was established in 2017 to invest in local economic development opportunities. 

The Berks County Community Foundation received $2.5 million in connection with BB&T’s acquisition of National Penn in 2016. The Fund allows the Community Foundation to support charitable projects and initiatives that impact economic development efforts in Berks County.

To learn more about the RACC Peer Mentorship Program or the Berks County Community Foundation visit racc.edu or bccf.org.

Reading, PA — Alvernia University and Reading Area Community College (RACC) are expanding their dual admission partnership to include full-tuition scholarships for qualified RACC graduates through a special Reading Collegiate Scholars Program, modeled after Alvernia’s highly successful program aimed at the city’s high school students. 

“Alvernia has benefitted from a longstanding relationship with RACC for decades as many of their students have successfully transferred to our university to complete four-year degrees,” said Alvernia President Tom Flynn. “We welcome this new opportunity to advance our relationship to the next level including building upon our Reading Collegiate Scholars Program.” 

Alvernia’s expanded Reading Collegiate Scholars Program will now include two full-tuition scholarships for qualified RACC graduates beginning fall 2019, increasing to four by fall 2020. In addition, scholarship support will be expanded for all RACC graduates who transfer to Alvernia and meet academic and service criteria.

“Community college students who transfer to four-year universities graduate at a rate well above the national average and way above traditional four-year students,” said RACC President Susan Looney. “We are especially excited about strengthening our partnership with Alvernia to provide even more opportunities for RACC students such as expanding access for RACC graduates to the Reading Collegiate Scholars program,” she added. 

The Reading Collegiate Scholars Program enrolls underserved but capable students from the City of Reading and provides support, incentives and financial aid designed to ensure students successfully complete a college education. Started in 2014, the first group has a 100% graduation rate. The program is supported primarily by private donors, local businesses and foundations, and university funding.