Community Colleges Partner with Fe Foundation to Offer Summer Camp for Local High School Students | | |
A summer camp and internship opportunity for high school sophomores and juniors will teach life and academic skills and offer training in entrepreneurship through a partnership between LCCC, Northampton Community College and the “Futuros Empresarios”/Future Entrepreneurs (FE) Program. Applications for the camp are now available on LCCC’s website. The camp runs Sunday through Friday, July 13-18, with the internship portion in local businesses set for the following four weeks.
The FE Program is a two-part, five-week summer program where students can learn skills that will prepare them for college or to enter the workforce. This is the fifth year that the community colleges have partnered with the Fé Foundation to host the summer camp.
Local high school sophomores and juniors are encouraged to apply for the camp experience. Participants will spend time on both the LCCC and Northampton campuses, including a residential experience at Northampton, followed by a four-week internship conducted with local businesses and organizations.
Students who complete the program are eligible to participate in the Fé Foundation’s math and verbal enrichment program (SAT prep) and the textbook scholarship program. All the programs are provided at no cost to the student, funded by local businesses, colleges and universities and other private sponsors.
Since the program started in 2009, hundreds of students from 10 school districts in the Lehigh Valley have benefited. Without the FE Program, many students might not receive that needed impetus to succeed and advance academically. The FE Program culminates in a graduation event that recognizes the achievements of student participants and celebrates their individual transformations.
Selection to participate in the program is through a competitive process that includes an application, 250-word essay, recommendation letter, academic transcripts and a personal interview with the Fé Foundation Board Trustees. Students will be selected in April and May.
For further information, students in Lehigh County can contact Tharsis Rodriguez at TRodriguez9@LCCC.edu or 610-799-1554.
| | Advanced Manufacturing Futures Move Full Speed Ahead | | |
At Lehigh Carbon Community College, the latest in manufacturing education is on the move–literally–thanks to a $23,400 PPL Foundation Empowering Communities grant that’s wheeling advanced training to high school students in Carbon and Schuylkill Counties via Mobile Manufacturing Lab.
When a lab is parked, it puts new ideas in drive through a four-week program that introduces electrical and mechanical skills through a mix of theory and instructor-led, hands-on sessions with training-lab equipment. The goal: spark enthusiasm for futures in advanced manufacturing.
“The experience is mainly about introducing the students to an exciting and rewarding career as technicians or engineers or designers in an automated manufacturing environment,” says LCCC manufacturing technology program manager Don Worman, who adds, “They will receive a certificate of participation that outlines the courses they completed and skills learned."
The program will benefit more than 30 high school students, and Darien Moyer, a senior at Panther Valley High School, says the training aligns with his aspirations.
“I am going into the HVAC engineering field with the U.S. Air Force. So when this opportunity was proposed to me, I decided to take it because that’s the field I want to be in.”
Ava Alabovitz, a junior, says, “I really wanted to learn about electrical, but I ended up really liking mechanical the most because it reminded me of playing with Legos!”
The lab boasts the same machinery and software systems being used in today’s manufacturing industry, which is why the labs’ routes double to widely support the training needs of manufacturing companies within the college’s service area. This is among the reasons Worman says, “The mobile labs are in constant use.”
Getting hands-on at the mobile manufacturing lab is putting students in touch with what makes them personally tick, too.
“Growing up, I worked on cars with my step dad. Learning about the engine, putting things together, and getting all greasy, those have been my most enjoyable moments in the lab,” says Moyer. “I got to learn a little bit more about myself, too. I definitely like working hands-on. It’s how I was brought up.”
Albovitz reports a sense of achievement. “I think it’s so incredible to be able to put something together all on your own, to figure out a complex system and complete a task. You just feel so accomplished by the end of it.”
The mobile lab complements the diversity of credit and noncredit training opportunities LCCC offers at its Nevin Earl Remaley Technology Center at the main campus in Schnecksville, Pa., and plans are underway for a new, multidisciplinary Mechatronics Level II program as early as summer 2025.
Mechatronics combines mechanical, electrical, computer, and robotics engineering, and with industries growing increasingly dependent on technology and automation, it’s a very viable field for promising futures in advanced manufacturing.
| | LCCC Earns 2025-26 Military Friendly® Schools Designation | |
LCCC has again earned the title of Military Friendly® School based on both public data sources and responses from a proprietary survey. The college received Silver designation in the small community college category for its work to assist veterans and active military and their families. The full list is published on www.militaryfriendly.com.
Military Friendly® is the standard that measures an organization’s commitment, effort and success in creating sustainable and meaningful benefit for the military community.
The MFS designation identifies a school that provides service members and their families with information about post-military education and career opportunities, including on-campus veterans programs, credit for service, military spouse programs and more. Institutions are rated on student retention, graduation, job placement, loan repayment, persistence (degree advancement or transfer) and loan default rates for all students and specifically for student veterans.
LCCC continues to provide resources and support services to dozens of active military and veteran students, including their spouses and dependents, to meet their specific needs while attending college. Resources include veterans’ lounges at the Schnecksville campus and airport site, preferred scheduling, scholarship opportunities and a dedicated Veterans Support Team to provide the resources needed to successfully transition to college. The LCCC Veterans Club provides an opportunity to find support, a purpose and make connections with fellow veteran and military students. In addition, the Veteran Support Team ensures LCCC remains current on relevant veteran-related issues. Students can also join SALUTE Veterans National Honor Society that recognizes academic achievements.
Institutions nationwide are named Military Friendly® Schools after completing a survey that asks about military support on campus, employment outcomes and graduation. Founded in 2001, Viqtory is a service-disabled, veteran-owned small business that connects the military community to civilian employment, educational and entrepreneurial opportunities.
For more information on LCCC’s veterans programs, contact Ariel Van Dam, assistant director of returning adults and veterans, at avandam@lccc.edu or 610-799-1545.
| | A Network of Support and a Story to Share | | |
The events of a single day can alter the trajectory of one’s life. In an instant, it can become a life goal simply to survive. So it was for Isaiah Natale, who at the age of four, was in a car accident that left him in a wheelchair with many years of recovery complications, life-threatening infections and mental illness ahead of him. Now a communication major at LCCC and a budding professional motivational speaker, Natale has defied all odds on his way to achieving his goals and taking on the world.
Natale’s path to college was not linear, starting with online courses at Colorado Technical University initially. Without a firm desire to attend school, he took a break to figure out where his path lay, which led him to eventually moving two hours from Northumberland County to Allentown. His parents, wanting him to be able to be financially self-sufficient, inspired him to return to school. He was driven to apply to LCCC due to both the affordability of a community college education and high regard from friends who graduated from the college.
After several changes of major, Natale landed on communication in an effort to improve his public speaking skills for his career path, a choice that was due in large part to the influence of his mentor. Ant, a family friend and a fellow chair-user, encouraged Natale to nurture his desire to share his story of overcoming seemingly impossible adversity. “Him believing in me and taking that risk to help me get started meant so much to me,” he says. “I want to inspire others through motivational speaking.”
Becoming an inspirational speaker sounds simple enough on paper, but Natale soon discovered that before any successful endeavor must come loads of hard work. “I really had to learn how to manage a schedule,” he says. The time spent delivering speeches is only a part of the work—Natale spends the majority of his time writing, editing, proofing and practicing his presentation. Additionally, he coordinates with organizations to book events, manages a website and social media presence and networks with potential event hosts.
As a self-proclaimed anxious individual, Natale manages the stress of building a career as a speaker through his support circle at LCCC. “I reach out to my counselor when I need to,” he says. “I pray. I ask for help. And [my professors have] been accommodating with me getting my schoolwork done.” Others at LCCC, such as Michelle Mitchell, disability support services learning specialist; Stephanie Shiffert, learning specialist; and Mary Black, academic advisor, have all helped Natale reach his potential both in and out of the classroom. “They all really want me to succeed. It’s amazing.”
Success is a continuously building reality for Natale, and it started with his first speaking gig at Moravian Academy. On Oct. 26, 2023, on his 25th birthday, he spoke to a group of students about making and maintaining good relationships and managing anxiety in school. “That was one of the worst events I ever did,” he says, “but when I heard the reactions of the students…I was like, ‘Wow, this actually has the means to be something.’” He has since repeatedly spoken at Good Shepherd, where he met another mentor of his, Michael Spigel, CEO. “Michael and I practice, and then I meet with others to continue practicing.” Public speaking as a career is a never-ending process of improvement for Natale, as well as ever-changing.
Natale spoke alongside Tonisha Taylor, Dean of Humanities, Social Sciences and Community Engagement at LCCC, on Wednesday, April 16, in the Community Services Center. He displayed a great deal of vulnerability as he dove deep into the trauma of his past and his path to healing and success. “The message I wanted to convey with this speech [regards] forgiveness,” he says. “If you’re holding in anger, resentment or hatred for somebody, or even yourself, you have to learn to forgive.”
Beyond graduating from LCCC and pursuing a path in public speaking, Natale plans to earn his bachelor’s degree in communication. His experience at LCCC, learning key concepts in his classes and working with a tight-knit circle of support has led him to realize he can achieve anything he sets his mind to. “Utilize your resources,” he says to all students, “because everybody wants to see you succeed here.”
| | College Hosts Student Legislative Breakfast | | |
The college’s local legislative delegation visited campus on April 16 to meet with student leaders at the Student Legislative Breakfast. The event gave PA legislators the opportunity to meet with LCCC students, and in turn allowed students to engage with these local leaders and ask them questions about their experiences as elected officials.
Led by Dr. Ann Bieber and Olivia DeMeuse, president of the Student Government Association, the event included seven legislators or their aides and students, including five panelists who were selected to ask each of the guests questions, including: What was your motivation to become an elected official serving the people of Pennsylvania? What are the biggest challenges facing higher education over the next two years and how will Pennsylvania prepare and what changes could we see to manage these challenges? What is your top priority or most worrisome issue at this time? What is your best advice for students wanting to get involved at the local, state and national level when wanting to voice opinions or influence changes and policy decisions? What initiatives, programs or legislation are you currently working on that you are most excited about and what are the benefits for the people of Pennsylvania?
Legislators:
Sen. David Argall represented by Brad Hurley
Sen. Nick Miller
Rep. Gary Day
Rep. Pete Schweyer
Rep. Zachary Mako
Rep. Jeanne McNeill
Rep. Doyle Heffley
Students attending:
Porsha Antich, SGA Senator
Evan Braun, SGA Senator
Shen DeNardo, SGA, Phi Theta Kappa
Carter Gotthard, Psychology Club
Olivia DeMeuse, Student Government Assoc.
Ella Duke, Political Society
Gabriel Lopez, SGA Tamaqua Rep.
Conor Sandt, Campus Christian Fellowship
Katie Solt, Psychology Club
Jade Wilson, Early College Student (Allen HS)
Marissa Walck, Honors Scholar, Phi Theta Kappa
Alex Zornak, Political Society
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May 3 US Chess Federation Lehigh Valley Open
May 9 Student Awards Ceremony
May 15 Dual Enrollment Virtual Information Session
May 19 Summer Session Classes Begin
May 21 Commencement Ceremony
May 21 Nurse Pinning Ceremony
May 26 College Closed
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Lehigh Carbon Community College President
Dr. Ann D. Bieber
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