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Don't be afraid to ask anything really, especially in your career, because the worst that can happen is you're going to hear no. But, uh, it's it it's actually a good thing to hear no and realize maybe this place is not for me. Uh, but ask about opportunities. Hello Blue Jays and welcome to the nest stories about life after Manor College. I am your host Kelly Peiffer vice president of marketing communications and this is the best part of my day. My hope is that this podcast will encourage, inform, and

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inspire you, making you feel like at Manor College you belong here always. Before we get to today's guest, it is time for a segment of the show I like to call Blue Jay Spotlight. This week, we'll be highlighting Brandy Torres, a freshman at Manor College from Northeast High. Torres is a member of Manor College's baseball team and was on the fall 2025 deans list. >> Hello, I'm Brandy Torres. I'm a freshman here at Manor and I'm from Northeast Philadelphia. I feel like I belong here

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because of the constant outreach I'm getting from all my professors and the tight-knit community really does allow me to just connect with everybody. I feel like every day I walk through the hallways, I'm able to just have a tons of conversations with all my classmates. Right now, it's a tie between developmental psych and the industrial history of Philadelphia. Professor Buechel is like a stand-up comedian. And Professor Morrison is just a genius. So, I just love picking his brain. He knows the answer to any

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question you could ask him. Manor College, you belong here. Today's episode is sponsored by Manor College's open house. Join us at Manor College in Jenkintown, Pennsylvania for our spring open house on Saturday, March 7th at 10:00 a.m. Open house is a chance for prospective students to come visit campus, meet faculty and staff, meet athletic teams, and learn what it is like to have life as a Manor College Blue Jay. Plus, have lunch on us. If you're interested in our open house, head to www.manor.edu/visit

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to sign up for the event. We can't wait to see you. Our guest today was born in Ukraine before he eventually found his way to Philadelphia and walked the halls of Northeast High School. As a first generation American college student, he balanced a full-time career with his studies, proving that grit is just as important as a syllabus. During his time at Manor College, he focused his energy on studying business administration with a concentration in computer science, working closely under the mentorship of

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his faculty adviser, Norma Mahal. After earning his associate degree in 2004, he navigated the complex world of higher education, learning firsthand the vital importance of choosing reputable institutions. Today, he serves as the sales tools and automation architect at Pure Storage. Please welcome to the show Eugene Glik. Hi Eugene. Thanks for being with us today. >> Thank you Cali. Hello to you as well. >> So take us back. How did you first learn about Manor College and why did you

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choose to attend? >> So it's it's an interesting story. In high school, I got involved with a program called Youthworks and uh there was a uh Manor faculty member that was part of the staff running that program and uh besides education uh they were also taking us across uh the state looking at different schools and colleges. This is how I learned about, you know, Poly Family, Bloomsburg, Manor. And ultimately that program is what led me to to Manor uh to apply for a scholarship at Manor being

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accepted and uh having a rather successful couple of years, though maybe some of my instructors would disagree. >> That's great. What a great program. You know, something that I kind of equate it to today, we have a thing called dual enrollment where you could have like a college professor teaching in a high school class and you can get credits in high school for um college. Um, but I haven't heard of anything of what you just described that's like modern day um what we have where they like they take

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you across and they take you to multiple schools and kind of take you on tours. That's really neat. So, do you remember what was it about Manor comparing to the other schools that you saw that like stood out? What were the some of the factors that really played into you choosing it? >> Sure. So, while I always knew that I'm a techie at heart and I've been I've been doing what I'm ultimately still doing since I was 13, uh, Manor uh allowed me some some room to actually

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decide what my career will be. I didn't know uh whether I will succeed in college. Uh I I was an average high school student. Uh I was still learning what adult life is and uh I I had to work. I was already working uh before coming to Manor and balancing school and life was very important and Manor was only 15 minutes away from home so that also helped. Uh but in general it was a smaller school. Uh the staff was very friendly. Uh and uh my soon-to-be adviser was very uh accepting of my horrible sense of humor when I was

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there for an orientation. So uh it just felt right. >> That's great. That's great. It was convenient. It was flexible. Friendly. Um all things that even now 22 years later still hold true. For sure. What was your what was your job that you had while you were a student? >> So I I had a multi multitude of jobs. Uh when I started I was uh installing uh uh Dish Network uh with my father. I was uh running a couple of gas stations as an assistant manager and later I while still at Manor I actually started

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teaching in technical school which was an interesting uh step in itself. Okay. So, you've you've done you've done it all already and you don't even have a degree. That's that's >> that was uh >> Yeah, >> a thing I had to get. >> Yeah, that was impressive. You know, um Eugene, our students today, 85% of them are working while in in college. And of that 85%, about 50% are working full-time. So, it's very common for our students today to be kind of doing what

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you did. They have jobs, overnight, dog walkers, caretakers, um all sorts of different jobs, restaurants, waitresses, um some are day, you know, work in daycares. So, it's it's really common for our students to need flexibility. It's not like a wishlist item. It's like I I need to have it. Um, so it's really neat to hear that your story still kind of resonates with what our students are are going through today. So, what was your Manor experience like? What was it like for you? And what was your what was

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your classes like? And kind of what was take us back. What was it like for you as a student? >> Oh, my actually my first day uh I uh figured out where the learning center is. I don't know if it's still there on the first floor, but made my way over there and I uh made my first friends by accidentally confusing which computer is mine and which is the person next to me and power cycling that one. Uh that was uh an interesting stressful experience but uh everybody was very friendly, everything was easy to find

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and um really it it felt very different from Northeast High because as you know Northeast is a huge school with like you barely know your classmates. >> Manor felt nothing like that. Pretty sure everybody I met on my first day and second day were the people I spent the next two years with. >> Sure. Yeah. Absolutely. >> Their challenges and my challenges were very similar and we learned to work together. >> I love that. Yeah, definitely different than Northeast High where it's just like

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a sea of people all the time. Manor. I always like to say like we don't just know your name, we know things about you. You know things about us very much like a family for for better and for worse. So it's a good thing. Um our our our tagline now is you belong here. And we we adopted that back in 2017 and I hear time and time again that um it really rings true for many people. they do feel like they belong here because of that close-knit, you know, feel that they have on campus. So, why did you

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choose to study business administration and then that concentration in comp sci? I know you mentioned that you've always been a techie at heart, but what about um business and comp sci that really was like, okay, this is going to be my focus, my career. >> So, I always knew that at some point I will be running a business, which I did many times over the last 20 years. And I knew that I was lacking a a certain foundation. >> Well, tech is easy. You start you start in tech, especially in consumer tech,

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and uh you spend a couple of months, couple of years, but you get good at it. It it just happens organically. The business side of things, well, that doesn't just happen. The mistakes there cost you real money real quick, uh and have very serious consequences. So BIS business courses to me were very logical and I'm I'm very happy that I went that way because even if you don't end up running a business, all of these concept transfer over. They they literally transfer over to your normal day-to-day

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life and it just works, >> right? It's practical. it's it's it's going to be helpful in some way somehow and and you know that's really neat. Um and and it's something that kind of stand the test of time. You're going to learn concepts and values and things that like will work right away might not pull into play until 20 years down the road. So I think that's really good for anyone who wants to study business or business administration. So tell us about the work that you're

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doing today Eugene. Um you're working at Pure Storage. Um and you kind of have a longer title sales tools and automation architect but what what does that mean and uh tell us more about that. So Pure Storage, let me first tell you what it is. We we kind of make uh data storage systems all flash-based, really fast, enterprise grade. Most people never hear about such things. Uh and actually uh I I want to make a point that a lot of people don't get uh to see enterprise technology until they're out in the

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field. And that's something that they really should be exploring on their own if they're planning to go out and and work at mid to large scale enterprises uh in IT. Uh so actually what my title means is that I look at business requirements and uh using product knowledge uh knowledge of the development processes and knowledge of how the sales process works and uh I translate that into development requirements work with software developers. I oversee development. I do user acceptance testing and I collect

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feedback from uh many salespeople about how their experience is, what can be improved and it's a continuous improvement process. That's what that means. Um, in in general, it's it's really just removing time that salespeople spend trying to read compatibility documents or figure out if what they're selling customer is going to work out of the box. So, it's it's on me to know all of those things and know where the information is and then make sure that they don't while

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they should know it, they don't have to. >> Okay. Wow, that's interesting. I've never heard of kind of this the storage um data center kind of enterprise like you were discussing either because I'm just not in that field. But how have you found is AI in the world of AI changing this? And do you work with AI in in that sense or I'm forgive my ignorance, I'm just not sure. I imagine it would have >> been all over it, but I'm not sure. >> I I'll start with with with the the

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basic definition of what the cloud is. it's someone else's server or in this case it's a bunch of other equipment. So yes, uh I do touch AI a little. Uh it it is all the rage right now. Uh the the hardware that uh I help put out in the field actually is the foundation on which uh the data that AI uses sits. Um data centers in themselves uh are actually a very interesting topic which uh I feel that uh IT students are not getting enough exposure in. >> I I don't think there is a a single

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school out there that prepares somebody to actually work in a data center. um while they keep growing uh they keep being everywhere and that's that's something that I think is a good place for people to independently study but it's also something for uh IT programs to consider. Um I didn't even know data centers existed when I got into this career and they already did. So >> why why do you think that higher education and maybe tech schools are are not focusing on that to teach?

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Why do you think it's just a just um a misalignment or something like what's what's your thought on that? >> So it's a number of things. one, you will find that finding somebody who is a data center professional uh that is that has time to teach that that's not a thing because these these people are very busy. Uh the other thing is um education programs lag behind what technology is. simply impossible to have an education program that is going to take a student and have them ready to work in a data

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center. Uh it just it's just too dynamic. So it I I know I've been through for instance uh taking a a curriculum through the PA Department of Education. By the time you're done going through that process, >> technology has run away from you. Uh it's it's just that dynamic. Um and the other thing is I I think just like I didn't know about the relevance of this field uh even many corporate IT people miss how relevant it is and how much more relevant it's becoming.

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Do you feel like this is a field that is just starting and it's going to grow or um it it's been growing and it's just it needs more it >> more young professionals in it? >> It it has been growing at a at an extreme pace. If you look at something like Ashurn, Virginia, uh, and you take a look at the history of Google Maps, you're going to see data center on top of data center just they keep popping up and popping up and with AI being introduced, things keep accelerating. The limiting factor for

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data centers, believe it or not, is our power grid. >> Uh, in certain European countries, there's a moratorium on new data centers uh being built because of power. And we are running into power transmissions issues and there's there is more demand than what our country's grid is built for. >> Okay. Interesting. Yeah. So that's a limiting factor right now or or an opportunity to to get different different types of energy to it. >> Um really interesting, Eugene. Thank you

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for sharing that. And I think that's something that um people need to be thinking about and finding ways to create certificates or degrees so that we are preparing young professionals to go into this field because it sounds like it's a good opportunity. Um and potentially untapped. >> Yeah. Yeah. Professional certifications exist. There's plenty of them. Uh but you have to know about them and also most of them require some level of experience. Uh, I'm I'm going to bring up VMware

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certified professional. That is not something you're just going to go and pass with no experience. I mean, you could, but why would you? Uh, it's uh a a curriculum for for a data center tech is something that should exist. It's just it's it's inevitable that we're going to get more of them. They're going to be in everybody's neighborhoods. As much as I perhaps don't like that one's going to be in my backyard, but it will be a good example is Ashurn, Virginia. Like

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if anybody wants to look at the dynamic, they can look there. They can look at Vegas >> and see how many data centers are there. They're they're they're situated around where uh infrastructure for ISPs and infrastructure for power converge. >> Gotcha. Do you know how many or are there a lot in Philadelphia or in like the Delaware County area? >> In Philadelphia, uh you would never guess uh where they are. Uh for example, on Broaden Spring Garden, there is three. Uh

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>> so they just they don't they don't stand out as different in a sense. They just kind of blend in with just, you know, buildings and >> they can be in an old building. They can be a brand new warehouse type building. it. >> It people people repurpose buildings all the time. And >> yeah, if if you go around Broad and Spring Garden, see if you can spot them. They're very easy to spot if you know what to look for. You're looking for backup generators, large cables coming

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out of the ground and a lot of hot air being blown into the street. >> Sounds like a fun like road trip game. Like spot the data centers. >> Yeah. Yeah. >> Um that's cool. If if these are fresh built ones, they're they look just like a warehouse. If this is something that uh historically happened somewhere, they're they're in these high rises, they might be on multiple floors. >> Yeah. Nice. Wow. That's interesting. So, um Eugene, you know, as college students

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are are going throughout their their experiences at Manor and in other institutions, and you know, you've been through the college process now. Um what would you say is some advice that you would give to particularly Manor students today based on what you know? >> The people you meet are important. Uh my first software development job was uh found through my uh classmate at Manor. Uh these people are going to stay with you all your life if you treat them well. And this network is very powerful.

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um build it, maintain it, and uh it'll do great things for you and you will do great things for it. Uh the other piece of advice is don't be afraid to ask anything really, especially in your career, because the worst that can happen is you're going to hear no. But uh it's it it's actually a good thing to hear no and realize maybe this place is not for me. Uh but ask about opportunities, suggest things. Uh you will be surprised how many times uh somebody will listen to you and say, "Well, that's a great

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suggestion. How about you research it more and pitch it to me?" Uh this happens a lot more than people think. Uh just just be open to asking, be open to actually getting an unexpected answer and uh just be dynamic. The days of staying somewhere for decades, I mean there's places where you can do that, but that time really is gone. And uh you want to realize quickly whether the place you're working at is not dynamic, is not keeping up with the times. Uh and you want to find something

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that suits you. And the other thing you really want to keep in mind is really be true to yourself. If if the place you work at doesn't feel right, start looking. >> Yeah, that's great. I think um all of that can kind of tie back into like what you first said about you know knowing knowing people and keeping in contact and um make good connections because you never know when those connections could come in handy when searching or when um you know finding a new opportunity or um I read something recently someone's

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someone's post I think it was a a coach and he was like meet people and then make connections based on the people that you meet like always be a connector within folks because that's how people tend to like you because you're that person who's going to find them and help them and you know um be really thoughtful around that. So I think that's great advice Eugene. Thank you for sharing that. Eugene, we wish you the best of luck in the rest of your career and know that Manor is always

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here cheering you on and as we like to say for our alumni, you belong here always. Thank you for spending the time with us today and we wish you nothing but the best. Thank you and I hope for Manor's continuing success. >> Thank you for tuning in today. If you like what you heard, listen and subscribe on Spotify or YouTube. Stay up to date with all new episodes of our alumni by following Manor College on Instagram, Manor College. And that's a wrap on another episode of The Nest, stories

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about life after Manor College. Remember, Blue Jays, you belong here always.

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I always like to tell students that, you know, find the right home for you. Um, when that's you're looking through the college admissions process, it is cliche, but when you land on that campus that you want to go to, you're going to know that it's the right spot for you. Hello, Blue Jays, and welcome to the nest, stories about life after Manor College. I am your host, Kelly Peiffer, vice president of marketing communications, and this is the best part of my day. My hope is that this

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podcast will encourage, inform, and inspire you, making you feel like at Manor College, you belong here always. Before we get to today's guest, it is time for a segment of the show I like to call, did you know? Where we will share some fun facts about Manor College that you may or may not know. Did you know that there's a new opportunity for Manor College graduates at Neumann University? On January 29th, 2026, Manor College and Neumann University announced an agreement that provides the opportunity for at least

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three Manor graduates per year to earn a master's degree at Neumann. Neumann's programs include forensic accounting, cyber security, business and organizational leadership, education, forensic psychology, and sport business. This exciting program is a pathway for students at Manor College to receive continued education at an institution that has similar values. It is a place where students will feel comfortable, familiar, and will flourish. For more information, check out Manor College's

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latest post on the news section of our website at www.manor.edu/news. Today's episode is sponsored by the Manor College Bird Feed. Did you know that some Manor College students struggle with food insecurity? Minor College is proud to be an official PA hunger-free campus. Our bird feed food pantry provides a vital lifeline offering non-p perishable food and toiletries to those in need. But we can't do it without you. Your donation of canned goods, dry goods, or financial contributions help us stock the shelves

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and ensure that no one in our campus goes hungry. Learn how you can help by visiting manor.edu/birdfeed. That's manor.edu/birdfeed. Our guest today is a true staple of the northeast Philadelphia community and a proud product of Franklin Towne Charter High. When he first arrived on our campus, he dove head first into the full college experience, pursuing an associates degree in liberal arts. He didn't just attend classes, he led from the front. Whether he was guiding prospective families as a student

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ambassador or leading the charge on the pitch as a captain of the men's soccer team, his impact was felt across the entire campus. After graduating from Manor in 2018, he took his talents further a field, earning his undergrad degree at Shenandoah University before completing recently his master's degree from Neumann University. But as they say, all roads lead back to the blue and white. Influenced by mentors such as John JD Dempster, Joe Dr. Joe Gillespie, and John Simila, he decided to return to

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the halls where it all began. Today, he serves as a vital bridge for the next generation of students as a Manor College admissions counselor, athletic liaison, and the assistant woman's soccer coach. Please welcome to the show Damian Schweizer. Hi, Damian. >> Hi, Kelly. Thank you so much for having me today. >> Thanks for being on. and I'm so excited to talk to you and you're someone who h was at Manor then went to other institutions and then you found your way back. So I always love those kind of

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like coming home stories but take us back. How did you choose Manor? How did you find it and kind of what was it like making that decision? >> So growing up I was always a soccer player. So sports had a big uh decision or was a big part of my decision and luckily enough uh I had some interconnection to Manor right away. Uh my dad and JD actually went to high school together. They played soccer together at Lincoln High School under uh Mr. Patton who was an assistant coach at Manor at the time uh when I was a senior

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in high school. So that connection right away kind of made Manor a interest of mine. And then I came to campus after talking to JD a couple times. He was at a couple of our Franklin Towne games. And then he finally got me out on campus. My first time on campus, uh, I felt that you belong here slogan when I walked down the steps to enter Miss Anne, who is still here today, uh, greeted me right away with, uh, open arms, knew my name, which was something that in the recruiting process I didn't experience

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before. So Ann greeted me, gave me a cup of coffee as I waited for JD. And from that moment on, I just kind of knew that Manor was going to be the spot for me. >> Oh, that's great. I love that you had kind of like a prior connection and you had an idea that this might be a good place, but then when you actually came, you were reassured like this is actually a good spot for you and what you just described as like your your you know your opening um scene there coming down meeting an getting coffee. Has that

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changed today? Is that that's still pretty much what happens um at Manor? you know, which is kind of cool to think about. Here we are like a decade later and that hospitality has pretty much stayed pretty consistent. >> Yeah, I get a little flashback every single time I'm I'm meeting with a prospective student for a tour and I watch them come down and kind of do the same thing. I have that flashback of myself putting myself in those shoes, walking down those steps with my dad

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and, you know, seeing JD in the admissions office, which is a little different now, but uh it's still really special, >> right? little little deja vu there. That's so cool. >> So, how was it transitioning from high school sports to college athletics and then obviously like being a a team captain and having that experience? What was that like? >> It was it was definitely difficult. Um, it's very eye opening when you go from being the best standout to your team to

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going to college where college athletics is usually the best player on the best team in every single high school. So, you're basically uh raising your competition levels and really being put with people who you can compete with, who are going to push you every single day at practice. and it's not as easy as that, you know, high school level soccer or any sport. So, you know, you're with a bunch of all stars. Um, and it's really special to, you know, even get to that level of college, whether it's Jo

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to division one. Uh, it's all hard. Not that many athletes get to experience it. So being fortunate enough to earn my spot on a team was really special and it was fun to learn and compete with a lot of these a lot of my teammates. >> Absolutely. It's hard. It's fast. Everyone's like bigger, faster, stronger, you know, so you really got to step it up there to compete. But that's so cool that you had that opportunity to do that. So now you're an admissions

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counselor at um at Manor, but when you were a student, you were an ambassador and you gave tours and you kind of you kind of were like a little bit of a counselor then. So you probably have given a lot of tours in your day. What is like a hidden gem that you always include on your tours that like is kind of a special Damian touch to giving a great tour here at Manor? Uh, one thing I always like to uh, point out is when I bring a student into one of our classrooms, I always like to speak upon my experiences in the classroom

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since I was a student here. And the story that I always bring up is about Leslie Weinfeld. Uh, she is still a math teacher here today. And growing up, math was not my strong suit. I am not a numbers person. I'm more of a talker. I'm more of a visual. So numbers never necessarily crunched in my head. Uh and right away uh Leslie is very honest and upfront. So she asked us first day of class who likes math and who doesn't like math? And me being young, I right away raised my hand. I was like, I don't

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like it. Now I was one of probably three students who are actually honest in the class because I think they thought it was a test. Um, but she knew right away from that point on that I was someone who was going to need a little bit more care and a little bit more help throughout uh the subjects that we were learning because I was someone who didn't like it. So, I was easily frustrated and I was someone who would give up right away if I didn't understand it. So, Leslie took the time to really make sure that not only was

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she, you know, making sure the class was staying on track, but I was understanding what she was saying. Sometimes that left me, you know, staying after class 10, 15 minutes really to figure out some things that I didn't understand or if even if that was, you know, giving me a pretest or a practice test so I could use it as a study tool. Um, so that little touch is something I always like to bring up to students because that's not something that you're going to really get anywhere else.

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>> No, no, that's special. Not only can you tie in your own like experience as an alumni, but then you're showing faculty support, faculty care, kind of the culture that we really are proud of and want to make sure that we're like not just talking the talk, but also walking the walk. So, I think that's a great that's a great hidden gem to keep saying on your tours. I I love that. I did not know that. Um, so let's keep talking about kind of your education a

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little bit and then we'll then we'll get back to to athletics. But so you started with an associates in liberal arts and then you transferred to Shenandoah and then eventually you just got your masters at Neumann. How has like a broad foundation helped you um in pursuing your education? >> It's definitely an interesting track. Um when I got to Manor I wasn't necessarily sure what direction I wanted to go in life. I knew that soccer was something that I wanted to do and I knew

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that if I wanted to stay on the soccer field, I needed to have good grades. So, the best advice I got from my counselors here were, you know, take the classes that you know are going to be acceptable for any type of program. So, when you do figure it out, you are able to jump into that and run straight ahead. So, I started to, you know, float around, have some ideas. I uh took a couple psychology classes, took a couple business classes, and I think I took one education course to really try and figure out where I fit in the best. And

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business, uh, is exactly where I think I was most comfortable. It's a lot of talking. It's a lot of one-on-one networking and making connections with people, which is something that I find very easy to do. So, I found myself loving business. So, once I kind of felt that it was right for me, I kind of ran with it. When I got my bachelor's degree, I really thought that was going to be it for me with schooling. Uh, I never thought I would be going back to school to get a master's degree. And

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when I started working here at Manor, a lot of our leadership, uh, Jessica Zsoldos, who isn't here anymore, and Dr. Gillespie, John Simila, who at that time wasn't a director, he was just an admissions counselor like myself. Uh they really saw potential in me and that I could really grow in this business or this industry and as well as other opportunities that may come across uh my path in life. So, they really pushed hard for me to consider going to get a master's degree. Once I kind of put my

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foot halfway in the door, I started talking to some people that they arranged for me to talk to at Neumann and eventually with discussing it with my family, we kind of made the decision that it was right for me to go back and it was a very very good decision on my end. >> Yeah, that's awesome. I mean, think about it. In the last 10 years, you've gotten an associates degree, a bachelor's degree, and now a master's degree. that is pretty, you know, incredible. So, you should be really

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proud of yourself because that's really cool to have. And I'm glad to hear people were pushing you and mentoring you through that cuz it's a great thing to have and it will definitely come in handy, you know, in life. No one can ever take it away from you. So, that's really cool that you were able to do that while also, you know, working full-time. I know you do a lot of coaching um at Manor, but elsewhere as well. So, it's just it's a good thing to do for you. For sure.

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>> I want to switch gears a little bit and talk about um some of the athletic work that you do at Manor as a coach, but also as an athletic liaison. This is something that is a part of your title. So, obviously, it's really important to the work that you do. Can you explain what um being an admissions counselor, athletic liaison really entails? >> Yeah. So what I do is if there's a prospective student who is interested in playing a sport here at Manor, what I do is I will walk them through the

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application process of what is needed to actually get accepted into the college. Once you are accepted into the college, it's okay, great. How can I now connect you with the coaches and help you navigate finding your spot on the team? So, if you're interested in uh basketball or baseball, women's flag football, really all of the sports here, what I do is I walk you through that process. I get you connected with your coach. And then I'm also here to kind of help you and mentor you what it's like

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to be an athlete and, you know, a student athlete because academics definitely comes first, but we also want you to do well uh on the field as well. >> Sure. Sure. So, you're like the athletes goto person and not just for soccer. It could be any sport. >> Any sport. >> That's great. I love that. So, by day you're admissions counselor and by afternoon evening your assistant women's soccer coach. How do you balance having like a recruiter mindset and then getting into a coach mindset? And does

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one help the other? I think they definitely uh balance each other out and I think I use tactics from my admissions job on the soccer field and I definitely think the coach comes out of me even when I'm walking uh students through the admissions process because in you know reality we are coaching in a way we are you know telling them the next steps how to you know get these things in when they need to be in. So you really are instructing and guiding them as much as you would do on the soccer field or

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baseball field, me specifically soccer. Um so I definitely they go hand in hand for me every single day. Um I think coaching here at Manor under Tom is a very unique thing uh because Tom and I have a lot of the same ideas uh and we bring a lot of the same energy to the soccer field. So we're very welcoming. We always want new girls to come out and try out. Even if you've never played soccer before, uh we want you to come and learn. See if it's something that you can enjoy. So that open arms mindset

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kind of reminds me of what we do here at Manor, especially in the admissions. We're the first face you see when you come to Manor College. So that you belong here slogan really starts with us. So, we want to show that not only, you know, as you're going through the admissions process, but Tom and I want to show you that on the soccer field, you know. >> Yeah, absolutely. They definitely go hand in hand and you and head coach Tom Gi certainly have a good rapport with uh with the girls on the team. So, so

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Damian, I like to ask this question of all of our alumni and about like what is a myth or misconception about the work that you do that you want to debunk? something that people assume that you do and you're like that's just not true or the the you know it's maybe exaggerated something that you want to set the record straight. >> Um and I would just say this about all of the colleges and college prospects. Um we don't just read transcripts. I'm not going and looking at a transcript

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and deciding if Manor is a good fit for a student based off of their GPA. Yes, there are requirements, but just because you don't meet those requirements doesn't mean the conversation is over. We can definitely have a deeper conversation to figure out if there was, you know, some struggles that you may have affected your education or if something just wasn't going right in your high school experience. So these things, you know, students can be afraid sometimes to really throw themselves out

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there because they don't think they're good enough or their grades are good enough. And that's not something that is a worry here at Manor. We're an open opportunity that if you come and be honest and, you know, really open up to us, we're going to open up to you. >> Right. We're not just looking at one thing. We're looking at a whole picture, a whole person. That's great to hear. I'm going to pause this real quick because my computer is dying and I don't

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want to lose any of this. So, I'm going to pause it. So, Damian, obviously you've met a lot of Manor people along the way. You've had mentors as a student, as an employee, as a colleague. Um, but what is like the main advice that you give to students whether they're coming to Manor or not, they're college kids. um what's advice that you give them kind of time in and time out that you know is is really true and close to your heart. >> I always like to tell students that you

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know find the right home for you. Um when that's you're looking through the college admissions process, it is cliche, but when you land on that campus that you want to go to, you're going to know that it's the right spot for you. Uh, I always tell students who are here visiting, when I'm out at college fairs, that, you know, start making a checklist of things that you really like when you're visiting a college. Some colleges are going to have a lot of the same things, but there's going to be one or

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two things that really makes them different. And also start thinking about some of the things that you don't like at schools. Um, having this type of checklist really makes it easier for when you find that school that you think is the one. If the things you didn't like, they're not there. They're not existent at that school. And the things that you really liked at other places are there, that's your spot. And I think, you know, remaining open and not, you know, just going to the first school

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that you think you like is your school. I think take your time figuring out where your next four years are going to be. >> Yeah, it's a big decision. It's a lot of your really like pivotal years that you're going to be spending there. So, make sure it's the right thing for you. Not everyone wants a small close-knit community. You know, some people want a bigger campus or a city campus or something else. So, that's really good advice. Making a list is very helpful.

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Um, thank you so much for that. Okay, we're going to play a little uh calling it a 215 quickfire. So, these are all Philly related questions for you to answer um as kind of a a go-to like North Philly person. Um so, kind of we we'll go through these quickly. So, best spot for a cheese steak. What's your favorite go-to spot? >> So, right now it's Marmaris. It's in trevose, so right outside of the city. But, uh, ask for Veto or Phil. Make sure they're making your cheese steak and

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it's going to be delicious. I promise. >> Okay. Mama Russos. Um, are you getting a Wawa Sizzli? Are you getting a soft pretzel? >> Uh, Sizzli. >> Okay. Are we going to the beach or are we going down the shore? And what's your shore point of choice? >> Down the shore 100%. And it's Wow. >> Nice. Did you see that there's um people are ice skating on the Wildwood beaches right now? >> I did. And so my my mom and brother live down there full-time. So uh when I heard

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that I, you know, had to check in and make sure it wasn't my brother out there. >> I saw that video and I was like, "This is wild." Oh my goodness. It's crazy. All right. So growing up in Northeast Philly, did you use crayons or did you use crayons? >> Crayons. Crayons. All right. Do you prefer a union game at Subaru Park or an Eagles game at the link? >> This is going to be a tough one. I I do love the Eagles, but I am a Union fan through and through. March 1st is their

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home opener and I already bought my tickets. >> Okay. All right. Uh, Gritty or the Fanatic? >> Philly fanatic. >> No brainer for me as well. All right. Can you use the word John describing something about Manor College in a sentence? >> Uh, it's Manor College is a good John. >> All right. I love that, Anthony. We got to clip that right there. That was good. >> Um, and what is one thing that people get wrong about Northeast Philly? >> Um, that's a good question. I would say

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that people describe Northeast Philly people as crazy. Um, I think crazy is a little bit of a harsh word. I would just say we are fully committed to our sports, to our families, and things that we love. >> Passionate, right? We're just passionate. All right. Well, Damian, thank you so much for joining us today. It has been a pleasure to get to talk to you and just to get to know you a little bit more and um we wish you nothing but the best and uh as we like to say, you belong here always.

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>> Thank you. Thank you so much for having me today. >> Thank you for tuning in today. If you like what you heard, listen and subscribe on Spotify or YouTube. Stay up to date with all new episodes by following Manor College on social media at Manor College. And that's a wrap on another episode of The Nest. Stories about life after Manor College. Remember Blue Jays, you belong here always.

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and records are meant to be broken to have your name uh you know stand alone for 20 plus years or something that that's that's a great accomplishment. >> Hello Blue Jays and welcome to the nest stories about life after Manor College. I am your host Kelly Peiffer vice president of marketing communications and this is the best part of my day. My hope is that this podcast will encourage, inform, and inspire you, making you feel like at Manor College, you belong here always. Before we get to today's guest, it is

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time for a segment of the show I like to call Did You Know? where we will share some fun facts about Manor College that you may or may not know. Did you know that a Manor College men's basketball player is on pace to break Manor College's all-time scoring record? Manny wrote, "A junior guard from Medford, New Jersey, scored his 1,000th point at Manor College on December 17th, 2025 in a game against Central Penn College. He became the second player in Manor history to score all 1,000 of his

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career points with the Blue Jays. As of January 20th, Manny has 1,047 points. He's less than 200 points behind the current leading scorer, Aaron Brown, who scored 1,22 points for the Blue Jays from 2004 to 2006. The 2025 2026 season has been a strong one for Manny Roach, who is posting a career-high 21.9 points per game. He was named the USCAA Division 1 men's basketball player of the week for back-to-back weeks in December. Off the court, Manny is a presidential ambassador, a resident assistant in the

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residence hall, and a member of the deans list. In January, he was named a finalist for the Mother Joseph medal, the institution's highest honor given to a student. Good luck to Manny and the rest of the Blue Jays this basketball season. Today's episode is sponsored by the Manor College Bachelor Degree in Psychology. Are you ready to make a difference? At Manor College, our bachelor's degree in psychology prepares you for a career in social services and counseling. With flexible classes and

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personalized education and a low cost tuition, we'll help you unlock your full potential. Build a meaningful career. Earn your bachelor's degree in psychology at Manor College. Visit manor.edu to learn more. Our guest today is a true product of North Philadelphia, coming from the Strawberry Mansion neighborhood. His journey into basketball began with a bit of family creativity. His mother and grandmother actually removed the fence between their backyards just to create a mini court for him to play. He carried that

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homegrown hustle to Manor College from 2004 to 2006 where he became known as a lethal shooter for the Blue Jays. His reputation was not just luck. It was built through a first one in, last one out worth work ethic and the guidance of coaches who pushed him to be his best. After transferring from Manor with a degree in liberal arts, he then took his game to the next level before eventually earning a degree in psychology from the University of Oklahoma. Though a major injury changed his path on the court, it never slowed

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down his momentum in life. Today he is a husband, a father of four, and a dedicated behavioral health technician providing vital care to the elderly in a geriatric nursing home. He is a powerful example of how you can turn a career ending challenge into a lifelong mission of service. Please join me in welcoming to the show Aaron Brown. Hi, Aaron. >> Hi. Thank you for having me. That uh that was a a great intro. I appreciate that. And um I just want to give thanks to my Lord and Savior Jesus Christ for

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you know for me being able to be here today and you know to share this time with you guys. I appreciate it. >> Yes. Well, thank you so much. Well, it deserved a big intro. You you've had you've had a great great career and a great life. So, kind of take us to the beginning, Aaron. How did you end up at Manor College back in 2004 to be a student and to be an athlete? >> Okay. So, prior to going, you know, coming to Manor, um I had a scholarship to go to Slippery Rock University and

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uh upon arriving there, I found out that uh I didn't have a scholarship because the coach had got relieved of his duties. So, um I ended up coming back home um meeting up with uh Coach Guy Moore and that's how I was introduced to Manor. >> Okay. So things didn't quite work out at Slippery Rock, which was unfortunate for them, but good for us. Yes. >> And um that coach really was influential in getting you to Manor. >> So to kind of like take us back, what was your Manor experience like as a

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student athlete? >> Um it was it was actually a blessing to come to Manor. um you know I was able to be uh a half an hour from you know from my from my family which able me to focus on you know on my skills uh not only on the basketball court but you know in the classroom as well. Um being able to it just felt like home. I I felt like I was home at Manor like uh teammates that I met there uh helped out with my work ethic uh you know working putting in work prior to practice and after practice. So just the support from

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everybody uh you know from my family and from people that I met at Manor was was very influential. >> I love that. I love um how it felt like home for you and it was also close to home. So it was a convenience but also a little home away from home. That's really cool to hear. What um obviously basketball was a big reason why you wanted to to come to Manor, but what was what was your kind of basketball experience like playing in a in a on a college level and how did that feel different than high school and

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maybe um other leagues that you've been in before? So, my basketball experience was um I felt like that was the first time that I've always worked on my game, you know, as a kid, but when I got to Manor, I I felt like I really honed in on things that I that I wanted to hone in on. And those skills were a, you know, be able to put on display once I put that manager jersey on. Uh everything that I worked for, you know, just came to fruition. Like looking back at some of the stats, you know, that I had in those

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games, I I can't believe that it was me, you know, like seeing 35 plus for like four or five games straight, you know, just those. But it's just uh a testament to the work that I that I that I put in at that time. >> Yeah. What were some of the things that you did that you were like, "This is extra. This is me going above and beyond. this is how you get to be um an all-time record shooter. This is like what you have to do. What were some of the things that you felt you did that

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were extra and just putting in that extra work? >> Um I'm going start with faith uh with my faith. Uh just believing in Jesus um that you know that I was capable of doing the things that I set my mind to. Um, so you know, just the repetition of shooting, uh, hundreds of shots in the morning, uh, shooting after practice, but it was really just the the mental aspect for me, just believing believing in myself, you know. So, uh, I I think the belief is what really carried me, you know, and

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the work was able to show through the belief. So, >> yeah, you had kind of like both both sides going for you. you actually had >> you had the belief, but then you also like were putting in the work, putting in the the repetitions, you know, those kind of things. Um, for our listeners who are tuning in today and watching this episode, Aaron Brown is the all-time scorer in Manor College men's basketball. He um most career points, 1,22 I believe is the exact number of points

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that he scored in 44 games over the course of two seasons. So Erin, um, to keep talking basketball a little bit, we have a current student, his name is Manny Roach. He's on our men's basketball team. He is getting very close to breaking your record. Um, he's currently at 1,047 points and he's averaging, I think, around 22 points a game right now. Um, now he's a junior and he's had three years of playing and he'll probably have one more year of playing when he's a senior because Manor

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now offers bachelor degrees. So, he has a bit of an advantage to this, but um, what do you think about someone getting close to your record? I mean, no one's really touched it in uh, about 20 years. Um, how does it make you feel? >> Well, I'll just give an early congratulations to him, you know, uh, for for breaking the record. Um, and records are meant to be broken to have your name uh, you know, stand alone for 20 plus years or something. That that's a great accomplishment. And like

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I said, his records are meant to be broken. So, congratulations to him. And I'm also glad to hear that Manor is offering, you know, a bachelor's program and people be able to stay there for four years because, you know, I really believe it's a great program. So, congratulations to him and, you know, whoever else may come after him to break the record, you know. >> Exactly. Yeah. And it's a good thing. We want our Blue Jays to keep scoring buckets. So, it's a good thing that

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they're doing that. Um, and Manny's a great he's a great student. He's an ambassador. He um was one of our RAS in our residence hall and he's studying sport management. So, um I'm looking forward to watching his career flourish in the future, but it's been fun to watch him in basketball as well. So Erin, let's pivot a bit to your career and you got you went on from Manor after studying liberal arts here, you went on to get a degree in psychology.

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What about psychology made you um interested and wanted to study that as a as a topic and as a you know what you're going to have your career in? >> Um just the growth in people in general. um not focusing on where somebody may be at, you know, at the present moment, you know, uh going in with fresh eyes every day and seeing improvement in people is something that I I've always like to say, even within myself, you know what I mean? So, it just doesn't apply to work. It applies to you as well. So, you know,

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uh through my experiences with work, um I'm able to to give those seeds to my children, you know, uh to see them flourish. Uh my oldest son um is currently a freshman at Drexel. Um so I'm very very very proud of him. Uh I'm very proud of all my children, but you know just the everyday growth um of a human being is just something that always um enticed me. So >> that's what that's awesome. >> Yeah, that's awesome. We currently have um we offer a bachelor's in psychology

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degree now at the college and it seems to be quite popular. Um, and we're currently expanding into offering a master's degree coming soon in psychology. So, it's really neat to see that there's so much interest out there for young people, for college students to study behaviors and the mind and really understand um human connections and and so many things about it. So, it's been really cool to see that. So, tell us what do you do um as a behavioral health technician? kind of

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give us the synopsis or like what what does your day-to-day look like for that? >> Um, so currently I work with the uh geriatrics population um at a day program. So uh the typical day uh we start off with uh a community meeting, you know, just to see where everybody's everybody's day is at, where their mind is at, um anything they may want to accomplish, any goals they may have. Uh we do groups uh you know simple exercises, mind exercises, just things to get you know to get you to get your

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mind going uh exercising uh you know so you don't become lethargic you know just anything any day-to-day exercise that you can imagine that we go through uh Monday through Friday. So, and um also like I'm thankful for everybody that I come across. Um because a lot of people stigmatize mental health and think it looks a certain way. Um I've been doing this for a long time and I've seen it look many ways, you know, uh regardless of financial situations, wherever, regardless of where you live at. Um it

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looks all kinds of ways. So, you know, just give people grace and um and listen to that story. You know, everybody needs uh companionship and guidance throughout their life. So, I'm just happy to be able to provide that u no matter where I work. >> Yeah, I love that. Giving grace is always important no matter where you are in life, whether you're talking to a 2-year-old toddler or, you know, an 88-year-old person. Um, that that's great to hear that that's part of your

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philosophy. Um, and what a what a cool way to serve others. Obviously, the geriatric population is one that like you need to have a special heart for, I feel like. So, it's so cool and I just want to encourage you to keep doing that work that you're doing because it's needed. It's um it's unique and it's not something that everyone has like the patience and the skill set for. So, major kudos to you for doing that for so long. >> Thank you. I appreciate it.

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>> What is um I love asking this next question to all of our guests, but like what's like a myth or misconception about your work that you want to debunk? something that you think people get wrong or that they assume about the work that you do? >> I hate to even say it, but you know, uh people, oh, you work with, you know, people that may be uh crazy or whatever, but so I I I hate to even, you know, even have to say that, especially in in 2026, you know what I mean? So, um, so that's just one thing that I would want

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people to just, you know, erase from their thoughts when they when they hear that, uh, you know, hear that, uh, population. >> Right. Right. Right. Right. Yeah. That's good, though. That's a good thing to We're debunking. That's what it's all about. So, that's good to know. Um, and so now you are a father of four, which congratulations. That's wonderful. Um, what is some like dad advice that you want to make sure your kids, but also to other young people out

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there who are starting their their college searches and their own little, you know, journeys and their careers, what what would be some dad advice that you would have for kind of young people today? >> Um, dad advice I'll say just to be present in the moment. You know, don't try to overlook, you know, everybody thinks about their future, but try to be present. You know what I because you don't want these years, some of the best years of your life to go by worrying about what's going to happen in the

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future. So, I would just say be present and uh you know, just be present where you stand. You know what I mean? So, that's that's my advice. Be present. >> Yeah, that's a good one. Be present. Um, so many of our college students, frankly, you know, they get stressed out really easily and they get all worked up and um, and you know, those of us who've been through college and are on the other side of it now, look back at those days and you're like, what were you

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stressing about? This is this is fun. you get like I always say to college students, I always say um enjoy eating lunch and eating meals with like your friends because once you become a working adult with families, it is so hard to go go have a meal with your friends, you know what I mean? Without little ones on you and whatever. So, just like sit in the cafeteria and eat lunch with your friends because those are like some of my favorite college memories and those are like the hardest ones to like replicate now, you know, in

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your 30s or 40s or whatever. So be present is solid advice for anyone, particularly young people. >> Yeah. You know, it's as simple as it sounds, it's very it's very pivotal to be there. Yeah. >> Yeah. So how is your basketball game today? Do you still play? Are you >> Oh, man. >> walking up to a local court and you know, how's it going today? I haven't played in a a very long time, but um I may be playing in this alumni game in

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April um with my high school. I was asked to play a few weeks ago. Um it's supposed to be April uh Strawberry Mansion High School alumni versus Chester uh high school alumni. So, we'll see. You know, man, >> I'm a little nervous about that because it's been a while. But once again, I don't I have zero expectations on myself when it comes to playing baseball right now. So just just to get some, you know, just to run up and down, you know, with some of my former teammates would just

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be a blessing that in itself. So that's all. H >> Did you ever turn in to coach to coaching your kids or any of your kids show any interest in basketball or they have their own kind of thing going on? >> Um my two older boys, they played in middle school. Um but you know, that was pretty much it as far as basketball for them. uh >> you know they like watching but you know just as far as playing they really didn't uh really didn't take to it but I don't mind because they're great

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students so >> playing basketball I I could care less if any of them touch the basketball as long as you know they go through life with faith in God and you know and taking care of their kids when they have them >> that that's that's all that matters to me. >> Yeah. Exactly. Oh that's great. Well Erin, thank you so much for being with us today. It has been such a joy getting to know you more and hearing your story and talking to you. You know, something that I I often say to alumni

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when it feels appropriate. Um, and I just I just thank them and I want to thank you for being such a living embodiment of the Manor College mission. You know, we here in administration, we talk a lot about our mission and making sure that everything that we're doing aligns with our mission. And a lot of students don't even know what our mission is and those kind of things. But it's always so cool to me when I see an alum who's out in the world. You know, you graduated 20 years ago from

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Manor, but you are doing exactly what our mission says. Our mission says that we want graduates to be prepared to serve others professionally and compassionately. And I think the work that you're doing, you're certainly doing that in your geriatric work with your family, with your faith, in your community. So, it's really encouraging to see um that that the mission of Manor, which was, you know, only a couple years in your in your life, in your story, is still playing a part in your in your um you

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know, everything about you. So, thank you so much for doing that. >> Thank you for having me. I appreciate it. >> Thank you for tuning in today. If you like what you heard, listen and subscribe on Spotify or YouTube. Stay up-to-date with all new episodes by following Manor College on Instagram, Manor College. That's a wrap on another episode of The Nest, stories about life after Manor College. Remember, Blue Jays, you belong here always.

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They have a chance to ask questions. >> I don't always have an answer, but then I know who to send them to. So, which means a lot and they're grateful for it. Hello, Blue Jays, and welcome to the nest, stories about life after Manor College. I am your host, Kelly Peiffer, vice president of marketing communications, and this is the best part of my day. My hope is that this podcast will encourage, inform, and inspire you, making you feel like at Manor College, you belong here always. Happy New Year and welcome to the second

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season of The Nest. We are so excited to be back with more alumni stories that showcase the incredible heights our graduates have reached. To remind us all that a Manor education is just the beginning of a lifelong journey. Before we get to today's guest, it is time for a brand new segment of the show. I like to call show and tell where we're going to spotlight some people, projects, and ideas that are on the top of our minds right now. It's a quick look at the work we are doing, why it matters, and why

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we're excited to share it with you. Our Manor College advertising campaigns are underway, all of which feature real Manor College students and alumni. We just published a short video where we asked these students to say in just one word what Manor means to them. Get the tissues ready because here is what Manny, Natasha, Olivia, Caitlyn, and others had to say. >> How would I describe Manor? Welcoming, >> supportive, >> community, >> inclusive, growth, >> transformative,

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>> family, >> comforting, >> community, >> togetherness, >> kind, home. Home. You belong here. >> Today's episode is sponsored by the personal and social skills leadership certificate at Manor College. In today's workplace, social and personal skills are more than just soft skills. They are the key to your next promotion. Master the human advantage with Manor College's personal and social skills leadership certificate. This flexible four-course program is designed for working

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professionals who need high impact training without the high impact price tag. Courses are just $750 each, or you can save even more with a discounted bundle for the entire certificate. It's a small investment for a massive career leap. Don't just keep ahead, get ahead. Classes are hybrid and designed for your busy schedule. Apply today at manor.edu/leader. That's manor.edu/leader. Welcome back to the show. To kick off the new year and season number two of The Nest, we are sitting down with a

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woman who quite literally is the first person many of us see when we walk onto campus. She is an alumni, a 1971 graduate of our secretarial program. Her journey at Manor spans over seven decades, a legacy that has seen the college evolve from a junior college to the 4-year institution it is today. She has served under six different presidents, witnessed the transition to a co-ed student body, and has been the steady, smiling, constant phase through it all. But she isn't just known for her longevity. She is also known for her

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magic. Whether it's the legendary aroma of her percolated coffee that fills the halls at 7 a.m., the sweet treat she keeps at her desk and always insists, "Have a couple cookies," or her uncanny ability to remember a student's face decades after they've graduated, she represents the very best of our Brazilian spirit. From her roots in the local Ukrainian community to becoming the Manor mom for every student who needs a bit of wise advice or a safe haven, she is the true cornerstone of

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our campus. She always reminds us that at Manor, you aren't just a number, you are family. Please join me in giving a warm welcome to the legendary Anne Kiczula. Hi Anne. >> Hi. >> Thank you for being with us today. It is truly an honor to have you on the show. So Anne, you first interviewed for a secretarial position in the yellow house down near the horse barn. What was campus like in those very early days compared to what it is today? >> Well, first of all, it used to be the

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White House and then all of a sudden they changed it to the yellow house. But the excitement was when I came I thought oh I really want to I want the position if I can get it also I wanted to go back take some courses but I knew it wasn't possible at that time so just to work was fine they offered me also to work in the bookstore which was a big thing at that time which we no longer have. >> We have Manny's Market now which is wonderful. That's the good Now we had very few students but we had

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good students >> pleasant and we had a wonderful faculty >> and the staff wasn't that big at that time but it was very good. >> Yeah. No, everything was a lot smaller and a lot more intimate even though we still today are pretty were relatively small and pretty intimate. Um, so you eventually went on to get an associates degree in 1971. So what is some of your favorite memories of being a student here? >> Well, the faculty because the faculty were very good to the students to I'm

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was one of them at that time. So at that time the faculty was very good, very helpful. some who had PhDs and some just had their other degrees, but that's okay. They were still good instructors. >> Yeah, I think that's cool to hear that you said that faculty were really helpful. I think that's something that still resonates today. >> Yes, >> our faculty are really helpful. >> Um, so that's really cool to see that, you know, here we are >> a few decades later and that's still

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really really um the cornerstone of who how our education is. So Anne, you have seen a lot of presidents in your time and where your desk sits, you've always been very close to the president because uh their office is right behind where your um area is. Any I guess do you have any memories of like a really big president moment that you got to see from your desk over the years? >> Well, yes. I think I don't know if it's possible to say, but Mother Alga was very good as a president. She pushed for

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a lot of changes. Some people didn't agree and some did, but she put up the one building, the second building, and of course the third building, which meant a lot, I know, to her and to the other presidents that came after her. >> Yeah. Mother Olga really like physically built the school in its actual buildings. >> She pushed for everything. >> Yeah, absolutely. That that's great. And now you got to um Sister Cecilia Jurasinski was our longest serving president for over I believe close to 30

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years if not a little bit over. Any memories from the President Cecilia days? >> Yes, Sister Cecilia. She pushed for a lot of things and I don't know if I should say but it had to be her way or the highway. That's my interpretation but okay good at her job. So >> yeah very dedicated and now obviously um we have Dr. Perry as a president and he's a different president than you were used to because he's a lay person. He's not a sister. He's a male. Um but he certainly

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has seen the college through some great transition and we now have bachelor degrees um a lot of different partners articulations and really growing the community aspect of the college has been a huge focal point in his leadership now for 10 years. So you've seen it all and from your desk it's pretty cool >> and Dr. Perry has done a lot of changes for the good. >> That means a lot to the students and he has an open door policy which is another thing that's good for the students. I

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mean they come can I speak to him? Of course you can. But if he's at an appointment or he has a other meetings then they'd have to come back or they make an appointment to see him which >> that's good. It's really good that students take advantage of that open door policy. I think that's really important that um that he has that but that also students take advantage of it. That's great. So Anne, everyone always talks about your coffee and now obviously um it's nice that you you make

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a a really large percolator of coffee every every day and I won't ask for the full secret recipe because I know it's secretive for a reason, but what what to important about that ritual that like every day you come in, you make the coffee, how does that set the tone for others? It helps a lot with the students. I always say you're welcome to coffee or anything else there. I said we also have things on the counter which is up for grabs. That's a big thing also for the students. They're very grateful

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for that. >> Also, they have a chance to ask questions. >> I don't always have an answer, but then I know who to send them to. So, which means a lot and they're grateful for it. And I have encouraged a lot of students to stay on and take more courses. Even if you take one or two, I think that's good for them. >> Yeah. >> I've had students who came back and said, "Yes, I'm staying for another two years." >> So, which which I'm I think is good.

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>> Yeah. I think um since you've been here for so long, you are the ultimate like ad admissions, you know, um person because you're always in and I say admissions, enrollment, retention, you're always encouraging students to sign up for that next semester, finish their degree or if they're just coming for a visit with admissions, oh we'll see you in the fall, we'll see you next semester. So really having the the coffee though, you're right, makes them stay at the counter for a few minutes to

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chat opposed to just walking on by. So it kind of slows them down um to chat and talk to you and that gives you a chance to connect with them. That's really important and I think a really special touch that not many other places have. And also the signs that you that Kelly you yourself put up and the girls look at them and they do read them >> and they said what does that mean? And I said well it means you are the one that will stay. You are the one that we encourage to do the best that you to

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your knowledge. So >> yeah it's incredible. Um, you know, a lot of alumni Anne that we've talked to, uh, in our last season of the nest here, like we had Stasia Mento Maloney on, she mentioned that you were her safe haven when she was a student. How do you think that you've been at connecting with students and staff and faculty um, in ways more than a receptionist, but really a mentor um, and like a family member? How how has it always been important to you to make

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those connections? >> I think the fact that the student will stand there and she will ask questions and I try to encourage them to like I said to my knowledge and if I don't I know exactly what department to send them to but some of them won't do that. They'll wait for a while and think about it and then they'll come back and they'll say, "Now I'm gonna ask another question." And they'll ask me and I'll say, "Well, this is my opinion, but you

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have to take it up." I said, "And you can speak to your parents because sometimes your parents will be able to help you in that aspect." >> Yeah, that's true. Um, so actually I want to talk about your parents for a minute. So, your parents were Ukrainian immigrants and you grew up in the in the nice town neighborhood. How has it been like having your heritage um being Ukrainian also where you work? You know, Manor is Ukrainian, we have our Brazilian culture. Um, how has that

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been having those two things in, you know, so core to you, integrated in your life, your heritage, your history, um, also into your work life all these years? >> Well, speaking the language helps a lot when people call in and some of them hesitate because they ask the question, do you speak another language? And I say yes. What? And if they speak Spanish, I send them to admissions because they will help them out. But most of them, if they do speak Ukrainian, I will answer them and uh I

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will tell them what department they have to speak to in order to get what they need. >> So, >> yeah, I often hear you speaking Ukrainian to either other staff members here or to students um or to some of the sisters. So, it's always really neat to hear you speak Ukrainian. Um, that's really cool. Um, and one of our things that we're running right now on our advertising is that we have a video that we ask students to describe Manor in one word. And then we made a video showing all of those one words. If you

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had to describe Manor in one word or what Manor means to you in one word, what word would it be? I would say it I would say that fact is yes you belong here. You also will have the opportunity to get your good education where you're small and everybody in the college will be able to help you in any aspect you want. >> Yeah, absolutely. We're always here to be helpful. We're always here to belong. Um, that's really good. So, we just had students start classes. Actually, yesterday was the first day of

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the spring semester. Um, which to me is always the fastest semester is the spring. What uh what advice would you give to students who are just starting out their semester for the year? >> Well, usually when they come through the door of of course I greet them with a happy smile, I guess they called it, but whatever. and they seem to say, "What do you think?" And I say, "It depends what you're asking." And they'll say, "Well, I want to take this course. I know it's

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hard. I know it's" I said, "If you try, you will succeed." And that's the whole thing, >> right? If you try, you will succeed. one of our Manor College board members, Tracy Davidson, um is a is a motivational speaker and says a lot of great things. But one particular thing that she said recently on um a LinkedIn post that I have I have a sticky note of it on my desk. It says the win is in the trying. Like if you just try, you're already winning. So I think that's great advice for our

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students as they start a new semester. Okay, Anne, you're almost done here. Um, so besides the coffee, what is the most requested item at your desk? Is it pens? Is it stickers? Is it to have a chat with you? What do you think people are coming up to you asking the most? >> Well, they do like to chat, but also anything that's put out the pens, >> cookies, >> tablets. Sometimes we have these pads they pick up and all and the pins. There's a lot. They they seem to like

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those pins a lot because they they take two or three and he said, "Can I give to my mother or to my" I said, "Yes, you can take whatever you want." >> But that means a lot when there's something up there for them to take. >> Yeah, definitely. Um stuff doesn't last up there too long at your counter. That's for sure. It's it's up and it's gone pretty quickly. >> Oh, yes. Everything even what's up for grabs. >> Absolutely. One final question for you,

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Anne. So, after 70 years of working at Manor College, what still gets you excited to get up, get the coffee going, and get here to campus every morning? >> When I see the students coming through the front door, I open that door and they come in and they have a smile and I smile back and they're all ready to get eager and going. And some of them are nervous and when they come in for the first time, especially like the f the freshman, they come in like everything I said everything's going to be fine. Just take

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one day at a time. >> Spoken like a true um receptionist. You know, the people motivate you. Seeing the students, being able to help them and make their day a little bit easier and a little bit more joyful. That's really what I think you do, Anne. who spread so much joy to so many people through coffee, through pins, through conversations. It's really special. Um I'm lucky enough. I've had a front row seat of it for quite a while now. So, thank you for sharing your heart

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with so many. It really um probably don't understand. >> And they're perfect. >> Very helpful in every aspect that I said the students do. >> Yeah. Well, thanks Anne for being with us today. I'm wishing you a happy new year. This is our first episode of the new year. Thank you for being a guest on the nest and we uh we wish you well. >> Thank you. I appreciate it. >> Happy New Year, Blue Jays. Thank you for kicking off season 2 with us today. If you like what you heard, listen and

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subscribe on Spotify or YouTube and stay up to date with all new episodes by following Manor College on Instagram at Manor College. And that's a wrap on another episode of The Nest, stories about life after Manor College. Remember, Blue Jays, you belong here always.

[00:00:00 - 00:01:14] be in communication with their professors. I don't think I would be here if it wasn't for my professors. Hello Blue Jays and welcome to the nest stories about life after Manor College. I am your host Kelly Peiffer, vice president of marketing communications and this is the best part of my day. My hope is that this podcast will encourage, inform, and inspire you, making you feel like at Manor College, you belong here always. Before we get to today's guest, it is time for a segment of the show I like to call Did You Know?

[00:00:37 - 00:01:45] where we will share some fun facts about Manor College that you may or may not know. Did you know that one of the most extensive centers for Ukrainian culture in the United States is actually located right here on Manor's campus? We're talking about the Ukrainian Heritage Museum at Manor College. Established back in 1977, the museum's mission to preserve and promote Ukrainian traditions has always been a central part to the mission of Manor College. It is far more than just a classroom display. The center houses

[00:01:11 - 00:02:24] an extensive archive and a Ukrainian library. But the real showstopper is the folk art collection. You can find beautiful examples of everything from embroidery to traditional bead work to pottery. Their collection of Pysanky, the elaborately decorated Ukrainian Easter eggs is particularly renowned, including an exquisite Maria Maser gallery of handmade eggs. And if you're looking to try your hand at culture, the museum doesn't just display history, it teaches it. They conduct active outreach

[00:01:48 - 00:02:49] programs, hosting workshops and traveling demonstrations, including hands-on sessions where you can learn the ancient techniques of creating your own traditional Pysanky yourself. So, next time you're thinking about exploring world culture, remember college's Ukrainian Heritage Museum is a rich, dedicated resource for keeping these traditions alive. Today's episode is sponsored by the veterinary technology program at Manor College. Do you love animals? Are you looking for a career that's both challenging and yet

[00:02:18 - 00:03:17] incredibly rewarding? Then discover the veterinary technology program at Manor College. Our program is AVMA accredited, ensuring that you receive a high quality education. You'll get hands-on experience from day one. Work with small and large and laboratory animals in our state-of-the-art facilities. Graduates are prepared to pass the national exam and launch a fulfilling career as a vet tech. Whether you want to work in a private practice, emergency care, research, your journey can start here.

[00:02:48 - 00:03:56] Learn more and start your future in animal care today at manor.edu/vettech. That's m o.edu/vette. Welcome back to the show. Today we are thrilled to be joined by a northeast Philly native and someone who grew up in the Brazilian tradition, having attended St. Basil's Academy for high school and then attending Manor College to study psychology. After completing their associates degree from Manor in 2013, our guest educational journey did not stop there. They transferred to Holy Family University to complete their

[00:03:23 - 00:04:30] bachelor's in psychology and then went on to the College of Staten Island where they earned a master's degree in clinical mental health counseling. Today, they put all that education and their dedication into practice as a mental health clinician at the Family Service Association of Bucks County, serving their community in such a vital role. Please join me in giving a warm welcome to our guest, Vera Penkalskyj. Hi, Vera. >> Hi. Thanks so much for having me. I'm really excited. >> Me, too. It's so good to talk to you and

[00:03:56 - 00:05:28] always good to see you. Can you start us off by sharing how did you hear about Manor College and why did you ultimately decide that's where you were going to start your college education? >> Um so Manor College was right across the street from where I went to high school which was St. Basils and it um Manor also um was a Ukrainian um Catholic institution. So I felt that I could express myself freely there. I had the opportunity to be involved in Ukrainian events and um it it served as a good foundation to

[00:04:41 - 00:05:42] start off my college career at. Um, so that's why I chose Manor. >> That's great. That's awesome. Um, you know, Manor when it was first founded in 1947 was an all girls school and really was an all girls Ukrainian Catholic school. Like that's the type of student that always went to Manor. And obviously as the years have passed and things have changed, not all of our students are only women. They're not all Ukrainian. They're not all Catholic. We have students from all different

[00:05:13 - 00:06:15] backgrounds and religions and ethnicities and and parts of the the world and the state. And it's it's really cool to see that diversity come into Manor, but it's it's also really cool to have students like you who are kind of like very foundational to who we were and um very aligned with the sisters. And thought that's so neat to see how you went to the academy SBA, which is literally right across the street from campus here. And um then you came to Manor and and Vera, didn't you

[00:05:43 - 00:06:49] have someone in your family also working at the college for a little while? Right. >> My grandmother worked there uh for several for many years, >> right? For a long time. >> Natalie. >> So Natalie Rudy. Yep. She worked there. Um and it was really nice to have someone to chat with um in school. And my uncle also attended Manor. M >> I remember you being a student or maybe you and your sister together, but I think you particularly and you like eating lunch with your grandmom

[00:06:16 - 00:07:20] sometimes, right? I remember that. Yeah, that's so sweet. I would love to eat lunch with my grandmom at college, you know? That's awesome. >> That was a good time. >> That is a good time. Um, so Vera, you came to Manor and you knew pretty out of the pretty out of the gate like you want to study psychology. What about psychology intrigued you and how did you know that was going to be your field of study kind of from the beginning? >> I was always fascinated with human

[00:06:47 - 00:08:35] behavior and the um I guess how it can affect our thinking like different disorders. Um, and I just um had a big interest in it and especially after talking with um Christine Er whom I met at an open house um she really kind of influenced me more. um she shared some stories that she had as being a psychologist and it really caught my interest and um like just working with people with um who suffer from um mental health disorders like I wanted to kind of help them uh I guess uh with treatment. >> Sure. Yeah. I can't believe that you

[00:07:42 - 00:08:43] wouldn't remember that you met someone at an open house and like such a detail. That's really cool. Um, we still have faculty attend open houses because we really believe like that personal connection to to future students is impactful >> and they could be the reason why a student decides to attend Manor or not because if they had, you know, a good conversation with a faculty >> even just for a few minutes at an open house. So, it's always like reassuring to hear that kind of thing because

[00:08:13 - 00:09:22] you're like, okay, that that really does work sometimes. Um, but going back to your kind of like passion and interest for the human mind and people who have um mental disorders and trying to help them find solutions and find things that work. So, you started studying psychology at Manor um and then you were able to transfer on into a bachelor's and getting a master's and now working in the field. you know, kind of thinking about it from like a 360 point of view, how do you feel that like

[00:08:47 - 00:10:13] from where you started to kind of where you are today? Um, what 12 12 years later in all that or like h how have you how have you grown as in your thoughts of like what you thought you were going to do versus what you're doing now? So it was really important for me to communicate with other people in the field. I think that helped me to get where to where I am now. Um it's very important to have networking and people that you can talk with and have supervision and kind of learn from people who are in the field. So you can

[00:09:30 - 00:10:57] make your own ideas and your own treatment models um and ways that you um can communicate with the cl with your clients. So you kind of make it um you build on what they give you and then you make it your own. Um so and there's more than just like treatment. You have to take a test. um you have to do supervision hours which is like a two-year process um so and you have to get your masters do internship so a lot is involved in that and I think just talking with people who um are doing similar work is very

[00:10:13 - 00:11:19] important um so I've grown a lot by communicating with them asking questions being curious about their work um and seeing what works for Um, and then what if if I could implement that into my own technique. >> Yeah, that's great. I like how you talk about like networking and like sometimes people probably think like networking is for like business people or you know what I mean? Not maybe for like therapists, but like you do need to build a network of people. So that way you can bounce ideas and but you're

[00:10:46 - 00:12:14] developing like your own set of skills, your own set of techniques, your own things that you're going to use in your practice. Do you feel like you've come into your own in terms of like your own techniques and really finding your own um ways of doing things as a therapist? >> Yes. I feel like a lot of years of practice and um it helped me to realize what works for me and my clients and I I am aware that we're not going to be um a great fit for every client. However, I I feel like that if you um help the client

[00:11:31 - 00:12:52] realize their strengths um and recognize maybe what will work for them, then that will help build rapport. >> Um I use a lot of um validation, empathy. Um I help the client reframe their thoughts. So if they're like thinking very negatively, I help challenge that. I use cognitive behavioral therapy, dialectical behavioral therapy. So all various therapies that I believe would be helpful for my client. >> That's awesome. I love hearing that. It's such an important mental health is so important. So I'm so

[00:12:12 - 00:13:24] happy that we have people like you who are dedicated to helping others because it's really necessary. What is um I like asking this question to every guest. What's like a myth or a misconception about either your field or your role that like people assume is one way and then it's not like you want to last last episode we had someone from it on and I asked the same question and they talked about how like people think it I it people are basement dwellers. They can't socialize. is they're just

[00:12:47 - 00:14:16] like, you know, on a screen um coding all day. What's like a myth that about the therapists that you found is really not true, but people think it's true. >> People think I listen all day. >> People think I just sit here and listen and just talk, but it so much more than that. you have to um it requires a lot of thinking and challenging and reflecting and um you're constantly um it's as if you're doing a puzzle. >> So that's what it feels like. >> Yeah.

[00:13:32 - 00:14:43] >> Right. You're not just like sitting listening, nodding along while someone's just telling, you know, stories and things like that. There's so much more involved. Yeah, that's a good one for sure. So, Vera, when you were a student at Manor, you won um what we call the Mother Joseph medal, and it's like the highest student award that we give every year and and it's really for students who um are incredible students on campus, but also they do a lot of service outside of campus. And I know

[00:14:08 - 00:15:45] that that was really important to you when you were a student. Can you kind of um tell me what were you involved with doing and what kind of you know you held close to your heart? >> Uh so at Manor um whenever um Chrystyna Prokopovych needed help at the Ukrainian Museum um I volunteered my services and I would help out um whenever she needed me to. Um, also I was involved with plus Ukrainian scouting group. I was a counselor for girls ages um 9 to 12. Um, so we every Saturday we met. We did projects um a lot of scouting um I guess

[00:14:56 - 00:16:25] activities. Um so I helped out with that. Um, I also was a uh camp counselor for Plast during the summer. Um, and I also volunteered at Parkwood Therapeutic Writing Center. Um, and that's a writing center for um, clients who um, need help physically or are suffering from certain um, health disorders that would benefit from horseback riding. Wow. So, you were you were busy when you weren't like doing school work. You were you were doing other stuff. Um, have you been able to keep up any service while

[00:15:41 - 00:17:02] you I mean not working full-time? It's all I I understand that's enough in itself, but what things have you continued um into your professional career to kind of still give back? So this uh past summer, I was fortunate enough to go back to Ukraine and volunteer with Project Sonia Neck at a 10-day camp for kids who um either lost loved ones um in the war, whose parents are fighting um or who are in recovery. Um so it helped give the kids um a safe space and a time to be just be kids in

[00:16:21 - 00:17:24] the summer and just play. um it was very important for them to just express themselves. So, it was very heartwarming to be there for them. >> Oh, that's that's wonderful. I'm so glad you were able to do that and um have that time to go to Ukraine and do that. That's really really great to hear and really special and and thank you so much for finding ways to continue to serve um even when you're a working adult cuz it's it's hard and to find all that time and that balance but it's

[00:16:53 - 00:18:19] important for our community to have that. Um, so Vera, kind of as we wrap up, what advice would you give to current Manor students who are, you know, they're studying right now? We're kind of at the end of our semester. Um, but what advice would you give them to encourage them to keep pursuing in their education? >> To be in communication with their professors. I don't think I would be here if it wasn't for my professors um and the help that they gave me. So, I think um definitely reaching out. Don't

[00:17:36 - 00:18:51] be scared of of like reaching out. Um no like every question is important um to for you to have answered. And I'm very thankful that I asked my professors about the whole um about the therapy process and what it takes to become licensed. I actually remember sitting um with we I had lunch with my professor and we were talking about the process and I think at Manor Manor gives you the opportunity to do that and be really personal with your professors. >> Um they will like they will answer

[00:18:15 - 00:19:24] anything. They will be of help. They will even take some time one on- one like for um just because they know how important your education is. >> Mhm. Yeah. Make yourself known to your professors. I think a lot of times our students um don't make themselves known to people early enough, you know, like make sure people know who you are and know what you want to do or what you're curious about and not just, you know, hide a little bit in the background, but really make yourself known and I think

[00:18:50 - 00:19:58] that's really important as well. Um Vera, thank you so much for joining us today. It has been an absolute pleasure hearing from you and hearing about your journey and really thank you what you're doing in your career. Um I always I always love it when I can talk to alumni who are really doing such a service in the world and that are so missional aligned. You know our mission here at Manor College is to graduate students to serve society effectively and compassionately. And I can't think of a better example than the

[00:19:24 - 00:20:30] work that you're doing that aligns so well with that. So, thank you so much for being such a great example of of who we want to be graduating out into the world because it's really important. Um, thank you so much and we wish you nothing but the best. >> Thank you. >> Thank you for tuning in today. If you like what you heard, listen and subscribe on Spotify or YouTube. Stay up to date with all new episodes by following Manor College on Instagram at Manor College. And that's a wrap on

[00:19:57 - 00:20:14] another episode of The Nest. Stories about life after Manor College. Remember Blue Jays, you belong here always.

00:00:00
If you are looking at the words professional and personal, you cannot spell professional without every single letter in personal. So, show up, >> be yourself, and if you're not fitting in somewhere, then go make your own space. Hello, Blue Jays, and welcome to the nest, stories about life after Manor College. I am your host, Kelly Peiffer, vice president of marketing communications, and this is the best part of my day. My hope is that this podcast will encourage, inform, and inspire you, making you feel like at

00:00:33
Manor College you belong here always. Before we get to today's guest, it is time for a Blue J Spotlight. Today, we are introducing to you Emma Sykes, a second year veterinary technology student at Manor College from Northeast Philadelphia. >> Hi, my name is Emma Sykes. I'm a Manor Vet tech student. I am from Northeast Philly and I went to Arts Academy at Benjamin Rush High School. So, I found Manor by researching some schools in the area that worked with animals in my studies and then at my career fair,

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Manor was there. I wanted to go into Vet tech because I wanted to teach and educate people on how to love and respect animals and their empathy. I chose Manor because of the small community feel and how hands-on it is. I feel like I belong here because of how patient and understanding the professors are when I'm learning. Manor College, you belong here. Today's episode is sponsored by the veterinary technology program at Manor College. Do you love animals? Are you looking for a career that's both challenging and yet

00:01:34
incredibly rewarding? Then discover the veterinary technology program at Manor College. Our program is AVMA accredited, ensuring that you will receive high quality education. You'll get hands-on experience from day one working with small, large, and laboratory animals in our state-of-the-art facilities. Our small class sizes mean that you get personalized attention from experienced professionals. Graduates are prepared to pass the national exam and launch a fulfilling career as a veterinary technician. Whether you want

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to work in a private practice, emergency care, or research, start your journey here at Manor College. Learn more and start your future in animal care today at manor.edu/vettech. That's manor.edu/vettech. Hello everyone. Today we are thrilled to host and a wonderful alumna who journey started really at Manor College. Um she may not have a single hometown having moved around a lot but she planted roots long enough to graduate from Pennsbury High School in 1999. It was here at Manor where she launched her incredible career, diving

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into the world of veterinary technology. Even while juggling full-time work, a toddler, she excelled, serving as a peer instructor for ER and surgery labs during her second year. We are proud to say that she earned her degree in veterinary technology and graduated from Manor College in 2012. Her journey did not stop there. She went on to earn her bachelor of science from the University of Rhode Island. Today, our guest Alyssa Mages is like a true force in the veterinary world. She is co-founder and

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chief visionary officer. I love that title of empowering veterinary teams, the co-founder and director of veterinary team strategy of nurture, a co-founder and advisory board member of project sticker and the director of Mentor Vet tech. She is a very busy person making waves in the veterinary technology field and we are so honored to consider her a Manor alum. Please join me in welcoming Alyssa Mages. Hi Alyssa. >> Hi Kelly. Thanks so much for having me today. I appreciate you. >> Well, thank you for being with us. I'm

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really excited to talk to you and to hear your your story. Can you start us off by sharing how did you first hear about Manor College and what made you decide to enroll? >> Absolutely. Well, it's funny. I I actually did my bachelor's first. So, I graduated from URI in 2003. Yeah, I'm I've reached level four. So, those of you that haven't made it to level four yet in your 40s, you're in for a treat. So, um the original plan was veterinary school like a lot of my

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colleagues and I did get into TUS in 2007. Um but life happened and uh ended up having a a baby at the time. She's now a you know, a high school senior. So, we've come full circle there. Uh we were in Canada at the time when she was born up in Vancouver and um so the vet school thing didn't work out so I had to figure out something else to do and then we moved back to the states in 2008 and that was one of the those of you that are old enough to remember that recession that was a good time. Uh so

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lived with my parents for a little bit until we could get back on our feet and was working with a friend as an assistant at her practice and was like no I need to do more. I need to know more. I want to get back into ER and specialty. I was in GP at the time, which is a fantastic place for a lot of people. It was not a good spot for me. Um, so I got um talking with a bunch of my colleagues and co-workers and they're like, "Hey, have you heard about Manor?" I said, "No, but I know where Jenkintown

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is." So, uh, looked more into it and uh realized that the textbooks I had been, you know, feeding on were written by the the program director at the time, Dr. Joanna Bassert. So, I was like, "Well, this has got to be a good place to go." Um, and so I enrolled in 2010, I think, or 2009, and yeah, progressed through it from there. >> Oh, wow. That is so cool that you saw that the the textbooks that you're already using >> were written by Dr. Bassert, who was the program director, and like obviously

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that's going to that's going to fit. >> Absolutely. >> Um, oh, that's great. Looks like we have a furry visitor. Who is that? Just a minute. Uh, we have five-month-old kittens. So, oh my gosh, the SBC had to get one and there was two of them in the in the kennel. So, now we have twin girls. >> This one is >> hi. >> What are their names? >> She's around here somewhere. So, we have Butter is our 17-year-old tabby cat. And so, we kept with the theme of of

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spreads. >> Spreads. Oh my gosh. I can only imagine that you've had so many animals over the years as most of our Vet tech students. I often ask them, "How many pets do you have at home?" And it's usually over under like seven or eight. So, I can only imagine. >> We've gotten down. Well, for a while, we had a Kane Corso and she was blind. She was born blind. So, that she was 100 pounds. So, that was enough for I think three pets in one. Um >> Oh my gosh. >> But we've I've always had a cat pretty

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much my whole life and through and through a cat person. I love dogs, but I'm a cat person. So, we have three cats right now and a whole tank of fish. So, yeah, I guess we could go with about that number. >> Yeah, you're probably right on par. Oh, that's great. Um, so Alyssa, take us back. What was your Manor College experience like? And for you, you know, you were someone who already had a bit of college experience, a bit of life experience. You, you know, were a young mom. Um, so I imagine it was a different

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college experience for you at Manor than probably the traditional student. Yes. kind of what was that like for you? >> It was a lot, honestly. Um to be, you know, working full-time and doing the part-time gig and then my little one being like, "Mom, where are you?" Um and then >> gosh, I think my into my second year I had knee surgery and so I was crutching around like taking had to get a ride from one of my my um classmates from because I was living in South Philly at

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the time. So I commute with people and >> it was it really showed me though what you can do when you put your mind to it. And because I was very fortunate that my parents helped me with my undergrad degree, I was paying for this one, though. So, I was I was in the front row, >> right, >> early, you know, and um really making the most of it. So, I I really I had a great time. I really wasn't there to have fun, per se. I I wanted to get my degree and get done and get out and get

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going. Um and so I really nose to the grindstone for sure, but I I established some good friends and I'm I know them to this day in the field. But med's very small, so it's like two years of separation and I still have a lot of connections from my time while I was there. But it was challenging. Um, but it was very rewarding and it's definitely something that I at the time did not take full advantage of or appreciate as much as I should have, but hindsight is always 2020. So,

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>> absolutely. Yeah. And it hits different when you're um I think older, have more experience, and also you're paying for it. So you're like, "Okay, every dollar that I'm spending on this, like it's up to me to make the most of it, to pay attention, to put in the hours to, you know, really get out of it all that I can because this is like your investment and your value." So that's >> that's really good. And I I think a lot of students, a lot of our students

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actually now are are quite older and more mature. I would say 30% of our student population today are >> primary caretakers. So whether their parents themselves or taking care of maybe their older generations or parents or grandparents. So I think a lot of them understand that you know which is kind of unique. >> Absolutely. And I think that was what got us through right is that we were all in a unique situation so to speak. We were not traditional and >> that made it even more impactful because

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we could rely on one another and learn from each other beyond the technical and medical knowhow. Mhm. For sure. Were there any professors or staff or just colleagues at the college during your time that really like made an impact on you and that you kind of can think to this day like yeah they really um were there for me or I can't you know imagine my life without that person now. >> Oh 100%. Um Dr. Bassert was a huge uh influence um even beyond my time there. So, she was my adviser and then when I

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graduated, we stayed in touch and I um I had to take some time off for another knee surgery years later. Hi, sweetheart. Sorry, this kitten is very snuggly right now. Um and she, you know, I reached out to her to see if there if she had any recommendations and she really took on the role of a mentor beyond that and then brought me back. I was an adjunct professor for almost three years. So >> that was a real full full circle moment for me and just really that she had that confidence and belief

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>> and I wasn't the only one. I felt like she did that for a majority of her students. She was just incredible. Um and then when Stephanie Marks came on board, >> she's, you know, she's from she lived in New York. She's a New York gal and my dad from New York and then she spent time in Rhode Island and that's where I did my undergrad degree and we had mutual friends and we're both sarcastic and >> we've maintained a really good collegial friendship as well and she's a

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phenomenal instructor now she's the director and I think the program's in incredibly capable really progressive hands and it it gives me a lot of hope for the the next generations of students. >> Yeah, that's great. I'm so glad that you got to kind of have like both eras. Like you got the Dr. Bassert era and you got to be a student and kind of like be mentored by her, but now you get to work with Dr. Marks. Um they're both incredible women and the program >> has been really successful under both.

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So it's really cool that you kind of get to kind of get to experience that. >> Old school and new school, right? >> Yep. Definitely. That's awesome. Um so so tell us what are you currently doing in your career? what is something that like you're really excited about in the future in your career and kind of explain to us what empowering veterinary teams is all about. >> Absolutely. So I was in clinical practice um for eight years before I got my degree as an assistant and then I got

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my credentials in 2012 and so I worked in emergency specialty medicine predominantly throughout my career. Um and then when I came and worked at Manor, I was trying to find a spot to combine you know education that academia p perspective as well as the clinical skills and learning and development. I didn't I knew it was a thing but I didn't know what that was. And so the practice I was at it was a 50 doctor practice and I had a team of 12 trainers and I was the you know coordinator of learning and development for long time.

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Trying to think of how long that is now. Um so for quite a few years and then just with progressive health conditions I have Ehlers Danlos and a lot of co-morbidities with that. So it's a connective tissue disorder. So things are not always holding up uh physically for me. So >> the demanding job of a veterinary technician especially one in you know leadership I couldn't physically do it anymore. So I I left clinical practice in 2020. Um but my business partner and I have we've been friends

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for over 20 years now and had this idea of like well vet med is good but it has a way it could be better. So EVT empowering veterinary teams is essentially a training consultancy where we develop training programs that are customized tailor made for practices and also groups within veterinary medicine industrywide. So it takes a look at the onboarding and orientation principles and takes them beyond 90 days. So looking at growth and development for folks that have been in the profession >> in what have been you know traditionally

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called the support roles. So >> technicians, assistants and receptionists and making sure that they have a pathway forward and that they have the tools and the support and the guidance they need to up-skill not just clinically but in the human realm. And so we've developed content and programs. We are race approved. We have over 40 courses for CE and we also do product development. So, we've um created artificial training veins that feel like the real thing. And I travel internationally now and my team travels

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nationally to speak at conferences on these things. So, we can take these principles of empowerment and growth and development throughout the industry. >> Wow, that is so incredible. Where did where do you think you got this um kind of like bug or or kind of itch to like become um first of all an entrepreneur but also like someone who's going to be speaking and leading and creating? Is that in your family? Is that something that you've always kind of had that itch as a kid? Like always been kind of

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entrepreneurial minded? >> I don't know about the entrepreneur. I' I've learned a lot as a business major. I wasn't. So, I've had to definitely um learn, you know, school of hard knocks for sure. But I remember very clearly I was really young, maybe four or five, and my my grandfather asked me what I wanted to do when I grew up, and I was like, I'm going to change the world. >> And that, you know, that's a grandiose thing, and little kids dream big. But I

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I've found over the past few years, losing some very close friends and team and family members, that life is too short to dream small. Mhm. >> And while what I'm doing might not change the whole world, it's changing this part of the world, I hope. >> And as many if I can reach, you know, through my work, through my team's work, if we can reach, you know, two people and make their lives different, then that's good, >> right? >> And so it's always been I've always

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wanted and my that was my mom's mantra too growing up is leave the world better than you found it. And my aunt was a college professor for years um her whole career and she was in um pharmacology and cell biology like brilliant woman. >> So she's like she was a pioneer in that essentially like in the 70s and 80s when women weren't in that. And so always that familial push and then just well there's got to be another way to do that. So it's I guess it's been ingrained in me from a young age and

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it's something that I've expanded and I've surrounded myself with people like that. So there's a whole cohort of us within veterinary medicine that are that have started their own initiatives and you gravitate towards that and you learn from one another. So it's something that is constantly evolving. >> Yeah. Wow. Well, it sounds like it's definitely something that you've seen other really strong women kind of lead the way, but also you're you're carving your own section for this and um I think

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it's what what kind of came to mind was it's really in line with um the mission here at Manor College. Our mission is to obviously educate students, but we want them to go out into the world to be effective and compassionate um community members of the world. And I think like you are doing that. You are like a living embodiment of our mission. So thank you so much for doing that. That's incredible. >> Thank you. >> What what is something I like to ask this question um to alumni because you

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know I I don't I don't know your industry. I don't know the Vet tech world necessarily. I I talked to quite a few vet techs and and alumni of vet techs, but what's like a common myth or misconception about um being a Vet tech that people might think or might assume, but you want to debunk? >> Oh god, how much time do we have? Um well, we definitely don't snuggle uh kittens and puppies all day. I am not part of that equation because I have a kitten on my lap. Sometimes >> um it is not all that. Um, and it's also

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not something that anyone can do. >> I think there is a huge misconception and part of the problem is within the profession itself is that a there's a lack of regulation and title protection. So even in the state of Pennsylvania, anyone that's trained on the job can call themselves a technician, but that's not the same as going to an accredited institution such as Manor and sitting for your national boards and getting those credentials. So, I'm very passionate about title protection,

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educating clients and our profession about why that matters and especially then role clarity within a practice. So, you know what someone is legally allowed to do or what they should be doing. And that's not to take away from folks that have been doing this for, you know, 10, 20 years without those credentials. It doesn't take away from their incredible experience and their obvious skill and knowledge. But if we're going to maintain that level of professionalism and medical expertise and we want to

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have the same respect that our human counterparts do, then we have to establish a precedence and we have to maintain that credibility. So, >> thank you for coming to my TED talk on recognition, title protection and utilization. >> Yes, you you are not the first person that I've heard this from. I've heard this from quite a few and obviously like we want students to come to Manor to come >> to go get you know go get their >> technical um you know that would be great but it's definitely something that

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sounds like the industry is having conversations. Have you seen >> positive movement in that direction where this is becoming um more protected and really state by state or is it still really just kind of the wild west? >> It depends on where you go. Um it's slow but it's coming. You know Illinois just passed legislature. Um Colorado has done so. Several other states have followed the same suit and there's realizing that this is important. Um there's a few other issues that go hand

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in-hand with that, right? So we're there is you know the banter across being called nurses. Well that's a protected term for human medicine. So we have to be very careful there too. Um and a lot of folks don't realize that there are four different distinction for credentials. So, I'm a CVT in Pennsylvania. You go up to New York, you're an LVT. Go out to California, you're an RVT. And Tennessee is the only state that is a LVMT, which is a licensed veterinary medical technician.

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So, it is state by state. It is a slow and uphill climb, but there's a lot of amazing people in this profession that are really fighting for it, and people are in people in places that can make change happen are starting to pay attention. >> Well, that's good. Well, that that sounds >> positive. We're getting there. Um, well, Alyssa, you're such a you're so full of knowledge. I feel like I we could talk all day just because you just are so knowledgeable and encouraging and

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>> um I can see why you and your team are speaking globally because that's exactly what I feel like you should be doing because you're just so good at it. Um, kind of as a final question here, what advice would you give to Manor students who are currently kind of like in the trenches of their program and particularly for our sophomore students who um it gets harder that year and they haven't done externships yet, but they're coming. What advice would you give them to encourage them to keep pushing

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forward? Oh, that's it's such a good question and there's not a straight answer to that. But what I would encourage all of you who hopefully you're all listening and maybe watching me in my very natural habitat is that think very much outside of the box and you don't have to subscribe to what has been done and really think about how you want to show up and do that authentically. You know, my one of my favorite lines that I don't know if I came up with it, but I hadn't seen it

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elsewhere, but if you are looking at the words professional and personal, you cannot spell professional without every single letter in personal. So, show, >> be yourself, and if you're not fitting in somewhere, then go make your own space. >> Well, well said, Alyssa. That's so that's so fitting. I've never heard that either. So, let's give you credit for that quote because that's a really good one. Yeah, I love that. Well, thank you so much for spending time with us today.

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You certainly have been an encouragement to me and I I know our listeners are really going to appreciate your insight. Um, and thank you so much for being a Manor College alumni. I mean, you're exactly what we want our alumni to go out in the world and just be the change. Um, find their own spaces, create new spaces, but really be that effective, compassionate service leadership kind of person out in the world. And thank you for doing that. Well, thank you for having me and go Blue Jays.

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>> Thank you for tuning in today. If you like what you heard, listen and subscribe on Spotify or YouTube. Stay up to date with all new episodes by following Manor College on Instagram, Manor College. And that's a wrap on another episode of The Nest, Stories about Life after Manor College. Remember, Blue Jays, you belong here always.