The Columbia Scholastic Press Association (CSPA) offers two annual competitions to “honor excellence in student publishing: Crown Awards for overall excellence and Gold Circle Awards for individual student recognition.”

Legacy 2022 was initially recognized as a Crown Finalist and later honored with a Silver Crown as a print literary magazine at the 2023 CSPA College Media Convention. According to the CSPA, Crown Awards are “the highest level of recognition given by the CSPA” to a student publication and one of the highest honors in college media. 

Below is the complete list of award winners:

• Grub Street Literary & Arts Magazine, Towson University, Towson, MA
• Lighted Corners, Mount St. Mary's University, Emmitsburg, MA
• Port City Review, Savannah College of Art & Design, Savannah, GA
• The Tower, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN
• Legacy, Reading Area Community College, Reading, PA
• Allium, A Journal of Poetry & Prose, Columbia College Chicago, Chicago, IL
• Parnassus, Northern Essex Community College, Haverhill, MA
• Windhover, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC

We are the only college in the state of Pennsylvania to receive this prestigious distinction, which is a testament to the great work of RACC students and the staff of the journal. Congratulations to the contributors, the student editors who helped produce the 2022 edition, the Editor-in-Chief and Layout/Design Editor, Dylan Sokolovich, and the faculty advisor, Dr. Bahar Diken.

The CSPA also awarded Legacy’s 2022 issue four national Gold Circle Awards:

• First Place – Experimental Fiction
  Shianne Ayala-Lind, “Pretty Girl”
• First Place – Cover Design for Literary or Literary Art Magazine
  Miguel Santiago and Dylan Sokolovich
• Certificate of Merit – Table of Contents Page
  Dylan Sokolovich
• First Place – Portfolio Illustration
  Mia Davis

The complete list of individual awards can be found here.

Legacy 2022 contributors also took top awards from The Community College Humanities Association (CCHA). The CCHA’s annual literary magazine competition highlights student work from all over the nation. Honoring the best in the Eastern Division, the CCHA named the following contributors as winners of its prestigious literary magazine competition.

• First Place – Best Artwork
  Mia Davis, “Wanderer”
• First Place – Best Song
  Rachel Dodson, “Alice”
• Third Place – Creative Nonfiction
  Rachel Dodson, “A Conversation with My Dad”
• Third Place – Short Story
  Jack Weaver, “The Silence of the Bugle”

Congratulations to the CCHA winners for their exceptional work.

Legacy 2022 and all the past editions can be seen here.

March 14, 2023 — Reading Area Community College’s Phi Theta Kappa Chapter, Alpha Sigma Rho, earned several awards at the Middle States Regional Convention, including the Tenth Most Distinguished Honors in Action Project in the Region. Chapters receive awards for their work on projects that support PTK’s Four Hallmarks (Service, Scholarship, Fellowship and Leadership).

One of these projects, Honors in Action, challenges members to develop a research question and plan an action based on the Honors Study Topic.  This year’s topic was The Art and Science of Play. The chapter officer team and active members investigated the mental health benefits of play for college students. As a result of their findings from this academic research, the students planned and implemented a set of actions, designed to maximize these benefits.

This project, along with other chapter activities demonstrated members’ research and leadership skills and commitment to seeing a project through from development to completion. “I am exceptionally proud of the hard work and dedication of the Alpha Sigma Rho Chapter,” says RACC Professor of Social Work/Sociology and Phi Theta Kappa Advisor, Danelle R. Bower.

The Phi Theta Kappa Honor Society recognizes academic achievement of community college students and provides opportunities for them to grow as scholars and leaders. For more information about Phi Theta Kappa at Reading Area Community College, please call 610.372.4721.

Women of Influence Awards honor high-achieving women for their career accomplishments. The honorees are selected based on their professional experience, community involvement and a commitment to mentoring. 

Circle of Excellence honorees are women of longstanding, notable success in the community who are leading the way for other women. Women to Watch honors women leaders under the age of 35 who demonstrate outstanding professional accomplishments, community involvement and commitment to positive change. 

To be eligible for the awards, the winners must live or work in the Greater Lehigh Valley region.

“This year’s Women of Influence are professionally successful and committed to making a difference, inspiring change and mentoring the next generation of leaders,” said Suzanne Fischer-Huettner, managing director of Lehigh Valley Business/BridgeTower Media. “The Circle of Excellence honorees are trailblazers who have followed their dreams and passions, and they inspire and grow other strong women. The Women to Watch are on the move as the next generation of leaders in the Lehigh Valley. We are pleased to recognize these incredible women.”

The winners will be honored at a celebration on May 10 at DeSales University’s University Center, 2755 Station Road in Center Valley. A networking reception begins at 5 p.m. followed by dinner and an awards celebration at 6 p.m.

Attendance is limited. Honorees and sponsors get the first chance to secure tables. Sponsorship includes a table for guests, multimedia marketing, an ad in the awards publication, logo usage and more. To secure a sponsorship, contact Suzanne Fischer-Huettner at shuettner@bridgetowermedia.com. The event hashtag is #LVBevents.

Winners will be profiled in a special magazine that will be inserted into the May 8 issue of Lehigh Valley Business and will be available online at LVB.com.

For more information and updated sponsorship information about Lehigh Valley Business’ 2023 Women of Influence, visit www.LVB.com.

About Lehigh Valley Business
Lehigh Valley Business is a multimedia news source with 37 years of journalistic excellence that breaks news daily on its website, LVB.com. It also publishes a print and online edition. In addition, Lehigh Valley Business publishes special focus sections and products throughout the year including Reader Rankings in addition to the yearly Book of Lists. It also hosts eight annual events, including Women of Influence, Icon Honors and Forty Under 40, to recognize excellence and provide leadership opportunities. Lehigh Valley Business facilitates thoughtful discussion with market leaders through its webinar series. Its Digital Marketing Solutions helps customers with social media, search engine marketing and optimization, retargeting, email marketing and more. Lehigh Valley Business and its sister publication, the Central Penn Business Journal, which covers business in Central Pennsylvania, are part of BridgeTower Media, the leading provider of B2B information, research, events and marketing solutions across more than 25 U.S. markets and industries.

2023 Women of Influence 

• Tara Anthony, City Center Residential
• Cameilia Baker, Lehigh Valley Hospital
• Jennifer Bruce, Fitzpatrick Lentz & Bubba PC
• Laura Budraitis, Altitude Marketing
• Erin Burke, Barry Isett & Associates
• Michele Denninger, King, Spry, Herman, Freund & Faul LLC
• Jennifer M. Driscoll, Lily's Hope Foundation and Cryo Technologies
• Laura M. Eberly, Reuther+Bowen
• Leigh Ehrlich, CPA, CHFP, MBA, Lehigh Valley Health Network 
• Rebecca L. Francis, Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices, Fox and Roach, REALTORS®
• Renee Gould, Better Homes and Gardens Real Estate | Valley Partners
• Elizabeth Hassler, Herbein + Company Inc.
• Jane Heft, City Center Investment Corp
• Alneasa Jordan, Kehe Distributors
• Katy Kresge, Cedar Crest College
• Laura Leinbach, GOLD Credit Union
• Diane Lewis, Manufacturers Resource Center 
• Terri Lampe Melcher, Schmidt Training and Technology Center at RACC
• Cheryl Mengel, RN, Fellowship Community
• Tina Montone, Conspectus Inc.
• Jessica O'Donnell-Gower, Greater Lehigh Valley Chamber of Commerce
• Ashley Quinn, Members 1st Federal Credit Union
• Candice Richards, PSECU
• Pamela Riddell, MBA, Lehigh Valley Health Network
• Sarah Rubright McCahon, Esq., Barley Snyder
• Melissa Shafer, St. Luke's University Health Network
• Lori G. Sywensky, Turning Point of Lehigh Valley Inc.
• Lisa M. Walkiewicz, Via of the Lehigh Valley Inc.
• Christine Walp, Univest Bank and Trust Co.
• Lindsay Watson, FIA NYC Employment
• Dr. Suzanne Wenderoth, Tower Health
• Melissa Young, KeyBank

2023 Circle of Excellence

• Laurel Cline, Herbein | Mosteller HR Consulting
• Marci Martinez-Howey, United Way of the Greater Lehigh Valley
• Jennifer Schlegel, Ph.D., Kutztown University

2023 Women to Watch

• Lauren Borrell, NAI Summit
• Janelle E. Hendershot, One Financial Services
• Bianca Rivera, Members 1st Federal Credit Union

Reading & Chester Counties, PA (February 6, 2023) —- As part of a first-time partnership, Reading Area Community College (RACC) and West Chester University (WCU) came together today to sign a degree completion agreement that will enhance greater access to a baccalaureate degree for RACC students. The new agreement between the two institutions enables qualified, enrolled RACC students to earn an associate degree and then transfer seamlessly to WCU with a renewable scholarship and priority housing. Eligible RACC students will receive a joint invitation from RACC President Dr. Susan Looney and WCU President Dr. Chris Fiorentino to enroll in the new dual admission program.

Effective today, more than 25 associate degree programs at RACC will transfer directly into parallel programs at WCU for eligible students. In addition, a renewable scholarship award of up to $2,000 per academic year will also be available to eligible RACC students.

"The new admissions agreement between Reading Area Community College and West Chester University will expand access to our college's transformative education for Pennsylvania students. This partnership will provide a direct pathway to a West Chester University degree for the talented graduates of RACC programs," says RACC President Dr. Susan Looney.

While at both institutions, students will receive support through financial advising, tutoring, and academic success coaching. To benefit from transfer scholarships and housing priorities, qualified RACC students must enroll at WCU within one calendar year from their graduation from RACC. 

“West Chester University is excited to partner with Reading Area Community College and have its graduates join our community,” said President Fiorentino. “Much like RACC, WCU is committed to the success of all students from every point of entry, and we take pride in doing whatever it takes to help students cross the finish line to graduation. At the same time, providing our students with access to a quality education at a reasonable cost is an uncompromising priority. We welcome being the next step in the academic plans of numerous RACC graduates.”

The dual admission agreement is designed to provide the best of both worlds to eligible RACC students who will be mapping an intentional path to WCU. Students at both campuses will establish relationships with professors who are committed to engaging students in dynamic and purposeful ways that will support their development inside the classroom as well as outside the classroom. 

Eligible students must receive their associate degree and meet all University degree, major and grade point average requirements. The University’s Exploratory Studies, Sports Medicine, Respiratory Care, and traditional Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) major programs are not part of this new guaranteed dual admission agreement.

About Reading Area Community College

Reading Area Community College is an accredited, comprehensive, open-enrollment education institution that provides associate degrees, certificate and diploma programs, career-focused training; transitional coursework and skills training for business and industry. Sponsored by Berks County, the college provides affordable access to meet identified community educational needs.

About West Chester University

Enrolling more than 17,000 students, West Chester University is the largest member of the Pennsylvania State System of Higher Education. Founded in 1871, the University is a comprehensive public institution, offering a diverse range of more than 200 undergraduate, master’s, and doctoral programs in more than 50 fields of study. In addition to the main campus in West Chester, the University offers programs through its graduate center, the campus in Philadelphia, and online. Six colleges and two schools comprise the University: University College, Colleges of Arts and Humanities, Business and Public Management, Education and Social Work, Health Sciences, and the Sciences and Mathematics, as well as the Wells School of Music, and the Graduate School.

January 9. 2023 — Reading Area Community College (RACC) and Villanova University, College of Professional Studies (CPS) entered into a Guaranteed Admission and Transfer Agreement on Friday, January 6 in a signing ceremony in the Miller Center for the Arts on the RACC campus.

The agreement will facilitate the transfer of RACC students to all majors offered through CPS exclusively under the Bachelor of Interdisciplinary Studies.

"We are proudly celebrating this new agreement with Villanova University, which will open many new doors of opportunity for our graduates," says Dr. Susan Looney, RACC president. “This pathway is the result of great cooperation and collaboration between faculty and deans of our respective institutions and will serve well both the needs of our institutions and, more importantly, those of our students."

"This new transfer agreement between Reading Area Community College and Villanova University College of Professional Studies is an exciting step forward,” says Christine Kelleher Palus, dean of the College of Professional Studies. “Every day in CPS we strive to allow greater access to a rigorous Villanova education, and we are thrilled to welcome RACC graduates to our community of learners. To our future students, with a solid educational foundation at RACC and a bachelor’s degree from Villanova, where you’ve been is just the beginning.”

Eligible students with an overall grade point average of 3.0 to 3.49 will receive a 20% tuition reduction, and those with a 3.5 to 4.0 will receive a 25% tuition reduction for each course taken at CPS.

"The new admissions agreement between Reading Area Community College and Villanova will expand access to our college's transformative education for our students. This partnership will provide a direct pathway to a Villanova degree for the talented graduates of RACC programs," says Kristen Marcinko, RACC director of academic partnerships.

In addition to tuition reduction, CPS may also offer Phi Theta Kappa (PTK) scholarships for qualified graduates admitted to CPS.

To learn more about the RACC and CPS and other transfer opportunities, visit the Transfer Services page.