Author: Brian Wallace

Brian is the Community Relations Coordinator for Penn Manor School District.

400 receive diplomas at Penn Manor High School commencement

by Brian Wallace

About 400 students received their diplomas Wednesday night before an enthusiastic crowd as Penn Manor High School held commencement at Franklin & Marshall College for the first time in three years.

You can watch a recording of the graduation ceremony here.

Graduation marked the end of a challenging four years for the Class of 2023, which lived through the disruptions brought on by a pandemic and a major construction project at their school.

“Although Covid provided plenty of hardships for our Class of 2023, we as a class showed perseverance and strength to get us through,” Abigail Ames, class president, told the crowd. “We still managed to push ourselves beyond our limits and embraced every opportunity for growth through academics, sports, music, theater, and many other activities.”

  Principal Baron Jones pointed out some of those accomplishments.

Fifty-seven seniors graduated with honors and a GPA of 4.0 or higher; 25 students earned a total of 100 college credits while at the high school; and 269 students took 412 Advanced Placement exams in 27 different subjects.

Sixteen graduates have signed letters of intent to play sports in college, and several students qualified for regional and state competitions in band, orchestra or chorus.

Two-thirds of the graduates plan to continue their studies, either at two-year or four-year institutions, and six members of the Class of 2023 have chosen to enter the military.

One of them, Teagen Rodgers, has been serving since February. When his mother, Danielle Rodgers, a Manor Middle School counselor, walked across the stage to accept his diploma, the crowd burst into applause.

Also honored at the ceremony was Lauren Stoner, who was named Student of the Year by the faculty and staff. She was selected from among the Students of the Month.

The ceremony also featured speeches by valedictorian Isabelle Kligge, salutatorian Jenna DeVinney, Nicole Chen and Anne Bibus. 

Jenna urged her fellow graduates to never give up as they pursue life after high school.

“Graduates, when we face that temptation, I hope we remember that in difficult situations, failing isn’t the worst that can happen,” she said. “The worst that can happen is failing to even try.”

In her closing remarks, Anne encouraged her peers to find inspiration from those who helped them along the way. 

“When life pushes you down, remember those who pull you back up. Remember them. Thank them. Be them. That way, the next time you see someone fall, be the one who sticks out a hand. These connections matter,” she said. 

“When we connect, we grow. When we grow, we succeed. And tonight, we have succeeded. Congratulations, Class of 2023!”

Many thanks to Jason Joniec for his commencement photos

  • Photo of several dozen graduates lined up outside before the ceremony

Five seniors to speak at Penn Manor HS commencement Wednesday

by Brian Wallace

Five Penn Manor seniors will address the audience when Penn Manor High School’s Class of 2023 holds its graduation ceremony Wednesday, May 31, at Franklin & Marshall College.

Commencement will begin at 7 p.m. at F&M’s Alumni Sports and Fitness Center, located on Harrisburg Pike, at the intersection of Race Avenue. Doors will open at 6 p.m.

The event will be livestreamed on the Penn Manor YouTube channel.

This year’s speakers are Penn Manor High School valedictorian Isabelle Kligge, salutatorian Jenna DeVinney, senior class president Abigail Ames, Anne Bibus and Nicole Chen.

Isabelle is the daughter of Maricia and Joseph Kligge of Manor Township.

She was a member and captain of the soccer and basketball teams, historian for the National Honor Society and a leader for both MiniTHON and Comet Nation. Isabelle also participated in Math National Honor Society and the Fellowship of Christian Athletes.

After graduation, she will attend Rochester Institute of Technology to study biomedical engineering and play soccer.

Jenna is the daughter of Joel and Cathy DeVinney of Millersville. 

She participated in the Penn Manor Marching Unit, Indoor percussion program, Jazz Band and orchestra, and was a member of the National Honor Society. 

After graduation, she will attend the Rochester  Institute of Technology to pursue a chemical engineering degree. 

Abigail is the daughter of Jerry and Kathy Ames of Manor Township.

She participated in cross country, track and field, Unified Track and Field, the Unified Club, Student Council, the Fellowship of Christian Athletes, the National Honor Society, and the Young Humanitarian League.

After high school, Abigail plans to attend Lancaster Bible College and major in health and physical education.

Anne is the daughter of Scott and Suzi Bibus of Millersville.

She participated in field hockey, track and field, National Honor Society, Math National Honor Society, the Technology Student Association, Student Council, Civitas, Grey Zone, Mindfulness, orchestra, and peer mentoring and tutoring.

After graduation, Anne will major in bioengineering and play field hockey at Lehigh University.

Nicole is the daughter of Kui Chen and Xiao Zheng of Mountville.

She participated in chorus, orchestra, Manor Singers, the theater program, girls’ chorus, and National Honor Society. She was founder and president of the Math National Honor Society.

After graduation, Nicole will attend Cornell University to major in biomedical engineering and minor in piano performance.

Commencement attendees are advised to allow ample time to arrive at F&M because traffic may be heavy. McCaskey High School is holding its commencement at the same time as Penn Manor’s ceremony at nearby Clipper Magazine Stadium.

F&M personnel will be on site to help direct traffic.

Graduates each received eight tickets for the ceremony. Here is a communication to parents from high school principal Baron Jones with additional details about commencement.

We look forward to honoring the Class of 2023!

From left, Anne Bibus, Isabelle Kligge, Jenna DeVinney, Nicole Chen and Abigail Ames.

Penn Manor senior publishes first novel as writing project 

by Brian Wallace

When Penn Manor senior Kaitlyn Roth graduates next week, it will mark the completion of her high school career – and the publishing of her first novel. 

Kaitlyn has spent the last semester writing and editing the 226-page book,  “Reset,” as an independent study project under the guidance of English teacher Scott Hertzog.

The book follows Mary Elliot, a young girl who dies violently, only to come back to life in a different body four more times from 1900 to 2015. Eventually, she is able to figure out what’s happening and how to stop it.

The book, aimed at young adult and teenage readers, was published earlier this month. It is available for order here.

“Honestly, it’s amazing to have it in print,” Kaitlyn said. “It makes me very happy because I’ve always loved reading, and now I have my own book with my own name on the cover. It’s here, and I’m so happy.” 

Last year, Kaitlyn mentioned to Mr. Hertzog that she was planning to write a novel. Over the summer, she completed about 30 pages. Upon returning to Penn Manor this school year, she began writing in earnest as an independent study project for school credit.

The process involved more than just writing and editing. Kaitlyn had to learn how to create outlines, lay out pages, choose the best fonts and spacing, and other aspects of self-publishing. 

She also researched the conventions of writing, such as how to effectively use dialogue and where on a page to start a new chapter.

“The idea was to take a marking period to create the content, and then edit and publish in the next,” Mr. Hertzog said. “I love the process of helping a student take something from nothing and bring it into the book you see in front of you. It’s just a fantastic process.”

Kaitlyn said the plot of “Reset” is partially based on “time loop” movies in popular culture, such as “Groundhog Day” and “Before I Fall.” 

She took that genre and tweaked it so that the protagonist is reborn – sometimes into a body with a different gender or ethnicity – in different regions and eras in America. 

“I love the story; I love the ingenuity of the way this came out,” Mr. Hertzog said. “It’s a very unique project.”

He and Kaitlyn received editing assistance from fellow Penn Manor English teacher Pam Lindstrom, and one of Kaitlyn’s classmates, Miranda Martin, designed the book’s cover.

Now that “Reset” is out. Kaitlyn is eager to hear what her peers think of the novel.

After graduation, Kaitlyn plans to attend Sarah Lawrence College to major in English and teaching. She’ll continue writing, but Kaitlyn is realistic about the prospect of making it a career.

“It would be one of those careers that would be a dream to do, but it wouldn’t create a lot of financial opportunities,” she said.  

For now, Kaitlyn is happy to be able to share her first novel with the rest of the world.

Millersville University to offer tuition-free classes to PMHS students in 2023-2024

by Brian Wallace

Millersville University and Penn Manor School District are implementing a new partnership that will enable students to take college courses on MU’s campus each semester of their junior and senior year at no cost. 

Students will learn about college life, interact closely with faculty and industry experts, and be mentored by Millersville college students while earning up to 12 college credits, tuition-free.

The program, which targets business students, will begin in the 2023-2024 school year. 

Upon successful completion of the courses, students will be automatically admitted to Millersville University. They also may transfer their credits to another college or university.

To participate in the MU program, students must complete four business-related courses at Penn Manor. 

The courses include Accounting 1 and 2; Marketing & Advertising; International Business & Investing; CS Communicating & Connecting and CS Creating & Making; Honors Engineering Principals; Entrepreneurship; and AP Computer Science Principles, Product Design.

Parents of current 8th- and 9th-graders are invited to a virtual information session to learn how to plan their child’s courses appropriately. Penn Manor 10th- and 11th-graders who have completed the required courses also have been invited to attend.

The session will be held at 7 p.m. Tuesday, May 30. Here is the link to sign up. 

You can learn more about the Penn Manor-MU partnership program here. 

We thank Millersville University for providing this opportunity to our students.

Maria Vita receives national psychology teaching award

by Brian Wallace

Penn Manor High School psychology teacher Maria Vita has received a national teaching award from the American Psychological Association.

Ms. Vita was named recipient of the Mary Margaret Moffett Memorial Teaching Excellence Award in the high school teaching category of APA’s Division 2, Society for the Teaching of Psychology. 

The award, established in 1995, is granted to only one high school teacher each year.

“I am honored to receive this award, and I feel fortunate to share psychological science with students as well as teachers,” she said. “I feel I am standing on the shoulders of giants, and I appreciate all the work that past recipients have shared to advance the teaching of psychology.”

Award recipients are selected based on effective and innovative teaching, their ability to stimulate student interest in psychology, implementing the American Psychological Association’s national standards for high school psychology curricula, and professional development.

Ms. Vita was nominated for the award by a colleague, Mike Hamilton, a high school psychology teacher from Massachusetts.

In 2012, Maria received another APA award, the Charles T. Blair-Broeker Excellence in Teaching Award from the Committee of Teachers of Psychology in Secondary Schools. In 2019, Ms. Vita was honored as one of 12 finalists for the Pennsylvania Teacher of the Year award.

She has taught at Penn Manor since 2003 and initiated the high school’s advanced placement psychology course in 2008.

We congratulate Ms. Vita on this latest honor!

(Photo below by Colette Evans)
Maria Vita in the classroom with eight students.

Central Manor student places second in national drawing contest

by Brian Wallace

Congratulations to Chloe Chen, a Central Manor Elementary School fourth-grader, for earning a top award in a magazine cover illustration contest.

Chloe placed second in the 2023 Humpty Dumpty Cover Contest, and her illustration is featured on the back cover of the May/June issue of the national magazine.

She submitted an illustration based on the prompt: “What do pets do when we are not around?”

Chloe used pencils, markers and a Sharpie to illustrate a dog sleeping on a bed, with a slipper, bone, teddy bear and tennis ball on the floor.

“When My dog was a puppy, he loved to fetch a tennis ball, take away our slippers, take away my stuffed animal and destroy it, and chew on his favorite bones,” Chloe wrote about her drawing. “Now, he doesn’t do that any more and just sleeps in our beds when we’re not home.”

Chloe received a prize of $250 for the Central Manor art program for her winning artwork.

Chloe Chens cover drawing of a dog sleeping on a bed.
Phot of Chloe Chen with details on her.

Senior student athletes and coaches earn sports awards

by Brian Wallace

More than 50 Penn Manor High School student athletes and coaches were honored May 10 during the Senior Sports Awards ceremony in the high school auditorium.

In all, more than 40 awards and scholarships were presented, including Coach of the Year to Rachel Suter (field hockey) and Assistant Coach of the Year to Jamaal Millisock (football).

The top awards for the Class of 2023 went to:

  • Outstanding Penn Manor Male and Female Athletes — Caitlyn McGough (field hockey), Carly Keene (soccer), and Jordan Martin (football).
  • All-Around Male and Female Athletes — Catherine Rabatin (tennis, lacrosse and swimming), Eli Warfel (football and lacrosse) and Jonathan Osman (football and track).
  • A. Landis Brackbill Scholar Athlete Awards – Isabelle Kligge (soccer and basketball) and Anne Bibus (field hockey and track).

You can see the full list of awards here. Below are more details on the top award winners.

Caitlyn McGough – Caitlyn is a three-time Section 1 All-Star and a three-time Lancaster-Lebanon League All Star who was named to the All-State Second Team. 

“Cait is a one-of-a-kind hockey player,” said her coach, Rachel Suter. “Her skill set and ability to move the ball make her stand out among her peers. She set a great example of being coachable to her teammates and led the team this year as a captain.”

Caitlyn will play field hockey at Ball State University.

Carly Keene – Carly is two-time Section 1 All-Star and a two-time L-L League All-Star who was the first Penn Manor player since 2011 to the make the Pennsylvania All-State team. She will play soccer at Lehigh University.

 “Carly is so quick and has such great footwork that she was a threat to score a goal or get an assist each time she received the ball,” said her coach, Bill Zapata. “During her senior year, Carly grew as an all-around player instead of just a goal-scorer, and she broke the program’s single-game assist record of five assists and the single-season assists record of 20.”

Jordan Martin – Jordan was a three-time first team Section 1 All-Star on offense and a second team Section 1 All-Star on defense. He also was team captain.

Catherine Rabatin – Catherine made history as the four-time L-L League and District III AAA champion in tennis. She also earned varsity letters in lacrosse and swimming. She will play tennis at St. Leo University.

“I am so proud to have been able to be a small part of her tennis legacy and can’t wait to see what she will do in the years to come, not only as a tennis player but as a human being,” said tennis coach Amanda Przbylkowski.

Eli Warfel – Eli was a two-time honorable mention Section 1 All-Star as quarterback. He led the team in both passing and rushing yards. In lacrosse, he was an L-L League Section 1 All-Star. Eli will play football at Widener University.

Lacrosse coach Connor Rowe called Eli “a relentless athlete who leaves it all on the field each and every game. When Eli straps on his helmet, he puts everything on the line for his team. Eli is the ultimate competitor. “

Jonathan Osman – Jonathan was a two-time football Section 1 All-Star on offense and a first-team All-Star on defense. He placed second on the team in rushing and receiving yards. In track, he set a school record in the 100 meters and had a top-three overall time in the 200 meters.

“His impact on the track and field program will be felt for years to come, and we were lucky to have him,” said coach Nick Loreto.

Jonathan will play football at Millersville University.

Isabelle Kligge – Isabelle is a seven-time varsity letter winner who was a three-time League and Section 1 All-Star in soccer. In basketball, she was named Defensive Player of the Year. Academically, she ranks in the first percentile of her class.

She will play soccer at Rochester Institute of Technology.

“When I think of Izzy, I think of consistency, awareness, and a relentless desire to compete,” said girls’ basketball coach Mike Glackin. “She’s always learning, always battling, always improving. She is the model student athlete and well deserving of the A. Landis Brackbill Award.”

Anne Bibus – Anne is an eight-time varsity letter winner who ranks in the first percentile of her class academically. She is a three-time field hockey Section 1 All-Star and was named twice to the All-State team. In track, she was a two-time distance athlete of the year.

She will play field hockey at Lehigh University.

“Annie has been an anchor for us in the backfield for the last three years,” said field hockey coach Rachel Suter. “Although her stature is small, her play, positive attitude, and work ethic are not. She challenges herself on the field and in the classroom and is the kind of person who makes other people around her better.”

Congratulations to these student athletes and their coaches. We wish them the best on their future endeavors.

  • The eight top student athlete award winners posing on stage.
    From left, Carly Keene, Isabelle Kligge, Catherine Rabatin, Caitlyn McGough, Anne Bibus, Jordan Martin, Eli Warfel and Jon Osman.
  • Photo of Rachel Suter and Jamaal Millisock holding coach of the year awards.
    Coach of the Year Rachel Suter (field hockey) and Assistant Coach of the Year Jamaal Millisock (football).

Students learn history of Vietnam War firsthand from those who served

by Brian Wallace

Penn Manor High School students had the opportunity to learn about the Vietnam War from a group of veterans who visited the school Monday.

Six members of the Vietnam Veterans of America Lancaster Chapter 1008 presented a brief history of the war and talked about their experiences during an assembly that included about 100 students.

The veterans talked about how they ended up in the military, either through the draft or by enlisting, and what they encountered in Vietnam.

They also discussed the devastating impact of Agent Orange on service members and their families, what it was like to return home in the face of opposition to the war, and their often difficult transitions to civilian life.

The veterans praised the students, saying today’s generation is much more supportive of members of the military than when they served.

After a question-and-answer session, the veterans showed the students some of their war memorabilia, including photographs, maps, medals, military gear, news clippings and books on the Vietnam War.

The veterans who participated were Pat Gibson (U.S. Army), Mike Witmer (Army), Bill Daley (Air Force), Mike Kunitsky (Navy), Mike Pontz (Army) and John Hoober (Army).

We’d like to thank them all for their service and for their willingness to help educate our students about the Vietnam War.

  • A crowd of about 85 students listens to six veterans.

NASA scientist returns to Penn Manor to inspire science students

by Brian Wallace

Jake Bleacher, a chief exploration scientist with NASA, returned to his alma mater Friday to talk with students about his career path after graduating from Penn Manor High School in 1996.

Bleacher encouraged students to take as many math courses as possible and to learn the value of collaboration in the workplace.

Collaboration is key in his role in NASA’s Human Exploration and Operations Mission Directorate, which is working on human exploration of the Moon and Mars. Bleacher’s research focuses on understanding the volcanic history of the Earth, Moon and Mars.

After graduating from Penn Manor, Bleacher studied astronomy at Franklin & Marshall College, but realized he had more interest in geology and switched his major. He encouraged students to be flexible in their career paths and to follow whatever field inspires them.

He pointed out that the work he now does at NASA did not even exist when Bleacher was at Penn Manor, so today’s students will likely end up in completely new fields in the future.

Whatever they do, they’ll need to be able to communicate and work well with others, a skill Bleacher said he first developed even before college while working at a grocery store and as a landscaper.

“You can imagine that launching a rocket is not just one person’s job. That’s not how it works. It’s a huge, multidisciplinary, complicated thing that requires good relationship skills with other people,” he said. “Collaborating means I’m good at this, you’re good at that, and if we work together, we’ll be good at the whole thing.”

Bleacher was in Lancaster this week to speak at Franklin & Marshall College’s commencement, and he reached out to the high school to set up Friday’s presentation, which included a question-and-answer session with students.

We can’t thank him enough for his input and inspiration!

Jake Bleacher speaks in front of an audience of about 100 students in the auditorium.
Jake Bleacher speaks with students in the auditorium.


FCS and Ag students share a lesson — and a meal

by Brian Wallace

Penn Manor High School’s Agricultural Education and Family and Consumer Sciences departments recently collaborated on a project that brought two groups of students together to learn from each other.

On April 26, Mindy Rottmund’s Nutrition & Food Sciences students worked with Mary Wurzbach’s Plant Science class to see how plants are grown using hydroponics in the ag department’s greenhouse.

They learned about hydroponics and aquaponics and the advantages and disadvantages of these forms of growing, compared with traditional growing methods.

The two classes harvested basil plants that were used to prepare a basil garlic aioli spread in the high school foods lab. The students then prepared chicken aioli lettuce wraps, using lettuce grown in the greenhouse.

The groups of students then came together on April 28 to share their creations.

“The students learned from each other, and it was fun and educational activity,” said Mrs. Rottmund. “It was a group effort that worked well.”

Kudos to Mrs. Rottmund and Ms. Wurzbach for this creative collaboration.

  • A group of students in the greenhouse.

Mrs. Raff goes to Washington

by Brian Wallace

Penn Manor’s Elizabeth Raff has had quite a week.

Over the course of six days, she met with legislators on Capitol Hill, attended an international teaching summit, toured the Smithsonian Institute, and met President Biden and his educator wife, Dr. Jill Biden.

As Pennsylvania’s 2022-2023 Teacher of the Year, Mrs. Raff  joined other Teachers of the Year from across the country for the week-long 2023 National and State Teachers of the Year Celebration, which culminated in an April 24 gathering in the Rose Garden of the White House.

“It was an honor of a lifetime to walk into the White House holding all of my students from Penn Manor in my heart,” Mrs. Raff said.

Mrs. Raff  was selected as Pennsylvania Teacher of the Year in December 2021 from a pool of 12 finalists from across the state. Since then, she has been crisscrossing the state and region, speaking at workshops and conferences on teaching, while also serving as Penn Manor’s elementary learning facilitator. 

The visit to Washington, D.C., was one of the highlights of her role as Teacher of the Year.

Mrs. Raff and her colleagues met with lawmakers to share the great things taking place in their classrooms and the need for future support for education. 

They also attended the International Summit on the Teaching Profession, where education chancellors from around the world came together to discuss the importance of education, and shared lessons from their classrooms with educators at PBS.

The group also visited the Smithsonian Institute, where they learned about using the vast network of museum resources to support learning in their classrooms. 

The week ended with the ceremony in the Rose Garden and a reception inside the White House, where teachers met with Dr. Biden and Education Secretary Miguel Cardona to discuss the most pressing issues their students and schools are facing.

 “This past week was an incredible look at the work of advocacy in education,” Mrs. Raff said. “Education is for all of us, and I am inspired by the tireless work of educators who are ready and willing to hold democracy in their hands.”

“It certainly was a great week to be a Comet!”

Congratulations to Mrs. Raff for representing Penn Manor during this amazing week. 

  • Elizabeth Raff and her husband Jeremy Raff in the White House Rose Garden.
    Elizabeth Raff and her husband Jeremy in the White House Rose Garden.

Penn Manor esports team recognized at state Capitol

by Brian Wallace

Penn Manor’s esports team was recently recognized in the Pennsylvania House of Representatives for winning the Rocket League HSEL State Championship and the Harrisburg University PA Cup.

Team members also were honored for their success in the League of Legends, Overwatch, Rocket League, Minecraft and Brawlhalla competitions.

Penn Manor placed first in the HSEL Tournament in January, and the varsity team won the Harrisburg University PA Cup. The junior varsity team placed second in the same competition.

The League of Legends team made it to the first round of playoffs, and the Overwatch team advanced to the final round, both in the fall. Penn Manor’s Brawlhalla team finished 22nd nationwide, and the Minecraft team finished 12th in the nation.

 Esports team members and coaches were invited to the Capitol on April 24 by state Rep. Ismail Smith-Wade-El, who recognized them on the floor of the House of Representatives.

“I think it says something about the importance and rise of esports that our students’ accomplishments were being recognized alongside tennis teams, gymnastic teams, and lacrosse teams at the state Capitol,” said Scott Hertzog, head coach of the Penn Manor team.

 “It truly was awesome to see esports recognized this way.”

 Congratulations to Penn Manor’s esports team members and coaches!

Photo of 22 esports team members with principal Baron Jones on the steps of the Capitol.

Penn Manor honors its Outstanding Educators/ Employee, retirees and longtime staff

by Brian Wallace

Penn Manor honored 21 retirees with more than 500 combined years of service, along with three employees of the year and its longtime staff members during the Employee Recognition Night, held April 25 at Penn Manor High School.

The 44th annual event included a catered reception, followed by recognition of the Outstanding Educators/Employee of the Year and videotaped interviews with 13 of this year’s retirees.

Brian Wimer, head custodian at Martic Elementary, was honored as the Outstanding Employee for 2022-2023.

Martic principal Jen Sugra said “it gives Brian immense joy to care for others by making sure that teachers have what they need so they can best serve kids. Brian is a humble man who loves his work and loves when others notice how clean Martic is.”

Julie Yoder, an academic support teacher at Hambright Elementary, was honored as the Outstanding Elementary Educator of the Year.

Hambright principal Eric Howe said “Julie is fearless in her conviction to help students, and her out-of-the-box thinking has helped our district tremendously. We are proud to call Julie our teacher, our colleague, our mentor and our friend.” 

Kimberly Frey, a math teacher at Penn Manor High School, was honored as the Outstanding Secondary Educator of the Year. 

High school principal Baron Jones praised Kim for “her tireless efforts to educate, motivate and inspire her students, which have earned her the respect and admiration of all those who have had the privilege of knowing her. Kim is truly ‘student first’ and has demonstrated this many times over the years.”

This year’s retirees include Sharon Bower, Tara Etzweiler, Cindy Frey, Chris Johnston, Christine Kinderwater, Diana Lowe, John Matusek, Shawn Maxwell, Nancy Nadig, Ginny Neiss, Rae Newhouse, Amy Niemkiewicz, Sharon Reinhardt, Mindy Rottmund, Maryann Saylor, Tammy Schober, Deb Sensenig, Chris Smith, Kelly Sproul, Johanna Treier and Barbara Trostle.

A video of interviews with 13 of the retirees was part on the program.  Also recognized April 25 were longtime Penn Manor employees, including:

35 Years of Service: Cindy Frey and Jeff Himes. 

30 Years: Cindy Bachman, Donna Falk, Kathy Grenier, Kelley Groff, Doug Kramer, Marjean Long, Amy Niemkiewicz, Carol Ragland, Kathleen Railing, Maryann Saylor and Laura Stephan.

25 Years: Mark Andrew, Sharon Bower, Rebecca Eichler, Stephen Harnish, Carin Leisure, Lisa Martin, Emily Mattern, Shawn Maxwell, Charlie Reisinger, Cindy Rhoades, Deb Sensenig, Streeter Stuart, Jennifer Winters and Pam Witmer. 

20 Years: Jason Ayer, Courtney Costello, Lisa Holloway, Dawn Mercado, Patrice O’Brien, Laura Richards, Kathy Rowley, Brett Sheaffer, Barbara Shoff, Megan Szentesy and Maria Vita. 

Congratulations to all of our employees, and best wishes to this year’s retirees!

17 Penn Manor student athletes participate in National Signing Day

by Brian Wallace

Penn Manor hosted a National Signing Day ceremony April 25 to honor 17 high school seniors who plan to participate in collegiate sports next fall.

The group has an average GPA of 3.48 and includes 11 multi-sport athletes and students who are involved in a wide range of co-curricular activities in addition to sports, including Aevidum, National Honor Society, Multicultural Club, Civitas, the Unified Club, Manor Singers and Mini-THON.

The students also raised funds and donated their time to benefit a variety of causes, including the Penn Manor Pink-Out, the Mini-THON, Coach to Cure MD and Toys for Tots. 

Congratulations and best wishes to these student athletes, their coaches and parents:

  • Mike Evans – Widener University, football
  • Caitlyn McGough – Ball State University, field hockey
  • Allie Burkholder – Slippery Rock University, women’s soccer (Division II)
  • Annaliese Mann – Davidson College, soccer
  • Anne Bibus – Lehigh University, field hockey
  • Liv Cox – Rider University, field hockey
  • Abby Ames – Lancaster Bible College, cross country and track and field
  • Aiden Doyle – Heidelberg University golf
  • Catherine Rabatin – Saint Leo University, tennis
  • Carly Keene – Lehigh University, soccer
  • Tyler Smith – Alvernia University, lacrosse
  • Lacey Slaymaker – Alvernia University, bowling
  • Tyler Hostetter – Widener University, soccer
  • Eli Warfel – Widener University, football
  • Peter Skiadas – Seton Hill College, football
  • Johnathan Osman – Millersville University, football
  • Isabelle Kligge – Rochester Institute of Technology, soccer
  • A parent takes a photo of six student athletes on the auditorium stage.

Penn Manor students earn top awards at PA TSA Conference

by Brian Wallace

Two Penn Manor High School students took home a top prize in the Pennsylvania Technology Student Association State Conference, held April 19 through 22 at Seven Springs Resort.

Suren Clark and Jordan Chen placed first in the state in the Debating Technological Issues competition, during which they participated in a debate about whether social media companies should profit from posting controversial and dangerous topics.

Jordan, a sophomore, and Suren, a junior, were assigned to debate against the profits. They had to introduce their position, cross-examine other participants’ views and deliver closing arguments during the debate.

Suren also placed in the top 10 in three other events in which he competed – Extemporaneous Presentation (5th), Prepared Presentation (7th) and Future Technology & Engineering Teacher (7th).

“Suren and Jordan converted their time and effort preparing and practicing into quality results in the in-person debate,” said Dr. Molly Miller, Penn Manor High School technology education teacher and TSA advisor. “They were also outright great competitors, shaking hands and congratulating the opposition immediately following the debate, along with the judges who had volunteered their time.”

Suren and Jordan qualified for the state conference based on their strong performance in the regional TSA conference, held January 28 at Conestoga Valley High School.

They are now eligible to attend the national TSA conference in Louisville, Kentucky, June 28 to July 2.

Congratulations to these students, and Dr. Miller, on their accomplishments!

Suren Clark and Jordan Chen
Suren Clark, left, and Jordan Chen with their trophies.