May 26, 2020
Volume 2 | Issue 21
Your Weekly Commission Update
Community colleges play an important role in educating and training current and future generations of workers,
in addition to providing affordable and responsive higher education to thousands of Pennsylvanians every year.
Community College Nursing Graduates Join COVID-19 Fight
“I have always found a calling with taking care of people, and COVID patients are no different than anyone else,” said Rebecca Strausser in a Citizen's Voice article last week. Recently, she received a nursing degree from Luzerne County Community College and will now join the team at Commonwealth Health Regional Hospital of Scranton as a registered nurse.
Student Hero: Instructional Videos Offer Guidance on New Technology
Since the beginning of the COVID-19 outbreak, Rachel Fleagle, a communications student at HACC, Central Pennsylvania's Community College, has been proactively helping faculty and students and has created an informative instructional video to help students with the transition to using Zoom software.
Montgomery County Community College Names Sixth President
Upon completion of a nationwide search, Montgomery County Community College’s (MCCC) Board of Trustees announced that Dr. Victoria L. Bastecki-Perez has been selected to serve as the college’s sixth President. While Dr. Bastecki-Perez served as Interim President, MCCC earned the prestigious Achieving the Dream Leader College of Distinction award.
Scholarship Makes Higher Ed Attainable for Thousands
" Mayor Jim Kenney and I agree that a community college degree is essential to reducing poverty and closing the equity gap," said Dr. Donald Guy Generals , President of Community College of Philadelphia , in a recent letter to the Philadelphia Tribune about the newly c reated Octavius Catto Scholarship .
Continuing Coverage
PA Community Colleges Respond to COVID-19 as Situation Evolves
Pennsylvania community colleges continue to be proactive in their response to COVID-19. As guidance changes, the most up-to-date information from each community college is available on the Commission's website.
Birthdays & Fun Fact
Happy (belated) Birthday to Pennsylvania House Democratic Appropriations Chairman Rep. Matt Bradford , Rep. Karen Boback , Rep. Stephen Barrar  and Rep. Jim Gregory !

Dual Enrollment Fact: Every 2020 Greater Johnstown School District senior who played at least three years of varsity baseball earned an Associate Degree at Pennsylvania Highlands Community College while still in high school.