Reading Area Community College Receives $20,000 from Customers Bank

Funds Support Local High School Students Earning College Credits

WEST READING, PA. (March 15, 2021) – On Friday, March 12, 2021, Richard Ehst, President and Chief Executive Officer of Customers Bank, and Dr. Susan Looney, President of Reading Area Community College, participated in a check presentation ceremony acknowledging Customers Bank's contribution of $20,000 to Reading Area Community College. The funds provided by the bank will be used to create scholarships for dual-enrollment high school students that are earning early college credits.

Reading Area Community College has relationships with other colleges that enable the college credits earned through the dual enrollment program to easily transfer to other universities. Students enrolled in the program are able to reduce the length of time in college and significantly impact the increasing cost of higher education.

"Reading Area Community College has established an excellent program that rewards high achieving students, which aligns with our values and the importance we place on continuing education," stated Ehst. "Regardless of whether you are currently in school, starting your career or have years of experience, furthering your education greatly impacts your potential earnings, so we are very pleased to support programs and organizations focused on helping members of the community improve themselves."

Enrolled students save time and money by earning both high school and college credits simultaneously as they complete most of their general education courses. High school students also enhance their college applications by providing a college transcript with completed courses.

"We are very grateful for the generous support of Customers Bank, which helps enable us to offer early college programs, including dual enrollment," stated Dr. Looney. "Since 1995, more than 6,200 high school students have participated in our dual enrollment program, earning over 49,000 transferrable college credits. Approximately 82 percent of students who complete at least one dual enrollment course with us go directly on to college."

Currently, sixteen Berks County high schools participate in the program. Students earning college credits most frequently further their education at Penn State University, Kutztown University of Pennsylvania, Alvernia University, Albright College, Millersville University, West Chester University of Pennsylvania, Shippensburg University, Temple University, Bloomberg University and the University of Pittsburgh.   

To learn more about Reading Area Community College's dual enrollment program or other early college programs, contact the guidance counselor at your student's high school. 

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About Customers Bank

Customers Bank, a subsidiary of Customers Bancorp, Inc. (NYSE:CUBI) a bank holding company, is a full-service super-community bank with assets of approximately $18.4 billion at December 31, 2020. A member of the Federal Reserve System with deposits insured by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation, Customers Bank is an equal opportunity lender that provides a range of banking and lending services to small and medium-sized businesses, professionals, individuals and families. Services and products are available wherever permitted by law through digital-first apps, online portals, and a network of offices and branches. Additional information can be found on the company's website, www.customersbank.com.

About Reading Area Community College

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

Photo Caption:

From Left to Right:

AnNette Hines, Director of Cultural Advancement at Customers Bank, Richard Ehst, President and Chief Executive Officer of Customers Bank, and Dr. Susan Looney, President of Reading Area Community College, participated in a check presentation ceremony on Friday, March 12, 2021, to recognize Customers Bank's contribution of $20,000 to create scholarships for dual-enrollment high school students earning early college credits.

Reading, PA, Wednesday, March 10, 2021 – Phi Theta Kappa Honor Society (PTK) is recognizing over 1000 REACH Rewards chapters across the United States for their efforts to bring the life-changing benefits and opportunities of PTK membership to even more students on their campuses in 2020. Phi Theta Kappa’s REACH Rewards program recognizes and rewards Phi Theta Kappa chapters that excel in membership development.

“Being a REACH chapter is more important this year than ever before as Phi Theta Kappa worked to support community college students in completely unfamiliar circumstances,” PTK President and CEO Dr. Lynn Tincher-Ladner said. Although this is a chapter award, it demonstrates that students are more focused on their futures than ever before, and their colleges are providing the opportunities to get them there — even amid a global pandemic.”

A full 91 percent of Phi Theta Kappa members will complete an associate degree or transfer to a four-year college, compared to just 38 percent of students nationally. Members have access to $48 million in scholarships — $1 million in competitive scholarships through the Phi Theta Kappa Foundation and more than $46 million in transfer scholarships to over 850 four-year colleges. They can search for these scholarships and others, as well as transfer-friendly institutions and career pathways, on PTK Connect™.

“Reading Area Community College’s Phi Theta Kappa Chapter, Alpha Sigma Rho was thrilled to learn that we have been identified as a REACH Rewards chapter. Students are invited to join Phi Theta Kappa when they have earned 12 college-level credits with a GPA of 3.6 or higher. In 2020, 125 RACC Students accepted membership in the Phi Theta Kappa International Honor Society. Members who choose to participate in our local chapter have the opportunity to hone their research skills through our annual Honors in Action project as well as other chapter activities,” says Danelle Bower, RACC professor of Social Work/Sociology and Phi Theta Kappa advisor.

Students who excel academically at RACC have the opportunity to join Phi Theta Kappa, the honor society for two-year colleges. In addition to recognizing scholastic achievement, Phi Theta Kappa also provides members opportunities for scholarship, leadership, service and fellowship. To learn more, call 610-372-4721.

The League for Innovation in the Community College is an international organization with a mission to cultivate innovation in the community college environment.

The League’s Innovation of the Year Awards were devised as a way to recognize significant innovations at board and alliance member colleges. These innovations reflect significant achievements and the continuing renewal of the spirit of innovation and experimentation upon which the League was founded.

The award honors faculty, staff, and administrators who have created and implemented innovative programs, practices, partnerships, policies, and activities that improve the institution’s ability to serve students and the community. This year, the winners from Reading Area Community College are:

• Alayne Fessler - Program Director/Professor, Medical Laboratory Technology Program
• Cathy Weinheimer - Assistant Professor, Health Professions
• Crystal Schilthuis - Assistant Professor, Foundational Studies
• David Brant - Professor, Psychology
• Eleisha Moreno - Coordinator, Foundational Studies
• Kathleen Evans - Assistant Director, Financial Aid/Records
• Kathy Cunningham - Director, Admissions & Enrollment Services
• Kenneth E. Dearstyne, Jr. - Senior Vice President, Finance & Administrative Services
• Kevin Coots - Dean, Academic Affairs
• Linda Bell - Associate Dean, Business
• Michelle Wallace - Director, Nursing Programs
• Patricia Mejabi - Associate Dean, STEM Division
• Patricia Mellor - Coordinator, Financial Aid/Records
• Rhonda Hudak - Director, Community and Academic Engagement
• Stacia Visgarda - Associate Dean, Health Professions

Originally from Greenville, North Carolina, Pamela Tuck, has been writing poems and stories since she was a child. Pamela credits her writing to her upbringing surrounded by southern storytellers. In fact, her family inspires many of her stories. Pamela, mother of 11 children, was drawn to RACC for its conveniently, accessible remote courses. “The creative writing program is offered primarily online, which worked best with my schedule and lifestyle and the staff are very welcoming and supportive.”

Pamela graduated RACC with an Associate of Arts in Creative Writing. The creative writing program helped Pamela hone her craft as a writer in the areas of fiction and nonfiction. “I currently write leveled reading books for school students, which requires research and outlining. My experience with RACC further developed those skills for me and allowed me to apply those skills in my current position.”

Pamela is an award-winning author for the many children’s books she has written. Some of those awards include, the 2007 Lee and & Low Books New Voices Award for her book As Fast As Words Could Fly and the 2019 Mom’s Choice Award Gold for her book Mother of Many. Reflecting on her time at RACC, Pamela acknowledges the vigorous writing exercises and techniques she learned in the creative writing program that she applies to the various types of writing she produces. “The creative writing program also gave me a foundation of fundamentals that I am able to conceptualize and build upon as I grow as a writer.”

In fact, Pamela credits her professor, Joey Flamm-Costello, for helping her bring out the best in her writing. “Joey believed in me and her genuine interest in my success empowered me to follow my dreams. Joey offered such deep analysis of the literature we read and wrote.”

Moving forward, Pamela will continue to work her dream job as a fulltime writer and utilize the skills she learned at RACC to advance her career. “The challenging and engaging courses prepare students with the skills they need to succeed in their profession.”

Reading, PA – The Foundation for Reading Area Community College has received a generous $7,000 donation from First Priority Bank, a division of Mid Penn Bank. This contribution will support Reading Area Community College (RACC)’s Dual Enrollment/Pathway Programs. Under the RACC Dual Enrollment Program, current high school students can begin their post-secondary education and start earning college credits from multiple programs at the college. RACC has collaborated with seventeen area high schools to offer college credit for college-level courses students take at their high school. The courses taught at the high school must cover the same competencies as courses taught at RACC.

“With the average student debt around $30,000, we continue to offer solutions for our students to manage their college debt, save time, and better prepare them for the expectations of college-level course work. Even during these uncertain times, what is best for the students is at the center of everything we do,” says RACC President Dr. Susan D. Looney.

Mid Penn Bancorp Inc., headquartered in Millersburg, Pennsylvania, has been serving the community since 1868. Mid Penn has 39 retail locations in the state of Pennsylvania and total assets of more than $2 billion. Its footprint includes Berks, Bucks, Chester, Cumberland, Dauphin, Fayette, Lancaster, Luzerne, Montgomery, Northumberland, Schuylkill and Westmoreland counties. The bank offers a comprehensive portfolio of products and services to meet the banking needs of the communities it serves. To learn more about Mid Penn Bank, visit www.midpennbank.com.

To learn more about the Dual Enrollment/Pathway Programs at RACC, call 610.607.5127. To learn more about giving opportunities with The Foundation for Reading Area Community College, call contact foundation@racc.edu or 610-607-6239.