Johnson College unveiled its brand new mascot this morning. “Johnny the Jaguar” is now walking the campus to greet visitors at campus events. Johnny was the senior class gift for 2013 which is why his number will always be 13. “You can catch Johnny at more than just our sporting events,” says student life director Sarah Williams, “He’ll be at all events on campus where we can help promote school spirit!” Johnny was hand made by BAM! Mascots in Canada.  He was custom built for Johnson College. Students will get to “be” Johnny through an audition process each year.

Johnson College is inviting students, alumni and the public for its homecoming on campus this Thursday and Friday. WNEP-TV’s Ryan Leckey gets the party started on campus Halloween morning with a live pep-rally. Everyone is invited to come dressed up in their Halloween best from 4:30-7am. Later, the American Red Cross is hosting a blood drive Thursday in the Moffat Gym from 9am-2pm. Thursday night, the student life department is hosting a Halloween Dance in the Moffat Café from 7-9pm. Friday afternoon, the Johnson College Men’s Basketball team will host Christendom College at 4pm in the Moffat Gym for its first ever NJCAA league game and home game of the season. The Men’s Basketball Team will then host a double-header when it challenges former alumni to take the court against them at 6pm in the Moffat Gym. Outside in the parking lot of the Moffat Gym, five area food trucks will be  parked from 4-8pm serving up food to all visitors. Drinker Mobile, Muncheeze, Captain Don’s Chilly Willy, Halal Food, and The Picnic Stand Food Truckare all scheduled to attend. The homecoming events wrap up Friday night with a Bonfire & Pep Rally at 8pm.

For more information visit https://johnson.edu/homecoming/

To see the school’s sports schedules visit https://johnson.edu/sports/

Johnson College Veterinary Technology program has awarded Gena Comandy the 2013 Outstanding Veterinary Nursing Award. She is a 2008 graduate of the College and now works as the head technician at Northeast Veterinary Referral Hospital (NVRH) in Plains.

“She was chosen for the award for her commitment to the profession through training and mentoring to Johnson College interns that she works with,” shares Kendra Lapsansky, Veterinary Technology Instructor.  Gena Comandy has had countless Johnson College interns work under her supervision at NVRH and nearly a half dozen alumni are now employed there.  Gena says, “They are very open and welcoming to Johnson College graduates!”

Gena shares that the most rewarding case she had was just a few weeks ago when a small dog, that was involved in a dog fight, came in with exposed vital organs.  She adds, “That dog received immediate care, underwent emergency surgery and recovered quickly. He’s now home, healthy and happy, with his owners!”

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/
 

Johnson College will present “Bryan Anderson Day” when he visits campus on Wednesday, October 16, 2013. Bryan Anderson is an Iraq War Army Veteran and Purple Heart recipient after losing both legs and his left hand in an IED blast in Baghdad.

Bryan will speak with Physical Therapist Assistant students personally at 9:30-10:30am. Bryan will then be available for media interviews from 10:30-11:00am. He will also be the keynote speaker for the college’s scholarship luncheon from 11:30am – 1pm. Bryan will then be available to sign copies of his book No Turning Back from 1-2pm with the money raised going to “The 1st Lieutenant Michael J. Cleary Memorial Fund.” A Dallas, PA native, LT Cleary was killed in Iraq in 2005 during an ambush by hostile forces having just completed a demolitions mission. Bryan will also meet personally with several veteran students at 2:30pm in the Moffat Building Lab. Dr. Ann Pipinski, President and CEO of Johnson College is thrilled, “We can’t wait to welcome such an amazing individual to campus so our students can learn from his journey first hand.”

Bryan Anderson grew up in Chicago with his mom, sister and twin brother. After high school, he went to work as a baggage handler for American Airlines, but he wanted to do something different. Both he and his brother were star gymnasts in high school, so he wanted to do something that used his whole body. Bryan enlisted in the army and prepared to ship out to basic training. That date was 9-11. After basic training, Bryan was sent to Iraq for his first tour. “Not much happened the first time,” Bryan says. The second time though, he says, “It was very, very different.”  On a routine patrol, his military police convoy was struck by an improvised explosive device (IED). Bryan lost both his legs and his left hand in the explosion.  He remembered every part of the attack, but after being loaded onto a helicopter to be airlifted, he fell asleep and woke up at Walter Reed Medical Center. “Whoa, Mom, what are you doing here?” was Bryan’s reaction to her in his hospital room since he was unaware of his overseas journey.

During his 13 months at rehab, Bryan’s life started to take incredible twists of fate that would make him a celebrity in his own right. Bryan met actor Gary Sinise visiting the injured at Walter Reed, but instead of just shaking his hand, he tripped into him, prompting Gary to call Bryan “The real Lieutenant Dan!” (the famous role he played in the movie Forest Gump). Bryan was later chosen as a cover story for Esquire Magazine which opened up a ton of doors for him. That led to a guest part as a murder suspect on “CSI: NY” with his now friend, lead actor Gary Sinise.

Mr. Sinise would later write the forward for Bryan’s book No Turning Back.  Bryan’s other acting credits include bit parts on the HBO series “The Wire “and in the movie “The Wrestler” with Mickey Rourke. The late James Gandolfini also became a close friend during the taping of the HBO special “Alive Day Memories.”

Today, Bryan’s life is about giving back and inspiring people along his journey. “It was always leaving the place better than I found it. It’s what I’ve been taught.” Bryan has spoken all across the country and the globe after being hired as the spokesman for North East Pennsylvania based Quantum Rehab. Bryan loves to visit NEPA to ride his quad in the mountains. Bryan also won an Emmy last year for hosting a PBS show in Chicago about people using their lives to give back.

However, it is students that he loves speaking with the most. “I like talking to students because I think I really get through to them. Maybe because I’m similar in age or I look young, but they always seem to receive it well. I love being able to inspire college students to do something great and not just be stuck in a life that they’re settling for.” Bryan always tries to give students a wakeup call about life. “There are opportunities out there, you just have to open your eyes and see them.” Even after his life-changing war injuries for serving his country, Bryan is still a proud patriot and wants everyone he meets to realize just how great our country truly is. “Americans take for granted everything they have. They have no idea how good we have it.”

Scranton, PA – July 22nd, 2013: Dr. Ann L. Pipinski , President & CEO is quoted in the New York Times article, “Snapshots of Upwardly Mobile Areas.”   The article focuses on research conducted by four economists from Harvard and the University of California, Berkeley.  By the measurements of the study Scranton stands out as one of the American cities where poor people have among the best odds of entering into the middle class. 

The article highlights the stories of several people from the areas that came out strong in upward mobility and Dr. Pipinski is one of three individuals to be interviewed from the Scranton area.  You will see from the article the role that education plays in a person’s ability to achieve upward mobility, particularly attaining a two-year degree.

To read more: http://economix.blogs.nytimes.com/2013/07/22/snapshots-of-upwardly-mobile-areas/

Mobile users click here: http://economix.blogs.nytimes.com/2013/07/22/snapshots-of-upwardly-mobile-areas/

Scranton, PA – July 17, 2013  On May 17, 2013, over 120 golfers, which included 24 Johnson College alumni, gathered at Blue Ridge Trail Golf Club in Mountain Top, PA for the benefit of current and future Johnson College students. The 21st Annual Johnson College Open, presented by new presenting sponsor Gerrity’s Supermarkets, raised over $31,000 – the 2^nd highest amount raised for the Presidential Scholarship Fund!

This year’s scholarship awardees include seniors Nicholas DeSanto ’14, Jermyn, Electronic Technology and Deborah Sullivan ‘14, Lake Ariel, Veterinary Technology, as well as freshmen Peter Dimick ’15, West Wyoming and Edward Serio ‘15 of Honesdale.

 

Scranton, PA – June 13, 2013 – Johnson College’s new Health Science Technology Center and Physical Therapist Assistant program continue to grow thanks to help from The Scranton Area Foundation. The Foundation awarded a $24,910 grant to the College to help purchase medical educational equipment for its Physical Therapist Assistant Program (PTA). The PTA program is the first in Johnson College’s new Health Science Technology Center which was completed last year.

Laura Ducceschi, President & CEO Scranton Area Foundation says, “The Scranton Area Foundation is proud to partner with an organization like Johnson College.  This project exemplifies what our mission is all about – to enhance the quality of life for all people in Lackawanna County.  Johnson College’s new PTA program will provide quality education and jobs to our region and we are excited to be a part of their progress.”

The care that Physical Therapist Assistants provide to patients is based on a sound understanding of human anatomy and physiology.  Of specific interest are the skeletal and muscular systems, which provide the foundation for more job specific skills that students will learn in subsequent classes.  The anatomical models that were purchased will provide three dimensional views of a variety of anatomical structures for students to visualize, manipulate, and learn.  These models include muscles of the arm and leg, functional joints of the shoulder, hip, knee, and elbow, vertebral column, and a full skeleton.

Physical therapy often involves the use of modalities in conjunction with therapeutic exercise or functional activities, in order to decrease pain and swelling and to promote tissue healing.  Electrical stimulation and ultrasound are two common modalities that are used and students are required to be competent in the use of this type of equipment as entry-level technicians.  The two 3-channel combo units and the 4-channel combo unit that were purchased with the grant money are electrical stimulation/ultrasound machines that will be used to train students on their use.  They were chosen because they are common units that are seen in local physical therapy clinics.

The hand dynamometers are instruments that are used to measure grip strength.  As a Physical Therapist Assistant, students will be expected to collect data that is pertinent to measuring strength, and these dynamometers are one way that students can measure muscle strength in those muscles and compare right and left side strength.

The short throw units and smart boards are installed in the labs and lecture rooms in the building.  They allow for modern electronic instruction.  Instructors can use these as they would a touch screen electronic device to present power point presentations or show videos.