A Non-Traditional Return to School

Dr. Ann L. Pipinski, President & CEO of Johnson College talks with Bernard Singleton Class of 2014 Diesel Truck Technology
BERNIE’S STORY IS FEATURED IN THIS FALL’S JOHNSONIAN – CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD

By Dr. Ann L. Pipinski, President & CEO of Johnson College

Recently I was quoted in a New York Times article “Snapshots of Upwardly Mobile Areas” about a study that found the Scranton area at the top of the list when it comes to American cities where lower class citizens have some of the best odds of entering the middle class. This story is the story of our students at Johnson College. We open doors of opportunity for them. Thanks to our strong connection to industry, students attend Johnson College for two years and develop the right set of skills needed to enter into and advance in their careers. They make a family sustainable wage and become leaders in their field.

A perfect example of this is Bernard Singleton, a non-traditional student already working in the Diesel Truck Technology field at Stadium International in Dunmore, which also happens to be a great industry partner. Bernie saw big things happening in the diesel field, but couldn’t get the jobs he wanted. He shares, “What happened was I had a kid and I realized I couldn’t work for pennies.” He took the big step of going back to school and chose Johnson College. Now, as he enters his senior year, he’s going to school full-time and working nights at Stadium to support his family. Bernie says it best about his choice to go back to school, “I decided to make a difference!”


SEE BERNIE’S STORY HERE:
https://johnson.edu/bernard-singletons-story/