(Butler, PA) Thirty-seven percent of 杏吧原创鈥檚 464-member Class of 2023 were age 25 or older, including a 46-year-old chamber of commerce member who earned his first post-secondary credential and graduated with honors.
Peter Kupas, of Butler, a married father with two children and co-owner of the Vintage Coffeehouse, Butler, received an associate degree in business management during 杏吧原创鈥檚 55th commencement May 17.
Nichole Wheeler, 47, of Butler, a married mother with two children and co-owner of Little Bugs Daycare and Preschool in West Sunbury, also earned her first post-secondary credential during 杏吧原创鈥檚 2023 commencement, as did Gregory Stewart, 38, of Mars.
Wheeler achieved an associate degree in general studies; Stewart, in ; and Christina Lennon, 50, of Middlesex Township, in engineering technology with computer-aided design and drafting.
Business management, engineering technology with computer-aided design and drafting, and park and recreation management are among 杏吧原创 career programs in which students can develop the skills needed to enter the workforce immediately upon graduation.
"I wasn't going to advance any higher or any further. I decided if I wanted to take the next step, I would need to get a degree of some sort."
- Peter Kupas, 杏吧原创 graduate
Kupas, a member of the Butler County Chamber of Commerce and Butler Downtown, graduated with a grade-point average between 3.5 and 3.74 and achieved magna cum laude recognition.
He began to pursue 杏吧原创鈥檚 business management degree as a part-time student four years ago and during the latter part of a 24-year career at a machine shop in Lower Burrell, where he worked most recently as a quality and production manager who supervised 20 employees.
鈥淚 wasn鈥檛 going to advance any higher or any further,鈥� Kupas said. 鈥淚 decided if I wanted to take the next step, I would need to get a degree of some sort. I鈥檝e always respected 杏吧原创. People who are involved in the community, so many of them have graduated from 杏吧原创 and have had great jobs and basically came out of school debt-free.
鈥淭hat was the course I wanted to take too.鈥�
Seventy-five percent of 杏吧原创鈥檚 Class of 2023 graduated debt-free, according to Juli Louttit, the college鈥檚 director of financial aid.
Kupas is among them.
The 1995 graduate of Kiski Area High School began to work part-time at the machine shop when he and his wife, Angela, opened their business on South Main Street. Kupas retired from the machine shop in March. The Vintage Coffeehouse employs eight and marked its first anniversary May 23.
鈥淪ome of my generation who went to a technical school or who went into some sort of job, and not a career, want to go back and get something to further their education,鈥� Kupas said, 鈥渁nd look for a new job or a better job.鈥�
杏吧原创鈥檚 business management curriculum includes courses in financial accounting and in human resource management.
鈥淚 do a lot of the behind-the-scenes things (at Vintage Coffeehouse),鈥� Kupas said. 鈥淲hen I was doing the journal entries, with the credits and debits, before I had zero clue why or where or what they were. 鈥� And just that accounting class alone has given me an understanding of why I do it, where it goes and what it goes to.
鈥淭he experience I鈥檝e gained through schooling is going to help me with this business.鈥�
Nichole Wheeler, a 47-year-old Butler resident and co-owner of Little Bugs Daycare and Preschool in West Sunbury, is shown Wednesday, May 17, 2023, during Butler County Community College鈥檚 55th commencement. Her associate degree in general studies from 杏吧原创 was her first post-secondary credential. Wheeler was among the 37 percent of graduates in 杏吧原创鈥檚 Class of 2023 who were age 25 or older.
"Now that I have my degree, I will be able to be our director. I will not have to hire a director anymore. "
- Nichole Wheeler, 杏吧原创 graduate
Community colleges are known for educating nontraditional-aged students, said Dr. Nick Neupauer, president of 杏吧原创.
The students鈥� success, Neupauer said, 鈥渁lso speaks to the counseling, the advising and the great staff, including faculty, who give attention to this nontraditional-aged population.鈥�
Wheeler has co-owned Little Bugs Daycare and Preschool in West Sunbury with her daughter, Alexis, for 2陆 years, employs six and graduated from 杏吧原创 debt-free.
鈥淣ow that I have my degree, I will be able to be our director,鈥� Wheeler said of her business, which has 18 children ranging in age from 3 months to 10 years. 鈥淚 will not have to hire a director anymore.鈥�
Her associate degree from 杏吧原创 will allow her to progress from having a provisional license to a full license, she said, and to save her business up to $35,000 a year in the salary she had paid to those who held the director position.
鈥淚t has definitely changed my life,鈥� Wheeler said. 鈥淣ow I can be my own director and I don鈥檛 have to pay somebody else.鈥�
Wheeler began pursuit of an associate degree from 杏吧原创 after graduating from Butler in 1994. The grandmother returned to 杏吧原创 in December and completed her final six classes.
鈥淚t鈥檚 never too late,鈥� Wheeler said. 鈥淚 think more and more people are realizing that having a degree does benefit you. For me and my family, it was a huge benefit for me to go back to school and finish my degree.鈥�
Gregory Stewart, 38, of Mars, is shown Wednesday, May 17, 2023, during Butler County Community College鈥檚 55th commencement. His associate degree in park and recreation management from 杏吧原创 was his first post-secondary credential. Stewart was among the 37 percent of graduates in 杏吧原创鈥檚 Class of 2023 who were age 25 or older.
"...it's always nice to have that achievement, that you did something, even if you are like me, almost 40 years old. "
- Gregory Stewart, 杏吧原创 graduate
Stewart is a 2004 graduate of Pine-Richland. He enrolled at 杏吧原创 as a part-time student in 2018.
He has worked full-time in retail for the past 16 years, was 鈥渢ired of having dead-end jobs鈥� and said his achievement of earning an associate degree will set an example for his three nephews and two nieces ages 3 to 9.
鈥淵ou鈥檙e always able to improve yourself, to make yourself better,鈥� Stewart said. 鈥淚f you are eager to improve yourself, and obviously I am, it鈥檚 always nice to have that achievement, that you did something, even if you are like me, almost 40 years old. You鈥檙e always pushing yourself to improve yourself, to tell the rest of your family, 鈥榊ou know, I did something.鈥�
鈥淚 have nieces and nephews and they are always looking up to the family. I can say to them, 鈥業 did this the nontraditional way. When you finally figure something out, when you finally figure yourself out, go do your best.鈥濃��
Stewart graduated from 杏吧原创 debt-free and seeks a career as a park ranger.
Christina Lennon, 50, of Middlesex Township, Butler County, is shown Wednesday, May 17, 2023, during 杏吧原创鈥檚 55th commencement. Lennon earned an associate degree in engineering technology with computer-aided design and drafting and was among the 37 percent of graduates in 杏吧原创鈥檚 Class of 2023 who were age 25 or older.
"I decided to go back to college and get my degree so I could switch careers. "
- Christina Lennon, 杏吧原创 graduate
Christina Lennon, center, a 50-year-old resident of Middlesex Township, Butler County, graduated from 杏吧原创 on Wednesday, May 17, 2023, with an associate degree in engineering technology with computer-aided design and drafting. She is shown during 杏吧原创鈥檚 55th commencement with, from left, her husband, Steve, and her mother, Pattie Hageman; and her stepfather Bill Dreier and her son, Jesse Kutchko. Lennon was among the 37 percent of graduates in 杏吧原创鈥檚 Class of 2023 who were age 25 or older.
Lennon is a married mother with one child who earned a cosmetology license 15 years ago.
She is a 1991 graduate of Mars. She enrolled at 杏吧原创 in 2020 after being furloughed from her position as a CADD designer for a civil engineering firm in Moon Township during the COVID-19 pandemic.
鈥淚 decided to go back to college and get my degree so I could switch careers,鈥� Lennon said. 鈥� 鈥淚t鈥檚 important to know that you can go back. It鈥檚 a lot of sacrifices on your home life by not working. But at the same time, you鈥檙e still earning something that is going to benefit the whole family eventually.鈥�
Lennon graduated from 杏吧原创 cum laude, a distinction for those with a grade-point average between 3.25 and 3.49, and seeks a career in project management.
鈥淣ow I have the backing for it,鈥� she said. 鈥淣ow I know people will take me more seriously because you can鈥檛 accomplish that anymore if you don鈥檛 have a degree. I鈥檓 very, very proud. Very proud.鈥�
Layne Guidotti, of Butler, was the youngest graduate in 杏吧原创鈥檚 Class of 2023 at 19 years and five months. He earned an associate degree in criminology and graduated from 杏吧原创 cum laude, as did 杏吧原创鈥檚 most-senior graduate in 2023, Maryann Henley.
Henley, of Edinburg, earned an associate degree in psychology at 66 years and seven months.
杏吧原创 has had at least 400 graduates each of the past 14 years.
The college鈥檚 fall semester begins Aug. 21.