Pitt-Bradford Students Head Off to Graduate School, Work

Some University of Pittsburgh at Bradford students may be seeing quite a bit of each other even after they graduate on Sunday, having been hired by the same employer or headed to the same graduate school.

Max Asinger, a business management and computer information systems major from Bradford, will be a programmer analyst at Zippo Manufacturing Co. while working on a Master of Business Administration at St. Bonaventure University.

Among his co-workers at Zippo will be fellow computer information systems and technology majors Nathan Debockler of Port Allegany, who will also be a programmer analyst, and Daniel Yeager of Rew, will work as a systems support analyst.

Another trio of students will be staying close to their alma mater by working at American Refining Group in Bradford.

Lincoln Dorward, a computer information systems and technology major from Bradford, will work as an information technology services technician; Rachelle Heffner, a human relations major, will be a customer service representative; and Eric Marasco, a business management major, will also work at ARG while pursuing a master’s degree at St. Bonaventure.

Three sports medicine majors -- Joey Buchanic of Murrysville, Kayla O’Brien of Russell, and Devon Welch of Ulster – are all headed to Gannon University to study toward a master’s degree in exercise science.

Some students with local connections will go on to graduate school. Sara Bova, a history-political science major from Bradford, will attend American Military University to earn a master’s degree in intelligence studies.

Nikki Kellogg, a criminal justice major from Cuba, N.Y., will attend the University of Pittsburgh School of Law to study international and human rights.

Jessica Martin, a sports medicine major, will attend Villa Maria College in Buffalo, N.Y., to become a physical therapy assistant.

Other students with local connections will be going straight to work, such as broadcast communications major Joshua Bower of Ellicottville, N.Y., who will join WGWE radio in Salamanca, N.Y., and attend Umpire School in Florida.

Renee Carter of Warren, an environmental studies major, will go to work with the Department of Agriculture in Erie.

Janelle Gilmore, an early education major from Kane, will work in the unique education program at Keystone SMILES AmeriCorps in Knox, an agency that combines education with public service to build homes, teach computer skills, take on environmental projects and more.

Sarah Glover, a history-political science major from Mount Jewett, will work for McKean County Economic Development, where she worked as a student documenting and photographing properties in downtown Smethport and researching possible state grants for façade improvements.

Megan Mesler, a criminal justice major from Shinglehouse, will work with Beacon Light Behavioral Health Systems.

Oluwatomi Ogundayo, an environmental studies major from Bradford, will teach English for the government in Madrid, Spain.

Several nursing majors will be headed to area hospitals: Melissa Dibble of Smethport and Danielle Schoonover-Wils of Bradford, Charles Cole Memorial Hospital in Coudersport; and Jodi Irons of Bradford, Bradford Regional Medical Center.

Among students joining the military are Torrey Johnson, an entrepreneurship major from Eldred, who will become an active duty U.S. Army ordinance officer. Environmental studies major Calvin Pfeil of Bradford will be joining the U.S. Navy nuclear program.

Other graduates who have their plans set include Chuanyn “Moose” Chen, a computer information systems and technology major who will attend Carnegie-Mellon University to earn a master’s degree in computer science and e-commerce.

Mariah Cole, a biology major from Milan, Pa., will attend the University of Pittsburgh for a Master of Science degree in microbiology and infectious diseases.

Brittni Cumberland, an environmental studies major from Effort, will attend the Rochester (N.Y.) Institute of Technology to earn a master’s degree in environmental health and safety management. She also will be a graduate assistant in the Department of Environmental Health and Safety at RIT.

Hunter Ferris, a sports medicine major from Emlenton, will work toward becoming a doctor of chiropractic at the New York College of Chiropractic in Seneca Falls, N.Y.

Michael Moran, a history-political science major from White Haven, is headed to Michigan State Law School.

Ashley Young, a broadcast communications major from Philadelphia, will spend her summer as a film and media intern in Mumbai, India, before heading this fall to the Savannah (Ga.) College of Art and Design to work on a master’s degree in film and television production.

Pictured, Eric Marasco, a business management major who will be working at American Refining Group, and Sarah Moore, a general studies major who is a marketing specialist for Control Chief Corp. They are both from Bradford.
Photo by Alan Hancock

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