Success Stories
Discover how Â鶹¹ÙÍø students, alumni, and faculty turn education into action. Explore success stories of leadership, service, and innovation that reflect our Franciscan mission. Ready to see where your story begins? Explore how you can join a community that leads with purpose.
Search for success stories at Alvernia
Graduate student relishes role as special education teacher in Reading School District
Derrick Golden is a busy man.A graduate student at Â鶹¹ÙÍø and a member of the men’s basketball team, he’s also employed full time with Reading School District (RSD) as an emergency-certified fifth-grade special education math teacher....
Industry-focused faculty fuel COO’s career trajectory
Industry-focused faculty fuel COO’s career trajectoryWhen LeeAnn Smulligan MBA ’09 walks into a room, people listen, not solely because of her title, but because of the way she leads. With more than two decades at Mrs. T’s Pierogies, Smulligan has...
Adult student's drive — and drives — help her persevere
Yupha Muzyka ‘21, MBA ‘22, a 39-year-old wife and mother of two teenage daughters, grew up in Thailand, moving to Reading when she was 19 after meeting husband Steve during a visit with her sister, who lived in Singapore.She planned to begin colle...
MSOT standout aims to advance use of 3-D prosthetic hands
As a high school student, Regina Rossi MSOT '24 perused occupational therapy programs and Alvernia’s stood out. “When I discovered the school offered a five-year OT program, I was intrigued and when I visited the beautiful campus and spoke to the ...