2019 FALL LYCOMING COLLEGE MAGAZINE

Angela Bednarczyk ’68, Ph.D. (psychology major) Renaissance School for the Deaf, Senegal, West Africa “My professional experiences have included being a teacher, program supervisor, software developer, and now teacher trainer all related to the education of deaf children. My greatest enjoyment comes from determining the best methods and support for each child to maximize their learning. While at Lycoming as a psychology major, my future goals did not include teaching, but my experiences in a research project with deaf children after graduation changed all of that! I found that my skills and interests could help deaf children to make consistent progress when educated using creative teaching techniques. Working with deaf children presented me with the opportunity to explore the best teaching strategies and to create the most comprehensive programs, giving me a place to explore my creative passions. For the past eight years, I have had the opportunity to provide support, materials, and training to teachers of deaf children in Senegal. The most remarkable part of my work is seeing children arrive at our school — from ages 3 to 16 — without any formal communication skills and begin to understand that a signed language provides them with the way they can share their thoughts, their needs, and their dreams. The change in our students is truly amazing!” Daniel Taormina ’93 (chemistry major) Principal, Montoursville Area High School “What I enjoy most about being a principal is our students and providing them incredible opportunities both in and out of the classroom to grow socially, emotionally, and physically into the young men and women they become. The greatest challenge for public schools are the finances. My work becomes more important in trying to maintain and expand carefully with less. We also have an increase in apathetic students and families who just don’t feel education is important. That takes more than a principal to solve. I don’t think anything quite prepares you for the role of a principal. Those reading this who have done it or are doing the job currently understand this. What Lycoming did do for me was allow me to develop a complete skillset to take on the challenges of my role. It instilled a set of values and beliefs through my professors and classes that are invaluable to who I am today and how I approach my role as a principal.” Joy Brittain ’79, Ed.D. (biology and religion double-major) Senior Director of Early Outreach and Support Programs, California State University, Monterey Bay “My role is multi-faceted. As an administrator, I am responsible for fourteen outreach programs (pre-college and college) serving over 7,000 students each year. The students are low-income, first-generation, migrant, disabled, foster youth, homeless, and/or undocumented. This includes budgetary management, staffing, federal, state, and private funding regulations and compliance, evaluation, and program review/ assessment. I truly enjoy the fact that I am helping students succeed in their educational goals, either directly via students or indirectly by helping my staff be the best professionals they can be. We are passionate about what we do and because many of us come from similar backgrounds to the students we serve, we especially make it our goal to pay it forward. I also love the ability to have a say in policies and advocate for my students, not only on campus, but on the national level. My education at Lycoming prepared me for the complexities of the world, making me really justify what I believe to be true and to search for answers if I needed to rectify my beliefs. It helped me to have grit and resiliency so I can pass that on to my students. It also taught me the value of a great liberal arts education knowing that I am able to hold conversations with integrity and honesty.” Bednarczyk with her “son,” a deaf student whom she has supported for more than 10 years 18 LYCOMING COLLEGE 2019 FALL MAGAZINE