Skip to content
Scholarship Tea Honors Founding Mothers and Mothers of Today
Bucks County Community College invites the public to its 19th annual Salute to Mothers Scholarship Tea from 1 to 3 p.m. Friday, May 1, in the Tyler Formal Gardens.
In recognition of America’s 250th anniversary and Bucks County’s deep historical roots, this year’s theme is America’s Founding Mothers, honoring women whose leadership, resilience, and commitment to education helped shape our nation.
The Salute to Mothers scholarship, established in 2007 by Professor Emerita Betty Tsai, has awarded more than 265 scholarships, providing over $366,000 in financial assistance to students pursuing their academic goals while raising a family.
One such student is Kassandra Castillo, a journalism major and past recipient of the Salute to Mothers scholarship. Castillo, the editor-in-chief of the award-winning Centurion student newspaper, a freelance journalist, and a member of the Class of 2026, will share her inspiring story as the keynote student speaker.
In the tented event space in the Tyler Formal Gardens, guests can learn about our nation’s founding mothers by taking in student research projects on display. They will also enjoy live music by acclaimed violinist Claudia Pelligrini while sampling tea sandwiches and dessert catered by Simply Delicious by Tina. Attendees can also try their luck to win a variety of raffle baskets overflowing with sought-after gifts from local businesses.
Tickets for the Salute to Mothers Scholarship Tea are $70 each, or a table of eight for $480. Sponsorship opportunities are also available. To purchase tickets, visit salutetomothers.net. For more information, email foundation@bucks.edu or call 215-968-8224.
Bucks County Community College is located at 275 Swamp Rd., Newtown, Pa., where there is ample free parking. The Salute to Mothers Scholarship Tea takes place in the event tent in the Tyler Formal Gardens, located behind historic Tyler Hall on the campus. For a campus map and directions, visit our Newtown Campus web page.
```
Tyler Gardens and Landscaping Lecture
Bucks County Community College, which was founded on a former baronial estate more than 60 years ago, invites the public to the 18th annual Tyler Formal Gardens and Landscaping Lecture at 10 a.m. Saturday, April 18.
Edward Thome and Abdallah Tabet of the Lynnewood Hall Preservation Foundation will present "From the Garden Up: Lynnewood, Landscape, and Legacy," a journey exploring the historic gardens of Lynnewood Hall and how their investigation into the past has catalyzed new ideas for the historic site's future.
Lynnewood Hall is a 110-room Neoclassical Revival mansion in Elkins Park, Pa., designed by architect Horace Trumbauer in the late 1890s for industrialist Peter A.B. Widener. After several decades of neglect, the mansion was purchased 2023 by the Lynnewood Hall Preservation Foundation, which has announced plans to restore the house and grounds. The property was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2025.
“Changes in the landscape can teach us about the past, just as much as an old newspaper or an antique clock," noted Matt Metcalf, Historic Preservation Area Coordinator at Bucks County Community College. "Formal gardens are works of art: designers ‘paint’ with organic materials. Bringing these landscapes back to life helps us appreciate the past in a tangible way."
Edward Thome is the executive director and a founding member of Lynnewood Hall Preservation Foundation. After falling in love with Lynnewood Hall at just 11 years old, he has been endeavoring to save the grand home since 2018. Thome – who strives to make history tangible to the public – firmly believes that Lynnewood Hall can become one of the great cultural centers of Philadelphia and bring unique educational and recreational opportunities to the community.
Abdallah Tabet is an architect and landscape architect with over 20 years of extensive experience around the world. His work in France includes the grounds of Chantilly and Vaux-le-Vicomte, private estates, river restorations, and the public garden of a temple in Versailles. In the U.S., Tabet played a key role in the design of the new Los Angeles County Museum of Art and the expansion of the Philadelphia Museum of Art. He also developed a master plan for the Smithsonian National Museum of American History in Washington, D.C. He was recently selected as one of 100 young professionals to collaborate with Oprah Winfrey as part of her SuperSoul100 program.
The lecture takes place in the Zlock Performing Arts Center on the Newtown Campus, followed by a tour of the historic Tyler Formal Gardens.
Before the lecture, raffle tickets will be on sale for a chance to win garden accents for your home. An exhibition by Bucks County artists, “Garden Glories 2,” sponsored by the Hicks Art Center Gallery, will be on display in the Zlock lobby.
The College is located at 275 Swamp Rd., Newtown, Pa., where there is ample free parking. For a campus map and directions, visit the Newtown Campus web page.
Tickets for the Tyler Formal Gardens and Landscaping Lecture are $20 general admission, $15 for veterans and BCCC alumni, and free for current Bucks students with ID. Tickets can be purchased at online or at the door. For more information, email Matt Metcalf.
Two Bucks County Community College Students Named to All-PA Academic Team
Two Bucks County Community College Class of 2026 students were recently named to the All-Pennsylvania Academic Team by the Pennsylvania Commission for Community Colleges (PACCC) and Phi Theta Kappa (PTK), the international honor society for two-year institutions. Noah Morris of Bensalem, a business administration major, and Newtown resident Hanna McMenamin, an early education major, were honored at the 2026 PACCC All-Pennsylvania Academic Team Awards Ceremony in Harrisburg April 7. Both students, who have 4.0 GPAs, are eligible for a full tuition waiver for the final two years of their bachelor's degree at any one of the ten universities in the Pennsylvania State System of Higher Education, and each plans to transfer to West Chester University after graduating from Bucks in May. Pictured (left-right) are PTK faculty advisor Dr. Charles Beem, students Noah Morris and Hanna McMenamin, and BCCC President & CEO Dr. Patrick M. Jones.
Community Invited to Discover Lifelong Learning at Bucks
Bucks County Community College, which has been offering educational opportunities for all ages for more than 60 years, invites the public to its third annual Lifelong Learning at Bucks Expo from 10 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. Saturday, April 18.
The free, interactive event allows adult learners to take sample classes and workshops while connecting with instructors and fellow community members. There will also be time in between sessions for networking, light refreshments, and vendor tables.
The sample classes are one-hour tidbits of what is available throughout the year through the College’s division of Community Education and Professional Certification. Categories include Arts and Culture, Wellness and Mindfulness, Personal Enrichment, Technology, and Travel and Lifestyle, plus many more.
Registration for the event is free. For registration assistance, email lifelonglearning@bucks.edu or call 215-968-8409.
The Lifelong Learning at Bucks Expo takes place in the Linksz Pavilion, located on the Newtown campus at 275 Swamp Rd., Newtown, Pa., 18940.
The Centurion Student Newspaper Wins 18 Awards
The Centurion, Bucks County Community College’s student-run newspaper, has won 18 awards in the 2026 Student Keystone Media Contest.
The Pennsylvania NewsMedia Association also gave The Centurion the Sweepstakes Award for Division III, which indicates the newspaper won the majority of the contest’s awards within the division. Since 2010, The Centurion has won more than 200 awards in the statewide contest.
This year, awards were given in categories such as General News, Sports Story, Layout and Design and Video Story. The contest recognizes the hard work the students put in from the Spring and Fall semesters of 2025.
Some of The Centurion staff’s specific awards include:
General News, First Place – In Possible Sign for Midterms, Demjocrats Sweep Pennsylvania and Bucks County in Off-Year Elections, Sarah Yanchunas
General News, Second Place – British Parliament Members Visit Bucks to Seal Transfer Deal with College in Wales, Kassandra Castillo
Photo Story, First Place - British Parliament Members Visit Bucks to Seal Transfer Deal with College in Wales, Emelia Yotko
Feature Story, First Place – Vinyl Records Spinning Back into Mainstream, Chelsea King
Personality Profile, Second Place – In her Varied Roles, Professor Rackin Positively Impacts the School of Language and Literature, Aidan Kegel
Sports Story, First Place – Emily Gilmore: A Student With Many Talents, Zacchary Crain
“It’s definitely a gratifying moment to see my peers wins awards, especially since a lot of them weren’t expecting it,” said Kassandra Castillo, The Centurion’s editor-in-chief. “I’ve seen the progression of everyone, not only within their writing skills, but their confidence as future journalists as a whole. It’s inspiring to see our collective efforts pay off.”
These awards for The Centurion staff mean even more for Castillo since this is her last semester with the paper. She says the most rewarding part of the job has been seeing all the different majors come together to share their love for news and writing.
“Only half of the staff are journalism majors; the other half are as random as it gets,” Castillo added. “But we all share one passion, so it’s rewarding to see different views and personalities mesh together to make the paper.”
One of the winners, Zacchary Crain, a film and photography major, won an award for the only sports story he wrote for The Centurion.
“Honestly, my favorite part about it was the interview,” said Crain. “Being able to write and learn about someone’s personal story with no bias was really interesting.” Crain plans to continue helping The Centurion with photography in his remaining semesters at Bucks.
The Centurion is completely student run and financially independent. Journalism Professor Tony Rogers, the paper’s faculty advisor, couldn’t be prouder of the work The Centurion’s staff puts in.
“The thing that’s always impressive especially in community college is how the students continue to produce a very real newspaper despite the constant turnover of students,” said Rogers. “At four-year colleges, students have more time to hone their experience, but despite the two-year challenge, The Centurion staff makes the paper incredible.”
There will be an awards ceremony and luncheon for the winners on April 14 at Best Western Premier the Central Hotel and Conference Center in Harrisburg. New this year, students are invited to participate in a News Media College and Job Fair networking event and a scavenger hunt with prizes prior to the awards ceremony.
Atlantic Mandolin Quartet Breathes New Life into Historic Instrument
Bucks County Community College proudly presents the Atlantic Mandolin Quartet at 7:30 p.m. Friday, April 17, as part of its Bucks Live! series of innovative programs that entertain, inspire, and enrich Bucks County’s cultural landscape.
With a shared passion for both tradition and innovation, the internationally acclaimed ensemble brings new energy to a repertoire of classical, romantic and contemporary works.
It features members from the around the globe: founder Ekaterina Skliar from Russia, Carrera Stamile from South Carolina, Gabriel Locati from Philadelphia, and Dor Gidon Amran from Israel. Together, they breathe new life into the instrument through both traditional repertoire and innovative arrangements.
The program includes works such as Mozart’s Divertimento arranged for mandolin quartet, alongside original compositions and newly commissioned pieces. Their performances honor the mandolin’s historical roots while exploring fresh and contemporary musical landscapes.
The performance takes place in the Zlock Performing Arts Center on the Newtown Campus at 275 Swamp Rd., Newtown, Pa., where there is ample free parking. Come early for refreshments at the Zlock Lobby Bar.
Tickets for the Atlantic Mandolin Quartet are $25, and free for BCCC students with current ID.
