#BUClass2021

[bloomsburgu]

Senior has desire to help those in developing countries

By Eden Berlin, communications assistant

Ashley Moreno is a senior at Bloomsburg University, majoring in nursing, applied and research anthropology. As a triple major, it has been challenging for Moreno to balance her time, however Moreno comes from a family of overachievers.

Moreno always knew she wanted to be a nurse. “In high school, I realized I wanted to go into maternity and infant nursing because I love babies,” said Moreno. She added the applied and research anthropology majors after her freshmen year. “I fell in love with anthropology. I learned how culture is so different around the world."

With a triple major, Moreno has had to carry a full load of classes every semester and on breaks. “I know exactly what I want to do with my life, so I push myself through school knowing that I am getting closer to my dream career one step at a time,” Moreno said.  

“I need to know how they [people in other countries] interact with their environment, with society and with different cultural practices that directly relate to how they experience healthcare,” she says. After Bloomsburg, Moreno will be applying for labor and delivery positions in the U.S. to obtain a years' experience in the nursing field, so that she can work internationally in the future.  

“I want to help lower infant mortality rates in developing countries,” she states. Moreno knew she wanted to travel after visiting Rwanda with a Study Abroad Global Health Program. The group included students from Brigham Young University (BYU) in Utah. Moreno had the chance to really broaden her perspectives on culture because many of these students are Morman. “While I was learning about Rwandan culture, I also learned a lot about Morman religion,” she said.

Moreno is eager to learn as much as she can about the nursing field outside of her classes at BU.  

The study abroad group visited a health center to observe what Rwandan healthcare was like. “I learned how different people are, whether it being a patient you run into or co-workers on the floor, someone might have completely different ideas and beliefs from you. [But] that’s no reason why they shouldn’t have access to healthcare, like anyone else,” she points out.  

“After my first week there, I realized everyone’s going to think and view healthcare differently and you have to adapt to those ideas and beliefs in order to provide the best health care,” she commented.

While abroad, Moreno and her new friends sat in class with students from the University of Rwanda. "They always made us feel welcomed,” she says.

When the students had free time, they would all get together. “We would catch a bus and go hiking.” The Rwandan students “showed us how they get around,” Moreno adds.

In Rwanda, it is more common to take motorcycle taxis rather than cars to travel. Moreno said everyone was friendly. “We never went alone; we always had a group of us going together and our Rwandan friends always checked in on us.”  

The special bonds made between Moreno and her new friends are secured through social media. “It’s a little more difficult to keep in touch with the Rwandan students because they do not use social media as much as we do here. But occasionally, I see updates on Instagram, and we interact with each other's photos.”

For one day, the students in the program were able to experience a day in the lives of a true Rwandan. Moreno worked in fields, walked up and down hills for water, and fed grass to cows. “This experience gave me a different perspective on things you have that you don’t realize you were taking advantage of and that is what I came here for.”

Those three weeks in Rwanda served Moreno well as she continues her journey to become a traveling nurse to help those in need.  

[bloomsburgu]

Data science opening doors to real-world impact

Juliette Gudknecht is an analytical type who likes to solve problems.

Majoring in physics was an obvious and fitting choice for her at Bloomsburg University. Then she discovered how mathematics could be used to solve real-world problems.

And her sights were set.

“I took one computer science class and fell in love with programming,” says Gudknecht, a mathematics and physics dual major who plans to pursue a master’s degree in data science and become a data scientist. “I’ve always been fascinated with science, specifically astronomy. I had the same mindset most do — that (astro) physics would be too hard to pursue, or that I was bad at math. I decided to just go for it and work hard.”

That grit and determination has led to a lengthy resume of internships, summer programs, and research opportunities to include two years of analyzing NASA telescope data. All done semesters ahead of graduating next summer.

Her latest endeavors involve interning with the U.S. Department of State working on a machine learning neural network algorithm for visa applications and assisting Authentic Social as a consultant intern, leveraging her data science skills with sales analytics and improving their social media strategies.

“I love it,” Gudknecht says. “It's a great change of pace from previous internships and class projects. I’m getting real-world experience and fostering connections to advance my career.”

Networking and real-world impact have been Gudknecht’s calling, a common thread to her vast list of out-of-classroom experiences that have included projects with Princeton, Stanford and Old Dominion universities, and most recently her machine learning internship with the federal state department.

“Basically, I’m using mass amounts of data to train the computer to work on its own,” Gudknecht says. “This involves using information for visa applications and automating some of the processes, so we can catch things better and improve our national security. It's a super fun internship! I’ve made many connections already (with) other universities, tech companies, and federal agencies.”

Gudknecht got an earlier taste of machine learning — a branch of data science that involves building algorithms from a math model based on sample data — this past spring helping Geisinger Medical Center during the initial wave of the COVID-19 pandemic.

“I was very happy to help out,” says Gudknecht in creating machine learning algorithms from Geisinger’s (COVID-19) data to predict the curve of cases. “It’s made me very motivated to tackle real-world problems. I also found a love for healthcare informatics. I think it’s awesome I could make a difference and save lives through data science.”

Her methodic climb through physics and math into data science can be traced back to those single steps she took in gauging her initial interest in STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics) as a teen, bringing her to Bloomsburg.

“I've learned mathematical and computational skills that are very transferrable and in high demand on the job market,” Gudknecht says. “I recommend any STEM major who likes to solve problems to look into the data science program at BU. Job prospects look great for data science and the professors are amazing.”

Excited about self-driving cars and voice recognition?

What about researching human behavior using social media? Can you recognize the key features embedded in data?

The field of data science focuses on learning methods to extract meaning and the hidden truth from data. Sound interesting? It really is! It's a combination of techniques and theories from many fields including mathematics, computers science, statistics, machine learning, pattern recognition, communication studies and ethics.

Bloomsburg University's data science major equips you to draw conclusions from data, using knowledge of statistical inference, computational technology, data management skills and related theories. Study practical and scientific topics, learning how to carry out analyses of data through the full cycle of the investigative process. Participate in a project-based capstone course that synthesizes the skills and knowledge learned in the various disciplines that encompass data science. BU’s Department of Mathematical and Digital Sciences is ready to help you become a data scientist.

[bloomsburgu]

MBA student comes full circle with JrNYLC experience

By Jaime North, Digital Marketing Specialist

Entering her first year of graduate school, the soon-to-be Master of Business Administration student knew an opportunity with the nation’s largest provider of educational travel experiences would be valuable.

It wasn’t a hard sell for Lyza Klein ’21. In fact, she went through Envision’s Junior National Young Leadership Conference herself as a teenager.

“This summer, from start to finish, taught me so much about myself and what leadership styles work best with mine,” said Klein, who graduated in May with a bachelor’s degree in business administration management. “I got to see what different leadership styles look like when they work together. Also, I got to see what personalities work best with mine and how to create relationships with a lot of different kinds of people.”

She added, “Being able to see both sides of this (JrNYLC) program allowed me to scale how much I have grown over the last decade and have grown into the kind of leader I am. Bloomsburg has played a major role in my growth as well, but this summer allowed me to be even more confident and become someone who likes meeting new people and networking, while letting me get hands-on practice with different leadership styles.”

Klein spent two months this past summer in the Washington D.C. area working as a program office manager for JrNYLC, which provides middle school students the opportunity to experience the power of democracy among the monuments, be inspired by exemplary stories of courage, collaborate to discover solutions to some of the issues they face today, and spend a night in a museum among new friends.

“Working with Envision’s (JrNYLC) was something that meant a lot to me, because I completed the program in 2010 as a scholar,” Klein said. “Following graduation, I had a window of opportunity to do whatever I wanted, knowing that when I came back to Bloomsburg to start my MBA, I would have to begin thinking about my long-term career. Accepting a position with Envision meant I was able to see the administrative side of the program, and I now have experience as both a scholar and an employee.”

According Klein, some of her key responsibilities this summer were:

scholar accountability and assistance

oversee travel of the more than 200 scholars arriving each week from across the country

creating room check reports for the week

creating departure travel and airport staff manifests to track scholars getting home safely

manage paperwork and medicine collection

manage the 24/7 office phone and answer calls from scholars and their families

“Interacting with scholars and their families led me to learn about case management and record-keeping of interactions (we) would have with families,” Klein said. “As an (Bloomsburg) undergraduate, I was highly involved in organizations and clubs in different executive positions. I believe the experience from those roles helped me this summer, because I had experience working with a team to achieve a shared goal."

Klein said her JrNYLC summer experience prepared her well for her graduate assistantship for the Presidential Leadership Program (PLP) in the president’s office.

“Beyond personal growth, I learned how to manage tasks in the workforce and got the first-hand experience of working with tight deadlines, different personalities and ensuring that my work is acceptable,” Klein said. “I’ll bring the high-level effort and work ethic I worked on and polished all summer to my projects and classwork this school year.”

Although her perspective is as a business student, Klein sees great value in Envision’s JrNYLC for any college major or graduate program.

“Whether you’re an education major and want to be an advisor for a program or are in a different major and want to be in the program office, it’s rewarding either way,” Klein said. “Getting to be a small part of scholars’ lives is worth it all by the end of the summer. This is a role where you’ll grow and learn a lot quickly. It’s an experience where you’ll learn a lot about yourself and your own leadership skills.”

[bloomsburgu]

“Today, I hope you will all reflect on your journeys here at Bloomsburg and all the good that has come from it. The strong bonds you have cultivated here will undoubtedly result in lifelong friendships. Commencement is also a beginning – as you leave us today, hold your heads high and know we are proud beyond words and wish you a productive life, full of great success and fulfillment.” — Bashar Hanna, Bloomsburg University president 👏🎓🐾 #BUClass2021 #HuskyPride #BloomOnward #graduation (at Marco and Louise Mitrani Hall at Haas Center for the Arts) https://www.instagram.com/p/CXXQ9xmrpDd/?utm_medium=tumblr

[bloomsburgu]

“You’ve achieved something great here at Bloomsburg, or you wouldn’t be here earning your degree today. You’ve done well, so now it’s your time to go out into the world and do good!” — Todd Hoover, department chair and professor of teaching and learning 👏🎓🐾 #BUClass2021 #HuskyPride #BloomOnward #graduation (at Marco and Louise Mitrani Hall at Haas Center for the Arts) https://www.instagram.com/p/CXWkDlprQco/?utm_medium=tumblr

[bloomsburgu]

“I'm going to miss all of the little moments here. From spending time on campus in the fall to the late nights laughing in the lab over failed projects, every moment here will be remembered fondly. Getting to live so close to the best people I've ever met has been the greatest experience of my life. I’ll miss all of the clubs and organizations that accepted me as family, and all of the faculty and staff that welcomed me and worked with me to create the best version of myself.” 💛🎓🐾 #BUClass2021 #HuskyNation #ImAHusky #EET #engineering #ClubLacrosse #HeyHOWLs #honors #Husky4Life #BloomOnward (at Bloomsburg, Pennsylvania) https://www.instagram.com/p/CXTxUCnr7bY/?utm_medium=tumblr

[bloomsburgu]

“BU shaped me into the man I am today. I found myself during my undergrad. I’ve gained many skills in the classroom, but outside of the classroom I gained confidence and soft skills. The thing I’m going to miss most about Bloomsburg is all of the organizations I was a part of and the faculty I had a relationship with.” 💛🎓🐾 #BUClass2021 #HuskyNation #ImAHusky #DigitalForensics #cybersecurity #writing #Act101 #mentor #MIND #Husky4Life #BloomOnward (at Bloomsburg, Pennsylvania) https://www.instagram.com/p/CXReNpUrklK/?utm_medium=tumblr

[bloomsburgu]

“I’m going to miss this beautiful campus. The layout of the Quad makes it easy to get between classes and makes it a short walk anywhere. The split between the residential side and academic side makes it well laid out. The grounds crew does a great job with the landscaping to keep the campus beautiful year-round. I'll miss going for walks around campus. I use the idea of a well laid out campus as a selling point on my tours.” 💛🎓🐾 #BUClass2021 #HuskyNation #ImAHusky #EGGS #geography #GIS #history #TourGuide #Husky4Life #BloomOnward (at Bloomsburg, Pennsylvania) https://www.instagram.com/bloomsburgu/p/CXPEI6sPD7z/?utm_medium=tumblr

[bloomsburgu]

“I’ve changed significantly due to my BU experience. I had the opportunity to not only explore various academic fields that truly connected to my core values, morals, and ethics, but my identity, my standpoint in society, self-healing. I’m extraordinarily grateful for my experiences and my personal growth and development over the last five years." 💛🎓🐾 #BUClass2021 #HuskyNation #ImAHusky #English #SecondaryEducation #CommunicationStudies #NAACP #CGA #WALES #Husky4Life #BloomOnward (at Bloomsburg, Pennsylvania) https://www.instagram.com/p/CXMkRiXLLu2/?utm_medium=tumblr

[bloomsburgu]

First World graduates ready for the big stage

One step closer for these Class of 2021 members as they were honored this fall during the First World Graduation Ceremony by Bloomsburg University’s Office of Multicultural Affairs.

The bi-annual First World ceremony is celebrated each December and May to congratulate the achievements — academic and leadership roles — of BU’s multicultural students at the baccalaureate and graduate degree levels.

First World Honorees

Kiara Badillo, social work 

Keron Butcher, digital forensics and cybersecurity

Juwan May-Craddle, business administration management

Jalen Denson, communication studies

Brianna Figueroa, art studio

Alexander Gooden, accounting 

Brittany Stephenson, communication studies, English

[bloomsburgu]

Grad szn 🎉🎓🐾 #BloomOnward #HuskyUnleashed #BUClass2021 #graduation (at Bloomsburg, Pennsylvania) https://www.instagram.com/p/CXJ_JkKrbDa/?utm_medium=tumblr

[bloomsburgu]

Working to defy the odds

Jackie Lithgow graduates from Bloomsburg University

By Eric Foster, editor and creative specialist

BLOOMSBURG — Seven years after a head injury left him in a coma, Jackie Lithgow defied expectations and graduated on Sunday, May 16, from Bloomsburg University of Pennsylvania with a degree in media and journalism.

Lithgow’s life changed forever on Feb. 23, 2014, when the 19-year-old, trying to break up a fight, was blindsided by a punch and his head struck the pavement. He was life-flighted to Geisinger Hospital in Danville and was in a coma for 15 days and was given the worst possible ranking on the Glasgow Coma scale. Over 90% of patients with this type of injury never regain consciousness and if they do, are significantly impaired.

But with perseverance and support from his parents, BU alumni Jim and Lisa, family and community, Lithgow defied the odds. In the spring of 2016, two years after his injury, he returned to Bloomsburg University to begin taking classes again.

The road back to class was a hard one, involving nine surgeries and intensive rehabilitation.

A turning point for Lithgow, of Carlisle, was aqua-therapy in which he relearned to walk, one step at a time, with a treadmill in a swimming pool.

“At first, they moved my legs for me. I was walking for the first time since my injury. This was a goal, I achieved the goal, what’s my next goal. You can achieve whatever you set your mind to,” said Lithgow.

“With brain injuries, you’re always in rehab and always learning and always healing. My one doctor told me that when you go to the real world and go to college and walk on campus, that will be your therapy. I’m going to classes and walking, learning.”

“When I first started BU, I was an ITM major and switched to digital forensics,” said Lithgow. “But when I came back from my injury, I didn’t understand anything going on. So I talked with Theresa Bloskey in Trio Student Support Services, and I took an intro mass communications class with professor (Jason) Genovese and was hooked.”

Each semester, Lithgow tried to add a course to his schedule until he was taking four classes. His mom stayed local with friends becoming a source of help and guidance. Support from BU extended well beyond the first semester and involved many offices.

“Jackie is the epitome of the grit and determination for which we Huskies are known,” said BU President Bashar Hanna. “We are inspired by all that he has overcome, and are beyond proud of all that he has accomplished.”

“It starts with Dr. Hanna, I had lunch with him every so often,” said Lithgow. “Dr. Genovese has been a role model. All the professors have been wonderful. Obviously, the graduation will be different with distancing, but I’m really looking forward to it.

“In my 15 years here at BU I have never seen a more inspirational story than Jackie’s,” said Jason Genevese, chair of the department of media and journalism. “To see how far he has come these past few years is truly remarkable. He attacked his school work with impressive vigor and energy. Despite what he’s been through, Jackie always wears a big smile on his face and has the most charming personality. Whether we chat about school, family or Philadelphia sports, I’m just lucky to have crossed paths with this young man.”

Lithgow has been involved in more than his classes. He also created the Jackie Lithgow Foundation to support traumatic brain injury survivors during their road to recovery. The foundation has raised over $65,000 for Magee Rehabilitation Hospital and local TBI patients.

“Media and journalism is where I want to be,” he said. “It’s helped me think about, especially with the foundation. How to reach out and connect with people.”

What’s next for Lithgow?

“I have an internship with a local company in Carlisle,” he said. “Then after that, I’ll see what works best and what jobs open. Explore the real world as they say. I’m going to enjoy the ride.”

[bloomsburgu]

“We couldn’t have gotten here today without each other. You’ve been each other’s support systems; you have, at some point, lent a friend a hand. We’ve established our sense of community; now, it’s time for you to enter a world that’s in desperate need of your minds and your ability to create flourishing communities wherever you go. Continue to be resilient and conjure up the courage to share your amazing story and your unique skills to re-scaffold us a better humanity.” — #BUClass2021 President @icchange2020 🎓🐾 #HuskyPride #BloomOnward

[bloomsburgu]

“I applaud each of you for your accomplishments. You’ve done the work here and are now prepared to apply your knowledge and skills to a world that needs all that you have to offer. As you leave Bloomsburg University, may you have confidence in your own abilities to be successful and make a difference in the world.” — @drogersad 🎓🐾 #BUClass2021 #HuskyPride #BloomOnward #ZIPD

[bloomsburgu]

Grad scenes … 📷🎓🐾 #HuskyLife #BUClass2021 #May #graduation

[bloomsburgu]

"We're especially proud of you for your patience and perseverance over the past year. You rose to the challenge of pivoting to and adjusting to a remote learning environment — something none of us could’ve imagined 18 months ago. You've all succeeded with the grit and determination for which we Huskies are known." — President Bashar Hanna 🎓🐾 #BUClass2021 #HuskyPride #BloomOnward