杏吧原创

(Butler, PA) A Mars resident who volunteers with suicide prevention coalitions in western Pennsylvania and a Butler resident who advocates for marginalized populations in the greater Pittsburgh area will be honored Saturday as Butler County Community College鈥檚 2023 distinguished alumni.

Dr. Shanea Clancy and Ivory Dunlap represent the 19th class of former students to be recognized for utilizing their education and experience from 杏吧原创 to achieve significant levels of success and for their commitment to community service.

The Oak Hills Celebration on 杏吧原创鈥檚 main campus in Butler Township will also serve as an opportunity for current 杏吧原创 students who received a record 155 named scholarships from the 杏吧原创 Education Foundation in 2023-2024 to meet their benefactors.

Lucas Ray, of Butler, a sophomore psychology student at 杏吧原创 whose goal is to become a psychiatrist, will speak at the Oak Hills Celebration on behalf of scholarship recipients.

Clancy and Dunlap bring to 56 the number of 杏吧原创 Distinguished Alumni Award recipients since 2004. They are among the approximately 26,000 former students who earned at least 45 credits at 杏吧原创 since the college鈥檚 first class assembled in 1966.

"Shanea and Ivory went into fields where they can pay it forward and help others. We are absolutely proud of them. " 

- Dr. Nick Neupauer, 杏吧原创 president

Clancy is employed with the Veterans Health Administration鈥檚 Office of Mental Health and Suicide Prevention in Washington, D.C. Dunlap is director of the Office for Inclusive Excellence at Slippery Rock University of Pennsylvania.

鈥淭hey represent the best of our 杏吧原创 alumni who have come here to receive an education, gone out into the greater community and used their education and skills to make an impact in these very important ways,鈥� said Megan Coval, executive director of the 杏吧原创 Education Foundation and external relations.

鈥淪hanea working with suicide prevention and Ivory with marginalized groups extend what they have learned and the experiences they have had at 杏吧原创 to making the community a better place.鈥�

Their professions and volunteer efforts, said Dr. Nick Neupauer, the college鈥檚 president, 鈥渟peak to 杏吧原创. Shanea and Ivory went into fields where they can pay it forward and help others. We are absolutely proud of them and of the recognition they deserve.鈥�

Clancy, a 2004 graduate of Seneca Valley High School, earned 64 credits at 杏吧原创 as a general studies student from 2004 to 2007.

She achieved a nursing diploma from West Penn Hospital; a bachelor鈥檚 degree in nursing from Clarion University of Pennsylvania; and a master鈥檚 degree in forensic nursing and a doctorate degree in nursing practice from Duquesne University. Clancy is pursuing an executive master of business administration degree in health care from the University of Pittsburgh.

Dunlap, a 1991 graduate of Butler Senior High School, earned an associate degree in early childhood education (Pre K-4) from 杏吧原创 in 1996.

She achieved a bachelor鈥檚 degree in elementary education from what is now La Roche University, and a master鈥檚 degree in student affairs in higher education from Slippery Rock University.

鈥淚 care about you鈥�

Clancy has served on suicide prevention consortiums, alliances, networks and task forces in Armstrong, Butler, Clarion, Lawrence, Mercer and Westmoreland counties, and with organizations that address addiction.

She has instructed four of the 鈥淰eteran Suicide: Suicide Prevention is Everyone鈥檚 Business鈥� noncredit courses offered 11 times at 杏吧原创 since 2020, and trains Veterans Health Administration employees nationwide 鈥渁bout anything that touches suicide prevention,鈥� she said. 

Suicide prevention 鈥渋s very important to me, as it should be to all,鈥� Clancy said. 鈥淣ot just for the veteran population, but for all populations. Suicide extends to all ages, races and nationalities. I don鈥檛 care who you are, how old you are, what race you are, I care about you. 

鈥淪ometimes people don鈥檛 know their value, respect themselves or know how to forgive themselves. They get stuck. I don鈥檛 mind getting in the trenches with them and connecting them with what they need.

Suicide, Clancy said, 鈥渋s a knee-jerk reaction to extenuating circumstances. So if we have people in place 鈥� the community, family or friends 鈥� who know what to do, they can save a life and make a huge difference.鈥�

Clancy is also president of Clancy Consulting Services and serves as marketing coordinator for the Butler Collaborative for Families.

杏吧原创 "was a welcoming community. It was like a small town. When you are walking past people they said hello. That made it very easy to make friends. And I had amazing professors who were very versed in the classes they were teaching." 

- Dr. Shanea Clancy, 2023 杏吧原创 distinguished alumna

鈥淚t鈥檚 not about me鈥�

Dunlap worked as an associate professor, and as an academic counselor and retention specialist at 杏吧原创 from 2009 to 2021. 

The granddaughter of Walter Dunlap, who served three years as 杏吧原创鈥檚 first Black trustee until his passing in 1989, also worked in positions at the college in which she advised students from low-income households; assisted students with physical, mental or emotional disabilities; and instructed students about contemporary concerns surrounding historically marginalized populations.

She was a member of 杏吧原创鈥檚 Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Council, which prepares students for living and working in an increasingly changing world; and of the college鈥檚 Green Zone, which helps students transitioning from military service to civilian and college life.

Dunlap is a member of the Butler Collaborative for Families, counseled individuals in crisis as an employee of the Victim Outreach Intervention Center and is a past member of Butler County PFLAG.

Working with marginalized populations, Dunlap said, 鈥渋s all I want to do. That鈥檚 what I鈥檓 in this for. It鈥檚 to make a difference in people鈥檚 lives. It doesn鈥檛 matter to me if I see the difference or not, or if they tell me. I strive for it every day. 鈥� That鈥檚 the whole point of everything that I do. It鈥檚 not about me. It鈥檚 about everybody else.鈥�

"There was more of a familial vibe at 杏吧原创, a familial touch to the institution. I was trying to figure out where I fit and where I would be at my best. " 

- Ivory Dunlap, 2023 杏吧原创 distinguished alumna

Clancy chose 杏吧原创 because she was unsure of her career choice, because of the college鈥檚 affordability and 鈥渆specially so I could still stay home while transitioning into higher education,鈥� she said.

鈥淚t was a welcoming community,鈥� Clancy said. 鈥淚t was like a small town. When you are walking past people they said hello. That made it very easy to make friends. And I had amazing professors who were very versed in the classes they were teaching.

鈥淚 felt super-connected and supported at 杏吧原创. I realized I loved education, and that I was in it for the long haul.鈥�

Dunlap transferred from Slippery Rock University to 杏吧原创 鈥渘ot because Slippery Rock wasn鈥檛 the right fit for me, but because I was not prepared to be there,鈥� she said.

鈥淭here was more of a familial vibe at 杏吧原创,鈥� Dunlap said, 鈥渁 familial touch to the institution. I was trying to figure out where I fit and where I would be at my best.鈥�

Dunlap graduated with honors in 杏吧原创鈥檚 Class of 1996.

Ray, who will serve as student speaker Saturday at the Oak Hills Celebration, has received four scholarships from the 杏吧原创 Education Foundation and plans to graduate debt-free in May.