Graduates pursue advanced degrees and head to work

Biology is the top major for the 303 students graduating Sunday with other STEM (science, technology, education and math) majors close behind.

Many of those students are headed to graduate school. Usman Ahmad is a biology major from Pittstown, N.J., who is headed to the University of Pennsylvania as a research assistant. Anne Jiang, a biology major from Corry with minors in chemistry and economics, will attend West Virginia University to earn a Doctor of Pharmacy and Master of Business Administration degrees.

Joseph McIntyre, a biology major from Randolph, N.Y., is headed to medical school at the Lake Erie College of Osteopathic Medicine and Jonathan Josephs-Spaulding, a biology and environmental studies major from Henryville, will attend Johns Hopkins University to earn a master's degree in environmental health sciences and work with Green and Health Homes Initiative.

Before heading to Johns Hopkins, however, Josephs-Spaulding will spend the summer working in Hanoi, Vietnam, teaching English and working with an organization that encourages responsible tourism.

Kayla Mascaro, a chemistry major from Warren, will begin work this fall on her doctoral degree in analytical chemistry at the State University of New York's University at Buffalo.

While not graduating, second-year chemistry major Ashley Charlesworth of Little Valley, N.Y., will be leaving Pitt-Bradford after being accepted into the pharmacy program at LECOM. Charlesworth was accepted a year earlier than most students who head to pharmacy school as part of pre-arranged programs.

Another second-year student going on to pursue education is Samuel Zilavy, an engineering student from Fombell, who has accepted a cooperative education program in Apex, N.C., with ATI Industrial Automation, the leading engineering-based world developer of robotic accessories and robot arm retooling.

A half dozen sports medicine majors are also headed on to advanced degrees. Pursing a doctor of chiropractic will be Hanna Bressler of Curwensville at Logan University College of Chiropractic in Chesterfield, Mo., and Drew Sneeringer of West Hickory at Palmer College of Chiropractic in Davenport, Iowa.

Molly Carson of Medina, Ohio, will pursue a doctorate in physical therapy at Gannon University. Three graduates will study for a master's degree in occupational therapy: Allison Osborne of Abbottstown at the University of Pittsburgh, Alexandria Vinelli of Bradford at Chatham University in Pittsburgh and Cassondra Whittemore of Kane at Alvernia University in Reading.

Athletic training major Heidi Lucke of Canton, Mich., will work toward her master's degree in exercise science at Eastern Michigan University.

Psychology major Kortny Case of Bradford will pursue a master's degree in clinical mental health counseling at Indiana University of Pennsylvania in Monroeville. Psychology major Stephanie Jimenez of Somerset, N.J., will enter the Master of Social Work program at Monmouth (N.J.) University.

Law school is the destination for Marissa Booth, a criminal justice and social sciences major from Nicholson, who will attend Villanova Law School, and Hanna Fielding, a sociology major from Union City, who will attend Duquesne School of Law.

Others are headed straight to work, such as Student Government Association President Julian Joyner, a history-political science major from The Bronx, N.Y., who will begin work as an analyst at Goldman Sachs in New York, a position he secured while working as an intern at the company last summer.

Another history-political science major, Eric Gemmel of Oakmont, will be commissioned as a second lieutenant in the U.S. Army and will join its Ordnance Corps at Fort Lee, Va.

Criminal justice majors Diamond Ware of Aliquippa will work with the U.S. Border Patrol in Orlando, Fla., and Olyver Gardner of Pittsburgh will work for that city's forensic interviewing team.

Maria Capato of Honey Brook, a nursing student earning her bachelor's degree, will work as a cardiac nurse at Chester County Hospital in West Chester. Another Bachelor of Science in Nursing graduate, Jenny Ratvasky of Edinburg, will work as a registered nurse in the neonatal intensive care unit at Penn Highlands DuBois.

A trio of graduates from December 2015 are already at work. Samuel Kleiner, a computer information systems and technology graduate from Bradford, is the lead programmer/analyst in the Enterprise Applications Department at SUNY Buffalo. Thomas Neilly, another CIS&T major from Bradford, is an operations engineer at the Yahoo data center in Lockport, N.Y. Nicki Shinners, a CIS&T graduate from Little Valley, N.Y., is a data analyst for Paychex in Rochester, N.Y.

Several accounting majors will remain in the area. Josiah Blick, an accounting major from Youngsville, will be an internal auditor with United Refining Co. in Warren. Accounting major Alex Renwick of St. Marys will work for Northwest Savings Bank in St. Marys, while accounting major Kaitlin McCann of Bradford pursues a Master of Business Administration degree at St. Bonaventure University.

Anne Garcia of Bradford, an early education (preK-4) major, will work at Discovery School in Phoenix, Ariz., and will work toward her master's degree in curriculum and instruction from Grand Canyon University.

A couple of students will take advantage of one last opportunity to gain experience with an internship this summer. Athletic training major Kyley Mickle of Port Allegany will intern with the Washington (D.C.) Mystics, fulfilling her childhood dream of making it to the WNBA, and broadcast communications major Keyana Campbell of Avondale will intern with Broadcast Field Production Company in Spain.