Central Penn College Celebrating 140 Years

Central Penn College Celebrating By Greg Colburn, Senior Communications Specialist140YEARS!

For its 140th anniversary, Central Penn College threw itself a weekend-long birthday party and invited the campus and surrounding communities. And guess what? They showed up… in a big way!

The Magical Moments Homecoming Weekend featured a variety of signature events that showcased the college’s vitality as a community resource… its beautiful campus and facilities… and its importance as an educational and economic force in the area. Over the two days of homecoming, several thousand people visited the Summerdale campus.

“As we all know, it’s been a challenging 18 months for everybody, especially for our students,” said Dr. Linda Fedrizzi-Williams, president of Central Penn College.

“The Cabinet and I felt that we really needed to come together and celebrate the Central Penn experience in true Knight fashion, and I’m proud to say we did. Our Magical Moments Homecoming Weekend was a Derek Jeter walk-off grand slam,” said the President, revealing her New York roots. She grew up in Middletown, N.Y., and is a lifelong New York Yankees and Giants fan.

She thanked the Advancement, Admissions and Communications teams for their efforts in organizing this year’s multi-event Homecoming Weekend.

Last year, the Fall Harvest Festival, as well as all homecoming activities, were cancelled due to the pandemic. Not this year… Homecoming Weekend 2021 featured an action-packed schedule, beginning at 4 p.m. Friday, Oct. 15, with a 140th Anniversary Celebration and Graduate Toast at the Conference Center.

A Rousing Start

Alum Kristal Turner-Childs gave a powerful, inspirational speech about turning challenges into opportunities and then having the courage to say “yes” to those opportunities, even when they’re not quite what you want. She credits her decision to accept some less than glamorous assignments earlier in her career for helping fuel her recent successes.

In fact, a few days prior to her speech, Pennsylvania Governor Tom Wolf promoted Lieutenant Colonel Turner-Childs to the position of deputy commissioner of staff for the Pennsylvania State Police. She is the first African-American woman in the department’s 116-year history to attain the rank.

Overcoming Challenges, Seizing Opportunities

“I see challenges as the pop quizzes of life. Life’s pop quizzes force us to show up. To prove to ourselves that we are who we dream of,” said Turner-Childs, who earned her master’s in Organizational Leadership, from Central Penn in 2017. “When challenges come, I set my alarm clock,” she continued. “I wake up ready to win. I challenge you to win.”

Turner-Childs congratulated the graduates of 2020 and 2021 for their accomplishments and urged them to be prepared to take on new challenges “because there will be more to come,” she said. “The beauty of a challenge is you get to show up.” That rousing start set the tone for the entire weekend.

A History of Career-Relevant Education

Central Penn College traces its history to 1881, when the Pennsylvania Business College was founded at 307 Market Street in Harrisburg. For the next 89 years, a continuous series of careeroriented business colleges existed on Market Street in the heart of the capital city’s business district. The college’s mission has always been clear—to provide a career-focused education.

From those humble beginnings as a one-classroom business school, Central Penn College has continually innovated, expanding its offerings to meet the dynamics of a changing market place. “The college’s ability to evolve over the course of its history is a testament to the resiliency and determination of not only the institution’s leadership but also our student population through the years,” said President Fedrizzi-Williams.

“And our current students have those two key qualities in abundance,” said President Fedrizzi-Williams.

As a business school in the 1880s, the college focused on training students how to work successfully in a professional office environment. With the recent inventions of the typewriter and the adding machine, the modern office workplace was being born. The college was there to meet the demand for skilled office workers by offering courses in typing, stenography and bookkeeping.

“For people born in the latter half of the 20th and the early part of the 21st century, it’s sometimes hard to imagine how completely different life was in the 1880s,” said Michael Fedor, Vice President of Advancement & Strategic Initiatives. “There was no electricity, no cars, few paved roads, no internet, no television. Telephones had just been invented, but few people had them.

“Horse-drawn trollies were the primary method of mass transportation within the city,” continued Fedor. “Out of this much different––yet still bustling and vibrant––time emerged the institution that is today known as Central Penn College.”

Becoming Central Penn

In 1922, Professor William H. Hartsock was relieved from his position as head of the accountancy department at the Harrisburg Business College/School of Commerce located at 15

Central Penn College Celebrating140YEARS!

S. Market Square. Numerous faculty and anywhere from 150 to 250 Harrisburg Business College students followed, who on Oct. 30 of that same year, opened the doors to Central Pennsylvania Business School, less than three blocks away.

From the very beginning, the mission of providing a career-focused education also was tied to learning the latest technology… because that knowledge was critical to landing jobs in the burgeoning field of business and office work. An excerpt from the college’s 1930 catalog touts “instruction on the mimeograph, stenotype, electric bookkeeping machine, adding machine, calculating machine and Dictaphone.”

In the 1962 college catalog, the list of classroom equipment includes 90 typewriters, seven of which are IBM electrics; calculators; bank and key adding machines, dictating machines, tape recorders; addressing machines and IBM key punch machines.

In the three decades between the 1930s and 1960s, office technologies exploded. And that trend has just accelerated over the last six decades. Today, the college has multiple computer labs, with 225 computers available for student use. The library also loans out laptops as well.

From Harrisburg to Summerdale

In 1970, Central Pennsylvania Business School moved across the Susquehanna River to Summerdale. President Bart Milano and his wife Jean began the creation of the school's current suburban Summerdale campus, featuring all new structures that included academic buildings, apartment-style housing and recreation facilities.

The transition from business school to college began in 1977 when the Commission on Higher Education of the Middle States Association of Colleges and Schools accredited Central Penn. In 1999, the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania recognized Central Penn as a two-year college with degree-granting privileges. In December of 2000, Pennsylvania's Secretary of Education approved Central Penn College to operate as a four-year degree-granting college.

“Central Penn’s journey from a business school to a four-year college was, at times, long and winding,” said President FedrizziWilliams. “Yet, for me, it symbolizes the journey that many of our students and alumni have experienced. Earning your degree is not always a straightforward process, especially if you’re a firstgeneration college student… a working parent juggling childcare, work and classes… a second-chance student… a returning student, to name a few.

“The common thread for both the college and our students,” continued the President, “is that it takes hard work, persistence, resiliency and determination to reach that next level.”

First-Ever Concert

Following the Grad Toast on Friday evening was the college’s first-ever oncampus concert, an event sponsored by Members 1st Federal Credit Union. Local indie pop band After Hours warmed up the crowd for headliner, A Proud Monkey, the East Coast’s premier Dave Matthews tribute band.

With temperatures in the 70s, families and couples—with their lawn chairs and blankets—gathered in the grass along the tiered parking lots to enjoy a rousing twohour show. By the first hour, people were dancing and swaying in front of the stage. The Alumni tent was hopping as concertgoers enjoyed pizza and beverages

provided by Al’s of Hampden and Pizza Boy Brewing, which are both owned by alumnus Al Kominski. A big shout-out to Joe Caviston, Digital Media Strategist at the college, for booking the bands and coordinating the stage set-up and logistics to pull off a successful event.

Fall Harvest Festival

There was rain, including thunderstorms, in the forecast for Saturday. Would the Fall Harvest Festival, scheduled from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., have to be cancelled for a second year in a row (this time due to inclement weather)? “I banned all Communications team members from even thinking of the word ‘rain,“ joked Mary Wetzel, Associate VP of Advancement & Strategic Initiatives. She took the lead role in planning and organizing the Homecoming Weekend.

With a record number of vendors (80+) scheduled to participate in Fall Harvest, expectations were running high for a very successful event, if the weather would just cooperate. And it did, mostly.

For the first three hours, the rain held off and the Summerdale campus was inundated with visitors—students, alumni, faculty, staff, community members and fans of the college. Kids were enjoying the free candied apples and cotton candy, as well as turns in the bouncy castles. Alumni and CPC employees stopped by the popup merchandise table and picked up the latest Central Penn gear. Visitors checked in at registration for their free Magical Moments t-shirt and CPC swag.

After three hours, the skies darkened and then the rains came, sending everyone to their vehicles.

“Despite the rain at the end, I have to say this was the most successful Fall Harvest Festival since I’ve been at the college,” said Wetzel, who began her CPC career in 1998.

Prior to Fall Harvest, the college hosted an Open House on Saturday morning. More than 30 students and their families attended the event, with many of them staying for the festival.

Soccer Game and Harry Potter Movie

The game must go on, to paraphrase an old saying. A little rain didn’t stop the diehard athletes representing both graduates and current students in the inaugural Alumni vs. Students soccer game at Adams Ricci Park. The Alumni ending up winning 5–4 in a highly competitive match. The Magical Moments Homecoming Weekend ended magically with a screening of Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone at the Capital Blue Cross Theatre. There was a Harry Potter costume contest and attendees enjoyed their fill of preHalloween snacks.

“Central Penn College is such an amazing place, and I’m so happy that we were able to share the Central Penn experience with so many in our community,” said President Fedrizzi-Williams.

“Our chief want in life is to meet someone who causes us to do what we did not think we were capable of doing. The Central Penn experience had that effect on her students. This I believe.”

– Todd Milano, 8th president of Central Penn College, 1989–2012.

Testimonials

“Being the first Central Penn graduate to serve on the college’s board of directors was an incredible honor for me. I served on the board for nine years and was chairman for five of those years.”

– Bill Kobel, ’81, A.S. mass media, executive vice president of the JPL Agency. He is an alumnus, a former employee and former Board of Directors member.

“I was lucky enough in 1980 to begin my education at Central Penn in computer information systems. It prepared me very well for my career in computers that spanned over 35 years.”

— Ken Blessing, ’82, A.S. computer information systems, executive vice president at ImageVision.Net.

“Central Penn College provided me with a career-specific degree that enabled me to quickly and effectively get into the workforce in the field of my choice. The value of my CPC education was significant as I was able to obtain my degree without going into debt.”

– Emily (Wevodau) Thoman, ’08, A.S. PTA, vice president at Wevodau Insurance & Benefit Strategies, Inc.

“Having the degree from CPC has allowed me to have some really amazing jobs over the years, I was the Deputy Travel Manager for the Federal Air Marshal Program. The government brought me in right after 9/11 and I created all the departments for what is now US Department of Homeland Security. I also worked at 20th Century Fox in Beverly Hills and Deutsche Bank in London, UK. I’m always learning and growing in my field.”

— Bill Furman, ’82, A.S. travel & tourism, director of operations at Hickory Global Partners.

“My time at Central Penn was a pivotal moment of my life. It truly paved the way to my success. I would like to thank the college for treating me more like family. The friends that I made at Central Penn are still close to me and in touch with me in Philippines. All the best for the next 100 years.”

– Pat Kobela, ’83, A.S. travel, regional director of sales at Chartwell Hotels.

“Attending Central Penn College was an integral part of shaping my future. They taught me more structure and prepared me well for my career in healthcare.”

– Susan Comp, ’81, Cert. surgical technician, UPMC Central Pa. chief nursing officer at UPMC Harrisburg.

“To me, Central Penn College meant that I could further my career, and better the future of myself, family and my children while still attending to life's other needs and priorities.”

– Ronald Grim, Jr., ’17, B.S. business administration, founder/ceo at Eventfuli.

“Central Penn College gave me the opportunity to feel like I was doing something important and contributing to society. I had worked at other endeavors before coming to Central Penn. The difference was that I didn't always do things that directly impacted another person's success. At Central Penn, I knew that my efforts directly affected students and their chance for success.”

– Harve Tannebaum, long-time Information Technology professor who retired in early 2021.

“Earning my bachelor's degree from Central Penn College in 2005 was such a huge accomplishment for me personally. It really was the defining moment for the rest of my life.”

– Sam Morgan, ’05, B.S. criminal justice administration. Sam joined the faculty in 2006 and served as Chair for the School of Legal and Justice before retiring in March 2021.

“Central Penn College appealed to me because it provided an efficient route to a college degree in an environment where I would learn from instructors with actual real-world experience rather than professors who have made a career exclusively in academia.”

– Jeremy Jenkins, ’95, A.S. mass media, Chief Executive Officer at Lanco Federal Credit Union.

“When I think of Central Penn College, I think of opportunity. The college is responsive to the needs of non-traditional students, those who are older and who want to change career paths. Central Penn also extends access to those in high school who may not think college is for them. That opportunity can be life-changing!”

– Dr. Carol Spigner. She serves on the college’s Board of Directors.